The Pampered Mansion Cat
The morning after wrapping up a string of complicated and busy matters felt less like dawn and more like noon. Warm sunlight streamed through the small but bright window, coaxing my eyes open on its own. The rich, buttery scent of bread drifting in from somewhere made my mind snap awake.
‘Smells amazing.’
Stretching into a long yawn, I sat up feeling pleasantly content, only to notice something resting on my stomach. Tilting my head slightly, I found Meonji curled up and fast asleep right on top of me.
“Honestly…”
I had tried to keep him off the bed, but he’d begged so pitifully at dawn that I’d given in. The blanket wasn’t the kind he could shred with his claws, so it probably wasn’t a big deal. Though there would be fur everywhere.
‘He really knows how to sleep.’
Even when I shifted, Meonji only lifted his head, wriggled a little, and settled back down on my stomach. The sight was so ridiculous I let out a small laugh and gently lifted him off me. He blinked blearily, looked around, then curled into a tight ball again and closed his eyes.
Cats supposedly sleep more than fifteen hours a day. I’d never met a lazier creature.
Leaving Meonji behind, I opened the door and headed into the living room. The savory bread smell grew stronger in the hallway. When I reached the living room, I spotted Sujin busy in the kitchen, neatly dressed and moving with purpose. Even while occupied, she remembered to bow politely.
“Good morning, ma’am.”
“You can just greet me casually. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. The room is spacious, the soundproofing is excellent, and there’s plenty of storage space, so it’s very convenient.”
I nodded in satisfaction at her cheerful reply. Once I sat at the dining table, she immediately placed a croissant of hotel-breakfast quality on a plate in front of me, along with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Maybe I should buy a proper café-grade espresso machine later. That would make brunch perfect.
While mulling it over, I looked at the bread again.
‘A croissant?’
I knew those took a long time to make—especially the dough resting and laminating process.
“Did you prepare the dough in advance?”
“Yes. You mentioned you liked bread, so I brought some from home. I suppose I’ll start making fresh dough here every evening from now on.”
Even if it was routine for her, I felt genuinely touched—and a little surprised. Professional housekeepers really earned their pay for a reason.
Looking at the croissant again, it suddenly seemed more special. I took a quick photo with my phone before taking a bite, reluctant to just eat it. As expected, freshly baked bread was unbeatable.
“It’s really delicious.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
After finishing the satisfying brunch, I reached for the dishes, but Sujin stopped me with a smile.
“I’ll take care of that.”
Doing the dishes myself wouldn’t have been a problem, but I wondered if insisting would make her feel like I was taking work away. In the end, I left the plate and cup where they were and headed out to the garden.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
The air was crisp, but the sunlight felt nice. I put on a coat, sat on the swing chair, and stared blankly at the sky. A few months ago I would have been sitting on a park bench like this.
‘Now I’m doing it in my own garden.’
Life was unpredictable, but this felt almost excessive. I chuckled quietly to myself and looked around the garden. Winter made everything feel a little stark.
‘Once winter passes… maybe I’ll plant flowers and start a small vegetable patch.’
There was even a pond, so keeping fish might be nice too.
‘Meonji will have to stay out, though.’
After spending some time in the garden, I went to the bathroom to wash up and prepare for my guest. Today’s visitor was—
“You’re here?”
“This is my first time coming over as a guest instead of working.”
It was Nayeon, visiting as a friend rather than the housekeeper. Sujin bowed politely again. Nayeon looked slightly awkward receiving the formal greeting she usually gave others. She returned the bow a bit stiffly before heading to the living room sofa.
“So now she’s the one working here?”
“Yes. There are two more besides her—one on the second floor and one handling the garage and laundry.”
“Wow… You’re really living like a princess.”
Princess… An unpleasant memory flickered for a second, but I forced a smile and pushed it away.
“By the way, are you planning to return to school next year?”
“Yeah. I’ll find a new place and start again in March.”
She added that thanks to me she could now afford a much nicer home. I had paid her well, but it wasn’t like I’d just handed her money. She’d simply been good at saving. Of course, there had been a small bonus, but…
‘Small… was it?’
Anyway, she didn’t need to thank me this much.
“Want to properly look around the house this time? We didn’t get to last time.”
“Sure.”
Nayeon had been here during the housewarming, but she’d been too busy working to explore properly. Plus, new facilities had been added since then. Most importantly—
“Whoa, you even have a karaoke room now? That wasn’t here before, right?”
This karaoke room.
“Ten songs for a thousand won!”
“You’ll ruin your throat singing that much.”
Nayeon laughed at my joke and sat on the sofa. I handed her a microphone. Singing alone was fun, but doing it together was just as enjoyable. This room was my vocal practice space, but it was also a place to hang out with friends. I’d spent a lot of money on it, so I might as well use it to the fullest.
‘I should invite her when I build the movie theater too.’
At this rate the house might turn into a shopping complex instead of a home. Chuckling to myself, I picked up the other microphone.
A few days later, Meonji’s small room began filling with toys and furniture. A cat tower, a cat wheel, a little cat house, proper food and water bowls, and even a cat water fountain. Seeing Meonji in such a nice space gave me complicated feelings. If I weren’t this wealthy, I might have felt jealous of him.
“By the way, do you really like boxes that much?”
Even with all the fancy furniture, Meonji’s attention was fixed solely on the large cardboard box the cat tower parts had come in. He climbed inside and sprawled out comfortably. It was ridiculous, but the timing was perfect. I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures of him.
Lately my camera roll was filled with nothing but Meonji photos. I hadn’t been able to travel because of how busy things were, and there wasn’t much else worth photographing. Using an expensive camera just to take cat pictures felt wasteful, yet…
‘It would be a shame not to use it at all.’
Phone cameras caught fleeting moments, but the expensive one captured Meonji’s usual expressions. That had to count for something. Better to use it than let it sit unused.
“Hmm… Why does he move the second I try to take a picture?”
Even though I was determined, Meonji didn’t make it easy. The moment I brought the camera out, he jumped up and dashed up the cat tower.
‘How petty.’
Still, thanks to these everyday moments with Meonji, my SNS feed was now overflowing with cat photos. The response was great—Yeona and the other models immediately messaged me whenever I posted one. Even my stagnant follower count had started exploding thanks to him.
‘It’s nice, but…’
My own photos and house pictures never got this kind of reaction, so the feeling was strange. Recently someone even commented that he wasn’t a pedigree cat, yet people were saying I must be both rich and kind-hearted.
‘Is it really that obvious?’
Well, there was no need to deny a compliment. Humility was a virtue, but excessive humility was just deception—and I already got enough of that from games.
‘Thanks to that I did get a thirty-day ban…’
Blocking was easy enough; the house was so big that moving to another room solved the Wi-Fi issue. Anyway, I sat down in Meonji’s room, watching him roll around in a sunbeam on the cat tower, and pulled out my phone to check SNS notifications.
#CatStarGram #Cat #Food #Eating
Hmm. The same person again. Ever since I started posting Meonji photos, this user had been diligently commenting on my account. They seemed very knowledgeable about cats and often shared useful information. For example, the cat tower—I’d bought it after reading their recommendation post. The cat water fountain next to the food bowl was also something they’d suggested.
‘How else would I have known about a fountain that dispenses water like that?’
Since this was my first time raising a cat, their advice had actually been helpful. I’d even replied thanking them and showing how well Meonji was using the items. Lately, though, the interference had become excessive.
‘The food… I bought it based on the vet’s recommendation. The hospital brand looked more expensive and higher quality than what they suggested.’
I’d considered just blocking them, but decided to give them one more chance.
‘They did help me buy some good stuff, after all.’
Instead, I politely replied explaining what food Meonji was currently eating and that he was doing well on it. That should be enough to satisfy them. But contrary to my expectations—
“…How oddly persistent.”
They started trying even harder to convince me. That was it. I’d given them a chance and they’d thrown it away.
“Block.”
I blocked them immediately. I thought that would be the end of it, but—
They’d made a new account just to comment again. This person was truly relentless. I was about to block them once more when a better idea came to mind.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never properly shown Meonji’s room before.”
If they saw how much like royalty he was living, maybe they’d finally quiet down. Compared to the cats they raised, Meonji’s life was on another level. They wouldn’t have anything to say even from a new account.
Chuckling to myself, I took photos of Meonji’s luxurious room and of him napping on the cat tower, then posted them to SNS.