The Foot Jelly That Melted the Emperor's Heart
After the garden standoff with the Crown Prince, my standing within the imperial palace soared to dizzying heights.
Or rather, the phrase "soared" was too mild. I had become the living embodiment of power in the princess's palace—the real power behind the throne, the fluffy bundle of fur, and the deified white tiger cub.
"Lord Blanc, this is the finest veal jerky. I've pounded it twice to ensure it's not too tough."
"Lord Blanc, would you like me to comb your fur so it doesn't tangle? I brought the highest-quality boar-bristle comb."
"kyawoo..."
I stretched out on the sofa, belly exposed, and let out a lazy yawn while enjoying the maids' gentle touches. Just that was enough to make their faces bloom with smiles.
Life is truly wonderful.
The maids bowed respectfully to me as they would to the princess herself. The knights parted like the Red Sea when I passed. In their eyes there was reverence—reverence for the unprecedented magical beast who had simultaneously tamed the mad princess and the Crown Prince. To them, I was nothing less than a symbol of peace.
I felt strangely good about it.
I sprawled across the special cushion reserved for me in Kailian's palace, tail lazily wagging, belly full and content.
Being born as a tiger had been such a stroke of luck. One mere breath and people cooed; one mere drop of poop and they praised my health. This was the ultimate plot twist—hell, the ultimate beastly plot twist.
"Blanc."
At that moment, Crown Princess Kailian, seated at her desk, called my name.
"Come here. I'm uneasy if I can't see you."
She had pouted because I'd been playing only with the maids.
She held a quill in one hand while signing documents with the other, her free hand gesturing toward empty air as if to pull me back.
Even for a moment, I was addicted to her touch. Without me, she showed withdrawal symptoms—severe tiger fever. And without me, headaches returned.
I dragged myself over to her desk, ignoring the laziness.
Important state documents piled high on the desk: lists of rebel executions, border guard reinforcement plans, monster extermination budgets...
Every item was grim.
I carefully stepped around them, terrified of knocking over ink and accidentally having my name appear on the rebel list. One ink-stained paw print on an official seal and the empire's administration would grind to a halt.
"There."
Kailian lifted my hindquarters and placed me atop the stack of documents she had just finished reviewing.
......?
What...?
I stared blankly as she said boldly, "This is for the minister of literature. If you press down, the papers won't fly away."
I yawned in disbelief.
With no breeze in the room, papers wouldn't fly. She was simply using that excuse to touch me more.
Yet as her hand slid softly down my spine, my eyes grew heavy. Yeah, so what if it was the minister of literature? As long as it was warm, fine. I was a magnificent tiger contributing to the empire's administration.
Tock. Tock.
A knock sounded at the office door.
"Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."
"Again?"
He'd come in the morning and now returned? So eager.
Kailian's brows furrowed sharply. The tip of her quill snapped.
"Didn't you throw him out this morning? Why did he come back? Get rid of him."
"T-that... he says he brought the exact item needed for the magic beast verification..."
"Send him in."
Before Kailian could finish, the door burst open and Demian entered.
His expression was solemn compared to the morning. His uniform buttons fastened to the very top made him look like a general marching to battle. But the object in his hand was anything but solemn.
"What is that?"
Kailian stopped writing, quill poised.
In Demian's hand was a long rod tipped with colorful feathers—a cat toy anyone could recognize as such.
Does he have no sense of dignity?
"This is..."
Demian cleared his throat and explained seriously. "According to ancient records, feathers of raptors stimulate the wildness of magical beasts. This device was specially brought to test whether this creature is a truly dangerous monster or merely a trainable beast."
......Is he crazy?
This was nothing more than a three-copper penny feather toy sold at the market. He called it a magic beast reaction measurer? The Crown Prince could get away with such brazen nonsense?
I clicked my tongue at the Crown Prince's lame act. Just admit you wanted to play.
"Hah. Not funny at all."
Kailian snorted, equally unimpressed. "So what are you planning to do with it?"
"Watch and see. Come on, pounce, monster!"
Demian swung the rod dramatically.
Whoosh.
The colorful feathers danced wildly before my eyes.
......
I stared at the feathers with disdain.
Back in my previous life, I was human. Would I even react to such childish toys? I was a noble spiritual beast, the White Tiger. One blink and I wouldn't even glance at something like that...
Flutter.
The feathers brushed the floor with a soft rustle.
Eh?
My pupils suddenly dilated. That irregular movement. The fluttering sound. Instinct screamed. My heart began to race. I had to catch it. I had to pin down that arrogant feather boy with my front paw.
"Catch him! That brat!"
If Demian hadn't taunted, I might have stayed calm. But as he waved the feathers right in front of my nose, my reason surrendered to the hunting instinct and logged out.
"kyaang!"
I kicked off the desk and leaped. My body traced a graceful arc through the air toward the feathers. If caught, I wouldn't let go.
"Oh! He reacted! He reacted!"
Forgetting his own act, Demian swung the rod wildly, delighted. I dodged left and right while being toyed with, completely ignoring everything else. The documents on the desk fluttered; the ink bottle rattled. But none of it mattered. All that existed was that damned feather—the entire world to me.
Thud! Thump!
The feather was so close yet so far. My blood boiled. The Crown Prince's handling was quite skillful.
I leaped from the desk corner, climbed Demian's arm, and bit down on the feathered tip.
"Got you!"
As I held the feather in my mouth and let out my victory purr song, Demian's eyes widened.
"This... this remarkable agility! He truly isn't an ordinary magical beast. Even the empire's warriors couldn't keep up!"
He lifted me in admiration.
Our eyes met. His blue irises sparkled. The beastly aura I had felt that morning grew even stronger. Training, verification—those were excuses. He was simply desperate to play with me.
"Quite... adorable. No, rather, an excellent specimen."
He hastily changed the subject and stroked my head. His hand was surprisingly skilled. "You... actually like animals, don't you?"
"Let go."
A cold voice poured cold water over me.
Kailian rose from her seat, seized my tail, and pulled me into her arms. Her eyes burned with jealousy.
"The test is over. Reaction speed excellent, health perfect. Now if there's nothing else, go."
"Not yet! I have to do the stamina test and the grip test too..."
"Enough. Do you want to turn my office into a playground?"
Kailian snatched the feather slathered with her saliva from my mouth and threw it at Demian.
Aww, mine...
Demian clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"Hmph. Fine, that's enough for today. Tomorrow I'll bring a moving ball-shaped measurer."
"Don't come!"
It was the moment when the siblings' bickering was about to resume.
"Your Highness."
A heavy, solemn voice came from outside the door.
Instantly, both Kailian and Demian froze. The air in the room grew heavy, like ice water poured over it.
"......The Chamberlain?"
Kailian's voice was low.
The door opened. An elderly man in a crisp gray uniform bowed respectfully and entered—the imperial chamberlain, known as the Emperor's shadow.
His arrival signaled the Emperor's will. A will as heavy as lead.
"His Majesty's command."
The chamberlain's gaze moved from me in Kailian's arms to her, then back.
"Her Highness the Third Princess, and His Highness the Crown Prince."
He paused, then continued in a dry tone. "And... the new attendants her Highness the Princess brought."
"......"
"His Majesty summons all three of you to the audience chamber. Immediately."
The silence was deafening.
Kailian tightened her grip on me. It hurt. Her body trembled slightly.
Emperor Carchion.
The father who had abandoned his daughter when she suffered most—the greatest trauma, the object of hatred, for Kailian.
It was coming.
I sensed the first massive wave of the palace life I had begun to enjoy crashing down.
When the Emperor summoned someone personally, it was never a good sign.
Demian spoke with a grim expression. "Father personally? For the verification of that magical beast?"
"Yes. After receiving reports about the white beast that invaded the palace, His Majesty said he would confirm it with his own eyes."
The chamberlain's eyes were icy.
An Emperor who hated magical beasts summoning me? There were only two possibilities.
Either execution or expulsion. Either way, it would be fatal to my comfortable beast life.
"I can't go."
Kailian spat coldly.
"Blanc is mine. Even Father can't take him. He won't step one inch outside my room."
"Your Highness. His Majesty's command is absolute. If you defy it, the palace guards will be forced to intervene."
The chamberlain did not retreat.
The atmosphere was about to explode. Red killing intent began to rise around Kailian again.
If this continued, I would see blood. The heretical princess who had slain her own father.
I had to make a decision.
Since I couldn't avoid it, I would embrace it.
I tapped Kailian's chest with my front paw.
She looked down at me with surprised eyes. Those trembling pupils were pitiful.
kyuu.
It's fine. Let's go.
I wrapped my tail around her wrist and met her eyes reassuringly.
Trust me. Who am I? The tiger who conquered the Crown Prince with a single feather. What's the difference with the Emperor?
Well, no matter. After a few tail flicks, you'd become like me.
"......Blanc."
Kailian seemed to have read my eyes. She bit her lip, hesitated, then sighed deeply.
"Alright. If that's what you want."
She lifted her head and glared at the chamberlain.
"Lead the way. But if you touch even one hair on Blanc, I will burn the Emperor and everything else to ashes."
"......I wonder if I'll get the crown sooner than I thought."
Demian's eyes sharpened. The image of him unable to help vanished.
Demian, who had raised his hand to his sword as if to protect me, followed us silently.
......Butlers, the line was a bit too over the top...
But they were reliable.
We headed toward the audience chamber where the Emperor awaited.
Throughout the long corridor, Kailian's heartbeat thundered in my ears. She was afraid—terrified of the mountain that was her father.
But I was not afraid. At the tip of my nose, I already smelled victory... no, the scent of delicious snacks.
Don't worry.
I burrowed deeper into her arms and vowed.
What I would show the Emperor in the audience chamber today was not simple coquetry.
I would display a finishing move that would melt even the frozen heart of an Emperor.
Wait, Emperor.
I will pierce you with my foot jelly.