I was naive. I should’ve escaped secretly in the middle of the night!
What was waiting for me when I overslept and woke up the next day was a collar with a bell attached to it.
“Myaaaak!”
Why won’t this damn thing come off! I tried backing up, and I pulled at the collar with my front and hind paws, but it was useless.
“I heard they usually don’t find it uncomfortable…”
As I stood awkwardly like a broken cat wearing a cone, Lippert murmured while rubbing his chin. He then called someone over to ask about a few things.
“He hates it so much—is this really the right fit?”
“If he’s never worn a collar before, he might dislike it at first. That’s especially true for cats.”
The man who had obviously brought this garbage collar passionately explained its benefits.
“As you can see, since there’s no leash, there’s absolutely no risk of it getting tangled around his body or choking him. If anything, it’s much more comfortable…”
So basically, it was enchanted so that the pet couldn’t stray more than a few meters from its owner, making it an essential item for nobles carrying pets around these days.
“Even if he finds it uncomfortable, please keep it on him. The count isn’t particularly fond of animals, you see.”
“Then it can’t be helped. Thank you for the explanation.”
Realizing there was no other choice, Lippert smiled faintly and dismissed the man.
“I’ll take it off when we’re in the room.”
The collar, which wouldn’t come off no matter how much of a fit I threw, unlatched far too easily under Lippert’s touch.
The second I became a free body, I tried to charge for the door, but a massive hand lightly lifted me up and set me right on his lap.
“Where are you trying to go the moment I take it off?”
“Weoooong!!”
Don’t hold me!!
“…Shh, good boy.”
At the hand stroking my back, I flared my eyes wide and pushed myself up. Just as I tried to escape his lap and leap down to the sofa, my waist was grabbed again.
“If you keep acting like this, I’m not going to want to take it off.”
Lippert gently swung the collar held in his left hand. Almost like he was threatening me.
“Sit.”
I pretended to sit obediently, but my mind was completely filled with the thought of snatching that collar.
I’ll jump and snatch it in one go!
Lowering my body like a cat before a hunt, I quietly let my eyes shine.
Now’s the chance! Just as I put power into my hind legs and tried to spring up, a palm pressed down firmly on my forehead.
“Haha, you’re really something else.”
“Waoooowwwng…”
“Wait.”
The man’s languid laughter echoed above my head.
“There. Good boy.”
Why is this so goddamn infuriating? I was straining with all my might to push his palm away, but watching him laugh and praise me like that pissed me off in a weird way.
Grouting my eyes upward fiercely, I slammed my head into his hand with all the strength I had. I should’ve possessed a bull instead. If I had, that bastard wouldn’t be sitting there laughing so casually.
What a missed opportunity.
Hey! I’m thankful you saved me, but let me go already!
Another day passed. During that time, I snatched at any opportunity to run away whenever I got the chance, but I failed every single time.
As if he’d realized I was trying to run, the bastard strapped the magic collar around my neck before going to sleep. And he only took it off when he was awake.
True to his role as a villain, he was a ridiculously cruel bastard.
“Why do you look so discontented?”
Since I’d been glaring up sullenly since morning, Lippert reached out his hand.
“I saved your life, so you shouldn’t be acting like that.”
The fingers sliding under my chin tickled as they scratched. I’m already pissed off because I can’t go back!
I gripped his hand tightly with both front paws. Then I opened my mouth and began gnawing and biting the side of his palm.
“Ah… Are you teething? That hurts more than I thought.”
A slow laugh leaked from Lippert’s mouth. Acting like it hurts when it doesn't even hurt at all.
“I’m your savior. Shouldn’t you be acting cute instead of biting me?”
Without even pulling his hand away, the guy who had willingly surrendered one hand to me spoke. Acting cute my ass! Die!
In the webtoon, he was supposed to be a pretty terrifying final villain, but for some reason, I was getting more and more comfortable around him by the day.
When you thought about it, Lippert was only ruthless toward his targets of revenge and those involved with them; otherwise, he was a villain with a lot of human qualities.
If anything, he was actually quite kind to people. In particular, even when he could have used the weak or innocent citizens for his revenge, he never did.
Saving me was like that, too… He’s definitely not a bad guy.
The problem was that his target of revenge was the male lead’s family.
In the webtoon, Lippert tries to kill the male lead’s younger brother and even the heroine whom the male lead loves. Although he fails because the male lead blocks him, he was a human being with no blood or tears when it came to his revenge.
Wait a second, I’m the pet cat of the heroine whom the male lead loves… Will he try to kill me too if he finds out?
I froze and stopped biting his palm. The only reason I could mess around with a villain was that he kept business and personal matters completely separate.
What if I end up on his revenge hit list too? Feeling a late surge of worry, I slily lifted my teeth, only for—
“You were biting so hard, why did you stop?”
Lippert looked down at me with puzzled eyes.
“Maong.”
“Did you get tired of it already?”
Long fingers tickled my body as if launching a counterattack. Tickle, tickle—as his fingers persistently dug into my chest and belly, I bared my teeth and lunged again.
“Waaang-ang-k, maoooww-oo-rk!”
You crazy bastard, stop touching me!
I rebelled by repeatedly kicking his arm with my hind paws. After pinning me down and tickling me for a long time, the guy’s hand finally pulled away.
Nope, this won't do. I lunged straight back at him.
“Waoooong!!”
“Hahaha.”
This was self-defense.
Even if he finds out later that I’m the pet cat of the heroine the male lead loves, won't he give me some kind of pass? He was the one who messed with me first in the first place!
I held onto his hand and gnawed with my teeth until my anger subsided. A long while later, Lippert pulled his hand out from my grip.
“Oh, dear. Suckling on me like a baby left my hand completely covered in slobber.”
“Waoo-uh-oo-er-oong!! Weoouuong!!!”
When did I suckle on it!! I was biting it!!!
Even as I lunged in a fury, Lippert leisurely pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his hand.
“Even after going through something like that at the hands of a human, you’re not scared of me at all, are you?”
He then slid his hand under my chin again to scratch it.
“What an impressive little thing.”
The hand touching my chin quickly pulled away.
Tch. If he’d been just a little closer, I could’ve bitten that finger.
Late at night, with the bell collar strapped around my neck, I fell asleep on the sofa. It was uncomfortable and annoying, but as long as this was on me, there was nothing I could do.
I’d just have to get a good sleep, wake up, and try escaping again tomorrow…
How long had I been sleeping? I suddenly woke up at a faint presence.
“…We’re going to perform the ritual as scheduled, so make the preparations. Ah, did you look into that man’s identity?”
It was Lippert’s voice. There was someone else in the room besides him.
“He’s a man named Bill who lives in a village called Oslin. Upon investigation, it turns out he was kicked out of another village two years ago after causing trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“He was trash who tried to violate a woman, got caught by the villagers, and was beaten within an inch of his life. He escaped with his elderly father and has been living alone with him in Oslin.”
“If it’s Oslin, that’s a village located right below the capital, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It’s one of the villages you pass through when coming up to the capital from the southern region. At any rate, it seems his father retrieved the body.”
Low, quiet voices conversed nearby. They spoke as if sharing a secret.
“And regarding the person named Aria whom you asked about, I looked into her further as well…”
My two ears twitched at the familiar name. I focused all my attention on my ears while pretending not to be awake.
“She was running a teahouse in the same village. And it’s said she recently lost the cat she was raising.”
“So he really was a cat with an owner.”
Tinged in his voice was a sense of regret.
“It seems you’ve taken quite a liking to him during the short time you’ve had him.”
“I didn’t know cats were such hilarious creatures. The more I look at him, the more charming he is.”
I’m not asleep. I’m listening.
“Normally he won’t come near me first, but when it comes to biting, he lunges with all his might. It’s hilarious.”
Heh, heh. A slightly suppressed, low laughter sounded. The conversation between Lippert and the unknown individual didn’t last long.
“Thanks for your hard work then. You may go.”
“Yes, Lord Lippert.”
In an instant, the presence vanished. I figured it was likely villain Lippert’s confidant.
While making that guess internally, I heard footsteps coming from the direction of the window. Eavesdropping, I curled my body and went back to pretending to be asleep.
Soon, a warm hand landed on top of my head. The touch slowly stroking me so as not to wake me up tickled.
“I suppose I have to send him back. Though I hate to let him go…”
A bitter murmur reached my ears, but I kept pretending not to hear until the very end.