The Duke’s Companion

Something like a pure white magnolia grew faintly in front of my eyes.

As my sight gradually focused, and the afterimage in front of me became clear, I realized that the magnolia was someone’s soft white hair.

‘… Who is it?’

The owner of the white hair resembling the moonlight was a strange woman. Between the flowing hair, I could see long eyelashes and sea-colored eyes.

She exuded a mysterious and enigmatic aura, unlike any other human I’d ever seen. Maybe that’s why it’s hard to take my eyes off the strange woman.

She smiled broadly in the sun. As the breeze blew in the field full of flowers, white hair fluttered like a feather.

Even though I saw her for the first time, I felt strangely happy.

‘Who could she be that makes me feel this way?’

Suddenly, an unfamiliar hand appeared in my sight. The face of the owner of the hand, which seemed bigger, was blurred as only the tip of the woman’s head was visible. Someone’s hand tugged her hair, ruffled by the wind, behind her ears.

Her hand, lovingly brushing her hair, tickled her cheek, then came back a little and grabbed her chin lightly. The woman’s blue eyes, looking up, shone lovingly.

‘It’s weird… What’s wrong with me?’

There was an urge to reach out to her. Would she hold me if I reached out my paws to her?

‘If I had long arms and hands like a human, instead of short legs and front paws…’

If I did, I might reach her…

‘If only I had a human form like that woman…!’

There was a splash of something. Surprised, my eyes widened. A familiar landscape came into my view from the field and the woman’s appearance a while ago.

‘Dream…’

I was frustrated by the overwhelming feeling of despair. I had no idea what was so disappointing.

“Oh, Aryl, what did you do?”

When I turned to gaze at those words, I saw Mamella lifting a thick book that had fallen on the floor. I stared at Mamella like that for a moment without thinking, then came to my senses. This isn’t in the box…

What happened? I’m sure I slept, but… Was it all a dream that I made an accident?

What? Is that what happened, well I guess?

I flopped over Mamella’s legs in relief. Oh, I just fell asleep. Yeah, there’s a stinky sofa over there…

Unconsciously turning to the sofa, and glanced over the wide space. Frustrated, I looked at the place where the sofa was supposed to be and looked back at Mamella.

Mamella calmly said, “Oh, I threw away the sofa.”

‘… What do you mean? No, I can’t understand it, but I think I know what happened under the circumstances. She must have thrown it away because she couldn’t use it!’

Cleaning while I was asleep for a while. Maybe Mamella had an accident as she saw me taking a nap.

I closed my eyes tightly in dizziness. Not only that, it was as if she had pulled me out of the box.

Well, even if I’m a troublemaker and have no manners or conscience, wasn’t it just right to hate me?

I hurriedly got up and stumbled. Then Mamella’s eyes widened, and she said, “Are you not apologizing right now?”

“Meow~”

I lowered my gaze, I wanted to say I won’t cause an accident or trouble again, but I couldn’t. 

Why can’t cats speak the human language? When I looked up tearfully, Mamella’s expression relaxed. 

Then she said with a sigh, “… Okay. I brought you from the beginning with the mind that I would be responsible for you. I don’t think a little kid like you knows anything.”

Mamella put her hand over my head. Her little hand began to stroke my head, and I rubbed against it.

“Meow~”

“All right, all right. I won’t get mad. Instead, if you’re going to cause an accident in the future, please give me time. Let me be prepared…”

Mamella’s voice and expression loosened. For some reason, she didn’t scold me. It was enough to make me nervous…

It was fortunate that I didn’t have to use my secret charm. Instead of picking up the whip that day, Mamella brought something strange.

I looked up at Mamella’s arms as something long, and rectangular in the corner of the room.

‘What is that?’

As if she had read my mind, she approached the suspicious object and dropped me off. I snooped around and looked up at her again.

“From now on, play with this instead of the sofa, okay?”

I shook my head. Even if you tell me that, I won’t understand…

Perhaps because she noticed that I was constantly puzzled, Mamella bent down and tried drawing nails on the object.

‘What?’

“You can do this.”

I glanced over and followed Mamella with my front paws outstretched. Then slowly, I clawed and scratched along.

‘Hey! What’s this?’

The feeling of scratching with my nails on the rough side that touches every time the front foot moves gave me considerable pleasure.

It’s different from scratching a sofa, a wall, or a desk leg. In addition, I feel like my nails are getting cleaner for some reason…

I lifted my head and looked at Mamella. 

‘Where did you get this stuff?’

She smiled as she watched me.

“Do you like it?”

“Meow…”

“Yeah, that’s good. I’ll have to put some on the desk side and the wall side as well. Can you see it over there? You’ve scratched it, and it’s a mess.”

Mamella said, pointing to the places where I had carefully marked my territory.

‘Oh, you’re just explaining how to do it that way.’

Also, Mamella was kind. She’s afraid I won’t understand, so she tells me directly through actions like before.

As a result, I often have a good understanding of Mamella. 

Mamella and I were clearly on the same wavelength, as expected.

Still, it would be better if I could understand human speech… Will I be able to understand human language after a little while?

When I met a cat that was older than me, I wanted to ask, but no matter how much I looked out the window, I couldn’t see a mouse, let alone a cat.

‘If I could understand what Mamella said, I would be pleased.’

I left the new thing alone and swung it into Mamella’s arms.

“Oh!”