The Cat Who Weeps in the Dark - Chapter 15

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A rut is bothersome and agonizing. Even more so if there’s no experienced person nearby to tell you about it.

A beastman’s rut, lasting about a week, could be somewhat controlled with medicine. It felt similar to period cramps. If you took the medicine on time, you’d feel better, but your condition wouldn’t fully recover.

However, since one dose didn’t last a whole week, she had to periodically take a pill.

‘So, I need to take my medicine…’

Katie closed and opened her eyes, feeling utterly distraught. She was lying in a bedroom in the Twilight Palace.

The Twilight Palace was where the Empire’s First Prince resided. Furthermore, the bedroom was in the most private, innermost part of that palace.

It wasn’t a place a mere mid-level knight, especially one stationed in Damian’s palace—who could be considered his nemesis—would dare to enter.

‘But why the hell! Why did he bring me here!’

Katie felt like she just wanted to cry. Helion had been observing her intently, propping his chin on his hand. His gaze was excessively persistent. It was less like a guardian looking at a victim who had just narrowly escaped a terrible ordeal, and more like a crow staring at a corpse about to die.

“It’s too much groaning for just a cold.”

Helion reached out a hand to her. Katie bit back the urge to turn her head away from his hand with all her might. Turning her head away from a member of the imperial family was against etiquette. The stern-eyed captain of the guard standing there would have every right to draw his sword and strike her down; it would be an unforgivable rudeness.

Helion’s hand was cold. The coolness on her forehead made Katie let out a small gasp without realizing it.

“Hah.”

“And your breathing is rough.”

As if in response, the palm that fully covered her forehead slowly moved down. Fingers grazed her cheek, fumbling, then touched her lips, making Katie flinch in surprise.

“Your lips are trembling too.”

“That’s because Your Highness touched me.”

“Your body’s been twitching ever since earlier.”

“…Was I?”

Katie feigned ignorance, asking back. In truth, she knew her own state. The scorching heat that had been simmering from her belly was spreading through her cells, permeating her entire body.

Her mind was clearly hazy, yet her body’s sensations couldn’t be clearer. Every single touch on her skin was excessively vivid, making her legs constantly twist and her hips squirm.

“Is it really just a cold miss knight?”

It seemed Helion enjoyed Q&A. He was like this earlier too. Even though he clearly knew who had put her in that state, Helion deliberately asked questions, driving the knights to the edge of a cliff.

“Do you perhaps know? Who tormented my cat?”

Not answering an imperial family member’s question meant death, lying meant death, and even telling the truth would lead to death for public indecency.

Arnin and his party were slowly being pushed to the edge of the cliff, unable to do anything.

Helion delightfully observed their faces turning not just white, but a ghastly blue. Eventually, Arnin, unable to overcome his fear, knelt down and prostrated himself on the floor.

“I-I have committed a capital offense, Your Highness! We merely intended to discipline a disobedient mid-level knight…”

“For someone who’s committed a capital offense, you sure talk a lot of useless nonsense.”

His quick surrender just as quickly diminished Helion’s interest. With a bored expression, Helion nodded towards Cheche, who had followed him. Cheche approached without a word and dragged Arnin out. The rest of the gang were also dragged out by other guards.

Helion pulled a small dagger from his pocket and freed Katie’s hands and feet. Then, he effortlessly lifted her, limp as wet cotton.

“Let’s go, kitty.’’

And this was where they arrived—the bedroom. Katie had naturally expected to go to the infirmary, so this was surprising, yet also a relief.

Each palace had its own infirmary. If he had taken her to an infirmary, it would have been the one here in the Twilight Palace, not the Dawn Palace where Wayne was. While an ordinary person might not know, a professional doctor would undoubtedly discover she was a beastman.

“It’s just a cold. I’ll be fine after a night’s sleep… Uh-huh.”

Katie brazenly lied, then let out a moan. Helion’s hand was rubbing her earlobe.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Anyone would think you’d taken an aphrodisiac. Your reactions are far too sensitive.”

“That’s not it. Ugh.”

The movement of his fingers was agonizingly unrestrained. After thoroughly rubbing her earlobe, his thumb moved behind her ear, tracing her neckline.

Katie trembled, at a loss. This was a spot she touched every time she washed her face. Back then, she’d felt nothing… but now, it was beyond ticklish; her skin was tingling.

“Cheche. Call a doctor.”

At that moment, her mind snapped awake. Katie urgently grabbed Helion’s hand. She knew she shouldn’t touch his body without permission, but she wasn’t in her right mind to consider such things now.