Chapter 19 - A New Bond
"Borrowing his power..."
"Yeah. You two are in a contract now, after all."
"I suppose... that's true."
I lifted Kuro up so our faces were level, meeting his round, dark eyes. He let out a series of meows. "Does that mean... I can count on you, Kuro?"
"Meow!"
He answered! I felt tears of emotion pricking my eyes at his spirited response. But then, Theodore-sama's dry voice cut through the moment.
"Actually, the cat is saying 'put me down.'"
"Oh!" I hurriedly returned Kuro to my lap. He immediately hopped down, trotted over to Theodore-sama, and jumped onto his lap instead. When Theodore-sama asked, "What's wrong?" in a gentle voice, Kuro replied with a sweet, pampered meow.
...I felt like I had lost. It seemed it would take some time to truly bond with Kuro. Perhaps I should procure some toys? A feather wand? Or maybe a ball? My previous dog spirit had loved playing with balls.
Noticing my thoughts drifting in a strange direction, Theodore-sama offered a consoling word. "Like I said, I'm just naturally liked by them. But anyway, since he's a low-level spirit, he doesn't have much power."
"Yes, I imagine so."
"Still, thanks to him, your mana should be about ten percent restored, shouldn't it?"
"Ten percent?"
"Your original capacity was high, so that sounds about right. You probably don't feel it yet since the connection is new, but Kuro's mana will gradually settle into your body. Once it does, you won't be able to use magic for much, but you'll be fine in your daily life."
"Truly?"
"Yeah. Running might be tough, but walking around and going out shouldn't be a problem."
Thank goodness. I was sure His Highness and my parents would be relieved. But was this really okay? Was it right for such a convenient miracle to happen to me? "...A miracle like this... I shouldn't be allowed to have it."
The thought slipped out as a tiny murmur. I looked up at Theodore-sama, realizing he had heard me. The light expression vanished from his face, replaced by a serious, piercing gaze.
"Why not?"
"...I am not the kind of person who deserves such power. I am not someone Kuro should have chosen."
Theodore-sama let out a short, dry laugh. "I don't know your reasons. But this cat chose you. That's the only fact that matters."
He was right. My words had been an insult to Kuro—to the one who had chosen me. To Theodore-sama, spirits were clearly precious beings, which was why he treated them with such care. He had pointed out my mistake in prioritizing my own guilt over Kuro's feelings.
I had felt that the loss of my mana was a just punishment for my sins. But was suffering a penalty truly the same as atoning? How selfish of me to decide that on my own. It was disrespectful to Kuro. To shake off the sinking feeling, I slapped both my cheeks with my hands.
There. That's better.
Theodore-sama stared at me in stunned silence for a moment before his eyes crinkled with laughter. The tension in the room evaporated instantly. "Haha! I've never heard of a noble lady slapping her own face before."
"I'm sorry, Kuro. Theodore-sama, it seems I have much to think about."
"So it seems. For now, whatever your reservations, just be glad." He smiled, looking as beautiful as a painting.
Alright. I would face Kuro, and I would face myself. Not with regret or mere reflection, but by thinking about how to move forward. Theodore-sama picked up Kuro, stood, and placed him back on my lap.
"There. I hope you and the cat become friends soon."
"Thank you."
"Well, I'll leave it at that for today." He headed for the door without sitting back down. I moved to stand, but he waved me off. "Your body still doesn't move the way you want it to. Stay there."
"I apologize. Thank you for your consideration."
"Don't mention it. I have a mountain of things to research now, so I'll be counting on your cooperation."
"Cooperation?"
"Well, yeah. We found a Spirit of Darkness. This is a major historical discovery!"
He was right. There was so much we didn't know. This would change everything we knew about spirits. "I'll make sure you can live a normal life. I'll look after you until you can control your magic."
"Oh... I see."
Theodore-sama didn't seem to mind my somewhat dazed response. He simply raised a hand in a casual wave. "Until next time." Sarah opened the door from the inside, where the butler was waiting to escort him to the entrance. Slowly, Theodore-sama's back disappeared from view.
As the door clicked shut, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. I looked down at Kuro, who promptly turned his head away. Had he noticed that I hadn't fully accepted his feelings earlier?
Goodness. I still had a long way to go. First things first: I needed toys. Immediately.