I Became the Wicked Beastmen’s Catnip - Chapter 5

A small baby and a cat , wrapped in blooming flowers, were facing each other in a precarious atmosphere.

 

“W-Why is the Fourth Prince there…”

 

A red cat that was lying on the overgrown grass was purring, making noises as if it were rushing to reveal its fangs at any moment.

 

At the end of the cat’s sharp gaze… There was Yernian, who said she was eager to walk for a long time these days.

 

“You have to save Her Highness the Princess right now…!”

 

“No.”

 

Recalling the fierce reversal from the past, Licht closed his eyes and smiled.

 

“Leave them alone.”

 

The cat, who had been peeking at the opportunity to rush along with the incomprehensible order of Licht, flew swiftly.

 

***

 

Today was the first day of my walk.

 

In the meantime, my nanny took me to the terrace for a little while to get some sunlight, but I couldn’t go too far due to Mir’s advice that it’s not good to be under the sun for too long.”

 

‘Great! Today is the day.’

 

I walked five steps while holding on to the wall.

 

After a shameful night of flipping, my body moved forward without hesitation.

 

At first, I often fell and burst into tears as soon as I took a step or two. Now, with the help of furniture, walls, or someone, even four steps were possible.

 

The nanny and maids, who were nervous about my slow growth rate, were so happy that their tails popped out through their clothes.

 

‘Do beastmen’s tails stick out when they’re excited?’

 

The shiny tail fluttered in front of my eyes enough to make me want to hold it tight.

 

“Your Highness, the head maid has something to do today, so I think you will have to take a walk with me. Is that okay?” Alice, one of the maids who takes care of me, made eye contact and asked me in a friendly manner.

 

“Yesh!” I said, raising my arms excitedly.

 

Alice, who is expected to be an adult next year, was an exceptionally sociable maid.

 

Unlike the nanny and my other maid, Loen, who treated me with respect and always told me I’m a princess, she warmly approached me.

 

I went down to the corridor leading to the royal garden in Alice’s arms.

 

“Tomorrow is finally your birthday banquet. I think humans are more sweet than beastmen. To hold a special banquet to commemorate the first year of your birth.” She listed various information related to the birthday banquet in an enthusiastic voice.

 

It felt unfamiliar to me, who had never celebrated my birthday.

 

“The Head called all the best merchants. Among them, there’s also a tailor in charge of the human royal family.”

 

“…Ish ith Wichth?” (…Is it Licht?)

 

“Isn’t all of this a sign of how much he loves Your Highness?”

 

Alice chatted with a more excited face. At the same time, she didn’t forget to step on only the shade to avoid sunlight.

 

At that time, a sweet scent flowed from somewhere.

 

I turned my head reflectively after the scent and my eyes grew bigger.

 

Colorful flowers that I saw for the first time in my life filled the flower garden. Countless kinds of flowers shook their heads whenever the wind blew. The setting sun of the afternoon made the flowers that were huddling together look like a fantasy that would scatter at any moment.

 

I felt like my heart was going to be cut at the beautiful scenery I saw for the first time in my life. From here, a feeling of darkness similar to when I first looked at the sky with my own eyes came up from deep inside my abdomen.

 

I forced myself not to cry.

 

“It’s a flower garden where only direct royal family members can enter.”

 

I was completely captivated by the scenery in front of me to the extent that Alice’s explanation didn’t reach my ears properly. Alice, who was looking closely at my reaction, asked with a solemn look.

 

“I’ll drop you off, would you like to walk for a moment?”

 

Is that okay? I’m not even part of the royal family of the Myo World.

 

Alice said with a smiling face as she noticed my hesitation.

 

“The Head said that Your Highness the Princess can enter.”

 

“Reawwy? Puth me down!” (Really? Put me down!)

 

As my face brightened, Alice carefully dropped me off on the well-wiped road.

 

“Princess, be careful.” She held my staggering hand and led me forward.

 

It took a long time for me to take one step or another.

 

“You are doing well, Princess. I should leave this as a portrait.”

 

Alice made a fuss and led me through the flowers. I focused on walking with all my strength, being careful not to fall. It was the moment I was about to take five steps without Alice’s support.

 

“…Princess?”

 

A voice that felt like sharp thorns pierced through the deep pink sunset flew in.

 

Alice and I both turned our heads at the same time.

 

Is he just over 3 years old? The child who was staring at me with cold eyes had red hair and ears that resembled the setting sun that colored the flower garden.

 

Her face turned pale when she looked at that child.

 

“F-Fourth Prince…!”

 

When I heard the word ‘prince’, I thought of the Third Prince, Noha, who often visits my bedroom.

 

‘Because it is said that there are three princes living in the main palace.’

 

It seemed like that child was the youngest prince. He also had a blatant hostility that was embarrassing to me.

 

“Why is there a princess with no ears? Since when did we have a princess in our family?”

 

“That… The Princess was brought from the continent by His Majestyㅡ”

 

“By Brother?”

 

The ears rising above the Fourth Prince’s head were shaking.

 

“Yes. The princes would’ve been officially introduced at tomorrow’s banquet.”

 

The face of the Fourth Prince, who already boasted such elaborate facial features, was twisted. It was a reaction contrary to those who had already known my existence.

 

‘Why? He looks like he’s angrier than before.’

 

Alice felt it too, wrapped me as if she was about to protect me, and stepped back from him.

 

The shaking body of the Fourth Prince that seemed like he was about to convulse in any moment quickly turned into a small animal.

 

‘Cat.’

 

I lowered my posture and stared blankly at the red cat and its flat ears.

 

A threatening cry gradually leaked from the small cat’s chest.

 

‘What should I do?’

 

The Fourth Prince, who was waving his tail distractingly, was about to rush into me and bite me on the back of my neck.

 

‘I don’t want Alice to get hurt.’

 

But I can’t use mana either.

 

I looked at Alice’s arms that were protecting me with anxious eyes and turned my head. The sky-blue eyes with abnormally reduced pupils were full of hostility towards me. Red mana, identical to the color of its fur, ran down the cat’s body. At first glance, sharp fans were revealed through the opened lips.

 

“Haaagh!”

 

A small cat with threatening cries rushed toward me and at the same time, a black shadow appeared from the air.

 

It was exactly the moment I was about to use my mana. After hurriedly stopped operating the mana, I stared at the owner of the back that blocked my front.

 

‘…Licht?’

 

The owner of the shadow, who blocked me, bumped his finger. The familiar silver mana gently snatched the red cat that was floating in the air.

 

Before it tried to attack me, the frozen cat drooped its ears.

 

“Ash.”

 

“…Meow.”

 

Licht shed a shallow breath, touched the cat’s nose, which had lost its will to attack.

 

“Don’t cross the line.” A dark shade that didn’t go well with the sunset cast over Licht as he looked back at me slowly. “She’s very important to us.”

 

My heart sank to the floor at his quiet voice.

 

‘Important kid.’

 

While he was reflecting on what Licht meant, Licht’s big hand brushed away the red fur of the cat that blinked. Then, the sharp claws protruding from its two feet that were resembling cotton bats disappeared.

 

“Be a good boy, Ash.”

 

He patted the Fourth Prince’s head who quickly became gentle and raised the corner of his lips.

 

However, unlike the smile that was created on the lips, those eyes looked at me, colder than ever.

 

“Yernian.”

 

“…Ung.”

 

“I’ll pick you up on time tomorrow, so be prepared.”

 

He disappeared somewhere after he said those meaningful words. The same thing happened to the Fourth Prince who was glaring at me from Licht’s arms.

 

Alice lost strength in her arms after she hugged me tightly.

 

“…I’m alive.” She breathed a sigh of relief, hugged my stiffened body.

 

“Are you okay, Princess?”

 

I nodded with a pale face while Alice worriedly looked at me.

 

‘Something is unsettling.’

 

Hugging Alice’s neck as she walked out of the garden with fast steps, I bit my lips.

 

Somehow, I had a strong feeling that tomorrow’s banquet wouldn’t flow smoothly.

 

***

 

The morning of the birthday banquet quickly came.

 

‘Ah, I’m tired.’

 

I raised myself with the help of the nanny with blank eyes. I hardly slept all night because I was suffering from the nightmare of the Fourth Prince.

 

‘I don’t even care about the banquet, I just want to rest.’

 

However, Licht, who hosted this banquet by himself, couldn’t let me go.

 

“Happy birthday, Princess!”

 

Alice, who was always cheerful, wiped the saliva around my lips with a handkerchief. When the salivary glands began to develop and the baby teeth grew, if I let my guard down even a little, saliva would flow and it’d be very inconvenient.

 

“Thhank yew.” (Thank you.)

 

She smiled brightly at my little thank you, winked at Loen, another maid next to her.

 

“Happy birthday, Your Highness.” With a blunt greeting, Loen popped out a gift box with a light pink ribbon that was similar to my hair color.

 

The nanny and maids laughed as they watched my eyes rounded right in front of them. After swallowing the saliva that almost flowed out again, I reached out and grabbed the tip of the smooth ribbon. One side of my chest was tickled by the soft texture on my hand.

 

‘Gift.’

 

It was the first time in my life to receive such a beautifully packaged gift.

 

I mumbled as I felt the heat rushing to my face.

 

“Thhank yew fow thish thoo.” (Thank you for this too.)

 

At my shy greeting, long tails popped out of their hips. Those tails slightly curled up like a stick and swayed softly.

 

If I keep living here, will I be able to see Licht’s tail sticking out later?

 

As I was thinking such a foolish thought, the nanny came up to me and put that box aside.

 

“We don’t have enough time, so shall we check that together later after the banquet?”

 

I nodded eagerly, following the box with my eyes.

 

“Yesshhh.”

 

“Then I’ll go downstairs and check the progress and come back!” Alice disappeared with a fuss that she had a lot to prepare. The yellow tail that couldn’t be hidden disappeared over the door along with Alice’s steps.

 

“It’s a specially custom-made clothing for Your Highness.”

 

Loen put the box she took from the next room down in front of me. The nanny watched me eating baby food as she admired me.

 

“Oh my, you’re so cute.”

 

In the box Loen put down, there was a pink dress with cute frills and ribbons hanging.

 

“It’s a cute dress like Your Highness. Don’t you think so, Loen?”

 

“Yes. I think Your Highness will be cuter than most other people.”

 

“Of course. The children of the Myo Clan that I have taken care of so far are over dozens, including His Majesty and His Highness the Prince, but I’ve never seen such a lovely baby.”

 

…Dozens? Then how old is the nanny? On the surface, she looked like she was in her late 20s. Before I lost my eyesight in my previous life, I trembled as I recalled the human aging process in the cards I saw in the middle of my education.

 

It seems that beastmen have a slower aging process and longer lifespan than humans.

 

As I turned my head, I remembered the tailor who had measured me not long ago.

 

“I’ll make the best dress for you, Your Highness.”

 

The tailor was solemn like a warrior going to war and he kept his promise. The dress which I wore for the first time in my life seemed a little excessive, but it was definitely a cute dress even to me, as an outsider in this field.

 

‘Is this the kind of taste Licht has?’

 

It is said that it was a dress made with his approval. I changed my clothes with Loen and the nanny’s help after making a shaking face for a while.

 

“Her Highness the Princess is so kind too. How can you be so gentle?” As the nanny started again, Loen added a single sentence.

 

“The Chief Servant said that among human babies, she is exceptionally gentle.”

 

“Now you’re good at walking. Certainly, your body grows much slower than the beastmen, but I hope Your Highness will grow as slowly as now.”

 

While the nanny sighed and lamented that it was a waste of time, the banquet time got closer.

 

It was just before the start of the banquet that Licht came. His lips twitched when he saw me, who had been decorated with all their might.