In the office of the Duke of Icarus, Rune, the Duke’s assistant, was shaking uncontrollably and had even dropped his glasses. It wasn’t because he was sick, but because he was struggling to hold back his laughter, his body twisting and turning with the effort. 

“Pfft. Ahem. Pfft-hahaha. Ahem-ahem.” 

“Stop laughing.”

Calix ordered sharply, her voice tense and cutting. 

“I-I apologise… Pfft… really. But every time I see you in this ridiculous state, I just can’t help myself…” 

Soft, fluffy yellow fur. Two upright pointed ears. Gorgeous little paws and a drooping tail, wagging feebly from side to side. 

Calix was currently in the form of Titi, the cat who lived on the Duke’s estate. 

The reason why Calix was in his rarely seen feline form within the estate was simple: he was busy speeding up the preparations for the upcoming party. Looking at his master, Rune couldn’t help but laugh, so he put his hands over his mouth and bowed his head. 

“You seem to find this very amusing, don’t you?” 

“Pfft. May I be honest?” 

Normally his voice should have been a cat’s meow, but thanks to the magic in the bell collar he wore, his original voice came out instead. 

“Fine. If your dream is to work overtime every night, go ahead and try your luck.” 

Calix, with his cat face, gave an eerily cold warning. 

“Let’s get on with the status report.” 

At the mention of overtime, Rune straightened quickly, heat flickering in his otherwise listless eyes for the first time in a while. 

“The preparations for the party to announce the relationship with the future lady should be finished in ten days at the most.” 

“It’s taking too long.” 

“It can’t be helped, we’re preparing it discreetly.” 

Rune watched as Calix’s tail flicked sharply, betraying his dissatisfaction. Rune picked up his glasses and slid them back onto his face, unable to suppress the thought that he’d like to capture this moment and show it to the Duke’s future children one day. Of course, that would probably condemn him to a lifetime of overtime, so he suppressed the impulse. 

“And a letter has arrived from your uncle, Lord Dennis.” 

“It’s obvious without even reading it. Another attempt to force me into an arranged marriage, isn’t it?” 

Calix’s tail swished even more furiously, unable to hide his irritation. 

“Once your relationship with the future lady is revealed, these endless proposals should come to an end, shouldn’t they?” 

“If it ends smoothly, then yes.”

At the mention of the ‘future lady’, Calix’s tail, which had been slowing down, suddenly stood up straight and stiff. Rune fought back the grin that threatened to spread across his face. 

“Ahem. So, my lord, when will you bring the future lady here?” 

“She’ll probably visit often once our relationship is made public, so of course it won’t be too late to meet her then.” 

“While I’m curious to observe the curse, I was also looking forward to meeting the future lady soon. This is a bit disappointing.” 

“Don’t be eager to meet her.” 

“No… I mean, yes, of course, as you wish.” 

It was absurd that his master would get jealous over such a trivial matter, but to see him say it in his cat form was just too ridiculous. Rune found it so amusing that, unable to laugh, he shed silent tears instead. 

“If the report is complete, you may leave now.”

Calix shook his head at the sight of his absurd adjutant shedding tears instead of laughing. Using the magic stored in the bell, he transported himself to the Marquis’ estate. Suspecting that Ciela might be in her room, he moved to a tree outside her window. The sturdy branches could easily support the weight of a single cat, and he gracefully made his way to the window. 

‘She’s not back yet.’ 

The room was silent, empty of any presence. He knew she had been at Lady Lemond’s tea party earlier in the day. 

Her first social gathering after being away from such events for so long. Just thinking about it made his tail twitch with anticipation. He slipped into the room through the window, closed it gently and sat down on the windowsill like a loaf of bread, waiting patiently for her return. 

Suddenly – 

“!” 

He felt a presence outside. 

Quickly, he leapt onto the desk and climbed nimbly to the top of the wardrobe, his movements silent and precise. From his new vantage point, he watched the door. 

Lilia entered the room. 

“…Sister…” 

Her voice was soft, trembling with emotion.

Tears streaming down her face, Lilia entered the room, but her expression quickly hardened when she found it empty. 

“She said she wasn’t feeling well – where could she have gone?” 

Lilia bit her lip for a long time before sitting down on the edge of the bed. 

“Annoying.” 

Calix, hidden on the top of the wardrobe, continued to watch her intently, unsure what kind of scheming she might attempt. Her unguarded, expressionless face was in stark contrast to her usual demeanour, creating a disconcerting dissonance. He’d always known her shy demeanour wasn’t genuine, but seeing this side of her made him silently cluck his tongue in disbelief. 

“……” 

Then, as fate would have it, Lilia stood up and their eyes met. At first she seemed intent on ignoring him, as if she didn’t care, and started for the door. But then she stopped abruptly. 

“Hello, Titi.”

She said warmly, her smile soft and sweet as her eyes curved into crescents. 

“Hiss!” 

Calix’s fur bristled as he let out an involuntary hiss. 

Sensing the unexpected turn of events, Calix crouched low and kept his guard up. Undeterred, Lilia calmly closed the window. Then she went to the door and called loudly for her personal maid. 

“Tiffany, could you fetch the knights for me?” 

“Understood, my lady.” 

“And bring something like a net. Make sure the cat can’t escape when you come in.” 

Realising her intentions, Calix’s eyes widened. He sprang to the window, but found it securely locked. Opening it with his paws would be no easy task. 

“No, you can’t. You must prove my innocence to His Grace.” 

“Hiss!” 

“With you, my sister will have no choice but to listen to me, so just stay still and cooperate, will you?” 

To his dismay, Lilia remained in the room, making it impossible to use the magic in his collar. His sensitive ears picked up the sound of several footsteps approaching quickly. 

— 

Ciela arrived at the Marquis of Arcel’s estate in a hired carriage. As she climbed the stairs to her room, Lilia blocked her path. 

Ignoring her, Ciela tried to move aside, but Lilia stretched out her arms and blocked the way again. 

‘Doesn’t she ever get tired?’ 

Fighting back a sigh, Ciela finally spoke. 

“I don’t feel well right now, so please move.” 

“Are you really that unwell?” 

She was about to answer in the affirmative – until she saw the tuft of yellow fur that Lilia had produced. Ciela realised immediately whose fur it was. Her previously tired gaze became sharp, her eyes boring into Lilia with a new intensity. 

“What does that mean?” 

“Who knows? Maybe it means exactly what you think it does.” 

Lilia smiled sweetly, her expression full of satisfaction. 

“You still think I’m not well?” 

It felt like her blood was rushing backwards through her veins, her entire body consumed by a rising rage so intense she could barely breathe. 

‘Don’t show it. Stay composed.’ 

Ciela forced herself to take deep, steady breaths, working hard to keep her emotions from spilling out. 

“A quick chat should be fine.” 

“Wonderful!” 

Lilia clapped her hands with a happy laugh and turned on her heel. 

“Follow me.” 

“Alright.” 

Ciela began to walk behind her, her gaze sharp and unflinching. 

“Nyaaang!” 

When they reached Lilia’s room, Ciela immediately noticed that Titi was locked in an iron cage. Her maid, Tiffany, stood guard beside her. 

“Meow! Meow!” 

Ciela forced herself to smooth her furrowed brow as she turned slightly to meet Lilia’s gaze directly. 

“I’m so glad we can finally talk! I should have done it before!”

“What do you want to say?” 

“Stop avoiding me.” 

Lilia held out her hand as if making an offer. Despite her words of forgiveness, her face bore a smile devoid of sincerity. Her eyes sparkled with an unshakable confidence that everything would go exactly as she wished. 

“I haven’t done anything wrong, so how long are we going to live like this? It’s too painful – I can’t take it anymore.” 

Just a moment of appearing friendly with Ciela in public could stifle the gossip. Lilia lowered her eyes slightly, approached Ciela and clasped her hands as if to seal their truce with a handshake. 

“Do you think I would go so far and act like this if I didn’t have to? Hmm?” 

“So you’re saying you did all this for me?” 

“That’s not exactly what I meant. But… now that I think about it, it’s not entirely wrong either. If I hadn’t acted the way I did, you wouldn’t have even given me a chance to talk.” 

Lilia’s unwavering gaze seemed to truly reflect her belief in her own words. 

“How could you do that, knowing the situation I’m in?” 

Her voice trembled as she lowered her head, tears streaming down her face as if she remembered all the hardships she’d endured. Her grip on Ciela’s hands tightened, her emotions fueling her strength. 

Ciela frowned as the pressure on her hands became painful. 

“Meow!” 

Titi’s desperate cry filled the room, breaking the tense silence. 

Following the cry, Ciela turned her attention to Titi, who was trapped in the iron cage. Titi was pawing furiously at the bars, looking up at her as if concerned for her welfare. 

Their eyes met and Titi shook his head firmly, his actions deliberate. He thumped his chest with his front paw and held his tail straight up, clearly signalling that he was fine and that she shouldn’t worry. 

Ciela allowed the faintest smile to tug at the corners of her lips. 

‘How could I ever leave you?’ 

No matter what, he was too precious to her – something she’d protect even if the sky fell. 

“Meowwwww!” 

Titi shook his head even harder, seeming to understand what her smile meant. His movements became increasingly frantic, as if begging her to stop. 

Without another glance at him, Ciela turned her attention back to Lilia and yanked her hand away roughly. 

“Sister, why are you acting like this again? Please, let’s stop and go back to the way things were.” 

Lilia whispered softly, her eyes crescent shaped as she looked at Titi. With the cat in the room, she seemed quite confident that Ciela wouldn’t refuse her proposal. After all, she’d seen how brightly her sister smiled whenever the little creature was around. 

“Not necessary.” 

“What? What did you just say?” 

Lilia’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit, unable to comprehend the answer. Her confusion only deepened when she looked at Ciela, who calmly tucked her hair behind her ear and half-closed her eyes with an indifferent expression. 

“I said the little cat wasn’t necessary.” 

Her cool, detached tone hid her true feelings and completely silenced the room.