After a long ride, the carriage arrived at the imperial palace. Yellian, awestruck by the sheer scale, tried hard not to show their amazement.
“Can’t you take off the leash for a bit?”
“No way. If you run off, who’s going to benefit from that?”
“……Such deep distrust. Since you brought me along, wouldn’t it be nice to give me some freedom? So stingy.”
Muttering complaints, Yellian grumbled, but Leonard pretended not to hear and said what he wanted.
“Don’t forget. There’s nothing good about being caught as a talking cat. So stay as quiet as possible.”
“If that’s the case, you shouldn’t have brought me in the first place. You drag me along and then keep telling me to stay quiet, over and over.”
Leonard lightly pushed Yellian’s head down, flattening them, as they kept talking back, then picked them up with a casual lift.
At first glance, it looked like he lifted them carelessly, but surprisingly, Yellian found the position comfortable. This was the peculiar skill of someone who raises cats. It might seem like a rough hold, but there was a certain technique to holding a cat properly.
As Leonard stepped out of the carriage with Yellian in his arms, the imperial palace staff waiting nearby rolled their eyes in confusion and glanced nervously.
The Duke Abrams they knew was notoriously cruel and cold, so it was only natural they’d be taken aback seeing such a duke arrive at the palace holding a tiny kitten.
In truth, the fact that he kept a cat was fairly well-known. That’s how much interest the people of the empire had in Duke Abrams.
The fact that he was still unmarried was also a significant factor in drawing attention. If someone caught his eye and became his partner, it could mean a complete reversal of fortune.
Leonard, of course, was well aware that many had their eyes on him. But it wasn’t something worth caring about. After all, he was a duke, and the only one who could force a marriage on him was someone like Abigail.
Of course, if Abigail actually tried to force a match on him, Leonard wouldn’t just sit idly by. And Abigail knew that fact very well too.
With Yellian’s leash wrapped around his wrist, Leonard held them in his arms and strode forward with commanding presence.
The more confidently he walked, the more confused the gazes of those watching him became, but Leonard couldn’t care less about that.
Finally arriving at the reception room of the imperial family, Leonard entered with a straight posture.
Abigail, who had been sprawled lazily on a chair, froze for a moment with a surprised expression at Leonard’s entrance, then burst into loud laughter.
“Ahahaha. What’s with you, Leonard! You’ve practically turned into a butler!”
“I can’t believe it.”
Following Abigail, Anderson also shook his head as he spoke. Whether they commented or not, Leonard sat down on a chair with a dignified posture, still holding Yellian tightly in his arms.
“This is truly astounding. The great Duke Abrams, wrapped around the paw of a single cat.”
“I’m not wrapped around anything.”
“Then what’s all this? Leonard, you seem to have forgotten, but cats aren’t viewed favorably in the imperial family. And yet, here you are, showing up at the palace holding one. The nobles are going to gossip like crazy.”
“I don’t care. It’s not like there haven’t been one or two people gossiping about me already.”
“Right, that’s it. Not caring even a bit about others’ opinions-that’s your strength.”
Even at Abigail’s praise, Leonard didn’t look particularly pleased or displeased. He simply acted as if it had nothing to do with him.
Yellian, watching Leonard, couldn’t help but inwardly marvel at how impressive he was.
Yellian stretched their neck out, looking around the inside of the reception room. Seeing this, Leonard spoke first.
“Is there anyone else in the reception room?”
“Ah, no. So, Yellian, you don’t need to worry.”
“That’s what he says. But still, stay quiet.”
Hearing Abigail’s words, Leonard gave Yellian a warning. However, staying quiet didn’t mean keeping their mouth shut, so the seal on Yellian’s snout was lifted.
“Do you know how many times you’ve told me to stay quiet just today?”
“I’ve said it plenty of times.”
“You didn’t even count them all!”
At Yellian’s grumbling, Leonard shook his head as if he couldn’t win, while Abigail let out a stifled chuckle.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like the great Leonard was completely under Yellian’s paw. If that was the case, what kind of existence was Yellian to Abigail? A sudden curiosity filled Abigail’s heart.
“Leonard, do you actually like Yellian?”
Abigail was the Emperor. That meant he could boldly say whatever he wanted, even if the other party was Duke Abrams.
“None of your business.”
“Oh, since you’re not denying it, that must mean you do like Yellian.”
Having been close friends with Leonard for quite some time, Abigail understood his personality well.
He found it both surprising and pleasing that his friend liked a feline humanoid. Since Leonard was someone who rarely liked anything, Abigail had always worried he’d live a picky, lonely life and die alone. Now, thinking he didn’t have to worry about that anymore, he felt relieved.
“I’ll have to change the reward.”
“……What were you planning to give?”
“I was going to set you up with a good match.”
“Don’t tell me.”
“That’s right, my sister Adriana.”
“……Forget it.”
“That’s harsh. Your brother-in-law is hurt, you know.”
Leonard also knew Abigail’s sister, Adriana, quite well. She had gone to study abroad in the Wedepia Empire a few years ago and was now nearing the time to return.
She was also at an age where finding a match was appropriate. However, Leonard had no intention of being that match. Even if it weren’t for Yellian, he had no plans to marry his friend’s younger sister.
“Just name what you want. I’ll do my best to accommodate.”
“Well, I’m not sure if there’s anything I want.”
“That’s true. What could the great Duke Abrams possibly lack?”
At Abigail’s words, Leonard neither agreed nor disagreed. Yellian looked back and forth between the two, then glanced at Anderson, who was sitting quietly beside Abigail. Anderson, in turn, looked at Yellian and smiled.
If forget-me-nots were personified, would they look like him? Anderson was truly beautiful. Moreover, he carried an incredibly pleasant fragrance. It was a scent that felt familiar yet fresh, almost entrancing.
Yellian couldn’t help but think how nice it would’ve been to be picked up by Anderson instead, though it was a futile thought.
“Stop looking, Anderson.”
“It’s not like looking wears anything out.”
“Yellian won’t wear out, but if you keep staring at them, your eyes might disappear.”
“…….”
At the chilling threat, Anderson tightly shut his mouth. Seeing this, Yellian glared at Leonard with a dissatisfied expression.
Where on earth did this guy’s prickly personality come from? To the point of disliking even his friend making eye contact with Yellian. Well, no wonder he’s called the mad duke.
“So you stop looking too, Yellian.”
Leonard spoke firmly, covering Yellian’s eyes with his hand. Yellian, suddenly losing their sight, tried to protest, but Leonard’s next words left them speechless.
“Don’t make me jealous.”
“What, are you crazy?”
“Tch.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Abigail and Anderson shuddered. Yellian was also so shocked that they trembled, but Leonard seemed completely serious.
* * *
After a short but satisfying outing, Yellian returned to the duke’s estate, stretching their body long with a big yawn. It was the perfect image of a cat.
Geumdong, quietly approaching Yellian, cautiously tapped them with a front paw.
“What’s up, Geumdong? Big brother is tired.”
Geumdong sniffed around, circling Yellian.
Since Yellian had turned back into a cat, Geumdong had been inspecting them almost every day. And understandably so-while the smell and voice were Yellian’s, their appearance had completely changed, so it was natural to be curious.
Fully understanding Geumdong’s behavior, Yellian didn’t say anything more and let Geumdong do as he pleased.
That is, until Geumdong, after circling Yellian for a while, suddenly bit down on them with one chomp.
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