I Became a Cat That Sleeps with an Obsessive Tyrant Every Night - Chapter 47

I raised my head and responded again.

“It’s not like she did it alone, so it could have been covered up easily, or she could have acted as if she accidentally discovered it. Even though she opened all the closets, she could just let it slide.”

Killian, who hadn’t seen her rummage, stared at me in disbelief.

I distinctly remembered Lady Gisela, who had written a note implying that there might be women’s clothes in Kilian’s room because she had visited the boutique.

Baron nodded, opening his mouth.

“In that case, there’s a high probability that Lady Gisela either obtained or received the poison somewhere.”

“Reinette.”

In the brief moment of contemplation, wondering what else could be helpful, Killian’s voice reached my ears.

“Initially, what was the reason for preventing eating Lady Gisela’s food?”

I tried to explain to him, but my lips wouldn’t move.

It was a phenomenon similar to when I couldn’t bring myself to write about things I already knew from the original work.

Unable to do anything else, I tearfully said, “Mustard.”

“The food had a strange smell, unlike other things.”

It was true, but for some reason, I felt embarrassed even saying it.

Being a cat, my sense of smell was particularly keen, so it could only be interpreted as having detected it.

Everyone paused as if they had heard an unexpected answer, then amidst the seriousness, a forced laughter erupted.

Feeling unnecessarily glum, Killian, for some reason, patted my hand and gave me a peculiar smile.

“We need to find out where Lady Gisela got that poison. Or if there’s someone else involved who supplied it to her.”

Killian spoke to Baron, briefly squeezing and releasing my hand.

Was it just comfort, or encouragement?

Others seemed oblivious or indifferent to what I mentioned.

Killian’s expression remained calm.

I made an effort not to dwell on the lingering sensation on the back of my hand and refocused on the topic.

“Are you planning to investigate Lady Gisela’s close associates?” I asked.

Upon my question, Baron furrowed his brow as if someone came to mind.

“I’ve heard that Leno MacMillan, the Minister of Defense, serves Lady Gisela fervently, like a devoted follower.”

“Of course, we should be suspicious of Leno MacMillan too. But there’s a catch.”

Killian replied expressionlessly, lowering his gaze.

“Leno MacMillan is opportunistic and wouldn’t be capable of planning something on his own. He’s not too smart either.”

Although everyone seemed to have lost words at his indifferent evaluation, I wholeheartedly agreed with Killian’s statement.

In the original work, Minister of Defense Leno MacMillan was portrayed as someone who often expressed a desire to taste the dark magic potion of Lady Gisela but was always left disappointed as he never got the chance to savor it.

Adolf, the Emperor with a discerning palate, might desire to taste her praised cooking, but it was not my place to boldly request Lady Giselle to prepare a dish for me.

Then, who could be considered an accomplice related to the dark magic potion in collaboration with Lady Giselle?

Family? Close associates? Had she possessed the potion since entering the imperial palace?

“Um, when did Lady Gisela first meet His Majesty?”

If I recall correctly, she first met Emperor Adolf at the Imperial Masquerade Ball.

“The Imperial Masquerade.”

Confirming that my memory was correct with Killian’s response, I sighed deeply.

Lady Gisela quickly ascended to a prominent position after becoming the Chief Minister, hosting the Imperial Masquerade Ball.

Typically, when one reaches such a high position, their family tends to rise in status, leveraging authority, right? Come to think of it, there was no mention of her family in the original work.

“Who did Lady Gisela attend the Imperial Masquerade Ball with? Her parents?”

Killian, in response to my question, suddenly closed his mouth and looked at me.

“No. Lady Gisela said her father had died earlier.”

“So, we can’t know who she came with?”

“Unless it’s by the Emperor’s command, one cannot remove their mask at the imperial masked ball without their consent. Those who are not invited cannot enter. If someone like Lady Gisela is newly invited, there must be a witness.”

“Then, wouldn’t it be helpful to see the guest list, as there must be someone who brought her as a witness?”

I suddenly felt hopeful that perhaps her closest accomplice might have served as a witness to help her enter the ball. However, Killian’s expression was the opposite of mine.

“Lady Gisela has control over that list.”

“Why is that?”

“Because the person overseeing the imperial masquerade ball has the authority to compile and manage the guest list. If Lady Gisela had intentions of concealing who vouched for her, she likely would have done so already.”

Baron cautiously interjected.

“I heard that Hamilton, the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, managed the list before Lady Gisela took charge.”

“Yes, Baron. I, too, investigated the background, starting from Lady Gisela’s sudden rise to power, and even reached out to the Hamiltons.”

After he pressed his temples for a moment, he calmly continued.

“It’s been a long time since the Hamiltons went on a journey and haven’t returned.”

***

The room was quiet after everyone left.

The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, who had hosted the Imperial Masquerade Ball on behalf of the ailing Empress Elyse, had been absent for quite some time.

After Lady Gisela took over the responsibilities of the imperial household, they enjoyed diminishing power, eventually leaving the palace.

However, it seemed that the Hamilton couple wasn’t exactly virtuous either.

It was revealed that Harrid, in expressing his anger, had openly demanded a bribe from Baron, proposing that the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton could attend the Imperial Masquerade Ball if the bribe was paid.

Of course, Baron politely declined the offer, but for those eager to pull strings, it would have been an irresistibly sweet proposal.

Killian understood why he orchestrated a coup to take control of the military.

Given the frequent obstacles encountered when trying to investigate, a grand coronation ceremony stained with blood seemed like the perfect opportunity to sweep away troublesome nobles.

“Reinette.”

At that moment, a touch tapped on my forehead, and I looked up to find Killian standing there.

“What are you thinking?”

“……When did you come in?”

“You didn’t answer when I knocked.”

I must have been absorbed elsewhere to not even hear the knocking.

Killian, seated in the armchair with red velvet on the opposite side of the sofa, finally looked at me.

“Fortunately, it seems nothing happened.”

“I didn’t hear the sound. I didn’t know you came.”

“It seems so. But isn’t it a problem that anyone could open the door without us knowing?”

His smile was as languid as always, but his gaze felt heavy, sending a chill through my chest.

I furrowed my brow, swallowing dryly as he scrutinized me as if tearing me apart.

“…Did you come to scold me?”

“Come on, now.”

He opened his mouth with a chilling expression.

“Surely, you had a contemplative look. What were you doing?”

“Ah… I was thinking about what I heard earlier.”

“Hmm, still thinking about Lady Gisela, I see.”

Whether he didn’t like it or not, Killian leaned back in his chair and fixed his gaze on me.

“Finding out who accompanied Lady Gisela at the imperial masquerade ball would be a challenging task, right?”

Killian nodded lightly in response to my question.

“It won’t be easy.”

“As expected…”

“But tracking people is something that wizards can do more discreetly and efficiently,” Killian added with a sly smile, leaving my jaw hanging.

Killian informed me that Baron had immediately given orders for his subordinates, the wizards of Winston, to disperse to various locations.

“If we find the Hamilton couple, we can quickly determine who their companion was, right?”

“Perhaps.”

He replied silently and then got up, approaching me.

Wondering what was happening, I lowered my head and looked up at Killian as he bent his upper body and reached out his hand to my face.

“Don’t move.”

“….”

Just as the thought crossed my mind that he was getting too close, I felt a gentle touch on my eyelids.

His gaze, staring down at me so closely, felt silent and steady, like an anchor gently touching my skin.

For some reason, I held my breath, feeling tense.

The familiar yet refreshing scent seemed to envelop me as closely as the narrow gap allowed.

Soon, he lifted his hand from my face, showing me the eyelashes he had plucked from my eyelids.

“Ah…”

Is it okay to be this stiff when someone is plucking my eyelashes? The feeling of relief I just experienced was undoubtedly influenced by this man’s surreal appearance.

“I should have made a wish.”

I relaxed my tense shoulders, gave a wry smile, and said, “A wish…”

“When removing fallen eyelashes from your face, you’re supposed to make a wish.”

“Who says so?”

Raising an eyebrow, Killian looked down at me with a dubious expression.

“You wouldn’t remember, would you?”

Oh, right, the eyelash story was something I had heard in a past life.

“Is there something I should remember?”

As he brushed away a strand of my hair, he asked, “Did it feel like something you read in a book?”

He looked at me with narrowed eyes and let out a light sigh, accompanied by a wry smile.

“But what brings you here, Your Highness?”

Worried that he might still harbor suspicions, I smoothly changed the subject.

In response to my question, Killian looked down at me with his characteristic dry smile—an inexplicably precarious and languid smile.

“I came to say something before I leave.”

I quietly closed and opened my eyes to grasp his words more precisely.

“Before we leave, you mean…”

“You’ll be staying here for a while.”

Is he leaving me here? Though I tried to remain calm, my chest sank, and I couldn’t prevent my eyes from widening.