AOSBM 14

Emilia’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Ah, well, I lost my memories… If I study everything, won’t I remember other things too? I’ll be properly going out for donation activities now, and what if I run into them by chance? I should prepare for anything in advance.”

“Run into them…? Miss, you would never encounter them.”

“Huh? Why?”

“They’re filthy and dangerous! There’s no way they would dare touch a noble lady like you.”

“Ah…? Still, you never know.”

“No! I’ve never seen them myself, but I’ve heard since I was young that they’re like demonic beasts. It’s absolutely, absolutely dangerous!”

At Emilia’s firmer-than-expected reaction, Litia smiled awkwardly.

“Alright. I’m just being cautious. I just want to know. Is it not even allowed to look up information? Is it forbidden?”

Emilia shook her head.

“No, it’s not forbidden.”

“Then tell me, Emilia. You’re the only one I can ask for help. Tell me what you know, too.”

At that, Emilia’s eyelashes trembled.

“Well, if it’s just information, like you said, Miss, you could look it up at the temple. There should be records in the imperial palace too, but… you’re more comfortable with the temple, right?”

As expected, that was the answer.

Litia recalled the High Priest, who had always been very kind to her.

“Yeah, probably. And I’ll be going there often anyway. I should look into it while I’m there.”

Emilia nodded reluctantly, saying that since she didn’t know much herself, using the temple would be better.

Would she really be able to find information there?

Litia quietly looked down at her hand.

She had only focused a little, yet a faint glow appeared.

Somehow, it felt like her control had improved even more than before.

“Oh my, you seem much freer than before! Using holy power, I mean!”

It wasn’t just Litia’s imagination—Emilia covered her mouth with both hands in surprise.

“Really?”

“Have you been practicing every night?”

Instead of answering, Litia let her power flow again. Then she stopped it, and let it flow again.

It was certain.

Even the refreshing sensation of holy power, which had once felt unfamiliar and even overwhelming to her, didn’t anymore.

It flowed out lightly, as naturally as breathing.

Maybe it was just her imagination. Perhaps after suppressing it for so long, her desperate waiting had sharpened her skill. Or maybe this had always been her true ability, and she had only just awakened to it now.

That night.

Litia went out alone into the garden. She could now move freely inside the estate without time restrictions. As long as it wasn’t the lakeside area far from the mansion, she could come out to the garden whenever she wanted.

Going outside still required giving clear reasons, stating her destination, and bringing many guards, but even so, it was better than nothing. Even if the destinations were mostly banquet halls, the temple, or social gatherings hosted by noble ladies, it was still better than being locked in her room all month.

The lingering smell of medicine that had once filled her room still made Litia shiver.

She sat on a bench off to the side, enjoying her freedom, when she heard a “Mya—” somewhere nearby.

“A cat?”

Litia looked around, but saw nothing.

Lanterns lit the area here and there, but the bench she was sitting on was a bit far from the mansion, making it somewhat dark.

“Myaa.”

The sound came again. Soon, a pitch-black cat approached her lazily, its tail swaying.

“So it was you. The one crying just now.”

The cat meowed again in response.

Litia reached out her hand.

“Come here.”

She wiggled her fingers, coaxing it. The cat walked right up and rubbed its head against her hand.

Litia smiled without realizing it.

“So there are cats here too. Well, I guess so.”

This was a place where people lived, after all. She laughed at herself. It wasn’t like she had expected cats with horns or four ears.

Its eyes, however, were a strange color—not black, not purple, but something in between. Still, they shone clearly.

Aren’t black cats’ eyes usually yellow or green? It was odd, but otherwise, it looked like any cat she’d seen before.

As Litia stared quietly, the cat bumped its head against her hand again.

“Are you usually this friendly?”

Smiling at the cat’s behavior, Litia gently stroked its head.

“Where did you come from? Do you live here? Does one of the servants take care of you?”

Its fur was far too smooth for a stray.

“……”

The cat, which had responded so well before, only circled around her hand now. It bumped its head into her several times, then licked her fingers with its rough tongue. Anyone could tell it was used to people.

When Litia moved her hand to the right, it followed and rubbed its face there. When she moved to the left, it swayed over to the left again.

That behavior reminded her of someone earlier.

“And of all things, a black cat…”

“Myaa.”

The cat cried as if asking a question. Litia shook her head.

“No. I’m going back in now. Have you eaten? Should I ask Emilia to bring you some milk or jerky?”

She stroked its head and waist, then moved her hand toward its belly. The cat jumped away at once.

Litia reached out again, but it stayed at a distance, pacing without coming closer.

Ah, right—she’d heard you shouldn’t touch a cat’s belly, tail, or paws. You’d only know if you’d raised one. Litia looked regretfully at the cat that had moved farther away.

Then she stood up.

“Sorry. I won’t touch you anymore. It’s late, so you should go home too, okay?”

As she waved goodbye and stood, the cat came close again. Then it began following her closely as she walked.

Litia felt secretly happy about it.

“You’re not leaving?”

When she asked on purpose, the cat circled around her legs, bumping its head and rubbing its body against her.

Litia bent slightly and stroked the cat’s body.

“Then do you want to come to my room? I’ll give you something tasty every day.”

Truthfully, Litia was lonely. Emilia was kind, and Duke Mont was slowly trusting her and granting her freedom, but she still had to live in fear, hiding her true self.

Even a small, cute cat staying by her side felt like it would be a great comfort. Wouldn’t it be better for the cat to stay comfortably with her rather than face rain or other animals outside with its small body?

Litia quietly tugged on the bell rope while watching the cat.

Not long after, Emilia came in.

“Ah, Miss!”

As Emilia gasped, Litia put a finger to her lips.

“Shh. Could you give that cat something to eat? I’ll only keep it for a bit.”

“Isn’t that the cat that was outside? What if it carries a disease?”

“It’s fine. Cats are clean. It looks hungry—can you bring something small?”

Reluctantly, Emilia nodded, worry still in her eyes.

What Emilia brought was finely chopped jerky and water. Ignoring Emilia’s worried look, Litia crouched and tried to lure the cat with the jerky.

“Try this, kitty. If it’s good, will you stay here?”

“……”

But the cat, which had persistently followed her into the room, didn’t even touch the jerky, nor did it respond.

“Try it, okay? Aren’t you hungry?”

Litia followed the cat around for a while, coaxing it, but the cat that had answered her so often earlier was gone, leaving her with no response at all.

“You’re not easy, are you?”

Only then did the cat come back and lick Litia’s hand. It really was like a little trickster.

“Fine. If you don’t want to, just come visit sometimes, okay?”

“Myaa.”

Only then did the cat answer. Litia felt strangely wronged by a cat she had just met.

That night, Litia played with the cat that had followed her into her room through the window until she fell asleep. Emilia panicked at the sight of the black cat, but she couldn’t refuse Litia’s request.

When Litia woke up, the cat was gone, having slipped out through the open window. Still, for the first time here, she had been able to relax and let things out—things she couldn’t even tell Emilia.

They were nothing more than trivial things that could happen anywhere, and the listener was just a cat, but the cat quietly accepted her touch and listened to her words.

The next morning.

From early on, Litia was busy preparing to go out. Beside her was someone who would now act as her aide.

“Please call me Seri. I will manage your schedule and assist you from now on. If there is anything you need or find uncomfortable, please feel free to tell me at any time.”

Unlike the gentle-looking Emilia, Seri was tall and gave off a cold impression. Her short blonde hair, close to a bob cut, her pitch-black suit, and probably her sharp eyes contributed to that feeling.

Even without Emilia explaining it to her, Litia knew well what had happened to her former aide. Everyone except Emilia—the guards, aides, and servants alike. So she pretended not to know and focused on her reflection in the mirror as she spoke.

“Alright, Seri. I look forward to working with you. Starting today, I plan to participate in donation activities too. I want to do things properly now.”

“Ah, His Grace asked me to deliver this to you this morning, Miss.”

“Hmm?”