/
“It used to happen all the time in the cages. It seemed that they put medicine on our rice. We wouldn’t even recognize our parents and siblings, and we’d just do it.”
“Inbreeding… does that mean that also happens?”
With a small sigh, I checked again. I hoped that the phrase ‘I didn’t even recognize my parents and siblings’ was just a radical idiomatic expression.
However, Coco nodded in affirmation this time.
“Everyone did it when they came into heat.”
I couldn’t help but be astonished by Coco’s following words.
It was said that the shapeshifters who couldn’t be sold at the ripest time were used for breeding until they died, regardless of whether they were parents, children, or siblings.
Female shapeshifters gave birth to children and were used for breeding until their bodies were broken or killed while giving birth, while the male shapeshifters were killed before reaching adulthood or sold in large quantities somewhere at bargain prices.
“Cat shapeshifters aren’t very popular with the customers, so the number is small and similar things like that didn’t happen very often. However, the dog shapeshifters…”
Coco let out a deep sigh as if he was tired of the thought and shook his head.
“Were the other shapeshifters aware of that? The ones who were with you, Coco?”
“The slave traders didn’t want us to know such detail.”
Surely that must’ve been the case since it’d be difficult for the customers to find out that the shapeshifters bought at a high price were, in fact, born through inbreeding.
“Come to think of it now, I think I was classified there as an object to be ‘disposed of’ soon because I haven’t been sold for as long as this. Besides, I’m a useless male, so that made us all the more unaware of what was going on outside.”
So, how did he know all that…?
Noticing my question, Coco spoke meaningfully.
“If you open your eyes and ears wide, and memorize every trivial word well, the puzzle of truth will come together one day.”
‘Well. Coco is always up to date with information, even here.’
The information Coco revealed was always amazingly accurate and detailed. If he had used that ability even when he was at the slave trader, it would’ve been possible to grasp the true nature of the slave traders.
Coco asked belatedly.
“But, why are you asking this? Did the slave traders give you a hard time again after the last time?”
“Well, I thought that was over then though things got a little complicated.”
At my words, his pupils shook slightly. Coco hurriedly clung to my arm and opened his mouth.
“Don’t tell anyone. Even the slave traders don’t know that I knew this, and I was going to take it to the grave. I’m only telling you this because it’s angel. It’s a secret, okay?”
I was puzzled by Coco, who emphasized that it was a secret. Come to think of it, from the beginning, didn’t he try to avoid talking about his time at the slave trader? Still, for what reason…?
I asked cautiously.
“You don’t want other people to know this secret?”
His eyes darkened.
Soon, the sky-blue eyes gazed up at me pitifully as if saying yes. Coco, who had been silent for a while, suddenly grabbed my hand with both hands.
“It’s fine if it’s angel… Only the angel is okay. Noth the others.”
As he said so, his hands were trembling.
ﾟ･ : * ✧ * :･ ﾟ
Leaving Coco at the annex, I crossed the back garden and returned to the main building. The image of Coco’s uneasy gaze, who had told me the story related to the slave trader, which was a secret, continued to linger in my head.
‘…It’s unexpected.’
The fact that the slave traders of Blois indiscriminately mass-produced shapeshifters through inbreeding was the same as in the original story. Using that information, I intended to show the Count of Bilbao a lesson.
However, if Coco didn’t want the slave trader to be exposed, I couldn’t go ahead with the plan. I didn’t want to ignore his opinion, which seemed to have some circumstances.
‘If I knew the reason, I would have tried persuading him though he kept his mouth shut and didn’t say anything…’
It was when I entered the main building through the back door, thinking about how to convince Coco…
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Wh-what happened!”
“Come on, miss…!”
I could see employees huddled around the front door, scurrying around. Nevertheless, I couldn’t see what was there because it was obscured by squatting people.
Feeling ominous, I hurriedly ran toward them.
Lucy, the maid who happened to spot me, approached me hurriedly.
“Madam, Sasha suddenly collapsed!”
I thought I had misheard her words.
I was told that Sasha disappeared after going after the bees… I couldn’t believe it. However, from the look on Lucy’s face, it seemed I hadn’t misunderstood. At the same time, it felt as if all the blood in my body was draining away.
“Did she fall down? Did she fall from somewhere?”
As a young cat with a lot of curiosity, I wondered if she might have jumped out of a second-floor window while chasing a bird. Even though I tried to stay calm and approached Sasha, my heart was beating like crazy.
The servants, who found me, hurriedly got up and cleared the way.
“….!”
Contrary to my expectations, Sasha didn’t have any wounds.
When I saw Sasha, in the form of a kitten, slumped over a floor stone as she was convulsing with foam in her mouth, I hardened like a stone. At the same time, my heart sank.
“…What’s going on? What happened?”
At first glance, her condition seemed serious. It was as though she had been poisoned.
As I was watching her, I instantly forgot that I had the ability to heal and fell into a state of panic. Over the figure of Sasha, who was foaming from her mouth and drooping, the images of local cats dying from eating pesticide-infused feed were superimposed.
My mind went blank as trauma took over my mind.
“Oh, no… no…”
It was when I didn’t know what to do…
“Calm down, Madam.”
A calm voice settled in my ears, and Sasha’s body was lifted up.
“Derek, call the doctor right away!”
Dimitri appeared out of nowhere and held Sasha in one arm. He then took my hand in the other and led me somewhere.
“Can you cure her?”
As he quietly whispered in my ear, it was only then did I recall my healing ability.
“I’ll try.”
A cracking sound like crying came from my throat.
‘It’s okay, I can heal her. It’s okay…’
While I was trying to make up my mind and was being led by Dimitri, Madam Elbas’s employees suddenly caught my eye. They were whispering and giggling among themselves as if they were making a fuss over a cat that had fallen.
But, what caught my eye more than their attitude was the object they were holding.
‘That…’
As soon as I saw that, I knew why Sasha had suddenly collapsed and was foaming from her mouth.
Looking back on the path that I had walked through, I recalled the ‘things’ that were swaying and stretched out in front of the front door. It was something that I didn’t notice earlier since I’d been in a hurry.
When I realized what it was, the hair all over my body stood on end in anger.
What Madam Elbas’ employees were carrying were countless lilies…
My teeth gnashed when I saw hundreds of colorful lilies.
…Lily poisoning. It was a disease that caused fatal symptoms that were directly related to life in cats.
It occurred when a cat inhaled pollen from a lily or ate lily petals by mistake. It increases the number of white blood cells and could cause symptoms such as diabetes, acute renal failure, pyelonephritis, many other kidney diseases, and paralysis of the whole body within a few hours.
Not only lilies, but all bulbous plants belonging to the Liliaceae family, such as tulips, were deadly poisons to cats.
‘I’ve told everyone never to bring flowers into the mansion.’
I had already asked the employees of Blois several times not to decorate the mansion with flowers. In fact, with the exception of lilies, all plants were banned because an endless number of flowers could be poisonous to cats.
‘I also made them change the plants in the garden and backyard to something safe for the cats, too!’
Even though I made such an effort, why was the lily here?
The lily, the deadliest of many plants, appeared before my eyes…!
Although I was in a fit of rage, what was urgent right now was Sasha’s treatment. I managed to control my emotions and headed to the nearest drawing room with Dimitri. As he put Sasha on the couch and shut the door to the drawing room, Dimitri mentioned to the butler not to let anyone in except the doctor.
Meanwhile, I held Sasha’s hand and focused.
‘Don’t be sick, Sasha. Don’t be hurt, don’t be hurt…’
The next moment, I could feel warm energy rising from my fingertips, and it soon permeated through Sasha’s hands.
I was nervous, but it took time for the energy to cover her body fully.
Sasha opened her bloodshot eyes slightly before she suddenly vomited. Holding her hand tightly, I focused my mind on her with a prayerful heart.
“What do you think, Rowaine?”
Staring at Sasha’s face, I let out a short sign and nodded my head.
“I think I can do it.”
“Ha.”
At my answer, Dimitri collapsed onto another sofa. He seemed quite surprised, too.
Then, I turned my gaze back to Sasha’s increasingly calm face. I felt an indescribable, strange sensation that my energy was healing Sasha’s body. The feeling that the energy I sent cooly seeped in and stayed blocked in between. Soon after, the blocked part was cleared, and the feeling of branching out further inward took over.
I could tell instinctively that Sasha was being healed.
As proof of that, Sasha’s bloodshot eyes gradually subsided, and the gagging stopped. Her eyes came alive as she stared blankly into the air.
“Rowaine…”
Sasha, who had come to her senses, rubbed her face in my hand and acted childish.
I felt like crying.
‘I saved her…’
I closed my eyes tightly.
…I saved them this time.