Chapter 365 365: Kisses and Cat Claws ( 365 )

Cedric blinked as he noticed the skewer being offered to him.

"Oh, for me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zania silently nodded.

She didn't say a word.

She just stood there, holding the skewer, her hands trembling slightly—not from nerves, but from something deeper that she didn't want to acknowledge.

Cedric casually took the skewer from her hand, giving her an easygoing smile.

"Oh, thanks, cutie~" he said, his voice light and teasing.

Zania's world stopped.

Her heart melted instantly.

And then—

Dup. Dup. Dup. Dup. Dup.

Her heart pounded against her chest, loud and uncontrollable.

Was it the heat from the grill? The warmth of the fire? Or—

No.

It was him.

The way he casually tossed those words out, as if they meant nothing.

As if he hadn't just completely overwhelmed her emotions.

Her breath hitched, but she forced herself to remain still.

She couldn't blink.

She couldn't look away.

All she could do was stare at Cedric's face, completely entranced.

Meanwhile, Cedric happily took a bite of the grilled meat, completely unaware of the turmoil he had just caused.

He leaned lazily against a nearby tree, one leg stretched out, the other bent at the knee, chewing leisurely on the grilled meat.

Then—a presence.

He glanced down.

Zania had squatted beside him.

Close.

Too close.

Her eyes stared up at him, unblinking and silent.

Cedric tilted his head slightly. "Hmm? Need anything?"

No response.

She just kept staring.

Those eyes…

The kind of gaze that could break a man if he wasn't prepared for it.

A bit… unsettling?

No.

It wasn't unsettling.

It was… adoring.

Cedric raised an eyebrow, finishing the last bite of his skewer.

His instincts warned him that something dangerous had just happened.

He turned to his little brother.

"Umm… little brother?" he called out. "What's wrong with her?"

Javier barely glanced over. "I don't know… why ask me?"

He was too busy being pampered.

On one side, Liana held a skewer, guiding a fresh piece of grilled meat toward his mouth. On the other, Gloria did the same.

Their arms pushed against each other, both trying to feed their young master first.

Javier, meanwhile, looked completely unbothered.

Life was good.

Cedric sighed. Great. His little brother was living like a king.

And Zania?

She hadn't stopped staring.

The atmosphere was peaceful. The smell of grilled meat lingered in the air. Cedric leaned against the tree, relaxed, while Javier enjoyed being fed by his devoted maids. Everything seemed normal.

Until—

"I love you."

Silence.

Cedric froze.

Javier, mid-bite, stopped chewing. His mouth was still full, his jaw slightly slack.

Liana and Gloria, standing on either side of Javier, momentarily stiffened. Then their eyes met.

A silent conversation unfolded between them.

Then—subtle, victorious smirks.

Liana's delicate hand clenched into a tiny fist at her side, giving a slight pump of triumph. Gloria, ever composed, adjusted her glasses, her fingers twitching in quiet satisfaction.

Yes.

This Amazarak princess was no longer a threat to them.

Meanwhile, Cedric was still processing his life choices.

He blinked, staring at Zania's unwavering, love-struck gaze.

"…Huh?"

Javier swallowed.

"…Huh??"

Liana and Gloria, suppressing their laughter, remained silent.

Zania didn't blink. Didn't hesitate.

She just kept looking at Cedric.

Pure. Unwavering. Completely and utterly in love.

And then—

Before Cedric could react—

Zania suddenly leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips.

—?!

Cedric's mind shut down.

Javier dropped his skewer.

Liana and Gloria, still reveling in their small victory, stiffened.

This was no subtle, noble kiss.

This was a girl who had fallen hard.

Fast. Reckless. Absolute.

Zania closed her eyes, fully embracing the moment, completely lost in her emotions.

The world around them faded away.

For her—only Cedric existed.

For Cedric—his brain had officially stopped functioning.

Javier, blinking rapidly, slowly turned to Liana and Gloria.

The maids, now recovering from their shock, had lost all composure.

Liana's victorious fist pump? Frozen mid-air.

Gloria's hand on her glasses? Still adjusting—but trembling.

Their smug grins? Gone.

Replaced with wide, disbelieving stares.

Javier, in complete deadpan, muttered the only thing that came to mind.

"…Well. That escalated quickly."

"MASTER CEDRIC!!!!!!"

A loud, furious shout echoed through the estate.

Cedric, still frozen in place, barely registered the voice. His mind was still processing what had just happened.

Javier, Liana, and Gloria all turned their heads toward the source of the yelling.

And then—they saw her.

Meira.

Her cat ears twitched with rage, and her tail fluffed up in absolute fury.

And her fist?

Flying straight toward Zania's face.

WHOOSH—!

At the last second, Zania tilted her head.

The punch missed—barely—grazing her cheek with the force of a passing storm.

A faint gust of wind rippled through her hair.

But Meira didn't stop.

Her sharp eyes glowed with outrage.

"HOW DARE YOU KISS ANOTHER GIRL WHEN I'M NOT AROUND?!" she hissed, tail flicking aggressively.

Javier blinked, slowly turning back to Cedric.

"…Brother. You've really done it now."

Cedric, finally snapping out of his daze, instinctively took a step back.

"...Wait, Meira—"

But meira wasn't listening.

Crack. Crack.

The sound of her knuckles tightening filled the air.

Meira was furious.

Her tail bristled, her cat ears twitched, and her eyes burned with pure rage.

"How dare you kiss my Master Cedric!"

Her voice was a sharp hiss, filled with venom.

Then—she vanished.

Zania panicked.

Her instincts screamed danger, and in the next second—

WHAM!

A fist barely grazed her face. She twisted away just in time, but she could feel the raw force of the attack crushing the air beside her.

And Meira didn't stop.

She was fast. Too fast.

Zania barely had time to register her movements before the catgirl reappeared behind her—

"Tch—!"

Zania ducked.

Another punch missed by a hair's breadth.

She tried to counter, launching a quick jab—

But Meira was already gone.

Too fast. Too skilled. Too precise.

Zania gritted her teeth.

She was an Amazarak warrior—she was strong!

But—

This wasn't just strength.

This was overwhelming, refined battle skill.

Javier slowly raised a hand. "Errr… Liana? Gloria?"

The two maids, who had been watching the one-sided beatdown with mild amusement, turned toward him with serene smiles.

"Yes, young master?" they answered in unison.

Javier hesitated, glancing toward the battlefield.

Zania… was getting destroyed.

Meira moved like a blurry shadow, fists and kicks landing with frightening precision.

WHAM! Zania staggered backward.

THUD! Another hit connected—this time to her gut.

SMACK! A clean punch to the cheek sent her tumbling across the ground.

Javier felt sweat forming on his forehead.

This… was getting bad.

"Uhhh…" He gulped. "I think… you both should stop Meira?"

Liana tilted her head slightly, looking entirely unconcerned. "Why?"

Gloria adjusted her glasses, clearly enjoying the show.

Javier hesitated.

Then—he looked at Zania.

She was swaying, bruises forming on her face, her eyes slightly unfocused. She had been punched several times already.

And Meira wasn't slowing down.

Javier's panic grew.

"Umm… you know Father said—don't kill her…?"

Meira, mid-attack, paused.

For the first time since her rage exploded, her ears twitched.

She turned toward Javier.

Her tail flicked.

Then, she crossed her arms and huffed.

"Hmph."

Zania, barely standing, let out a weak breath of relief—

Only for Meira to grab her collar, pull her close, and hiss in her ear.

"This isn't over, bitch!."

( End of Chapter )