Soren’s lips curved upwards. "Did you miss me?"

"Nyang nya nyang nya-ang!"

Translation: No. I was just relieved that you came late or else you would have seen the drones flying away.

He studied me suspiciously. "Why do I feel like you just said something incriminating?"

I stiffened. ’Just act natural.’

I meowed innocently, staring at him.

By the way, why didn’t Agatha tell me he was inside?

I glanced around the room, scanning for her presence—but she was nowhere to be found.

"Are you looking for Agatha?" Soren asked.

I turned back to him.

"I let her leave."

’You what?’

My ears twitched in disbelief.

He pushed off the wall and walked further inside the room. "She still had work to do."

I padded toward him, my steps soft against the carpet. He crouched instinctively when I stopped in front of him, one hand resting on his knee.

"Nyang?"

Translate: So why are you here?

His fingers rested lightly on his knee as he studied me. "What did you do while I was gone, huh?"

My soul briefly left my body as I started sweating internally.

’Stay calm and deny everything.’

I blinked innocently.

Then, as if I hadn’t heard a single word, I leaned forward and rubbed my head against his leg like a perfectly innocent cat.

If you can’t win with logic — deploy cuteness.

His body went still for half a second then he exhaled a quiet huff that might have been a suppressed laugh. "...Don’t try to butter me up."

"Nya nya nyang."

Translate: I’m not. I’m just trying to divert your attention.

I pressed closer.

Rub.

Pause.

Rub again.

He reached down and rested his hand lightly on top of my head, fingers threading through my fur in slow, familiar strokes.

Before I could retreat—

He lifted me.

"Nyang?!"

Translation: You’re always picking me up!

My tail swished sharply in irritation, brushing against his arm. I pushed lightly against his chest in protest, but he adjusted his hold effortlessly, one arm supporting my back, the other under my knees.

"Since you won’t tell anything, let’s sleep," he said as he went to my bed carrying me.

"Since you won’t tell me anything," he said calmly, already turning toward my bed, "let’s sleep."

Sleep?!

My eyes widened.

No. Absolutely not.

I twisted slightly in his arms.

I need to check the shop reviews.

The ratings.

The comments.

The engagement metrics.

What if someone left a one-star review because the Regal Sitting Cat’s whisker angle was 0.2 millimeters off?

What if there are new orders?

What if—

"Stay still," he murmured, voice lower now. Softer. "I haven’t slept a wink."

I froze mid-struggle.

He wasn’t looking at me.

His eyes were already closed.

His steps slowed slightly as he reached the bed, like his body was finally acknowledging the exhaustion it had been ignoring.

He sat down first, still holding me, then shifted carefully so he could lie back without jostling me too much. The mattress dipped under his weight.

He didn’t release me.

Instead, he adjusted his grip and settled me against his chest, one arm loosely wrapped around my back.

My tail flicked once.

Twice.

Then stilled.

Up close like this, I could see it clearly.

The faint shadows under his eyes and the slight tension in his jaw even while resting.

He really hadn’t slept.

Probably training.

Probably managing military affairs.

Probably monitoring perimeter security.

Probably... watching the drones leave and pretending not to.

Idiot.

I stopped resisting.

Fine.

I’m still sleepy anyway and my eyes did feel heavy.

The warmth from his body seeped into me gradually. His heartbeat was slow beneath my ear.

He tightened his hold slightly when I shifted. "Blanca," he murmured faintly, already half-asleep.

I looked up and saw his expression had softened completely.

I let out a quiet "nyang," softer this time.

Translation: You should’ve just said you were tired.

He didn’t respond. His breathing evened out fully a few seconds later.

I stared at the ceiling for a while, mentally listing tasks:

— Check reviews

— Monitor pending orders

— Restock velvet cases

— Carve more energy stones

...

It can wait ten minutes.

Maybe.

I relaxed slowly, resting my head back against his chest. The steady rhythm of his breathing made my own to match it without thinking.

Just a short nap.

When I wake up, I’ll check everything.

Probably.

My eyes drifted closed.

The shop can survive a few hours without me.

Probably.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

When the door opened just as the drones disappeared into the brightening sky, Agatha had already stepped forward to announce his arrival.

"My Lady—"

Soren lifted a single finger to his lips.

Silence.

Agatha halted immediately.

She followed his line of sight toward the balcony, where the lady stood at the railing, completely absorbed in watching the horizon. The faint hum of departing drones had only just faded.

Soren’s gaze remained locked on Blanca.

Agatha understood at once.

If the lady realized he had seen the drones...

Well.

There would be panic.

And possibly another near-accidental fall from the balcony.

Agatha bowed her head slightly. "Then I’ll be leaving you two first, Master," she whispered.

Soren gave a small nod without looking away from the balcony.

Agatha stepped back and quietly closed the door behind her.

The latch clicked softly.

She exhaled the breath she had been holding.

Honestly...

She just hoped the lady would sense the Master’s presence first.

If not, she might jump again.

The last time she’d been startled near a ledge, Agatha had nearly lost ten years off her lifespan.

She shook her head, smiling faintly at the memory.

The lady might be powerful.

Talented.

Brilliant even.

But she was so easily spooked it bordered on tragic.

A quiet laugh slipped past her lips.

"What are you laughing at?"

The voice came from directly behind her.

Agatha’s body reacted before her mind did.

She spun on her heel, dagger drawn and aimed cleanly at the intruder’s throat—

Only for two fingers to catch her wrist mid-strike.

Effortlessly.

Her blade stopped a breath away from skin.

The man didn’t even step back.

He simply tilted his head slightly, amused.

Agatha narrowed her eyes. "I didn’t realize it’s you, Mikael," she said smoothly, retracting the dagger once he released her wrist. A polite smile curved her lips.

Though she was a little annoyed. because he still deflected it.

As always.

Even back at the academy...

she really can’t sense his movements.

It was infuriating.

Mikael smiled faintly, adjusting his gloves as though nothing had happened.

"It’s alright," he said calmly. "I know you can’t land an attack on me."

Agatha’s smile twitched but instead of retorting, she turned on her heel and began walking down the hallway,

Mikael fell into step beside her as if he had been invited.

Well, she did not.

"Did you tell Master about the lady’s package yesterday morning?" he asked casually.

Agatha did not answer immediately.

The hallway was long, lined with tall windows filtering in pale sunlight.

"No," she said at last. "The Lady should be the one to tell Master directly about matters like that."

Mikael hummed. "How principled."

She ignored him.

"But surely," he continued, tone shifting with curiosity, "you know the contents inside it, right?"

"Of course."

His grin widened. "Then what’s inside the package?"

She stopped walking.

Turned slowly.

"Why would I tell you about it?" she asked coolly. "Are you the Master himself?"

Mikael placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "You wound me."

"I doubt it."

He leaned closer slightly, lowering his voice. "Why so feisty? Is your Hysteria flaring up again?"

Agatha’s expression did not change. "No."

Mikael blinked. "...No?"

She resumed walking. "No."

He stopped this time.

"Really?" he asked, a thread of confusion weaving into his tone. "Your Hysteria isn’t flaring up?"

"Yeah."

There was no strain in her voice. No tremor, no subtle twitch in her fingers, and no unstable mana signature.

Mikael’s gaze sharpened. "Then," he said slowly, reaching into his coat pocket, "why did I find this in the garden?"

He held up a small carved object.

An energy stone.

Agatha recognized it immediately. It’s the one the Lady had thrown off the balcony.

She glanced at it once, then looked back at him. "The Lady threw it away," she said simply.

"And you just left it?"

She nodded.

"You’re not even angry at the Lady?"

She nodded again.

That was what made him still.

Mikael stepped closer, eyes narrowing slightly as he observed her.

"You know," he said quietly, "without one’s energy stone, our Hysteria doesn’t just magically disappear."

Agatha did not flinch.

"That’s because I have a new one," she replied.

She reached into the inner fold of her sleeve and drew something out carefully. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Mikael’s gaze followed her hand—and the moment the stone caught the light, his teasing expression vanished.

The energy stone rested against her palm like a living ember.

Mikael’s eyes widened slightly. "...So exquisite," he murmured. "And alive."

He stepped closer without thinking, drawn by the energy stone. "This isn’t academy-grade. It’s not guild-issued either." His gaze sharpened. "Which grand master carver did you go to?"

Agatha nearly answered, ’the Lady carved it,’ but she stopped herself. Instead, a slow, wicked grin curved across her lips.

"Look for the shop named Crimson Snow Atelier in StrataLink," she said lightly. "That’s where I bought this. Although it quite cost me a lot."

Mikael blinked. "Crimson Snow Atelier?"

"Yes."

He leaned closer, inspecting the craftsmanship again. "I’ve never heard of it."

"It’s new."

"New?" His brows lifted. "And already producing work at this level?"

Agatha merely smiled.

Rather than telling him that the Lady had carved it herself...

Rather than revealing that it had been given to her freely—

She would much rather watch this man willingly empty his pockets.

Mikael straightened, clearly intrigued now. "If this is their standard quality, they’ll be fully booked within weeks."

"That’s likely."

He gave her a bright grin. "Thanks, Aggie!"

She froze.

The air temperature seemed to drop three degrees.

"I thought I told you not to call me that?" she said slowly.

"Oh right," he replied, not sounding sorry at all. "I forgot."

She stared at him.

His smile widened in that infuriatingly harmless way.

Her grip on the energy stone tightened slightly before she tucked it back into her sleeve.

"It’s fine," she said sweetly. "But if you sneak up on me like that again," she added, voice soft as silk, "I’ll aim lower."

"It’s fine but if you sneak up on me like that again," she added sweetly, "I’ll aim lower."

Mikael chuckled softly. "I look forward to it."

Her smile twitched again.

Annoying man.