Valeslina and Sophia were now seated in the guest room of the imperial palace, with Sophia resting peacefully on Valeslina's lap. Both had received new dresses from the emperor, as their previous ones were ruined. Valeslina's dress was soaked in blood from the spy, while Sophia's was stained from the same blood with the addition of her own vomit.
As Valeslina gave Sophia a lap pillow, she gently brushed the girl's hair away from her face, her fingers moving carefully, as if afraid to wake her. 'I didn't realize you still cared for me this much…'
After the incident, Sophia had clung tightly to Valeslina, crying a lot, her hands fisting into Valeslina's clothes, until she started vomiting and passed out. Noticing her condition, the emperor suggested that both Valeslina and Sophia remain in the palace for the night, to help stabilize her 'unconscious realm' so it would not become a 'trauma.'
Once satisfied with playing with Sophia's hair, Valeslina leaned back slightly against the sofa, letting out a slow breath. She touched her neck, her fingers tracing the edge of the injury. A bandage adorned with an intricate pattern had been placed there.
'Interesting.'
For Valeslina, injury was something she had not experienced in a long time. By normal means, there should be nothing on the 'land' that could hurt her. So the fact that the ornate silver-covered knife could cut through her so easily was not something she could ignore.
She already suspected what kind of item the knife was; her lips curled faintly. 'An artifact, huh…'
An artifact is an item believed to originate from the ancient magician civilization, considered far more advanced than anything in the present. The item itself is a testament to that, surviving hundreds of thousands of years while remaining in pristine, functional condition. Furthermore, artifacts are widely known for their incomprehensible effects and remain subjects of study for most magicians in the academy today.
'I wonder if I could add that to my collection.' Her fingers idly tapped against the armrest as the thought lingered.
While lost in her thoughts, Valeslina suddenly noticed something, her gaze lowering. 'He's finally awake.'
Perched atop Sophia was a black cat, radiating an otherworldly cuteness. It let out a wide yawn, stretching its jaw. 'Look at him yawning!'
The cat then arched its back, paws stretching lazily. 'He's stretching, he's stretching!'
Valeslina was actually somewhat afraid of the cat, knowing she had some idea of his truest 'identity'. Still, seeing him so docile and obedient to Sophia, she couldn't help but wonder if she could overstep just a little. 'I want to pat!'
***
I woke up on top of Sophia, blinking sleepily as I took in my surroundings, my body shifting slightly as I adjusted my weight. The first thing I noticed was Valeslina giving Sophia a lap pillow. Right after, I sensed something else from her, something that made my ears twitch. 'That was some intense stare.'
I chose to ignore it for now, turning my head away and letting my eyes half-close again. There was something more important to consider.
Now that I had taken my light nap, I decided to evaluate the previous incident with the spy. From my previous use of my skill, Veil of the Abyss, I noticed a glaring problem. 'My aura, it's far more dangerous than I realized.'
I had intended to use Veil of the Abyss only to stun the spy temporarily, creating an opening for the others to subdue him. But instead, the aura drove him into a frenzy, and he created an opening to his own head. 'I have to be more careful about using this skill on a living being.'
But then, I was suddenly reminded of something. My tail flicked once against the fabric beneath me. 'Wait, didn't Naphael tank my aura without issue?'
For now, I decided to push the thought aside, focusing instead on a new glaring problem. 'What the hell are you even trying to do?'
Considering her intense gaze, I purposely avoided locking eyes with Valeslina. Even now, from the moment I awoke, I had been pretending she did not exist. But now, while my guard was down, she had secretly extended her hand, and it was already halfway to touching my body.
'Was she really that desperate?' I decided to turn my head and suddenly lock my gaze on her.
Valeslina stiffened for just a fraction of a second before looking away, her hand retreating as she pretended like nothing had happened, adjusting Sophia's hair instead. 'Did she think I didn't realize what she was doing?'
Honestly, it's not that I didn't want to be patted by her; I was actually pretty enjoying being pa... no. But she is a special case for me. I had a reason to keep my distance, or at least to minimize interaction with her. It's the same reason I wasn't even worried when she got taken hostage during the spy incident.
***
Valeslina Kovalevska (Koschei)
Level: 5,489
Mana Capacity: 149,197
Occupation: Owner of the Mystica Dynamics Co.; Queen of The Caligula Valley
Strength: 698
Intelligence: 10.573
Agility: 9.286
Dexterity: 6.675
Vitality: 199
Skills: Undying
***
I mean, look at that disgustingly high level. If everyone else in the room weren't so tense, I might actually have let out a bit of laughter back during the incident, considering the spy had taken Valeslina out of all the people he could have taken hostage. From this stat, too, I decided to put her as an 'outlier.' Regular nobles, even the high-ranking ones, never even touch level 500, and here she was at a level 10 times that amount.
I frowned as I looked at Valeslina, my tail curling tighter around myself. 'Is she pretending not to notice me now?'
I was actually really upset from the previous incident. In my previous world, I had a couple of rules that I made sure to abide by. One of them was not helping those who could help themselves. And the situation with Valeslina was even more ridiculous than that. It was like I was giving a couple of dollars to a billionaire who refused to use their credit card at a convenience store.
In my moment of heat, my head lifted slightly, and a word suddenly left my mouth, "You could've saved yourself."
***
'This is…' Valeslina, who was currently trying her best to avoid the cat's intense gaze, felt a sudden pressure in her head. Her fingers stiffened as information was forcefully implanted into her mind.
'This mode of communication…' Her breath hitched slightly. She immediately recognized it.
'So you are part of them, or maybe… their higher up?' Her eyes trembled as she lowered her gaze, her shoulders subtly tightening. From this, Valeslina finally had her confirmation regarding the cat's true 'identity,' beyond the mask of a nine-stroke beast. Following this realization, a faint unease settled into her chest.
'Should I ask about it?' Her lips parted, then closed again. She had so many questions regarding the 'guidance,' the 'sacrificial ritual,' and her own daughter. Then, as her thoughts connected, it suddenly clicked. 'Does he become Sophia's tamed beast have something to do with the failed sacrifice?'
Although she still wanted to ask about all of it, she slowly exhaled and restrained herself. She had a more pressing problem to deal with. 'He is really upset, isn't he?'
From the previous words she received from the cat, she could feel the anger emanating from it. And the content of his words explained it all. 'You could've saved yourself, huh…'
It was clear that the cat knew she could have handled the spy herself, and the fact that he had to intervene in such a minor task must be very upsetting. Especially since a few days ago, she had a similar experience, where she mistakenly thought she was handling some powerful faction, only to discover that she was actually dealing with a group of low-level criminal hustlers.
She lifted a hand to her temple, massaging it lightly. Just thinking about it was enough to make her lightheaded.
'Even the way he handled the spy…' Her eyes flickered as she recalled the erratic behavior the spy had shown. From that alone, Valeslina could guess just how upset the cat must be. She knew that he could have handled the spy cleanly and quietly, yet he chose to create a 'performance,' perhaps as a way to vent or entertain himself in his sour mood.
On top of that, he was too lazy to move his own body to finish the spy, instead making the spy carry out the 'deed' for him.
Valeslina straightened her posture slightly, clenching her fingers once before relaxing them. 'Valeslina, calm yourself; let's find a way to fix the situation.'