TWFLLYM Ch 12

The Missing Cat Maid

Elona soon returned with the ingredients she had requested.

[Roserikta] "The Hebori herb and Nepenthes leaves are fine. The problem is the Cantharis."

Cantharis referred to a powder made from dried beetles of the same name. While it was a common ingredient in a witch’s pharmacy, it was not something easily found in the Crown Prince's palace.

[Roserikta] "What should I do?"

She fell into thought.

Gathering Cantharis wasn't particularly difficult. They had a habit of swarming under Lacoto trees at night, so catching them was a simple matter of hanging a bag nearby after the lights were out. Once gathered, they would naturally turn into powder after being dried in the sun for half a day.

[Clobellina] "Can't you just go out and catch them? Why are you worrying?"

[Roserikta] "My leg is supposed to be injured. I can't be caught wandering around outside as if nothing is wrong."

Thanks to the Axaca powder, her foot was already fully healed. Having to pretend she couldn't walk for the next week was proving to be a greater torment than the injury itself.

[Roserikta] "And what if His Highness comes by at night?"

[Clobellina] "Ah, I see your point."

After a moment of deliberation, she turned to Clobellina.

[Roserikta] "Clobell. Stay by his side tonight. Make sure he has no reason to come to this room."

[Clobellina] "Meow? You want me to do something that tedious?"

[Roserikta] "In exchange, I’ll give you something other than boiled vegetables tomorrow. Whatever you want to eat."

[Clobellina] "Are you trying to bribe me with food now?"

[Roserikta] "It’s better than being worked while eating nothing but boiled vegetables, isn't it?"

[Clobellina] "Now you’re trying to win an argument against a cat."

Despite her grumbling, Clobellina didn't seem to dislike the idea. She looked as though she was already lost in a daydream, imagining what she would eat the next day.

She stroked the cat’s forehead.

[Roserikta] "Then I’m counting on you, Clobell."

[Clobellina] "You better not go back on your word tomorrow. I’m going to eat every single thing I crave."

She selected a blanket of suitable size, sprinkled it with Axaca powder, and chanted a spell. An invisibility cloak that would last for about a day was created.

[Roserikta] "With this, I should be able to go and come back without being caught by anyone."

[Clobellina] "Be careful."

[Roserikta] "I will, Clobell."

She packed a bag for collecting the Cantharis and threw the makeshift invisibility cloak over herself.

---

She managed to pass through the main gate without incident. Occasionally, someone would tilt their head in confusion when the blanket brushed against the ground with a soft rustle, but no one suspected that a witch in an invisibility cloak was walking right past them.

After exiting the Crown Prince’s palace, she crossed the garden, heading toward where the Lacoto trees were likely to be.

[Roserikta] "It would be best if I could find a spot where several of them grow together. That way, the collection will be finished quickly."

Under the darkening sky, the faint scent of Lacoto trees wafted through the air. It was the hour when the Cantharis, drawn by this scent, would wake one by one and begin to fly.

[Roserikta] "Let’s see. It seems to be this way."

Eventually, she found a cluster of Lacoto trees neatly planted in the furthest corner of the garden. After hanging her bag on the thickest branch, she sat down beneath the tree. Soon, the sun would vanish completely, leaving everything in total darkness.

[Roserikta] "I’m finally alone for the first time in a while."

Leaning her back against the tree, she looked up at the pale moon. The moon seemed particularly far away tonight. They said the Witch Kingdom existed somewhere the moonlight touched the closest, but she had never been there.

Grandmother told me she would take me there once I became a proper witch.

But her grandmother had passed away before that could happen. Thus, she would likely never see the Witch Kingdom for the rest of her life.

She gave a small, wistful smile.

I’ll still become a proper witch, Grandmother. Even if I never get to see the Kingdom.

To achieve that, she first had to clean up the mess Clobellina had caused. If this incident were to spread beyond the capital and reach the ears of other witches, things would become far more serious.

As the darkness deepened, the moon grew brighter. She steeled her resolve to think of nothing else and waited for the bag to fill with Cantharis.

---

[Eaton] "Your Highness. It seems... you—I mean, you seem to enjoy her company very much."

Eaton muttered to himself.

The cat, who was supposed to be in the bedroom, had somehow appeared in the audience hall. The Prince reacted as if he had received an unexpected gift. He cast aside his work, lifted the cat onto his lap, and stroked its head incessantly.

The cat, who supposedly loved boiled cabbage and broccoli most of all, was now whimpering and waving its front paws toward the cookies on the table.

When the Prince picked up a cookie and gave it to her, she ate it with a satisfying crunch. He found this so endearing that he began picking up different types of cookies for her to taste.

Because of this, Count Gibero—who had finally been granted an audience after a long wait—was once again left sitting there like a forgotten sack of grain.

Oh, this is wonderful. I feel like I could cry. How did I live without eating something this delicious?

Clobellina, purring non-stop as she ate the cookies, looked genuinely happy.

[Kalart] "I didn't know she liked cookies this much."

Eaton wanted to say the same thing.

I didn't know Your Highness liked cats this much, either.

[Kalart] "Hmm. Why didn't she tell me? Did she not know?"

The "she" he was referring to was Roserikta. It seemed impossible that a cat's owner wouldn't know her own pet's preferences. Clobellina took this opportunity to tattle.

Oh, don't even get me started. Because she lied, I’ve been eating nothing but leaves since I got here.

Finally, I feel like coming to the palace was worth it. Give me more of that one. I’m going to eat them all.

If he had understood her words, a serious problem would have arisen.

[Kalart] "I should give orders to have cookies served as her snacks from now on."

[Eaton] "Shall I call the Head Maid, Your Highness?"

[Kalart] "Yes... No."

Kalart, who was about to nod, cut himself off and changed his expression.

[Kalart] "I will tell her myself."

[Eaton] "Ah, will you?"

It was strange. The moment he said he would tell her himself, Eaton felt as though Kalart was suppressing a smile.

What on earth could he have to smile about?

Even if he had asked directly, Kalart wouldn't have been able to answer. He himself didn't realize he was smiling. He only knew that he felt good when he heard Roserikta’s voice, much like the pleasant feeling of stroking the purring Clobellina.

As she had once said, it felt as though he were in a warm, comfortable place.

[Kalart] "Shall we go, then?"

At those words, Clobellina shrieked in surprise.

[Clobellina] "Meow!"

She spread her front paws wide in front of him as if trying to block his path.

Where are you going? I’m not finished eating yet!

However, he knew exactly how many cookies Clobellina had consumed.

[Kalart] "You’ve had quite enough. You must think of your tiny stomach."

What are you talking about? I can eat more! Why are you saying the same thing as Roserikta?

When he left the audience hall, a flustered Count Gibero stood up hesitantly.

[Gibero] "Yo—Your Highness?"

[Kalart] "Do you have more to say, Count?"

[Gibero] "No, it’s not that... but... I have been waiting for quite some time..."

[Kalart] "If you wish, request another audience next time…. Eaton."

Calling the Captain meant the audience was over and the door should be opened.

[Eaton] "Yes, Your Highness."

Realizing Kalart was trying to go to Roserikta, Clobellina tried her hardest to stop him. She darted back and forth between his legs, rubbing her entire body against him and meowing loudly.

You can't go now! I’m right here, so where do you think you’re going?

[Kalart] "I’ll have to carry her."

He leaned down to pick her up. She curled her body and slipped right through his arms.

Kalart, his hands suddenly empty, wore an expression that was a mix of bewilderment and amusement.

[Kalart] "My. What is this? She’s like water, not a beast."

[Eaton] "Pardon, Your Highness? Like water? What do you mean by that?"

[Kalart] "I caught her, but she just slipped away. It’s fascinating."

The effort to catch her continued. Each time, she used her agile body to prove the theory that cats are liquid.

No way! My food is on the line! Stay right here!

When Kalart repeatedly failed to catch her, Eaton rolled up his sleeves and joined in. However, the addition of another person changed nothing.

When a cat is determined to escape, a human unaccustomed to their flexibility and speed stands no chance of catching them.

[Gibero] "Your Highness, perhaps it is my duty as a loyal subject to assist..."

Count Gibero, who had been shifting his eyes back and forth for some time, stood up to join the fray.

[Clobellina] "Meow!"

An untimely cat chase began in the Crown Prince's audience hall.

For the first time in a while, Clobellina had to move with all her might. Count Gibero was clumsy and posed no threat, but the Empire's greatest swordsman and the Crown Prince were not opponents to be taken lightly.

Watching her, who had gone beyond sprinting across the floor and climbed the curtains all the way to the window, Kalart brushed back his disheveled silver hair.

[Kalart] "It seems she has no intention of being caught."

[Eaton] "It appears so, Your Highness."

He spoke, catching his breath slightly.

[Eaton] "Should I call for more men? We should use tools, perhaps a net."

She scratched the window frame with her claws, venting her frustration.

A net? Are you hunting me now? Why don't you just call the dogs while you're at it? I can't believe this!

[Kalart] "Hmm... No, that’s enough."

He concluded that he didn't want to waste any more time. Come to think of it, he didn't necessarily need to catch Clobellina to leave. Since she had come to the audience hall on her own, she could surely find her way back to the bedroom.

[Kalart] "If she doesn't want to come down, leave her be. Instead, leave the door to the audience hall open. Clear away the cookies so she doesn't eat any more."

[Eaton] "...You’re just going to leave the cat?"

[Kalart] "There doesn't seem to be much else we can do in this situation. Besides, I have other business right now. I don’t want to delay it."

[Eaton] "I suppose so..."

He swallowed the rest of his words. He wanted to say that, for some reason, the Prince seemed to care more about the cat’s owner than the cat itself.

No! You can't go now! This is bad! You don't know what Roserikta is like—when she gets angry, it’s like frost in the middle of summer. I don't want to see that!

Led by Eaton, Kalart left the audience hall. Clobellina quickly lay down in front of him, rolling around on her back to block his path.

[Clobellina] "Meow! Don't go! I’ll play with you!"

Despite her desperate efforts, he stepped past her and headed toward Roserikta’s room.

---

And there, he discovered that Roserikta was not in the room.

[Clobellina] "Meoooow..."

I'm in so much trouble. What am I supposed to say to her now?

The deal to eat whatever she wanted tomorrow instead of diet food had vanished into thin air. A dejected Clobellina lay flat on the floor.

However, to Kalart, who didn't know the circumstances, Roserikta’s disappearance was a far more serious matter.

[Kalart] "...What happened here?"

Standing before Eaton, the Prince had turned so rigid that the word "statue" wasn't enough to describe him.

Eaton felt as though he were standing on the tip of a needle. It was a maddening situation for him as well. The cat maid had vanished. Not even a shred of her clothing could be found, no matter how thoroughly they searched the palace.

[Eaton] "I have questioned not only the one assigned as her personal guard but everyone currently on duty. No one saw her leave."

[Kalart] "She is someone who cannot even walk. Are you saying someone took her?"

[Eaton] "That... it seems that is a possibility, Your Highness."

It made no sense, no matter how much they thought about it. There was a guard assigned specifically to watch her, and the adjacent room—the Prince's bedroom—was guarded 24 hours a day in three shifts.

It was a place where eyes were everywhere at all times. No one could have moved a person with an injured leg without being seen. Therefore, the only conclusion was that someone had used secret means to move her.

Eaton assumed the worst-case scenario. Someone who held a grudge against the Prince had planted spies in the palace and kidnapped the cat maid, who had recently been drawing the Prince's attention for various reasons.

Kalart’s face grew harder with every passing second.

[Kalart] "Find her. Whether it was a kidnapping or something else, she couldn't have gone far yet."

[Eaton] "Yes, Your Highness. I also believe she hasn't left Trifolium. I will seal the gates and begin the search."

[Kalart] "Hurry."

Even his voice seemed to have turned to stone.

[Kalart] "Ensure she isn't harmed any further."

[Eaton] "Yes, Your Highness."

A moment later, the Crown Prince’s palace was thrown into utter chaos.

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