“…What happened?”
Raymon carefully took hold of her trembling, slender shoulders and eased her back. Aria lifted her tear-reddened eyes to meet his.
“Please help me. That man took Roro.”
“…That man. Are you referring to the one you told me about yesterday?”
“Yes… hk.”
Aria reached out and gripped Raymon’s firm forearm. She was so beside herself that she didn’t even realize she was holding on.
“When I woke up this morning and couldn’t find Roro… I came downstairs. But the shop was a mess, and the window was wide open.”
Aria held out the note she’d been clutching in her trembling hands.
“And I found this beneath the window….”
On the torn piece of paper, uneven letters were written.
I will have my revenge. That was exactly what it said.
As Raymon’s gaze hardened to ice, Aria bit down on her lower lip until it hurt.
Bloodstains on the floor and windowsill. White tufts of fur scattered here and there.
It wasn’t hard to piece together what had happened through the night. Aria had to keep forcing away the cruel images that kept rising in her mind.
She could only resent herself for having slept through the whole night, blissfully unaware of what was unfolding right below her.
And at the same time, when she thought of Roro struggling with that tiny body of his — it felt like her chest might split open.
“I’ll help you.”
Just as another sob was threatening to break free from Aria’s lips, a steady voice reached her.
Raymon supported her and brought her inside the shop. He sat her down in a chair so she could compose herself, then removed his outer coat and draped it over her shoulders.
“I’ll take a look around briefly.”
Raymon moved quickly to examine the inside and outside of the shop. Whatever the incident, carefully surveying the scene was always the first priority. There was sure to be some kind of clue.
At last, small traces caught his eye. He went straight to Aria to report what he’d found.
“There are small animal paw prints beneath the window. They appear to be the prints Roro left when he jumped down.”
“……Oh.”
“This is only my guess, but… there’s a possibility that he managed to escape on his own before being caught. So please try not to worry too much.”
Raymon comforted her clumsily but sincerely, hoping with all he had that she would be able to calm down.
“I’m sure he’ll be alright.”
Whether that sincerity reached her, Aria gave a small nod as silent tears spilled down her cheeks.
I feel like I slept for a very long time.
“…You sleep a lot. Are cats always this drowsy?”
At a voice close by, my ears perked up without thinking. I slowly surfaced from sleep and stretched out both legs.
That was a good sleep. I let out a big yawn and opened my eyes — and immediately every hair on my body stood on end at the face right in front of me.
“…Hyaak!”
What the—, you startled me!
The man’s face, which had been so close our noses were nearly touching, quietly drew back.
Beneath dark hair, a vermillion light shimmered. Sharp yet delicate facial features, and eyes like sapphires set in stone.
The man’s eyes slowly curved into a smile.
In the webtoon, there’s another face that’s every bit as handsome as the male lead — and that’s the villain, Lippert.
That’s right. The one who had rescued me was, of all people, this webtoon’s villain.
“Now that you’re up, shall we get started.”
While I was briefly lost in thought, a large hand suddenly hoisted me up. Let go of me! I flailed, but I couldn’t break free from the man’s grip.
Lippert headed somewhere with the door open, then set me down. I was inside a marble bathtub.
He turned a gold faucet fixed to the bath like a decoration, and water came gushing out. It was neither too hot nor too cold, but it was alarming all the same as my paws started getting soaked in no time.
…He’s going to give me a bath. I just woke up!
While Lippert prepared something outside the tub, I made a mighty leap to escape the rapidly rising water. Climbing onto the rim of the tub, I caught sight of a mirror spanning an entire wall.
There was some grubby-looking stray cat staring back.
Below the little pink mouth curved in a V-shape, dried blood the color of rust was caked all around it, and the rest of the body was so caked in dirt that you couldn’t even tell what color the fur was supposed to be.
That is… definitely a look that needs washing.
“My. When did you climb up there?”
Lippert glanced back at me with something in one hand and gave a slight smile.
“Is the mirror interesting to you?”
How old do you think I am — why would I be fascinated by a mirror.
“Even you can tell you need a wash, can’t you?”
“Maung.”
“If you stay still, it’ll be over before you know it.”
Lippert slipped his hands under my front legs and lowered me back into the water. Whatever he’d dissolved into it, a faint scent of roses began to drift through the air.
Fragrant bubbles frothed up to my chest. Lippert, who had turned off the tap, began working his hands through my fur in earnest.
“Myang, maoong! Wa ung uuung!”
D— don’t touch me! Where do you think you’re putting your hands!
I thrashed and yelled but it was no use.
“…Haah. You need to hold still.”
You try holding still when a man you’ve only just met is touching every inch of your body first thing after waking up.
“Waooong!!”
“You’re this dirty though. Like it or not, you need a bath.”
I’m perfectly capable of washing myself, thank you!
“Sorry for doing this against your will, but I can’t have you wandering around the room looking like this. I’m a guest here, after all. Could you lift your tail?”
“Weuung!!!”
“Hm? I thought you were female — you’re male.”
Hands off!!! Don’t touch that!
When I pulled my hind leg up to get away from his hand, Lippert must have thought I was trying to escape because he just scrubbed faster.
In the end, that precious area too was subjected to the man’s large hands. …Oh, COME ON!!!
“Weuung….”
God….
That was a nightmare. All that crying had left me with no energy — I was hungry, exhausted… I just wanted to fall asleep and forget everything.
Limp and utterly drained after being rinsed in warm water, Lippert scooped me out and wrapped me in a large towel.
Thud, thud. I was carried along in the man’s arms. I poked my face out from under the towel covering my head, and found I was already back in the room.
Only now did the look of the room, bathed in vermillion light, register properly. It was an elegantly old-fashioned room that seemed fit for nobility.
Lippert set me down on the bed, then suddenly began undoing the buttons of his shirt. Now that I looked, he was just as soaked as I was from having bathed me.
He pulled his top off and turned away toward the wardrobe. The broad back of the man that I’d unexpectedly caught a glimpse of was packed with muscle.
The deep shadows carved across his body were enviable even from a fellow man’s perspective. But at the same time, it was covered in scars.
Scars that looked as though they’d been hacked at with blades and whips…. Faded scars that hadn’t disappeared with time spoke quietly of the man’s past.
Feeling like I’d seen something I shouldn’t have, I was quietly turning my head away when footsteps approached again.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, and my body bounced once from where I was sitting right beside him. Lippert picked me up and settled me on his lap.
Get the towel off!
He’d draped the towel over my head again, so I couldn’t see a thing in front of me. I meowed and wailed at him to take it off, but Lippert just kept rubbing my fur dry with it.
He clearly had no idea why I was upset.
“Weuuoong!”
“Are cats always this vocal?”
“Weooong!”
“Hm, I always thought they were quiet animals….”
Lippert muttered to himself in a puzzled tone. It didn’t seem to have occurred to him that he was the one making my life difficult.
Aria always knows what I mean right away!
I sat there in a sulk, and the moment the towel finally came off my body, I shot to my feet. And I shook myself vigorously, sending water flying in every direction.
“Haha, I just changed too — you can’t be doing this.”
Lippert said, receiving an out-of-nowhere shower of droplets. Good. Serves you right.
Now, just as I was about to get off his lap, a hand suddenly reached under my front legs.
I was lifted up, and found myself looking Lippert in the eye.
“Let’s see. You’re quite a pretty little thing once you’re clean.”
“…….”
“A bit of a temper, though.”
What did you just say.
The man smiled in evident satisfaction and set me back down on his lap. A large hand tickled beneath my chin, meeting my gaze.
“What do cats eat?”
You’re asking me.
“Hmm…. I have no idea.”
He muttered with a perfectly serious expression, then scooped me up and headed out of the room.
Food was laid out across a long table. Various meat dishes, soup, ham, cheese, and salad were all arranged together in a pleasing spread.
I wandered across the table and picked and chose like it was a buffet. It was a proper feast after a long time.
I ate until I was stuffed full, then was carried back to the room by Lippert.
That was delicious.
I licked my lips, savoring the memory of those outstanding dishes.
Did I overeat.
My belly felt pleasantly round and plump. I claimed the soft sofa and settled into a loaf position. Whether it was a blood sugar spike or not, I felt heavy and drowsy.
I should get back to the female lead.
She was probably looking for me by now.
It’s already late today, so maybe I’ll leave tomorrow morning.
With the teleportation technique, it won’t take long — so resting a bit before heading back should be fine. And the male lead will be with the female lead by now.
I could see Lippert lying down on the bed, apparently ready to sleep.
Right. Tomorrow morning, I’ll get up before he opens his eyes and make my escape. I wrapped up that rationalization neatly, let out a soft purr, and closed my eyes.
