Chapter 55: The Fierce Kitty Won’t Wear a Skirt

The Dawn League award ceremony had a massive venue, and the entire process was lengthy.

First came the entry parades for each school, with all the contestants marching in. Then there were highlight reels of the event, followed by artistic performances, and finally the awards and curtain call.

But our little kitty ran into a problem right at the first step.

“Lady, how should we arrange Li Ao’s school?” There had been no rehearsals for these procedures, and it was only when the event started that they realized this had been overlooked.

Qin Mian was tall and thin, with prominent cheekbones and a stern personality. Seeing the trepidation on her subordinate’s face, she didn’t blame them. Such a major oversight was the fault of the entire event staff—no one person should take the fall.

“We can’t have him represent any school.” Qin Mian planned to have him enter solo, but after thinking it over, she said, “I’ll go check.” She asked the venue staff, “Has contestant Li Ao arrived at the backstage lounge yet?”

“Not wearing this!” The little kitty crouched on the makeup table in the lounge, solemnly rejecting the little floral skirt in Brenna’s hand. “Li Ao is a boy—skirts are for girls!”

“Your Highness is a little kitty~” Brenna coaxed. “Little kitties aren’t split into boys or girls.”

The furry face looked suspicious… Li Ao stared as he tilted his head up, the tufts of smart whiskers and stubborn fur on his two little ears both grown long and fluffy. “Really?”

“Really~” Brenna beamed. “His Highness Ryan wore skirts when he was little too!”

Li Ao froze for a moment. “Little Lion wore them too?”

“Yup, the little lion wore skirts too. A little kitty wearing one would be even cuter.” Brenna kept sweet-talking him. “And why can’t boys wear skirts anyway? It’s the interstellar era—we have clothing freedom!”

The little kitty, raised on a relatively conservative Earth, hesitated as he glanced down at his plump mangosteen-like paws, then peeked up at the little skirt. The tip of his tail twitched in conflict.

“And also, Your Highness, let me tell you…”

Seeing Brenna veering further off-course, Shen Que interrupted at just the right moment. “Brenna, mind your manners in front of His Highness.”

Ryan had indeed been dressed in a little skirt by Her Highness Reniya when he was tiny, but after developing self-awareness, he had never worn one again.

The Empire’s Vice Captain of the Guard’s face stiffened. She slanted her eyes over and saw the purple-eyed Captain of the Guard holding up a cute white-topped, blue-bottomed onesie pumpkin romper. “Your Highness, how about this?”

“Pants are fine.” Li Ao, experiencing kitty clothes for the first time, nodded solemnly. “No little skirt!”

The rejected Brenna withdrew the skirt. She turned around with a smile, but immediately burst into tears.

Damn Shen Que!! Conspiracy! He’s just trying to get His Little Highness Kitty to wear the clothes he bought! Conspiracy! (Roars) (Twists and crawls forward) (Slashes at the leader) (Forces the skirt onto the kitty)

Isiris sat to the side, his attention fixed on the documents in hand. He only glanced up occasionally at the little kitty, a faint trace of humanity softening his cold demeanor.

“Your Majesty.” A guard reported, “The Dawn League event manager requests an audience.”

Isiris’s gaze remained on the little kitty extending his paws to Shen Que for dressing. He merely gave a slight nod of his chin.

“Yes!” The guard bowed and withdrew. When he returned, Qin Mian followed behind him.

“Respected Majesty Isiris.” Qin Mian performed a standard interstellar courtesy salute, neither servile nor overbearing. “I’d like to confirm the entry procession with you.”

Normally, such a matter wouldn’t warrant disturbing Isiris, but the accompanying Delphi officials all seemed to be out shopping. She had no choice but to come in person.

“You see, is the little kitty attending in his personal capacity, or…?” Delphi students typically attended Tassion Academy, and the league’s first-place winner this time was also from there. If they placed such a popular little kitty with them, even though the Federation’s Dawn had the most top-ten winners, it wouldn’t overshadow Tassion’s glory.

Isiris didn’t even raise his head, replying indifferently, “Empire Magnolia Kindergarten.”

“What?” Qin Mian didn’t catch it at first.

Isiris had no intention of explaining further, but something occurred to him, and he added offhandedly, “Change the entry sign to a balloon.”

The leaders of the contestant squads held up tall, heavy school placards during entry—something the little one couldn’t manage right now.

Qin Mian finally understood. A weight lifted from her heart, and she saluted calmly. “Understood. Sorry for the disturbance.” She turned and left the room. Only after walking some distance did she quietly exhale in relief. Even though she was older than him, she was still intimidated by his aura.

He had simply been sitting there, without lifting his head or even shifting his posture much. Yet that oppressive pressure blanketing the area instinctively made one’s breath catch, inspiring an urge to not linger in his presence.

That was the bearing of a monarch.

A ruler of merely ninety thousand souls—just ninety thousand. Among the Federation’s billions, not one possessed such presence.

Her self-mocking murmur was as soft as a mosquito’s hum. “How ridiculous.”

“Wipe that grin off your face…” Shen Que, all too familiar with his subordinate’s quirks, reminded her helplessly. He truly had no idea a human smile could stretch that wide.

Brenna clutched her camera, her mouth nearly splitting to her temples. Even as she restrained herself outwardly, her inner frenzy raged on. “You… r… High… ness… Both hands… up… okay…?”

Li Ao was thrown off by her bizarre tone and subconsciously stood up, raising both his little paws.

[Cute—ahh, I’m dying—]

Shen Que could practically read her inner shriek from Brenna’s increasingly twisted expression.

“…” But the purple-eyed man’s own smile was just as pronounced. He pulled out his terminal and activated the camera function.

Delphians weren’t adept with such devices, and his photography had zero technique. But the little kitty was so photogenic—any snap turned into a masterpiece.

Even the little black lump of a monster beside the kitty looked pretty cute in the lens.

Having dressed himself, Li Ao—with the lily-of-the-valley bell hat his dad had braided on his head—sat on the table and began decorating his little dog.

“Xun’s going too.” Yes, though the little monster wasn’t a contestant, as the contestant’s puppy, he had to follow onto the field.

The pitch-black little monster was basically the little kitty’s Barbie doll. All the small gemstones and trinkets the kitty wouldn’t wear himself were hung onto Xun.

“Whatever Li Ao has, Xun gets too.” The stubborn kitty declared, “I wanna raise a puppy.”

His milky, serious tone lacked any persuasiveness, but the puppy cooperated fully, rubbing against the obviously soft kitty chest and even mimicking the kitty’s call: “Li Ao.”

It was no wonder he earned the Empire’s little Highness’s favor—he was competitive, grabby, and “pitifully weak.”

If only the Empire’s other little Highness learned even a fraction of the puppy’s skills, he wouldn’t be so miserably “left alone in an empty boudoir.”

“How much longer until they return?” Ryan’s slender, pale fingers twirled his teacup, his gaze blankly fixed on the wilted hillflowers in the vase.

The maidservant assumed he meant Reniya and bent to refill his tea with a smile. “Her Highness Reniya hasn’t gone out bug-squashing in ages. She’ll probably need a few more days to return.”

Realizing she’d misunderstood, Ryan didn’t correct her. He simply lifted his cup for a sip. The rising steam wafted into those amber eyes, and he suddenly asked, “Have you found the swordsmanship teacher yet?”

Delphi had no shortage of skilled swordsmen, but with the post-spring campaigns underway, all the legions had marched to the battlefields. Suitable candidates remaining in Delphi were scarce.

“Not yet…” The maidservant started to say not to worry—his body hadn’t fully recovered yet, they could wait. Once Majesty Isiris and Her Highness Reniya returned, they’d surely find the perfect match. But before she could finish: “You want to train with a sword? Why not come to me?”

Ryan’s nearly transparent white lashes quivered faintly. He set down his teacup and looked at the newcomer, clear surprise in his expression. “Teacher, you know swordsmanship?”

It wasn’t unwarranted—Paimon was tall and lithe, far from fragile, but his features were delicately beautiful and androgynous, his brows and eyes carrying a lazy, flirtatious air. He didn’t seem the type to wield blade or spear.

Reniya had brought him on as the child’s tutor precisely because Paimon was versed in astronomy and geography alike, with profound literary knowledge.

“I know a little.” Paimon curved his lovely light-blue eyes. “Swords, spears, polearms—I can handle them all to some extent.”

“I had no idea.” Ryan poured him a cup of tea. “Why haven’t you ever mentioned it before?”

Paimon propped his chin with one hand and took a light sip. “What good would saying it do? Her Highness Reniya is so concerned about your health—she’d never let me teach you such things.”

Ryan pursed his lips, only to hear him continue, “Besides, have you even decided on your weapon?”

That stumped Ryan.

Delphians were typically implanted with the Crystal of Delphi during their eighteenth-birthday coming-of-age ceremony, after which their companion weapon would manifest.

Ryan hadn’t reached that age yet, and his body was too frail. Reniya hadn’t even considered implanting a crystal in him, much less pondering what weapon might emerge.

“A sword…? ” Ryan blurted out subconsciously. Among the royals, companion weapons were mostly swords—other types were rare.

“Your Highness.” The maid attending at his side said, “It’s not too late to decide on these after your coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Exactly.” Paimon blew on his tea, his delicate eyes curving up slightly. “Don’t rush. Your current condition isn’t suitable for dwelling on those things.”

“What’s unsuitable about it?” The white-haired youth abruptly stood. “I’m ready!” He was sick of all the waiting. Waiting for his body to recover, for the weather to warm, for the snow to melt, waiting for… him to come back…

He wanted to grow strong—strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with that little cat, or even lead the way.

“Marilyn.” He called to the maid at his side. “What’s your weapon?”

Every person from Delphi was a warrior. Her role as a maid was to protect Regalis’s bloodline, not because she could only be one.

Two tiny crescent blades flashed out at her call. Marilyn stood with blades in hand, her usual gentle and approachable demeanor instantly transforming.

Ryan froze.

He had never seen Marilyn like this before.

Ever since he became aware, Marilyn had stayed by his side, tenderly and meticulously tending to his daily needs.

He knew she was from Delphi and thus skilled in martial arts, but he had never imagined she could be like this.

“Rare sight.” Paimon propped up his face, a spark of interest in his eyes. “I spent three years in Delphi, and this is the first time I’ve seen anyone wield that kind of weapon.”

Marilyn smiled at him, retracting her dual blades and reverting to her gentle maid self. “Your Highness, don’t be so hasty. No one knows what your lifelong companion weapon will be. For now, the priority is nursing your body back to health.”

Ryan’s fists clenched tighter at his sides. He gritted his teeth. “Others… others started training long ago.”

Even without knowing what their future weapon would be, all Delphi people began handling arms early on, to better welcome the Crystal of Delphi.

“But there are always exceptions.” Marilyn had cared for him since he was little. Compared to rough-around-the-edges Reniya, she understood Ryan on a deeper level in some ways. “You’re one of them, and so is His Highness Li Ao.”

“The little cat… too?”

“Yes.” She bent down, taking Ryan’s hands in hers with a smile. “His Highness Li Ao was too young back then and couldn’t maintain his human form for long, so he didn’t start handling weapons early either.”

In truth, under His Majesty’s current child-rearing policies, it was an open question whether His Highness Li Ao would even receive the Crystal of Delphi implant or gain his own companion weapon.

“You’re both special children who need time to grow up properly.” Marilyn rose, guiding Ryan back to his seat. “I just got in touch with Brenna. Apparently, the little cat Highness brought a gift for you.”

“A gift for me?”

“Yes.” Marilyn poured his tea and offered some snacks. “Right now, all you need to do is eat well—just like His Highness Li Ao says every day. Get nice and chubby. Eat lots and lots of stuff.”

“Li Ao wants five!” The little cat, on the verge of entering the stage while dragging the little dog along, stretched out his paw toward the robot. “Five candies. No less.”

“No way.” The robot, now in a fresh new body, fixed him with a death stare. “You’ve already had tanghulu today.”

“That was bought by Li Ao himself!” The little cat puffed up righteously. “It wasn’t issued by you! And I bought you a new body, so you owe me candy!”

What kind of messed-up logic was that?

Silver Wing, forced into this mechanical dog frame, let out a cold sneer. It had just raised a paw to swat the cat’s rear when Brenna teleported up beside them with a beaming smile. She squatted down and viciously twisted the mech dog’s tail out of the little cat’s line of sight. “Aiya, His Highness is about to go on stage for his performance. He won’t be able to eat for ages. How could we not bring some candy along for the kid?”

For the first time being manhandled like this by a human, even a robot with a heart of iron was caught off guard.

“…” The mech dog’s programming clearly glitched for a moment. It was righteously blocked by the cat, menaced by Brenna’s smiling face that screamed “disassembly imminent,” and even subjected to a narrowed-eyed glare from that little monster decked out head to toe in jewels.

Utterly speechless.

“Fine, eat it then. Let’s see if your teeth survive!”

The mechanical puppy popped open its body compartment, fished out five chocolates, and stuffed them into the pocket of the little cat’s pumpkin pants. It still couldn’t resist giving the cat’s butt a smack.

The furred-up little cat pounced in an instant, scratching wildly at the much larger dog body a few times before calling it quits, satisfied. “I’m not scared at all!”

Grandpa doctor said Li Ao wouldn’t lose his teeth that soon!

“Xixi…” The little cat toddled over in two quick steps and hugged the man’s leg. “I-I’m off now.”

Silver Wing sneered inwardly. It was just entering for an award—why make it sound like heading into battle?

But Xixi granted the little cat’s wish anyway, murmuring softly, “Go on. I’ll wait for your return.”

“Mm!” The little cat’s eyes lit up like stars. As he passed the mech dog, he hugged it without a grudge. “Once Li Ao gets his little red flower, I’ll stick it right on this body for you!”

“…” Silver Wing wanted to snap that it didn’t care, but what came out was: “Oh.”

The gates boomed open, and the waiting contestants filed out in order.

Li Ao took a step forward and caught sight of the surging crowd ahead. Flashing lights, uproarious cheers, live camera lenses, and a red carpet strewn with golden patterns wove together into a torrent of overlapping lights and shadows.

The little cat paused, his ears twitching upright, his tail tucking in nervously.

One hand leading the little dog, the other clutching a bright red balloon emblazoned with plump letters: “Empire Magnolia Kindergarten.”

The little cat glanced back. Daddy and Machine were right there. Brenna was the first to wave at him with a big smile. “Your Highness, we’ll be in the front row. Just lower your head and you’ll spot us!”

Li Ao flashed a grin, turned around, looked up, and strode into the roaring din.