Chapter 15
I looked up at the tall, familiar wall towering above me.
After only a few days away, I was already overwhelmed with tears just at the thought of being home—even though I hadn’t even seen my mother yet. But I swallowed them back and widened my eyes.
I only had a short time to check on my mother before I had to leave again.
‘First, I have to get over this wall…’
I tilted my head back until I was staring straight up at the sky. Then I gave up immediately.
‘Maybe there’s a hole somewhere…’
With the amount of money poured into maintaining this place, there was no way such a thing would exist.
Still, with this small body, climbing the wall seemed even less likely.
As I walked along the wall carefully inspecting every inch, I luckily came across a fairly large hole.
It had been blocked from the inside with a big stone, but there was a slight gap. Without hesitation, I squeezed my way through.
Lifting my head, I saw a large mansion beyond the well-kept lawn.
‘Finally…’
I was home.
Filled with joy, I took a step forward. The grass crunched beneath my feet, louder than expected in the still air.
‘Whew…’
Frozen still, I waited in fear that a guard might appear, then cautiously continued walking.
“Hey, you there! Who are you?!”
But before I got far, the guards had already spotted me.
By now, I was an expert at running. I bolted with all my might, dashing into the back garden and diving into the bushes.
I pressed my body low and held my breath, my heart pounding so hard it shook my whole chest.
The guards, who had followed quickly, rummaged through the bushes a little ways off.
It felt like my heart would leap out of my throat. The sound was so loud, I thought they might hear it.
“Probably just a stray cat. Let’s go. We have to finish our patrol on time.”
The guards who had been searching the bushes turned away.
Only after they were completely out of sight did I let out a sigh of relief and rise to my feet.
– Ugh!
But my relief was short-lived. A sharp, stabbing pain, like a spear piercing my skull, split through my head.
It was an unfamiliar agony, and my vision blurred. I felt as though I would faint at any moment.
Even standing upright was difficult, but I gripped a tree tightly and forced myself to endure.
‘I can’t collapse here.’
If I was found lying here the next day, Artipe could really be accused of kidnapping me.
‘And then I’d never see him again.’
I forced strength into my legs, desperately trying to stay conscious. But the stabbing pain in my head only grew worse.
‘No, I can’t…’
Finally, darkness swallowed my vision.
* * *
It was just before dawn, the faint light of early morning.
The knights of House Retel, just after changing shifts, were walking the mansion grounds for their morning patrol.
“This time of day feels creepier than night.”
“What, are you saying you’re scared? Give up your knighthood then.”
“Fighting monsters is one thing! But ghosts? You can’t even hit them!”
The cowardly knight pouted as he spoke.
“Don’t you dare go around telling people you’re from the Retel Knights—ugh!”
The mocking knight suddenly screamed and collapsed to the ground.
“What?! What is it?! Is it a ghost?!”
The coward turned pale, looking wildly around.
The fallen knight trembled, pointing with a shaking hand.
“Th-there… a ghost’s arm…”
The coward followed his finger with trembling eyes—and there, sticking out from the bushes, was an arm. So pale it could be mistaken for a ghost’s.
* * *
“The court will now announce its verdict.”
The judge’s deep voice rang through the courtroom.
In a cage, the cat Shasha cried sorrowfully.
“The only evidence in this case, the cat, has reappeared at House Retel. Thus, it is judged that Duke Artipe Redmond, the cat’s owner, is connected to the disappearance of Lady Charlize Retel.”
The members of the Retel family roared with outrage.
“Therefore, the defendant is sentenced to five years in prison.”
As the judge’s ruling ended, imperial knights burst in.
“I have nothing to do with the lady’s disappearance!”
Artipe shouted desperately as he was seized, but no one believed him.
“Meow, meow~”
Shasha, crying pitifully, reached her little paw out through the cage bars.
“Shasha! Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. Go home and wait for me!”
– Artipe! It’s me, Charlize! Tell them! Tell them I can understand human speech!
If only I’d revealed the truth to him earlier.
‘It’s all my fault. Because I didn’t trust him. Because I was too afraid he might hate me.’
Charlize wiped her tears roughly away.
“Meow! Meow, meow!”
Maybe, if people realized the cat had intelligence, she could reveal her identity.
– Judge! I’m Charlize Retel! Artipe is innocent!
But with a duke being dragged away in chains, who would pay attention to the cries of a mere cat?
“Take Duke Redmond into custody immediately!”
“Allen, secure Shasha!”
– Artipe!
And so, bound and restrained, Artipe was dragged away.
“No!”
Charlize shot up with a cry.
Tears streamed endlessly down her face.
‘It’s my fault. Because of me, Artipe…’
Just then, there was a loud crash. She turned her head to see Duke Retel standing frozen in shock.
At his feet lay the shattered remains of a basin, water soaking into the carpet.
“F-father…?”
Charlize stared at him, not even thinking to wipe her tears away.
‘Why is Father here…’
As she sat there dazed, Duke Retel rushed to her side.
“Charlize. Forgive me. Forgive this useless father…”
He didn’t know what had happened, but seeing his daughter awake and crying tore his heart apart.
Blaming himself for everything, he couldn’t even bring himself to embrace her—only muttered words of apology.
“You… you’re back…?”
Charlize looked down at her hand. It was unmistakably a human hand.
“Sniff… not jelly paws…”
Her trembling voice cracked with sobs. It wasn’t the meowing of a cat, but human speech.
“Father, you’re so mean… Huuuuh…”
Charlize cried loudly, venting all her pent-up hurt.
Why hadn’t he recognized her? Why had he looked at her with such a terrifying expression?
She knew it wasn’t truly his fault, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Everything is my fault.”
Her father accepted her tears, relieved she had returned, knowing she only dared to throw such tantrums because she was home, safe.
“Huuuuh, Father…”
As she wept and tried to throw herself into his arms, Duke Retel finally embraced his daughter.
Hearing the commotion, her brother, Young Lord Leandro Retel, came running.
“Charlize!”
Charlize looked up at him with reddened eyes, breaking into a bright smile.
“I’m back, Brother.”
* * *
I lay in bed, eyes wide open.
Father and Brother had told me to rest, asking nothing.
Even though the physician declared me healthier than before, they insisted I stay in bed.
‘And they won’t even let me see Mother.’
I’d said I wanted to visit her, but they refused. Her condition hadn’t worsened, they said—I should focus on regaining my own strength first.
“Still, the Crown Prince must have kept giving her the medicine, even when I was gone.”
I thought he would’ve stopped the moment anything displeased him.
Did he cling to the hope of finding me?
“Ugh, just thinking about him ruins my mood.”
But lying in bed with nothing to do only made me brood more.
I was bored out of my mind. How long was I supposed to stay like this, now that I wasn’t even a cat anymore?
Then it struck me…
‘Artipe must be desperately searching for me.’
He had always regretted being too busy as a duke and often apologized for it.
That’s why he’d carve out time from meals and even his sleep to care for me.
The last time we parted, he’d said we wouldn’t see each other for half a month, his eyes brimming with reluctance.
‘But now, he’ll never see me again.’
I, at least, could still see Artipe—even if it was with that cold face of his, brimming with dislike. That was something, at least.
But for Artipe, he had lost his beloved companion forever.
I wanted to leave him a letter telling him not to worry, but no matter how intelligent Shasha was, a cat could never write.
“Artipe…”
