“Please wait a moment, Ian.”
Duke Frederick’s voice came from behind.
Ian stopped in his tracks and looked back.
In the end, Duke Frederick still cherished talented people.
He took out another item from his breast pocket—a hard envelope sealed with Mithril-sealed Envelope, exuding a faint sandalwood fragrance and a slight spatial fluctuation, along with a Leather Map made from some kind of animal hide.
“This is a letter of recommendation for my old friend, the ‘Stargazer,’ Lady Marguerite.”
The Duke handed both the envelope and the map to Ian.
“Ian, if you wish to study magic, you may take this letter of recommendation to the place marked on the map.”
Ian accepted the recommendation letter, sealed with mithril, and the slightly aged leather map.
To be honest, this time Ian was truly tempted.
He possessed the unparalleled S-class Talent [Heart of the Platinum Dragon God], an almost limitless source of magic, yet could only use it to experience the daily life of a cat.
It really did feel like a waste of his gifts.
“Thank you for your guidance, Your Grace.”
This time, Ian’s thanks carried more sincerity as he carefully put away the letter and the map.
“I will seriously consider visiting Lady Marguerite.”
Duke Frederick nodded:
“May knowledge and power walk with you, young man.”
Ian gave a final bow, then turned and left.
***
In Erna Village
Shirleyviel sat under her usual spot beneath the Old Oak Tree, a flower-illustrated picture book spread out across her lap.
Her fingers unconsciously stroked the smooth pages, but her red eyes kept glancing to the side.
The Black Cat still perched elegantly on a stone bench not far from her, platinum pupils gazing at the sun gradually sinking behind the ridgeline, its tail occasionally sweeping lazily.
But today, it was noticeably more “quiet” and “distant” than usual.
Normally, as soon as Miss Shirleyveil sat down, the Black Cat would leap onto her lap, or nuzzle her hand, purring contentedly.
She would read while gently stroking its sleek fur with her free hand. That warm touch and rhythmic vibration had become one of her sources of security.
But today, the Black Cat seemed “absent-minded.”
It didn’t come to her as usual.
Shirleyviel tried, as she always did, to reach out her hand and call softly, “Mimi?”
The Black Cat’s ears twitched, and it turned to look at her. Its platinum pupils were as clear as ever.
But it merely looked at her, then turned its gaze back to the distance. When her hand approached, it even shifted back ever so slightly—maintaining a polite, but clear, distance.
Shirleyviel’s fingers froze mid-air, curling helplessly.
It was the first time the Black Cat had refused her, and she didn’t understand why.
She tried calling it softly two more times, but the Black Cat’s response remained indifferent.
Only when Shirleyviel couldn’t sit still and took the initiative to approach did it give a perfunctory ‘meow.’
The Black Cat’s cool reaction let a subtle, unfamiliar unease quietly creep into Shirleyviel’s heart.
But it was soon interrupted by Old Anna’s call, as she brought over a plate of freshly cut fruit.
“Miss, try these freshly picked Berry—they’re very sweet.”
Anna set the fruit platter down on the low table beside Shirleyviel and spoke gently, drawing her attention away.
Nowadays, Shirleyviel was not so sensitive; the little bit of emotion she’d just built up was soon buried under Anna’s gentle nagging and care.
And so, another two days passed. During these two days, Ian was slowly helping Shirleyviel get used to his “distance.”
He reduced the frequency of approaching Shirleyviel on his own.
When Shirleyviel tried to put him on her lap, he would symbolically struggle a little, then lie down “reluctantly,” his purrs short and perfunctory, no longer nuzzling her palm as he used to seek caresses.
Most of the time, he just lay in sunny spots with his back to Shirleyviel, eyes closed and resting, his response to her calls delayed or just a lazy lift of his eyelids.
When Shirleyviel reached out to touch him, he would nimbly leap away in advance, hiding atop a higher cabinet or the windowsill, looking down at her with a calm, almost “observing” gaze.
Only when she showed clear disappointment after repeated failed attempts would he jump down, walk to her feet, flick her skirt quickly with the tip of his tail, and give a businesslike “meow” as a response.
In Shirleyviel’s ruby-like eyes, confusion and a faint sense of loss accumulated day by day, but she truly was adapting.
She no longer reached out so often, mostly just quietly watching the Black Cat as it stayed by itself.
Old Anna saw all of this, feeling both pained and helpless, so she could only accompany Shirleyviel even more gently, filling the growing “sense of distance” with daily chores and soft words.
***
The morning of departure finally arrived.
Old Anna had already told Shirleyviel about the trip to the Imperial Capital.
At first, she was a little anxious and afraid, but upon hearing that Anna and the cat would accompany her, most of her unease and fear subsided.
At this moment, both inside and outside the mansion, the scene was busy but orderly.
Well-trained servants loaded the streamlined luggage onto the reinforced carriage, while the White Maple Wolf Knights stood guard around the perimeter, the atmosphere solemn and tinged with urgency.
Shirleyviel was carefully dressed by Anna in a warm cloak suitable for long journeys, her hair tied up in a simpler style.
She stood uneasily under the porch, fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, red eyes constantly searching the courtyard.
Just then, Duke Frederick came over, his tall figure radiating a calm strength.
“Shirley, it’s time for us to go…”
Just as Shirleyviel was about to speak, she noticed a familiar Black Cat sitting quietly atop the Unicorn Carriage she was to ride.
Its platinum pupils were especially clear in the morning light, calmly watching her from afar.
He was still there.
With Ian by her side, only then did Shirleyviel dare to step out of the courtyard.
She let Anna lead her by the hand, walking toward the luxurious and sturdy Unicorn Carriage.
Before getting in, she couldn’t help but glance once more at the cat atop the carriage. It sat in the same posture, with those same platinum pupils.
Finally, everything was ready. The carriage slowly set off, surrounded by elite cavalry, leaving behind the peaceful little village that had been her home for three months.
Inside, Shirleyviel leaned against Anna on the soft seat, gazing blankly at the scenery racing past the window.
Her initial fear and unease faded thanks to Anna’s constant soft words, and ‘Ian’ always appeared just within Shirleyviel’s line of sight but out of reach, his back to her.
Though she felt some confusion and discomfort in her heart, she noticed nothing amiss.
What Shirleyviel didn’t know was that, at the very moment she boarded the carriage and lost sight of the Black Cat, Ian, together with the Legendary Sixth-Tier Mage Duke, completed a flawless sleight of hand.
As the convoy left the bounds of Erna Village and disappeared around the bend in the road, from within the dense leaves of the Old Oak Tree, a “Black Cat” leapt down gracefully and landed as a human.
Ian watched the dust of the convoy fade into the distance, his expression calm.
On the system panel, the task bar for Shirleyviel quietly changed from [In Progress] to [To Be Settled (Plot Transition in Progress)].