Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

“What an unusual fur color. Could it have slipped in among the imported cargo?”

“No, these days they don’t bring anything directly from the port into the castle, and the quarantine must be strict. This kitten must have been born in this country.”

“Looks about two months old… Judging by all the mats in its fur, it seems to have been separated from its mother shortly after birth. But since it’s not starving, someone must have been feeding it.”

“I wonder how long it’s been inside the castle? I could understand if it were a grown cat, but I can’t imagine such a tiny kitten crossing over the castle walls.”

Mio and Lord Cyrus were having this conversation while holding me dangling there.

…Uh, what should I do? I wanted them to let go of me for now. Strangely, it didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable. When I struggled, Mio tightened her grip even more. She held me with both hands, immobilizing me. Waaah.

“…What do you want to do, master?”

Uh-oh. This is bad. If Lord Cyrus, the lord of the castle, makes a decision, I might be kicked out immediately. If I were human, maybe I could look for a job or something, but as a kitten, I have no idea how to survive. Surely I’d die in the streets, or worse, get crushed by a carriage!?

Looking down at me meowing, Lord Cyrus put a hand under his chin and hummed thoughtfully.

“For now, let’s do something about this ragged state. Take it to the bath.”

“As you command.”

—A bath!?

I shuddered. The moment I heard those words, I kicked Mio’s hand away with surprising speed and escaped. But I ran in the wrong direction and crashed into Lord Cyrus’s chest, instinctively clinging onto him. The moment my claws scratched vertically down his clothes with a ripping sound—

“Oh.”

Ah, that’s no good! Lord Cyrus is a stylish man. Even in casual attire, his clothes are all high-end. And I just tore them! This is bad, bad, bad — I’m definitely going to be thrown away now!!

I braced myself for being tossed to the ground and squeezed my eyes shut tightly.

But Lord Cyrus did nothing… he didn’t panic or raise his voice… he just gently caught me. Supporting my rear, he carefully removed my claws from his clothes and settled me comfortably against his chest. Then he chuckled softly.

“Oh, right. Cats hate water, don’t they? My apologies.”

“…Meow… ah…”

“But master, when it’s this dirty, it won’t be enough for it to lick itself clean. We’ll have to use force with hot water and soap once, brushing the knots out…”

“Yes, that sounds right.”

Lord Cyrus sat down on the edge of a fountain while still holding me. He crossed one leg and placed me on his thigh like a bed.

To calm me down, he gently patted my back and took a comb from his pocket. Without hesitation, he inserted it into my fur and slowly worked through the tangled mats, moving it back and forth bit by bit.

“Master, wild animals may carry fleas, parasites, or infections from wounds. As chief chamberlain, I must prevent you from using that comb again.”

“If I don’t use it again, that should be fine. This comb will be reserved exclusively for the cat.”

“That comb is a valuable, lacquered cow horn piece that Master Cyrus really likes.”

“Since I’m using it on the cat, it’s not like I’m losing it.”

“Very well. Understood.”

Mio stepped back and bowed. Cow horn with mother-of-pearl inlay… I wonder how much that costs… My head was spinning while the mats slowly began to loosen.

“Mio, go to Tunic and get some warm water with a mild soap solution and five or six towels. If we can’t soak it, we’ll wipe it with wet towels.”

“Shall I bring scissors as well?”

“Please. And make the soap as fragrance-free as possible.”

I watched Mio leave hurriedly as Lord Cyrus continued brushing me.

Occasionally the comb caught on a mat and my skin tingled sharply. Each time Lord Cyrus withdrew the comb, he gently pinched the mat with his fingers and carefully untangled it. It didn’t hurt at all. It was warm, gentle, and felt so good…