Chapter 27: A Shameful Alliance

Mr. Henry is beginning to turn into a cat.

Before Dion notices, I cover Henry’s head with a cloth from the counter. Mr. Henry, suddenly covered with the cloth, makes a “What?” face.

“Mai-san?”

“I’m sorry. I  think I spilled some sauce on you. You’ve got it on your head, Henry. Oh, it’s all over your clothes. Come over here. I’ll wash it off now.”

It was a poor excuse, but I didn’t care. I grabbed Henry’s wrist and pulled him to the stairs at the back of the kitchen. Then I whispered to him.

“You have cat’s eyes.”

“What…? There were no warning signs.”

Mr. Henry quickly touched his head and bottom to make sure.

“You’re still okay. Would you like to stay here until you calm down?”

“Sorry, please let me do that.”

Mr. Henry sat down on the stairs with his head slumped. I opened the kitchen garbage disposal doorway and shouted loudly.

“I'm terribly sorry, sir!　Please Don't be discouraged by this, please come again!”

I raised my voice to the outside and deliberately slammed the door with a loud bang! I signaled to Mr. Henry, “Shhh,” and returned to the kitchen with a nonchalant look on my face. Mr. Dion was looking at me with a worried look on his face

“I messed up. I spilled the sauce on it so I tried to wash it for him, but he said he’d get a servant to do it and then went home.”

“Did he leave in anger?”

“He wasn’t angry, so it’s all right. I am sorry for disturbing you.”

“Well, that’s okay then. So, as I was saying, if you’re going to the coulou district, please let me know. I can show you around any of the stores.”

Tenacious.

“Thank you. But if it’s that dangerous, I won’t do it.”

“Yes, that would be better.”

When I told him I definitively wouldn’t go, Mr. Dion said nothing more and left, saying, “Well, I’m going back to work.” I saw him off and immediately headed for the stairs.

 "Mr. Henry, how are you feeling ……?”

A black cat the size of a foal stood petrified at the front of the stairs.

“Oh dear.”

“How embarrassing.”

“Just calm down and you’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. You’ll go back.”

“He hasn’t given up on you yet.”

Did you hear that?

“That was just a kind thing to say, and I’m not talking about not giving up on me. Besides, he won’t ask me out again. More importantly, Mr. Henry, you have to get back to the castle, don’t you? Do you think you can make it back by then?”

“I have no idea…”

　Henry the cat looks depressed and his whiskers are pointing down. It’s been a while since I last saw Henry the cat. I stretched out my arm to touch the black cat, but stopped.

"I know that may not be encouraging, but it's a wonderful thing to be alive. I’m sorry if I sound preachy, but it's true."

“I’m scared. I’m really worried about what I’ll do if I can’t go back to normal.”

“At that time……”

(No, what I’m thinking right now is not something I should say to someone who is suffering.)

　As I swallowed the words I was about to say, Henry the cat, who had been looking downcast, raised his head.

“What was it then?”

“I was about to say something insensitive. I’ll stop. You see, since I came to this world, I have decided to make someone smile at least once a day. What I was about to say just now was not the kind of thing to make you smile, Henry. I’m sorry.”

“But I still want to hear it.”

The way he gazed at me with his emerald eyes was so adorable that I couldn’t help but stroke his head. Henry the cat, who was being petted with his eyes closed, licked my wrist as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Then he hurriedly removed his head from my hand.

“I’m so sorry. When I was in this form, my body unconsciously moved. I am sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to being licked by cats.”

“So, what was it you were just about to say?”

Yeah, he is indeed a cat. Don’t give up!

“I was going to say then at that time …… I will take care of you in this house. But you are the son of a viscount, Henry. You didn't need my help. It was a foolish thing to say.”

　 Gently, I stretched my arm out towards Henry the cat, then stopped midway.

“May I pet you again?　Not in the mood?”

“I feel very calm when you pet me, Mai. Please go ahead and pet me as much as you like.”

“Then, I will pet you.”

“Go ahead.”

　I slowly stroked the head that was offered to me. I stroked the head while feeling the outline of the skull, stroked the back while feeling the spine. I stroke his throat and chest, feeling the rumbling sound and vibration. As I stroked, I remembered my beloved cat, Yataro, whom I had left behind in the other world. Oh, how I miss them.

“Mr. Henry, can I hug you around the neck? Is that ok?”

“The neck ……, yes, here you go.”

I knew that Mr. Henry the cat was confused, but I couldn’t help myself and wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. The rumbling sound got louder.

　I was planning to be the one to look after Yataro and my grandmother until the end. I wondered what would happen to my baby if he outlived my grandmother? I inadvertently imagined bad things. Tears started to flow.

“Mai-san?”

“I’m sorry. I remembered the black cat I adored in the other world.”

“You had a black cat?”

“Yes. When I was a child and I told my grandmother that I wanted a cat, she immediately got me a kitten from somewhere. I think she wanted to give me some strength after losing my parents.”

“So you are worried about that cat.”

Instead of replying, I buried my face in Mr. Henry the cat’s neck. And we talked as we went.

“I know I shouldn’t be so greedy, since I wouldn’t be alive today. But no matter how hard I try to suppress my desire to see Yataro, I just can’t.”

　Henry the cat grimly rubs his own head against mine. It’s something Yataro used to do. I miss him so much that it makes my heart ache.

"That's true. It's wonderful just to be alive. But honestly, I still haven't come to terms with the unfairness of my life. I'm not a good person like Mai-san. It's pathetic. For some reason, I always end up showing my shameful side in front of you.”

I felt a deep affection for Henry, the sad looking cat. I’m not sure what kind of affection it was, though.

“I’m also a pathetic adult. I cry easily when I think of my grandmother and Yataro. If you think you’re pathetic, Henry, then we’re part of the Pathetic Adult Alliance. As members of the alliance, let’s help each other through hard times.”

I nuzzled  my face in his neck for a while, and then he pushed me away with his front paws.

“Please leave immediately. I think I’m going to turn human again.”

“Ah, yes.”

　I quickly got up and went to wait in front of the fireplace inside the shop.

“Sorry I made you wait”

I turned to see Mr. Henry standing there in his civil servant uniform. His clothes were spiffy as usual, but his hair was disheveled.

 “If you don’t mind with my comb, let me fix your hair. It’s a mess, probably because I’ve stroked it so much.”

“No, I’ll comb it with my hands……. No, actually, can I still ask you to do it for me?”

“Yes, I would like to. Then please take a seat.”

　I gently comb his hair with my comb. I wonder if this is what it would be like if Yataro became human. I miss you, Yataro. Tears slowly welled up in my eyes, so I shook my head and tried to forget.

“You want to see Yataro, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. Let’s stop talking about Yataro now because I’m going to cry.”

“Okay. I won’t say any more.”

I had just finished doing his hair and said, “Okay, here you go,” when he gently grabbed my wrist.

“Next time I turn into a cat, you can think of me as Yataro, okay?”

　My heart was racing, but I shook my head.

“No. Yataro is Yataro and Mr. Henry is Mr. Henry. Both are important to me, so I won’t put them together.”

“yes……”

“But if you ever become a cat again, please let me pet you.”

“Yes. As much as you like. I’m going back to work now.”

Mr. Henry opened the door and turned around.

“I’m sure I’ll become a cat in front of you again. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize in advance.”

　And with that, he beautifully ran off.

　What does it mean to become a cat in front of me again?

Oh well. I’ll bake some cookies tonight. I’ll have something sweet to cheer me up. I’d like Sophia to try them tomorrow.

After closing the store for the day, I baked a large batch of cookies, including some for sale.

As I finished baking, it started to rain.

The raindrops must be huge, because the sound of them hitting the roof was loud.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had rain…”

　I said such a leisurely remark and went to bed.

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