Chapter 09
Just as she was staring at the head butler with wavering eyes, he opened his mouth and began speaking about the mansion in a somewhat excited tone.
“This Cadelion estate is living proof of beastkin history. Every corner of the mansion contains the history of the beastfolk and the legacy of Cadelion. If I were to describe the estate’s unique beauty, there would be no end to it…”
If there’s no end, you could just skip it…
I swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of my tongue.
‘I’d really rather pass on this kind of guided tour…’
“Ahem. I’ve gone on too long. Shall we take a look around together?”
Since I did want to see the mansion, I ended up reluctantly touring it with the guide I hadn’t asked for.
‘Wow. This place is huge.’
Ignoring the guide’s explanations, just exploring new rooms made my heart flutter.
It felt like going on a little outing.
My chest swelled with soft excitement.
For the past few weeks since arriving at the mansion, all I had done was—
“Meow!! (Mari, let’s eat churu!!)”
—eat.
“Kitty, how many days have you been sleeping?”
—sleep.
“Mieow!! (Mari, water! Turn off the water!! I’m dying.)”
—bathe… and the rest I’ll omit for the sake of my privacy.
Anyway, because of that, I never properly got to look around the mansion. Even when Mari carried me, I was so worried about falling for the sake of my survival that I only stared at the floor the whole time.
‘I probably know the color of the floor better than anyone.’
Now that I was properly looking around, everything—from the objects to the ceilings—was filled with the touch of master craftsmen.
To be honest, the scent of money was everywhere.
Of course, none of the items were shouting, “I’m extremely expensive!”
Truly expensive things never announce their price.
They just look subtly elegant and beautiful.
Everything that caught my eye or that I absentmindedly touched turned out to be handcrafted masterpieces.
‘Oh, this is pretty.’
“Kitty, that is a piece by Master Mikella Shu, auctioned for approximately 300 million gold. As for its historical value—”
‘Wow. Is this a dressing room? This outfit is gorgeous.’
“This dress is one of Madam Haila’s masterpieces… Each diamond embedded like starlight was cut by renowned artisans, which drew great attention. It is a one-of-a-kind piece made for the former lady of the house…”
‘Oh, what’s this?’
“Kitty, this dish was made by Master Dorzas Giyu… a genius who defined an era… valued at around 500 million gold…”
‘This is fascinating!’
“As expected of you, Kitty. This water-hued jewel box was created through the collaboration of the great architects and designers Namua Banaa and Etia… It is estimated to be worth about the price of an entire island…”
Many of the items were worth as much as a whole mansion.
Some were even worth as much as an island.
Right… I had forgotten this was the Cadelion estate.
After hearing the teddy-bear-like butler’s explanation, I nearly dropped the bowl I was holding—which was apparently worth a mansion.
After that, my front paws trembled so much that I couldn’t touch anything in this noble estate.
If I touched something and it got scratched… I didn’t even want to imagine it.
Those items were probably worth far more than my life.
Just imagining the disastrous future of dropping one made me shake my head as I walked.
‘Wait… what if even the floor I’m walking on was delicately crafted by a master?’
No way. It couldn’t be.
‘Nah.’
Could the floor I always stared at really have some deep meaning?
I stepped forward, pressing my paws firmly onto the very floor I used to glare at.
“Kitty, are you interested in the floor as well? Most people don’t pay attention to such small details. You are truly meticulous. As expected, you are no ordinary cat.”
The head butler continued:
“This floor boasts morphologically perfect beauty… and contains the pure history of Cadelion… The founding lord of Serdihan, upon seeing this floor…”
So the saying “what you fear comes true” applies to moments like this.
Yes. Even the floor was extraordinary.
‘It contains Cadelion’s history? So the floor was the most important thing?’
Had I been glaring at something that held the entire history of Cadelion this whole time?
After hearing that, my paws trembled in reverence as I stood on it.
The weight of Cadelion’s history was beneath my feet.
I was stepping on the same floor that even the founding lord of Serdihan had admired.
‘This feeling… of standing on Cadelion’s history…’
Unsettling.
But let’s ask a fundamental question.
Why would anyone engrave their family’s history onto the floor in the first place?
And why would the founding lord of Serdihan admire someone else’s floor?
‘…Do people normally go to someone’s house and admire the floor?’
These lion folks were definitely missing a screw.
‘From now on, I’m getting carried everywhere. I’m not going near anything in this mansion—including the floor.’
‘Absolutely.’
I silently vowed to be carried by Mari from now on.
There had to be a reason she always held me.
If I walked around and accidentally scratched something, I’d damage the floor that carried Cadelion’s long history.
Better to live in constant fear while being carried than to accidentally break something here.
Was there even a single ordinary item in this mansion?
How did the staff even clean and maintain this place without losing their minds?
‘I could never do it.’
Breaking even one thing wouldn’t just ruin your finances—it would ruin your life.
Could that tower-like structure in the room—something straight out of The Wizard of Oz—also be some legendary masterpiece?
A pointless curiosity crossed my mind.
‘I’m never going up there again.’
Another vow.
There’s a saying: “Test even a stone bridge before crossing it.”
But could the person who said that still say it after coming here?
I felt like you absolutely should not test any stone bridge in this place.
What if you tapped it to check its safety… and it broke?
It might be worth an entire mansion.
At that point, it’d be better if I just fell into the water instead.
‘I… didn’t break anything since coming here, right…?’
I suddenly found myself reflecting on my past actions.
Thus, the nerve-wracking tour—where every decoration, piece of furniture, wall, and floor came with terrifying explanations of value, origin, and craftsmanship—was nearing its end.
Only one room remained.
Though honestly, after hearing those prices, nothing else really registered.
‘Finally… the last one…’
Please let there be nothing terrifyingly expensive in this room.
At this point, I felt more anxious than excited.
Creak—
‘What is this…?’
When I looked ahead, Ian Cadelion was sitting in a chair, waving lightly at me with a bright smile.
Around him stood his aides, all with dark circles hanging down to their cheeks.
But what stood out the most was the hot pink cushion beside his table—
Just about the right size for me to lie on.
‘Why are you here…?’
My expression instantly soured.
Was this some kind of illusion room?
I had to be seeing things wrong.
There must be some illusion-related artifact in here.
‘They say beastkin are more developed than humans in some ways… maybe it’s true.’
To be able to create illusions like this… even ones I didn’t want to believe.
‘But… what if it’s not an illusion?’
It didn’t feel like one.
‘It looks too real.’
Ah. This wasn’t an illusion.
It was reality.
Having grasped the situation, I froze on the spot like a stone.
Ian Cadelion—his face was practically glowing.
His slightly disheveled silver hair shimmered, his sharp jawline, and those mysteriously blue eyes—
He looked like a descending angel.
If this were an illusion, would his face really shine like that?
No. It wouldn’t.
I turned my head away from the face that appeared instead of some terrifying object.
‘I saw nothing.’
Rejecting reality, I turned away and ran as far from the room as I could.
‘Ah! Don’t scratch the floor!!’
I dashed off, fur flying, carefully placing each step so as not to leave even a single scratch behind.
“Puhahaha!”
Loud laughter erupted from inside the room.
“I’ll—Allen.”
Seeing the black fluff sprint away, Ian spoke.
“Yes, Lord Ian.”
“What do you think you should do here?”
“…Are you telling me to go catch that cat?”
As if asking something he already knew the answer to, Ian raised the corner of his eyes slightly.
“…You are, aren’t you? If I bring her back, that cat won’t let me off easily. I don’t want to be hated. Unless it’s for being adored.”
Allen continued with a mournful expression—
Though it was exaggerated enough to lack any real sadness.
“Did you see her run? She’s incredibly fast.”
“Indeed. Almost as fast as a horse-type beastkin. Or maybe even a cheetah.”
Ian smiled brightly as he spun his fountain pen.
Allen’s ten years of experience as an aide sent him a warning:
If Ian kept talking like that, the pen might end up embedded in his skull.
It was the seasoned survival instinct of someone working under a terrible boss.
Of course, up until now, Allen had dodged every pen thrown at him with his excellent reflexes.
But there was no guarantee he could dodge every future one.
And if he got hit, it would at least leave a hole in his skull.
‘Better to just go than take that risk.’
Allen let out a small sigh and disappeared.
“Add this to my performance bonus. If you don’t, I’m submitting my resignation.”
Ian’s lightly waving hand served as his answer.
