The next day.

The owner of the letter came directly to the Diart residence to see me.

“Thank you for meeting with me even though I contacted you suddenly.”

“Not at all, please sit down.”

Jeron, the vice tower master of the magic tower, bowed politely and took his seat.

He wore a robe over his uniform, covering his entire body.

“So what did you want to see me about?”

“Well, um, actually……”

Jeron was hesitating, unable to easily bring up what he wanted to say.

“Meow.”

His robe swayed and a small cat’s cry flowed out.

Soon after, a tiny bright yellow head peeked out through the gap in his clothes.

“Oh my, Goldie!”

I reached out my hand in delight. Goldie escaped from Jeron’s embrace and came to my side.

I stroked his soft fur and asked with a voice full of laughter.

“Is it already time for the tower master to turn into Goldie?”

“……No, not yet.”

“Huh? Then why……”

Jeron let out a deep sigh with a dark expression. I stopped petting Goldie and looked at him, sensing something was wrong.

“The tower master has always worked hard to break his own curse.”

The story that began this way was as follows.

The tower master, who had been researching an antidote for several years, hastily took an incomplete medicine the night before last and ended up turning into a cat due to some side effects.

The problem was that unlike usual when he maintained his human consciousness, he had lost his reason like a real animal.

Moreover, since this happened due to side effects, it was uncertain when he would return to his human form.

After finishing his explanation, Jeron bowed his head to me.

“Could I possibly entrust the tower master to you, my lady, while I make a new antidote? Please, I beg of you.”

“Why me specifically……”

“You know the tower master’s secret, my lady, and the tower master has mentioned you as someone trustworthy. Most importantly, we desperately need a safe sanctuary.”

Since Shailyn was a noble lady residing in the Diart residence, she was perfect for safely providing temporary protection for a cat.

“Alright, I’ll take care of him.”

“Thank you so much, my lady. I’ll make the antidote as quickly as possible!”

“Don’t rush too much, and please make it safely for the tower master’s sake.”

“Yes……!”

Jeron stood up from his seat, bowed deeply to me, and left.

I held Goldie in my arms and stroked his head. I had thought he was being unusually docile, but it was because his mind had truly become that of a cat.

“Goldie, oh sweetie. Let’s have fun together again.”

“Meow.”

While heading to my room carrying the small body, I ran into Carl.

Seeing Goldie, he narrowed his eyes and approached with large steps, asking with displeasure.

“Master, why is this perverted cat here?”

“There are circumstances, so I agreed to take care of him for a while.”

“You’re not going to let him stay in your room together, are you?”

“That’s right though?”

Carl immediately became serious and quickly took Goldie away.

“No.”

“What?”

“Come with me. Unless you really want to stay in a woman’s room like a pervert.”

“Kyaong!”

Goldie cried out sharply, showing his claws. He struggled to escape Carl’s embrace as if uncomfortable.

I quickly took the kitten back and said.

“You don’t need to be so wary. Right now he’s truly become a cat.”

“……Truly a cat?”

“Yes, there was a problem when he was making an antidote for the curse, so he lost his human consciousness and completely became a cat. I agreed to take care of him until it’s resolved.”

“What a mess.”

He clicked his tongue softly and reluctantly stepped back. I went up to my room with Goldie.

When I put him down on the cat cushion I hadn’t thrown away yet, Goldie stretched fully and curled up to lie down.

Wow, he’s really a cat now.

I crouched down in front of Goldie and watched him with fascination.

— Ding!

【A mission has occurred!】

Suddenly a system window appeared.

【Mission: Am I the tower master’s savior?

Beep, beep, beep!

Tower master Chester is in crisis. As the female lead, you should naturally help him, right?

Make the antidote to break the tower master’s curse yourself!

Let’s try to be active like a prince who awakens a cursed princess!

Time limit: One week

Success condition: Feed him the antidote and restore the tower master’s appearance to normal

Reward for success: Achieve 100 favorability with the tower master

Penalty for failure: Unable to pursue the tower master for half a year】

“……Wait, how am I supposed to make an antidote? I don’t know how to make medicine!”

【Figure it out yourself♥ You learn everything as you do it♪】

No, this bad guy?

It had been a while since I received such a difficult and troublesome mission, so I felt overwhelmed.

When I treated the empress’s illness before, I just had to find the missing ingredient and persuade her to take it.

But this time, they’re telling me to make the antidote with my own hands, which was very confusing.

‘How am I really supposed to do this…… Right, the hint I received before!’

I recalled the hint I had briefly forgotten.

【Hint: Let’s value review! ( •̀ω•́ )و✧】

Of course, it wasn’t very helpful.

Even then, I needed to know what exactly I was supposed to review.

‘Sigh…… Should I first ask Jeron to let me examine the tower master’s research records on the antidote?’

Since that was the only method available for now, I sent a letter to Jeron.

Fortunately, he said he would show me the research documents if I came to the magic tower tomorrow.

I left Goldie with Mandy and visited the magic tower early morning. Perhaps because I came too early, Jeron was momentarily flustered.

But he soon guided me to the tower master’s office and showed me the research documents.

“But did the tower master really tell you to show the research documents to you if something happened?”

“Yes.”

I shamelessly answered Jeron, who innocently asked again about the lie I had told in case he wouldn’t show them.

It’s not like I had bad intentions—I was doing this all to break the tower master’s curse.

“I have work to do, so I’ll be going. Please look at them comfortably and leave.”

“Thank you.”

He went out to work so the tower master’s absence wouldn’t be noticeable, and I, left alone, read through the research documents carefully.

Hmm.

‘I don’t understand a single word?’

It was natural since I knew nothing about magic, curses, or medicine.

I eventually gave up after reading the research documents filled with complex formulas.

‘Isn’t there an easier way to get information……?’

The personal information viewing function suddenly came to mind.

When I had used it on him early on, access was restricted, but now that the secret of his curse was revealed, it might be different.

“Show me Tower Master Chester’s information.”

Then the system immediately displayed a window before my eyes.

— Ding!

【Name: Chester

Gender: Male

Age: 21 years old

Height: 185.4cm

Occupation: tower master

Special notes: His childhood village was attacked by heretics and destroyed, making him the sole survivor. At this time, he received a demon’s curse that transforms him into a lowly creature, causing him to irregularly turn into a cat every month.】

As expected, information that hadn’t appeared before was now unlocked.

‘A demon’s curse that transforms into a lowly creature.’

Why do I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before?

It felt different from when he said he turned into a cat. It seemed like I had read a similar sentence somewhere else, not heard it from the tower master.

‘……Wait, I’ve only read about demons in books once.’

The forbidden book I saw when trying to find problems with the empress’s treatment during the crown prince’s mission.

A lightning-like realization struck me.

‘That’s what the review meant!’

That forbidden book also contained the method to break the tower master’s curse, so I should read it again.

I rummaged through the research documents and wrote down in my notebook the ingredients the tower master had used to make the antidote.

To compare this with the forbidden book’s contents, I went to meet the crown prince.

“What brings you here without any notice?”

The crown prince, who didn’t refuse to see me despite my sudden visit to the imperial palace, expressed his puzzlement.

I grabbed both his hands tightly and pleaded desperately.

“Your Highness, could you possibly show me that forbidden book from before again?”

“……My lady, have you gone mad?”

Yes, if I fail this mission, I won’t be able to pursue the tower master for half a year!

I desperately wanted to say that, but I held back and looked at him pitifully.

“Just once……”

“……”

“Please, just once……”

“……”

“Just once……”

Finally, the crown prince, who had squeezed his eyes shut, let out a sigh of surrender.