TWFLLYM Ch 22

Moonlight Baptism

[Lafitte] "It seems your grip on your duties has loosened."

Countess Aldwin, the Head Maid, glared at him instantly.

[Aldwin] "Is that directed at me, Baron?"

[Lafitte] "I merely state the undeniable."

Baron Lafitte, the Chamberlain, took a sip of his tea with practiced elegance. The brew tasted exceptionally bitter today—resembling dishwater more than Darjeeling. Given his recent friction with the Head Maid, he suspected she might have actually used a floor mop to brew it.

[Lafitte] "I trusted your word when you told me to leave the matter to you. Yet, the Prince's favor toward that girl only seems to grow by the day."

The source of their fallout was the "Cat Maid." There was no other cause.

These two staunch traditionalists, who had spent their lives serving the Imperial family, could not tolerate a commoner in the palace. They had agreed to erase this anomaly from the Prince's side.

Their strategy was simple: erode the Prince's trust in her first.

The Head Maid had promised success, and the Chamberlain had believed her. It seemed impossible for a seasoned veteran like Aldwin to be outmatched by a single girl.

But the results were nonexistent. Aside from a minor rumor about an accident, nothing had changed. If anything, the palace buzzed with scandalous whispers of the Prince's favoritism—how he showered her with gifts and escorted her personally.

With thirty-seven years of service, Lafitte considered himself the living embodiment of Imperial loyalty. This was an affront he could not endure.

[Lafitte] "Are you even working, Countess?"

[Aldwin] "Do not dare question my efforts!"

Her voice sharpened. Overwhelmed by stress, she abandoned her tea, snapped open a sugar jar, and began crunching on sugar cubes with feral intensity.

[Aldwin] "The task is not as simple as it looks."

Clack!

He set his teacup down, his displeasure echoing in the sound.

[Lafitte] "Is that your excuse? You, the Head Maid, find a single girl difficult to handle?"

[Aldwin] "She is unnervingly clever. It is as if she were born to bewitch people."

Crunch!

She ground a second sugar cube between her teeth.

According to her, the Cat Maid's allies were multiplying. Even the maids under her direct command had started praising the girl, claiming she worked diligently despite her status. Even the Royal Guard, who served the Prince, now lingered around the girl's quarters at all hours.

Every trap she set failed to catch her. She couldn't even tamper with the girl's meals, as the responsibility would fall directly back on her department.

His brow furrowed as he listened to the litany of failures.

[Lafitte] "Is she truly that formidable?"

[Aldwin] "She is. And to make matters worse, the Prince has recovered from his illness entirely."

The story of how the Prince's lethal cold vanished overnight thanks to the Cat Maid's medicine had already reached every corner of the palace—even the rats in the cellar knew of it.

[Lafitte] "What of the court physician? Surely he is offended by this encroachment on his duties?"

[Aldwin] "Forget him. That man is so lazy, he would celebrate if a street urchin offered to do his rounds for him."

[Lafitte] "How disgraceful."

Crunch.

The sound of shattering sugar cubes filled the silence.

[Lafitte] "What then? I tried to test the waters with Captain Eaton, but the man is useless. How can the Captain of the Guard care so little for a situation that clearly stains the Prince's reputation?"

[Aldwin] "Discard him from your plans. Eaton is a man who recognizes nothing but the Prince's direct commands. He would walk into a fire if told to do so, reputation be damned."

[Lafitte] "Hmph...... I suppose so."

The Chamberlain took another sip of his tea, winced at the soapy aftertaste, and leaned in.

[Lafitte] "I have given this some thought."

[Aldwin] "Oh? And you chose now to share it?"

[Lafitte] "A conversation requires a proper flow, Countess. Surely a woman of your standing understands the importance of atmosphere."

One had to set the stage before delivering the killing blow; only then would people listen.

[Lafitte] "We have been overlooking the core of the problem."

[Aldwin] "The core?"

[Lafitte] "Yes. The heart of this issue is not the girl. It is the cat."

[Aldwin] "The cat......?"

[Lafitte] "The Prince installed that girl in the Crown Princess' chambers because of the animal, did he not? He wished to keep the cat close."

[Aldwin] "That is what he claimed, yes."

[Lafitte] "Then the one we must evict is the cat, not the maid."

[Aldwin] "Aha."

Crunch.

The sound of breaking sugar became slightly more dignified. The Head Maid nodded as the sweetness finally hit her system.

[Aldwin] "An astute observation. But how? One cannot exactly scold a cat into leaving."

[Lafitte] "We replace it. We bring in a feline so magnificent it renders the current one obsolete."

[Aldwin] "Pardon?"

She blinked her wrinkled eyes in confusion.

[Aldwin] "Will that work? Numerous pedigree cats have passed through this palace, yet the Prince never spared them a glance. You know this better than anyone."

[Lafitte] "This time is different. There is a saying: one may find a person who has never held a cat, but one will never find a person who has held a cat only once."

He knew the allure of the feline form better than most; seven of them ruled his own household. The Prince had finally awakened to the charm of a cat. It stood to reason he could be swayed by another, even more beautiful specimen.

[Aldwin] "I see......"

She tilted her head, still skeptical.

[Lafitte] "I have already made inquiries. Count Gibero is quite the connoisseur of rare breeds. When I mentioned our predicament, he promised to procure the most exquisite cat on the continent."

[Aldwin] "It seems you've arranged everything without me."

She tapped the sugar jar, her disapproval evident.

[Lafitte] "The opportunity arose when Count Gibero failed to secure an audience with the Prince earlier......"

In reality, it wasn't Lafitte's "creative genius" that spawned the idea. The Countess Gibero had whispered the suggestion in his ear.

[Aldwin] "Do you have any idea how much work a new beast creates for my staff? You should have consulted me."

[Lafitte] "Are you opposing the plan, then?"

She wasn't. As she had lamented earlier, they were out of options.

[Aldwin] "Very well. We shall try it. But if it fails, the beast leaves immediately."

[Lafitte] "Agreed."

The two shared a sharp look and clinked their lukewarm cups together in a silent pact.

That afternoon, a letter bearing the official Imperial seal was delivered secretly to the Gibero estate.

---

[Clobell] "Rosie?"

[Roserikta] "......"

[Clobell] "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

[Roserikta] "......"

[Clobell] "Meow! I'm talking to you!"

Thump!

She pounced from the curtain rod onto the bed, startling Roserikta.

[Roserikta] "Ah...... Clobell? Was that you?"

[Clobell] "Honestly! You're so young, yet you spend your time staring into space like a ghost! Get a grip!"

[Roserikta] "Did you call me? Why? Is something wrong?"

[Clobell] "Something is wrong with you. You claim to be working on the antidote, yet you've spent hours staring at the wall in silence. It's creeping me out."

[Roserikta] "Oh...... it's nothing like that. I was just thinking about how to formulate the remedy."

She narrowed her eyes. A cat's intuition was nothing to scoff at.

[Clobell] "Do I look like a broomstick to you? You think I can't tell when you're lying?"

[Roserikta] "What do you think you know?"

Her voice went cold—a defensive reflex. But Clobellina wasn't easily fooled.

[Clobell] "I've lived with you for three years. I know when something is up. You've been acting suspiciously ever since the Prince fell ill."

[Roserikta] "......"

Damn cat. Why must she be so clever? I should have brought her some snacks to distract her.

[Clobell] "You're always so strict with me about being careful, yet you grabbed that bottle of Axaca powder and ran off. Didn't you say he only had a cold?"

[Roserikta] "I didn't know that then! I thought it was the potion's side effects."

[Clobell] "So you just take Axaca powder? Is it some miracle cure-all now? Does it magically fix love potions and everything else?"

She flipped open her recipe book as the cat's interrogation grew more persistent.

[Roserikta] "I thought he was dying! I couldn't just stand by and watch."

[Clobell] "Why would a man who looked perfectly fine suddenly be on his deathbed?"

[Roserikta] "Actually...... the potion hasn't lost its effect."

[Clobell] "It hasn't?"

[Roserikta] "No. It seems to have intensified."

[Clobell] "Huh? But he doesn't even call for me anymore."

[Roserikta] "That's because...... the effect is manifesting differently now."

She explained the situation. The Love Potion amplified existing emotions. Human love was a complex tapestry, and one of its threads was physical desire. Since the Prince couldn't feel such things for a cat, that energy had shifted toward another target.

Clobellina, being a sharp cat, understood immediately.

[Clobell] "So, he wants to have a mating season with you?"

[Roserikta] "Clobell!"

Her cheeks flared a deep crimson. Clobellina casually scratched behind her ear with a paw.

[Clobell] "All animals do it. Why hide it? Even cats have their seasons."

[Roserikta] "I know, but...... that's......"

[Clobell] "So that's why he's been hovering around you instead of me? Typical. I didn't realize human love was so fickle."

[Roserikta] "Fickle......?"

[Clobell] "Of course! One moment he's obsessed with me, and the next he's doing that with you. It hasn't even been that long. It's hilarious."

[Roserikta] "Well...... you can't exactly kiss a cat, can you?"

[Clobell] "Did you kiss him?"

[Roserikta] "......"

Caught. The heat drained from her face, leaving her pale. She assumed a stern expression—her usual mask for embarrassment.

[Roserikta] "He was delirious with fever. He wasn't in his right mind."

[Clobell] "A witch doesn't catch colds."

[Roserikta] "Not me. The Prince."

[Clobell] "Exactly. Which means you were in your right mind."

[Roserikta] "......"

She had no defense.

She had kissed him with perfect clarity, without the excuse of a potion or a fever.

Clobellina twitched her whiskers meaningfully.

[Clobell] "Do you have feelings for him?"

[Roserikta] "......"

She couldn't deny it.

[Clobell] "Look at you. This is a disaster. Is that why you aren't making the antidote? Do you plan to play house with him?"

[Roserikta] "No."

She took a deep breath. By the moon, she meant it. She knew exactly how reckless and dangerous her feelings were.

[Roserikta] "Abosolutely, no. I want to finish the antidote as soon as possible and return to my old life. That will never change, no matter what happens."

[Clobell] "What about your feelings, then?"

[Roserikta] "The Prince doesn't love me. He's under the influence of a potion. As a pharmacist, I cannot ignore that truth."

[Clobell] "Are you sure?"

[Roserikta] "Yes."

She pulled Clobellina into her arms. The cat was warm and soft. When she pressed her cheek against her, she could feel the tiny, rapid thrum of the cat's heart. This life was enough for her.

[Roserikta] "You know, Clobell......"

[Clobell] "I'm listening."

She let out a soft purr. Despite her teasing, she sensed Roserikta needed comfort.

[Roserikta] "I wasn't a witch born under the moonlight."

[Clobell] "I know that."

[Roserikta] "Yes, you did."

Not being born under the moonlight meant she was the child of a witch, but raised by human hands. Her mother had fallen in love with a human man and given birth—an act that shattered the Lunar Vow. Stripped of the moon's protection, the witch tried to live as a human, but failed. She succumbed to human illness and died within a few years.

The human man, consumed by the loss of the witch he loved so dearly, followed her soon after. To a human, a witch was like a fragrant poison; without an antidote, it was never safe. He met a similar end only a few years later.

The child was left an orphan. She learned the meaning of loneliness and grief before she could even read. If a witch hadn't appeared on a beam of moonlight to find her, she would have died a lonely human child.

[Roserikta] "My grandmother told me I was a witch. But a witch must receive a lunar baptism on the day she is born. I never did. My magic is fractured—it is only half-complete."

[Clobell] "Is that why?"

[Roserikta] "Yes. I won't live a long life. I'm not a complete witch. If my grandmother hadn't been such a skilled pharmacist, I would have died in childhood. All of this......"

......because a witch loved a human man.

There was always a price. She wanted that price to end with her. She refused to drag anyone else into that tragedy. It was too heartbreaking.

[Roserikta] "The Versaryl Pharmacy in the Witches' Kingdom is magnificent. Every witch buys their medicine there. But I can never see it. I cannot find the path to the kingdom. My grandmother had no choice but to open a shop in the capital because of me."

That was another part of the price. How her grandmother must have missed her home. She could have returned at any time if she hadn't taken Roserikta in.

[Roserikta] "I want to spend my life making good medicine in that shop. I want people to remember Versaryl as the place where they found help. That is my only goal."

Not a dangerous romance that demanded a heavy toll.

[Roserikta] "So there's no disaster. We finish the antidote, administer it, and go home."

[Clobell] "Let's do that, then."

She tapped Roserikta's hand with her paw. It was enough. Roserikta gave the paw a gentle shake.

She had to stay strong. She had Clobellina, her pharmacy, and a purpose.

[Roserikta] "I really need to find that sapphire now. Where should I start?"

[Clobell] "Why not ask that maid, Elona? She might know something."

[Roserikta] "Perhaps. I'll go find her now."

[Clobell] "Should I come with you?"

For a cat who hated moving, this was a massive concession.

She smiled and shook her head.

[Roserikta] "No, I'll be quick. It's better if I go alone. If the Head Maid sees Lady Elona talking to me in private, it will only cause her trouble."

[Clobell] "Fine. Be careful."

[Roserikta] "I will."

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