The Jelly-Filled Vessel of Bliss
The afternoon sunlight poured gently through the windows, bathing the reception hall in a warm, lazy glow.
Princess Kailian was completely absorbed in inspecting the tribute items sent from distant lands, leaving no room for anything else. I, however, was content to play with a nearby cushion.
"Blanc, come look at this. It's a specially crafted jar from a master artisan in the Eastern Continent. It's truly beautiful."
Kailian showed me the item with genuine delight for the first time in a long while.
It had a narrow mouth, a rounded body, and an overall pear-like shape, the kind of form that looked exactly like a giant droplet of water frozen in place. The surface shimmered with an almost otherworldly radiance.
"Storing mana stones or herbs in here prevents any degradation. It really suits me."
She carefully lowered the jar onto the carpet and returned to her ledger without a second glance.
"....."
My gaze remained locked on the exquisite vessel resting alone nearby.
The glossy, sparkling surface. The tight, narrow opening. The invitingly empty space inside.
*Thud.*
Deep inside my chest, the long-dormant feline and animal instincts finally stirred.
Rational thought screamed that once I entered, my head and body would be completely trapped. And if the butler was displeased, I would surely be scolded.
But the instincts' voice roared in protest.
*Get inside the jar, Blanc! Slide in and become a switch!*
I scanned the room.
Kailian was staring at the ledger with intense focus. No one was paying attention to me.
*Just once...*
I crept forward on silent paws.
Up close, the mouth looked even narrower than I had feared. Could my head even fit?
Any ordinary animal would have given up.
But after my recent miraculous diet, my waistline had slimmed, and I maintained a sleek, agile figure. Besides, felines and beasts have degenerate clavicles, so if the head can squeeze through, the rest of the body follows somehow.
I pressed one front paw against the rim.
*Shlurp.*
Oh... it's sliding in.
Next, my head.
I tucked my whiskers back and shoved my head forward. My ears got squished, my cheeks flattened, but with a satisfying *pop*, my head passed through.
Now only my torso and hind legs remained.
I relaxed my bones and muscles. Like melting cheese, my body flowed smoothly into the jar.
I settled comfortably inside.
The walls pressed in from every side, squeezing my body in perfect, unyielding contact.
With every breath, my belly and back felt the cool glass expand and contract rhythmically.
This flawless, all-encompassing hug.
It was stable...
A profound sense of peace, as if I were cradled safely in Mother's arms.
I narrowed my eyes and began to purr a deep, rhythmic melody.
Here, I was no longer solid—I was liquid.
*Alright, now I need to move this to storage... Eek?!*
Kailian had finished checking the ledger and glanced at the jar before letting out a startled scream.
The sight inside must have looked utterly bizarre to her.
Clearly, the jar had been empty moments ago. Now it was completely packed with a fluffy mass of white fur.
My jelly-like paw pads, soft belly, and flattened face were pressed tightly against the glass, raw and unmistakable.
"B-Blanc?! What are you doing in there! Why are you melting!"
Kailian dashed over in a panic.
She tried to grab the jar and shake it, but I refused to leave, sticking my paw pads firmly to the glass wall and refusing to budge.
*Kyaaah...*
I'm not going out. This place is perfect.
"I'm losing my mind! If that breaks and Blanc gets hurt, what then! And breathing is hard enough as it is!"
Kailian was spinning in circles, utterly helpless, when Saintess Lina entered the hall for a regular health check.
"Your Highness, I've come to check on the Divine Beast's condition... Oh my!"
Lina stopped in her tracks upon seeing me trapped inside the jar.
Anyone could see she was an odd-looking creature stuffed inside like a scolded cat.
The flattened nose and lips against the glass must have been comically squished. Yet Lina did not laugh.
Her eyes widened in wonder as she stared at me.
"My goodness... You really did squeeze yourself inside."
She stepped closer and gazed at my paw pads pressed to the glass with amazement.
"How did you fit into such a narrow space? Your body has no bones."
"Hey! Not the time for saintly awe! Blanc is stuck and can't get out!"
Kailian cried out urgently, but Lina tilted her head thoughtfully.
"No, Your Highness. Look at the Divine Beast's expression. He appears extremely comfortable."
"Comfortable? When he's all flattened out like that?"
"His heartbeat is steady, and his pupils are relaxed. It seems he's simply... enjoying this state."
Lina's face lit up with pure bliss as she watched my squished cheeks spread like a puffy pancake against the glass.
"How wondrous... Not even a single gap. It feels exactly like water. Is the Divine Beast both solid and liquid at the same time? What a mysterious creature..."
"....."
I just like narrow places.
To Lina, I must have looked like a supernatural being transcending physics.
She gently stroked the outer surface of the jar.
"This jar has warmed up thanks to the Divine Beast's body heat. I can't feel the fur, but the visual softness is extraordinary."
"Lina, don't admire it—help me get him out!"
Kailian sighed.
But I had zero intention of leaving.
The inside of the jar was warm.
My body heat radiated back through the glass, warming me from all sides.
Oxygen was a little scarce, but Divine Beasts don't die even if they breathe less.
*I'm sleepy...*
I closed my eyes against the glass and drifted off.
Warm. Tight. Quiet.
The perfect bedroom.
How long did I sleep?
A familiar rumble vibrated from deep inside my belly.
*Gurgle.*
I had been asleep so long my stomach was growling.
Time to get out and eat?
*Umm... Kyaa?*
I tried to push myself up.
"......?"
Nothing moved.
Actually, my body felt a bit plumper than when I had entered.
Maybe the heat of the nap had fully relaxed me, or the food from earlier had turned into gas.
The most important part—the shoulders—were jammed tight at the opening and wouldn't budge.
*Kyaaa! Kyaaah!*
Hey! You caught me!
As I thrashed inside the jar, the round vessel lost its balance and began rolling like a spinning top.
"Eek! Blanc!"
Kailian screamed and chased the rolling jar.
The world spun around me.
I felt so dizzy I almost threw up.
"I got it!"
Kailian finally stopped the jar.
She was drenched in sweat as she stared at me.
"See? I told you I'd get stuck! What now?!"
*Kyaaang! Kyaaah!*
No scolding—get me out! I'm dizzy!
I thumped the jar wall with my tail.
"Do I have to break it? What if Blanc gets hurt breaking it?"
Kailian raised a hammer, looking conflicted.
Lina stepped in to stop her.
"No, Your Highness. Glass shards could injure the Divine Beast. And... this jar is no longer just a jar."
"What do you mean?"
"Everything the Divine Beast touched—his sweat, saliva, and scent—has turned it into a sacred relic. I can't break it."
*Butler, hit the saintess with the hammer.*
Lina was serious. To her, anything my body had touched was a priceless treasure.
"Then what?! Are you going to keep me in this jar for life?!"
"There is a way."
Lina smiled brightly and offered a perfectly practical solution.
"Felines and beasts are liquid, but when hungry, they become solid again and shoot out. We need something that acts as lubricant."
"Lubricant?"
"Yes. For example... the juices from fatty meat."
She contacted the kitchen and had fresh, premium turkey legs brought.
She then waved the turkey leg in front of the jar's mouth.
The rich, savory aroma seeped into the narrow opening.
*Sniff sniff...*
My nose, squished against the glass, twitched.
My stomach churned.
My brain gave the command.
Get out. Claim that meat.
*Kugugung.*
Every cell inside me began rearranging for escape.
I made my bones and flesh melt once more.
The focus created by hunger.
*Kyaaah!*
I pushed against the glass wall with my hind legs and launched my head toward the opening.
*Pop!*
With a satisfying sound, my head slipped free.
Then my shoulders, torso, and hindquarters slid out smoothly.
Like a sealed water pipe bursting open.
"I'm out!"
Kailian clapped.
The moment I landed on the floor, I snatched the turkey leg and tore into it.
*Nom nom. Chew chew.*
The meat tasted like heaven after being trapped so long.
My fur might have spread everywhere, making me look silly, but who cared.
Kailian lifted the empty jar with a sigh.
"Full of my fur and saliva... It even smells. I should clean it."
Lina quickly snatched the jar away.
"No, Your Highness! You can't clean it!"
"Eh?"
"This jar still holds the warmth and breath of the Divine Beast. Not a single strand of fur or drop of saliva may be removed."
Lina tightly closed the lid and hugged it to her chest like a treasure.
"I'll take this to the Holy Saintess's room for study... I mean, storage. It will serve as precious proof of the Divine Beast's flexibility and liquid nature."
"......Fine. If you want it, take it."
Kailian shook her head in resignation.
I finished the turkey leg and patted my full belly, lost in thought.
The glass was too slippery and hard. And my ears hurt when I came out.
I would need something more elastic next time.
For example... the sleeve of the Saintess's robes.
I eyed Lina's sleeve with hungry intent and licked my lips.
Lina, busy wiping the jar, didn't notice my wicked gaze.
*Kyaa.*
