TWFLLYM Ch 38
- Mar 17
- 8 min read
The Trap
He muttered to himself.
[Eaton] "Men infatuated with their lovers behave exactly like this. Just look at Arad. He wanders around every day with a goofy smile, missing half his mind."
Tracing his thoughts, he nodded, then immediately rejected the idea.
[Eaton] "If His Highness is merely going through the same phase, suspecting the cat maid is a waste of time. Besides, witches don't exist in this day and age. Sigh, I don't understand any of this."
One fact remained undeniable. The cat maid had fed His Highness something. Whether it was ordinary tea or a suspicious concoction made no difference.
His Highness knew this and tolerated it anyway. With the Prince taking that stance, Eaton could never mention the incident again.
[Eaton] "Then I must."
Only one conclusion remained.
He refused to believe she was a witch. However, if she harbored dark intentions, she would strike again. He had to keep her under strict surveillance.
A silent, crushing weight settled upon his shoulders.
[Eaton] "Protecting His Highness is my duty. Therefore, I must......"
He grumbled and continued his patrol. The sprawling basement forced the Royal Guard to scatter and search their assigned sectors individually.
[Eaton] "I must...... No, wait. Where am I?"
Lost in thought, he had wandered into an unfamiliar area. He stood in a bizarre room that he never knew existed within the basement.
Colossal mirrors occupied the four walls of the otherwise empty space.
[Eaton] "Do they store mirrors here?"
The precise arrangement of the mirrors contradicted the idea of simple storage. They stood perfectly aligned, leaving the center bare, waiting for an occupant.
[Eaton] "What is the purpose of this room? Why does a place like this......"
He stepped between the mirrors. He immediately stumbled backward in shock.
He had assumed the room was empty. However, a figure stood reflected in the glass.
[Eaton] "Who is there!"
Confronting the stranger, he gripped his sword hilt and shouted.
The figure, previously facing away, turned toward him.
A bizarre phenomenon unfolded.
The four mirrors reflected only Eaton. The rest of the room vanished from the glass. The isolation thrust him into an entirely different dimension.
More astoundingly, the stranger standing before him cast no reflection.
Eaton missed this detail completely. The stranger's presence stole his sanity.
[Countess] "We meet for the first time, Captain of the Guard."
The woman possessed a breathtaking beauty that obliterated all rational thought.
No living mortal could rival her exquisite features.
Indescribable emotions churned within his gut. Every nerve in his body fixated on the unparalleled beauty before him. A sudden, desperate urge to drop to his knees and weep overwhelmed him.
His eyes glazed over, losing focus.
[Eaton] "Who...... are you?"
The violet-eyed beauty placed a finger over her lips instead of answering.
Eaton clamped a hand over his own mouth without hesitation.
Her silent command demanded absolute obedience. He would gladly die if she ordered it.
[Countess] "Perhaps you are just naive."
The beauty mimicked lifting his chin with her fingertips.
[Countess] "My power works perfectly on you, Captain."
[Eaton] "......"
He nodded, entirely ignorant of her meaning. Serving her in any capacity brought him absolute joy.
[Countess] "You will be far more useful than my idiotic husband."
Those words made his heart pound.
Eaton knelt on one knee with vacant eyes. A knight vowed to follow her to the ends of the earth.
[Countess] "You are quite adorable. Ah, don't kiss the back of my hand just yet. You can't touch me right now anyway."
Eaton, attempting to kiss her hand as a seal of his vow, froze instantly.
He stared at the beauty in a daze. Her alluring, dark-rose lips parted.
[Countess] "Become my hands and feet. Become my puppet. Do exactly as I command."
He clutched his chest and nodded frantically.
Willingly. Anything.
Countess Gibero smiled sweetly, anticipating his total submission.
[Lafitte] "Is it finished now?"
The Chamberlain asked anxiously.
Lafitte entertained Count Gibero inside the restricted Jewelry Room, a vault accessible only to the Chamberlain.
A black cat lay limp and fast asleep in the corner of the room. It was Clobellina.
[Count] "It will only take a moment longer."
Lafitte glanced toward the tightly shut door.
[Lafitte] "The Royal Guard could storm this room at any second. If they discover I hid the cat, the consequences will be dire."
He operated strictly on loyalty.
Lafitte placed absolute trust in Count Gibero, the man who exposed the cat maid's true identity.
The Count's choosing him for this secret mission proved an unwavering devotion to the Imperial family.
The Count's demand to isolate the Captain of the Guard remained baffling. Why did they need Eaton alone?
Separating Baronet Eaton from the Crown Prince was an agonizing task. The Captain's loyalty matched the Chamberlain's own fierce devotion.
Luring Eaton to a specific basement room without the Prince's knowledge proved especially tricky. Summoning the Captain under the Chamberlain's name would undoubtedly reach Kalart's ears.
Therefore, they resorted to kidnapping the black cat.
Lafitte constantly questioned if deceiving the Prince and stalling his actions qualified as loyalty.
More pressingly, the Royal Guard's search grid expanded by the minute.
[Count] "Just a little longer......"
Count Gibero checked his pocket watch, tracking the time.
The Count's behavior hinted at an ulterior motive rather than pure loyalty. Unlike his previous immaculate visit, he looked entirely disheveled today. Sweat soaked his clothes, betraying a frantic rush.
Lafitte would have reprimanded the man's profound disrespect if this were not a covert meeting.
Lafitte swallowed his rising anger and spoke again.
[Lafitte] "His Highness will be exceptionally displeased if he uncovers this scheme, Count."
[Count] "Just a bit more...... Ah! It is done!"
Count Gibero leaped to his feet.
Lafitte scowled, completely ignorant of what the man had accomplished.
[Lafitte] "Count! Lower your voice. What if someone hears you?"
Count Gibero answered half-heartedly, his gaze locked on the pocket watch. He acted like a man entirely devoid of sanity. He displayed none of this erratic behavior during their last meeting. It was baffling.
[Count] "That cat will wake up soon, so just toss it outside. It will walk back on its own once it regains consciousness. Now, I must take my leave."
[Lafitte] "Excuse me? You claimed you needed the Captain of the Guard, yet you left without even speaking to him?"
Count Gibero stormed out of the Jewelry Room, completely ignoring the Chamberlain's protests.
[Clobell] "Meow......"
Clobellina twisted her body and let out a weak cry, stirring from her slumber.
Startled, Lafitte scrambled to dump the feline outside the vault.
The Royal Guard had just begun interrogating the servants of Kyrien Castle under Kalart's orders.
[Guard] "Your Highness! We found the cat!"
Absurdly, she reappeared with perfect timing.
A maid from Kyrien Castle discovered her near the basement storage room connected to the kitchen.
According to the maid, the plump black cat was sniffing the air and circling the locked storage door.
[Roserikta] "Ah......"
Hearing the report, Roserikta collapsed in relief.
Kalart swiftly supported her weight. He asked the guard with flawless rational composure, devoid of any emotional shift.
[Kalart] "Excellent news. Where is Clobell?"
[Guard] "We dared not touch the creature, so we are guiding her back on foot."
[Kalart] "Understood."
He gave a curt nod. He then turned to Roserikta, whose face displayed a complex mix of relief and fury, and offered a bright smile.
[Kalart] "I am glad. It was nothing serious after all."
[Roserikta] "Yes, Your Highness. However......"
She fought with all her might to stop herself from grinding her teeth.
That damned cat. Is she trying to kill me with stress?
She vanished without a word, only to loiter in front of a pantry door?
Hah, unbelievable.
Beyond her anger, intense embarrassment made it impossible to meet Kalart's gaze.
I acted so pathetically, convinced she was in a fatal accident. I nearly wept. And because of that, we even kissed...…
Hah, this is maddening.
[Roserikta] "This damned cat. Just wait until I......"
A quiet, venomous grumble slipped past her lips.
His sharp hearing caught every syllable.
[Kalart] "It will be of no use pretending to be pitiful. For Clobell, that is."
[Roserikta] "Pardon?"
She stared at him in panic. Kalart, still supporting her back with his large hand, narrowed his eyes and met her gaze.
She recognized the expression. It was a massive, completely genuine smile.
Why...... why is he smiling?
And what did those words mean? '"No use pretending to be pitiful.'"
That was......
It was her own phrase.
The night of the Grand Banquet. Furious after catching the runaway Clobellina, she had spat those exact words.
[Roserikta] "Just wait until we get home."
[Kalart] "Just wait until we get home."
His voice perfectly overlaid the memory echoing in her mind.
He heard me back then.
She gaped at him, paralyzed by shock.
He witnessed the event that day. He watched me drag Clobell away under the invisibility cloak.
That...... must have been a bizarre sight. Clobell would have vanished into thin air.
He witnessed that impossible scene and still kept me by his side? Without demanding to know my true identity?
This man...... what exactly is he?
[Kalart] "Ah, here comes Clobell now."
He gently turned her to face the approaching Clobellina.
[Clobell] "Meooow!"
[Clobell] "Rosie. What is going on? What happened to me?"
She spoke as she trudged forward. Roserikta buried her racing thoughts about Kalart and sprinted toward the feline.
[Roserikta] "Clobell! You!"
She snatched her off the floor.
[Clobell] "Hey, listen to me! I didn't do it on purpose......"
[Roserikta] "Do you know how many people suffered because of you? If you wanted to leave, you should have said something! And you knew we had to return to the capital soon! Why did you wander off!"
[Clobell] "Rosie, calm down! Why are you yelling at me? This isn't my fault! I didn't do this on purpose."
[Roserikta] "Words won't save you this time. Prepare to get your backside smacked."
[Clobell] "Hey! Do you know how old I am? A spanking is ridiculous! I have my dignity!"
[Roserikta] "Be quiet."
She swallowed her heavy breaths and turned back to Kalart. Regardless of her fury, a higher priority demanded her attention.
[Roserikta] "Your Highness. I am deeply ashamed of causing such unnecessary trouble. If you generously forgive her just this once, I will discipline her severely to guarantee this never happens again. I have no excuses, Your Highness."
[Kalart] "There is no need to apologize. I found the entire ordeal quite enjoyable. I am merely relieved Clobell avoided an accident."
His gentle tone shocked everyone in the room, excluding Roserikta.
The disappearance of one cat had upended the entire castle. The Crown Prince, who suffered the most inconvenience due to the delayed departure, now claimed he found the chaos entertaining.
But why?
The Royal Guard and the maids exchanged baffled glances, radiating pure confusion.
He ordered them to scour under the beds of the servants' quarters, yet he considered this fun?
Even stranger, the cat maid's cheeks burned crimson at his words.
[Roserikta] "Well...... still, this is her fault and my own carelessness, Your Highness."
[Kalart] "I know. And it is also a fact that it brought me unexpected joy."
The cat maid stared blankly into the air, unable to meet his eyes.
Such behavior warranted a reprimand for disrespect during an audience with royalty. Yet the Crown Prince simply smiled, relishing every second.
No, describing it as a simple smile fell woefully short.
The Prince's grin radiated amusement alongside a profoundly suggestive, erotic tension.
The maids, who had never witnessed a single smile from the Crown Prince, stared with violently quivering pupils.
What is this? Why is his smile so wicked?
What exactly happened between those two?
Are those scandalous rumors actually true?
[Kalart] "I wouldn't mind if incidents like this happened more often. In that regard, I should stay on Clobell's good side."
After delivering a statement bound to terrorize the staff, His Highness cast a deeply meaningful glance at the black cat.
Good heavens.
What do we do?
They thought His Highness was a scentless flower. They were wrong. He possessed devastating handsomeness, lethal charm, and an overwhelming seductive aura.
While the maids screamed internally, Roserikta grasped the hidden meaning behind his words and grew increasingly flustered.
The more flustered she became, the hotter and more affectionate his gaze burned.
The departure schedule for the capital, delayed by the feline search, finally resumed.
However, no one knew the truth.
The journey back to the capital would stretch far longer than anyone anticipated.
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