I want to Enjoy a Country Life!

Chapter 18

The Guidance of the Cat General

I heard the sound of horses from a distance. Those soldiers have probably come to capture me. I stopped the chore I was doing. No, perhaps Reichel-niisama has come himself all the way here. To catch the criminal who is me.
To escape from their notice, I ran to the backyard and hid within the flower garden.

I've arrived at Princess Liliana's house.
The last time I remember riding a horse this swiftly was when I was a kid who was excited for his first lesson, I reminisced while breathing heavily.
When I got off the horse, Yuan, who was behind me, also got off and tied the horse near the turtle's pond.
If it's the usual, I'd go take a look att the turtle before entering the house, but I don't have the time to look at its face. I must see Aine even a second quicker, as I hurriedly walked towards the front door, Yuan called out to me.

[Aniue, please look at this.]

Yuan picked up the bucket and brought it over to me. When I thoughtfully looked in it, I saw Kamekichi hiding in its own shell. It was driven from the wide pond into the bucket. Kamekichi has been staring at us while staying still.

[...What does this mean?]
[Aniue, let's quickly go up the house. Aine-niisama might've been...]

Unable to bear what I might hear next, I ran inside Aine's house. When I opened the door, a very uncomfortable feeling washed over me. That's because the things that should've been there since yesterday have all disappeared. It feels so lifeless. It's returned back into when Aine wasn't here.
Shocked by the same sight I'm seeing, Yuan's shoulder shook.

[...We're going up the second floor.]

It was then. Aine's pet cat snuck up and brushed past my leg and cried *Na~* once.

[Sorry but we don't have time to pay attention to you.]

I told the cat while facing it, then shook it off and climbed to the second floor towards Aine's room.
There, I found a scene that seems to be saying "We've just been packed". On top of the bed is an open trunk where Aine's clothes, shoes, tableware and other essential items are stuffed. All the picture frames, vases and pots which were present yesterday are all gone.
Aine has disappeared from this place, and from my sight—
I was shocked by the sudden thrust of reality. It's true that I used to not want to see him, I also thought that I can control him, I also never thought that he'd go to place far from my reach. A very dark emotion came over me.

[I will never forgive him.]
[Eh?]
[He's mine. I will not forgive him for disappearing selfishly.] (TN: Ehh... since when?)
[A. Aniue! As I thought, towards Aine-niisama, you...!]
[Ouch! You! What are you doing?!]

Suddenly, the cat scratched me all of a sudden. Although it's through my clothes, it still hurts. I have no time to be scratched by you, when I tried to catch it, the cat slipped past my feet and headed straight to the door.
And then, it stopped and looked behind me with only its neck. As if it's telling us to follow it.

[I see, you'll take us to him.]

When I asked it so, it moved its head as if it was nodding.

[Alright, lead the way. Let's go, Yuan.]
[A, Aniue?]
[When you were attacking Aine, it brought me here.] [TN: Mike-sama!!!]
[！？]
[This guys works for me. Should I call it General Cat?]
[This cat is...]

Yuan was lost for words. When the saw that we're not moving, a Naa~ came out from its throat.

The place where the cat guided us the flower garden behind the house. There's a flower garden before entering the mansion, but I never knew there's another in the back. Yuan also seems to be clueless about it as he was looking around all over.
The flower garden at the back grew taller than the ones in the front. The flowers grew up to my waist. With this vastness and this amount, also with this height, if one just crouches over, you wouldn't be able to tell where he's at. When the Cat General saw our troubled faces, it started running.