Chapter 74

“Lin?”

Unexpectedly, Lin blocked Persi's approach. Her gaze at Persi was as if she were watching an enemy with caution.

The atmosphere turned icy. Persi glanced back and forth between her tail and Lin.

“What are you doing?”

“Don’t cling to the master.”

“Why?”

“You might harm him.”

“What did you say?”

In a single sentence, Lin had turned Persi, who prided herself as the cat princess, into a potential criminal.

No one would feel good hearing something like that. Persi raised her tail and crossed her arms.

“Harm him? Me? That’s ridiculous.”

The mood changed for Persi, who had been wagging her tail at Karamir. Although now she was known as the aloof princess of the cat café, Persi had seen it all in the backstreets, a seasoned veteran.

To her, the fox girl in front of her seemed like nothing.

“If there’s a problem, it’ll be because of you, the Hongho, not me.”

“What?”

“Word got out already, you know? You were the one holding the master while he was bleeding in the middle of the street. Wasn’t it because of you that he got hurt?”

There had been a huge commotion back then. People thought the Hongho had devoured her own master. Lin hadn’t been grateful for Persi turning a blind eye for her sake and instead was baring her fangs.

“If you’re worried about the master’s safety, you should be the one keeping away.”

“……”

Lin, unable to say anything, only glared at Persi before dropping her head. Lin, who was still training, wasn’t ready to handle someone with Persi's street smarts.

It seemed like Persi was going to be the clear victor, at least until Lin lifted her head with teary eyes.

“Master… is it true? Is it because of me that the master is in danger?”

“What?”

“Is it better if I keep away from the master? If I disappear, will the master be able to live peacefully? If that’s the case… then I’ll go.”

Lin, wiping her tears with her sleeve, started to leave the store. Karamir, who had been watching the amusing catfight up close, grabbed Lin’s hand in a panic.

Lin spoke, looking devastated as if she were about to burst into tears.

“Let go, master. I shouldn’t be with you. If I stay, the master will be unhappy.”

“Unhappy? That’s not true.”

“But Aunt Persi said it was all because of me….”

“She must have misunderstood. Miss Persi, no matter how angry you are, you shouldn’t poke at someone’s weaknesses. That was too much.”

“What?”

“Apologize to Lin.”

Persi was stunned. It was Lin who had started the argument, treating an innocent person like a criminal. Even if you asked passing dog people, they’d side with the cat person.

But Persi had underestimated the unusual nature of the relationship between Karamir and Lin and Lin's incredible wiles.@@novelbin@@

“Miss Persi. Now.”

It finally dawned on her. She had missed it because she was too used to peace.

Act first to win. Play the victim.

It was all the cunning plan of this sly fox. Persi clenched her fist, shaking with frustration.

“...I’m sorry. I misspoke because I was upset.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say it again?”

Persi gritted her teeth.

“I said, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t feel much sincerity… but I’ll let it slide this time since you’re the master’s employee, kitty auntie.”

Lin’s melancholy expression had disappeared long ago. It was brief, but Persi caught it.

From Karamir’s blind spot, Lin’s lips curled up in a smirk.

Lin pressed herself against Karamir’s arm.

“Let’s go, master. Auntie needs to greet customers, and we’re in the way.”

“You’re right. Well, we’ll be going now.”

“Goodbye, kitty aunties~”

As they were about to leave, Lin turned her head, mouthing words without sound, using magic to implant her voice into the minds of the cat people.

-“Don’t eye the master. Just wag your tails at the customers, kitties.”

“Lin, don’t say things like that again.”

He brought it up once they had walked a fair distance from the store.

Lin’s mischievous smile vanished, replaced by an innocent look as if she didn’t understand.

“Don’t say what? What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. Do you think I wouldn’t know?”

The argument had started with Lin. She had clearly been in the wrong, treating an innocent person like a criminal.

Though he knew this, his relationship with Lin came first, so he had no choice but to take her side.

“But I was really worried about you, master… I get anxious when I remember what happened last time. I was afraid you might get hurt again….”

“You should consider the person you’re dealing with. Miss Persi is someone I employed. Don’t do it again.”

“I was only worried about you, master. Fine, I understand.”

Annoyed by his scolding, Lin clicked her tongue, but she remained closely attached to him.

And that’s why, as Lin grew, things that weren’t there a month ago could now be felt against his arm. The soft sensation that made him nervous just thinking about it.

“Lin, could you walk a little further away?”

“Why?”

“It’s a bit overwhelming being so close.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to be close to me?”

“That’s not it….”

“Kidding. I’m sticking close to be ready in case anything happens.”

A sudden gust of wind, and an outdoor sign came flying towards him. Just before it hit, Lin kicked it away with all her might.

Boom!

The sign traced a distant arc, falling somewhere in the city.

“See?”

“……”

“It’s all for your safety, master. I won’t back down on this.”

Lin declared firmly. It seemed the incident from that day had become a massive trauma for her. She was certainly fixated.

She now had five tails. More than halfway there, the intensity of misfortune she brought was surely greater. Even as a three-tailed fox, she had nearly killed him.

To him, Lin was both a dangerous creature and a paradoxical protector.

“Sigh, alright.”

To stay alive, he had to stick with her. Not much choice there.

Once he gave his permission, Lin grinned and pulled his arm toward her. With a heavy sigh, he headed to where Seira was working.

The borderlands were teeming with various races. Unsurprisingly, he spotted Seira handling the entry inspections. He waved at her with a pleased smile.

“Miss Seira.”

Seira’s ears perked up at his voice, and she immediately turned to him, her pupils dilating the moment their eyes met.

She swiftly passed her duties to a colleague and strode over to them.

“You…! Where have you been?”

It was tiresome to explain everything, so he lifted his shirt slightly to show the scar on his abdomen and explained what had happened a month ago.

“So you were at Cheonsangru all this time? You didn’t sneak off?”

“Why would I run off? I’m as clean as they come. As soon as I woke up at Cheonsangru with Lin, I came here.”

Seira blinked.

“With Miss Lin?”

Her eyes widened even more as she realized Lin’s presence, even more than when she first saw him.

“…Miss Lin?”

“Hi, Seira~ Have you been well?”

“She’s Miss Lin? But her height…?”

Lin glanced around to make sure no one was watching before unfolding her five tails like a fan.

“Tada~ Seira, I have more tails now.”

“Five tails?”

“Well, kids grow up quickly at this age.”

Trying to pass it off as a joke didn’t seem to work. Seira turned to him, glaring intensely.

“Don’t lie to me. You said she was a three-tailed fox last time! This is…!”

“Wow~ Who would’ve thought Lin was born a nine-tailed fox? I never imagined.”

“Right, master~ Even I was surprised.”

Haha. Take that. Before, it was just me, but now Lin had learned to be shameless, too.

No, even before she was shameless, but this was different. Not the innocent child’s brazenness, but the fox girl’s slyness.

Seira, stunned, couldn’t regain her composure. Taking advantage of the moment, he changed the subject.

“Do you know how shocked I was to come back after a month and find my house gone? I heard you destroyed it, Seira?”

“Who said that?”

“Lin did.”

Seira rubbed her forehead as if it hurt just thinking about it. She couldn’t hold back anymore and raised her voice.

“Isn’t it your fault?! I told you not to go to the second floor, yet you came in bleeding!”

“Oh, come on, Seira~ It’s unfair to say that. We almost died because of you.”

“It’s your fault it happened! I lost my house overnight! I can’t even get support because of you keeping a Hongho! I’m still living in a ruined staff room!”

“……”

Seira’s unfiltered anger and resentment spilled out. It was the first time he had seen Seira so intense. The struggles of a civil servant barely making a living were evident.

It was hard to say anything. Meeting Lin’s gaze, she nodded determinedly and transformed into her one-tailed, younger form.

“Seira, I’m sorry. I made a mistake. Couldn’t you forgive me for my sake?”

Crafty.

She knew people had a soft spot for children.

“No, go away. I don’t feel like it.”

But Seira’s anger wasn’t so easily quelled by young Lin’s cuteness. Whether modern or medieval, securing a home was clearly a significant matter.

Lin looked at him and shook her head, indicating it wasn’t working. Now it was his turn to step in.

“The cat café has been doing well lately. Thanks to everyone’s hard work while I was away, our income is up.”

“So what? Are you bragging about your money?”

“The problem is that even with money, we have no place to stay. Inns won’t take us, houses aren’t for sale, and I don’t know many people to ask. Other than Bolt and Seira, that is.”

“…So?”

“I noticed that District 3 is quite popular. Lots of popular shops nearby, too. Oh, and it’s close to where you work, Seira?”

By then, Seira had fallen silent, listening intently. He delivered the final blow.

“To find a home and make amends with you, how about I buy a house in District 3 under your name? But you’re working, so visiting might be difficult….”

“I’ll take a half-day off.”

That very day, they signed the contract for the new house.