Miel, Rael, Uel, and Gael—the four older sister cats—were practically inseparable from the tiger, Sougetsu.
They weren't with him constantly, though. They would leave his side for meals or to use the outhouse.
Even then, they stayed within about a meter of him.
……
It was clear to everyone how much the cats adored him, but not everyone was happy about the situation.
The Demon King was the first to complain. I really wished he wouldn't grumble to me with a cup of sake in his hand.
He still had the four kittens—Ariel, Haniel, Zeruel, and Samael—didn't he? They were fawning over him right at that moment.
If anything, I was the one who was jealous. If even one of them would come to me... but no, they clearly preferred the Demon King.
Did he even realize how lucky he was? There was a time when those older sisters used to fight over my head as their favorite lounging spot.
Another person feeling dissatisfied was Raigiel, the father of those cats. Being their parent, he obviously had opinions on his daughters' behavior.
When he tried to lecture them while they were perched on Sougetsu's back, they simply responded with attack magic.
Now, Raigiel was sulking as he slept on my lap.
There, there. That’s just how fathers are treated.
I suppose eventually I’ll also... No, let's not go there. It's too depressing.
Besides those two, there was one more individual—or rather, animal—who seemed unhappy: Sougetsu himself.
Whenever the cats moved away slightly, he would stare at me. I could see the desperate plea for rescue in his eyes.
I wondered if it was just my imagination. I wanted to check, but every time I tried to approach, the cats would rush back to guard him.
I was at a loss, but if he was truly asking for help, I couldn't just ignore him.
While I was debating what to do, Ria whispered in my ear.
"On the surface, it’s a heartwarming sight—four cats riding a tiger. But if you were to anthropomorphize them based on their mental ages... wouldn't it look like four adult women harassing a ten-year-old boy?"
Time for a rescue!
I peeled the cats off Sougetsu and passed them to the Demon King. Then, Sougetsu and I bolted for the forest.
The older sister cats were terrifying once they got genuinely angry.
Even though the Demon King had a bit of alcohol in him, I didn't expect them to take him down in mere minutes. Then again, he apparently didn't even try to fight back.
Our escape only lasted a few minutes, but I felt a true bond of friendship blossom between Sougetsu and me.
At Ann’s suggestion, the cats were officially banned from entering Sougetsu's private room.
"Everyone needs a place where they can relax," she had said.
True enough. I understood that feeling all too well.
Surprisingly, the cats actually listened to Ann. I suppose the one who holds the food holds the power.
I did have one piece of advice for the cats: waiting right in front of his door to put pressure on him was a bad idea. It would only have the opposite effect.
Also, they had taken down Raigiel along with the Demon King, hadn't they? Jewel, the mother cat, was furious about that. They really should run... and they were already gone. Fast.
Though it looked like she had already cut off their escape. Hahaha.
Don't come crying to me for help only when it's convenient for you.
The Fairy Queen was lounging in the guest room. Or rather, she looked like she had just collapsed from exhaustion after playing with the children.
"Children have no limits," she groaned.
That was true. The kids who had run her ragged were all currently taking naps in their own rooms.
I thought she was going to fall asleep right there, but she forced herself upright with sheer willpower.
"Sweets," she demanded.
Yes, yes. I’ll prepare some. What do you want?
"Pancakes."
She really did love those.
"Three layers. Load the top with ice cream and fruit, then drizzle it with strawberry sauce."
I mentioned I had a new kiwi sauce as well.
"Then I'll have that on the second plate. The first one has to be the classic."
Understood.
The Fairy Queen wasn't human; she was a fairy. I didn't need to worry about her nutritional balance or sugar intake.
The only problem was if the children saw her and started mimicking her habits.
Lately, thanks to Ann's guidance, the Queen had started being more mindful of her behavior around the kids, which was a huge help.
As a token of my gratitude, I prepared her pancakes exactly as she liked them.
As she was digging into the first plate, Dos arrived.
"Pancakes, eh? Not a bad idea."
Fine, fine. I’ll make a portion for Dos, too.
Wait, just Dos? Weren't you playing Mahjong with Giral and Isree?
"It's my turn to sit out."
Apparently, Giral, Isree, Ruincia, and Mark were the ones currently at the table.
As for the standings... it seemed better not to ask.
I didn't mind them playing, but I hoped they weren't wagering mountains or gold mines like they used to.
If it started having a bad influence on the children, I’d have to ban the game entirely.
Isree was still a child herself, but she seemed the most relaxed when she was playing. She was in a strange, new place after all, so I wasn't going to force her to stop.
By the way, what were they betting?
Candy? Ah, they were using jars of candy as currency.
I was willing to overlook the fact that they were trading by the jar rather than by individual pieces, but...
What was with the mountain of jars piled up behind Isree?
Was she some kind of genius? Maybe so, but having that much candy would be a problem in its own way.
That had to be a lifetime supply. I’d have to arrange to trade it for something else when she headed home.
"Here you go, Dos. And here's the second plate for the Fairy Queen."