IPBD CHAPTER 5

This was why it was inevitable to misunderstand.

What kind of cat in the world would try to stop its owner from leaving?

It really wasn’t a good thing.

Because it was so cute, it was almost harmful to the heart.

Emilina stroked Yang-i’s head with a troubled expression.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll be back soon with some delicious treats, okay?”

“Meowww…”

Yang-i drooped its eyes and shook its head from side to side.

Emilina almost impulsively blurted out that she wouldn’t leave.

‘Sigh. Now I really don’t want to go.’

Should she just say they’ll meet next time?

If it wasn’t anything important, it wouldn’t matter if they didn’t meet, but since it was about Yang-i, she felt a bit conflicted.

‘But I can’t keep putting it off forever…’

Yeah. Let’s just go and get it over with.

“I’m really sorry.”

At Emilina’s unwavering response, Yang-i curled its body into a ball.

Drooping its head, it seemed to be sulking.

Emilina wanted to comfort Yang-i, but because she was short on time, she had no choice but to leave the room.

****

The reason Emilina was trying to meet Rozie was none other than Yang-i’s treats.

Since she hadn’t been able to afford proper pet food and had been feeding Yang-i human food, she at least wanted to get proper treats.

After consulting with Rozie, who claimed to know some good treats that cats loved, today was the day they had arranged to meet.

Emilina thought she’d meet Rozie quickly and then return home right away.

She felt uneasy leaving Yang-i behind.

“You’re here, miss?”

When she arrived at the meeting spot, Rozie greeted her first.

“Miss? What’s that about?”

But the unfamiliar title made Emilina tilt her head.

“Well, you’re a noble, so you’re technically a miss.”

“What the heck? That awkward formality?”

When Emilina responded in disbelief, Rozie cleared her throat, looking embarrassed.

“It’s just that my father keeps nagging me. He says I’m old enough now to stop being so casual and rude to you.”

Something about getting arrested for insulting a noble or whatever. Rozie scratched her ear, trying to act nonchalant.

“Honestly. If you’re going to do it, at least do it properly. What was that?”

“Hey, do you think it’s that easy? Even calling you ‘miss’ feels so awkward I could die.”

Rozie grumbled, wondering why they had to bother with such annoying formalities when they’d already seen everything about each other.

Emilina was about to tell her there was no need for it, but she kept her mouth shut in case it caused problems later.

Rozie muttered nonsense about why she wasn’t retorting, but Emilina ignored her and got straight to the point.

“Enough. Just give me what you promised.”

“Seriously, your temper…”

Clicking her tongue, Rozie pulled a small pouch from her bag and handed it to her.

As she did, a sharp, sour smell wafted out.

Unable to endure the stench, Emilina quickly pinched her nose, and Rozie burst into laughter.

“Ugh, what is this!”

“What do you think? It’s cat treats,” Rozie replied with a mischievous grin.

Is this funny to you? Emilina glared at him irritably.

Rozie shrugged and continued, “Maybe it’s a bit much for someone like you, but trust me—cats love this stuff.”

“What is it, exactly?”

“Mouse carcasses.”

Without hesitation, Emilina punched Rozie in the jaw.

“Damn you, Rozie,” she muttered under her breath.

She doubted Yang-i would eat something like this, but Rozie, insisting she trust him, forcibly handed her the pouch.

His overconfidence was irritating, but Emilina couldn’t bring herself to hit her again—there was a tiny part of her that hesitated.

After all, this was a fictional world where absurd things were possible.

Because of that, even on her way home, Emilina debated with herself.

She’d heard of cats catching mice, but eating them? That was hard to believe.

Still, she couldn’t show up empty-handed.

She had promised to bring treats, and it felt wrong to assume Yang-i wouldn’t eat them without even trying.

Who knows? Maybe Yang-i would enjoy them.

After debating with herself five or six times, Emilina finally arrived home.

“Yang-ah, I’m back.”

At the sound of her voice, Yang-i, who had been curled up, perked up his ears and lifted his head.

He padded over to her feet and let out a soft “Meow.”

Judging by his welcoming demeanor, he must have been waiting for her the whole time.

Emilina stroked his back once and then sat him on her lap.

“Yang-ah, I brought you a treat.”

“Meow?”

“A friend of mine said you’d absolutely love this.”

“Meow!”

Yang-i tilted his head expectantly, his eyes sparkling as if to ask, What kind of treat did you bring?

Taking a deep breath, Emilina opened the pouch. She placed it in front of Yang-i and said,

“I heard you like mice, so I brought this for you.”

“You don’t have to hold back—go ahead and eat,” she murmured in a small voice.

“Meow… huh?”

But Yang-i flinched and made no move to eat.

His golden eyes darted nervously, and he seemed quite taken aback.

Rozie had mentioned that Yang-i might be cautious because of the smell, so Emilina should try offering it to him directly.

But she couldn’t muster the courage to do so and instead urged him verbally.

“Yang-ah, why aren’t you eating? It’s supposed to be something you like.”

Yang-i only trembled slightly, showing no intention of eating.

Instead, he buried his head between his paws as if pretending not to hear her.

Even after Emilina pressed him again, Yang-i went as far as to cover his ears with his paws, as though to block out her voice entirely.

For a moment, Emilina felt puzzled by his firm refusal. Then, as if something dawned on her, she spoke with a newfound realization.

“Wait… do you not want to eat it?”

Yang-i finally lifted his head and gave a small nod.

His eyes quivered faintly, a clear sign he’d been deeply unsettled.

In fact, he seemed outright shocked, as if silently asking, How could you offer me something like this?

Feeling guilty, Emilina hurriedly took the pouch away.

Grinding her teeth, Emilina thought of that damned Rozie.

“That jerk! Of all the things to joke about!”

She gently patted Yang-i’s back, still feeling bad for startling him, and made a firm vow to herself.

She would absolutely make that bastard pay.

****

Tap, tap, tap.

A man sitting at a desk drummed his fingers against its surface, speaking in a low voice.

“So, you failed?”

At his pointed question, the young man standing before him lowered his head.

“My apologies.”

“Where did we lose him?”

“He disappeared in the northern forest.”

The northern forest, of all places.

Clicking his tongue in frustration, the man frowned deeply.

Blood doesn’t lie, does it? It seemed the boy had learned something from his mother.

“Find him. Track him down and kill him. It must be done before he awakens.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man’s merciless order was met with a deep bow as the young man bent to his knees in submission before leaving the room.

Once the young man had gone, another figure emerged from the shadows—a man cloaked in darkness, one of the leader’s most trusted aides and the most skilled among his subordinates.

“A useless fool,” the aide remarked dryly.

“You didn’t expect it to be easy from the start, did you?”

“Even so, handle it as quickly as possible. Lately, Rockbell’s gaze has been anything but ordinary.”

“You mean the old butler of the Ducal House?”

“Someone with that many years of experience is bound to have sharp instincts. I think he’s suspicious of me.”

“Hmm. Those instincts must be impressive indeed.”

“Is this the time to admire him?”

“In the end, if you seize control of the Ducal House, the butler is just another obstacle to eliminate.”

The aide chuckled darkly, as if it were a trivial matter.

The man’s name was Roidane Monteiro.

He was the younger brother and former vassal of Dietrio, the Duke who had died two years ago. Now, Roidane was plotting the assassination of Dietrio’s son, Kairzen.

Ever since the day he was denied his rightful inheritance because he wasn’t the eldest son and had to forfeit his family name, he had been nurturing this ambition.