NOVPUBTalia glanced at Lanci with a complex expression, as if she wanted to cover his eyes but knew it was futile.
She then activated the Transformation Magic, her body engulfed in a shimmering silver light.
Her figure slowly shifted into that of a cat, shrinking in size as dictated by the Magic Card's spell.
Moments later, the silver glow dissipated, leaving only a plush-like gray cat on the ground.
"I really turned into a cat."
Talia Cat lifted a paw to examine her fluffy, round appearance.
After transforming, she instinctively adopted Cat Boss's peculiar speech pattern, realizing it wasn't entirely Cat Boss's influence.
"You're seriously so helpful."
Lanci sincerely praised, crouching down to pick up the gray cat.
The gray cat struggled a little at first, possibly uneasy about losing her balance, but soon relaxed once Lanci held her firmly, quietly perching in his hands.
"Don't move, Master."
Lanci said softly as he held the big gray cat.
The touch alone was delightfully soft and fluffy, like a warm, comforting blanket.
"Then, make sure to hold me properly and don't let me fall to the ground."
Talia Cat said, pawing lightly at Lanci.
She felt that Lanci was touching her without hesitation; even though the body was no longer truly hers, his warmth still transferred fully to her. She desperately tried to reassure herself not to panic.
"Don't worry."
Lanci comforted the gradually calming gray cat, promising her.
He noticed Talia was even more nervous than he was; at the moment, Talia was simply trying her best to adapt to being a cat while interacting with him.
"Then I'll just stop talking, meow, but today's events stay between you, me, and the heavens and earth."
Talia Cat agreed awkwardly, her voice slightly flustered.
Perhaps treating herself purely as a cat and not as a woman was the only way she could interact with Lanci normally in this state.
Otherwise, just imagining herself being suspended mid-air in his arms was enough to make her feel like dying.
"..."
The moment Talia slipped into Cat Boss's peculiar mannerisms, the corners of Lanci's mouth twitched.
"What are you laughing at, meow?"
Talia Cat immediately caught Lanci's fleeting expression.
He seemed to be tightly clenching his teeth.
"Nothing, just remembering a legendary voice actress."
Every time Lanci thought of the day Talia imitated Cat Boss's tone, he'd nearly burst out laughing.
Now hearing her do it again, he couldn't help but recall it.
"I've always been cute, meow."
That sentence seemed to echo in his ears.
He probably wouldn't forget it for the rest of his life.
"I'll scratch you to death, meow!"
Talia Cat picked up on Lanci's thoughts and immediately started causing a commotion, making it hard for him to keep her in his arms.
"Haha, don't fuss!"
Lanci tried his best to hold onto the gray cat, preventing her from wreaking havoc.
From a distance, a few passing students at the end of the hallway were drawn by the lively sounds and glanced over briefly before walking on.
"Professor Landry even flirts with cats."
"You know, this cat looks like a contract beast; maybe it could transform into his fiancée."
"Damn, going after cats too? That's just cruel."
"I bet his cats could all turn into people; if one happens to be underage, I'm reporting him."
"To be honest, if we're taking a step back, at least female cats are better than... male cats."
They murmured as they passed by.
Lanci was fully occupied with managing the unruly gray cat and didn't notice the fleeting chatter from afar.
Until Talia Cat accidentally stumbled, nearly throwing herself to the ground, she was quickly caught and pulled back into Lanci's arms.
"Meow!"
Talia Cat let out a startled cry.
Fortunately, Lanci caught her.
"Master, honestly, you're something else. Let's just get through this work cooperatively, and promise me this will be the one and only time you transform into a cat, okay?"
Lanci said to the gray cat in his arms.
"Meow, meow..."
Talia Cat pretended to act like a real cat, obediently nodding.
This steady embrace made her heart race.
She couldn't help but feel grateful for being turned into a cat; this way, Lanci couldn't see her expressions.
She didn't know why becoming a cat made her so flustered, but the one thing she was certain of was that she must never transform into a cat again and be this intimately close to Lanci.
Her pride as a princess would never allow it!
