Andras let out a long yawn as he returned to the Rohanson mansion. After wheedling Daisy for some snacks, he rolled around on Evangeline's bed, prompting Plauros to unsheathe his claws in displeasure and scratch him. Andras yelped at the stinging pain and twisted his body.
"Don't get dog fur on Lord Evangeline's bed."
"Argh! Pudding, this is animal abuse, you cat bastard! No discrimination! You act all cutesy like a house cat on Master's lap every day, but you won't even let me lie on the bed?"
Plauros paid no heed to Andras's words and sat on the edge of the bed. Perhaps because Evangeline was away, Plauros had taken human form for the first time in ages. Light scattered and spread to the point of being blinding, making Andras frown involuntarily.
Andras, having rolled onto the floor, had no choice but to transform back into a human. If he wasn't allowed to get fur on the bed, he had no choice but to become human. But wasn't having a person lying on the bed even more improper? Just as he was about to jump onto the bed, Plauros stopped him and pointed to the sofa.
"Your spot is over there."
"You should have said so earlier. You just didn't want me on the bed at all."
With no other choice, Andras slumped onto the sofa, which was essentially his designated seat, and leaned his back against it. The kind-hearted me will just let it slide. As if to improve Andras's mood, Daisy brought him some sherbet at just the right moment. Taking a spoonful, he felt as if all the stress in the world was melting away.
"Where is Lord Evangeline?"
"She departed for the Imperial Palace right away."
Plauros began sharing vision through the eyes he had scattered around Evangeline.
"Seriously. What a stalker bastard."
Jelly clicked his tongue.
"Ah, speaking of stalkers, there were strangely many people lurking near the Marquis's estate. And here's the thing—most of them are priests."
"Priests?"
The scenery rushing past through the carriage window only stopped after arriving at the Imperial Palace. Through the vision, Plauros felt a faint sense of displeasure from the Imperial Palace. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but there was a truly subtle sense of something being out of place.
"Andras. Why does it smell like rot?"
"From me?"
Andras lifted his arm to smell himself, but only the distinct scent of a well-groomed indoor dog of the upper class wafted up.
"I mean the Imperial Palace. Something feels unsettling... I should go see Lord Evangeline directly."
Plauros perfectly recreated the clothes worn by the Imperial Palace attendants. The outfit didn't suit his curly blonde hair and white, slender fingers without a single callus, but he paid it no mind.
"Master will probably prefer you in cat form. Actually, wait. Won't she not even recognize you?"
Andras snickered and needled him, earning another hit for his trouble. Andras felt proud that he managed to save his sherbet through it all.