“Kallaudin doesn’t like cats very much. From a certain point on, he hated cats very much. He especially hates black cats.”

The place where Olivia headed with Neo in her arms was Kallaudin’s office. These days, Kallaudin was not resting because he was busy with all the work of the Ducal family’s work.

“Instead, he was fascinated by dogs. He was very insatiable. He can’t raise them because he doesn’t have time though when he goes back to Podilin, he will probably raise five dogs.”

Neo felt uncomfortable and grumbled. Even if he instinctively hated black cats because of memories from his previous life, to think that he didn’t like cats very much but then crazy about dogs was very rude…

Olivia opened the office door without knocking and stuck her head in.

“Kallaudin. Are you busy?”

“Yes.”

Kallaudin, who was looking at the papers at his desk, answered firmly.

Since the transfer of the Dukeship was suspended, he was still Duke Icard. Evan planned to attend to Laria, who was pregnant, and even after giving birth, he wanted to actively participate in raising the child while the child was young.

After all, if he had the title of Duke, he had to participate in various events, so he would be going out frequently.

“Don’t you have time for a cup of tea with your aunt?”

“None.”

“You don’t have much work anymore. Isn’t it just a matter of doing what Laria is doing?”

“I do pretty much Evan’s work, too. The due date is approaching, so of course, Evan needs to stay by Laria.”

Kallaudin had to do everything, just like when Laria and Evan had gone back to their childhood.

Of course, now that he had quit being a villain, while he didn’t stay up all night, he did have a lot of work.

“Since I have done wrong to Evan and Laria, I can do this with pleasure.”

“You’re already working a lot. All your life, too… Anyway, Laria and Evan went for a walk earlier, right? Get some rest as well.”

“Even if I rest, I won’t rest with Aunt.”

“Hmph, I brought a new animal friend.”

“Did you have a lover for Lucifer?”

“It is not a parrot. It’s a doggy.”

Kallaudin put down his pen with a sudden snap, and he stood up politely.

“Come in. I will tell them to prepare tea.”

“Hey, you said you didn’t have time for a cup of tea.”

“It happened all of a sudden.”

“You said you wouldn’t rest with me.”

“I can rest with your new animal friend.”

Kallaudin spoke with a twinkle in his eyes.

“How amazing would it be if it was a dog chosen by Aunt, who has discerning eyes?”

“You look blind, but you understand my language better than I thought.”

“You look gentle, but you must be smarter than I thought. Come in quickly. Why are you sticking your head like that?”

“You’re being impatient.”

Olivia teased Kallaudin quite a bit after that. Kallaudin eventually swore never to joke in front of Olivia.

“Right, this is it.”

Olivia giggled. She dragged on the time like that for close to thirty minutes.

“I was in a very good mood from a while ago, imagining how you would be going crazy. If I showed you my Doggy, you would be even more crazy. Ah, how exciting.”

Neo was satisfied with those words and promised to stay by Olivia’s side in the future. It was very exciting for him to see humans swearing and getting annoyed.

“Please show me.”

“Now, it is finally time to show it! Puppy, say hello!”

Olivia slammed the door open, and Neo shouted, raising its front paws as if to say hello.

“Nyaaa!”

Kallaudin’s red eyes, which had been flashing with excitement, quickly sank and he glared at Neo with a cold face.

“What? Didn’t you say Doggy ?”

“The name is Doggy, but I didn’t say it was a dog.”

“…Please leave.”

“It is so smart! I’m not joking. Did you see the front paws earlier?”

“Nya, nyaaaa.”

Kallaudin’s brow furrowed as he looked at Neo insincerely again. His head rang like there was a gong.

— And you, Kallaudin, will have to plant a strange tree in the backyard. You have to accept that amount of brainwashing now.

“Oklasia trees…”

Kallaudin muttered unknowingly.

Come to think of it, a few years ago, he didn’t even remember yet he told them to get an oklasia tree no matter what and plant it in the backyard. Laria mentioned that it was the devil’s brainwashing, but facing that black cat, a strange memory suddenly came to his mind.

“Nyaaaa.”

According to Evan and Laria’s explanation, the devil that Evan made a contract with was said to be in the form of a black cat, so Kallaudin has hated black cats since a very long time ago. A cat that looks exactly like that.

“…Aunt. Where did that cat come from?”

“It was walking around the garden.”

“Isn’t it strange that such a well-kept unknown cat is suddenly in the garden of the Duke’s residence?”

“What does that have to do with me? It’s not even my house.”

Kallaudin pointed out with a sigh at Olivia’s elated attitude.

“…A cat that understands everything people say and raises its front paws because they’re smart.”

“It’s a bit strange. However, in the meantime, I’ve lived so well that God might have given me a gift, right?”

“It would be the other way around.”

He forced himself to swallow the words he wanted to say to her that she had lived so badly that even the devil had attached themselves to her. Kallaudin, vaguely guessing Neo’s true identity, touched his forehead. But no matter how, he couldn’t tell Olivia, ‘That’s actually the devil.’

“I think I read a case like this when I was studying black magic. It’s ominous, so stay away from it. A clever but mean beast who likes the misfortune of others.”

“Oh, dear.”

Olivia smiled broadly and hugged Neo tightly.

“You are my soulmate.”

“Isn’t it ominous?”

“It looks like it’s my age. I hate boring things more than ominous things.”

“…Aunt was like that even when you were young, regardless of your age.”

Whether Kallaudin disapproved of it or not, Olivia was envisioning a rosy future with Neo. Anyway, this is a clever beast that likes other people’s misfortune…

“I have to attend various garden parties first. I’ll have to look at our Doggy’s abilities and think about its level of mischief.”

“Nyaaaa.”

Neo also smiled in satisfaction because it seemed like it would be so much fun with Olivia. To him, she was neither a slave nor a pet. Olivia was the right kindred for a pleasant life.

“Nyaaaa.”

Thinking that he should hang out with this human and get along well with her, Neo happily leaned against Olivia’s body.

“Oh, you like it as well? Let’s do our best.”

So, the two of them became united together.

“Let’s turn our capital’s social scene upside down. Elanie insulted our Lucifer, and we will repay her unconditionally!”

“Nyaa!”

When Olivia and Neo’s friendship began, it was then that the door opened with a cautious knock.

“Father, we went for a walk… Oh my, Great Aunt is here too, uwaaa?”

Laria and Evan stopped by after going for a walk. Laria’s pupils trembled madly when she saw Neo hugged by Olivia.

“This, this… hmm…”

Kallaudin quickly intervened.

“It looks like Aunt found a very rare cat with black magic!”

“Ah. I-I, I see!”

Laria hurriedly nodded her head. Evan looked at Neo with a wary look and wrapped his arms around Laria’s shoulder. With her due date approaching, Evan was wary of even the air, so not to mention the devil, too.

Neo looked at him and snorted.

―How ridiculo… nyaaaaaa.

Hearing Neo’s voice cut off terribly, mingling with the sound of a cat’s cry. As everyone in the room heard his voice, Olivia was startled enough to drop him.

Neo said, landing lightly.

―Can’t… speak…baptism… nyaaaa.

The quick-witted Laria quickly translated.

“Ah, Evan got baptized so you can’t speak properly?”