Chapter 62: Chat Under the Moon!

“Of course—”

Phyllis drew out her voice.

“Agreed.”

“…”

Carola was silent for a moment.

But Phyllis secretly noticed that Carola’s hand, which had been clenched at some unknown time, had loosened.

‘It seems she cares too!’

“Cat God said… He doesn’t care. He also said there’s something special in my soul, which is why I was chosen by you.”

Phyllis hesitated for a moment, but still answered truthfully.

“Something special?”

Carola narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, her fingers gently tracing the outline of Phyllis’s cheek.

“That’s true… Even though you’re just a weak little cat, you always manage to be stubborn when least expected.”

“I’m not a bottom, meow!”

Phyllis retorted defiantly, but her voice grew quieter.

“And… Cat God also said next time we meet, He wants to hear our story…”

Haa~

Carola was silent for a moment, then suddenly buried her face in Phyllis’s neck and took a deep breath.

“Then you should live well and continue writing the story.”

“Carola?”

Phyllis felt the arms holding her tighten slightly.

‘Did something happen?’

“It’s nothing.”

Carola lifted her head, her expression returning to normal.

“Oh… by the way, Carola, have you ever… seen other gods? Or, what god does the Blood Tribe believe in?”

Phyllis tilted her head and asked Carola.

“I have. The Blood Tribe… doesn’t believe in gods, and has no god! We rely on our bloodline and the long, endless time.”

Carola’s voice was calm.

“Gods… are too distant for us Blood Tribe.”

“Huh?”

Phyllis opened her mouth in surprise.

“What? Surprised?”

Carola reached out, cupped Phyllis’s chin, trying to help her close her open mouth.

“Closed.”

Carola said.

“Oh..”

Phyllis blinked.

Carola’s fingers brushed across Phyllis’s lips, then she withdrew her hand and lowered her eyes.

“Um…”

Phyllis rolled over, lying on her stomach on the bed, her chin resting on the pillow, looking up at Carola.

“Speaking of which, what do you usually do in the long, endless time?”

Phyllis had wanted to ask Carola this question before, but never had the opportunity back in the castle.

She wanted to know more about Carola.

But today seemed like a good time.

“Drink blood, sleep. Sometimes daydream.”

“…Meow?”

Phyllis was stunned.

Carola looked at her expression and curled the corners of her mouth slightly.

“I’m kidding.”

“…You tricked me!”

Phyllis, embarrassed and angry, slapped the bedsheet.

“At least not entirely.”

Carola added.

“Then what else?”

Phyllis rolled over again, hugging the pillow to her chest, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked at Carola.

Like a little girl wanting to hear her mother tell a story.

“…Watch the moon.”

Carola said.

“I’ve watched it for many years.”

“Is it beautiful?”

Phyllis asked softly.

“Not bad.”

Carola paused.

“Tonight’s is pretty good.”

Phyllis’s gaze followed Carola’s to the window.

A nearly full moon hung in the sky, its edges tinged with a faint warm yellow.

“The moon where I’m from,”

Phyllis said softly.

“isn’t this color.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she froze.

“Where you’re from?”

Carola turned her head.

“It’s…”

Phyllis’s cat ears twitched.

“…the place I used to live.”

In her previous life, on the balcony of her freshman dorm, after lights out at 11, he, still male, would occasionally stand there and smoke a cigarette.

The city’s night sky was too bright; you couldn’t see stars, and the moon was always gray and hazy, not very pretty.

But she couldn’t tell Carola these things.

“A very, very faraway place.”

Phyllis said vaguely.

Carola didn’t press further.

She just hummed in acknowledgment and continued looking out the window.

The room fell silent again.

This silence was different from before.

It was like someone placing a glass of water on a table; the surface rippled slightly, then finally settled.

Phyllis hugged the pillow, her cheek pressed against the soft fabric, her gaze shifting from the moon to Carola’s profile.

‘So beautiful!’

Phyllis felt a little pleased.

For her, now she could become the formal saintess of the Cat People and also become Carola’s lover.

But…

“…Carola.”

Phyllis spoke.

“Mm.”

Carola responded.

“That… soul energy you gave me earlier, is it really okay?”

Phyllis was still a bit worried.

“Worried about me?”

Carola turned her head.

“…Afraid you’ll die.”

Phyllis buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled.

“Haha, why would you think that?”

Carola let out a low chuckle.

Very soft, like the hum of wind blowing past an empty bottle.

“I won’t die,”

Carola said.

“That much wouldn’t even make me feel tired.”

“Really?”

Phyllis clearly didn’t believe her.

“Mm, really.”

Carola confirmed.

Phyllis peeked one eye out from the pillow, blue and gleaming, looking at Carola with obvious distrust.

Carola looked back at Phyllis.

Their gazes met in the moonlight.

“What kind of look is that?”

Carola was helpless.

“A look of doubt, meow~”

Phyllis tried to widen her eyes.

“…Doubt what?”

Carola reached out and ruffled Phyllis’s head.

“That you’re putting up a brave front.”

Phyllis tried to dodge Carola’s hand.

“…”

Carola was silent for two seconds.

“I’m not putting up a brave front.”

Carola still said so.

Phyllis kept staring at Carola.

Carola met her gaze without looking away.

“Fine,”

Carola averted her gaze slightly.

“There’s a little bit of an effect.”

“I knew it, meow.”

Phyllis flipped over and sat up, kneeling on the bed, looking seriously at Carola.

“Don’t do this anymore. If you’re tired, just sleep. I don’t need you to…”

“Need.”

Carola interrupted Phyllis.

“Uh…”

Phyllis’s words got stuck in her throat.

Carola didn’t look at her, her eyes fixed on her hands resting on her knees, her voice very soft.

“I need.”

“Huh? Why?”

Phyllis was a bit puzzled.

“Ever since we signed the contract, I’ve been taking from you.”

Carola raised her hand and gently touched the mark on Phyllis’s neck with her fingertips.

It was an irreparable mark left after signing the Master-Servant Contract.

“I thought you would hate me.”

Carola said.

“…I don’t hate you, meow.”

Phyllis waved her hand to explain.

“I know,”

Carola withdrew her hand.

“Or rather, I know now.”

Carola’s tone was still calm, as if talking about something unrelated to herself.

But Phyllis suddenly felt that Carola had probably chewed over the thought “She hates me” many times alone.

“So,”

Carola tilted her head slightly, her crimson eyes quietly watching Phyllis in the darkness.

“Consider this my compensation, as much as I can give.”

It was not a question.

Nor a request.

Just a statement.

“Fine.”

Phyllis conceded defeat.

With only her stubbornness, how could she change the mind of Carola, who had a yandere personality?

“If that’s the case,”

Phyllis thought of some kind of return.

“I want to give something back to you too.”

With that, Phyllis leaned forward.

She proactively kissed Carola.

A kiss.