Chapter 11
When I said butler, I didnโt mean โbutlerโ
โSia! Help me!โ
At Karinโs call from inside, Siaโwho had been completely absorbed in the mysterious black catโstartled and sprang to her feet.
โAh, what do I do?โ
Knowing how much Karin disliked black cats, Sia had no idea what to do with the cat purring in her arms.
As if sensing her dilemma, the cat leapt from her embrace on its own.
โโฆAre you leaving?โ
Even though she knew he looked different from Cola, the fact that another black cat was about to leave her made her feel strangely sad. Perhaps, without realizing it, she had been under a great deal of stress in this unfamiliar place.
He wasnโt a replacement for Cola, who had crossed into this world with her, but she still didnโt want this cat to go far.
โAh, wait a second.โ
She had always kept churu and catnip in her pocket while searching for Cola. Having previously emptied a tin of mint candies and filled it with catnip, she now took it out and poured a small amount into her palm.
Then, taking Nox to a spot behind the building where he wouldnโt be seen, she placed the catnip on the ground.
โItโs a bribe, so please come back when the sun sets, okay?โ
Before heading back in, she rubbed Noxโs face all over with her catnip-covered hand, then smothered his forehead and cheeks with kisses before leaving.
Overwhelmed by the whirlwind of unfamiliar events, Nox plopped down right there. His gold and blue eyes flickered in and out of view, fading and returning.
As he slowly caught his breath, the intoxicating scent struck him like a crashing wave. Every inhale and exhale drew in the scent of the strange herb scattered just beneath him.
[W-What theโฆ?]
This was probably the mysterious herb Cedric had mentionedโthe very thing he had come to investigateโฆ
But now he had no idea what was happening. If he were in human form, his entire body wouldโve flushed red from his emotions. Thankfully, he was in animal formโfor what little that was worth.
Panting, he ultimately couldnโt resistโjust like with the churuโand fell completely under the spell of the catnip. Regretting how little there was, he enjoyed the scent, rolling his body in it.
The blissful fragrance coated his entire body, like the sensation of her hands caressing him again. Purring alone, Nox suddenly became aware of his disgraceful behavior and froze.
Still, he couldnโt act rationally. He continued grooming himself, licking the mysterious herb off his fur, losing all track of time.
***
โYouโre acting a bit strange today.โ
โโฆMe?โ
Sia answered nonchalantly at Karinโs remark.
โYouโre acting like a kitten who needs to pee or poop.โ
โA kitten d-doing what?! Thatโs so mean!โ
While Sia was flustered by the sudden crude remark, Karin muttered indifferently,
โAh, Luna next door just had kittens. Wanna go see them later?โ
โโฆHuh?โ
It was only then that Sia realized Karin had meant โkittensโ as in babies. No matter how human they looked, she often forgot this was a land of werebeasts.
โWhy? You donโt want to?โ
โNo! Iโd love to!โ
She was curious whether baby cat werebeasts would already have ears and tails. Just imagining it made her smile uncontrollably. Karin smiled as she watched Sia.
Sia might be from another species, and she couldโve disliked them, but there wasnโt even a hint of that in her. On the contrary, she almost seemed to genuinely like cat werebeasts. Maybe thatโs why, even with her black hair, Karin couldnโt help but grow fond of her.
โLetโs eat dinner at the shop tonight. Emma said sheโll be running late.โ
The place where Sia worked functioned both as an inn and a restaurant. Karin managed the restaurant, and during the day also handled the innโs affairs. From evening onward, however, the restaurant closed, and a middle-aged woman named Emma took over managing the inn.
All the guests had gone up to their rooms, and the place was empty. With a brief moment to spare, Sia couldnโt resist and slipped out the back door. Sheโd checked every chance she got during breaks all day.
She moved silently, creeping around to the back of the building. The handsome black cat sheโd seen earlier was still there, sitting and purring.
She had hoped he would come back, but she hadnโt expected him to wait. Her heart felt soft and fluttery, and Sia covered her mouth.
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