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9. Tangled Connections
“Ah!”
In an instant, Rose darted out of the bushes. I hesitated, wondering if I should follow her, but then saw the child approaching Angelica and quietly stayed hidden, watching from the undergrowth.
“Nyaa~”
“Oh? A cat?”
Angelica, who was standing in front of a tree in the middle of the garden, noticed Rose and smiled brightly. As Rose walked confidently toward her, Angelica bent her knees and gently reached out her hand.
“Nyaang~”
“Where did you come from? You’re such a pretty thing.”
“Nyaa~”
“Can I pet you? Where do you want to be scratched?”
Rose sniffed at her fingertips, then allowed her to pet her. Seeming pleased, Rose leaned into her touch, purring and acting affectionate. Angelica let out a laugh.
“Does that feel good? Want more scratches?”
“Nyaang!”
“Alright, alright. Don’t want me to stop, huh? Hehe…”
As Rose meowed and begged, Angelica continued to stroke her. She seemed familiar with all the right spots cats liked to be touched.
Angelica had always liked animals, and I recalled she had a cat in the original story. Maybe that’s why she looked so comfortable and natural handling Rose. But isn’t Rose being a bit too trusting?
Even in the original story, she was fond of Angelica—but this is their first meeting, and she’s already so affectionate. I almost felt a bit jealous, like Rose liked her more than me. But… since it’s Angelica, I’ll let it slide.
I mean, who could possibly dislike such a lovely girl? Still, to see Rose and Angelica together like this… I didn’t expect such a golden opportunity.
‘Did Rose pick up Angelica’s scent and come here?’
Impressive if she smelled her from that far away. But then why bring me along?
While I was pondering this, Angelica lifted Rose into her arms. Stroking her quietly, she tilted her head in thought.
“This fur color and eye color… it looks oddly familiar. I feel like I’ve heard about a cat like this somewhere…”
“Nyaang~”
“Ah…!”
As she mumbled, furrowing her brow while staring at Rose, the cat wriggled out of her arms. Ignoring Angelica’s surprise, Rose padded over to the bushes beside the tree and meowed even louder than before.
“…You were here.”
Just then, a man suddenly emerged from the undergrowth. Black hair, deep red eyes. I instantly recognized him—Rayel, the male lead.
“Nyaang~”
“Uh…? Ah…!”
“…”
Rose cried out cheerfully and trotted toward him. Rayel picked her up with an expressionless face and stared directly at Angelica. Looking back and forth between the two, Angelica gasped in surprise. As her eyes widened, Rayel’s brow twitched.
I instinctively covered my mouth in shock.
‘Oh my god!’
Rayel just appeared out of nowhere? I wasn’t the only one surprised—Angelica clearly hadn’t expected it either. The original story hasn’t even started yet! What’s going on?
Though confused, I held back the urge to blurt something out and stayed quiet, observing them.
“…”
“…”
“Nyaang~”
An awkward silence settled between Rayel and Angelica. Rose meowed in the middle, the only sound between their gazes.
Rayel’s face remained emotionless, but there was something odd about the way he looked at her. Angelica, shocked, simply stood frozen. Then, Rose suddenly jumped from his arms and bounded back toward her.
“Nyaang!”
“Ah, w-wait…!”
“Nyaa~”
“W-Wait, please…”
Rose jumped up and clung to her leg. Angelica panicked, unsure of what to do as Rose’s claws tangled in the hem of her dress. She glanced anxiously at Rayel.
Seeing her dilemma, Rayel sighed lightly and spoke.
“…She wants you to hold her. If you don’t, she’ll tear your dress.”
“A-ah, but…”
“It’s fine. She’s stubborn. Once she’s like this, she won’t stop.”
“…Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. It’s just her way.”
Nodding at his permission, Angelica gently picked Rose up again. The cat immediately settled into her arms, calm as ever. Rayel let out a quiet chuckle.
“So that’s where she ran off to in such a hurry.”
“Nyaa~”
“…Still so attached, huh?”
Rayel muttered, watching Rose affectionately snuggle in Angelica’s arms. Still so attached? But this is the first time Rose has met her, isn’t it? Angelica, confused, glanced at him.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing. You seem to like cats. You’re pretty natural at holding them.”
“Oh, yes. I used to raise one.”
“I remember. It was a black cat, completely different from her.”
“…Excuse me? How do you know that?”
Angelica’s eyes widened. He knew about her old cat? Even in the original story, this was something revealed only after they developed feelings for each other.
Rayel smirked at her suspicious expression.
“Let’s just say I happened to find out. I also know who you are.”
“You… know me? How…?”
“I’m the emperor. Knowing a count’s daughter is hardly difficult. Lady Angelica del Verner.”
“…”
Her mouth fell shut. Of course, as emperor, it wasn’t impossible for him to know—but still, it was strange for him to know about her. Even stranger that he knew about her past cat.
Normally, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t bother to find out.
Angelica wasn’t even a noble of the Emperor’s faction—she was from a neutral family. Unless he had a personal interest in her, there was no reason he’d know.
I narrowed my eyes at him. There was something odd about the atmosphere between them. That faint smile on his lips didn’t match the Rayel I remembered from the original.
There was still a long way to go before the original storyline began. There’s no way Rayel should know her yet. He only became interested after she uncovered his secret and confronted him without fear.
But now? What drew his attention?
‘Could it be… because of me? Is the story already changing?’
I hadn’t planned to stick rigidly to the original plot, so it wasn’t a big issue if things started early. But it was unfolding faster than I expected. Still, I was lucky to witness their first meeting like this.
Thanks to Rose bringing me here, I saw it happen. I might’ve missed the start of the story otherwise.
“Nyaang!”
Just then, Rose meowed loudly as if to remind them of her presence, drawing their attention again. As Angelica soothed her, Rayel took a step closer and smiled faintly.
“She’s the jealous type. Wants all the attention, Lady Verner.”
“…It seems she wants to return to Your Majesty.”
“She’s just mad you’re looking at me. She doesn’t like being left out. Oh, and she prefers being scratched near the neck.”
“…!”
Rayel stepped closer and naturally reached for Angelica’s hand, guiding it to the right spot. She froze in shock, startled by his sudden touch. They were so close their breaths could’ve mingled. Rayel slowly released her hand and murmured,
“…My apologies. That was unintentional.”
“…”
“Your hand… it’s small. Just like before.”
“…Excuse me?”
There it was again. Just like before. His second comment was quieter, but I heard it clearly. Angelica stared at him, puzzled, but he stepped back with a faint smile.
“Her name is Rosemary. You can call her Rose. If you remember and call her that, she’ll be happy. And next time, pet her the way I showed you… she’ll like it even more.”
“Nyaa~”
As if confirming his words, Rose meowed happily. Angelica flinched, clearly overwhelmed. I could understand how she felt—I had the same expression.
✦ ✦ ✦
After the tea party, on the carriage ride home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Angelica and Rayel’s encounter.
Though I’d unintentionally witnessed the beginning of the original story, that wasn’t the important part. Forget the plot—I was more concerned with the questions that remained.
Their unexpected meeting. Rayel’s strange behavior. The way he spoke to Angelica didn’t match the character I knew.
Could there be a different setting for Rayel and Angelica too? After all, even Lucious and Tiana’s relationship turned out to be different from the original. So it was entirely possible.
If Rayel already knows Angelica, there must be a reason. Maybe Lucious knows something?
“We’ve arrived, milady.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The carriage stopped in front of the estate. A knight opened the door, and as I stepped down, Lucious came out to greet me with the servants.
“Tiana.”
“Lucious!”
Just as I had been thinking about him! Smiling brightly, I ran to him. He smiled back, wrapped me in a hug, and kissed my cheek.
“Welcome back. Did you enjoy the tea party?”
“Yes, very much. Alexandra put a lot of effort into it. I had a good conversation with Lady Garnet, and I spent time with the other ladies too.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Why don’t we discuss it more over dinner?”
“Alright.”
I followed him inside and headed to the dining room. The delicious scent of food filled the air—it seemed they had timed everything for my return. My stomach growled.
At the tea party, I’d barely eaten anything, distracted by Lady Garnet and Angelica. Just two cups of tea all day—of course I was starving.
As I sat and enjoyed the meal, I shared everything that had happened at the tea party with Lucious. He listened attentively, and feeling grateful, I set down my fork for a moment and said,
“Lucious, there’s something I want to ask you…”
