NOVPUBAccompanied by the ringing of wind chimes near the inn’s main door.
"Meow, meow, meow, it’s so cold."
As the ancient wooden doors of the inn were gently pushed open, a chill rushed inside, with nobody in sight pushing the door.
Only by lowering your gaze, can you discover a little black cat strolling in.
And behind it, there were still several packets of bound-up groceries floating.
The shopping bags full of goods seemed to be grasped by an invisible hand, floating in mid-air, maintaining almost perfect synchrony with the kitten.
It had a little bit of sparkling white snow on its back, and with a gentle shake of its body, the unmelted snow scattered.
Stepping into the entrance of the inn, only a few guests were present in the spacious lounge area, huddling near the edge of the fireplace to ward off the cold.
Even though the guests in the main hall noticed the magical elf cat, nobody found it strange, as it’s quite normal to have a servitor in the Protoss Empire.
The weather here was still the kind that sent chills to the bone, and even the residents who were accustomed to the severe cold of the north would seek the warm embrace of fire.
Spring in the Protoss Empire had already arrived.
Yet, there was little warmth to be felt.
Who knew if spring had really come?
If the north was to get into turmoil in the near future, then this snowy field would truly never see a peaceful day.
Occasional conversations like this would drift around in the spacious sofa lounge area of the inn’s first floor, catching Cat Boss’s keen ears.
The faint glow from the fireplace gave its fur a warmer sheen, its ears twitching soundlessly.
As it walked past the counter, the lady clerk sitting lazily with her chin rested on her hands, couldn’t help but murmur when she saw the adorable little cat also went shopping: "I’d like to have a servitor like this too."
"Meow."
Cat Boss hummed softly.
It was neither a servitor nor a pet.
Although theoretically, if it obtained Lanci’s [Transformation Technique: Human], it could become humanoid, and it would be much more convenient to go shopping in this kingdom, but according to the laws of the Protoss Empire, any magic that could change one’s race is not allowed, and it didn’t want to break the law and become a death row cat!
Along the inn’s ancient staircase, the little black cat moved nimbly, full of zest with each step, agile and quick. The shopping bags, like planets revolving around the little black cat, moved forward and backward in time, perfectly avoiding collision with the staircase and the walls.
One floor, two floors, finally, Cat Boss reached the third floor.
It stopped, and the shopping bags landed smoothly in an instant.
Controlling the key with telekinesis magic, the door lock quickly opened to reveal a space full of warmth.
The wooden decor gave the entire room a natural, gentle warmth. The natural light filtered through the window, illuminating the rustic floor and walls as if it were a small world brimming with warmth.
Deeper inside, at the center of the bedroom was a large bed. Underneath the pure white down quilt, Sigrid’s breath was steady and long. Her loose hair spread over the pillow, and she was still sound asleep, just like when the cat left.
On the other side of the room, a young man was seated next to the high wooden table against the wall, his calm gaze focused on the book in his hands.
Cat Boss and Lanci exchanged glances, indicating that he had returned, then quickly left the room. Its tail swinging lightly, dancing in the wind as it moved, relocated to the small dining area on the other side.
This was a relatively more private space, separated by wooden frames and curtains, and a soundproof barrier could also be used. Upon opening the shopping packages, a faint scent of food wafted out.
A table made of marble was in the center, on which were placed various portable kitchen tools brought by Cat Boss, and soon, it began its cooking performance with smooth and practiced motions.
...
An hour later.
In the bedroom.
"Sikder meow, time to eat meow, you can wake up and eat."
Something was gently patting Sigrid’s quilt, causing her to give a faint hum of reluctance as she opened her eyes.
However, lured by the enticing aroma, she gradually mustered up the strength to extricate herself from the sealing skill, instinctively crawling out of her quilt-covered enclosure.
To her delight, a little black cat had thoughtfully delivered today’s lunch right into her bedroom. 𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖕𝔲𝖇.𝖈𝖔𝖒
The main course was chicken stewed in white wine, made with chicken, cream, onions, mushrooms, and white wine. The sauce was thick and infused with the delicious aroma of wine, served with mashed potatoes made from potatoes, butter, cream, and milk.
Additionally, there was pan-fried steak, accompanied by red wine sauce, truffle, or black pepper sauce.
Finally, the vegetable salad was topped with bacon and eggs, but its base was fresh lettuce, sprinkled with crispy bacon, boiled eggs, and salad dressing.
In this snow-covered city-state, where the ingredients that could be quickly procured were limited, the cat boss had to make do with what he had.
Nevertheless, it seemed to have hit Sigrid’s taste just right.
Feeding the Cardinal Bishop of the Rebirth Church would actually be a very bright feather in a chef’s cap, but the cat boss hoped that no one in the South Continent would ever find out that it had cooked for the Bishop of Hegemony!
As Sigrid sat down on the edge of the bed, she felt a bit chilly and wished to crawl back under her comfortable blanket.
While in her moment of indecision, she looked at the cat boss with eyes longing for a warm pillow.
"Meow..."
The cat boss hesitated for a moment. Despite its uncertainty, it hopped into Sigrid’s hands.
If Sigrid went back to sleep now, lunch would get cold.
Sigrid held onto the little black cat tightly.
"... Did you just smile, Sigrid?"
The cat boss, craning its neck to look up at Sigrid from her arms, asked with clear confusion in its eyes.
"No."
Sigrid sternly denied it.
"... Are you sure?"
The cat boss felt like this female Lanci looked unreliable.
But now, Sikder isn’t as terrifying as before so the cat boss doesn’t have to worry about being squashed to death, nor being accidentally strangled in her hands, and it finds peace within her hold.
Even though it still held some dread and fear towards her, knowing that her wounds were a result of risking her life in a fight in North Border Province, it couldn’t help but soften towards her.
Until Sikder becomes Sigrid again, it will treat her like a human that needs to be taken care of and take care of her well.
It thought to itself.
Sigrid began to eat, and Lanci looked up at the clock hanging on the side of the room.
"We need to leave this city-state in an hour. We need to cross the mountains and return to the snowfield before dark," Lanci said, calm as ever.
"Mmm, you should put your book down and rest for a while."
Sigrid remembered waking up from a dream in the middle of the night and seeing Lanci reading a book.
Although she felt safe and secure with Lanci’s elegant and composed figure reading not far from her, she suspected that Lanci had not slept for a while.
It was her turn to drive on the road, so it was time for Lanci to get some rest.
"Yes."
Lanci put down her copy of "Icefield Map Even a 3 year-old Can Understand" and nodded.
"..."
When Sigrid noticed Lanci reading that particular book, her spoon hung in the air, and her eyelids drooped.
She felt there was something infuriating about his deep and entranced reading just before!
