187 I am a cat pretending to be a mouse
***[Catherine, Duchess]***
[Catherine, would you be more surprised to find out that it was a cat that appeared out of the dark, or would you be more surprised to see a mouse turn into a cat?]
When I was very young, maybe two or three years old, my aunt asked me.
Katrin replied that it was when she saw the cat in the dark.
At that time, I think it was because I was young, and I thought that it was not such a surprise that a mouse became a cat.
Maybe it was simply because it was easier to imagine the dark.
From nob le mt l dot com
Darkness comes every night.
My aunt smiled quietly, said yes, and moved on.
And I ask the same thing every year.
It was probably two years later that I realized that a mouse doesn’t easily turn into a cat.
When I replied that I would be more surprised when the mouse turned into a cat, my aunt said.
[When it seems impossible to win, Katrin turns into a rat. It’s a cat, but it’s pretending to be a mouse. If they think it’s a rat, the opponent will look down on Catherine, right? Then, at the right moment, it becomes a cat and bites it!]
Catherine was able to surprise and embarrass the nanny many times thanks to her aunt who laughed and said that.
After that, it didn’t work at all.
I suddenly remembered that time.
When I was young, I thought it was just a fun game, but as I grew up later, I learned the real meaning behind it.
If you were born as a cat, that fact never changes.
But what if you encounter a cat or dog that is too strong?
What my aunt wanted to teach me was how to deal with such cases.
And now is the time to put what you’ve learned to good use.
‘Whoa.’
Watching the smile bloom on the face of the court count, Catherine sighed lightly.
Oscar’s portrait pendant dangles over his chest.
You seem to be telling me you can do it.
You don’t have to pretend to be strong and smart from the beginning.
Rather not.
Catherine herself lacks experience anyway, and that is a reality that will not change no matter what.
My aunt taught me everything, but seeing as I couldn’t follow her properly, I didn’t think she had very good hair, and when Oscar-sama tied it up, even the mask I had worked so hard to make came off easily.
‘Yes, even if I wake up from death, I won’t be like Auntie or Oscar.’
Even though they look similar, she and her aunt are different people.
Oscar-sama can’t even follow his toes.
Imitation would be impossible.
The only thing Catherine had more than anyone else was her tenacity and love for Oscar.
There is only one instance where she can bring out her full potential, and that is when Oscar-sama is involved.
Just as a snail has a snail’s path, Katrin has her own secret recipe.
‘Okay, I can do it. Let’s overcome this hardship with the power of love!’
First impressions don’t change easily.
I thought he was a weak and insignificant little boy like a rat, but when he found out, giving the impression that he was acting as the lord of the castle properly, that’s what he had to aim for this time.
Then the impression is passed on to the royal family.
Even if Oscar-sama wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be able to do it carelessly.
‘I am a rat, I am a rat, I am a poor, weak rat.’
Katrin muttered that incantation, drooping her eyebrows.
Whether it’s a raccoon or a court earl, come on, this is it.
I’ll bite you off
***[King’s Messenger, Court Count] ***
Long ago, when I first entered the court, I had seen Countess Becker from a distance.
Even if they moved in the same court and stood in the same space, she was the center of society, a flower that one would not dare to look at.
Surrounded by so many women and men, the young court earl could not say a word to her.
Since Countess Becker often went abroad, she was not even seen anymore.
yes, what to hide
He once admired Countess Becker.
At that time, it was fashionable for older wives to have younger men as their lovers, and there were times when they were trying to figure out how not to be lovers.
His efforts probably wouldn’t have caught the eye of Countess Becker, but he still tried to approach her with all his acquaintances and unknown contacts.
I couldn’t access it at all.
It was only later that I found out that all of his efforts were blocked by Count Becker.
She probably wouldn’t even guess that he once liked her.
Although he looks like a gentle and harmless scion, Count Becker is a surprisingly sinister person.
I only found out about it while living at the court for a long time.
The court count quietly examined Catherine’s appearance.
‘They really look alike.’
The more you look, the more you resemble.
It’s like going back to when I first saw Countess Becker when I was young.
Sweet and bitter memories flooded over, and the images of the Countess and Catherine overlapped.
Had he held the position of a court count at that time, would he have been able to get into the eyes of the countess even a little bit?
Of course, the weight of an aristocrat with a territory and a court count with only a title are completely different.
If the royal family is strong, the court earls who are trusted by the king will have considerable power, but the current royal family is not enough.
‘Still, I could have had a little exchange.’
As he recalled his youthful days, he felt a bit sad about the countess who didn’t know him and resentment towards Count Becker who excluded him, unable to tolerate love as small as someone else’s fingernail.
Of course, the current Duchess had nothing to do with what happened then.
know.
It wasn’t that he was trying to do something about his love for the Countess right here and now.
It’s scary when Duke Weiss gets angry.
But that’s how things are now.
It was an opportunity for one of the geniuses that is really hard to meet, even if it is strong enough to bring tears to my eyes.
It’s time to recover the crumpled pride of youth that still lingers in a corner of your heart.
Even though in reality she was just a little girl, she was now the agent of the lord of the castle.
If a person in such a position did not respond properly, it was the other side’s fault.
Looking at Katrin’s increasingly haggard expression, it hurts a bit for some reason, but I have to run away now that there is no duke.
The court count smirked inwardly.
Katrin’s first appearance must have been something she had worked hard for, and she had been restless since we exchanged greetings.
Especially since he mentioned what the current situation was like, it got worse.
Even from the royal family, information is currently difficult to obtain.
It was also difficult to determine the exact number of barbarians, as well as where they were now.
Anyway, Katrin’s acting as the lord’s agent is only superficial, and the actual work is done by each person in charge.
He probably didn’t even properly tell Katrin what the situation was like.
In fact, Katrin was sometimes checking the butler’s face or moving her fingers as if impatient.
Well, I don’t even have any proper social experience yet, but since I was suddenly put up as a substitute for Seongju, I can fully understand his feelings.
The head butler, Viscount Kruger, didn’t know why, but didn’t say anything.
He would have been holding onto some information, but Catherine was too young to even be a proper assistant.
‘Well, even for me, it would be difficult for me to help Deputy Seongju, who shows all his expressions and is restless like this. Now that I think I’ve given up all my fears, I’ll have to drive a wedge.’
The countess of the courthouse pushed her upper body forward a little while continuing the conversation.
As if surprised by the action, Katrin becomes nervous.
He looked like a frightened rabbit holding his hand on his lap.
The court earl opened his mouth to wrap up the story that he had been pressing round and round.
“In order to break this situation, we need to send troops while the barbarians are still on the border. Of course, the Duchess doesn’t know, but that’s the basics. If the Duke is here, he’ll understand right away.”
“but….”
Katrin opened her mouth nervously and looked at the butler’s expression slightly standing nearby.
The court count leaned forward to prevent the butler from interfering, blocking Katrin’s words.
“Duchess, these are words directly from Her Majesty.”
When he emphasized that these were the king’s words, Catherine held her hand tightly and turned her moist eyes to him.
“But aren’t the steppe tribes too fast?
It seems to have been heard somewhere.
At Catherine’s words, the court count shook his head.
“I’m saying that because I don’t know. The barbarians are fast because they’ve been plundering on the border so far. They run away after plundering in small numbers, so that’s what it sounds like. But this time, the number of them is huge. They don’t move so easily. “I can’t. Besides, they’ve never entered the depths of the realm. They don’t even know where to go, and they’ll be confused.”
The countess of the court made a stern expression.
“Even while we are talking like this, they will be pillaging border towns and killing children and women. If we don’t make a decision quickly.”
Then Katrin tilted her head.
There is still moisture in her eyes, but for some reason her expression seems to have changed a bit.
He seemed a little angry.
“Count, are you hiding information from our ducal family?
“yes?”
What are you talking about, this girl?
Are you trying to get out of this position by using a herd?
When I looked at Katrin in amazement, she pursed her little mouth.
I guess I’m angry too.
The eyebrows were slightly raised.
“I understand that the Prairies have already left the border.”
“What did you say?”
What nonsense is this woman talking about?
As soon as he heard the news that barbarians had crossed the border, he rushed here.
Of course they’re still at the border.
While he was embarrassed, the Duchess straightened her back and continued.
“I know that the Grasslands have already crossed the border and passed through the Baronies, which were previously raided over kidnapping issues.”
“No, it can’t be. There must be some kind of mistake. As far as I know…”
“Wait. My words are not over yet.”
Katrin continued as if to cover it up.
“Where are you going to go when troops leave from the duchy now? It only took a few days for the steppe tribes to head from the border to the baronial territory. Who knows where they will go next? I heard that the opponent is a large army of over 100,000. Do you mean to let so many soldiers wander aimlessly without a clear destination?”
“No, nothing like that.”
Is it true what this woman is saying?
Are the barbarians really moving that fast?
‘No, that kind of thing is impossible.’
It must be a lie.
The court count unwittingly gave his gaze to the head butler, Viscount Kruger.
He would have the correct information.
Katrin took a small breath and opened her mouth.
“Butler, the count doesn’t seem to believe me, so can you confirm?”
The courtier looked away in embarrassment.
It was his mistake to show the attitude that he did not trust the Duchess.
“No, sorry. Duchess. I didn’t mean that…”
Viscount Kruger looks at him as if asking what to do.
If you didn’t trust the duchess and checked with the butler here, it would be a big deal.
“No, I’m sorry. I was taken aback because I didn’t know about that. I’m sorry, Duchess. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Catherine put on a displeased expression and nodded helplessly.
“I was so excited too.”
“The… Duchess, the issue of dispatching troops.”
The court earl was taken aback for a moment, but this flow might have been a good thing.
In the first place, he did not intend to insist on sending soldiers to the border.
He wanted to join the kingdom army led by Prince Emil and other lord forces in the capital.
I was about to lead the story there, but Katrin opened her mouth with a slightly calmed face.
“As for the dispatch, I will send a separate message when the duke returns. Although I am here as the head of the family, I have not yet been given the authority to move the duke’s forces.”
“…”
got hit
You were pretending to be stupid to say this.
At first, I thought that if I said something like that, he would bite me somehow, so I dragged him on to talk about this and that.
If he says that after letting him make a mistake, there’s nothing left to say on this side.
If Katrin had seemed to know the situation at all, she would have been a little more careful, but she was too careless as she was a young and inexperienced girl.
Katrin stood up from her seat at the end of those words.
The court earl opened his mouth to somehow dissuade him and draw the story further, but the Duchess did not give him a chance to do so.
Say goodbye quickly and leave.
The movements were so neat and fast that it was embarrassing, so I couldn’t get a gap.