The Restless Kitten

In her dream, she stood in a patch of gray-white mist. That holy figure was ahead of her, slowly walking deeper into the haze.

She tried to call out, but there was no response. She tried to give chase, but could only watch helplessly as the figure drifted further and further away, until she faded from sight with a gentle smile, leaving her world forever.

“Your Highness!”

Waking up in a panic from the nightmare, Mia found herself reaching out in vain, grasping at nothing but empty air.

A dream. Thank goodness it was only a dream.

She pulled her hand back and turned her head to look at the side of the bed.

A few days ago, Lovene had been lying right there. Mia only had to reach out to touch her soft hair, and after she fell asleep, she could secretly admire her sleeping face.

But now...

Even though she knew she had reversed time and saved Lovene, the lingering anxiety of losing her still haunted her heart. It prompted her to fling off the blanket, step barefoot onto the cold wooden floor, and hurry down the corridor, stopping in front of that familiar door.

She wanted to see if Her Highness was in bed, just to quiet the unease in her chest.

Placing her fingers on the doorknob, she took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open.

The bed was empty.

The sheets were neatly made, without a single wrinkle to suggest anyone had slept there.

Moonlight fell across the edge of the bed like a thin layer of frost. Mia couldn't help but take a few steps forward. Her breathing grew heavy, and the anxiety in her heart magnified tenfold in an instant.

Her Highness wasn't in bed, and she hadn't returned to her own room. Where could she have gone?

Could she have...

Mia's racing thoughts turned her face a sudden, sickly pale. A tremor of fear shook her crimson eyes, making her look like an abandoned pup.

But just then, the soft click of a door closing and locking sounded behind her.

She spun around instantly.

Lovene, wearing a nightgown, stood by the door. The moonlight spilling through the window beside her highlighted the faint, playful curve of her lips.

“Oh my, it seems a little kitten doesn't know her manners, breaking into her master's room in the middle of the night.”

She chuckled softly, stepping up to Mia and lifting her chin with a slender finger.

“Shouldn't a naughty kitten like this be punished?”

With that, she gently pushed Mia's shoulders, sending her tumbling onto the bed, and pressed herself down on top of her.

“Your Highness...”

In the moonlight, Mia saw the mischief gleaming in Lovene's eyes. The terrifying fear of losing Her Highness vanished in an instant, replaced by a sudden rush of fluster and embarrassment at being teased.

But before she could do anything, the floral scent radiating from the girl grew richer, and a sweet taste brushed against her delicate lips.

The soft, tangible touch assured her that this was all real, not a dream.

“Since you're here, don't leave.”

Pulling back, Lovene smiled as she pulled the blanket over herself and lay down. At her gesture, Mia lay down on the other side of the bed.

She was a subordinate; she shouldn't get too close to Her Highness.

With that thought in mind, she deliberately kept her distance. To her surprise, Lovene quickly slid closer and wrapped both arms around her waist.

“Your Highness, I...”

“Shh.”

Lovene cut her off, tightening her embrace slightly as she whispered, “I'm missing a bolster. Mia, this is an order.”

...She was a subordinate. She had to obey the Saintess's orders.

Her inner thoughts growing increasingly tangled, Mia tried to force herself to focus on something else. Before long, however, she felt Lovene's fingers gently comb through the loose strands of hair resting on her shoulder, wandering restlessly across her skin.

Finally, just as she was about to reach her limit, those hands returned to her waist, hugging her tightly as Lovene pressed her cheek against Mia's back.

Once they settled down, Mia could feel the soft, cool breath of the girl against her neck.

Outside the window, the moonlight slowly crept past the sill, casting a veil of white silk across the bedroom.

Feeling the girl's breathing stabilize behind her, Mia closed her eyes, ready to drift off. Just then, the girl's tender voice drifted from beside her shoulder:

“If the wind ever carries me away, as long as I can still walk, I will walk back.”

“Because I know someone is always waiting for me to return.”

Bathed in the soft moonlight, the night passed silently without leaving a trace or taking anything away. The girl fell fast asleep, but Mia couldn't help but curl her fingers slightly.

So Her Highness knew everything...

Her anxiety, her fear of loss... She had thought she had hidden those feelings so well.

But Her Highness had seen right through her all along.

And these words were her response.

She didn't deny that she might leave her side one day, but she promised she would return, just as a traveler eventually returns home. This was her comfort, and her promise.

That was enough.

Mia took a soft breath, feeling the tight strings that had been wound up in her heart slowly loosen one by one. She turned her head, burying her cheek in the edge of the pillow, letting herself be enveloped by Lovene's faint, clean scent.

No one knew what the future held, but at least for now, she was right by her side.

...

The road leading to the Oswell territory had not been maintained for nearly a year. The surface was riddled with potholes, and the weeds on both sides had grown as high as a stirrup.

Inside the carriage, Church Knight Seth sat leaning against the window. The bumps in the road caused his silver-gray light armor to emit faint scraping sounds, and the longsword at his waist was polished bright as new.

He stared out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

Sitting across from him was another Church Knight named Croy. Compared to the young and promising Seth, Croy had a much rougher, more casual air about him, resembling the local thugs of some small fiefdom.

“Captain Seth, the Oswell territory is just ahead.”

He rubbed his scruffy stubble, leaning forward slightly as he asked curiously, “I heard you've been to this place before, Captain?”

Seth's gaze remained fixed outside.

“Yes. I came to this territory while on a mission in the past, and quite a few things happened.”

He spoke nonchalantly, as if he didn't care at all about what had transpired there.

Croy raised an eyebrow and probed further:

“Oh? Mind telling me what happened, Captain Seth?”

Seth recalled something, shaking his head with a cold laugh.

“Heh, it was nothing. Just a woman.”

“She fell in love with me, and the territory's strongest knight couldn't accept it. He challenged me to a duel, but I severed his right hand with a single strike. He lost the duel and nearly lost his life.”

His eyes flickered slightly at the mention of the duel, hinting at some hidden truth. Croy noticed this but chose not to expose it, opting instead to scoff mockingly:

“The strongest knight? Ha, that's just a title for a weak territory to amuse itself. Compared to us Church Knights, they're completely fragile.”