Chapter 10
Since then, I have spent much smoother and peaceful days than I thought at the Palace.
Sulayman came home late every evening, worked until dawn, slept for about two hours, then left the room in the morning.
He didn’t even give me a glance after the first day after drawing the line, saying, “Don’t come close.”
At first, I felt that it didn’t matter.
I felt defeated.
What I wanted from him was decided anyway.
However, after a day, two days, a week, the fact that he could not be approached began to become difficult.
I need to steal the sleeping prince’s lips to go back to being a human being!
The troubled prince, suffering from chronic insomnia, did not sleep well.
‘Are you going to feed him sleeping pills like you did before?’
I thought about asking Aziz for help, but I was still a little reluctant to get his help.
Once I decided to try it alone, I kept my bloodshot eyes open every night and waited for him to fall asleep.
But it was always me who fell asleep first. More than once, I dozed off and went to dreamland with drool around my mouth.
One day, I tried to take a good nap and stay up all night, but the results was the same.
‘I’m falling asleep like a loser. This…’
It was actually normal for a kitten to sleep often and all day.
But strangely enough, I went to the bedroom.
Whenever I woke up, I was terribly sleepy.
At this point, I even doubted he had a desire to sleep.
“What are you thinking, cat?”
Arin, who was brushing my fur gently, whispered and asked.
“Nyaaaah.” (It’s nothing.)
“Hu-hoo, okay. Be nice.”
Arin, who loves cats so much, always talked to me as if she understood me.
Almost half of Arin’s monologue was alone.
The young girl, who took care of me from early in the morning to late in the afternoon, spoke to herself like a habit.
“I started working in the palace when I was young, so I made a lot of friends.”
“I’m not dating.”
“My brother is the only one in my family, but I’m busy and it’s hard to see him.
“I hope the cat will be my best friend. Will you do that?”
‘What?’
In modern times, I’m still a young person, but seeing her say all this calmly, I felt somewhat heartbroken.
So, even when Arin talks to herself, I would reply with a cat’s voice and exchange body language.
The famous saying, “The butler thinks they’ll play with the cat, but in fact, it’s the other way around!” was true!
Arin introduced the toy collection to me, saying she had made new toys, but in fact, some of them were not good.
However, I was pleased with the appearance of this girl who was always sincerely happy, so I was happy to act.
“I’m going to start taking care of your special fur from today. Sulayman’s inauguration ceremony will finally be held on Friday.”
“Meow?” (Really?)
“There is also a big party prepared after the inauguration ceremony. They sent tremendous gifts to the prince from all over the kingdom. I wish I could show it to the cat!”
When I snorted as if I wasn’t interested at all, I held my heart like a ghost.
Little Arin waved her finger and said.
“Ah, there are a lot of gifts for cats that’s arrived. There are so many people who’re trying to look good to cats.”
… What are you going to give to look good to me?
When I frowned my nose and pretended to tilt my head, Arin whispered and continued to talk.
“In the royal palace, a prophecy cat will appear this time. They’re making a fuss at the door. At this inauguration ceremony and party, the cat will be next to the prince.”
The girl clenched her fist with passionate eyes burning with a sense of mission.
‘I’m not interested in things like that…’
Arin had ordered dozens of cat dresses, crowns, pearl necklaces, and ribbons.
However, I don’t know if it’s because it wasn’t a human form, but I wasn’t very happy to be decorated as a cat.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much choice because I didn’t have a way to convey my feelings.
I have no choice but to respond appropriately in front of this pure and good girl.
“I’ll continue to make you look prettier than anyone else,” Arin said as she brushed my fur carefully until it was glossy.
After the treatment, I laughed for some reason when she sprayed something on my body, saying it was good for my skin as a finish.
“Meow.” (I feel good))
‘Aren’t you receiving skin massage and nail care that you’ve never received in your previous life as a cat?’
“You’re saying you’re happy, right? Cat.”
“Meow.” (Yes, I love it.))
Let’s relax and enjoy this time.
I gently closed my eyes.
***
After that, Arin, who had been with me until dark, left the room regretfully.
I now laid down in the corner of the room that felt quite cozy and yawned.
‘Today, no matter how hard I must try, until he goes to bed, I have to endure it.’
Sulayman, who seemed a little uncomfortable from the first day I came here, has been in worsening condition in recent days.
His face, which had been green until yesterday, had turned white when he left this morning, and he seemed very ill.
‘If it is like Aziz said, it would be normal if he gradually recovers…’
‘When I’m by your side, your physical condition gets better.’
Contrary to Aziz’s words, who guaranteed it, Sulayman seemed to be getting worse little by little.
‘I am not going to get kicked out at this rate, am I? If he doesn’t need me, I can be abandoned at any time. It was something I had already experienced in my past life.’
It was when I, who became nervous, was circling around the darkened room.
Boom!
Someone made a noise and opened the door roughly.
Furthermore, a staggering man entered the room.
Surprised by the loud sound piercing my ears, I quickly ran behind the curtain and hid myself.
“… Everyone, get out. Stay away from the room.”
“But, prince…!!”
“It’s an order, and you’d better be prepared to be decapitated the day you enter the bedroom.”
When I heard the familiar voice, I poked my head out at the end of the curtain.
There was only Sulayman, the owner of this room.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
Unlike his usual scary calm and cool appearance, he was in a very disorganized state.
Sulayman was breathing heavily with his hands tightly on the closed door.
His unstable breathing made my heart pound for no reason.
‘Oh, my…’
‘…’
He undid the buttons of his jacket impatiently and staggered to bed.
Sulayman’s heavy body fell flat on it.
After hesitating for a while, I walked out of the curtain and carefully towards the bed where he was.
“Gasp…”
When his movement, which had been crunching on the sheets as pale drool escaped, stopped, my heart felt like it was falling.
‘What? You’re not dead… are you?’
I’ve experienced a similar situation like that.
Symptoms of a heart attack just before death in my previous life.
Like myself in the past, it was someone who was in front of me.
When a family member died…
Just thinking about it made my heart pound violently.
“Nya…” (No…!!)
I ran recklessly to the bed where he was without even thinking of asking someone for help.
I was going to somehow climb up to the bed where he was.
But unfortunately, for a baby cat, the big wall of the bed was too big.
That’s right.
Recently, I tried to jump hard on my four legs that had become fatter since I ate well, but it was a height that was beyond my reach to climb onto the bed.
However, this alone cannot be enough to give up.
‘I have to get up somehow…’
Having succeeded in crawling up by grabbing the bed sheet, I exclaimed with joy like a mountaineer who stepped on the top of Everest.
‘Oh, no. This is not the time.’
Close to Sulayman’s face, I put out my forefoot and gently put it near his nose.
I was worried that he might have stopped breathing, but fortunately, he was breathing thinly.
“Meow.” (Sigh)
Relieved for now, I swept my chest with my front feet.
I looked at his overall condition.
Something strange stood out.
“What is this…”
A dark shadow crept through his coat.
At first glance, the black shadow, which seemed alive, looked like a large tattoo.
An ominous black tattoo moved a little toward his left chest as slowly as a snake.
“Ughhhh,” said Sulayman, who was as frightened as if he had been stabbed with a needle, bit his lips.
He was so distressed that his lips were bleeding.
‘What shall I do, what shall I do?’
I was thinking about how to try kissing him again until he came in staggerin.
It was not a situation to think about that at all now.
I stirred my tail hair recklessly because of the spreading anxiety.
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
I licked his cheek and bit him, but Sulayman remained unconscious.
But a strange thing happened.
If I put my paws on his chest to shake him, the black energy stopped right there!
“Nyaa, nyaaah…?”(What is it…?)
I patted Sulayman’s chest, which was firmer than expected, with my front foot.
Then, I caught the black figure that was tormenting him, who began to fade wherever I touched.
‘No way…’
Looking at the jelly on my paw, I rubbed my body against his chest and shoulders.
Then, miraculously, Sulayman’s breathing began to return to normal.
“Well…”
His breath, which seemed as if it was about to subside, became more comfortable and his chest moved up and down at regular intervals.
‘Is his condition stable when I touch it?’
I had heard of sicknesses like this before.
Some viruses are cured with vaccines.
Sometimes it suddenly gets stronger.
What if I’m acting as a cure for some ailment that Sulayman has?
The ‘curse’ that Aziz was talking about may have been that he knew it was near and tried to take control of his body.
‘Am I acting as a vaccine for the curse…’
Considering his condition, which has declined sharply over the past few days, my hypothesis seemed plausible.
However, unexpected side effects soon appeared.
Strangely enough, when the black snake that was about to cover his heart completely disappeared, I felt weak.
‘Oh, I’m dizzy.’
A strange sensation appeared as if the blood all over my body was draining to the floor.
The ceiling felt like it was spinning and I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
“Nyaaa…” (Ugh…)
Eventually, I fainted beside him.