***
It was the evening before the inauguration ceremony.
Suleiman returned to his room before sunset.
When he finished changing, the servants bowed, bid him goodnight, and disappeared.
It had been a while since I’d been alone with him, and I felt really awkward.
‘It’s been a while since he and I have been like this.’
I haven’t met Suleiman properly in recent days.
It was inevitable since he was returning to his room after midnight, and disappeared as soon as the sun rose.
Most of the time, I was laying on my sofa before I fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, I was left alone on his bed.
The heat left on the sheet proved that Suleiman had been next to me.
Suleiman, who was quietly looking at me, hugged me and gently placed me on the bed.
I couldn’t believe this situation, which I thought I would never get used to in my life, didn’t feel very strange anymore.
I shouldn’t have laughed.
While observing my expression closely, he quietly spoke.
“You must be in a good mood today.”
Does he understand how I feel now?
I looked up at him with an impassive face, and my pink ears wide open.
A cat’s expressions changed so finely that even people with quite a lot of butler power could easily misunderstand.
The way they expressed themselves was also quite different from what was generally known.
For example, if a dog wagged its tail, that meant that it was happy to see you.
Sheep were often the opposite.
Cats often expressed emotions with subtle gestures, like a puffed tail or shaking tail.
‘As expected, he’s a very meticulous person.’
Suleiman, who was developing as a butler little by little, was also proud and strangely pleased.
When I nodded as a compliment to his ‘butler skill’, he smiled faintly.
His eyes, that look like they contain red jewels, soften as they look at me.
Suleiman’s face, which was filled with happiness, was also much better to look at.
By the way,
Why does my face feel red the more I look at him?
I shook my head, and figured it was all in my head.
“Actually, I haven’t slept that well in the last few days because of a certain someone.”
‘…Who is that?’
You’ve been feeling weird lately. Do you have a girlfriend?
“There’s someone that’s been on my mind lately. I keep thinking about them, even when I’m working or eating.”
I guess he’s going through puberty.
‘Hey, I’ve experienced everything before. I fully understand that feeling.’
At one time I was scared of him, but now he’s just a little bit cute.
I patted Suleiman’s forearm with my front paw to cheer him up.
Then, with a absurd expression, he continued to talk.
“In addition, they were hugged by another man other than me. It was hard to hold back because that image kept bothering me… I can’t understand myself at all. I’ve never felt this way before.”
Oh, my.
‘I guess his crush cheated on him…’
You sound similar to me, but you witnessed such a terrible sight at a young age.
While Suleiman was feeling truly sorry for himself, I looked at him with pity.
‘Is there any way to comfort you?’
I thought about it for a while, then I did what my previous cat used to do sometimes when I was sad or crying alone.
After jumping up on his lap, I rubbed my face and cheeks against him.
‘A lap kitten can help you overcome any challenge!’
If you don’t feel better after this, then you’re really not a human.
“Meow meow!” (This always made me feel better. It’ll do the same for you too.)
I eagerly pressed on his arm with my paws, then this man who’d been hard like stone, carefully rubbed my cheek.
‘Hmm? His touch feels nice?’
The warm and ticklish sensation caused my mouth to open by itself.
“Moaw.” (Your hand, I like it.)
“…Are you saying it’s good?”
His touch became a little more active.
Stroking a cat for the first time, it was natural for him to be clumsy, but I really liked his big warm palms.
Feeling better to the fullest, I rubbed both of my cheeks on his hand.
Then he stopped for no reason, so I bit Suleiman’s finger.
“Ow.”
When he exclaimed quietly, I belatedly came back to my senses.
‘Oh, that was a mistake…!’
I thought we were getting closer. This was like pouring ashes over perfectly cooked rice.
“Nya…” (Sorry. Are you okay…?)
I gently removed my mouth from his finger, and looked up at him, but he hadn’t moved from his spot.
By the way, his appearance looked a little strange.
‘Why does his complexion look like that…?’
Suleiman’s face was as red as his eyes.
I’d never seen such a red face in his life.
‘Are you really mad at me?’
I shrank away from trying to comfort him, but he slowly moved his hand and murmured in a raspy voice.
“…such a nice thing, she did it for me.”
What? What did you say?
At that moment, I suspected my hearing, and widened my ears. It seemed that there was a lot of earwax piled up.
‘Have I taken too many baths lately? Tomorrow, I’ll ask Arin to clean my ears.’
While I was scratching my ears with my hind legs, Suleiman got up from his seat, blew out the candles and prepared to go to bed.
“I’m going to sleep now. As you heard, tomorrow is the inauguration ceremony, so I have to wake up early.
“Nyang.” (Okay.)
In the end, should I postpone trying to capture the sleeping prince’s lips again tonight?
‘Well, it wasn’t just today…’
Tomorrow was the day my one and only ‘butler’ would take center stage, and I didn’t want to disturb his sleep.
It’s only when he rose to a higher position that he’d be able to walk the path of a master butler, who could assist this body in a respectable manner.
I walked in a circle, then lay down beside Suleiman, and started snoring.
***
I had a strange dream that night.
While lying on an altar in a temple deep in the grassy mountains, I opened my eyes to a cheerful bird chirping.
It must be a dream, but I could feel the cold marble touching my skin, and the wind touching my cheeks was so vivid.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder when I was about to turn around and go back to sleep.
“Hey, wake up.”
The voice I heard was not Arin or Suleiman, who were sleeping next to me.
‘Why are you waking me up when I’m in a dream?’
When I turned over, I was poked in the side more insistently.
When I was attacked at one of my weakest points, I squealed without realizing it.
“It tickles! …Huh?”
I’m talking?
Standing up, I hurriedly checked my face and body.
“What the heck is this…”
On the first day when I met Suleiman, I was looking at a woman in the mirror.
The difference from then was that I could speak and move well.
“You finally woke up. Is it because you’re still a kitten? You seem to sleep a lot.”
“…Who are you?”
It was too much to say that the beautiful woman in front of me was an ordinary person.
A classical dress, that could only be found in Greek mythology, with long straight hair that came down to her knees.
Not a single blemish could be found anywhere on her body, including her face.
Around her, things that glowed like fireflies floated faintly around her.
Because of that unrealistic appearance she seemed even less like she belonged to this world.
Rather than a human being, she felt like a goddess who came from Olympus.
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. That’s my baby.”
“…What?”
I’ve never had a mother like you.
…Before I could say anything, she giggled and continued.
“I’m Ashtar, the goddess who brought you into this world. As you thought, I’m not your biological mother, but we’re more deeply related than that.”
“Ash..tar?”
“Yes. It’s been a while since you came to this world, so you’ve heard my name, right?”
“That’s true, but… I didn’t think you actually existed.”
“Just because you are a god does not mean that you always exist formlessly. Just as the existence of a form does not mean that everything exists.”
Does she mean theology? That’s too hard for me.
“Anyways, nobody expects a god to just poof in one day! Few people would think one would appear like this, right?”
When I raised my gaze from my hands, the goddess smiled quietly.
“Yes, you’re right.”
“Then please explain it simply. Why did you call me to this world?”
“We don’t have enough time left to explain all of our ties.”
“I have a lot of time right now, and I have a lot of questions.”
“I guess so. I wanted to talk to you sooner, but it wasn’t easy, and there was a delay.”
When I looked at her strangely, Ashtar said with an awkward look that was very human.
“Just because you are a god, doesn’t mean you are perfect. Rather, they are more imperfect than the dead. That’s why I need you.”
Oh, my head.
‘Why do you keep talking about such hard things?’
I’m sure this goddess has an exceptional talent for phrasing.
“I’m sorry, but can you make it easier? If you’re a goddess, and you can read all my thoughts, you should be able to do that much.”
“I’m sorry. I used to be a human being, but now I’m something else. I’m not used to communicating with humans anymore.”
She spoke to me with a face that wasn’t sorry at all in human terms, but she didn’t seem to notice.
With a deep sigh, I asked a straightforward question.
“To put it simply, you’re the one who called me. You made me reincarnate into this world because you needed me? But why a cat?”
With a nod, Ashtar replied with a downcast look.
“My power isn’t perfect yet, so I had no choice but to call you in the form of a cat. It’s also because of my own inadequacies.”
“But now I look like a human… How is that possible?”
“This is the world of dreams where my will is more strongly applied. Of course you can keep your original form, too. You can also inherit my power. …Let’s give it a try.”
Ashtar approached me with a rustle, and the sound of her long dress being pulled on the floor.
The moon, which seemed to be otherworldly, soaked into my lungs as the goddess approached me step by step.
“Can you see that fountain over there? Bring that water over here.”
“…What do you mean, bring the water?”
“I mean it literally. I’m the goddess that oversees water and the stars. You, as my incarnation, can exert my power.”
Ashtar added an explanation, and pointed her hand toward the side where a huge fountain rose.
“Feel the energy of the flowing water in this temple. When you become one with its essence, you will be able to take full advantage of your power.”
“Become one with the water… Are you telling me to use magic? That’s scientifically impossible.”
“You’re a child of water from the beginning, so there’s no way you can’t feel that energy. Now, close your eyes.”
I eyed Ashtar suspiciously.
‘Come on, it’s a piece of cake.’
In any case, we’ve already entered a world where magic, and witchcraft, are already prevalent…
It’s useless to think about the knowledge from my previous life.
As she advised, I closed my eyes.
“It’s your first time, so let me help you. When you get used to it, you’ll be able to do it on your own.”
Ashtar placed her hand on my shoulder, and cold air flowed up from the floor.
‘What is this… This is neat.’
A feeling of coolness flooded my body, and my mind became clearer.
As Ashtar’s blue energy flowed and melted into my body, strangely enough, I could feel the same energy inside me.
“Remember the energy flowing inside your body now. Call the fountain water, and ask it to come here.”
“Ask…? Is it like praying?”
“Haha. Yeah, you could say it’s like a prayer. Keep in mind, you can’t doubt it. Make a wish with the belief that you can do it.”