Chapter 59: Tug-of-War

The beautiful dreams Yuria had while asleep were far from reality. The ‘conversation’ between the two animals had been like this from the start:

“Where do you think you’re putting your paws? Do you even know who I am? You’re just a bad-mannered cat!”

“And who are you supposed to be? A thieving raccoon? That celery—did you steal it from our kitchen?”

“I, I just borrowed it for a moment. And for your information, I’m not a raccoon!”

“Calling a raccoon a raccoon—what’s the problem with that?”

“Listen, street cat. You understand me, don’t you? Are you a beastman?”

“Shut up and get lost.”

“And who are you to stop me from going in?”

The raccoon, Lucas, narrowed his small, obsidian-black eyes.

“And who are you to enter my territory?”

Xavier raised his tail high, his sapphire-like eyes gleaming with intensity. But Lucas wasn’t one to back down easily.

“I came to see my goddess, so step aside.”

“Do you want to die? Who dares claim she’s your goddess? That woman belongs to me.”

Xavier was holding back only because Yuria was nearby, but he was on the verge of exploding. Though the exact reason was unclear, this so-called raccoon was no ordinary animal—it was undoubtedly a beastman.

The fact that they could communicate was proof enough.

And on top of that…

It was male.

‘Where the hell did this guy come from? And how does he know Yuria?!’

Xavier flexed his soft paws, unsheathing his claws as if preparing to strike again.

Thud. Bang.

The sound of something heavy falling redirected both the cat’s and the raccoon’s attention.

A small figure had slumped over the table, her golden hair spilling like a waterfall.

Her face was pressed against the cold surface of the table, causing her to frown slightly. A faint red mark bloomed on her forehead, likely from hitting the table.

“Meow!”

Xavier immediately abandoned his quarrel with the raccoon and dashed toward Yuria. He anxiously circled the chair she was slumped in.

“Sniff… (I guess I have no choice.)”

The raccoon, who had been watching the cat anxiously pace around the saintess, shook his head with a resigned sigh.

Then, with a puff of black smoke, the raccoon began to transform. His form grew, his fur receding to reveal smooth, healthy skin and a well-defined, muscular frame. Emerging from the smoke was a strikingly beautiful man with platinum blonde hair that he casually swept to the side.

“Well, since no one else is here, it should be fine for a moment.”

“Hiss.”

The now-human Lucas Lacuni Moirai glared down at Xavier with obsidian eyes that gleamed like polished gemstones.

The large cat, its fur bristling, hissed in response, wary of the man.

“Hey, cat. You seem to know who I am, don’t you?”

‘Lucas Lacuni Moirai, the Crown Prince of Moirai… was the raccoon?!’

Xavier was stunned to realize that the primary enemy he had been trying so hard to track down, the Crown Prince of Moirai, had been right in front of him in beastman form.

And to make matters worse, why on earth did Lucas Lacuni Moirai know Yuria? The situation was pure chaos.

Kiki bared his sharp white fangs, growling low and menacingly.

“Hm, so it’s true.”

Lucas tilted his head, intrigued by the wary teal eyes glaring at him. He reached out to lift Yuria from the chair, but Xavier immediately clawed at his exposed ankle and bit down hard.

“Ouch! I can’t just leave her collapsed in a chair like this.”

Lucas hopped on one foot, blood trickling from the two red gashes on his ankle.

Xavier, determined to protect Yuria, dragged the clothes he had been wearing with his mouth and dropped them in front of Lucas. Then, with his paw, he covered his eyes.

“…You want me to put these on? But they’re too big. They’re not my size.”

“Hiss.”

Lucas glanced down at his exposed body before sighing in defeat.

“Fine, fine. I’ll put them on.”

As Lucas reluctantly picked up the clothes and began dressing, Xavier’s teal eyes never left him, watching his every move with intense scrutiny.

Hissing softly, the cat issued a warning as Lucas finished dressing and returned to lift Yuria. He carefully placed her on the bed, pulled the blanket over her, and stepped back.

Her peaceful, sleeping face looked as soft and delicate as freshly kneaded dough.

‘She looks so… touchable.’

As Lucas leaned in closer to admire her features, Xavier suddenly clawed at the top of his foot with unrestrained ferocity.

“Ah! You little punk!”

Lucas grabbed his scratched foot, glaring at the cat. He lunged forward, trying to grab Xavier, but the nimble feline leapt gracefully onto the bed, curling up protectively beside Yuria.

“You!”

Lucas stomped his foot in frustration, worried his outburst might wake Yuria. He was stuck, unable to do anything, and could only glare at the smug cat.

Xavier nonchalantly licked his paw, his teal eyes glinting with calculated indifference. His calm and composed demeanor only served to irritate Lucas further.

Lucas furrowed his brow, studying the aristocratic-looking feline carefully.

“So, as I said earlier, you know who I am, don’t you?”

Xavier’s grooming paused for a split second. But he pretended not to hear, turning his head to groom the fur on his back instead.

‘This guy is relentless.’

As Xavier continued to ignore him, Lucas, growing increasingly agitated, transformed back into a raccoon. He clambered onto the bed, his fluffy rear end wiggling comically as he struggled to climb up.

“Those teal eyes of yours… they’re so annoyingly familiar.”

“Right back at you.”

“So you do know me, don’t you?”

“Just because I know you doesn’t mean you have to know me.”

“Ugh, you’re infuriating.”

Lucas raised his black paw to swipe at Xavier, but the cat easily pinned it down with his own.

“Let go of me, you little—”

‘How much did he overhear? Did he hear Yuria call me Xavier?’

But Xavier’s worries didn’t last long.

“You’re a cat beastman, aren’t you? Seeing me transform so freely doesn’t make you feel anything? I’m royalty, you know. Shouldn’t you be groveling at my feet, you little furball?”

“I don’t know anything about you.”

“Then are you just a stray? What’s a beastman doing in the saintess’s tent? Why don’t you go back to Moirai where you belong?”

Xavier inwardly scoffed.

‘Good thing this guy is simple-minded.’

No wonder I always won against him in battle.

Xavier stopped licking his paw and snuggled closer to Yuria, tucking himself under her chin. The comforting scent of the saintess filled his nose.

“Hey! Why are you getting so close to her?”

“Yuria’s waking up. Get lost.”

Suddenly, Lucas fell silent. Drooping his snout, he slumped his narrow shoulders and curled up at the foot of the bed. He glared resentfully at the smug cat who had claimed Yuria’s side.

‘Just you wait, you little furball.’

＊

So soft.

So warm.

I nuzzled my chin into the comforting warmth, hugging it closer to my chest.

‘This feels nice.’

Even my feet felt cushioned, as if they were resting on a giant pillow.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tent, gently coaxing my eyelids open.

Under my chin, curled up like a baby, was Kiki. His tiny body was pressed against me, his eyes shut tight and his little mouth closed. He looked impossibly cute.

‘Adorable.’

I completely forgot that Kiki was actually Xavier and started stroking his glossy forehead with my fingers. I even wiggled his soft paw pads and squished his slightly pudgy belly.

A sense of peace washed over me.

Then my hand froze.

Whose belly am I squishing?

‘Xavier’s belly!’

My face flushed crimson. But even as I realized it, I couldn’t stop myself. It felt so good that my fingers kept moving, a silly grin spreading across my face.

‘Does this make me a pervert?’

Just then, something soft and squishy brushed against my foot.

Huh?

I lifted my chin slightly and peeked toward the end of the bed. There, nestled by my feet, was the raccoon, Lulu, fast asleep. His golden fur gleamed as he snored softly, his black paws wrapped around my calf.

‘This is… bad for my heart.’

Kiki above me, Lulu below me. I was surrounded by fluff.

Stretching my arms wide, I stared at the ceiling of the tent, then slowly closed my eyes.

I felt so calm, so at peace.

It was hard to believe all the struggles of yesterday had actually happened.

The image of a giant bear drooling and the sight of Rosetta’s blood pooling on the ground flashed through my mind, sending a shiver down my spine.

But with these little fluffballs by my side, my heart felt healed.

As I considered taking another nap…

Drip. Tinkle.

I felt the holy power within me replenishing. After being completely drained, I could distinctly feel it filling up again.

‘By tomorrow, I should be fully recovered. I’m about two-thirds full now.’

“Meow.”

Kiki opened his eyes. His round teal gaze met mine, glimmering brightly in the morning sunlight.

“You’re awake?”

“Meow.”

When I blinked, his adorable eyes blinked back at me.

Xavier, giving me a ‘blink kiss’? How bold.

Since becoming Kiki, he had been nothing but shameless, wriggling deeper into my embrace.

“Ah, that tickles.”

“Meow.”

“If you think I’ll let you off just because you’re cute…”

You’re absolutely right.

His four limp legs draped over my thigh were just too precious.

“Should I give you a kiss?”

Kiki’s eyes snapped open. He lifted his head and shook it vigorously.

‘Huh, I thought he’d like that. Strange.’

Now that I had regained some energy, I wanted to do what I couldn’t yesterday.

But before I could, Kiki quickly wriggled out of my arms and leapt onto the table. There, he froze, staring blankly as if malfunctioning.

“What’s wrong, Xavi…?”

“Meowww!”

I thought he was broken, but suddenly he let out a sharp cry.

“Xavi…?”

“Meow!”

“What’s wrong?”

Kiki looked at me with the most frustrated expression I’d ever seen on a cat. Then, with a sigh, he actually heaved a deep breath—can cats even sigh? What a sight.

Lifting one of his fluffy front paws, Kiki pointed toward my foot.