“Why?”

Baron asked.

“Because this cat’s memories…….”

Harrid, speaking quickly at his father’s urging, raised his gaze to Killian.

“It’s all about His Highness Crown Prince Killian.”

“……what.”

I stared at Harrid in disbelief, as did Killian.

He pressed his forehead together in question as he spoke.

“She doesn’t remember much, just a rose garden, I think it was an imperial garden. It was big and wide, and I could see the castle behind it, and there was Killian.”

What Harrid was talking about was my memory after I became a cat.

I didn’t seem to have any memories of my original cat in this body.

What I remembered of my previous life, or of the original, he could not see.

This means that all he can see is my limited memories of my time in this world…….

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as if I was expecting to know something.

“So. This cat’s memories are all…….”

“His Highness.”

It made sense. My world since becoming a cat had revolved around Killian.

There was a moment of silence.

I gripped Killian’s palm and tilted my head up to look at him.

His red, thoughtful eyes stared down at me.

“You lost your memory.”

His voice was low as he looked at me.

“So…….”

Killian gave me a look that said he’d had enough of me.

“There’s only me…….”

Killian echoed Harrid’s words again and ran his hand through my hair for a moment.

For some reason, his eyes were softer than before.

“It’s just me…….”

I could almost see his bored eyes crinkle.

I  looked at him again in confusion, but Killian turned his head to Baron with a blank expression on his face, as if he had never seen it before.

“Baron. Is there any way you can find out more about the curse?”

Baron, who had been watching me silently, shook his head.

“As for now, no. If we had evidence of the curse, we might be able to trace it backward and find the source. But not with that cat. It appears to have been protected by a powerful deity, making the curse itself inaccessible.”

“We’ll have to look for things related to the curse. Including the oracle.”

An oracle? Yes, that’s what’s hanging over my head right now.

What kind of oracle says a cat will ruin an empire!

My fur bristled with sudden frustration, and Baron narrowed his brow in disbelief.

“I understand that the original text of the oracle was corrupted and lost…….”

Destroyed and lost?

I was stunned; there was no way such a detail could have been in the original.

“Didn’t you see with your own eyes that what everyone believed may not be true?”

When Killian responded as if asking if he was saying something obvious, Baron was shocked and looked at me.

“I assume that the reason you came to me, Your Highness, is not just to confirm the curse.”

“Of course not.”

Killian walked leisurely back to the couch, and Baron sat down after him feeling tense.

Harrid walked over and took a seat next to him, a few feet away from his father.

Setting me down on the table, Killian pulled out an envelope.

“This is a formal invitation to join the palace. You have three days to consider it, and when you’ve made up your mind, you may claim it.”

Baron stared at Killian in surprise, recognizing the invitation with the sun Huppert that symbolized the royal family.

This was a world where no wizards were allowed to enter the Royal Palace unless they were registered with the Imperial Ministry of Magic.

Yet here Killian was, handing a handwritten invitation to Baron, who had long since been excluded.

“If the Court shows up, he’ll take you as a pact with me.”

“Your Highness would be in trouble if I were to be there.”

“You want me to meet the Count in front of everyone before you can believe that I’m willing to risk my life for you.”

Baron’s dry lips parted as if he had been stabbed in the heart.

“……why did you choose me?”

“The Duhsen is the only mage family that hasn’t been in league with a noble in centuries.”

When Killian responded casually and tried to drink the tea on the table, Baron hesitated and raised his hand to warm up his cold tea.

A long time ago, when wizards and swordsmen who could pose a threat were suppressed in order to strengthen the imperial power, it was a predetermined process for wizards who had been pushed out of their past glory to join hands with nobles.

Few wizards were willing to give up the wealth they had enjoyed so far.
However, the imperial court quickly dismissed the mages and nobles who had made private contracts with them, and the nobles quickly disowned the relationships.

Therefore, the magic remaining in the world where Killian took the throne was no more or less than mild.

“…….”

At Killian’s words, Baron let out a low breath and stiffened his shoulders.
He was naturally torn between helping him in response to the crown prince’s frightening proposal, which, if it went wrong, could bring down the very house they were protecting.

Seeing his father’s worried face, Harrid’s expression hardened.

“Father, don’t let your emotions get the best of you. His Highness is one of the Royal Family, and whom we can trust…….”

“Then what grounds do you have for me to trust you and to have a contract with you?”

“True mages don’t go back on their word once they’ve made a contract?”

“A good stance.”

Killian smirked, like a man who had gotten the answer he wanted.

Harrid looked dumbfounded, like a man caught in a trick, but he quickly shut up.

“Baron.”

Killian called his name, seeing the concern on Baron’s face as he looked at the letter.

“I’ve already shown the court my weakness.”

Baron’s eyes paused as he looked at Killian then at me, then at killian sword.

Killian made no attempt to hide the cat he hadn’t killed or the auror that erupted from his grip on his sword.

“If you are in danger, feel free to use it.”

After a moment’s silence, Baron stared at Killian with a frozen stare.

“Your Highnes. How dare I violate your…….”

“We’ll talk about this when you’re at the palace in a few days, for it won’t be an easy decision, and Harrid, There is something you must do before I go.”

Harrid, who had been sitting looking back and forth between Killian and Baron, pointed a finger at himself in surprise.

“You mean ……me?”

“There are two things you must do: first, erase the memories of the servants who came here, including the chamberlain, who came here. second is… … “Go to the carriage and get your bag.”

* * *

“Is this right?”

Harrid asked, setting down the two leather trunk bags he had received from the chamberlain.

I stuck my head out too, wondering what was in there.

Killian pressed his nose firmly against mine as I stuck my head out, then turned to Baron.

“Has the barrier been activated again?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

It was said that this room was originally not only soundproof, but also had a barrier set up to prevent anyone from peeking into it. Harrid was only allowed to relax briefly while he was visiting the chamberlain.

“Open it.”

Killian said, nudging Harrid.

He looked down at the bag, puzzled, and then looked up, his brow furrowed.

“Me?”

“Then who.”

Harrid rolled his eyes at Killian’s tone as if he were asking obviously.

Since Mr. Duchsen and Killian haven’t signed a contract yet, there was no master-servant relationship, but Harrid’s antipathy toward the Huppert Palace was so strong at this point that he was likely to reject Killian’s words.

Wasn’t it Harrid who was threatening Killian even when the sword was right in front of his throat?

But as he stood there speechless, he bent down and began to open the bag without a word.

“What is this……?”

Harrid asked as he opened the bag.

It was a pair of chemise shoes and some ribbons and headbands.

Killian leaned back on the couch and opened his mouth.

“Made them to expand and shrink to fit with the wearer’s body.”

“……?”

“I can’t do it.”

“You can, but why don’t you…….”

Harrid trailed off, looking down at the woman’s chemise, then up at Killian with a questioning glance.

“By any chance, is Your Highness.. going to wear it?”

“Kya!”

I burst out laughing for a moment and fell down sideways on the table.

Aha, it was the crown prince’s and not Mrs. Gisela’s?

Actually, if Madame Gisela was going to wear it, there would have been no need to shorten or lengthen it.

Because I said her appearance was perfect!

I never knew Killian had such a hobby.

“You can’t be serious, Harrid!”

Baron snapped to attention, unable to hide his embarrassment, then looked at Killian with an apologetic expression.

“Ah, no, it was harsh of me, Your Highness.”

It was even funnier to hear Baron be so polite at a moment like this.

Killian also let out a cold laugh as if he was shocked, and since he was lying on his side, he couldn’t straighten up again and picked me up as I was shaking.

“It looks like she wanted me to wear it.”

He replied as if he were speaking to me, nudging my stomach.

“Sadly, it’s not mine.”

I scrambled to my feet and tried to make my way to the table, but he kept his hand on my back to keep me from going.

“Do it.”

At Killian’s command, Harrid glanced at his father and sighed heavily. He looked like he hadn’t expected to have to do this.

He traced a geometric symbol on the floor with his fingertips, then took one last deep breath.

Kugung!

I thought he was going to do something frivolous, but his posture as he worked the magic told me he was serious, and his face changed color in an instant.

When he closed his eyes and concentrated, all the clothes and decorations in the trunk floated in the air.

Surrounded by a mysterious light, the rotating objects swirled and one piece of clothing stretched like a beautiful ballet. The rest also gradually stretched their bodies, but then slowly became smaller, then returned to their original size and entered the trunk.

The light faded away.

Harrid opened his eyes and exhaled with a paler complexion than before.

Even though it was a light task, I thought it was magic because it required a lot of mental strength.

“It will grow and shrink to fit the body of the first person to wear it.”

When Harrid finished, Killian walked slowly away, carrying me.

Then he picked up one of the bunny ear headbands and held it up to…… me.

“Meow?”

The moment he put it on me, the headband suddenly shrank and fit snugly around my head.

At the same time, I could see the panic in Harrid’s eyes.

Killian’s red lips curled into a smile as he stared down at me with his eyes serious.

“I don’t think …… it looks like a rabbit.”

When I tilted my head, doubting my ears, he suddenly burst into laughter.

Did he want to see me as a different animal?

“Your Highness.”

Harrid said to Killian, narrowing his brow suspiciously as Harrid stared at me in my bunny headband.

“You possibly didn’t……. kill that cat because she was pretty?”