A secret conversation between a dog and a cat.
Pochi’s Point of View
While working late into the night on a stained glass piece for Rosarin Oneechan, I finally lost focus. I decided to step out of the atelier and take a stroll through the garden.
Amidst the darkness of night, there she was—a white cat, radiant under the moonlight.
Noble, beautiful, and unbound by anything, she stood in the garden, a vision of elegance.
I felt like painting her. She looked that beautiful.
"Mary?"
"Pochi..."
It was rare to see her without her usual energy. If anything, "energy" was synonymous with Mary. Even more surprising was her presence in the garden, a place she usually avoided due to the strong floral scents.
"... Pochi, you're amazing."
"Huh?"
Mary averted her gaze as she spoke.
"You're... different from me."
"... Well, yeah. Of course I’m different from you. I'm good at painting. You're good at hunting. You're you, Mary."
Mary gave a faint smile, something I'd never seen her do before.
"I can't be 'Mary' in the place I was born and raised. I have to be a doll—obedient, emotionless, and compliant. My own will, my name... none of it matters. All I’m allowed to do is smile and say, 'Yes.' That’s why I won’t go back. I’ll run away from my past and stay who I am now."
I didn’t fully understand the kind of environment she had come from, but unlike me, she remembered her past. And she had chosen to escape it of her own free will.
"I think you're amazing, too, Mary. I... want to know about my real parents and my past. But I also want to stay as Pochi. In a way, I’m selfish. Maybe that's something we have in common."
Mary’s expression softened a little.
"Mary."
"Hmm?"
"No matter what, you’ll always be my family—my little sister. You're you, and I'll always be on your side. Never forget that."
"... Pochi..."
Once, after someone saw a painting I made of Mary, a noble feline beastman came forward and demanded to meet her. Occasionally, people ask to meet the models for my works, but I always refuse. This time was no different.
Most people drop the subject if I explain it was a chance sighting, but this man wouldn’t let it go. He was insistent, claiming she might be a long-lost noblewoman and demanding her identity. He even resorted to threats.
He was unpleasant and overbearing, so I dismissed him and told Mary about it. She was clearly frightened, which led me to ask Oneechan to handle the man. Rosarin Oneechan somehow got him expelled from the country.
I don’t know how she did it. Her smile at the time was terrifying.
After that incident, I stopped using Mary as a model for my paintings. I still sketch her occasionally, but I keep those to myself.
If Mary wants to remain herself, all we can do is support her.
"... Mary remembers what you did for her, Pochi. So if you’re ever in trouble, I’ll absolutely help you. You’re my big brother, after all."
She smiled gently, beautifully. I didn’t realize at the time what kind of decision she had made when she said those words.
It wasn’t until much later that I learned how significant her resolve was at that moment.
The next morning, we received a report from the renowned spy Rabisha, who happened to be studying abroad in the country at the time.
It didn’t seem like a coincidence, but since nothing could be done, I decided to stay silent.
According to Rabisha’s report, it was true that my mother was gravely ill. The political situation was unstable; the country had been at war with a neighboring nation for years over a contested mine. Although the war had reached a standstill, tensions remained high.
But the internal issues were even worse. The royal family was divided between the King’s faction and the Prince Consort’s faction, causing intense strife.
"If Pochi were to return now, there’s no doubt you’d get caught up in a full-blown succession conflict."
At that moment, I seriously considered not going back... quite strongly, actually.
What do you think about this chapter?
