Chapter 4

Translator/editor: ruby

Belinda immediately sensed that the cat had let his guard down a little.

She carefully reached her hand out to him.

“Come with me, hmmm? I can ask my maid for bandages and medicine. You’ll get sick if you go home in this condition.”

The cat remained silent as he sniffed Belinda’s hand. He put his tiny paw on her palm, letting her feel his sleek black fur.

Belinda’s heart was fluttering.

The cat nuzzled her hand and climbed on her arm without warning.

“Ah……!”

The warm, soft ball of fur made himself comfortable in her embrace. She had to stop herself from letting out a cry of joy.

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「Don’t forget, I’m going home as soon as I get treated.」

“All right, all right, just come so we can get you treated already.”

「This doesn’t make us friends.」

The cat’s muffled voice was so cute that Belinda couldn’t help but smile .

“Hey, but how can you talk if you’re a cat?”

「Because I’m not a cat.」

“What are you then?”

「That’s for later. You’ll faint from the shock.」

Belinda looked down at the cat, comfortably nestled in her arms with his eyes closed.

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She asked him to be friends because of how lonely he looked, but now that she held him he actually looked very loveable.

Yes, I know we aren’t friends yet.

She thought of the cats she’d seen earlier, the ones who were bullying this kitten.

She had been somewhat nosy, honestly…

But seeing the cat reminded her so much of being bullied by the village children and her siblings that she couldn’t just pass by.

“My mom used to scold all the kids that bullied me.….’

Mom.

All the repressed pain stabbed her in the heart.

Her mother who held her just like she was holding this cat now.

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Coming to the unfamiliar palace alone, she missed her mother more than ever.

It had gotten a little better over time, or so she thought. A muted longing spread through her like ocean waves.

The rosy cheeks and motherly smile. The freezing winter wind, the warmth of lying in a shabby bed hugging each other tightly.

And then there was the disgusted expression of the empress, the maliciousness of her step-siblings.

That’s all she was – an unwelcome being.

It wasn’t exactly new information to her, yet the feelings began to flow in. Something that could almost be called sadness.

The cat looked up at her as she tried her hardest to stop herself from showing her emotions. His pretty purple eyes were filled with questions.

「Are you crying? What is it?」

” I’m not crying.”

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「No? Then what are those tears?」

“Huh?”

Belinda touched her eyes and felt tears. As she blinked, the fat droplets rolled down her face.

Where did those come from?

She’d pretended to be okay and laughed it off, but, well, it looked like this was really sadness. The sudden tears were proof of that.

“Oh. I cried, huh? I don’t know why either.”

The cat tapped Belinda’s face with his front paw.

「What a strange girl. Humans are impossible to understand.」

Belinda nodded in agreement.

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He could see that she sympathized with him… attempting to make friends, even offering to cure his leg.

Maybe the strange girl wasn’t all that bad.

Having almost arrived at the guest palace, Belinda spotted a huge man in a shiny knight suit.

Belinda lost her footing before she could ask him who he was.

Her face turned pale as a ghost – there was an uncanny resemblance between him and the innkeeper who hit her.

She unconsciously squeezed the cat even tighter.

「Hey!」

“Sorry. I’m sorry, the man surprised me. I’m really sorry.”

Belinda loosened her grip and stroked the cat’s fur, whispering an apology.

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The cat hit her arm with his tail – it seemed to be a sign of discontent. It didn’t hurt much, of course.

The knight approached Belinda.

“Good morning, Princess. I….”

His words were cut short when he saw the cat in Belinda’s arms and caught his eye on the purple jewel on its forehead.

He flopped his giant body onto the ground, his face pale.

“Humble greetings to the Great Leopard Shinsu!”

Belinda was confused. For once, she couldn’t read the room.

The cat jumped off of her.

But it wasn’t the beast’s black foot that landed on the floor. White, clean human feet touched down softly on the grass. The light filtering through the tree leaves glittered on his neat face and the shiny black bangs on his forehead.

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The breathtakingly beautiful boy smirked at Belinda.

“I told you I wasn’t a cat.”

The shining amethyst-colored eyes flickered mischievously.

He looked about ten years old. Belinda was so amazed by his beauty, she almost thought he was a girl.

The shimmering cloth enveloped his body gracefully. The flowy white fabric complemented his elegant face. Even his ankles, slightly visible under his gown, were pretty.

“…….”

Belinda was speechless for a moment.

She was still a young 11-year-old girl, but her mouth opened wide when she saw a beautiful boy of her age. She forgot that he was a cat pawing at her just a few minutes ago.

He tilted his head slightly and fluttered his long eyelashes.

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“Human?”

Belinda finally returned to reality.

It seemed like a dream, but now that she thought about it, it wouldn’t make sense for a cat to talk like a human, would it?

The palace still didn’t fail to amaze her. The cat must have been under its spell.

But that was not it….

Belinda fiddled with her red-hot ears.

“By the way……cat.”

“I’m not a cat.”

“How’s your leg?”

The boy glanced away.

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

He replied in a tiny voice, still staring at the ground and playing with his hair.

“……it hurts a little.”

Belinda bit her lips.

Cute.

Even if he’d turned human, she could instantly recognize the little cat in his expression.

The knight was still on the floor, not sure of when to stand up.

He could tell at a glance – the small animal in the princess’s arms, a fierce and cruel leopard of the Shinsu clan.

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Not to mention, the worst black leopard out there.

Even at his young age, his physical abilities had already surpassed the knight’s.

He had no idea how long he’d been on the ground. Sneakily looking up, he could see the boy pointing at his ankle and grumbling at the princess.

Belinda lowered her gaze and backed away unconsciously. She could see the large man lying down in front of her and again recalled the figure of the innkeeper.

Belinda hurriedly hid behind the boy, who turned his head to look at her..

“What brings you here?”

“Good morning, Princess. I’m here to give you the bracelet of the Imperial Family.”

He reached out his hand carefully and pulled something out. A bracelet indicating the status of the imperial family, a very special item that would usually be presented by the emperor. A token of the imperial family, not just something to be handed out like this. Considering the emperor’s attitude towards her, Belinda wasn’t all that surprised.

She stomped her foot, indicating to the knight that he could stand up.

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He stood up, his eyes fixed on the ground.

It should be okay to stand up now… Shinsu didn’t say anything either.

He was relieved to get out of that uncomfortable position.

“Well, I’ll get going now.”

“Yes.”

As he was about to leave, the boy stepped him on the shoulder.

“Hey. Don’t tell anyone I’m here.”

“I won’t.”

The knight nodded firmly. Shinsu was not a person to take lightly. He and his people were, perhaps, even more difficult to deal with than the royal family was.

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Belinda let out a relieved sigh. With the man gone, she felt like she could finally loosen up. She looked up at the boy, who had a very proud look plastered on his face.

“Now, now. How does it feel to see me in my true form?”

Belinda answered without hesitation.

“Pretty. It’s pretty.”

“…….”

The boy’s expression completely changed upon hearing her blunt words. His usual arrogance was nowhere to be found and his cheeks flushed.

“Not that. Don’t you see the greatness of this body?”

Belinda smiled.

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“Yes. You’re a human now. You were a cat before. It’s amazing.”

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“No, not even that. I don’t mean the surprising part…….”

He shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped.

“I am the strongest and the greatest leopard in the world!” – he could say it himself, but then it wouldn’t sound as impressive, would it…