Don’t Be Obsessed With Your Cat Butler - Chapter 17

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“…Uh.”

Sia, startled by the sight of her hair falling in front of her face, suddenly stopped hiccupping. She tried to hide the cascading strands, but without the cloth, there was nothing she could do.

As she flailed in panic, Nox stared at her blankly.

It really hadn’t been a dream. He hadn’t hallucinated her black hair. And yet, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. A woman with the same hair color as him actually existed in this world.

She was still suspicious, but in the face of the undeniable black-haired presence before him, that didn’t seem to matter anymore. His heart pounded violently in his chest. Without saying a word, Nox looked down at Sia.

Meanwhile, Sia bit her lip, feeling like she might cry. Karin had told her there was a social hierarchy in this world, and that alone had been surprising, but now, experiencing it firsthand, the pressure was incomparable.

Coming from a modern world where everyone was equal, everything here felt unfamiliar and frightening. She wanted to run away, but she couldn’t. If she did, Karin—who had taken care of her—might suffer for it. That thought alone made her freeze in place.

Rustle.

The white cloth in Nox’s hand slipped to the floor. At the same time, he took a step closer and lifted her chin with his fingers. Tilting her delicate jaw upward, he gazed closely into her jet-black eyes.

He had seen cat werebeasts with dark eyes before—maybe not black, but close. But never had he seen anyone with both fur and eyes as black as hers. Strangely, a thought crossed his mind.

This woman might have lived a life even more unfortunate than his.

That thought didn’t bring him comfort—it sparked curiosity. What kind of life had she lived?

Had she lived more alone than he had? Was that why she had given up and settled in this place, abandoning her home?

Not knowing what kind of species she belonged to, Nox vaguely projected his own life onto hers—just because she had the same hair color as him.

Even as he stood deep in thought over this mysterious woman, his heart continued to beat wildly. Silently staring at her, Nox eventually said in a low voice:

“I’ll let you live with me, just like you wanted.”

“…Huh?”

Before Sia could even comprehend what he meant, Nox motioned with his hand.

“Dennis.”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

The knight commander, Dennis, stepped forward at his call—standing farther back than usual due to the presence of not one but two symbols of misfortune. Nox, unaffected, gave a cold order without a change in expression.

“Take this woman to the ducal manor.”

“Yes, at once!”

The moment Nox gave the command, the knights stormed into the shop. Frightened, Sia looked desperately toward Karin, unable to even call out to her.

Karin stood in the corner, anxiously pacing in place, unsure of what to do. If it had just been a wealthy noble, she might have found a way to protest, but this was different. He wasn’t just a noble—he was the Duke of Blois. There was no way to stop him.

“Ka… Ka…”

The ducal manor? Even if this was a class-based society, was it really okay to just abduct someone like this? Sia was both terrified and baffled by the situation unfolding around this mysterious, handsome man.

Her arms gripped tightly by the knights, Sia wanted to cry out for Karin but held her tongue, worried it would bring trouble to her. Instead, before Nox could disappear from view, she called out in a rush,

“W-Wait!”

Nox, just about to turn away, stopped and turned only his head to look at her.

“P-Please just let me grab my bag!”

Sia realized for the first time how terrifying those odd-colored eyes could be, something she’d once found mystical. Wondering if she’d said something wrong, she shook her head quickly.

She couldn’t leave Karin’s house without her bag and clothes. She didn’t know when or how she might return to Korea, and in this world, she needed to hold on to the few belongings that made her feel like herself.

“…That was the plan.”

Nox replied in a voice tinged with displeasure.

“Sorry?”

“Isn’t your luggage with that woman?”

“…Y-Yes?”

Sia hadn’t called for Karin on purpose—she didn’t want to trouble her any further. But apparently, this man already knew everything and had come prepared.

Brushing past Sia, who stood staring at him in disbelief, Nox turned to Karin, who was trembling in the corner, and issued his order.

“What are you doing? Lead the way. Now.”