After giving Titi a quick wink, Ciela lifted her head again.
“I cannot marry a man who once confessed his love to my younger sister.”

The Marquis clicked his tongue in disapproval as he stepped closer to her.
“Foolish girl. Do you even understand why your fiancé’s affections wandered? It’s because of your shortcomings. If you weren’t so pitiful, none of this would have happened.”

Press.

The Marquis pressed a thick finger against the center of Ciela’s forehead, the pressure leaving a stinging red mark.

“With your bad reputation, it’s hard enough to find a suitable match for you. Just suck it up. These things are inevitable in marriage anyway. Think of it as something you’ve encountered early on and overlook it as a mere misunderstanding between future family members.

Ciela, who had been absently rubbing the mark left by his harsh touch, suddenly froze. She looked up, her expression unreadable.

“Your Grace, are you capable of showing forgiveness for the mistakes of family?”

“Of course, family is family, after all, isn’t it?”

Family is family, huh.

Ciela’s previously rigid lips curved into a smile, the corners lifting ever so slightly as a quiet chuckle slipped through.

“Then, as family, I suppose I’m entitled to make mistakes too. Thank you for granting me that privilege.”

With a cheerful bow, as though genuinely grateful, she turned and headed for the stairs.

“Ciela! What nonsense are you saying Ciela!”

He lumbered after her, his heavy frame moving with surprising speed as he closed the gap between them. Just as the space between them was about to vanish entirely—

“!”

The Marquis came to an abrupt halt, his heavy frame frozen mid-step.

“Honey, why did you suddenly stop?”

She glanced at him expectantly, her voice tinged with concern, but the Marquis remained silent. His lips tightened, and an unreadable expression crossed his face, rendering him unable to form a reply.

‘What the…?’

It hadn’t been his decision to stop. It felt more like being frozen in place, paralyzed by an inexplicable, bone-chilling dread. The Marquis could do nothing but watch Ciela’s figure grow smaller in the distance, helpless as a dog watching its prey slip away.

“……”

Titi, who had been watching them from behind her hair, hid her presence before anyone noticed.

“It’s nothing. Let’s leave it.”

“What about Ciela?”

The Marquis clenched his fist tightly, his pride bristling at the thought of admitting that he had been immobilised by something invisible. It was too humiliating to even contemplate.

“She’s fine, what could she possibly do on her own?”

‘That thing can struggle all it wants—it won’t change anything.’

Although Ciela’s actions were sharper than usual today, they seemed to be nothing more than feeble defiance. Ignoring the sharp unease creeping up his spine, the Marquis decided to ignore her completely. He had no way of knowing how disastrous his negligence would prove to be.

***

Ciela carelessly dropped her luggage on the floor with a dull thud. She crossed the nearly empty room and sat on the edge of her bed, leaning over to open the nearby window. The cool evening breeze flowed in, filling the room with a refreshing chill.

Suddenly, Titi, who had been silent until then, pressed its soft paws firmly against the back of her hand.

“Meowww.”

“Hungry? Need the bathroom? Or maybe you want me to play with you?”

But Titi shook its head, tilting it side to side in a clear “no.”

“What could you possibly want right now, Titi?”

After a moment of thought, realization dawned on her, and her eyes widened.

“Oh! Are you asking about what I said earlier—that this was the situation I wanted?”

“Meowww!”

Titi’s tail shot straight up in confirmation, its excitement unmistakable.

“Alright, I’ll tell you.”

Ciela said with a soft smile, charmed by Titi’s eager curiosity. She reached into her pocket, ready to share her thoughts.

Moments later, Titi’s pupils dilated.

“This is a magical orb that records voices.”

The orb, about the size of her fingertip, shimmered faintly with a soft blue glow, still actively recording. Applying a little more pressure to the orb, she stopped the recording and its colour returned to an ordinary silver.

‘I was wondering just how shameless they’d be.’

They had surpassed even her expectations for arrogance, which suited her plans perfectly. With a sly smirk, Ciela activated the orb, triggering the recording to play. The orb glowed a golden hue as the sound echoed clearly.

“I told sister that Lord Turtlik confessed to me.”

The recent exchange replayed vividly, exactly as she had recorded it.
Every word, every detail—captured flawlessly.

“Once this gets out, there’s no way they’ll stop the engagement from being annulled.”
And along with that, their carefully crafted image would shatter beyond repair.

“Meowww—”
Titi purred sweetly, rubbing her cheek against the back of her hand. Ciela chuckled softly, scratching under her chin as her eyes wandered out the open window. The breeze carried her thoughts skyward, and she turned her head to watch the birds glide freely across the expansive sky.

She reached out an arm, opening her palm as if to grasp the heavens above. Of course, her hand couldn’t possibly cover the sky – a simple truth of nature. Yet someone around her seemed unaware of such an obvious fact.

“Well, since I’ve been given permission to make a mess if necessary.”

Squinting against the fiery brilliance of the setting sun, Ciela’s smirk deepened, her lips curling into a defiant grin.

“…I’ll make sure they learn that the sky can’t be hidden beneath the palm of their hand.”

She was looking forward to seeing their faces crumple in despair.

“Now we just have to wait for the Duke’s answer.”

Titi, who had been staring at the sky next to Ciela, perked up at the mention of ‘Duke’.

“Purr…”

As if understanding, Titi began to purr and nodded her head in agreement.

***

A few days later, Ciela was ready to set out.

“Show this letter to the butler when you arrive at the Duke’s residence. I eagerly await the day we meet. – Rix]”

Calix’s reply had finally arrived.

“Titi, I’m heading out now.”

“Meow!”

Ciela patted Titi gently on the head before stepping outside. The sound of her footsteps gradually faded into the distance, leaving the room in silence.

Then, with a fluid motion, Titi leaped gracefully off the desk.

Jingle.

A delicate chime rang out as the small bell around Titi’s neck swayed. The sound broke the stillness, and in the blink of an eye, Titi vanished completely.

In her place stood a tall, broad-shouldered man, his striking form exuding quiet strength.

The only thing connecting him to Titi was the golden bell dangling from the leather collar around his neck. With a deliberate motion, he reached out and parted the curtain slightly, allowing sunlight to enter the room.

From beneath lashes so dark and thick they seemed to consume the light itself, a pair of crimson eyes emerged, their piercing gaze fixed on the scene outside.

Despite the brilliance of the sunlight, he neither blinked nor flinched. He just stood there, unperturbed, staring out with an air of quiet intensity.

“…Finally…”

The word escaped his lips, soft but brimming with anticipation.

The thought of meeting her at last seemed to ignite a flicker of delight within him, and his crimson lips curved into a serene yet striking smile. It was a smile layered with both satisfaction and an unquenchable hunger.

One thing was unmistakable—he had waited, endured, and longed for this moment with every fiber of his being.

From the very instant Ciela had saved him.

‘How long I’ve yearned to meet her—not as a cat, but in my true, human form.’

The vivid crimson eyes blazed with an intensity that seemed as if they could burn. Long, strong fingers wrapped around the delicate golden bell.

“This isn’t the time to linger.”

Jingle.

With the clear chime of the bell, the man disappeared from the room in an instant. He reappeared moments later within the Icarus Duke’s estate, specifically inside the Duke’s office.

Rune, the Duke’s assistant, sat at his desk, deep in paperwork in Calix’s place. He looked up at the sudden presence, his dull, lifeless eyes peering out from under heavy dark circles. His distant expression betrayed no surprise.

“Oh dear. You’ve arrived, Your Highness.”

“Is everything ready?”

“It’s the grand first moment of welcoming such an esteemed guest. Naturally, everything is flawlessly prepared. I swear it upon my dark circles.”

Rune replied, placing a hand solemnly over his chest and bowing deeply.

Though his tone carried a hint of sarcasm, his precise movements reflected unwavering loyalty to Calix.

Rune, the Duke’s aide, who had been processing paperwork as Calix’s proxy, lifted his head. Beneath heavy dark circles, his dull, dead-fish-like eyes glanced up at the man with a detached expression.

“Oh dear. You’ve arrived, Your Grace.”

“Is everything ready?”

“It’s the glorious first moment to welcome such an esteemed guest. Of course, everything is flawlessly prepared. I swear it upon my dark circles.”

Rune placed a hand over his chest and bowed deeply. Though his tone seemed casual, the precision of his movements radiated loyalty to Calix.

“But more importantly, Your Highness, could you hand over that dreadful necklace? It needs a mana recharge.”

The intricate chain of bells had been Rune’s creation. As the Duke’s assistant and a highly skilled magician recognised by the Mage Association, Rune had meticulously inscribed the runes and imbued it with powerful enchantments. The necklace contained spells to detect transformations between cat and human form, teleportation magic, communication spells and more – a masterpiece of magical craftsmanship.

“Recharge the mana and give me a status update while you’re at it.”

Without hesitation, he began unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the clothing prepared neatly on the desk for him to change into. With each button undone, more of his firm, sculpted chest was exposed, the definition of his muscles highlighted by the warm light streaming through the window.

Rune, uninterested in the display, extended his hand impatiently.

“And here I thought recharging a trinket would be the least dramatic part of my day.”

“Yes, yes, of course. As for the village where she plans to stay, I’ve held off on purchasing it for now.”

Rune said, nodding as he carefully took the necklace in his hands, handling it with reverence.

Calix had initially intended to buy the village to protect Ciela from the Arcel Marquisate and create an excuse to be near her while disguised as a human. However, recent developments had opened up a new opportunity.

“Go ahead with the purchase. Ciela’s home is still there.”

“As you command, Your Highness.”

“And the status of the fairy’s apple tree?”

“We’re conducting a thorough search, but as you’re aware, the fairy’s apple tree is extraordinarily rare.”

“Obtaining one from the Imperial Garden might be quicker.”

Calix mused, considering an alternative course of action.

“Nevertheless, continue your efforts to locate one.”

“Yes, Your Highness. But if I may, I have one request.”

Calix paused, his sharp crimson gaze locking onto Rune. Though piercing, his eyes also held a flicker of curiosity.

“Speak.”

“It’s nothing major, but I would like Your Highness to arrange an opportunity for me to meet her personally, I believe it is necessary to determine if the mysterious curse affecting Your Higness has any link to the fairy’s curse.”

At the mere mention of his master’s curse, Rune’s voice dropped to a grave whisper, the weight of the subject casting a shadow over the room.

Several months prior, after returning from an audience with the Emperor, Calix had experienced an abrupt and inexplicable transformation. Without warning, his body had begun to change, and since that day, he had been plagued by an unusual phenomenon—sporadic transformations into a cat.

This bizarre affliction, both perplexing and dangerous, had remained a closely guarded secret, and Rune’s request carried the unspoken urgency of uncovering answers. Calix’s expression remained unreadable, though his gaze darkened slightly as he considered the implications.

Once transformed, he remained in his cat form for 24 hours before being able to shift back. The only solace in this ordeal was his ability to choose the precise moment of his return to human form. Still, the unpredictability of the transformations was a persistent curse that left even Rune baffled.

“Of all things, a cat.”

In the Empire, cats were viewed with suspicion and disdain, making it impossible to disclose the curse to the Imperial family. As a result, investigations into the matter had to be conducted with utmost caution.

“We’ve examined every curse and spell known to exist, but none align with Your Highness’s condition. The only remaining possibility is that it’s a fairy’s curse.”

Despite his vast magical knowledge, even Rune couldn’t decipher the mechanism behind Calix’s transformations. The magic and techniques involved were entirely foreign, unlike anything he had ever encountered.

“If that’s the only lead we have, it’s worth investigating. By the way, did you see a fairy that day?”

Having finished dressing, Calix adjusted his attire, his mind wandering back to that fateful day.

“I saw no fairies. Only assassins—plenty of those.”

If a fairy truly was responsible for the curse, as Rune proposed, then who were the assassins lying in wait for his transformation into a cat? The memory stirred a faint frown on Calix’s face, but he quickly smoothed it away. Today, of all days, his composure had to be flawless—he couldn’t afford even the slightest imperfection.

“Think carefully once more, Your Highness. Surely, something must come to mind.”

“That’s enough for now. This isn’t the time to discuss it.”

“If this isn’t important, then what is?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Why are you even asking?”

Lifting the leather choker with its small, gleaming bell, he smirked arrogantly, the corner of his lips curling upward in a self-assured grin.

“Did you forget? Today is the day the future Duchess is coming.”