Chapter 4

Thinking of Ashtelin Pharadi, Marquis Salame narrowed his eyes.

‘I have to tell Clemence. Ashtelin Pharadi, this arrogant thing. You dare to humiliate me.’ Marquis Salame was weak against the strong but strong against the weak. When he saw Ashtelin, he thought that there was nothing much about this girl.

The marquis felt sorry for seeing her struggling to be loved by others, so he used to insult Ashtelin often.

By the way!

She had bought all the Suin markets and interrupted his plans?

As if he couldn’t believe it, Marquis Salame muttered one more time.

“Ashtelin couldn’t have acted so aggressively. It’s only possible if she is directly targeting me, the Marquis!”

“Yes, she did. Sir Marquis, everything is true. She’s bought all of Pelperni’s Suin markets.”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t fulfill my orders.”

But for a moment, the Marquis of Salame was able to quench his anger. His voice rang cheerfully.

Okay.

By all means, he’ll be fine, since he’s got backup. “I guess you’re going to get people’s attention in a different way this time. I suppose so, right?”

“No, that’s not…”

“…Why can’t you answer?”

“Apologies, I’m sorry,” the escort broke into a cold sweat over the angry manner of the Marquis Salame. “That’s stupid. Shut up!”

“Ah, yes!”

Marquis Salame soothed his anger by biting on his lips. He lost the item he was going to give to Clemence as a gift because of the Ashtelin Pharadi. ‘When a mouse gets cornered, it bites the cat, and it’s just like that.’

The Marquis opened his mouth with a sullen grin.

“Cernando.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

“I know why Astane’s attitude has changed, now.” The Marquis smirked. “Go, keep an eye on her……”

“Yes!”

Marquis Salame was the type who was not good at controlling anger. Seeing his face burning red, the escort slowly stepped outside.

“Oh, I see, sir.”

Cernando quickly left the room.

Staring at the door which closed after the escort, the Marquis Salame began to grind his teeth.

The news that Ashtelin Pharadi had bought the entire Pelperni Suin market spread through social gossip. Apart from the anger of the Marquis Salame, social circles have begun to pay close attention to the new move of the young lady, who was the daughter of the Duke of Pharadi.

It was the same with the Duke of Pharadi, who began to pay attention to Ashtelin’s movements.

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So far, Ashtelin has not been interested in the repercussions of her move.

She was only thinking of raising her cat well and preventing the world from collapsing.

On her way back to the mansion with the sleeping cat in her arms, Ashtelin sang a cute lullaby to the cat.

The fact that the cat was a dragon made the cat as cute as it could be without Ashtelin knowing it.

Ashtelin, who had entered her room, found Orene standing there.

Just finished cleaning, Orenne was holding a broom in her hand.

“I know it’s just a servant girl’s job, but… I really want to get rid of the dust…”

Understanding Orenne’s mindset, Ashtelin nodded and looked around the room.

The shiny, ragged house had become clean!

Ashtelin smiled admirably at her shiny room.

“Good job, Orenne.”

“Oh, my lady! Thank you for the compliment.”

“The servant left earlier, didn’t he?”

“Yes. I sent out the men who stayed in the mansion.”

“Yeah, but could you please step out for a bit?”

“Yes!”

Orenne shut the door and went out. Astain slowly put the cat down on the bed.

“I’ll put it down here, miss.”

Her knight, Grisel, carefully laid the cat down on the bed.

‘He’s a little weird no matter how much you look at him?’

He looked like he was familiar with handling cats. Astain tilted her head and called his name.

“Yeah, Grisel. Thank you.”

“Ah, I… I have something to tell you, lady.”

In Ashtelin’s room, there were only two knights including Grisel.

He seemed to have something to say, but he smelled fishy.

‘Why do you keep standing behind me?’

Ashtelin relaxedly turned around and looked at him.

“So, Sir Grisel, what do you have to say?”

Astain asked generously. When Grizzell would leave, Astain was going to pet the cat to her heart’s content and give it lots of love.

Then Grisel, who met Astain’s eyes, whispered in a small voice.

“Well… you were interested in improving human rights in Suin but I didn’t expect you to go to the notorious Suin markets, like Pelperni Suin market, and free them…”

“……Uh, uhm?”

Ashtelin was briefly silent. She was not good at lying.

‘I like animals, but I’m actually an ice queen, and I know the world is going to be destroyed. That’s why I got it.’ I can’t say that.

Is Grisel going to leave yet?

That’s why Ashtelin chose silence. Grisel interpreted Astain’s silence and tried to soften his words.

“I’m sure you don’t want to be concerned about these things…”

When the markets were initially offered money, he was disappointed in Lady Ashtelin.

But now he couldn’t help but be sure that he was wrong.

‘How courageous would she have been to save the people, when she was such a passive character?’ He had been mistaken about such a great woman until now, and the lady Ashtelin Pharadi he thought was just an indecisive little girl. But look at today’s decision! She must have taken the precious rights of the people into account.

“Ha, the cutie keeps looking at me.”

‘Cute?’ He glanced at the cat on the bed, staring back at them.

The cat looked distracted. It looked up at the woman with a stiff look.

‘You’re my cutie,’ Ashtelin repeated again. ‘So, cutie, that’s the word for my little kitty……….’

Ferdnan was seriously shocked.

“Cute. What should your name be? Kissy, Beep, or something like that? Oh, my god. Ears, such a cute name. That’s a good one.” Then she planted a kiss on the cat.

The woman’s sense of naming was the worst. He couldn’t stand it.

‘How dare you kiss the great Dragon!’ He didn’t realize that he was currently trapped in a cat.

“What?”

Ferdnan let his voice flow directly into her head. A low and heavy voice came from the mouth of the white, blue-eyed cat.

“Oh, my God. Were you able to talk to people even when you are a cat? That’s even cuter. Let me give you a kiss.”

Ashtelin’s mindset was very strong. She didn’t even care about the incongruity of the cute cat face and the mid-to low-pitched voice.

It’s as if everything to her was cute.

“My name is not Kiss.”

Ferdnan jumped and fell back down on the bed. It was a very angry thud.

The woman who was looking at him covered her mouth.

“Ha, really…” The cat could even groan. ‘Are you scared? Of such a weak woman?’

Ferdan was generous enough to stop his anger.

Although he was trapped in the cat’s body, there must be a dragon’s Oora.

Ashtelin might be frightened by the oracle of fear. “Yes, cute cotton swab, then what’s your name? I’ll call you that.”

Ashtelin, who seemed very frightened, asked in a trembling voice.

“Why do you ask that?”

“If you don’t tell me your real name, I’ll call you Kiss.”

Fortnen replied in one second. “My real name is Ferdnan, and that’s Catelesia.”

By no means, the word kiss was unbearable and unacceptable.

Thanks to the curse, he could not introduce himself as a dragon.

However, he was the most perfect creature, a dragon, throughout all species of the world.

Therefore, Ferdnan thought humans would naturally obey him. The sad thing is that he was a cat now and his opponent was Ashtelin Pharadi.

The woman looked both very calm and satisfied.

But the satisfied gaze was not on Ferdnan, but on the cat, Catelesia. “Ferdnan, Catelesia. Yes, I finally succeeded in naming you both!”

Ashtelin, who spoke affectionately, raised both hands and gently scratched the jaws of Ferdnan and Catelesia. For a moment, Ferdnan flinched, questioning, “What does it mean to be a cat?”

This woman’s touch was so soft and sweet.

‘I’ve been feeling languid and cozy.’

‘Like walking on a fluffy marshmallow?’

‘It was the first time I felt it in my life.’

‘I felt as if I had become a “real” insignificant cat.’

He came to his senses as if he had been hit by cold water.

‘I’m sure there’s something in her hand. I’m sure.’

Once again, the scan showed that Ashtelin was an ordinary human being. It wasn’t even imprinted. Ashtelin’s touch felt just like a cozy home.

There was no way Ferdnan knew that it was a skill mastered after dying once.

Looking at Ashtelin, who was scratching his jaw for a long time, Ferdnan asked harshly.

“Succeeded? Did you originally know me and that cat?”

“No, I didn’t. But I know you’re both very cute.”

The woman who would only live for half of Ferdnan’s lifespan or shorter scratched him lightly again under his chin. Ferdnan managed his facial expression to protect his dignity as a dragon.

“Stop it.”

Fortnen simply said.

Watching a human woman remove her hands quickly, Ashtelin was embarrassed.

It was because she felt cold in the middle of her heart that the touch of fur had disappeared. “You must have been staying in the form of a cat for too long,” the woman asked in an urgent voice while Ferdnan remained alert. “You’re so cold, you don’t hate humans, do you?”

The woman asked cautiously. A female human being is a person whom dragons were most cautious of.

But Ferdnan’s attitude has changed since this was very suspicious. Does Ashtelin even know who he was?

“Our species originally do not like humans.”

‘Our species existed to bring down the human race.’

But Ashtelin could not hear that.

She only thought of Ferdnan as a cat. “Gosh, you’re saying that cats are already human-loathing? There’s a setback in our plans.”

The woman, who seemed shocked, murmured quietly.

‘Is it fair to say that you don’t like humans?’

Then, Catelesia walked over carefully.

Ashtelin’s shocked expression made him decide to express his opinion.

“Of course Ferdnan is right, but… I like humans. I like that lovely girl, too.”

“Be quiet.”

Fortnen sharply cut off Catelesia’s comment.

Astane, who couldn’t hear Catelesia, asked urgently. “Well, how can we get on better terms?”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“…… ”

Then, Ashtelin went into a state of panic. She even worried if she would accidentally upset Ferdnan. However, the current level between them was not that high.

“Yes, I’ve made up my mind.”

“What are you determined to do?”

“Ferdnan, I’ll show you human money and charm.”

It’s a common saying that one will spend money to seduce another. Ashtelin was devoutly in the possession of such riches.

“Well, why don’t you just trust me?”