It was at that moment. Perhaps due to the sweet desserts laid out, or because this place was a garden, or maybe both, a tiny flying insect buzzed in. The insect quickly landed on the head of the doll Mikhail had brought.
“Eek, a bug, a bug!”
The doll flailed its short arms wildly, trying to shoo the insect away while shouting. Seeing this, Yellian gasped and exclaimed.
“Ahh! What is this, what is this! The doll is talking!”
“Ahh! What’s this, what’s this! The cat is talking!”
The cat and the doll, both in utter shock, stared at each other with wide, startled eyes.
Of course, the two lords were equally astonished. A talking cat and a talking doll? It was something that shouldn’t be possible.
Moreover, this was an important meeting with a foreign delegation. To have their greatest secrets exposed in such a setting was beyond embarrassing.
“You have quite a remarkable doll.”
“The same could be said of you. A talking cat, how surprising.”
At Leonard’s words, Mikhail retorted coldly. Both men quickly racked their brains. For a while, a sharp silence hung heavily in the garden.
“Is it dark magic?”
“And is that cat a product of dark magic?”
“Do others in the Wedepia Empire know that this doll can speak?”
“A talking cat, do others know about it?”
“What exactly is that doll?”
“I’m very curious about the true nature of that cat.”
Neither man backed down an inch. Avoiding answers, they only fired questions at each other, trying to uncover anything that could be used as a weakness.
Just as the air felt like it was turning into shattered glass, the doll quietly tugged at the clothing of Lord Mikhail Orlov.
“Mikhail……. don’t fight.”
At the doll’s small voice, Mikhail hesitated for a moment. His fierce gaze softened with tenderness. Seeing this, Yellian hurriedly rubbed its face against Leonard’s chest.
“Leonard, I’m scared. Stop it.”
At Yellian’s sudden display of affection, Leonard’s sharp demeanor from moments ago vanished, and he couldn’t help but let a faint smile slip.
“It seems I’ve glimpsed a secret of my lord.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
At Mikhail’s words, Leonard replied curtly. The two fell silent for a moment before resuming their conversation in a much softer tone than before.
“A talking doll, it would be troublesome if this got out, wouldn’t it?”
“A talking cat, I doubt there’s any benefit to this being known.”
Through their brief exchange, both realized they had exposed their own weaknesses and learned of the other’s. After a moment of thought, Leonard spoke up.
“Let’s bury this.”
“Agreed. As long as my lord keeps silent about this matter, I too will keep the secret.”
As Leonard quietly nodded, Mikhail stood from his seat and extended a handshake. Leonard accepted it. Their hands met and then parted.
A serious and heavy silence settled over them. Yellian glanced at Leonard, rolling its eyes nervously.
“Can I speak now?”
At that moment, the doll cautiously asked. Mikhail then took the doll out of his pocket and placed it on the table.
The doll toddled over with its short legs, approaching Yellian, who was nestled in Leonard’s arms.
Yellian couldn’t believe its eyes as it watched. How could a doll walk on its own? Stunned, Yellian muttered to itself without realizing.
“Wow, the doll is walking…….”
“Hello, my name is Yul. Yul, not Yuri.”
Watching Yul emphasize its name, Yellian hesitated before cautiously approaching. Beige fur floated lightly in the air where Yellian had passed.
“Hello, I’m Yellian. Nice to meet you.”
“Wow, this is so amazing. A cat that talks…….”
Seeing the talking doll, who introduced itself as Yul, marvel at it, Yellian felt a strange emotion. Of course, it didn’t occur to Yellian that it was in no position to think such things.
Leonard and Mikhail decided to quickly end the meeting. Both stood up almost simultaneously.
Before leaving, Leonard and Mikhail separated Yellian and Yul, engaging in a private conversation just between the two of them. After a brief discussion, they parted ways.
On the carriage ride back to the duke’s estate, Yellian kept glancing at Leonard. While no one would be unshocked by a talking doll, Yellian worried it might have caused trouble for Leonard.
As belated regret washed over it, Yellian sat with a gloomy expression. Leonard reached out and gently stroked Yellian’s tiny head.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“But……. didn’t I cause trouble for you?”
“Well, I can’t say it’s nothing, but it’s not something to worry about. I’ve settled things with Lord Orlov.”
“Oh, right. What did you talk about with him?”
“We agreed to protect each other’s weaknesses.”
“Ah, I see.”
“So, there’s no need to worry.”
Only after hearing Leonard’s words did Yellian feel a sense of relief.
At the same time, realizing it was Leonard’s weakness made Yellian feel oddly strange. Being someone’s weakness didn’t feel as bad as expected. It was a bit exciting, and perhaps even a little gratifying.
Feeling satisfied, Yellian couldn’t help but start purring. Seeing this, Leonard’s lips stretched into a faint smile.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing much.”
Feeling embarrassed to tell the truth, Yellian brushed it off by saying it wasn’t thinking about anything. Leonard quietly gazed at Yellian.
Just as Yellian’s conscience began to prick under his gaze, Leonard lifted Yellian and pulled it into his embrace. At first, Yellian squirmed in surprise, but soon it relaxed, feeling a sense of security.
“It’s warm.”
“Well, I am a cat.”
Recalling that a cat’s body temperature is about one or two degrees higher than a human’s, Yellian replied casually.
At that, Leonard murmured lowly, ‘I see.’ While saying so, he gently stroked Yellian in his arms with a tender touch. Yellian let out a contented purring sound.
“Wow, Leonard. Look at the sunset.”
Yellian called out to Leonard as it saw the sunset beyond the window. The red glow of the sunset blended with the pale blue sky, creating a mysterious pink hue. The clouds, too, were dyed pink, forming a breathtaking view. Yellian gazed at the mesmerizing scenery, entranced.
“Isn’t it so beautiful? The sky is pink.”
“I see.”
“That’s it? No sense of romance.”
Feeling a bit deflated by the lackluster response, Yellian grumbled. At that, Leonard spoke up.
“You don’t seem to know.”
“Know what?”
“My only romance is you. There’s no other romance in my life.”
Whoosh.
Even as a cat, Yellian felt its face burning red.
It was an unexpected remark. Yellian had never imagined such words coming from Leonard’s mouth. No, it had never even thought it could hear from anyone that it was their romance.
“W-What is that supposed to mean…….”
Though Yellian spoke in a scolding tone out of embarrassment, it didn’t actually feel bad. No, it felt quite good. Being someone’s romance was, quite literally, a romantic thing.
But expressing this feeling outright was too embarrassing. Yellian silently gazed at the pink sky. Leonard, in turn, looked at Yellian.
It was a moment filled with each other’s romance.
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