PSITAC 15

Chapter 15

“If she wants to, then probably.”

“And she’ll loaf on top of this rock? Here?”

Ibrahim pointed at a huge flat stone. It had been newly brought in as part of the landscaping project. Since it sat in a sunny spot, it looked pleasantly warm.

“She probably will. She might nap there too… And since there are lots of bugs around, she could practice her kitty punches.”

He seemed very interested in Jelly. Just look at that dazed expression.

“Kit… kitty punches?”

I nodded.

“Your Grace watches things like that?”

Ibrahim started speaking faster. He looked strangely shocked.

“Of course? Jelly wakes me up in the mornings and even gives massages sometimes. With her pink paws, like this—pap pap!”

I clasped my hands together and flapped them around.

“Morning alarms… and massages…? Pap pap?”

Ibrahim’s expression grew serious. The sharp corners of his eyes drooped downward for some unknown reason.

Why is he acting like that?

“T-Then… does Jelly show you her belly too?”

“Of course. Jelly’s a very affectionate girl. Once she gets close to someone, she does all of that for them. Honestly, mornings are when Jelly’s busiest. She wakes me up, wakes Emma up, wakes the caretaker who looks after her… and whenever she feels like it, she gives people massages too. Oh, and recently she learned a new trick.”

“A new… trick?”

“Want me to show you?”

The wary-cat expression disappeared from Ibrahim’s face, and he nodded obediently.

Jelly was happily playing with her caretaker.

“Jelly! Want some churu?”

The moment she heard me, Jelly stopped what she was doing and sprinted over.

“Meooow!”

That definitely meant Hurry up and give it to me.

Standing on her hind legs, she waved her short front paws around.

“Meeow!”

“Wait a second, Jelly.”

“Mya!”

I crouched down to match her eye level.

“Jelly, high five!”

I had originally taught this to Merry, but I never expected a cat could do it too.

Jelly smacked her pink paw pads against my palm.

“Good job!”

After petting her head, I made a V sign with my fingers.

This was Jelly’s newest two-part trick set.

“Jelly, V!”

“Myaang!”

With the expression of someone reluctantly humoring me, Jelly rested her chin against my fingers.

“Excellent! Here, have your churu!”

“Myaang!”

Only after confirming she had licked up every last drop did I stand back up.

Having filled her stomach with snacks, Jelly dashed right back to where she’d been playing.

Ibrahim watched her retreating figure with wistful eyes.

“……”

He looked oddly defeated.

What’s wrong with him?

“Ahem. This level of talent is… basic, really.”

I spoke with all the pride of an embarrassingly boastful pet parent.

What, your cat can’t do this? — that sort of energy.

My shoulders practically rose into the sky.

“Well then, I’ll be going now. Please take care of the rest of the construction.”

Ibrahim muttered something under his breath and didn’t respond to me at all.

What a strange person.

Was his personality always like this?

“She does all of that once she gets close to you. Once she gets close… She gives pap-pap massages, V signs, and high fives…”

“Ibrahim-nim…?”

“So in the end, all I have to do is become close to her. And to get close, I need to see her often.”

“Um… Ibrahim-nim?”

The apprentice mage called out to him anxiously.

That prickly expression Ibrahim usually wore had completely fallen apart.

Truthfully, even the apprentice mage knew Ibrahim had an especially soft spot for cats.

The reason cats crowded around the Magic Tower wasn’t because they were attracted to magical power.

Nor was it because cats symbolized the Magic Tower.

It was because Ibrahim spent his entire salary feeding stray cats, so naturally they gathered around him.

The look in Ibrahim’s eyes as he watched the golden cheese-colored cat happily running around was anything but normal.

Unlike other cats, Jelly had never once warmed up to Ibrahim.

Instead, she seemed completely obsessed with following the people inside the estate around.

And the one following her was Ibrahim.

He was neglecting the construction project entirely just to fangirl over Jelly, which left the apprentice mage slowly dying inside.

“Ibrahim-nim…?”

“I don’t think we’ll be able to finish the construction today after all.”

Why did bad premonitions always come true?

“I think I’ll have to come back to Stadiun tomorrow as well.”

“What are you talking about…? You could absolutely finish everything today…”

In the apprentice mage’s mind, mountains of unfinished paperwork seemed to flash before his eyes.

“If I say it can’t be done, then it can’t be done. Are you saying you don’t trust me?”

The apprentice mage swallowed his tears.

He remembered all the long years he had endured under the insane Ibrahim.

In the end, Ibrahim was going to do whatever he wanted anyway.

“…Yes. Do as you please.”

The apprentice mage answered miserably.

Peace had arrived.

The destroyer of peace no longer visited the mansion.

Of course, Hisha hadn’t appeared either. It seemed the mysterious kidnapper—whoever that was—had finally quit.

Construction was progressing smoothly.

Everything was falling perfectly into place.

Hehehehe.

Even the tea tasted sweet.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Your Grace.”

“Of course, Emma. His Highness the Crown Prince hasn’t shown up lately. An age of peace has finally arrived for us!”

“Actually, it’s probably about time we sent over more feed.”

“Exactly, hurry and send it. What if we don’t, and he shows up again?”

Emma nodded seriously.

“To be honest, I was convinced Your Grace would change your mind once you saw His Highness again.”

“Hm? Why?”

“Well… you liked His Highness for such a long time. And honestly… you don’t really have anyone else to rely on anymore.”

Emma fell silent for a moment, looking troubled, as if carefully choosing her words.

“The servants of the ducal house were all very worried.”

“In what way?”

“You lost both your parents.”

Ah…

I understood what Emma was trying to say.

As Emma said, Agatha had lost both her parents and then suffered a carriage accident.

If I had retained all my memories—if I truly had been the original Agatha—then perhaps my obsession with the Crown Prince really would have deepened, just as Emma believed.

Agatha Lucy Stadiun.

I felt like I was finally beginning to understand that girl a little.

When I read the novel, I used to think, What was she lacking that she had to cling to a man like that?

But now that I stood in Agatha’s place, I thought I could understand her heart at least a little.

Agatha’s world had collapsed.

“…That’s true.”

“I know I probably shouldn’t say this, but honestly… I think it’s a blessing that Your Grace lost your memories.”

“Emma… I think I’m lucky to have you beside me.”

Truthfully, the people in the mansion were the ones who noticed my changes the most.

And the reason they had accepted me without much suspicion was because of Emma’s efforts.

“No, Your Grace.”

Emma shook her head.

“I only told them that after losing your parents and surviving the carriage accident, you changed a little.”

“That’s exactly why I’m grateful.”

Emma smiled awkwardly.

It seemed there was another reason she had brought this topic up.

After hesitating for a while, Emma finally spoke.

“But… you’ll visit Lady Selena—the former Duchess—on her memorial day, right?”

“Ah…”

I hadn’t even thought about it.

Unlike what Emma believed, I wasn’t truly connected to them at all.

“You… will go, right?”

Emma carefully asked once more.

There was a reason she was acting like this.

Agatha’s parents had never been especially affectionate or caring people.

People often said Agatha resembled her mother perfectly.

Someone who loved parties, acted without restraint, and naturally trampled over others.

While her mother had still been alive, Agatha herself had feared her.

“I should go.”

Still, if I really were Agatha Lucy Stadiun, I thought I would want to go.

No matter how terrible her mother had been, there must have been memories of being loved at least once.

Only then did Emma’s face brighten.

Smiling warmly, she said:

“Tomorrow, there will be a mass at the temple for the former Duchess. Shall I prepare for your outing?”

Ever since becoming Agatha, I had only gone outside a handful of times.

“Alright. Prepare everything well, Emma.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

Agatha… you’re watching this, right?

Tomorrow, we’re going to see your mother.