Ruan Shu didn’t want to embarrass herself like this—losing a fight to a butterfly, after all.
Especially when she ended up being caught by the butterfly. (t ^ t)
But… but between losing face and her little life, she chose to lose face.
“Meow meow meow…” The teary-eyed little cat frantically waved her tiny, helpless paws.
‘Save the cat!’
Almer, who was in the middle of discussing state affairs with his ministers, turned around. He stared silently for two seconds, his lips twitching, then moved in an instant and appeared right in front of Ruan Shu.
Startled, the butterfly released its hold and tried to flap away in a hurry.
But before it could get far, it was slapped out of the air.
Ruan Shu felt herself fall, her fur standing on end in fright. She was like a little dandelion puff plummeting down.
Yet, there was no pain; she was caught by a familiar hand.
Curling herself into a tight ball, Ruan Shu took a moment to calm down. When she finally let go of her paws covering her face, a pair of big, blue eyes looked up at Almer.
Then, Almer poked her little head.
“Dummy.”
Ruan Shu: “……”
Feeling a bit awkward, she pressed her paws down on her tail.
How humiliating for a cat.
Unbeknownst to Ruan Shu, things were about to get even more embarrassing.
Just as she managed to stifle the awkwardness in her heart and was about to speak to Almer, an unfamiliar voice chimed in.
“Ahem… Your Majesty.”
With that, Almer finally put down the little cat and looked up in front of him, where he’d left his video conference open.
On the other end, several ministers were seated.
The shocked little cat looked up and stared straight at the screen.
For a moment, she found herself in a staring contest with the people on the other side.
Cat Ruan Shu: ………
She was done for.
Ruan Shu, feeling utterly defeated, buried her head into Almer’s chest, curled herself up tightly, and decided she wouldn’t face anyone ever again.
Wuwuwu…
They must have seen her being grabbed by the butterfly just now. The little cat wanted to disappear altogether.
Almer chuckled softly, and Ruan Shu curled herself up even more, presenting Almer with nothing but a round, fluffy little backside.
“Continue.”
The young man’s golden eyes held a gentle smile as he absentmindedly toyed with Ruan Shu’s cat ears.
The ministers on the other side had come to their senses as well, suppressing the odd feeling in their chests as they resumed discussing national matters. Yet, they couldn’t help but glance at His Majesty’s arms every so often.
That tiny, fluffy bundle—so small it could be grabbed by a butterfly—had now fully committed to playing dead. After curling herself into a ball, she hadn’t moved at all.
As the meeting was nearing its end, a soft purring sound began to drift from the Emperor’s side.
Almer paused for a moment, then nudged the little furball nestled in his arms.
With that small nudge, the fluffy kitten seemed to “fall apart” as she stretched out her tiny paws, rolled over, and continued to sleep soundly against his chest, as if that earlier embarrassing episode was long forgotten.
Almer: “…”
He didn’t know whether to call her carefree or simply shameless.
Glancing at the little cat’s body, at least her size justified her weightlessness.
The ministers on the other side of the video couldn’t help but sneak another look, then another.
What breed was this peculiar little creature? None of them had ever seen anything like her before.
Not just in the Star Beast Empire but across the entire universe, there wasn’t another fluffy creature this tiny.
After all… she’d been lifted by a butterfly. How light did she have to be for that to happen?
“Let’s conclude today’s council meeting here.”
Once the meeting was over, Almer ended the video call, stood up with the little cat in his arms, and left the garden.
…
Ruan Shu had no idea how long she’d slept. When she opened her eyes, she felt slightly disoriented, as though she’d lost track of time.
In her groggy state, she stretched out her little paw, which landed on something hard and slightly cold.
Her gaze held a hint of confusion as her paw poked and prodded. This black, hard surface looked like… scales? Something about them felt familiar.
“Huff…”
A soft breeze ruffled the fur on her back. Ruan Shu turned her head, looking up into a pair of large golden eyes with vertical pupils that were slightly intimidating. But she had to admit, the intricate pattern within those eyes was truly beautiful, and the clear outer layer was as pristine as glass.
At that moment, her tiny figure was reflected in those golden eyes, like looking into a mirror.
Ruan Shu: “Meow?”
Almer gently nudged her with his nose, causing the sleepy little kitten, still soft and limp from sleep, to topple over.
She flailed her little paws, trying to right herself, but was soon propped up by a supportive dragon tail.
Ruan Shu had fully woken up now. It was Almer!
She rubbed against the giant dragon beside her, affectionately snuggling close.
The black dragon rose, circling around the little cat twice before lowering his head to meet her face-to-face.
“Get on.”
Ruan Shu immediately perked up, her spirits high as she agilely climbed her way up to the top of the black dragon’s head.
She flicked her tail, transforming into her small human form and lying flat atop Almer’s head.
“Almer, can I touch your horns?”
“Go ahead.”
The black dragon’s voice was indulgent, and Ruan Shu’s smile brightened, her eyes curving with delight.
Her soft, pale hand gently touched the black dragon’s horns.
They were hard and slightly cool to the touch—not cold, just pleasantly refreshing. She thought it would feel wonderful leaning against him in hot weather.
“Hold on tight.”
The black dragon lifted his head, unfurling his massive wings.
Ruan Shu quickly gripped onto Almer’s horns. A gust of wind hit her, and she closed her eyes, her snow-white hair flying back in the breeze.
When she opened her eyes again, they were already in the sky.
Almer had activated a protective energy shield, shielding her from the wind. She lay carefully on Almer’s head, glancing around.
“Where are we?”
It felt like only a moment had passed, yet they’d flown so high that everything below looked like tiny dots.
Almer replied, “I’m not sure; just taking you for a random flight.”
Ruan Shu held onto his horns and peeked down, originally just wanting to enjoy the view. But suddenly, she noticed something approaching from behind.
Huh? Something’s following them?
And whatever it was, it made a loud noise—familiar, like… a police siren.
“To the beast in front, be advised: you are entering a no-fly zone and are about to be detained. Please cooperate with landing procedures.”
Almer: “…”
Ruan Shu: “…”
The Emperor of the Empire… being detained?
The Emperor in question, a bit flustered, attempted to accelerate and flee.
“To the beast in front, be advised: we have captured your photo. If you refuse to comply, this will be publicized across all networks.”
That would be utterly humiliating.
Who in their right mind failed to recognize the Imperial Majesty’s beast form? The jet-black, regal scales and the powerful, majestic dragon—didn’t they know to turn a blind eye just this once?
The police car continued in pursuit, and Ruan Shu patted Almer’s head. “Maybe… maybe we should just land?”
Otherwise, wouldn’t this technically be breaking the law?
Almer: “…Fine.”
He sounded quite reluctant.
He definitely didn’t want a picture of him breaking the law to go viral across the entire network—wouldn’t that ruin his imperial reputation?
“Coming down…”
I really like this series, ty
i miss shushu 🥲