The little cat's voice was soft and sticky-sweet, a bit milky.

Bai Yu was stunned for a moment, then reached out and poked the cat's head, laughing. "So you're one of those clingy little brats."

Many cats would put on that clingy act in front of their owners. As a pet doctor who had seen countless cats and never been fazed, Bai Yu had encountered plenty of cats with that cutesy tone. But this white-and-gold fluffball he picked up—this was the first time it had spoken in such an exaggeratedly sweet voice.

And the first time it had licked him.

From Bai Yu's experience, when a cat licks a person, it means it's been tamed—an expression of closeness.

He thought to himself, "This little ungrateful thing, finally got used to me."

The fluffball was in poor health and injured. Bai Yu prepared all kinds of meat for him every day. In this era, livestock breeding technology was underdeveloped and meat was expensive. Feeding a cat like this would eat the original owner into poverty.

Yet even so, every time the little cat saw him, it would detour around him. If he tried to hold or pet it, it would get scared, as if he were some terrifying alien creature. At this rate, Bai Yu was starting to doubt his own affinity as a pet doctor.

In his previous life, he had been very popular with cats and dogs.

But now, the little cat sat properly with its paws tucked in, staring unblinkingly at the wound on the back of his hand, visibly guilty.

Bai Yu reached out, placed the little cat back onto his lap, and rubbed the soft fur on its head. "Hm? Not afraid of me anymore?"

Imuel shrank his head slightly.

...Afraid.

But he didn't dare say it. He simply stayed quietly on the doctor, letting out another soft "meow."

Imuel carefully observed the doctor's expression.

Although scratched by the cat, Bai Yu's expression remained normal. The hand stroking him was still steady, fingers gently running along the fur on his back—it felt very comfortable.

The doctor didn't seem angry.

Imuel let out a breath of relief and lay down on the doctor's thigh, hugging his tail as he fell asleep.

He was still in the mutation phase and felt terrible.

But Bai Yu wouldn't let him sleep. He pulled his tail aside, extended a finger, and held it in front of the little cat's eyes.

From the fluffball's earlier behavior, the cat might be sick. Bai Yu wanted to check its tongue coating to judge its health.

The doctor coaxed, "Lick it again."

"......"

"?"

"!"

Imuel's eyes snapped open. He jerked backward and tumbled off the doctor's lap, limbs flailing.

Lick—lick what?!

Pervert!

Licking a wound voluntarily was one thing, but being coaxed into licking someone's finger was another entirely.

The Grand Duke of Illyria rolled on the mattress like a melted blob of cream. He pushed himself up again, body burning hot, his beautiful blue eyes glaring viciously at the doctor as if he wanted to flay him alive.

"Damn it, I'll flatten the doctor's clinic and drag him out for a public parade!"

Yet no matter how ferocious he seemed, in Bai Yu's eyes he was just a tiny milk kitten.

Bai Yu kept his finger extended in front of Imuel, coaxing again, "Lick it again. Remember to stick out your tongue."

S-stick out his tongue?!

Imuel's chest rose and fell. He was so angry that even the pain of the mutation phase faded. He closed his eyes and admonished himself: "Living under someone else's roof, living under someone else's roof! You scratched him first, you were at fault, you scratched him first, you were at fault! Don't defy the doctor, don't defy the doctor!"

Repeating those words over and over, the duke finally suppressed his anger. After painstakingly preparing himself mentally, he took a deep breath, leaned forward toward the doctor's finger, and quickly gave it a lick.

The tender pink tongue touched the skin and withdrew instantly.

Bai Yu: "."

Too fast—he still didn't see the tongue coating.

But the little cat clearly had no intention of cooperating further. Without a sound, he rolled to the edge of the bed. No matter how the doctor called him, he didn't move.

Bai Yu: "Alright then."

Judging from the cat's spirits, it probably wasn't anything serious. So he didn't force it, simply took off his glasses, set them aside, and reached out to turn off the light.

Darkness fell, with a faint hazy moonlight leaking in from outside the window.

Bai Yu said softly, "Good night, little cat."

Imuel flicked his tail.

The doctor's sleep schedule was always regular, precise like an alarm clock. Before long, he drifted into dreams. The bedroom fell silent, leaving only his steady breathing.

Imuel lay by the bedside, tail swaying, unable to sleep.

The pain in his muscles and bones clung like a parasite, impossible to shake off, surging in waves without end.

Imuel took small breaths. He had shifted to the edge of the blanket, where it was a bit drafty. His body temperature dropped, and his muscles stiffened again.

He edged further into the bed, pricking up his ears to listen to the doctor's movements.

The doctor was still asleep.

He scooted closer again, paused, then moved again, paused again, and finally returned to the doctor's side.

The warmth of skin came through like a large human heater. Imuel squinted comfortably and eventually fell asleep leaning against Bai Yu.

In his dream, he returned to the Duke's Mansion on a snowy day. A warm fireplace burned in the bedroom, and he held a blanket, leaning against pillows, taking an afternoon nap.

The only flaw was that the pillow was a bit hard.

So early the next morning, when Imuel woke up, he saw the doctor's face enlarged before him.

The doctor was still reading that poetry collection, his sharp brows slightly lowered, nose bridge high and straight. Imuel was resting on his arm, sleeping in a daze.

Seeing the little cat awake, Bai Yu withdrew his arm. "Good morning, little cat."

The cat had apparently gone to sleep very late last night, so Bai Yu hadn't moved, letting him use his arm as a pillow. Only after the cat woke did he close the book, preparing to head to the morning market.

The meat at home was finished. If he didn't restock, neither he nor the fluffball would have anything to eat.

"......"

Only after the sound of the door closing did Imuel come back to his senses.

He raised both paws and rubbed his face hard with the pads.

He had actually fallen asleep on the doctor's arm. In just a few days, he had already lowered his guard around him.

Though it seemed normal. The doctor might run an unlicensed black clinic and didn't look particularly ethical, but he treated the little cat quite well—meat every meal, letting him sleep on the bed, not getting angry even when scratched.

Imuel adjusted his self-perception and thought, "...I should be a very favored pet now?"

The strange thought gave the duke goosebumps. In Illyria, the adjective "favored" was usually used to describe the old duke's concubines. That disgusting man, full of grease and flesh, liked young, delicate girls. Every time he waddled around holding their slender hands, Imuel felt like vomiting.

A chill ran through him. His tail fur bristled layer by layer. He forcibly stopped the thought and jumped off the bed.

Bai Yu was in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of his coat. Seeing the cat, he casually warned, "Don't go out recently. I heard someone's catching and killing stray cats."

Of course, the doctor knew the cat couldn't understand human speech, but talking to pets was a professional habit, so he said it anyway.

"If you get caught, I won't be able to save you."

Imuel's stepping motion paused. His paw hovered midair. Before the doctor could notice, he casually set it down and trotted away.

As a kitten, his legs were indeed a bit short.

After the doctor closed the door, Imuel ran down from the second floor on his short legs and jumped onto the examination bed.

From this height, he could see outside through the small street-facing window.

The street where the doctor lived was a relatively chaotic area in eastern Illyria. Gangs and underground forces were everywhere, maintaining a fragile and delicate balance. The Duke's Mansion had limited guards, and even fewer were truly under Imuel's command. For now, he couldn't interfere in this area's ecosystem.

The street bustled with people as usual, but Imuel keenly noticed that there were more people dressed like gang members.

Though they tried to look like ordinary citizens, many carried an irrepressible bandit-like aura. Their expressions were arrogant as they loitered on the streets, seemingly searching for something.

Imuel's gaze fell on a muscular man with scars across his face.

The scar ran across his entire face. He held a burlap sack, something heavy inside pulling it downward. Judging from its shape, Imuel guessed it was a hammer.

Heavy—one strike to the back of the head could knock someone unconscious; two could kill.

The man seemed to spot an acquaintance in the distance, greeted them, then walked to the doctor's door.

He began talking with a woman there.

Imuel quietly jumped down from the examination bed.

He hid by the window, pressing his ear to listen.

It was the busy morning market hour. The street outside was noisy with people coming and going. Imuel faintly caught a few words from the man—"stray cats," "capture," "quantity."

The rest he couldn't hear clearly.

A potted pothos sat by the window. The pot was low and thick. After estimating the height, Imuel lightly jumped onto the windowsill, using the pot to hide himself as he continued listening.

Bai Yu had left a gap in the window for ventilation. Through it, Imuel could finally hear clearly.

The man's voice was hoarse and unpleasant. If Bai Yu were here, he would recognize the two outside as Hammerhead Shark and Madam.

Hammerhead Shark's voice drifted in through the gap.

"Hey, the other day I heard there was a reward for catching stray cats. Thought it was a joke, but I brought one over and actually got two silver coins. What does that unlucky bastard want stray cats for?"

Yesterday, the largest local gang, the Black Robe Society, issued a bounty. Residents could capture stray cats and deliver them to the gang's base in exchange for money.

The search was concentrated along the Houghton River and nearby districts.

Outside, Hammerhead Shark and Madam naturally avoided mentioning the gang's name, disguising themselves as ordinary citizens chatting.

Madam said, "Who knows what those gangs are thinking. I heard the duke's personal guards are also looking for cats. No idea what madness has gotten into them."

The duke had fallen into the water, and Illyria was in turmoil. Yet both forces were targeting stray cats at the same time—it was clearly abnormal.

Hammerhead Shark: "Those idiots just make decisions on a whim and screw me over. Damn it, there's even a quota. Now there aren't even cats left on the streets—hell, even rats are being sent in. Where am I supposed to find more?"

Unlike ordinary citizens, direct members of the Black Robe Society had to meet a quota. Bai Yu, being a doctor, counted as a civilian staff member, and Madam was a woman, so they didn't need to.

Among the three, only Hammerhead Shark did.

He scratched his head and muttered, "Two silver coins per cat. I can't even afford food now. If I catch a couple to hand in, at least my meals are covered... Do they have to be strays? Can I just grab a couple from someone's house?"

Madam: "Go ahead."

She covered her mouth and laughed. "Isn't there one right here? Raven's cold and heartless—never liked animals. No idea where that cat came from. Talk to him when he gets back, he won't mind."

"!"

Imuel reacted the moment he heard "here." He pushed off with his hind legs and leapt into the room. His adrenaline spiked so sharply that he didn't even hear the rest about Raven. But Hammerhead Shark was faster. The window had only been loosely closed—he pushed it open, knocking the pothos pot to the ground, and reached in, grabbing the tip of Imuel's tail.

"!"

The force was entirely on his tail. Pain shot from his tailbone through his whole body. Imuel struggled violently.

Damn it!

He had never expected the man to just reach inside and grab him.

But Hammerhead Shark was a burly adult man. The kitten's struggle meant nothing to him. He easily suppressed it, pushed the window open fully, and pulled Imuel out.

Gripping the cat by the tail, he lifted him up.

Madam: "A white-and-gold cat. The fur really is beautiful."

Hammerhead Shark looked him over. "Skinning this one for a scarf wouldn't be bad. With fur this good, think it'd fetch a couple more silver coins?"

Madam: "Ask properly if it's the one they're looking for. If not, give it to me. I'm missing a white-and-gold scarf."

Their gazes swept over the kitten, as if considering where to start cutting to preserve the beautiful fur intact.

Imuel bit down hard on his lip.

...No. He couldn't be taken to the base.

He had a vague idea who was looking for him. He struggled violently in Hammerhead Shark's grip. The man was startled and nearly lost control. Seizing the moment, Imuel opened his mouth and bit down on his arm.

The kitten's only sharp weapon was his teeth. The bite left two bloody punctures. Hammerhead Shark hissed, anger rising. He grabbed the cat's jaw to force him to release, then lifted him up again and raised his other arm.

Before taking him to the base, he intended to teach this audacious cat a lesson.

Struggling failed. Imuel's mouth was full of blood. He spat out a mouthful and glared at Hammerhead Shark. Though only a kitten, he carried an unyielding, resolute bearing.

Hammerhead Shark: "Hey, are you glaring at me?"

He found it amusing, flexing his arm to show exaggerated muscles—only to be struck on the head by a sack of cucumbers the next second.

The cucumbers were heavy. Hammerhead Shark felt dizzy and instinctively let go. His arm was seized and twisted into an unnatural angle.

"Damn—"

Before he could finish, Bai Yu grabbed his arm with one hand, twisted the joint with a clever motion, and with a crack, dislocated it.

Though a veterinarian, he had studied joint structures.

With his joint dislocated, Hammerhead Shark couldn't even scream.

The fluffball was gathered back into a warm embrace. He uncontrollably burrowed into the doctor's chest like a hamster digging a hole. All the buttons on the doctor's clothes were rubbed open as the kitten wriggled inside, until only a thin undershirt remained between them—but even that wasn't enough. He kept pushing inward, as if only by clinging tightly to the doctor could he feel safe.

The kitten looked like he had been triggered again. Bai Yu covered him with his coat and gently rubbed his head, soothing, "It's okay. I'm here."

It was a familiar gesture. The doctor always comforted him like this. Imuel felt like a bullied child suddenly finding a guardian. He rubbed his face with his paws, filled with grievance.

Madam was startled. "You?"

Bai Yu had no intention of engaging them. He simply raised his knee and kicked the obstructing Hammerhead Shark aside, took out his keys to open the door, then turned half his face and said coldly:

"This is my cat. Didn't you know?"