/
Dimitri, who left Rowaine behind and ran up the stairs quickly, let out a small sigh.
‘…Things related to Blue should be avoided.’
Despite her being rather ignorant, it was not good to keep talking to her about Blue.
‘I will be in trouble if I get caught.’
The things he had done in front of Rowaine in the form of a cat so far flashed through his mind like a lantern.
‘It is clear that she must have misunderstood my actions.’
No matter how hard Dimitri tried to let her know that he was not friends with her, it was to no avail. It was because whatever he did in the form of a cat, Rowaine just liked it, not knowing his feelings and saying that he was cute.
‘What does she mean, cuteness?’
If he touched Rowaine’s hand not to pet him, would she not be happy that he gave her his front paws. Or, if he yelled at her not to call him by the name Blue, she would respond well, saying that he liked it… She was truly a woman who lived in a great delusion.
‘If she knew that I was Blue, she would definitely have a weird misunderstanding again…’
He would be in trouble if she ever mistakenly thought that he liked her.
As he imagined Rowaine asking, ‘Dimitri, do you really like me?’ Dimitri, who was fanning himself with his hands, suddenly smiled to himself.
‘Well, that would not happen.’
When she saw him turn into a beast, he wondered if Rowaine would treat her the way she was now.
‘She is going to despise me. She may be disappointed and upset…’
Rowaine was friendly to Coco and Sasha. However, he was different from them.
While Coco and Sasha were merely objects of affection for her, externally, he was a husband and a companion for the time being. Humans are bound to be swayed by what they see, and even though their head knows that he is a cat shapeshifter, she had not seen him transform into a cat. So, she must be thinking like a normal human.
It was like him, so he was more friendly and less uncomfortable than other races. Nonetheless, when she saw him turn into a cat, it was clear that she would have a wall in her heart. It was the instinctive sense of distance from the awareness that they were of different races.
Moreover, humans tend to view other races as inferior. Rowaine, a human, was no exception.
‘If she realizes that her husband and colleague are half-beasts… I do not know how she will change.’
He does not know how the friendly relationship they have now would change.
Dimitri’s eyes darkened as trauma from the past was replaying in his head.
“Oh, that’s a real cat.”
“Even though I knew it, it’s disgusting to see him actually change…”
The memory of one day, clearly engraved in his mind, unwittingly occupied his mind.
That day, the tutor who was in charge of his half-brothers taught him a lesson that he should always show selflessness to others. The half-brothers, who had their doubts, rushed to Cayetana, the Duchess of Blois at the time, and asked, “Should I be kind to Dimitri, too?”
Then, what did Cayetana do…?
She took Dimitri, locked him in a cage, and forced him to turn into a cat.
…She made Dimitri turn into a spectacle and ridiculed him.
“Now, you know. That kid is different from you. There is no need to be pitiful, no reason to be kind. It means that Mrs. Lorca’s teachings have nothing to do with him.”
That day, Dimitri saw the sudden change in the eyes of his half-brothers, who had taken pity on him at least a little in his youthful heart. As they looked at him, there was no longer any resemblance to someone like us, a child the same age.
On that day, he came to realize clearly that the awareness that ‘we are different’ could make someone ‘wrong.’
And, from that day on, bullying him became a fun game for the half brothers. There was no need to feel any guilt… because he was ‘wrong.’
Dimitri, who escaped from a painful memory with a sigh, firmly grasped his heart.
‘There is no need to reveal that I am different.’
It was a bitter reminder of past experiences.
Still, nevertheless…
‘…This was coveted enough to take the risk.’
Dimitri glanced at the cushion with a proud expression on his face as if he had acquired a satisfying game. He entered the bedroom and instantly turned into a cat. As his body grew smaller, the clothes he was wearing fell to the floor like skin.
With the cushion in his mouth, he jumped out of the pile of clothes and jumped onto the bed.
In the middle of a bed large enough for three adult men to lie down, a small paper box containing soft pillows was neatly placed. Dimitri went inside the box and rolled his body on a pillow the size of the box. It felt very good to roll around hugging the small cushion that Rowaine had given him.
The cushion smelled like grass from Rowaine. It was a really amazing smell.
‘This is heaven.’
* * *
As I entered my bedroom after separating from Dmitri, Haven and my new maid, Liddell, were waiting for me with strangely excited faces.
“Madam, would you like to take a bath today? I’ve got the water.”
I was puzzled by her subtle voice.
“You look happy, Agwen?”
Agwen was embarrassed and smiled bashfully.
“It could be a good day for you.”
“A good day for me?”
“Today, how about adding perfume to the water? Rose or lavender are also good.”
It was strange for Agwen to secretly avoid answering and ask some random matter back.
She also knew that I washed by myself without a bath attendant. When I first woke up in this world, I had only received a bath service once. However, the act of borrowing someone else’s hand to wash my hands was so unfamiliar to me that it was difficult.
‘It was the kind of experience you would never get used to unless you were born again…’
To me, rather than being treated, it felt more like a person who became ill and senile and had difficulty moving.
Not only did she know I did not need anyone to attend the bath, though Agwen was already aware that I did not put perfume or anything scented on my body.
‘What is wrong with her today…?’
Feeling burdened by the strange expectations in the eyes of the maids, I refused.
“Thank you, but I’ll take care of it as usual, so just leave.”
Saying so, I grabbed a towel and a change of clothes, opened the bathroom door, and shut the door behind me.
The inside of the bathroom was luxuriously decorated with red rose petals and a soft yellow atmosphere. Belatedly, I glanced back at the bed deep in the room and found that the pink flower leaves were also decorated in a heart shape on the bed.
“Explain, Agwen.”
Agwen smiled proudly and crossed her fingers.
“On a day like this, the atmosphere is important.”
It was only then that I understood why she was acting strangely and touched my forehead lightly.
“Madam hasn’t shared a room yet because she’s been in the annex all the time. However, today is finally a historic meeting with the Master…!”
“Stop, stop.”
Eventually, I pushed Agwen and Liddell’s back toward the door.
The two clamored for help.
“Madam, there is a story you should hear while taking a bath…!”
“If it’s your first time, you might be surprised…!”
“If the Master comes to visit you at night, don’t panic…!”
“It’s not something to be ashamed of. Think of it as a joy, and let your instincts lead you…!”
“The most important thing is to relax your body! Otherwise, you might get sick…!”
“It’s the first time, so don’t rush it even if the Master wants to…!”
They whispered so desperately that my face felt like it was going to explode.
“Please be quiet, both of you!”
They do not even know how competent a cat is—!
‘…It is right next door!’
This is driving me crazy, really.
My face was so hot that it felt like I was about to explode. At the same time, I felt like I would rather cry. The quiet but rackety sounds continued in the room due to the constant noise of the girls, and me trying to cover their mouths.
After a while, I eventually managed to get them out of the room.
I quickly drew my ear close to the wall in Dimitri’s room to see how well I could hear it. If I could know that, I think I would be able to see how well the sound could have flowed in.
‘Did he hear me? He probably did not, right…?’
Once I heard nothing in that room, I relaxed a little.
It may be that Dimitri was not moving, so I may not be able to hear his voice.
Still, with my head burning to the limit of embarrassment now, I could not think of it that far. Of course, the Duke of Blois had a lot of money, so the mansion should be well soundproofed. Anyway, it would be. That was the way it should be…
Embarrassed, I stirred the petals on the bed and dropped them down before turning off all the atmospheres in the bathroom.
After that, I was able to take a bath with a comfortable mind and lay down on the bed. While warming my body in the hot water, I forgot about the embarrassment I had a while ago and was just in a drowsy state.
‘It has been a long day.’
It was already dawn because it took a little more time to go out after sunset, and it took a little more time to change rooms.
‘…This is an oversleeping reservation.’
Drowsiness poured out, and I fell asleep softly with a long yawn.
However, it was not long before I opened my eyes again. It was as if I heard the sound of a door opening and closing in my sleep.
‘Who is it…?’
I could not tell if it was a dream or reality. As I lifted my gaze and glanced into the dark room once, I could not see anything in the blurry vision.
‘Was it a dream?’
With a hazy mind, I barely opened my eyes once. Despite that, my eyelids, which had become heavy from sleepiness again, helplessly shut again.
I then looked around and shook my head before falling into a cavernous sleep. The blanket lifted slightly, and I felt someone coming in behind me and lying on my back.