“Hello, Miss Shailyn. I’m Jeron, the Vice tower master.”

The mage I had seen during Deborah’s entrance exam appeared.

This man was the Vice tower master.

“Has the tower master come?”

“……No. I’m sorry, but the tower master suddenly had urgent business and won’t be able to see you today. I’m truly sorry.”

“Ah……”

I let out a silent sigh while watching Jeron bow down to his waist in apology.

If this was going to happen, why did they call me, but when someone apologizes that much, it’s hard to say anything.

Jeron was even breaking out in cold sweat with a pale face.

Just like someone who had encountered some great trouble.

“I understand. Then when can we meet? Is tomorrow okay?”

“Well, we don’t know when his business will end. The tower master said he would contact you later.”

So they’re telling me to just wait for the tower master’s contact.

Those words rose to my throat, but I held them back. It’s not even the tower master himself, so what’s the point of arguing with Jeron.

“For now…… I understand that too. Please tell him to contact me as soon as possible since we need to formally conclude the magic stone trade.”

“Yes, I apologize once again. I’m sorry. Please return safely.”

Fortunately, the carriage had returned after dropping Carl off at the ducal residence, so I could immediately board and leave the Magic Tower.

I returned home feeling deflated and first looked for the cat.

“How’s the kitty? Its condition isn’t serious, right? Where is it now?”

“According to the doctor’s examination, it has high fever and symptoms of dehydration, but once those are cured, there should be no health problems. It’s sleeping in one corner of your room now, Miss.”

Mandy explained while taking my bag. I hurried to my room.

Then I saw the cat sleeping peacefully with its body slightly curled on a fluffy cushion.

“If you take good care of its food and water for a while and let it rest, it will get better quickly.”

“That’s a relief.”

I carefully stroked its body that was rising and falling up and down.

Seeing how it was collapsed between the bushes like that, it really seems like a cat wandering around without an owner.

“Let’s live with big sister from now on, kitty.”

I smiled while looking at the glimpse of its soft pink paw pads.

Now I’m here too, kitty.

That evening.

The cat that woke up from sleep looked around with a dazed face.

I quickly ran in front of it and crouched down.

“Kitty, hello?”

“……!”

The cat opened its eyes wide as if surprised to see me. Oh, how cute.

“We know each other, right? From now on, I’ll raise you. I’ve even decided on your name.”

I had thought about it alone while waiting for the cat to wake up and decided.

The cat that had been staring at me with its mouth open as I smiled proudly suddenly got up and attempted to flee.

“Ah……!”

I quickly tried to catch my baby, but it was so fast that it avoided my hands and ran like lightning toward the door.

Even so, the door was closed—

“Meow!”

Creak.

“……Huh?”

The door that I had definitely closed tightly opened by itself with just one cry.

No, it’s not like ‘Open Sesame’ or anything…….

While I was dumbfounded and spacing out, the cat escaped outside the door.

“……Ah, no! Where are you going?!”

I belatedly came to my senses and frantically chased after the cat.

Patter, patter.

The small paws quickly brushed against the floor, moving nimbly.

Oh, it’s fast, too fast……!

I was sweating profusely while following the cat when I spotted Mandy coming from the opposite direction and shouted.

“Mandy, catch the cat!”

“Yes, ye……?”

Mandy, flustered by the sudden command, put down the basket she was holding and tried to catch the cat.

But the cat lowered its small body down and instantly changed direction to avoid Mandy.

“Aah!”

Thanks to that, only Mandy flailed her arms and fell on her bottom.

“Are you okay, Mandy?! Sorry, I’ll catch the cat and come back!”

Without even having time to check on the fallen Mandy, I ran to not lose the cat.

After that, I asked everyone I met to catch the cat, but……

“Oh my!”

“Kyaah!”

“Ugh!”

Everyone was just toyed with by the agile cat and fell down, unable to touch even a single hair.

Before I knew it, the cat had come down to the first floor and was running toward the front door.

Creeeak.

Just like before, the tightly closed door opened wide on both sides as if someone had pulled it.

“Baby, don’t go! Let’s live together with big sister? I’ll treat you well! You haven’t even fully recovered yet!”

Why are you running away?

The cat that had paused momentarily at my earnest plea stepped forward vigorously with its small legs toward the entrance again.

At that moment, Carl appeared through the open door.

Sensing this was the last chance, I put strength in my stomach and shouted.

“Carl, catch Goldie!”

At the same time, the cat jumped with its legs stretched toward the outside.

“……?”

Carl grabbed the cat’s body with a bewildered face.

Since it happened to be in mid-air, the cat couldn’t twist its body to avoid it this time either.

“Kyaow!”

The cat that was finally caught right in front of me cried sharply and struggled.

Of course, Carl didn’t budge at all.

“What’s Goldie.”

“Huff, huff, th, huff, cat, heuff.”

It was the name I had given to Cheese Kitty.

Goldie.

Carl patted my back as I was exhausted from running desperately from the room to here and said.

“The name is too tacky.”

“……What do you know. Originally you have to give tacky names for longevity.”

I finally caught my breath and picked up the cat held in Carl’s hands.

“Goldie! How can you suddenly run away, big sister was surprised.”

“Didn’t it run away after hearing the name?”

“No way?”

I glared at Carl sharply and stroked Goldie’s back, which seemed to have lost strength.

“Anyway, thanks for catching it. I almost had to put up missing cat flyers right after adoption.”

“Are you going to raise it, Master?”

“Yeah, if we met three times, isn’t that fate? Goldie, you should also think of me as master like Carl does.”

“Meow……”

Goldie cried softly as if resigned.

I felt that Goldie’s body temperature had gotten hotter than before and made a serious expression.

“It seems the fever went up again from overexertion…… This won’t do. I need to quickly take it to the room and let it rest. I’m going, Carl.”

I hugged Goldie preciously and hurriedly said goodbye to Carl.

“Wait, master. That cat is somewhat strange……”

He said something behind me, but my attention was completely focused on the cat, so I couldn’t hear properly.

Thus, the brief cat escape commotion came to an end.

***

After that, Goldie quickly became healthy under my caring nursing.

Of course, the process wasn’t entirely smooth.

I had never raised a cat before, and Goldie, being from the streets, seemed to have me as its first owner too.

‘Come on, Goldie. Let’s go wash with big sister.’

‘Kyaak!’

‘Wait, if you thrash around like that…… Ack!’

I tried to give it a bath but ended up looking like a wet mouse due to Goldie’s fierce resistance.

‘Goldie, your bathroom is here. But I heard baby cats defecate right after eating……’

‘Haak!’

I got hurt when I tried to watch its bowel movements out of health concerns and got a disgusted reaction in return.

Still, anyway, Goldie had been staying and living in my room for over a week.

It had also become a star of Diart residence.

Since it kept trying to escape whenever there was a chance, I carried it around directly, and before I knew it, it had become a celebrity.

As a small, cute baby cat that was always carried around in the miss’s arms.

Fortunately, the people of the ducal family didn’t impose any restrictions on me raising a cat.

“It’s so nice living with me, right Goldie?”

I held Goldie while taking a walk and stroked its back. Then Goldie shivered and pushed my hand away.

Mean, so mean…….

“You know I’m your master, right? Huh? Remember?”

“Meow.”

When I grabbed its small face and asked, Goldie opened its mouth and yawned.

It seemed sleepy after just having lunch.

“Oh my, is our baby sleepy? Yes, yes. Let’s go sleep.”

I was completely won over by its cute appearance of blinking and carried Goldie back to the room.

I was about to put it down on the cat-exclusive cushion but changed my mind and lay down on the bed together.

Goldie, who had been dozing off on the way, curled up next to me without even knowing the sleeping place had changed.

‘Ugh, so cute.’

I covered the small body with a blanket and closed my eyes too.

I fell into a short sleep feeling Goldie’s warm body temperature and soft breathing.

How much time had passed like that.

Knock knock knock!

I opened my eyes at the sound of someone knocking on the door.

Goldie also woke up, apparently hearing the sound, and lifted its head, making eye contact with me.

“Mmm, did our Goldie wake up?”

Smooch.

The moment I smiled brightly and lightly kissed Goldie’s forehead—

“Meow!”

Goldie let out a fierce cry and struck my face with its front paw.

“Aaaah!”

This is a kitty punch……?!