I'm currently learning new facts about cats these days.
"They're hard to raise."
Looking at Macaron, the yellow cheese-colored cat I brought from the train station, I think this every minute and second.
"I knew nothing about cats."
Real cats are time bombs - you never know where they'll explode.
When I think they're playing well by themselves and leave them alone, they destroy the walls, and when I think they're sleeping quietly and do something else for a moment, they escape through window cracks.
'How did it squeeze through a gap less than half a span wide? Is it a mollusk instead of a mammal?'
Even when I made an effort to create a luxury cushion as a bed, it would be found inside a box that the cook had left after moving ingredients.
Since this newcomer was causing trouble, I felt deeply sorry to the homeowner.
"I'm sorryyyy..."
My apologies were generally heard by Jes. Because Jes had to handle all the cleanup.
He was already struggling with heavy duties, and he was really suffering because of me. If I could, I'd want to prostrate and bow.
Jes answered with a dazed expression.
"It's okayyyy..."
I was dejected in my own way, and he seemed dejected in his way.
'Cat parenting isn't easy either.'
"This won't do."
Cats need education too.
I decided to educate Macaron by reviving past experiences.
Since it can't understand words, I should approach it with an animal therapy concept.
'First, let's do something about the wall scratching, which is the biggest problem.'
"How about making a scratcher?"
At my suggestion, Casey trimmed rough wood like a toilet paper roll, stood it up, and fixed it to the floor, making a pretty decent scratcher.
"Casey, you have golden hands."
"Hoho, this much is nothing."
We placed the scratcher in a path Macaron frequently traveled and watched for reactions.
'Scratch it, scratch!'
It scratched.
The wall next to the scratcher.
"Why on earth!"
Thinking maybe the shape wasn't appealing, we also made it in a cat tower shape and a wheel shape.
Macaron liked walls the best.
"...Should we just make a room that's good for scratching?"
"That's a good idea."
Only after preparing Macaron's bathroom in a room that wouldn't be precious even if scratched could we escape from this stress even a little.
"Meow."
Macaron's cry sounded hateful. That thing never even kneads me. Even though I feed it every day. Chait used to do it all the time even when just sitting still, tsk.
Suddenly I missed Chait intensely.
Of course, if that guy knew I was comparing him to a cat, he'd be flabbergasted.
"I should be careful about adoptions in the future."
"Right..."
Casey, who had been fooled by Macaron's cuteness along with me, let out a dejected sigh.
"But it's still cute...?"
"But it's still cute..."
I watched Macaron rolling around with a ball of yarn I'd given it in the morning for three hours.
The way it tumbles here and there and occasionally rolls around like a ball with the yarn is heart-achingly cute.
"How long do you think that'll last?"
"Give it a day."
By tomorrow it'll get bored again and look for a different toy, but what should I give it next?
And the next day, we had no time to discuss cat parenting.
Because unexpected news came from the Bringston Marquis family.
"He said to postpone the ceremony?"
Marquis Bringston?
The Marquis Bringston that I know and Leticia remembers?
That man isn't someone who would do that.
"Yes. He said he doesn't want to send his daughter to another family right away before even seeing the face of the daughter he found with difficulty, so they'll take care of her for the time being."
"...Really?"
No. He wasn't that kind of person.
Is my memory wrong? No. Is Leticia's memory wrong?
The Marquis Bringston in my memory was a man who pretended to be a family-oriented father on the surface while secretly viewing his children as tools and means of power.
Compared to her sharp-tongued younger sister, the original Leticia had a gentle personality and suffered quite a bit mentally due to one-sided violence.
Her childhood memories remained vividly in my head.
There was no physical violence, but it was a life of being constantly compared to her younger sister and being forced to sacrifice in a way close to brainwashing. Even without thinking deeply, they weren't particularly pleasant memories.
"Leticia."
"Yes?"
"How about you."
Ian asked me as I was lost in old thoughts and spacing out.
"Do you want to go back?"
"Hmm..."
Even if you ask me that, since I'm not the original person...
If it were Delin territory, naturally I'd want to return anytime, but the Bringston family was different.
They aren't family to me. Even to Leticia, they weren't good family.
And most importantly, I still had things to do here.
'Right. I need to look into sorcery.'
I think I've been too focused on other things lately. Honestly, I thought once we got married we'd live together forever, and as long as I didn't follow the original work, time would be abundant.
'This kind of unexpected situation happens too. Now I should stop fooling around and focus.'
After consideration, I shook my head.
"No. I want to stay here."
Ian didn't look surprised.
"Of course you would. You've been looking forward to marriage with me."
"..."
Oh my goodness.
"He's still thinking like that..."
Jes spoke for my feelings. It seemed like his inner voice had unconsciously slipped out too.
Ian spoke to me without even looking at Jes.
"If you want to stay here, I'll send a letter."
"Oh, really? That's all it takes?"
"What else would be needed?"
"Well, I... The Bringston family was basically being rude to you. I thought you'd be upset."
"Marquis Bringston's story is reasonable. No one would openly criticize wanting to spend time with a daughter who was lost and found again. Rather, it's strange that they've been holding back from flying to the north until now."
"..."
"I just wanted to give you the choice before Marquis Bringston did. If you don't want to, you don't have to go back."
I see. This was purely consideration for me, apart from any calculations.
I took a step closer to Ian, lifted my chin, and met his eyes.
"Thank you."
It was a heartfelt thanks.
"You're welcome."
Ian answered. As usual, he was expressionless.
"My lady, work has gotten backed up somehow."
Jes said regretfully. But why do I feel like I see joy in those eyes?
'Is the delay in my marriage a good thing for Jes? ...Why?'
After sending Leticia away, Ian leaned back in his chair.
A feeling of emptiness washed over him.
Jes approached him and said.
"It seems Marquis Bringston is testing the waters between the Helias imperial family and us."
Leticia's younger sister had been selected as Emperor Helias's second consort this time.
If the order had been reversed, it might have been different, but since the timing coincided with the imperial marriage, proceeding with the existing engagement would likely be seen as political fence-sitting.
'And that's actually the case.'
"Unless we withdraw the conditions we've set, they'll probably continue to postpone the marriage indefinitely or send notice of broken engagement."
There was certainly that possibility. No, that's what would happen.
Ian scoffed.
"Telling me to form a worthless marriage alliance. At a loss, no less."
If that was Marquis Bringston's intention, he couldn't comply obediently. The purpose of noble marriages was for each side to gain something.
"If there's no contact within a reasonable time... shall we propose breaking the engagement first?"
"..."
Ian fell silent.
That would be realistically better. Currently, Leticia wasn't that valuable as a marriage partner.
But...
"Let's wait a little longer."
Ian postponed the decision.
'Broken engagement.'
For some reason, he didn't have even the slightest desire to be the first to speak those words.
I decided to pull myself together from now on and devote myself to work for the future.
This time it might really become a time attack.
'Since I don't see a way to immediately break the sorcery, it seems better to fill Ian's deficiency and eliminate the visible causes.'
The first thing that came to mind was naturally that illness.
I recalled Ian clutching his heart in the carriage.
He was suffering terrible pain.
If there was a way to treat his illness, and if I could find clues in the original work.
Even without marriage, I could earn his trust and stay in a position to watch the situation.
'This might actually be a good thing.'
Couldn't I become a friend instead of a wife?
A friend. Someone who could influence from the side, but be completely free from the danger of predetermined death.
'Then let's first look for a way to treat the illness.'
I didn't know exactly what Ian's illness was, but based on the original work, there was one thing I suspected.
'The illness the male protagonist suffered from in the story...'
It was internal collision of holy power.