🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 5. Chapter 1. You Who Came Like a Dream (5)
Of course, the subject of that expression was not her—but that ungrateful pure white cat over there.
After hearing her words, the servant politely excused himself and left the reception room. Left alone, Aisila glared at the finely crafted wooden door for a moment, then rested her chin on her hand and looked at Ruby.
“Hey. Where exactly did you bring me?”
Kyaang kyaang. I don’t care about human geography! My butler is what matters!
Ruby began aggressively hitting Aisila’s shoes with her front paws. Such an ungrateful cat. Maybe she should cut off next month’s salmon supply.
Letting the cat use her foot as a punching bag, Aisila muttered quietly.
“You smelled it too, didn’t you?”
Meow—ow.
What exactly is the Artez Count’s butler doing, walking around smelling like blood…?
There was no way the cat couldn’t smell it if she could. Glancing down, she saw Ruby biting onto her riding pants, whining.
Those large blue eyes were filled with worry and anger. A strange color like watercolor paint heavily diluted with water—like it might burst into tears if touched.
Unable to wait calmly, Ruby let go of Aisila and rushed to the door, scratching it loudly with her claws. The ear-splitting noise made Aisila frown.
With no choice, she opened the door—and a white blur shot out instantly.
“Hey! What kind of trouble are you going to cause now!”
That troublesome pet cat always caused chaos beyond imagination. Her past painful experience proved it as absolute truth.
Aisila quickly followed Ruby out of the room.
“Ahh! Mary! That’s it! That thing scratched my face!”
A spoiled voice came from behind. Ruby flinched and looked back, while Aisila observed with a faint, amused smile.
Well, there was no way that thing was the cat’s future owner.
Interesting…
As Aisila organized the rumors she knew about the Artez family in her mind, the cat ran forward angrily, meowing furiously.
Screams echoed from the end of the hallway as it continued scratching someone.
Aisila ignored the chaos and calmly sorted the information.
The Artez Count family. A count and countess, and one son—Lloyd Artez.
Ah. There was also an illegitimate child.
“Mary! Mary!”
“Ah, calm down, kitty. Oh my… what do we do, young master…”
Aisila finally shifted her gaze toward the scene.
It seemed the scratching wasn’t enough. Ruby had climbed onto the boy’s head and was now slapping his cheeks with her tail. It wasn’t a light prank like when she hit Aisila or Reinhardt—it was a ruthless assault like forging steel.
She’s even pulling his hair out!
As expected, the cat was extremely vicious. Aisila crossed her arms and observed.
“Mary, bring a rifle!”
“Y-young master… a rifle is a bit much. Kitty, stop no—”
“You stupid animal! No matter what you do, that bastard child is finished because of you!”
Oh?
The white tail twitched.
The front paws that were furiously hitting his head stopped.
Ruby jumped down from Lloyd’s head, dodged smoothly, and ran toward Aisila. Her blue eyes were teary and trembling as she cried pitifully.
Aisila nodded slightly.
She understood. If someone didn’t understand this, they were an idiot.
The cat’s next owner that Reinhardt treasured so much… was apparently the Artez family’s illegitimate child.
“So he’s done because of me!”
And he’s being abused.
Now it made sense why the cat had been hissing at her so desperately earlier.
The maid Mary hurriedly calmed the boy, whose face was scratched and bleeding and whose hair was a mess. Hearing that guests were present, he seemed to regain just enough sense to behave—barely—and left while grinding his teeth.
Outside, the sky slowly turned dark.
For someone, it might be late. For others, not at all.
Aisila’s red eyes pierced through the approaching night with a cold glint.
As she went down the stairs, the guard who had been loitering in the hallway bowed quickly. He looked very pleased with the money pouch he had received.
“I have a request,” she said.
Promising extra payment for delivering a note to the Duncan estate, the guard quickly brought paper and pen.
She signed smoothly.
[Aisila Duncan]
She looked down at the now-dejected cat, who was covering its ears with its paws.
“Cat.”
“……”
“Get up.”
Ruby’s ears perked up immediately. Aisila nodded slowly.
There was no time to waste. If the child was injured, there was no time to sit around waiting.
Smiling faintly, she thought about tearing through the mansion if necessary.
…It was obvious that as a successor of the Duncan family, it would be difficult to treat a prestigious noble house carelessly.
Then—
If causing chaos openly was difficult, there was only one answer.
‘Cause chaos, then solve it with money.’
Spending money was, after all, one of her specialties.
She smiled with narrowed eyes, forming a curve like a knight riding under pale moonlight.
“Let’s go find your owner.”
Yes, that’s it, human!
The Persian cat’s ears perked up.
Ruby ran ahead on her long legs, and Aisila followed behind at a brisk pace. Her heels stepped mercilessly on the expensive carpet.
A white storm of chaos was beginning.
＊ ＊ ＊
Knock knock.
At the sudden sound, Ronell opened one eye while the Countess paused.
“What is it?”
I clearly told Mary to lock the door properly. The Countess ground her teeth and stared at the door.
From the other side, the servant Jeren spoke.
“Apologies, madam. A visitor has arrived suddenly this evening.”
“Who is it?”
“Lady Aisila Duncan.”
Anyone living in the Edherka Empire would know the name Duncan. The Countess suppressed her rising anger upon hearing the name of the heir to the richest family.
It was certainly a name that would make even a servant panic.
“Tell them the Count is away on a trip.”
“She said she would like to meet the lady of the house.”
Me?
Why me?
Though puzzled, she couldn’t refuse. The Duncan heir was too important.
Clicking her tongue, she glanced at the trembling child.
“Stay silent.”
“Yes, yes…”
“…No.”
She grabbed Ronell by the neck and dragged her into the next room, throwing her into a closet.
“L-lady… I’ll behave…”
Before the weak plea finished, the door slammed shut.
She locked it.
If the child came out and ruined the guest’s visit, it would be a disaster. Just imagining rumors spreading through high society gave her a headache.
When she returned, the servant bowed nervously.
“Where is she?”
“She is waiting in the reception room on the second floor.”
“Good.”
Even if she was the heir of the empire’s most powerful economic family, barging in without proper notice was still disrespectful. She would have to make a sarcastic remark.
But when she opened the door—
“…Hm?”
“W-where did she go…?”
Damn it!
A bad feeling struck her. The Countess quickly turned and ran back. As she retraced her steps, her vision spun with unease.
No, it couldn’t be. Surely not.
There was no way she would be wandering around another noble’s mansion like that—
“Too late.”
In front of the closet holding the illegitimate child, a woman stood lazily. A pure white cat swished its tail beside her.
“Lady Duncan. Why are you here—”
“Are you here, Mitchell?”
“Sorry for the delay, Lady.”
The Countess turned in shock.
A woman with glasses walked past her toward Aisila. The Countess finally protested.
“Lady Duncan! This is outrageous—!”
“Your voice is loud enough to split ears.”
Aisila replied casually, gesturing to her secretary. Mitchell quickly handed her a cigarette from her bag.
Aisila lit it, lowered her gaze, and the dark lashes like night scattered a faint glow like gold dust under flowing water.
As green smoke rose from the tip, she smiled faintly.
The Countess stiffened. She was not dull enough not to sense the killing intent in those red eyes.
“You are trespassing in another house—”
“I know. It’s rude.”
“…Then why—”
“So?”
“….”
“What are you going to do about it?”
The next moment, Aisila turned and kicked the door.
The Countess froze, unable to even scream.
Stepping over the debris, Aisila walked in.
“There you are.”
A faint voice came from inside the closet.
A child was crying softly inside.
Aisila narrowed her eyes.
Ruby immediately scratched at the door desperately.
“Lady Duncan! This is unacceptable!”
“Move, cat.”
Ignoring the shouting woman, she gave a cold order. Ruby stepped aside.
KRRRACK.
With a single kick, the lock broke.
Aisila tossed it away and grabbed the handle.
Inside, a startled hiccup echoed.
Kyaang kyaang! Hurry up!
Ruby tapped the floor impatiently.
Aisila took a breath and opened the door.
As expected.
It was a disaster.
A small child sat curled up, trying to protect their head with their arms. Tear stains covered their face.
“A child…”
The child slowly lifted their head.
Fear filled their expression.
Aisila exhaled without realizing it.
Under swollen red eyes, pale green eyes flickered like a sprouting bud.
It was a crushed spring.
