Chapter 41

"Yep, it seems the pain is completely gone."

Cordelia, rubbing her right ankle, muttered to herself.

It had been about twenty days since the incident with Zayed.

The pain in her ankle seemed to have completely disappeared.

(...Now, I shouldn’t be carried by His Highness anymore.)

Recalling her recent interactions with Leonhardt, Cordelia blushed.

Every time she met Leonhardt, he would carry her to avoid aggravating her ankle.

His kindness was heartwarming, but... it was still too much of a stimulus for Cordelia.

(From now on, I have to get used to many things...)

Cordelia, who was to be engaged to Leonhardt, the one called the "Holy Maiden of the Lion," nodded to herself.

The engagement was delayed due to the aftermath of the Zayed incident and Leonhardt's busy schedule with his princely duties, but it was supposed to happen soon.

(As a member of the royal family, I have to be even more determined.)

Nodding, Cordelia steeled herself, but then,

"Meow."

"...Nini."

She smiled at the sound from her feet.

Nini was a white, long-haired cat.

With her fluffy fur, Nini was rubbing against Cordelia’s legs.

"Nini, what’s wrong? It’s still a while before mealtime, isn’t it?"

"Meow!!"

Nini’s paws pressed softly against the hem of Cordelia’s dress.

Her claws were retracted, and her light blue eyes looked up at Cordelia with expectation.

In response to that expectation, Cordelia squatted down and gently picked up Nini.

Nini was an elderly cat.

Although her exact age was unknown due to her origins as a stray, she was at least 12 years old.

Carefully, to avoid causing Nini any strain, Cordelia placed her on her lap.

The warm, soft sensation made Cordelia smile.

(She’s so soft... The way she feels when I hold her is a bit different from His Highness in his lion cub form.)

Leonhardt was a descendant of the lion spirit.

He could freely transform into a majestic lion with a mane or a small lion cub.

When he transformed into a lion cub, he looked somewhat like a cat, but compared to a real cat, his ears were rounder, his limbs were thicker, and his fur felt a bit firmer.

"Purr, purr, purr"

As Cordelia stroked Nini’s back, she purred.

Pressing her fluffy head against Cordelia, Nini seemed to be asking for more petting.

It was a heartwarming sight.

(Haha, if I told my younger self a year ago that I would be living with Nini again, she wouldn’t have believed me.)

Nini was a cat Cordelia had found as a child.

She had lavished love and care on Nini, but eventually, her younger sister Priscilla took an interest in her.

Cordelia resisted with all her might, but her parents forced her to give up Nini.

Priscilla, who had obtained Nini, was fickle.

After about a month, she lost interest and neglected Nini, not even feeding her properly.

Cordelia never forgot the sight of Nini, who had become emaciated.

To keep Nini safe from Priscilla’s neglect, the powerless Cordelia could only entrust her to an acquaintance of her grandmother.

Fortunately, Nini soon adapted to her new owner and was well cared for.

However, the new owner, being an elderly acquaintance of her grandmother, passed away suddenly not long ago.

After discussing Nini’s future with the bereaved family, Cordelia decided to take her back.

(I was a bit hesitant, but Nini remembered me, and there’s no longer any worry about Priscilla taking her away.)

Priscilla, who had lost most of her memory, was being cared for by her father at the estate.

Cordelia still had mixed feelings about Priscilla and her mother, but the fact that the earl’s household, which had revolved around Priscilla, had changed significantly was undeniable.

"Meow."

Nini purred in a sweet, kitten-like voice and pressed her paws against Cordelia’s knee.

Her beautiful blue eyes were half-closed, and she was completely cuddling up to Cordelia.

(She’s so cute... But I probably won’t have much time to dote on Nini like this for much longer.)

Due to her injured foot, Cordelia had been spending more time at the estate recently.

She had visited the palace a few times and worked at the estate, but overall, it had been a peaceful period.

Once she became Leonhardt’s official fiancée, she would be busier and have less time to pamper Nini like this.

(If I make a mistake, I’ll cause trouble for His Highness. I have to be careful and not show any weakness.)

Just as Cordelia was renewing her resolve,

"Miss Cordelia, it seems we have a visitor."

The butler called from outside the room.

"...Who could it be? I didn’t have any visitors scheduled for today."

"It’s Princess Femina."

Leonhardt’s half-sister, a royal princess.

(...Why would Princess Femina suddenly come to the estate?)

Cordelia was puzzled.

An unannounced visit was considered impolite, but it was difficult to turn away a royal.

"Nini, I’m sorry. I’ll pet you again later."

"...Meow..."

Placing Nini back on the floor, Cordelia headed for the entrance.

Thank you for reading.

The next part will be posted tomorrow or the day after.