JSOML 30

Chapter 30

“……Are you not going to the meeting?”

Ian, who had been observing Theodore’s affectionate display of caring for his cat, drove the nail in.

He too could roughly guess why Theodore was making such a fuss.

He hadn’t wanted to know, but he’d already heard the story from Ben. By that measure, this was a performative act with clear purpose.

Ian clenched his fist secretly. He was already busy enough to death, yet being called so urgently made the energy and time he’d spent rushing over feel wasted and hollow.

But Theodore, seemingly satisfied, smiled as he stroked under Lery’s chin with his finger.

“What? You’re telling me not to go to the meeting?”

“Myaang……. (What the hell are you saying…….)”

“Should I not go, Lery?”

“Miyaa……. (I didn’t say anything…….)”

Theodore kept spouting things that would make anyone’s blood pressure rise just to provoke Ian.

Sensing Ian’s glare, Lery tried to escape by stretching his neck far back and attempting a getaway from this situation.

But because Theodore was sticking to him like gum, he couldn’t get away from him.

‘Ugh. Look at that glare. He’s going to kill me…….’

As time passed, Ian’s burning gaze turned toward the innocent Lery. It seemed he’d concluded that the root of all this trouble was the cat.

‘What do I do.’

Lery only rolled his round eyes.

He hadn’t wanted to face that tray-head since yesterday anyway……. It would be better for his well-being to avoid him as much as possible.

Right now, the top priority was to send Theodore off quickly.

As Lery repeatedly avoided Theodore’s touch while checking Ian’s reaction, Theodore’s eyes narrowed.

Rather, that behavior seemed to have created another misunderstanding.

“As I thought…… that’s how it was.”

“Your Highness?”

“There was more going on between you two, wasn’t there? That’s it, right?”

“……”

“……”

What is this now. He’d thought Theodore had no sense of observation at all.

But his offhand remark struck Lery’s weak spot, making him startle in surprise. This is why they say you can’t live with sins on your conscience.

Though Theodore was fighting a lonely battle on his own, Lery was flustered for a different reason.

‘Why is he like that too, really. I feel like I’m going to dry up and die.’

At Lery’s restless appearance, Ian’s eyes also grew unpleasant.

Just as the awkward silence stretched on endlessly, Theodore, who had been standing like a wooden post, suddenly rose.

With a face more prim and proper than ever.

At the same time, a translucent warning message flashed above his face.

[SYSTEM: Theodore (Crown Prince)’s feeling of being slighted has greatly increased.]

“It’s definitely cheating.”

Lery felt dizzy for the first time in a while and thought:

Perhaps Theodore had arranged this three-way confrontation to gather evidence.

After the tumultuous morning passed and Theodore’s interrogation intensified, Lery’s energy eventually hit rock bottom.

It was because he’d used up energy he didn’t even need to spend, forcing himself to appease Theodore’s hurt feelings like eating mustard with tears.

‘Sigh. I need to eat something to survive…….’

[★Live a comfortable life with wealthy jobless rich, the best butlers!★] they said, but at this rate, calling it an extreme job wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Putting aside his resentment toward the system, Lery munched on his kibble with glazed eyes.

Apart from his drained energy, his tiny mouth was continuously consuming kibble.

Even though the doctor said he should only eat a set amount, Lery had coaxed Sonia into giving him kibble twice.

“As expected of the best cat.”

Jack, who had been observing Lery, suddenly shot up a brief thumbs up.

As Lery munched on his kibble and looked at him wide-eyed, he nodded repeatedly.

“You’ve turned the imperial palace upside down.”

“Jack, don’t tease him.”

“Yes, yes.”

‘Why is he like that too?’

Teased for no reason, Lery shot Jack a glare.

His antics were about to ruin his appetite. Though contrary to expectations, he emptied his bowl as if he’d washed it.

It was only after Lery’s belly became round that he learned the reason.

“Lery-nim, there’s a playroom now.”

Sonia informed him while carefully brushing Lery’s fur. It was shocking news that didn’t quite match her gentle touch.

“Myaa? (A playroom?)”

“Yes, Lery-nim, you’re excited too, right.”

“He looks more surprised.”

At Jack’s interjection, Sonia’s usually gentle face soured.

‘A playroom, huh.’

Lery shook his head back and forth. This was clearly Theodore’s doing. Truly befitting a “cat-crazy bastard.”

Well, of course. He already had a budget, handmaidens, a knight escort, a bathroom, and dresses—how could there not be a playroom?

‘But when did he start preparing this?’

In that short time.

Lery quietly reviewed the events of the past few days.

Come to think of it, there was something he’d forgotten. That was the visit of the ‘Travis Empire.’

He recalled they were visiting for a peace treaty with Centineo. Because of that, the empire had been busy preparing for a banquet.

And in the midst of that busyness, he’d even prepared a playroom.

As the forgotten fact came to mind, scenes he’d lightly passed over played back in succession.

‘Lery. Don’t pass out from joy.’

‘Myaa? (Did you cause another accident?)’

‘I need to see that sight first.’

Before taking Lery to the garden, Theodore had spouted all sorts of meaningful remarks.

He’d brushed it off as nothing at the time, but to think he’d even made a cat-exclusive playroom.

Even as Sonia carried him, Lery couldn’t get Luke out of his mind.

He was probably stuffing his fist in his mouth and crying. There must have been quite a commotion.

‘Hang in there, Luke.’

Sending a silent cheer that wouldn’t reach him, they passed through the garden where mountain birds were chirping.

As they headed in an unfamiliar direction, a pond with a blue hue came into view. Inside the pond, fish of various sizes were freely swimming through the water.

‘It has a different feel from the Crown Prince’s palace.’

Taking his eyes off the pond, a palace of vibrant colors nearby caught his eye.

They entered through the entrance. The space, chilly and spacious, was too vast to take in at once.

By the time they finally reached the door, Jack let out an exclamation.

“This place in the end…….”

“There was a lot of controversy before it became a playroom.”

Sonia smiled awkwardly.

In fact, this space was meant to be used as a reception room for the Crown Princess-to-be. But Theodore had turned it into a cat playroom without consulting anyone.

At his atrocity, the imperial palace was thrown into an uproar, and the Emperor tried to stop him by grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, but Theodore’s stubbornness couldn’t be broken.

As they entered the playroom, a sandpit greeted them. It seemed the floor had been entirely laid with cat-specific sand.

Lery felt the crunchy sensation under his paws and thought seriously.

‘Is he really not crazy?’

This was a small consideration from Theodore that Lery didn’t know about. It was his wish that Lery could freely relieve himself anywhere.

Sonia lifted her skirt high and asked.

“Lery-nim, there are so many new toys, right?”

“Mya-ma……. (Amazing, truly…….)”

“Then what should we play with first?”

Sonia shook the toy fishing rod that was closest.

A fish-shaped model popped up before his eyes.

Plop. Seeing the flopping fish, a rotten smile naturally bloomed on his face.

‘Come on. I’m not even a real cat.’

Lery, dumbfounded, turned his head away sharply.

‘As if I’d show interest in this kind of thing? Hmph.’

But Lery didn’t yet know. That his instincts had already begun to take over his body.

Before he knew it, excitement welling up from within had taken over his tail.

Still, Lery believed he was controlling his body well.

No, he wanted to believe that. Until Sonia got happy.

“Oh my, I knew you’d like it.”

Me?

By the time Lery snapped back to his senses in surprise, he was already wiggling his butt back and forth.

His lowered body was ready to charge at the fish at any moment.

‘Ah, no!’

In an instant, without time to stop himself, Lery’s body leaped fiercely.

Sonia, as if teasing him, tugged on the fishing line.

As a result, the fish moved away without even being touched. Lery tasted failure and only smacked his lips.

‘What is this.’

Moreover, the sense of defeat was quite insulting.

Lery firmly resolved never to jump again and pressed his pink jelly beans flat to the floor.

But when Sonia shook the fishing rod again, his body reacted first once more.

‘This is fun!’

Lery had no choice but to admit it.

That he was unmistakably a cat.

[SYSTEM: Understanding of Lery (Cat) has increased!]

[Play becomes more enjoyable.]

‘Don’t pop up with stuff like this…….’

At the notification window that rang out like hammering in a nail, Lery’s eyes grew sorrowful.

Sonia smiled contentedly and said to Jack.

“Jack, bring a toy too.”

“……Me?”

“It’s time for you two to get closer.”

“I’m fine as is.”

Jack hemmed and hawed as he grabbed a rattle in both hands. How there were even infant items there was a mystery.

As he crouched down, a clear jingling sound spread through the air.

“Look…… here.”

At Jack’s action, Lery twitched his mouth. It was because the sight of his large frame shaking a rattle felt out of place.

Lery leisurely wagged his rice-cake-like tail and snickered.

At Lery’s lackluster response, he rolled a bright blue ball and brought it over.

“Here…….”

And then rolled the ball.

Now it was getting pitiful. His own situation, having fallen to instinct, was lamentable enough, yet here was a grown man playing with a cat.

Just as Lery lazily tapped the ball with his paw.

An annoying phrase popped up.

[SYSTEM: Deadly Nya-punch is too weak.]

I didn’t use it! It’s quiet when I need it!

Frustration surging, Lery swung his front paw even more powerfully.

[Skill ‘Deadly Nya-punch’ has been activated!]

And then the toy shattered into pieces.

“Oh…… Why is it so flimsy?”

Sonia examined the toy from all angles and glanced at Lery.

Jack, who had no sense of tact, fanned the flames from the side.

“As expected. He will be a general who will one day conquer the world.”

He raised his thumb again.

Feeling strangely embarrassed, Lery buried his face deep in the sand.

It would have been less humiliating if he were either a cat or a human, one or the other.

If only that were the end of it.

“Splendid, Lery.”

Clap clap clap.

Applause poured in from somewhere.

Turning around, Theodore and the handmaidens were cheering.