Don't Be Obsessed With Your Cat Butler - Chapter 6
“It’ll get cold—go on, eat.”
“Thank you!”
Sia quickly set her worries aside and sat down. Her stomach had been in chaos from not eating since yesterday. She sliced off a big piece and put it in her mouth. It practically melted.
“Mmm, it’s so delicious!”
“…Is that so?”
Karin looked at Sia, who was speaking with tears welling in her eyes, and let out a small laugh. After bringing over a glass of cold water, Karin sat across from Sia and began to speak.
“You don’t seem to know much about the Pelles Empire, so I’ll fill you in. I get that you don’t want to say what species you are, but it’d be best to cover up that black hair of yours. If possible, you shouldn’t be walking around with that cat either.”
“…Cola?”
“That’s a peculiar name. Anyway, maybe it’s the same in other places too, but here in the Blois territory especially, black cats aren’t a good sign.”
“Why?”
Sia recalled the stares she had received while walking through the streets earlier. She had thought people were just looking because her outfit was strange—was there another reason?
“In the Pelles Empire, black cats are symbols of misfortune. A long time ago, they were even ‘cleansed’ entirely. But here’s the thing. Unfortunately, our Blois territory is now home to the only black cat werebeast left in the entire empire.”
“…Who is it?”
“That would be… No, never mind. Just saying their name is said to bring bad luck. I shouldn’t even speak of them. Besides, they’re not someone to speak lightly about.”
Rather than respond to what Karin had said, Sia silently opened her mouth. Of course, in Korea too, there were old superstitions about black cats being unlucky. She knew other countries had similar beliefs, but here, it felt much more serious. So instead of adding anything, she just listened quietly.
“Even the Imperial Family couldn’t do anything about it, apparently. I’m sorry to say this to you, especially since you’re not a cat werebeast, but if it were me, I’d never, ever marry a black-haired cat. You never know when or how misfortune might strike.”
Karin continued speaking in a tone that bordered on venting. As Sia listened, she finished eating the steak, which had been larger than both her hands. With her stomach full, she finally felt alive again.
After bringing over a glass of water for Sia, Karin leaned in and asked in a hushed voice,
“So, where did you get that herb from?”
She had wanted to ask this earlier but waited until Sia finished eating. Karin looked at her with an eager expression.
Sia drank her water as she thought. Either way, it seemed unlikely she could head back to the grass field with Cola like yesterday. She had nowhere to live, and meals were a problem too.
She had no idea how long she would be in this world, but she needed to figure out how to survive.
“Um… Actually, I brought it from my hometown.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s very far away, so getting more would be difficult. But I can give a little bit to you, Karin.”
“Really?!”
As Karin lit up with joy, Sia cautiously added,
“In exchange, please let me work here. And if possible, I’d like lodging too.”
Sia had realized that this place wasn’t just a steak restaurant—it was also an inn, because she had seen multiple doors at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor.
“…I can’t let someone without an identity work here.”
Karin assumed she might be a rabbit werebeast, but she couldn’t trust her carelessly. In response, Sia didn’t speak—she simply reached into her bag and placed a bit of catnip on the table.
And just like yesterday, cat ears popped out on top of Karin’s head. Sia had noticed that, although they could look fully human, when their instincts were triggered, their ears and tails would appear.
Karin leaned in, almost burying her nose in the catnip on the table. With dazed, blissful eyes, she smiled.
If she could get more of this herb, did identity even matter? It nagged at her that it might be contraband… but that hesitation only lasted a moment.
Drunk on the scent of catnip, Karin easily changed her mind, as if she had never objected.
“Alright. I was short on staff anyway, so I was planning to hire someone. As for the room, let’s have you stay at my house instead of here. Sound good?”
“Sounds good.”
“And for the room fee, pay me with that herb.”
“…Understood.”
It was limited catnip, but Sia needed a place to stay right now, so she agreed. Karin scraped up the catnip on the table into her palm and gave one more instruction.
“When you’re working here, it’s best if you keep your hair covered.”
Sia wanted to say that it was all just superstition, but once again, she could only nod. For now, her plan was to adapt, save money, and find a place to live with Cola.
Time passed quickly for Sia, who had to face something new every single day.
.............
Is it really that easy to find a job and housing?