Chapter 23

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Chapter 23

“If there is someone who instigates my employees like that, the group that supports me and the group that hates me will be clearly separated.”

The stronger the antipathy towards me, the more prominent I would become—like a moth that grew taller than the rice planted in the paddy fields. And, by then, I will be able to pull them out like weeds…

Because of that, I decided to let Tilda run freely first.

“By the way, Agwen, have you seen Coco? I couldn’t see him anywhere since I woke up.”

“Well, I haven’t seen it, Madam.”

​​

‘This is a big deal. No matter how much the Duke agreed to allow Coco to stay here, he wouldn’t really like it when he met him…’

In order to get along well in one mansion, I first need a strategy for uniting the Duke of Blois and Coco.

​​

‘I can’t forget the blue either.’

Cats are territorial animals, so connecting them is very crucial. Depending on how you instill the images of each other in the beginning, it would be decided whether they would become a good friend, or an enemy to be expelled from the area.

Therefore, no matter how the Duke gave Coco permission to stay, it was another matter for the two of them to at least get along without fighting.

‘I don’t even need them to be friends. At the very least, it would be nice if they didn’t growl whenever we met each other’s faces…’

Otherwise, it would be too much stress for both of them while they are together.

‘Since I have experience, I’m going to try it.’

Even though I have only raised stray cats, sometimes I have tried to induce a new cat to get along with the original ones.

‘I can do it well this time, too. The basic rule of thumb anyway is to let your cats know that good things happen when they’re together. I just need to follow this rule.’

So, if they receive a lot of compliments, eat delicious food, or play fun games together while recognizing each other’s existence, cats learn that pleasant things happen when they are together.

‘Although because the Duke and Coco are beasts, there are some variables… Still, if I keep to the basics well, I can somehow…’

As I decided to try various methods one by one, firstly, I need to look for Coco.

Despite all the hard work I had been scrutinizing all day, Coco was in my room. Looking closer, I could see a rich wheat-colored tail in the corner by the window, under the curtains.

​​

“Coco…?”

When I carefully lifted the curtains, he stared up at me with his big sky-blue eyes sullenly.

“I want to be alone, angel.” As he muttered that, he looked depressed, unlike the lively appearance he had before.

“Is it because of the slave traders yesterday?”

At my words, he opened his eyes wide.

“How did you—!”

It seemed that he didn’t know what happened yesterday. Seeing that, I squatted in front of Coco and comforted him.

“Nothing terrifying will happen anymore. It’s safe here.”

Coco sighed.

“I’m too weak… so weak to be caught by the bad guys.”

Hearing his words, he seemed to have come to think that he couldn’t protect himself.

I reached out to Coco.

“That’s not true, Coco. You can become stronger through training. Let’s go.”

“Where…?”

“To train.”

I then grabbed some of the cat toys I had made earlier for Blue and went out to the garden with Coco.

‘After all, the best way to boost a cat’s confidence is to go hunting.’

Dimitri turned into a cat to take a break from work and headed to the annex. Strangely, the time to turn into a cat has increased these days. And, the number of visits to the annex is increasing as well.

‘…It’s not because of my wife.’

No, of course not.

It was just that the scenery of the mansion he sees from the annex these days just suddenly improved.

Dimitri, who was running happily on the floor, stopped on the wall of the annex.

A look of disapproval appeared in his eyes in an instant.

“Coco, it’s here! Here!”

It was because Rowaine was playing with a fishing rod in front of Coco, swinging it around. Meanwhile, Coco was struggling to catch the fish doll hanging from the fishing rod.

‘What is she doing…?’

Dimitri narrowed his eyes and stared at them both. However, his gaze gradually turned to the toy Rowaine was waving.

​​

The fish doll on the end of the fishing rod catches his eyes.

‘What is this…’

Noticing the movement of the doll, he lifted his head up and down as if possessed.

It was as though Rowaine knew how to miraculously move the doll like a living prey.

Even Dimitri, who knew that it was a doll, suddenly forgot it and focused on the prey. The doll sometimes soared like a bird and hid behind obstacles like a mouse. Because of that, he unknowingly jumped off the wall and ran like the wind and snatched the doll.

“Blue!”

​​

Hyuk—

Dimitri, who had been running with his fangs towards the doll, intoxicated with the pleasure of hunting, came to a standstill.

‘…What did I do?’

It was shameful. Nevertheless, he tossed the doll on the ground, strode a little more arrogantly and gracefully before sitting down, smirking.

Glancing at him like that, Coco laughed.

‘That small thing.’

Even when in a human form, Coco was much smaller than Dimitri, and even as a cat, the difference was small enough to be seen with the eyes.

Dimitri was a large, dignified and elegant cat.

‘This ignorant, impudent guy.’

Proud, he inflated his body and threatened Coco. Because of the unwritten rule that they hide each other’s identities when they turn into cats, Coco pretended to not know him.

In fact, there seemed to be no time for that, anyway.

“Angel, shake it again!”

…It was because he was obsessed with toys.

However, Rowaine cautiously approached Dimitri and made a fuss, leaving Coco behind for a while.

“Is our Blue good at hunting, too? So cool! You did a great job, you’re the best—!”

‘What…?’

At her words, Dimitri was a little stunned.

‘I just caught something like that. Why is she making a fuss?’

Still, he raised his chin proudly. On the other hand, Coco, who saw it, grabbed the doll on the fishing rod and dragged it around, whining to Rowaine.

“Angel, what about me?”

At Coco’s question, he clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘That thing without courage like a dog?’

Dimitri didn’t like the dog beasts very much. That was why he didn’t like Coco, who was acting cute with the pretext of being a cat. But, Rowaine wasn’t complimenting Coco by saying that he was cool or great.

‘This is splendid.’

Seeing that, Dimitri narrowed his eyes, then slammed to the ground and leaped gracefully to catch the toy wielded by Rowaine in the air.

As soon as he glanced back at her, she burst into applause.

“Blue is really cool! You must be a genius! You’re doing so well—! Aww, pretty! Is it okay if you two hunt together? Isn’t it fun? It’s fun to play together.”

Seeing her like that, Dimitri narrowed his eyes.

‘I think she’s up to something.’

Then, as if he couldn’t lose again, Coco grabbed the toy Rowaine was exerting.

“Look at me! Don’t you think I’m pretty trained now?”

After that, he spit out absurd remarks.

“If I become much stronger than I am now, will you be my wife instead of the brother, angel?”

When Coco peered up at Rowaine with a face different than before, Dimitri couldn’t stand it any longer.

‘…This bastard.’

He ran and smacked Coco on the head.

It was a punch so fast and strong that his feet could not be seen.

The next day, a welcome letter was delivered to me.

It was a letter from Renée.

The letter stated that she had crossed the border safely and that she would soon marry Nigel once she settled in a foreign country.

She expressed that she was grateful to me for being able to get the marriage she wanted and wrote down the story that every day was like a dream. It was a happy ending for everyone.

I felt amazingly at peace.

Even though I didn’t get to know Renée that much, looking at her reminded me of my childhood days.

‘I had my own problems, too, but still.’

How long has it been since I’ve cared so much about others…?

It was me who lived a closed life with no friends to open up to except my mother. Although my maternal grandmother, whom I had been living with for ten years after my school days, took care of me for me, there was a wall between us that I couldn’t overcome.

She couldn’t really understand me, who devoted all my heart to the cats, and I couldn’t open my heart to my maternal grandmother.

‘I wasn’t so interested in others, and lived only by looking at cats.’

​​

So, unlike my usual self, I was rather nosy about Renée.

As I comforted Coco, who was begging to play, I called the maid, Sophia and the butler, Derek.

“Did you call me?”

“What’s going on?”

​​

Unlike Derek, who was more polite than when I first saw him, Sophia still stood in front of me with a cold face. The next moment, I showed them both a list of employees and my newly created work schedule.

“In the future, I’ll have my employees move according to what I have set.”

Sophia frowned.

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