[Eaton] "There will be rumors, Your Highness." He finally voiced his concerns. Of course, his own worries were likely inconsequential, and he knew Kalart would never do something without a calculated reason. Still, he could not remain silent. There had been enough noise about the cat’s owner when she first entered the Crown Prince’s Palace, with many claiming she lacked the proper status. Now, Kalart had settled her in the room right next to his—the very suite intended for th

The voice of him, speaking words that made little sense, felt strangely rigid. While she blinked her eyes in bewilderment, the last of her buttons were undone. He pulled off her inner dress as well, leaving nothing behind. A biting chill struck her bare skin. As she curled her body inward to shield herself, a dry garment was draped over her shoulders. [Roserikta] "Ah...?" [Kalart] "Can I open my eyes now?" It was his cloak. He had taken the cloak he had left nearby and wrappe

Alone once more, he was shrouded in complete and total solitude. Once a day, this was his time to let his eyes rest. Beneath the surface of the water, everything was refracted and blurred, and he preferred it that way. If he did not have these moments of peace, he felt he might have lost his mind long ago. The Crown Prince suffered from an illness known to no one else. To his eyes, human faces appeared twisted and distorted. It was not a general failure of his vision, as he h

[Clobell] "It has been hours. I am dying of boredom. Haaaa-aah." They had been waiting in the audience chamber for three hours. Clobellina, who had been dozing off on Roserikta’s lap, finally found even sleep tedious. She hopped down to the floor and stretched her body long. Roserikta rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her legs were beginning to feel pins and needles. [Clobell] "He acted like he would give you his own liver just a while ago, so why is he ignoring us now? Does he

[Clobell] "Meow." Clobellina finally relaxed. Her eyes, which had been wide with tension until they boarded the imperial carriage, narrowed into lazy slits once more. According to her, she had been quietly gathering the Axaca powder in the basement when she sensed something strange. She had crept upstairs and watched the situation unfold from a distance. When she heard the Crown Prince threatening to burn everything down, she had hidden in a panic, certain she’d been caught f

Cold. No, it was as if he lacked temperature entirely. That was the sensation that washed over her the moment he opened his mouth. To call him a "statue" felt like an understatement. She had expected this, but her heart still sank heavily in her chest. As she feared, the Crown Prince had come with the sole intention of taking Clobellina away. That cannot happen. [Roserikta] “Your Imperial Highness.” She spoke after swallowing a sharp breath. In that instant, the Prince's gaze

[Clobell] "Are you really doing this to me?" She stared at Roserikta, her two eyes brimming with a damp, resentful glow. Of course, the look had no effect. Roserikta simply lifted her teacup, pretending not to notice, and spoke sternly. [Roserikta] “You don’t have time to play around. If you keep this up, even staying up all night won't be enough to finish.” [Clobell] “Do you think this is reasonable? Use your eyes and look at this. When am I supposed to pick all of these up,

[Roserikta] “Clobellina.” A clear, calm voice echoed against the backdrop of the evening sun streaming through the window. [Roserikta] “Come out now. It’s time for dinner.” She placed a plate on the small kitchen table. It was piled high with freshly blanched broccoli and cabbage. [Roserikta] “...Is it too much to leave it completely unseasoned?” She searched the cupboard and pulled out salt and pepper. With a few light shakes, the seasoning settled over the wilted vegetables

Once upon a time, a Crown Prince lived under a dark curse that stole his ability to love anyone. One day, a cat approaches him with a secret scheme. As if by magic, the Prince feels a sudden spark of affection for the creature and brings it into the Imperial Palace. But there is one problem: the cat’s owner, Roserikta, follows along like a stubborn shadow. Why is this woman so infuriatingly special? As their heart begin to stir, these two—both experiencing love for the very f