When I opened my eyes again, sunlight was already spilling into the room.

Soft golden light filtered through the curtains, painting the ceiling in warm hues. The blankets were no longer suffocating—just comfortably draped over me. The faint scent of fresh linen lingered in the air.

I blinked a few times. No warmth behind me. No mysterious presence. No breathing.

The room was empty.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my paw.

It must’ve been my imagination. Considering how utterly chaotic my dream was last night, my brain clearly couldn’t be trusted.

I stretched my paws forward and arched my back lazily.

"Miss Blanca, did you have a good sleep last night?"

"NYANG—!"

I shot straight up like a startled cat, back arched, fur puffed, claws slightly extended. A hiss escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

There she was. Standing properly beside the bed. The same culprit from yesterday.

"Nyang nyang nya nya!"

Translation: I had the best sleep until you appeared out of nowhere!

"Good morning too, Miss Blanca," Agatha replied smoothly, completely unfazed by my defensive display.

’How does she do that?’

’How does she move so silently every single time?!’

I scanned the room and found my writing board resting neatly on the side table. I grabbed it dramatically and scribbled.

"You scared me to death again, Agatha!"

For a split second, something like guilt flickered across her face before she bowed her head. "I’m sorry, Miss Blanca."

I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my past life. I quickly wrote again.

"Don’t say sorry. I’m just overreacting again. And besides, this is a good way to sharpen my senses."

Agatha hesitated. "You won’t... punish me?" she asked carefully.

I blinked. ’Punish?’ I frowned and wrote quickly.

"And why the hell would I punish you?"

"Well..." She lowered her gaze slightly. "I’ve been making mistakes since yesterday."

Mistakes?

I stared at her.

For being patient with me when I ran around the bathroom like a gremlin?

For tolerating my bath rebellion?

For moving too quietly?

For... caring?

If that’s considered a mistake, then what does perfection look like?

I looked at her more closely.

She stood perfectly straight, shoulders squared, chin slightly lowered. The picture of a flawless maid.

Yet her hands were slightly tense.

She truly believed she had done something wrong.

Ridiculous.

I tapped the board thoughtfully.

If she wanted a punishment...

Fine.

I’ll give her one.

I scribbled quickly.

When I finished, I looked up—only to see that she was already bowing deeply, eyes lowered as if awaiting judgment.

’Seriously?’

I sighed, dragged the board down until it was within her line of sight, and lightly tapped her shoe with my paw.

"Agatha," I said aloud to get her attention.

She looked down at me, then at the board.

Her brows knit slightly.

"Miss Blanca... is this my... punishment?" she asked, utterly bewildered.

I nodded firmly.

"But—"

I grabbed the board and added one more word in big letters.

"NOW."

She hesitated only for a second before bowing again. "Yes, Miss Blanca."

She left the room swiftly.

Meanwhile, I stretched luxuriously and hopped off the bed. I padded toward the balcony and pulled the curtains aside. The morning air drifted in as I pushed the glass doors open.

I leaped onto the railing with ease and lifted my chin.

The sun touched my fur gently as I closed my eyes and let the light soak into me.

A few minutes later, I heard the door open again.

I turned just in time to see Agatha entering, carrying a tray loaded with breakfast—steak, bread, sliced fruits, berries, and what smelled like warm milk.

I jumped down gracefully and settled into one of the balcony chairs, tapping the table expectantly.

She moved efficiently, setting the dishes down with perfect precision before stepping back to stand at her usual position to the side.

I looked at her.

Then at the empty chair across from me.

"Nyang."

She blinked.

Still confused.

I sighed dramatically and grabbed the board again.

"This is your punishment. Now sit and eat with me."

Her eyes widened. "B-But this violates the rule of master-servant relationship," she said quickly. "It is... improper. And uncomfortable for me, Miss Blanca."

I held the board up again.

"Exactly. That’s why this is your punishment."

Her lips parted slightly.

She looked genuinely conflicted.

Years of training were practically radiating off her shoulders.

Servants stand. Masters sit.

Servants serve. Masters eat.

Never together.

I crossed my arms and stared at her.

She glanced at the chair.

Then at me.

Then back at the chair.

She looked like I had just sentenced her to exile.

"I cannot sit at the same table as you."

I stared at her flatly.

Then I underlined the word NOW on the board.

Silence stretched between us.

The morning breeze fluttered the curtains.

Finally, after what felt like an internal war, she slowly pulled out the chair.

She looked like she was attending a royal trial, not breakfast.

I nudged the plate of bread, fruits, and berries toward her.

She stared at it. "You must eat first, Miss Blanca," she murmured weakly.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Nyang."

Translation: You first.

She reached for a piece of bread.

I tilted my head, watching her carefully.

She looked like someone sitting in front of a judge rather than a breakfast table. Her back was straight as a pole, fingers hovering over the bread like it might explode.

Seeing that she still wouldn’t take a proper bite, I sighed dramatically and bit into my steak first.

Agatha’s eyes flickered to me.

Since I ate first, she finally moved.

She took a small bite of bread and chewed like she was committing a crime.

I couldn’t help it—I let out a small chuckle.

She froze for half a second when she noticed, then looked down at her plate.

We ate in silence after that.

I finished my steak.

Then I finished another portion.

Protein is important.

Also, if I want to grow faster and unlock my human form sooner, I need nutrients. I refuse to stay small and fluff-sized forever.

Agatha glanced at my empty plate. "...Would you like more, Miss Blanca?"

I shook my head. Even I have limits.

Once we were done, she efficiently cleared the table. Her movements had returned to their usual polished precision, but there was something softer about her now.

Less rigid.

She carried the tray out and closed the door quietly behind her.

That’s when a thought suddenly popped into my head.

Soren.

Wait.

Where is he?

I turned toward the neighboring balcony and peeked through the glass toward his room.

Empty.

Curious, I turned back inside and grabbed my writing board. I needed to ask him about the mechanical arm.

I stepped out of my room from which the hallway instantly greeted me with silence.

No maids rushing about, no footsteps, not even a distant chatter.

If I remembered correctly, this level was reserved exclusively for Soren and those he personally permitted.

Meaning—

There are no people here besides me.

It felt like I was experiencing a kind of horror game right now.

I padded forward cautiously. My ears twitched, tail flicked and even my paws made almost no sound against the floor.

Then—

"Miss Blanca, why are you out here alone?"

I jumped nearly a full foot into the air.

My fur puffed out instinctively.

I spun around.

Mikael stood behind me, wearing his usual polite smile.

Since when did he get there?!

Do beastmen in this residence train specifically to scare people?

First Agatha.

Now him.

Is there a stealth competition I don’t know about?

I glared up at him and held my board protectively.

"Soren," I said bluntly.

He tilted his head slightly. "Are you looking for Master Soren?"

I nodded.

"He left early this morning," Mikael explained calmly. "He had other matters to attend to."

Left early? Without saying anything? 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

I frowned slightly.

"What matters?" I wanted to ask—but without writing it out, it would just come out as "nyang."

"For the meantime," Mikael continued, "you may freely roam around if you’re bored. This floor and the ones below are open to you."

’Freely roam?’

I narrowed my eyes at him.

He kept smiling.

Too calm.

Too composed.

"Is there something you need from Master?" he asked.

’Mechanical arm,’ I thought immediately.

But I didn’t write it down yet.

Instead, I studied him.

Mikael had a way of appearing silently, just like Agatha—but his presence felt different. Where Agatha was disciplined tension, Mikael felt... observant.

Like he was always assessing.

"Would you like me to escort you?" he offered.

’Escort? Am I a VIP or a prison inmate?’

I looked down the hallway again. Silent, empty, and most of all I’m afraid I would die of heart attack when someone would appear out of nowhere again.

Maybe exploring wouldn’t hurt.

I was just about to nod at Mikael when another voice cut through the hallway.

"Miss Blanca, there’s a package for you—"

This time, I didn’t jump.

I had felt it—just a faint shift in the air behind me, a soft brush of movement before the sound of footsteps. Subtle. Almost nonexistent.

But I detected it.

Ha. It seems that eating is the only way to level up.

Agatha stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Mikael standing there.

"What brings you here, Sir Mikael?" she asked politely, though there was the slightest stiffness in her tone.

"Doing my rounds," he replied smoothly. Then his eyes flicked toward her. "What were you doing leaving Miss Blanca alone?"

’Oh?’

Agatha’s grip on the box tightened ever so slightly.

"Miss Blanca just finished eating," she answered evenly. "I went to return the plates, and a package for Miss Blanca has arrived."

She stepped forward, presenting the box properly. "So you can continue what you were doing."

Translation: You can leave now.

Mikael didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he looked at me. "Miss Blanca, do you want me to accompany you?"

Agatha’s smile twitched.

Barely.

But I saw it.

"I’m sorry," she said, her tone still perfectly respectful, "but I’ll be the one accompanying the lady."

There it is.

Territorial tension.

I slowly shifted my gaze between the two of them.

Mikael.

Agatha.

Back to Mikael.

Back to Agatha.

They clearly knew each other well.

Do I care?

Nope.

Not even slightly.

This is not a drama I signed up for.

I cleared my throat softly.

"Mika. Agatha."

Both of them immediately looked at me.

I lifted my board and wrote clearly:

"Agatha’s already my maid, so you can continue whatever you need to do, Mika."

Mikael read it and smiled faintly. "As you wish, Miss Blanca," he said with a small bow. "If you need anything, you may ring the bell displayed on your side table."

Ah yes. The emergency summoning device. Very royal.

I nodded once.

He held my gaze for a second longer—as if assessing something—before stepping aside.

His footsteps faded quietly down the corridor.

Silence settled again.

I turned to Agatha.

She was holding a medium-sized box wrapped neatly in brown paper and tied with dark string. It wasn’t overly large, but it wasn’t small either.

"Let’s go back to my room," I wrote on the board.

"Yes, Miss," she replied softly.

She followed me down the hallway.

I could feel her posture relax just a fraction now that Mikael was gone.

Once inside my room, she closed the door gently behind us as she placed the package carefully on the small table near the couch.

"For Miss Blanca."

I hopped onto the table and circled the box once.