‘Now that I think about it, that’s a strange thing to say. It implies that the more you raise a cat, the more adorable it inevitably becomes.’

Even with people, the more familiar you become, the more you see their flaws and find things to be disappointed about. Would cats be any different?

As cats grow larger, their range of activity expands too. That would make rooms messier, with fur flying everywhere.

‘It doesn’t make sense.’

While thinking this, I waved the small stick in my hand. Just then—

“Hey, Cioranne.”

“Hmm?”

I turned around to look behind me. Standing there was a tall holy knight with disheveled golden hair and a mischievous expression.

It was my childhood friend Richard. Delighted to see him, I greeted him with a bright smile.

“Richard! What brings you here?”

“I’m taking leave for a few days starting tomorrow, so I thought I’d come see you before I couldn’t.”

But Richard’s face, which typically wore a smooth smile, was stiff today.

“Listen, Cioranne. Haven’t you become too attached to that cat?”

Too attached? I shook my head, my hand waving along with it.

“Huh? Not really.”

“Not really? It definitely doesn’t look like ‘not really’ to me.”

At Richard’s serious tone, I finally looked at my hand and around my room.

The stick I was holding had a long string attached to the end with a pink feather, designed to move wildly with my movements.

“Kyle, look at this.”

When I said that while waving the stick, Kyle lifted his head proudly.

“Meow.”

[‘Kyle’ grumbles that he won’t be enticed by such a simple toy.]

I chuckled and kept waving the stick. Kyle’s ears and tail seemed to twitch in the direction I moved the stick, and soon he pounced toward the feather like a hunter.

“Meooow!”

[‘Kyle’ is enjoying himself.]

Sure, act like you don’t care, you pretentious little cat.

I snickered. Richard grabbed my wrist.

“Cioranne.”

“Oh, I just find it cute how he responds so honestly to play despite his pretenses.”

When I stopped moving the stick, Kyle also stopped his brave charge toward the feather. Realizing he had been entranced by the feather despite his dignified act, he hung his head low.

[‘Kyle’ is filled with self-loathing.]

For times like this, there’s a cure-all.

I brought the catnip back inside from where I had placed it by the window.

“Here, Kyle. Here’s some catnip.”

[‘Kyle’ is excited about having catnip.]

Kyle quickly became happy again and circled around the catnip pot.

Richard, watching from beside me, asked incredulously:

“What’s that plant?”

“Sister Mary gave it to me. She said it’s a plant called catnip that cats love.”

Richard crossed his arms and frowned.

“Look, when you told me you were raising a cat, I was happy thinking you finally found something to care about.”

But why? I firmly held Kyle’s front paws as he tried to dig into the catnip pot’s soil in his excitement. The soft jelly pads tickled my fingertips.

‘Ah, this feels so nice.’

His claws retracted and extended as I pressed his paws. While I was happily playing with Kyle’s front paws, Richard pushed back his hair and said:

“But now it seems a bit excessive.”

“Oh! You think so?”

I snapped back to reality at Richard’s words. Come to think of it, Kyle was taking up an increasingly large portion of my day, just as Richard said. I used to brush his fur once every three days, but lately I’ve been doing it daily…

‘Wait, what are those fur balls! When did I make those?!’

Black fur balls made from Kyle’s beautiful fur were decorating the room in clusters.

At first I was shocked to realize this, but the more I looked at them, the cuter the fur balls seemed.

“Our Kyle can turn even his shedding fur into adorable little balls…”

“Cioranne!”

“Oops.”

I came to my senses again at Richard’s call. I also recalled the window laughing heartily in my mind.

[‘The Dragon Trampler’ teases that you’re completely smitten.]

Me, smitten?

I glared at Kyle sitting quietly and muttered, “You little troublemaker…”

Once I regained my senses, I realized I had hopelessly fallen for Kyle’s adorableness.

As I fanned myself to show I had come to my senses, Richard put his hands on his hips and sighed.

“First, you should do something about the fur on your clothes.”

“Yes, I understand.”

I stood up to brush off the fur on my clothes. Just then—

“Meow.”

Kyle made a small cry and stared at me with his large eyes.

[‘Kyle’ looks disappointed.]

Kyle wants to play with me more! Knowing this, I couldn’t bring myself to get up. I slowly sat back down and said:

“…Should we play a little longer?”

“Cioranne!”

“Ah, sorry, sorry. It’s just that Kyle plays so well.”

I stood up with an awkward smile. Then Kyle toddled over and placed his front paws on my foot.

“Kyle?”

I picked him up and kissed his cheek.

“That’s enough playing for today.”

At my words, Kyle turned his head and stared intently at Richard. Just as Richard frowned with one eye—

Suddenly, Kyle hung his head low and mumbled.

“Meooow…”

[‘Kyle’ says he feels sad because his caretaker is too busy.]

“Kyle…”

Hearing that made my heart soften again. Just then—

“Cioranne, wait.”

Richard called me, so I put Kyle down. Facing me and gripping my shoulders firmly, Richard spoke in a serious tone:

“Don’t you think you’re in a dangerous situation? I’ve never seen you so fixated on someone before.”

“Really?”

“Even the fact that you named him. You never do that, saying it’s too much responsibility.”

“Well…”

Richard was right. When children are born, people come to receive blessings from the Holy Maiden.

And every time, there are many who ask me to name their children, but I’ve never once given a name. I believed that taking responsibility for someone else’s life was too significant a task for me.

Kyle looked at me with a somewhat surprised expression at Richard’s words. I hunched my shoulders and replied:

“But Kyle is just a cat.”

“Even so.”

Richard glanced sideways at Kyle and said:

“That cat gives me an uneasy feeling. It somehow seems to understand what we’re saying.”

I flinched at Richard’s words. When I reflexively turned to look, Kyle was lying on the floor, seemingly uninterested.

‘Come on, how could he possibly understand human speech?’

Besides, if he were a beast-folk, he probably wouldn’t play with me so enthusiastically. I waved my hand dismissively and laughed.

“How could that be? Richard, I think you’re being overly sensitive.”

Despite my reassurance, Richard’s expression didn’t soften. He frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then spoke in a slow tone:

“I always thought you were someone who couldn’t cherish anything deeply. Kind and gentle, but nothing was ever special to you. That’s why your current behavior seems so unfamiliar to me.”

Did I really come across as such an unfeeling person? I crossed my arms and tilted my head, then giggled and replied:

“What are you talking about? You’re also an important childhood friend to me, Richard.”

“Well…”

Richard’s lips parted like he wanted to say something more to me, but then he just nodded with a bitter smile.

“…Right.”

It was a response that left a strange lingering feeling.

* * *

Kyle lay flat on the ground with his front paws neatly folded and his head lowered, watching the two people.

‘Tsk tsk, he has feelings for her. Definitely has feelings.’

Richard had been the subject of Kyle’s observation since the day Kyle first arrived at the temple.

A figure close to the Holy Maiden. A Holy Knight.

‘And quite strong, too.’

The position of Holy Knight was originally meant for warriors who vowed to fight only for the deity, but as time passed and the temple became more secularized, it had become almost another position for noble children who couldn’t inherit titles.

Typically, the firstborn son inherited the title, while second or third sons devoted themselves to the temple—those with talent in martial arts became Holy Knights, and those without became clergy.

In the past, joining the temple meant one couldn’t marry, but now marriage only hindered promotion rather than being strictly forbidden. Some even kept lovers while technically remaining unmarried, in a sort of “see no evil” arrangement.

As a result, the skill level of Holy Knights had become rather mediocre in recent times.

‘But this man is the real deal.’

It’s natural to observe a potentially strong enemy carefully. However, the more Kyle examined him, the more pathetic Richard seemed.

‘Jealous of a cat, of all things. How petty.’

So Kyle pretended to be disappointed to provoke Richard, who kept trying to take Cioranne away. Sure enough, Richard visibly bristled.

Especially when Cioranne kissed Kyle’s cheek, Richard clenched his fist so tightly it was obvious.

[It somehow seems to understand what we’re saying.]

Kyle hadn’t expected Richard to hit the mark so accurately.

His momentarily racing heart calmed down instantly when he coolly assessed the situation.

‘If he were truly certain, he wouldn’t speak like that in front of me.’

Still, Richard was a man worth being cautious around.