#02
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"My lady, is everything alright? We heard a loud noise..."
"Ah, no..! Nothing to worry about. I've finished my bath, so don’t mind it."
"Yes, my lady. Please call us right away if anything happens."
After sending the maid away, the lady turned her attention back to the man.
"I can't just keep you here like this, especially not in your current form."
"And why not?"
"I'm a young noblewoman of marrying age, already introduced in society through a debutante ball. If anyone finds out I’m living with a strange man, it could bring disgrace to my family."
"Then I’ll stay in animal form in front of others. Will that be acceptable, milady?"
Now that she thought about it, that didn’t sound like a bad solution. As long as he only showed his animal form to others, maybe this could work. The lady let out a small chuckle and stroked his head.
"Alright, let’s go with that."
"Really? So you’ll let me stay in your room like this?"
"Yes. But only appear in human form when you're with me. Never in front of others. Understood?"
"Yes, my lady!!!"
Without warning, he hugged her tightly. She tried to push him away, but he rubbed his face into her neck, planting kisses from her collarbone to both cheeks. His strength easily pinned her to the bed, the silk of her robe slipping open again as he left marks all over.
"W-wait..! What are you doing...?"
"Why, my lady? You did this to me earlier, didn’t you?"
He pressed his lips to hers once more. She couldn’t move within his arms. Like a bulldozer, he bombarded her with kisses. The warmth of his lips against her neck and cheeks sent a blush blooming across her face again.
"T-that was when you were still a cat... This is different now..."
"I really like it. Can’t I keep doing this? Or is it something humans aren’t supposed to do?"
"...No, humans can do it too, but... it's something lovers do. You only kiss like this when you love someone."
"Then will you become my beloved, my lady?"
His eyes gazing down at her were so deep, she felt like she could drown in them. His muscular arms caged her in. She didn’t think she could escape him anymore.
Knock knock—
Just then, a knock came at the door. Reflexively, she pushed him off and quickly fixed her disheveled appearance.
"My lady, we’re ready to assist with your preparations. May we come in?"
"O-oh, just a moment. Please give me five minutes—"
Coming back to her senses, she got up from the bed and tidied the area around the tub. As she busied herself, he simply sat there, watching her closely.
"My lady, shall I return to animal form?"
"Right. Lucia will be coming in soon. You need to turn back now."
"Yes, my lady."
And just like that, he returned to the form of a small black cat. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe that such a small creature could transform into... that. Once everything was set, the lady called Lucia inside.
"My lady, Duke Terte—the one from the last ball—is said to be attending tonight’s gathering. We’ll need to prepare thoroughly—"
"Is that so? I’ll leave it to you then. I’d like to use this hair ornament."
"Yes, my lady. By the way, the cat seems to be very attached to you—"
"R-really? That must be thanks to your excellent care, Lucia—"
"You’re too kind. I only applied ointment and wrapped it in bandages."
The warmth from the cat resting on her lap seeped gently into her legs. As she stroked him without thought, he placed his paws on her thigh and curled up, purring.
"Purrr..."
"My, he really seems to like you, my lady—"
His fur tickled wherever it touched, drawing little giggles from her. She lifted him gently onto the bed to change into her dress, and when she undressed, he buried his face in the blankets in embarrassment.
So he does understand modesty... I’ll have to be careful too.
She cinched the waist of her dress tightly—too tightly. As usual, it was hard to breathe, but at least her reflection in the mirror was satisfying. Lucia really was the best maid in the household.
"My Lady, the Duke has arrived."
With the help of the maids, she stepped outside the house to find the Duke—whom she had met at the last ball—waiting with a carriage. Her parents and the servants, who had come to see her off, looked visibly surprised. No one had ever come to escort her like this before. It seemed the Duke had taken quite a liking to her since that previous encounter.
"Shall we go? I've been waiting for you to come out—"
"The fact that Your Grace personally came to fetch me is a great honor."
It was a polite formality. Though she didn’t feel particularly pleased, she still had to maintain the dignity of a noble lady. Forcing a smile, she responded gracefully. Meanwhile, someone had been watching the Duke intently, baring his teeth and raising his fur in a threatening manner.
"Grrrr..."
Just like when he first met her, the black cat kept close to her side, tail puffed up in warning. With a discreet signal to Lucia, she swiftly picked up the cat, understanding the message without needing a word. Lucia never failed to read the situation.
After accepting the Duke’s escort and climbing into the carriage, she waved goodbye to her family. The cat... come to think of it, she still didn’t know his name. She'd have to ask when she returned from the ball.
"The dress you wore last time was stunning, but this one suits you just as well."
"Thank you. Our maid is quite talented with her hands—"
"And your beauty... it is truly captivating—"
Suddenly, as the carriage rumbled along, the Duke leaned in without warning and brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. What a vulgar gesture! She didn’t care that he was a duke—touching her without consent was enough to boil her blood. Without hesitation, she slapped his hand away.
"Please refrain from doing that. Keep your hands to yourself."
"Ha...?"
Just then, the driver announced their arrival and the carriage came to a halt. The Duke’s tone grew cold, his brows deeply furrowed.
"Well, I’m quite offended myself. Shall we enter separately?"
"You’re misunderstanding. It’s simply that Your Grace laid hands on me—"
"How dare you talk back to a Duke like that? You’re only making things worse for yourself, you know that?"
"Ahk!!"
The Duke suddenly yanked her wrist harshly from behind. Red marks had already formed where his grip bit into her skin.
"Let go... It hurts..."
"I’ll be at your house tomorrow. With a proposal."
"W-What?"
"Your parents will surely approve of a marriage with a ducal family. You'll be my future wife."
"You bastard...! Ahk!!"
Now even sharper pain shot through her wrist—his grip had tightened. She couldn’t shake him off. Better to stay single forever than marry a man like this. No matter how high-ranking he was, she would never marry someone like him.
"Let go of me..."
"Say you'll marry me. Now!"
"No... I'd never marry someone like you...!"
Grab—
In that moment, she was suddenly pulled into someone else's arms.
"...?! You...!!"
"My lady, close your eyes—"
With a swift motion, he shielded her eyes with one hand and kicked the Duke hard with the other. Just before her vision was obscured, she caught a glimpse of his eyes—glassy and unfocused. Just one hand was enough to cover most of her face, hiding her from the disgusting sight of the Duke.
"My lady, was this what you were preparing for in your room earlier?"
"..."
"Let’s go somewhere else. Somewhere quiet."
His steps were so fast, she struggled to keep up. Realizing this, he slowed down to match her pace. Her waist was tied too tightly, making it hard to breathe with every step. Eventually, she couldn’t go any farther and collapsed onto a bench under a streetlight. He crouched in front of her, placing one knee on the ground.
"How did you get here...?"
"When you left, I followed your scent. My sense of smell is quite good, you see."
"You really are something else."
He nuzzled her thigh gently, as if relaxing. She chuckled softly and patted his head. Then, he suddenly stood and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"W-What are you doing now?!"
"You looked uncomfortable. I thought I might be able to help."
He began struggling with the tightly tied laces on her dress. Normally, they’d need to be undone one by one, but seeing her discomfort, he had his own method.
"The knots are tied really tightly… I might not be able to—"
Snap. Snap. Riiiip.
He tore through all the laces with brute strength—like the powerful beast he was.
The moment the dress loosened, she felt immediate relief. Breathing became easier. Seeing the mix of surprise and innocence on his face, she burst out laughing.
"Haha, so when the knots wouldn't come undone, you just ripped them?"
"I’m sorry, my lady… I just wanted to make you feel better."
"It's fine. Thanks to you, I can breathe again. But still..."
She looked at his still-naked body with concern. The weather was cold, and the wind brisk—if he stayed like this, he’d definitely catch a cold.
"Aren’t you cold? You’ll get sick walking around like that."
"I’ve lived like this all along. I’ll be fine."
"No, this won’t do. Tomorrow, we’re stopping by the tailor."
"The tailor? What’s that?"
"It’s a place that makes clothes. I’ll have something made just for you. At least when you're in human form, you need to be properly dressed."
"My lady..."
Overcome with emotion, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. It wasn’t just about the clothes. It was the fact that she thought about him, cared for him, and wanted to do something for him. That alone brought him overwhelming joy. He buried his face in her neck again, and she gently stroked his head once more.
"Come to think of it, I still don’t know your name. What is it?"
"If I tell you... will you call me by it?"
"Of course. That’s what names are for, isn’t it?"
"...."
There were those eyes again—deep and entrancing, the same ones she saw earlier in her room. Being with him made her feel alive. Clear-headed. Happy. Maybe having him around was a stroke of luck.
She wanted to say his name—soon.
"My name is... Taehyung."
"...Taehyung."