Chapter 4: The Most Dangerous Cat Fanatic in the Kingdom
Absolute silence.
Kael blinked slowly.
"...What?"
Seraphina remained seated perfectly straight on the small wooden chair.
Elegant. Cold. Flawless.
Like a princess from a noble painting.
And yet...
Her eyes were completely fixed on the cat.
"I want to hug it," she repeated calmly.
Kael looked at the cat.
The cat looked at Seraphina.
And then slowly narrowed its eyes.
As if it had just detected a biological threat.
Luna, on the other hand, looked extremely excited.
"Of course!"
"Why do you answer so fast!?"
"Because sharing is important!"
"WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A STUFFED ANIMAL!"
The Cat of Absolute Contempt yawned.
Then arrogantly turned its head away.
Ignoring all of them.
Seraphina watched it in silence.
"...Even its contempt is elegant."
Kael: "..."
Luna: "..."
Kael slowly looked at Luna.
"I think she’s more unhinged than we are."
"Maybe a little."
Seraphina slowly reached her hands toward the cat.
The feline immediately arched its back.
"Mrrrrr."
"Easy..." Seraphina said in a strangely soft voice. "I won’t hurt you."
Kael shivered.
Because honestly...
that was the most human-sounding voice he had ever heard her use since she appeared.
The cat seemed to feel exactly the same way.
And it clearly didn’t like it.
The moment Seraphina tried to touch it—
SLAP.
The slap echoed through the entire house.
Kael closed his eyes automatically.
"We’re dead..."
But Seraphina didn’t even flinch.
Her head remained exactly in the same position.
As if nothing had happened.
She just blinked once.
"...Strong."
The cat’s eyes widened slightly.
Surprised.
SLAP.
"...Very strong."
SLAP.
"...Incredible."
SLAP. SLAP. SLAP.
The cat started throwing consecutive slaps.
Kael watched in horror.
Because those were the same paws that had destroyed an Abyssal Beast.
But Seraphina just kept slowly advancing.
Unstoppable.
Like a terrifying monster disguised as a noble girl.
Finally—
She caught the cat.
And hugged it against her chest.
Silence.
The entire world seemed to stop.
The cat went completely frozen.
As if its brain couldn’t process what had just happened.
Then—
"MEEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWW."
Kael had never heard such an indignant meow in his entire life.
The cat began thrashing wildly.
SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP.
But Seraphina kept hugging it with absolute spiritual happiness.
"...Soft."
SLAP.
"...Warm."
SLAP.
"...Perfect."
The cat stared at her with absolute existential horror.
Luna was watching the scene with tears in her eyes.
"It’s so beautiful..."
"WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THIS SITUATION!?"
Kael tried to rescue the cat.
The cat hit him too.
SLAP.
"WHY ME TOO!?"
"Meow."
"I’M TRYING TO HELP YOU!"
The feline hit him again.
Absolute betrayal.
Seraphina, meanwhile, kept slowly petting it.
For the first time since she had arrived...
a small smile appeared on her face.
Very small.
But real.
Kael froze.
"...Oh."
Luna’s eyes also widened.
Because honestly...
the expression suited her absurdly well.
And that was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Especially now that she looked less like a terrifying noble...
and more like an extremely happy girl hugging a fat cat.
Seraphina closed her eyes for a few seconds.
As if she had finally found spiritual peace.
"...I want to take it home."
Kael reacted instantly.
"NO."
The cat lifted its head proudly.
As if saying: "Correct, human. You know your place."
Seraphina slowly opened her eyes.
And stared directly at Kael.
The magical pressure inside the room increased slightly.
The windows trembled.
Luna hid behind Kael.
Kael broke out in a cold sweat.
"I-it’s not for sale."
Silence.
Seraphina kept watching him for a few seconds.
Then she hugged the cat again.
"...I understand."
Kael slowly exhaled.
He survived.
Miraculously.
Then Luna raised her hand.
"What if they get married?"
Kael felt his soul leave his body again.
"LUNA!!"
"What!? I’m negotiating!"
"YOU ARE NOT A TRADER!!"
Seraphina remained completely silent with a thoughtful expression.
And that was even worse.
Because Kael couldn’t tell if she was:
ignoring the comment,
or actually considering it.
The cat, on the other hand, looked indignant.
It slapped Luna — but much more softly than it had slapped Kael.
SLAP.
"Ouch!"
"Meow."
"Don’t look at me like that! I’m trying to help you!"
Kael started getting a terrible headache.
Then—
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Someone knocked on the door.
Everyone fell silent.
Kael frowned.
"Hm?"
No one usually visited this area.
Much less his house.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
The knocks sounded again.
Louder this time.
Kael slowly walked to the door.
And when he opened it...
he saw three men wearing black uniforms with the Arcadia Academy symbol.
Behind them was a huge noble carriage.
Kael swallowed.
One of the men immediately spoke.
"We have come for Lady Seraphina."
Silence.
Kael slowly turned his head back.
Seraphina was still hugging the cat.
The cat was still trying to escape.
And Luna was still watching them as if she was planning a wedding.
The man spoke again.
"Lady Seraphina disappeared after the incident at the academy, and the entire Vale family went into a panic."
Kael felt that things had just become way more complicated.
Then the man looked inside the house.
And saw Seraphina.
Hugging a fat cat while it tried to murder her with slaps.
Absolute silence.
The man froze.
His brain clearly stopped working.
Because he had just witnessed something impossible.
The Ice Princess of the Vale family...
acting like a mentally unstable fanatic.
Seraphina slowly lifted her gaze toward him.
Her expression returned instantly to normal.
Cold. Elegant. Intimidating.
As if nothing had happened.
"...Leave."
The man trembled.
"B-but Lady Seraphina—"
"Leave."
"...Yes, ma’am."
The three disappeared so fast it looked like magic.
Kael was impressed.
"Wow..."
Luna nodded seriously.
"She’s scary."
Seraphina completely ignored the conversation.
Her eyes slowly returned to the cat.
And the cat...
had just given up.
It simply hung defeated in her arms.
With the empty expression of someone who had lost the will to live.
"Meow..."
