20 The Letter

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Tarou forgot his plan to stay discreetly on the shadows when his paws moved on their own towards Boss. Like the eager cat, he wanted to take a closer look at the human.

Except for the small noise he made, no one said a word. The air was still as the humans stood face to face with each other. Tarou could hear the owls screech and the sound of hungry hedgehogs in the background. The eerie sound made the scene feel sinister even to an innocent bystander like him.

Tarou nudged Boss who continued to look up to the general as if seeing a deity. The cat did not budge and continued to stare at the man with unveiled adoration. The delicious rabbit meal's enticing scent wafted through the air but Boss did not spare it a glance. Tarou could only look at the food longingly while shooting the black cat an annoyed glare.

Luca tilted his head up to the general while running a hand across his hair. He couldn't help but take note of the man who had a very clean scent. In front of the general, this Luca folded rapidly like touch-me-nots.

A gentle wind blew, making the scent of the food even stronger and Tarou couldn't help but squeak loudly. The sound broke the spell rendering everyone speechless.

'I'm hungry!!! Food now, deal with the drama later!'

The sound caught everyone's attention.

"The food is almost ready," Barca remarked almost instantly effectively dispersing the tension in the air. Despite his hunger, Tarou swore someone sighed in relief.

***

Throughout dinner, the grey mouse couldn't help but sneak glances at Boss. He retreated to a concealed corner after the incident earlier but he kept a close eye on the black cat.

Tarou knew he couldn't risk discovery. He has been exposed to the darker side of these humans -- he didn't want to risk his life on another meal today. Instead of running away with his food, he decided to live on the edge and keep tabs on Boss. But he is close to regretting his decision when he looked at the cat.

The black cat had its focus solely on the general who ate quietly in one corner, its eyes wide with admiration.

'Shameless. Why are you sighing while looking at that human!'

'I should talk to Boss about this kind of behavior. Humans need a firm hand.'

Tarou wanted to rush towards Boss and school the cat properly after the humans leave the area. But when he saw the general take Barca aside, he changed his mind. He had to know what the two are going to talk about.

Hiding under the leaves, Tarou couldn't see everything clearly but he knew he would not miss a word in his position. A few moments later, Tarou heard Barca's cautious voice start off the conversation.

"Luca worries about you." The evening air blew through the leaves and Tarou heard a wolf howl in the distance. Eventually, Barca's whimsical tone broke the silence.

"Today reminds me of how cats followed you around when we were young. A mother cat used to treat you like one of her own." Barca chuckled before continuing, "Luca should have seen that."

Tarou almost squeaked when he heard what the lemongrass-scented man shared. 'This cold man acting like a kitten?' More curious than ever, he was intent on hearing more.

"About the princess..." the general's voice trailed as if dangling an important piece of information and Barca faced him completely, curious on what he had to say.

"...you used to be in love with her."

From his vantage point, Tarou saw Barca's mouth gape.

"I did not."

"She's Nini, the little girl living in the northern temple. You offered flowers to her every day like she was a saint," the general continued with an unusually mischievous tone.

"How could Nini grow up..." Barca replied in disbelief before continuing, "She was the purest, gentlest girl. That haughty person? No. Just no."

The general's voice instantly turned somber. "She grew up. And so did we."

"Times were different then," Barca agreed, his voice filled with longing.

Breaking the nostalgia, the general's voice turned sharp and serious.

"The cat brought a letter. One written in the old Covin characters."

"Cats also showered you with all kinds of presents back then," Barca retorted quickly, still stuck on some unknown memory.

Curious, Tarou sneaked a glance on the humans. The general gazed at the black cat a few feet away who was napping peacefully. "The letter was meant for Princess Naisha. That's how I knew her identity."

'So, the letter was of some value after all! Boss needs to know about this!'

Barca shot the general a thoughtful look. "Do they harbor hopes of taking the kingdom back by force?"

The general nodded before replying calmly. "The princess is supposed to be their bargaining chip. They plan to use Dinhi to strike back at the emperor."

After a pregnant pause, the general continued without a trace of the usual iciness in his voice.

"This plot must remain secret. The emperor should not have any reason to push Covin into a worse situation."

"and the princess?"

"She gave me her word."

"Under duress?" Barca asked with suspicion. The general shrugged in reply. Unable to hide his amusement, Barca continued in a playful tone.

"You should learn how to treat ladies better. The princess is a delicate beauty."

"That did not seem to be the case when she lunged at me with a dagger," the general nonchalantly replied. Barca chuckled.

"Fierce. That's how a lady from Covin should be."

"Is Prince Roupen aware?"

"I think not." Shaking his head, the general continued in a complex tone. "Princess Naisha has a complicated birthright." With a sigh, he continued, "This situation is becoming too tangled."

Barca nodded before looking out into the darkness lost in thought. Tarou also took the moment of silence to process everything he heard, making a mental note to report all the important details to Boss.

Barca's gaze darted back to the general as he revealed, "Jad, I think the cat has a pal." With a smile playing on his lips, the man continued, "That animal looked sad all day, but tonight a mouse appeared and the cat seems to have recovered."

'I've been discovered!' Alarmed, he almost gave his position away with a squeak but another sudden gust of wind muffled the sound.

"Maybe the pal came with Prince Roupen's man," Barca opined.

Tarou held his breath, placing one paw in front of his mouth for added caution. The last thing he wanted was to disturb the leaves and get caught eavesdropping.

"Would you have noticed if the pal appeared earlier?" the general asked in amusement.

Barca smiled.

"Old habits. All those years in the temple made it second nature for me to keep tabs on our feline friends."

Hearing the words clearly made Tarou's mouth gape. He stood still underneath the cover of leaves even after the two men disappeared.

How could humans be so attuned to animal affairs?

These people were not normal. Shaking his head, Tarou knew one thing.

He needs to get to the bottom of this.