Romiya told him over and over again that she loved him.
The greatest being in the world, yet infinitely weak in front of her, could be assured of her love.
“Do you want to turn into a cat?”
Just when Sigmund thought his heart might burst from happiness, Romiya whispered.
“Try turning into a cat again. You can do it, right?”
“A cat?”
If Romiya wanted, he could transform into a cat and even a cat’s claw, but he was bewildered.
“Why a cat all of a sudden? Oh, is it because I said I liked it earlier?”
Sigmund’s ears turned red. Romiya, who was considerate of his earlier disgraceful behavior, was both lovely and embarrassing.
“That’s part of it.”
Romiya smiled and hugged Sigmund’s head.
“It’s because I like it. When you become a cat, it feels like I’m protecting you. I want to protect you, too.”
“…Romiya.”
Sigmund let out a sigh like a groan. Bliss blossomed in his heart. He wondered if this feeling of happiness so profound it felt like dying was what it meant to be truly happy.
—
Meanwhile, someone else was watching the scene with a perplexed expression.
“What is that? Why is Lord Sig suddenly turning into a cat?”
Heinz said, stuck to the window with a dumbfounded look on his face.
“And they’re both smiling? Why? Shouldn’t they be angry? What is all this? Where did the couple’s fight go? Or the lovers’ quarrel? The breakup? When is Lord Sig finally going to get dumped?”
Kailas crossed her arms and shook her head in dismay.
Heinz grabbed his hair in frustration.
“Why on earth are they getting along better than before? Why!”
Since Kailas captured him, Heinz had been confined to the consultation room.
Kailas lacked the power to physically restrain a grand mage, but she had an unyielding determination.
No matter how much Heinz pointed at the door, demanded it be opened, or even threatened with magic, Kailas stood firmly in front of it and declared:
“You can’t leave until their situation is resolved.”
“What does that have to do with me!”
“I decided to help Lord Sigmund. I have to take his side.”
“Take his side? Since when is that a thing?”
“It’s a thing now. I was reborn as Lady Leticia’s wing thanks to Lord Sigmund’s arrangements, so I owe him. So, wait until the two of them reach a conclusion. Would you like some tea?”
“Hey. Do you even know who I am? Do you know what kind of power I have?”
“I do. But what kind of tea would you like? Something sweet? I thought your taste might have changed to that of a child, given your appearance.”
“Just get out of my way! I don’t want to mess with you either! Let’s resolve this peacefully!”
“Cocoa often brings peace to the heart. But I have other options too. Many children fear hospitals, so I stocked up on snacks. How about some candy?”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Okay. Then I’ll prepare cocoa and candy for you.”
“What kind of lunatic are you!”
Kailas was, in a word, a polite but incomprehensible force like an emotionless machine.
For Heinz, who excelled at provoking others to get what he wanted, Kailas was his natural enemy. After several failed attempts, Heinz revised his strategy.
Fine, since it’s come to this, I’ll enjoy the show!
He had given up on mocking Sigmund due to Kailas’s sudden intervention, but he wouldn’t miss out on this entertainment.
The most amusing thing in the world is watching a fight.
Especially a lovers’ quarrel!
‘Of course, they’re not married yet, but still.’
Despite Kailas’s disdainful gaze, Heinz kept his eyes glued to Sigmund and Romiya. It had even been Heinz who manipulated Whitten to approach Romiya.
Everything went according to plan until Sigmund reverted to his true form before Romiya. Until that point, the thrilling anticipation had made his heart feel like it might burst.
‘But why did it end up like this? Why are they getting along better? And why do they keep confessing their love?’
Contrary to Heinz’s expectations, Sigmund and Romiya grew closer after a brief conversation. In front of a hospital, they hugged, stroked, kissed, and did all sorts of things. And then, to top it off—
“What the… He turned into a cat again?”
Right after Romiya whispered something to Sigmund with a smile, Sigmund transformed into a cat with a pop.
Romiya gently cradled Sigmund and stroked him far more tenderly than before.
In Romiya’s embrace, Sigmund wore an utterly content expression.
To create such a satisfied look with the tiny features of a kitten—well, that was a skill in itself.
‘This doesn’t make sense. There’s got to be a secret behind this. Maybe Romiya got so mad about Sigmund’s lies that she threatened to abandon him to stray cats. Or maybe she ordered him to transform because she couldn’t stand to see him in human form anymore.’
Heinz, in denial, muttered an incantation. It was a spell that allowed him to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“What are you doing!”
Kailas, sensing the magic, quickly rose to her feet, but Heinz ignored her. Romiya’s clear laughter rang out vividly.
“Sig, that tickles. Hahaha!”
“Meow!”
“I said it tickles!”
“Meow!”
Heinz covered his ears against the sudden barrage of meows.
“Ugh! This is insane! That crazy lizard is doing it on purpose, for sure!”
A dragon who had lived for millennia was now meowing adorably. If possible, Heinz wanted to erase the sound from his memory.
“Stop it! Stop! I don’t want to hear anymore!”
He hastily tried to block out the sound, but it was useless. Another soft and lilting cat cry pierced his ears.
“What is this? Did he cast magic too? That petty lizard! Has he lost his mind?”
Sigmund had noticed Heinz’s spell and disrupted it with his own magic.
Probably to flaunt his relationship.
Heinz ground his teeth and looked out the window. The baby cat met his gaze and smirked. Then, with its fluffy little paw, it made a slicing gesture across its neck.
“Mess with me again, and I’ll really kill you.”
That was the message.
“Sigh.”
Heinz collapsed onto the hospital floor, utterly drained of any will to fight.
‘I’ll never look at a cat again.’
Sadly, what had just happened left him with a deep-seated trauma about cats. He even gave up on his dream of building a diamond-encrusted cat tower.
A dull white light seeped from Heinz’s body as he lay in a fog of despair. Moments later, he reverted to his original form and staggered to his feet.
“Open the door. I’m leaving.”
“Where are you going?”
Kailas instinctively blocked Heinz’s path. While there was no longer any need to keep Heinz detained since Sigmund and Romiya’s situation had resolved, Kailas was puzzled by the sudden shift in Heinz’s demeanor. The man who had been so eager to cheer on a fight moments ago now seemed utterly defeated.
Heinz glared gloomily at Kailas.
“Somewhere without cats.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Somewhere I can forget cats.”
Heinz flinched, then furiously rubbed his ears.
“You crazy old lizard! Stop meowing already! Or at least turn off the spell! I already know you two are getting along, so you don’t have to keep broadcasting it! Ugh! Don’t even tell me what you’re doing next! Shut up!”
Kailas flinched. Heinz began shouting at the empty air with growing frustration.
“Fine! I’m leaving! Do you think I’ll ever come back to this cursed Genos? Not a chance. It’s disgusting and petty. What? What’ll happen if I come back? You don’t come back either! Do you think the transcendent world belongs to you?”
The veins on Heinz’s temples throbbed as he shouted.
“You’re telling me not to call you ‘you’? Why does it matter what I call you now? You’re not even my master! After everything I’ve done to help you get closer to your lover, you should thank me! But instead, you—!”
At that moment—*boom!*
Heinz lost control of his magic, and the force tore through the hospital’s interior. The chairs in the waiting area shattered into splinters. Kailas jumped in surprise, instinctively pressing herself against the wall.
She tried to appear calm, but a wave of primal fear overtook her. For the first time, she truly realized the magnitude of the being she had been holding back. Her mouth went dry, and she swallowed hard.
“What… what was that?”
Heinz, startled by the explosion, froze. Staring in disbelief at the destroyed waiting room, he paled.
The bravado he had shown earlier evaporated, leaving him visibly shaken.
Kailas, hiding her injured hand behind her back, nodded expressionlessly.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Ha. That’s a relief.”
Heinz leaned against the wall, his legs buckling beneath him. Exhausted, he muttered to himself.
“You said you’re not hurt. Ugh! Fine, I get it! I’ll compensate properly before I leave. But seriously, why do you have to provoke people like that… ugh.”
Heinz covered one ear with one hand while drawing something in the air with the other. Golden light followed his fingertips, creating a strange and intricate pattern.
Moments later:
Crash.
Clink, clatter.
Colorful gemstones and dazzling gold coins poured out in torrents. Kailas stared at the pile of treasures before her, her face pale. The sheer amount was overwhelming, forming a small hill.
“Hey, this should be enough, right? It wasn’t pleasant meeting you, so let’s not meet again.”
“What… is this?”
“Compensation.”
“Excuse me?”
Heinz gestured toward the chaotic waiting room with his chin.
“For that. Fix it. Tell Lord Sig properly that I’ve paid my dues.”
Heinz began to stride toward the exit, only to stop abruptly. He hesitated, then turned back and asked:
“Can the power of a goddess erase memories?”
“What?”
“I heard something so horrifying… Fine, fine! I’m leaving right now! Just turn off that cursed magic already!”
—
Kailas slumped onto one of the least damaged chairs. She looked around the room, still shaken, trying to process what had just happened.
“Where do I even start?”
Though Heinz had left behind an absurd amount of gemstones, they weren’t going to magically repair the waiting room.
“And when am I supposed to clear out all these jewels… sigh.”
There was enough treasure to rebuild the waiting room thirty thousand times over. Yet now that night had fallen, Kailas couldn’t think of a suitable place to move them. Besides, she wasn’t the type to easily ask others for help.
“Maybe I should just sleep here tonight.”
It seemed like the only option.
Kailas bit her lower lip. She felt a pang of frustration. Originally, she had planned to visit the royal palace tonight. It was a rare chance to catch even a distant glimpse of Julios, but everything had gone awry. She didn’t regret deciding to help Sigmund earlier, but disappointment was disappointment.
“…It hurts.”
Kailas quietly looked down at her injured hand. The bleeding had stopped and formed a scab, but the throbbing pain remained.
The injury wasn’t serious, but she felt too drained to treat it. At least the hospital’s operating hours were over, sparing her from attending to more patients.
‘Let me just rest for a moment.’
The to-do list was overwhelming, but she couldn’t muster the energy to tackle anything. Leaning back in the chair, she closed her eyes.
*Ding.*
The sound of the door opening broke the silence.
“The hospital is in this state, so we won’t be able to see patients for a while…”
“…Kailas. What is all this?”
Kailas opened her eyes abruptly and jumped to her feet as if spring-loaded.
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