I Became a Cat That Sleeps with an Obsessive Tyrant Every Night - Chapter 27

‘Thank you.’

As he carefully looked at the letters, he burst into laughter and a smile appeared on his lips.

“For what?”

When he asked, arching his eyebrows mischievously, I had no choice but to draw the letters on my palm one more time.

‘ For Everything.’

I could see his hand twitch, probably because it was tickling, but I finished what I wanted to say.

‘I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and I wish I could repay you, but I can barely write in this state.’

I stretched out like a wakame seaweed toward Killian, then put my front paws on his palms again.

‘Next time I become a human, I’ll write you a really long thank you note. I promise!’

I patted his palm to indicate that I was done with my brief greeting, and Killian slowly squeezed his hand, like a man in need.

“We’ll see.”

* * *

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

Irina entered the study after knocking, bowing politely to Killian before turning to me.

She had a happy smile on her face, the smile of someone who had found hope a little clearer than yesterday.

God’s will in planning freedom for me will surely help me to be a person when I’m awake and a cat when I’m asleep, was her comment before she parted ways with me yesterday.

Irina smiled, and I felt a vague sense of anticipation rise in me.

“Have a good time.”

Killian said, who had to leave the study to attend to his schedule, squeezing my cheeks.

I heard Irina chuckle from the other side when she realized I was staring at Killian with wide eyes.

“You don’t need to answer.”

As I turned to glare at Irina, Killian pinched my cheek again, this time more firmly.

“Meow.”

I patted his hand and made a sound, and he pulled away from me with a satisfied look in his eyes.

Before turning around, he ruffled my back and hair one more time, then patted my mouth and smiled sweetly.

“I’ll be right back to get you.”

In the midst of my dissatisfaction, I suddenly felt like my throat was burning, and blinked at him.

Sure enough, I was mentally unhealthy.

The casual way he said it made my heart pound, which shouldn’t happen.

Get a grip, come to your senses!

I looked up at his broad shoulders and dropped my chin on my front paws, pretending to be unaffected.

Irina, who had been watching us from the other side, approached hesitantly.

“Your Highness, I have something to tell you.”

Killian stopped on the carpet and looked back at Irina and me.

“This morning, Countess Gisela came to see me.”

* * *

Lady Gisela had called Irina in the early in the morning.

Upon hearing that Irina had been put in charge of the crown prince’s study, she had ordered Irina to report anything that might give her a clue as to what Killian was doing in the study, what business he was trying to focus on, or who he was talking to closely.

If Irina came back with anything useful, she said, She would be well rewarded.

But if Irina did not listen to her, she threatened, she would not be able to work comfortably in this palace…….

Irina said that she secretly had gossiped with her companions about whether Lady Gisela had made such an offer to the other maids, but so far they said they hadn’t noticed it.

I wondered if Lady Gisela, who believed Killian had been eating her food for a long time, thought it was strange that the crown prince wasn’t getting her way and she wanted to try a different approach.

Or maybe she’s trying to use it to further alienate him.

My mind raced as I tried to think of all the sneaky tricks she might play.

“Your Highness you told me earlier that Count Duchsen’s mansion is in Winston?”

Irina asked as they sat in front of the study window, gazing off into the distance at the gardens.

“Mmmm.”

I nodded and squinted, dazzled by the shimmering scales of the lake.

Killian’s reaction was surprising.

After hearing Irina’s story, I’d expected him to use her to pose as Lady Gisela’s mole and get her to spill information that would entrap her.

In the original work, he was said to have an outstanding ability to use talent and was portrayed as a ruthless person who sometimes used people like tools to achieve what he wanted.

But Killian didn’t use Irina as a double agent.

Rather, he told her to leave the palace today and take up residence at Count Duchsen, far beyond the reach of Lady Gisela’s powers.

“I’ve never been there, I know it’s a place with a high concentration of mages, do you think I could get along there?”

Irina murmured in a curious tone and stroked me on her lap.

She also seemed to be recalling the incident where wizards were mobilized to find all the cats.

I shook my head to indicate that Baron was not like them.

“Meow.”

“I know, Baron Duchsen is a very gentle man, you can tell by looking at him for a moment. I don’t know how many people he’s had to deal with while changing residences every ten years.”

At Irina’s words, she leaned my front knee against her thigh to pat me.

Irina’s loving touch reminded me of Killian’s words from earlier.

‘Just for the meantime.’

Killian added, promisingly, as he looked up at Irina, who was about to be taken to Baron Duhsen’s mansion.

I wondered why he had told me that he would only keep Irina at the Duchsens for a short time and then bring her back to the palace.

When she returns, she will face the same threats from Lady Gisela.

Could he mean that he would bring Irina back here, but that he would arrange for her to be free of Madame Gisela’s threats?

The Killian I have met so far was a person who never spoke nonsense.

Once he said something, he meant it.

“I was thinking last night before I fell asleep, maybe it was a blessing in disguise that you lost your memory.”

Irina, who was lovingly brushing my fur, said in a low voice.

“He chose to cut short your painful life and make you a child of the Nine Nights, and how grateful I am that you no longer have to walk the path of atonement.”

She seemed to consider herself fortunate that Red Moon’s pregnancy was over. Her expression seemed lighter, free from her heavy heart.

“Now you are living a different life than the one we lived. I was so happy that you came and became family to me after spending a long time alone. I am sometimes afraid of this life I will pass on to you. The world is often cold, especially to a woman without a husband and a child without a father.”

Irina, who spoke calmly, smiled brightly.

She may have spoken in a casual tone because it was in the past, but her life could not have been easy.

Even in my previous life, people who became parents while unmarried often lived difficult lives.

Raising a child alone in this world would have been even more difficult.

“Now you no longer have to pass down the generations as an obligation. It doesn’t matter if the tribe is cut off. If you choose that, I will definitely agree.

But, child……. I think, maybe. Maybe God will allow you to have more in your future life after the atonement He has planned, a new life for our race that will begin with you.

If…… if you can find someone who understands and accepts your situation, I think it would be a good idea to start a family together, and any children you might have would be a blessing.”

I couldn’t even guess how long she had been thinking about my future last night.

I stroked Irina’s knee, thinking that maybe she was just imagining it after staying up all night.

“Make sure you’re staying healthy when I’m gone, Vivian.”

Irina, who put down the comb, rubbed her cheek against my face and smiled.

* * *

The carriage carrying Irina Scott was now seen going around the fountain and entering the side road of the rose garden.

Killian glanced at Reinette, who was still in his arms, gazing longingly out over the balcony into the garden, and then back at the carriage containing Irina Scott.

Irina’s carriage had made it safely out of the palace, blending in with the carriages of nobles heading off to other parties or to work as night fell.

Killian tilted his head to the side and glanced over at Reinette, who rested her forepaws on his arm, jaw set, watching the carriage until it was out of sight.

It would be a shame, but it was the only option at the moment.

But as he had told her, Killian intended to bring Reinette and Irina to live with him.

In this palace.

“Are you okay?”

Killian asked, and Reinette looked up to meet his eyes.

As the cool evening breeze passed by, the soft fur of the white cat tickled.

Innocent green eyes gazed up at him, and a pink, pouty mouth curled into a smile.

“Meow.”

Nodding, Reinette rested her chin on his arm again.

“Let’s go inside.”

When the carriage was no longer in sight, Killian led Reinette into the bedroom and closed the window, watching the torches in the overflowing garden.

“Baron will send a messenger as soon as she arrives.”

He added to reassure her, then set her down on the bed.

“Good night.”

Killian said as he lifted the blanket, and the cat that had been pricking its ears curled up against the pillow.

He pulled the blanket over her and walked over to the couch.

She watched him, while blinking slowly, and soon gave a long yawn.

Killian, sitting on the sofa, watched a cat that looked like a bundle of white fur with mysterious green eyes toss and turn, and eventually let out a chuckle.

“Stop moving and go to sleep.”

“Mmmm.”

She responded to his words with a thin purr and slowly closed her eyes.

In the stillness that followed, he could see a sleeping girl in a chemise adorned with frills and ribbons.

Killian stared at Reinette, who was now fast asleep.

Every morning, after realizing that he was not having nightmares, he thought back on the night before.

The nightmare still hasn’t come.

The nightmares that had haunted him every day, without missing a single moment, suddenly disappeared like this.

The nightmare that grabbed him by the ankles, crawled up his body, and wrapped its cold hands around his throat, for no apparent reason.

Killian slowly approached Reinette on the bed.

After a moment of questioning, she came into his mind.

* * *

?I decided to learn about medicinal herbs.

This place seems to be full of new things.

I’m doing well.

Everyone here is so gentle and kind.

Sometimes I feel like I don’t know what to do, and I really wish I had a job to do, so when I heard that they needed someone to take care of the herbs, I asked them to hire me.

I learned a lot of good herbs and I’ll share them with you.

– Irina Scott?

It had been three days since Irina had traveled to Winston, the home of the Duchsens.

It seems like only yesterday that we received Irina’s letter saying she had arrived safely, and she had already found out what her role would be there.

I was glad she seemed to be doing well there.

Just then, the bedroom door opened and Killian walked in.

“It’s a message from Baron.”

He spread it out on the table and set it down.