I Don’t Care About the Story, I Want a Cat ～Transmigrated into an Otome Game～ - Chapter 5

Another Capture Target

 

The Duchess had told her to come visit as much as possible. So, Amy went to the Duke’s house every day to visit Tiger while his room was being prepared. 

 

The sight of the soft, slightly chubby girl, playing with the big cat became a common sight in the Duke’s household. It became a frequent topic of conversation among the staff members. This, coupled with the fact that Amy always talked to them in a polite, respectful manner, left a good impression of her on the Duke’s staff. 

 

Amy was well aware of the difference in social status among servants and nobility in this world, but she also had memories of her past life. There was no way she could speak to adults in an arrogant or commanding voice even if they were just servants. It would be too rude. As a result, the staff, who had to deal with a lot of high-ranking aristocrats, found the modest and humble Amy to be quite refreshing. 

 

One such day, while Amy’s mother, Isabel, and the Duchess were talking among themselves, Amy took Tiger out to a large courtyard in the Duke’s house. She was suddenly stopped when she stepped out into the garden.

 

A boy, who looked to be a bit younger than her brother, stepped out from behind a hedge with white flowers blooming on it.

 

He was wearing well-tailored clothes and seemed naturally familiar with the place. He must be one of the Duke’s children. Judging from his age, Amy guessed him to be the second son. 

 

His blonde hair shined brightly in the sun, and he had clear blue-grey eyes, the same as the Duchess’. However, the expression on his face was nothing like his mother. He had a confident, no, an arrogant look on his face. 

 

What’s worse, Amy suddenly remembered the opening of the game… the beautiful figure with an arrogant smile standing second from the left on the screen had looked exactly like this boy. She’d thought he was  an aristocrat, but what’s this? Was it true after all!?

 

Amy was not used to talking to boys of her own age in this world so she always froze when they tried talking to her. She had been like this ever since she was teased mercilessly by a mischievous boy from elementary school in her past life. Well, though she was a bit used to her brother’s friends who were all a little older than her. 

 

“Oi!” the boy called out to her callously. Amy inadvertently stepped back to hide behind Tiger at his rough manners.

 

“So you’re that girl, right? I heard you were gonna come in the afternoon.”

 

“Eh? Um, no, I was supposed to come in the morning.”

 

He had asked her in a rude way, even though the time had been properly decided on beforehand. Amy told him so, that the visit was planned from morning to the afternoon. But he furrowed his eyebrows in a doubtful frown. 

 

What’s more, he let out a derisive snort after perusing her chubby body from top to bottom. Amy had hoped he wouldn’t be a capture target like she’d thought. However, she disliked him even before he introduced himself. 

 

“I thought you’d only buttered up to mother, but I see you’ve managed to cozy up to Tiger as well. Well done, you must have worked hard. Your face isn’t bad but… well, just give up.”

 

“Even if you tell me to give up… We’ve already started preparing a room in our house.”

 

“What!?”

　

It seemed like he didn’t know that the transfer of Tiger to the Northland family had already been decided. The Duchess was very particular when it came to animals, so they had also already signed documents. As for her face, she didn’t know what that had to do with it.

　

… The boy in front of her was probably one of the capture targets.

 

She didn’t want to get involved with him, but she couldn’t just back down when it came to Tiger.

 

Tiger turned back to her, as if he had understood her feelings. He mewed softly at her as if saying ‘it’s ok’. Amy felt encouraged at his support.

 

I must properly tell him that Tiger is going to come to my house, she thought.

 

She had little experience of talking one-on-one with boys. Amy regretted leaving her maid behind when she’d tried to come with her; she was only going to the garden, she’d said. Now she was alone with this boy, but she had to try and state her case.

 

“A-aunt Camilla has also agreed to th-this.”

 

“You call my mother by her name?”

 

“Yes. She said she doesn’t like formalities so she asked me to call her by her name.”

 

The boy in front of her furrowed his brows at that. Tiger shook his fluffy tail and swished it against Amy as if complimenting her. Yes, I’ll try my best, Tiger! She thought. 

　

Amy clutched her hands in front of her chest, as if praying, and desperately continued her words.

 

… This person must really love Tiger; he probably doesn’t want to hand him over. If that’s the case then I must assure them properly before Tiger is brought to our house. I must tell him that I will look after him properly, and give him lots of love, thought Amy.

 

“Don’t tell me mother is seriously considering…… ? With this chubby little…….”

 

“Um, you may not believe me, but I fell in love at first sight.”

 

“W-w-w-whaa!? W-what are you suddenly_”

 

“This is the first time I’ve felt like this. So it’s impossible for me to give up.”

 

Feeling brave, Amy stepped forward towards him. Their height difference was so great, she had to tilt her head back to look at him. Amy was so desperate to convey her feelings she didn’t even notice how close she was standing to him.

 

The boy had suddenly become flustered, his face bright red as he tried to piece together his words. “No, um, that is,” he stammered.

 

Amy was Amy; she was so nervous, tears started welling up in her golden eyes. Yet she still stared straight at him. Her brother Harold had once told her that if you looked away you lost. Though he had been talking about magical beasts when he’d said that.

 

He was the one who looked away first.

 

“Uh, I-I see.”

 

“Yes. Aunt Camilla said it was fate.”

 

“Fate……”  

 

“I will show proper care. I promise to always be together. We’ll sleep on the same bed at night, and I will personally help with bathing.”

 

“Ah! Wha- b-bathing!?”

 

“I’m not used to it, so I might not be good at it, but I will do my best! Um, I heard you can become closer that way……”   

　

Huh, was she wrong?

 

The boy in front of her had covered his face with his hand. But she could see his neck, above his cravat, was beet red. It stood out even more since his cravat was white in colour, Amy thought in the back of her mind.

 

“I didn’t realise you felt so s-strongly.”

 

“I do. I told you, I am in love. True love! My love is so strong it’s like I’m in a dream!” Amy declared boldly with a slight blush on her cheeks.

 

She could hear him mutter out words like ‘ah’ or ‘uh,’ from behind his hand. 

　

Amy had been a bit worried that her feelings hadn’t been conveyed properly. So she had unintentionally exclaimed her love multiple times.

 

They could hear each other’s breathing as silence settled over them and the air thickened with tension. A bird chirped somewhere in the garden.

 

“…… Alexander Gil Coverdale. You can call me Alex.” 

 

“Alex…”

　

Amy let out a sigh of relief as he finally spoke up.

 

When she called him by his name, he brushed back his hair and nodded satisfactorily, a slight blush still on his face.

 

His earlier haughty demeanor had been completely replaced by a dumbfounded expression. Amy’s face finally relaxed as nervousness dissipated a bit. Alexander awkwardly looked away, the tops of his cheeks tinged red.

 

Amy finally noticed that they were standing close enough to touch. She quickly stepped back and, with a sheepish smile, fell into a simple curtsy.

 

“Ah, please excuse my impoliteness. I’m Amy Northland. Even though Tiger will soon be moving to our house, I’ll bring him here occasionally so you don’t have to feel sad_”  

 

“What? Tiger? Ah, and did you say Northland? As in Count Northland?”

 

“Eh? Y-yes.”

 

Alexander seemed to be at a loss for words at her admittance. He stood there with a bewildered expression on his face.

 

Amy was struggling to think of something to say when the awkward silence was broken by the Duchess’ arrival. 

 

“Amy, you forgot your hat!”

 

“Ah, Aunt Camila!”

 

She turned around to see the Duchess walking towards them, waving a hat in the air. She was accompanied by her mother, and her maid. Amy rushed to her to take the hat.

 

“Oh. Alex, I told you to stay in the house.”

 

“Umm, ah…”

 

“Well, it’s fine. Did you guys already greet each other? Alex, this is Countess Isabel Northland, and her daughter Amy. They are going to adopt Tiger.”

 

“…… yeah, I heard.” 

 

The Duchess chided Alexander for replying in such an impolite manner before turning around to fix Amy’s hat with a smile on her face. Maybe she missed her daughter who had gotten married last year, but she seemed to care about Amy a lot.

 

Meanwhile, her biological mother, Isabel, grinned widely, feeling delighted that her usually shy daughter had been talking to an unfamiliar person.  

 

“Alex, you should go back now. I told you not to go out today. Come, Amy. There’s a gazebo over there so we can go and have tea there.”

 

The Duchess winked at Amy as she pointed to the picnic basket that the maid was holding. It contained pastries and confections made specially by the Duke’s cook.

 

When Amy had first eaten at the Duke’s house, she had enthusiastically remarked on the delicious food. Ever since then, whenever she came to visit, the kitchen went into a furore preparing food for her.

 

Amy felt a bit embarrassed when she looked back on her actions, but she was still happy. Delicious food is delicious, after all. 

 

“Yes, Aunt Camila. You should come too, Tiger. Um, Alex, it was fun to talk to you.”

 

She bowed once again, and then turned around to follow the Duchess and her mother into the garden.

 

Alexander watched the ladies, and the cat, disappear behind the hedge, before he grabbed his head and slumped down on the place.

 

“……… I can’t believe it.” 

　

His parents had called him over from his dormitory today for a marriage meeting.

 

He had escaped engagement so far because his parents had his older brother and sister to worry about before they could think about him. However, as the son of a Duke, he knew he couldn’t escape a political marriage forever. 

。

That said, he had recently entered school and was still at an age where he should be making friends and focusing on studying. He didn’t want to think about marriage or getting engaged until much later in the future. So he had decided to just meet the girl today, and refuse her. 

 

So he had put on his best clothes, practiced his best arrogant expression, and decided to speak a bit rudely to her. It would intimidate any timid young lady, and she would surely back off from marriage. He had no intention of failing in his plan… but he’d never thought he would mistake another girl for his fiancee.

 

What’s more, he’d begun to think she wasn’t that bad.

 

“Ah……” 

 

Alexander usually preferred slender, mature looking girls. But to think he had thought of her, the complete opposite of his type, as cute… he was honestly perplexed at himself. 

 

…… She had a full figure, with cheeks you would want to poke repeatedly. The hands she had clutched in front of her chest had looked as soft as a baby’s hands; her whole body looked soft. Her skin looked white and plump everywhere, it made him want to touch her.

 

She had an expressive face with her big golden eyes, and that firmly pressed mouth. He had been completely entranced when she’d desperately shouted ‘I’m in love’ with tears in her eyes. He picked at the grass in front of him, when a pair of black leather shoes came to stand in front of him. 

 

“Young Master, what did the grass do to deserve this treatment?”

 

“You old man… you saw everything, didn’t you?”

 

“Come now, I didn’t see a thing. Though watching Young Master, Alex, mistaking a person and falling in love with her would be something I wouldn’t miss for the world.”

　

He had definitely seen them.

 

Alexander felt his face heat up all the way to the crown of his head. He grumbled a bit as he addressed the butler.

 

“I didn’t know guests were coming to visit in the morning.”

 

“Oh, is that so? She’s a young lady who has been visiting us regularly for a while now. She’s very charming; the staff loves her.”

 

“You should tell me about these things in advance… If she’s a Northland… then that means she’s Harold’s sister?”

　

Harold was famous at their school for having made a name for himself in the adventurer community as a dual-sword wielder. Alexander, who couldn’t go on dungeon expeditions because of his status, greatly admired him. 

 

“Oh and she’s also one of the candidates for Prince Edward’s fiancee.”

 

“Ed’s fiancee?”

 

He got up to his feet, the height of his eyes equal to that of the old butler’s. It gave Alexander an odd feeling; he had grown up always looking up at the old butler, who has been serving the Duke’s family for generations. 

 

The old man could be too shrewd for his own good at times, but he was trustworthy. This was the first time he’d heard of his friend having candidates for a fiancee, but if the old man said so then it must be true. He signalled the butler to continue talking.

 

“There are also other candidates. Miss Northland is going to meet him soon, but she didn’t seem very excited about it.”

 

“She doesn’t want to be his fiancee? Even if he’s the Third Prince, she’ll still be a princess.”

 

“It seems like she’s more interested in animals.”

 

“…… hmm.” 

 

The Third Prince was a close friend of Alexander; ever since they were children, they had always played and studied together. On the other hand was Amy, a girl who had managed to charm his difficult mother and even Tiger. She was definitely younger than him, but something about her gave a strange sense of her being older.

 

“A candidate huh… I wonder what’ll become of it.”

 

“By ‘it’ do you mean, your lovelife?”

 

“Old man…”

 

“What? It’s just the jest of an old man. Anyways, I should go and prepare for the guests who’re coming to see you.” 

 

“Do I really have to meet… Ah! Okay, okay! I’ll go in.”

 

The Duke’s son looked in the direction of the hedge for one last time before sighing and turning away to walk towards the house.