I Have No Intention of Placing Demands on My Remarriage Partner
“But still...”
Kitties~~~~~!!!
Here I am again—yes, I’ve arrived.
This time, I’ve come to fully enjoy the cats…
To the cat town of Nympée!!
I couldn’t stop my heart from floating with excitement.
Over here!
And over there!
Cats everywhere…!!!
Just seeing their silhouettes makes my heart leap.
And as I passed through the main street, memories of my previous visit to Nympée came rushing back.
(Last time… Yes. If I remember right, it was around here that I met Lord Runken, and I never even got the chance to enjoy the cats.)
Time had been limited, and I was so busy running around that I barely had time to sleep, let alone pet a cat.
Without delay, I reached out and stroked the back of a cat that had rolled over near my feet with a purr.
“Purr, purr, purr, purr…”
It purred with such satisfaction—ahh, how precious this is…
As I kept on petting the cat, Sarasa gave a wry smile beside me.
“Lord Runken is waiting at the entrance to Nympée Lake.”
“Understood…”
I replied to Sarasa, but my eyes were glued to the gray cat in front of me.
It seemed accustomed to people and was acting quite cuddly… just a little, just for a moment… Would that be alright?
Thinking something borderline perverse, I cast a purification spell on the cat like before.
Then I scooped it up in my arms—and buried my face in its back.
“——”
Soft…
It was such a blissful sensation.
That soft, fluffy texture…
Maybe it had been basking in the sun—it smelled like sunlight… a scent like sweet corn.
“Snff—”
I inhaled deeply.
The cat, seemingly in a good mood, kept purring contentedly.
Ah…
Right now, I…
(I’m incredibly happy……………)
Lord Runken…
I feel like I could be happy with just a cat by my side…
☆
It was the knight Kevin who spoke to me as I remained frozen mid-cat-snuggle.
For this Nympée visit, I had brought the same group as last time—maids Lilia, Sarasa, and Mary, along with knights Kevin and Luke. Five in total.
“Lady Clementina, it’s about time. The wind’s getting chilly.”
“… Yes. I know.”
Reluctantly, I put the gray cat down.
Perhaps because the forbidden area had been sealed again, or because Lord Runken had intervened, Nympée wasn’t as hot as before.
The temperature seemed a little lower.
I’d heard it rained for the first time in three months recently, so maybe the weather was finally improving.
I looked into the cat’s eyes.
It stared back at me with big, round eyes. So cute. I wanted to take it home…
Temptation tugged at me, but I resisted, and gently patted its head.
“See you tomorrow. I love you.”
When I stood up, the sky had already turned dark.
We’d arrived in the evening, so it was no surprise, but I still wished I’d had more time to enjoy the cats…
With that in mind, I headed with my maids and knights to the same inn that had helped us before.
☆
The next day.
Heading toward Nympée Lake where Lord Runken awaited, I found two men who appeared to be his escort knights standing guard.
Apparently, Lord Runken was waiting deeper inside—within the forbidden area.
Since there was no danger, I instructed the knights and maids to wait there, and I proceeded alone to where Lord Runken was.
This was my second visit.
Just like before, the atmosphere in this place felt different somehow…
(Maybe it’s because of the spirits…)
As I walked deeper in, I found Lord Runken with his sleeves rolled up, hands submerged in the lake.
Unlike last time, the water was no longer murky—it was clear and transparent.
It didn’t seem possible for water quality to improve so quickly. Perhaps something mystical was at play.
(Could it be a reflection of the spirits’ emotions…?)
Curious, I stepped closer.
Noticing me, Lord Runken stood up and began drying his hands with a handkerchief from his jacket pocket.
“Good day to you, Lady Clementina.”
“Good day, Lord Runken… What were you just doing?”
“I was attempting to converse with the spirits… They’re gradually recovering, but they still haven’t regained their former vitality. It will take time.”
As he answered, I noticed the same cat-shaped hair clip in his hair that I’d seen before.
I thought I heard a faint “meow” again from somewhere nearby.
A breeze swept by with a whoosh.
It carried the scent of summer—of trees and greenery.
I stood beside him and peeked into the lake.
(… As I thought, I still can’t see anything.)
But—
Occasionally, ripples spread across the lake like when you toss in a pebble.
Maybe that was the spirits moving.
I couldn’t see them, but they were definitely there—or so it seemed.
As I watched, fascinated, Lord Runken spoke to me.
“How is your vacation? It’s only a short one, but are you enjoying yourself?”
I lifted my face at his words.
He was just finishing fastening his cufflinks after rolling his sleeves back down.
Just for a moment, I glimpsed the scales that proved he was a dragon.
“Yes, thank you. Yesterday, I got to play with the cats. They were so fluffy. So soft, and they smelled lovely, and they were warm… they were just utterly adorable…”
I got a little carried away with my excitement, and Lord Runken smiled in amusement.
Seeing that, I wondered if I should have held back a little more, but he seemed to like cats too, so perhaps we were even.
Even now, he was wearing a shirt embroidered with cats, and his cat hair clip was still in place.
I turned to face him directly and declared:
“I don’t intend to make demands about my remarriage partner, but… if possible, I’ve always thought I’d like him to be a cat lover.”
What do you think about this chapter?
