Chapter 14
“Gasp. Look at that pose! As expected—truly worthy of my muse!”
Madam Haila’s eyes sparkled with emotion as she grew even more excited.
What pose is she even talking about?
I’m just pressing my temples because they hurt.
‘Wait a second, Madam.’
There’s something we need to clarify here. Why am I your muse? Since when did I become your muse?
Is the “muse” I know different from the one Madam knows? How can an ordinary black cat be the muse of a famous boutique owner? What in the world is going on? Did cats suddenly conquer the world or something?
If the world revolved around cats and everyone had to flatter them, then maybe I’d understand.
But the person Madam should be flattering is that white tiger sitting over there watching me—not me.
Why is there no normal person in this mansion?
Do people become abnormal the moment they enter this place?
Madam Haila straightened her back and clapped twice.
“Now then. Children, bring them in.”
An enormous number of clothing racks were wheeled into the reception room, filled with all kinds of clothes, along with jewelry. In an instant, the large room was packed with dresses and accessories.
‘…Is that why there was a mirror placed there earlier?’
My expression turned strange as I finally realized the purpose of the mirror reflecting my still-fluffed fur.
‘Well… that mirror does show my whole body.’
But aren’t boutiques supposed to mainly sell clothes? Why are there party dresses, indoor dresses, pajamas, accessories, jewelry—and even toys—being brought in?
‘Even the dresses are all for cats.’
Is my understanding of boutiques wrong, or is this world’s definition of a boutique wrong?
Or is the world itself just completely strange?
As I was seriously wondering if cats had truly taken over the world, Mari leaned close and whispered softly into my ear.
“Kitty, this boutique is famous for working with jewelers to create matching jewelry tailored to each outfit.”
Still… that doesn’t mean they sell cat clothes…
“The toys… were probably brought especially for you.”
Mari interpreted my gaze and whispered happily.
“We watched the cat footage you sent and worked very hard. Inspiration just kept flowing—I completely lost track of time. Hohoho.”
Hey. So that’s why you said you were filming me last time?
I shot Ian a glare.
He just shrugged, tapped my nose lightly, and dropped a shocking statement.
“Now you have to try all of those on.”
What!? When am I supposed to try all that on? You’re joking, right? Tell me you’re joking!
I stared at Ian in disbelief.
He smirked mischievously.
When I turned to Mari, she was muttering to herself with sparkling eyes, “Which outfit should we try first…,” and Allen quietly avoided my gaze.
What is this? Why does it feel like I’ve been betrayed by everyone?
And so, I ended up changing clothes on top of the table in front of everyone.
‘What is there to even dress on a cat?’
—was something I couldn’t say, considering the mountain of accessories and dresses waiting for me.
Madam Haila and Mari dressed me up, carefully holding frilly, lace-covered cat dresses against my body and seriously discussing each option.
Watching them, they worked together surprisingly well.
The first outfit they chose after much heated debate was a white dress filled with frills and lace, paired with a simple piece of jewelry.
And the first thing they said after dressing me was:
“Kitty, could you spin around just once?”
That.
‘Fine. As long as you’re happy…’
With a resigned heart, I slowly spun in a circle on the table.
“It suits you well.”
“Indeed. It fits Kitty perfectly.”
“As expected, Kitty is going to steal my heart.”
Mari, you shouldn’t say things like that with a straight face. What would I even do with your heart? Keep it safe in your own chest.
“An angel has descended…”
Madam Haila stared at me with a dreamy, weakened voice. She’s definitely strange too.
I tapped Ian.
He looked at me as if asking why.
‘Hey… is she really normal?’
“Believe it or not, Madam Haila is famous for being cold and strictly professional.”
Ian whispered into my ear.
‘You seriously think this is cold and professional…?’
I narrowed my eyes at him. If this is professionalism, then what are the others like?
I pressed his finger insistently with my paw, demanding an answer.
Meanwhile, a navy-toned dress had somehow already been put on me.
“Oh my—! In this outfit, you look so chic and elegant. Truly like the Queen of the Night! You’ll completely dominate the festival day! This is perfect for showing the world our Kitty’s dignity!”
“Haila, I don’t think Ariel is ‘our’ cat to you.”
At that moment, he corrected her.
My face instantly went blank.
‘That’s not something you need to correct.’
I don’t know why Allen and Ian—who were supposedly extremely busy—were both here instead of working. Could they really slack off like this?
Of course, Ariel had no idea that “fitting baby cat outfits” was officially on their schedule.
Haila, undeterred, continued.
And so I kept changing outfits endlessly.
Light pink.
“Oh my, this suits you too. How do you pull off everything so perfectly?”
White.
“Kitty gives off an impenetrable aura. Perfection…”
Purple.
“Look at this mysterious feeling! As expected, my muse must be from another world. Pure fantasy…”
Sky blue.
“Oh my! I don’t think I can ever go to the racetrack again. Kitty, after seeing you, I’m speechless!”
And many more outfits…
“Seeing you gives me so many ideas all of a sudden.”
After playing dress-up with me for quite a while, Madam Haila suddenly picked up a notebook and took a pencil from an employee.
‘I thought she liked me just because I’m a cat…’
But what if, by any chance, I were a beast-person?
Well, considering I haven’t turned human at this age, I’m probably just an animal…
She began sketching rapidly, as if possessed. In less than 30 seconds, the outline of a beautiful dress appeared on the page.
“This is a design I imagined for how you might look if you became human. If that ever happens, I’ll pour my soul into making this dress just for you.”
A cat turning into a human… just imagining it made her heart swell.
“Then that mysterious black fur would become pitch-dark hair, shining like the night…”
Clutching the notebook tightly, she looked upward as if envisioning something.
“If you became human… just imagining it is enchanting. Of course, the chances are very low.”
And so, after enduring endless praises, I finished trying on all the dresses in a state of enlightenment.
Still, I gained something—a custom dress designed in just 30 seconds.
Not a bad outcome.
If she’s pouring her soul into it, it’ll probably be beautiful.
If I ever become human again, I’ll come back to claim it.
“Ariel, is there anything you like?”
I nodded. There’s something I want to do.
Something I’ve always dreamed of.
I tapped Ian with my paw and took a deep breath.
‘You can do this, Ariel.’
It was something I’d always wanted to try since remembering my past life.
Ian watched Ariel carefully.
Since bringing her home, this was the first time he’d seen such a determined expression on her face.
‘Does she not like the designer? Is she going to slap her?’
‘Or throw jewelry at Madam Haila?’
Haila was a friend of the previous duchess—if jewelry got thrown at her, that could be a problem.
‘Even if there’s a twenty-year age gap, a friend is still a friend.’
Ian tapped his cheek slowly with a long finger, thinking about how to cover things up if needed.
At that tense moment, the kitten stepped forward with resolve.
I timidly placed my paw at the start of the rack with the simplest-looking dresses.
‘From here…’
Then I ran to the very end and tapped it.
‘…to here. I’ll take everything.’
I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.
Back when I was an ordinary person, I always wanted to try this after seeing it in dramas and novels.
“From here to here, we’ll take it all.”
Ian chuckled.
“We were going to buy everything anyway. Why so dramatic?”
That’s it! That’s exactly it!
I clapped my paws excitedly.
I’ve always wanted to do this! Even if it’s not my money…
But the range Ian pointed at was much bigger than mine.
My eyes widened.
‘Hey—are you seriously buying all of that?’
Seeing that amount, I felt like I’d never be able to go to the racetrack again.
The only reason Ariel had the courage to ask for everything was because she didn’t know the prices.
After seeing her reaction earlier, Ian had already said:
“When bringing in clothes and jewelry, hide the prices completely. Don’t mention them at all.”
A truly foresighted decision.
Even if Ariel would later faint with trembling legs.
That would happen sometime in the future—when she overheard maids talking about the price of a single dress she had worn.
Thanks to that, in her mind, Serian Boutique—one of the most luxurious and expensive boutiques on the continent—became nothing more than a bizarre shop from a strange world.
Almost as strange as the tigers themselves.
