Bai Yu went straight home.

Passing by the market, he picked up the meats that the two kittens liked to eat. Tortoiseshell preferred fish paste, and Tabby loved chicken breast. Bai Yu took a little of each, then paused slightly when he passed a beef stall.

Illyria lacked productivity. In this era, beef was still a very expensive meat; a single piece cost a doctor several days' wages.

However, the platinum dumpling just happened to love eating beef. Such a tiny kitten, yet so precious and hard to raise.

Bai Yu stopped for a moment and still bought a piece.

He knew the dumpling was already gone, but he still held a subtle expectation in his heart, hoping that when the dumpling came home, there wouldn't be a lack of food in the house.

Bai Yu walked into his house carrying the bags and started preparing the meal.

He didn't notice at all that a kitten had landed on the roof and lightly stepped onto the windowsill.

Imuel raised his tail, his paw pads taking feline steps as he elegantly walked to the neighbor's roof next door. Then, hugging his tail, he settled down on the tiles. Through the thick layer of glass, he quietly watched the inside of the house.

In fact, outside of his mutation period, Imuel rarely turned into a kitten.

The Grand Duke of Illyria could not be a lowly slave, and a cat-person descended from slaves could not be the Grand Duke of Illyria. This was a consensus among the entire upper class. Imuel had always carefully hidden his identity; once exposed, he could plunge into eternal damnation at any time.

But when the doctor called Miller a dumbass, Imuel's heart was still moved.

The Duke paced around his bedroom alone for a long time, and finally, he stealthily turned into a kitten, slipped out of his magnificent clothes, and stood on the doctor's roof.

—He just wanted to come and see, to see exactly what those two kittens that lured the doctor home twice in three days looked like.

Tabby and Tortoiseshell were both in the kitchen, meowing as they surrounded the doctor.

Ever since he went to the Duke's Mansion, the stove at the doctor's house hadn't been fired up and had been put out of use. The knives were stored away and locked up, so he wasn't afraid of them wandering around here.

Imuel, on the other hand, looked down on them from above with reserve.

They were all just mixed-breed stray cats, nothing rare.

Tabby and Tortoiseshell didn't know there was one of their own kind on the roof next door. They only knew that there was the smell of meat in the kitchen and it was almost time to eat. So, they anxiously paced around, occasionally bumping their heads against Bai Yu's trouser legs, seemingly urging the doctor, "When will it be ready?"

Bai Yu: "Wait a moment, it will be ready right away."

Both kittens were covered in injuries when they were picked up and had been terribly frightened by the Hammerhead Shark. When Bai Yu spoke to them, he unconsciously softened his tone.

Separated by a single window, Imuel bit his tail.

—The doctor had never spoken to him in that kind of tone.

Both kittens had long legs, completely different from the platinum dumpling's little short legs. With a light leap, they stepped on the rice vat and jumped onto the stove, scurrying around the edge of the chopping board.

Bai Yu gently pushed their heads aside. "I have a knife in my hand, be careful."

Tabby was pushed to the side by him, but she wasn't annoyed. She let out a soft meow, dragging out the ending note for a long time.

Tabby was a half-year-old female, having naturally learned how to act coquettishly without a teacher. She seemed to know that she couldn't get close to the doctor holding a knife, so she just rubbed against Bai Yu's side, nudged the doctor's hand with her furry head, tilted her head, and softly probed, "Meow?"

—I want to eat.

Bai Yu sighed.

The kittens had been raised by him for a few days and had already gone from being skin and bones to having a bit of baby fat. Looking eagerly at the meat on the plate right now, they somewhat gave off an alluring vibe.

Imuel bit his tail resentfully.

'Damn it,' the Grand Duke thought indignantly. 'Where did these stray cats come from, to even know such tricks?'

Seeing that Tabby was truly starving with greed, Bai Yu picked up a small piece of meat with tongs and offered it in front of Tabby's eyes: "Alright, alright, you eat first."

Tabby licked it with her tongue and quickly grabbed it with her teeth.

Tortoiseshell copied her. He was a younger brother less than half a year old. He also nudged Bai Yu's hand with his head, tilted it, and went, "Meow?"

He also wanted to eat meat.

Helpless, Bai Yu also used the tongs to give him a sliced piece.

The two kittens successively devoured the food they were given and looked eagerly at the plate. One on the left and one on the right, they took turns rubbing their heads against the doctor's hand. For a time, meowing sounds filled the air endlessly, each sound softer and more cloyingly sweet than the last.

Bai Yu felt helpless and thought to himself, 'It looks like I'll have to carry them out and close the kitchen door.'

The two kittens had no idea what the doctor was thinking and even squeezed into his arms, trying to beg for more meat by rubbing against him.

But suddenly, they stopped their movements at the same time, raised their eyes simultaneously, arched their backs, and looked out the window.

Cats had sharp perception and a strong sixth sense. They detected an unfriendly gaze from outside the window, staring intently at them, as if wanting to strip off their fur.

The owner of the gaze was very powerful, provoking the primal fear etched into their genes. Tortoiseshell and Tabby were like animals targeted by a top predator; their fur puffed up in unison as they turned their heads to stare at the source of the gaze.

On the roof next door, there was a pair of lake-blue eyes.

Those eyes were gloomy and profound, bearing the sternness of a superior, making the cats look at them with awe and fear. However, the owner of those eyes...

Was a short-legged platinum kitten.

Tabby & Tortoiseshell tilted their heads, looking back in confusion: "Meow?"

The legendary top predator was nowhere to be found. The platinum kitten on the tiles was tiny, with short legs, not even as long as Tabby. A big, fluffy, and furry tail swayed back and forth. Tabby looked at him, and then looked at her own robust, powerful, and long tail...

—It felt like a kitten she could slap away with a single flick of her tail.

Tabby and Tortoiseshell pushed off the ground with their hind legs at the same time, assuming a stance resembling an attack, emitting purring-like warning sounds from their mouths.

Outside the window, Imuel accurately received the message conveyed by his own kind.

—What are you looking at? What kind of kitten do you think you are?

It carried one part disdain, two parts mockery, three parts contempt, and four parts ridicule.

"Damn it." The Grand Duke's expression darkened as he started grinding his teeth.

It was truly a tiger falling into the plains and being bullied by cats. Now, any mixed-breed stray cat dared to rub against the doctor's thigh and act tyrannically over his head. Imuel felt resentful in his heart. Likewise kicking off with his hind legs, he made an attacking motion. He lowered his voice, and with the arrogant posture of a Duke, with the solemn and majestic tone of a superior, he issued a warning like the roar of a tiger or the cry of a dragon—

"Meow!"

Tabby and Tortoiseshell: "..."

They turned their heads away in boredom and started nudging the doctor's plate.

At this time, Bai Yu couldn't be bothered with them anymore.

The doctor abruptly looked up, his gaze tightly locked onto the eaves, meeting those beautiful lake-blue eyes.

Imuel: "..."

He guiltily lifted his paws, wanting to slip away.

The Duke had just wanted to take a look; he hadn't yet prepared to face the doctor again in his kitten form.

But the doctor had already opened the window.

He seemed to have seen through the kitten's intentions. His hand moved like lightning. With a light vault, he landed on the windowsill. Then, holding onto the eaves with one hand, he reached directly toward Imuel with the other. In the instant before the Duke could even react, he firmly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, hauling him into the house as easily as lifting a sack.

Then, right in front of Imuel's face, with a click, he locked the window tight.

Imuel: "..."

The kitten flapped about helplessly a couple of times, but under the doctor's violent suppression, there was absolutely no room for resistance.

Bai Yu clapped his hands and placed the kitten in front of him. His expression was like an eternally unmelting glacier. He looked Imuel up and down, his tone chillingly cold: "Still want to run?"

"Meow?"

Imuel tilted his head, his tail curled into a ball, his large eyes full of innocence and confusion.

—He began to play dumb.

Bai Yu showed no sign of being moved whatsoever. He picked up the dumpling with one hand, carried it into the bedroom, and then locked the door behind them.

Imuel: "...Meow?"

He took a step back in fear.

This was a completely enclosed space. No matter what the doctor did, he had no room to resist.

Imuel took another step back, retreating to the corner of the wall.

The path forward was blocked by the doctor, so he could only dart past the side. But darting past the side would inevitably mean crossing the bed. Imuel raised his paw and looked at it.

Stepping across the eaves all the way here, it was quite dirty. If he stepped on the bed, the doctor would get mad, right?

Before he could figure out how to get away, he was already controlled by the doctor.

Bai Yu twisted him in another direction, then supported his bottom, and delivered a slap that was neither light nor heavy.

Imuel: "!"

It didn't hurt, but he was completely dumbfounded by the spank. Stretching out his claws, he scratched the floor vigorously, unable to believe what had just happened.

...He got, spanked?

And hit in this kind of place?

Imuel exploded instantly. He was the most honorable Duke in this city-state, standing high above, holding the power of life and death! No one could teach him a lesson, not even the doctor! He thought resentfully in his heart: 'Damn doctor, harming a Duke is a felony punishable by death in Illyria!'

The more Imuel thought about it, the angrier he got. He turned his head, wanting to viciously bite the hand that hit him, or give it a scratch. As a result, before he could even bite down, a finger poked him in the head.

The doctor's cold voice came: "Do you know how dangerous it is?"

Bai Yu poked the kitten's head, showing a rare trace of anger: "Do you know that the Black Robe Society is everywhere outside, and they collect stray cats to execute them all? Do you know that winter has arrived in Illyria, the lake water has frozen, outdoor temperatures can drop below zero, and there is no food or water outside? Do you know that hooligans often fight near Xike Street? Do you know there are noble ladies in the city who specifically collect cat fur to make scarves? Do you know the neighborhood's sanitation is poor and wandering around makes it easy to get ringworm? I locked all the doors and windows, and you still slipped out on me?"

The doctor's height was considered very tall among humans; to a kitten, he was an absolute behemoth. Being cornered against the wall by him and listening to his stern questioning, Imuel should have been terrified. Yet, he unconsciously twitched his ears and relaxed.

The doctor was worried about his safety.

Bai Yu had a cold personality and didn't show his emotions easily. This was the first time Imuel had seen him speak so much and get so angry.

Because he was afraid something had happened to him.

Imuel's anger mostly dissipated. He quietly stretched out a little paw and patted the doctor's trouser leg.

—He actually wanted to pat his forehead to signal the doctor not to worry, but the kitten was too short. Unless he jumped up and slapped the doctor in the face, he couldn't reach the forehead.

And Bai Yu clearly wasn't comforted; he was still angry.

He wasn't angry at the dumpling, but at himself. A kitten lacked the intelligence to distinguish between good and bad outside. If it slipped out, fundamentally, it was because Bai Yu hadn't done a good enough job safeguarding the place. It was the owner's fault.

The doctor muttered to himself: "The doors are shut, the windows are locked dead... Not even a mouse could squeeze into this clinic. Tell me, where did you slip out from?"

To this day, he still couldn't figure out where the dumpling had slipped out from.

"..."

Imuel sheepishly retracted his paw and gave a guilty "Meow".

Looking up at the doctor, having been scolded into having airplane ears, he blinked his lake-blue eyes, striving to convey two emotions: 'innocent' and 'guiltless'.

Bai Yu propped up his forehead and sighed deeply.

Having lost and found it again, his heart was filled with complicated and unspeakable emotions. On one hand, self-blame and regret surged up.

It was his fault.

If he had sealed the windows a little better, wouldn't the dumpling have avoided facing these dangers?

Bai Yu looked down. The kitten was lying limply in the corner, its ears drooping, seemingly frightened by him.

In all fairness, the dumpling was a very good kitten, and getting lost shouldn't be the kitten's responsibility. After Bai Yu's anger passed, what followed was belated guilt. He gently lifted the kitten, cradled it in his arms, rubbed its little bottom, and softened his voice: "Did the spanking hurt?"

Imuel's fur started puffing up again.

A light slap didn't hurt, but when the doctor's hand rubbed against him, a tingling electrical current surged up his tailbone. It felt unfamiliar and strange, making him unconsciously kick his hind legs, kicking the doctor twice.

D-damn doctor, let, let go!

Bai Yu sighed: "I'm sorry, it's my fault. I frightened you on your first day back."

Imuel looked up from his arms, lifted his tail to curl around the doctor's arm, and made a tiny sound: "Meow."

I wasn't frightened at all.

Bai Yu tapped his airplane ears. The little ears still hadn't popped back up, seeming to have been badly frightened. Looking at the dumpling's fluffy, furry, and perfectly round head, as well as the kitten's obedient posture sitting in his arms, he suddenly lowered his head and planted a soft, feather-light kiss on the top of its head.

The kitten's ears twitched.

The doctor sighed, his voice very gentle: "I'm sorry, don't be afraid anymore."

The warmth of lips transmitted from the top of his head. Imuel realized, belatedly, that he had been kissed. He stiffened almost like a petrified statue, nearly taking a nosedive off the doctor's arm. The fur on his tail puffed up, and he hastily broke free from the embrace, landing on the floor.

"Meow!"

F-frivolous doctor! I w-wasn't afraid! How could you just casually kiss this Grand Duke!

The kitten's arms were too short to touch the spot that had been kissed. Imuel could only use his fluffy big tail to rub the top of his head, where that bizarre sensation still lingered. His lake-blue eyes darted from the ceiling to the window, no longer daring to look at the doctor.

So weird.

Bai Yu had no idea about the convoluted thoughts going through his mind. Seeing that the kitten's airplane ears had returned to normal and it seemed to have been coaxed well, he took a step back: "Play in the room for a bit. I bought some beef, I'll cut a little for you."

The best way to coax a kitten was to bribe it with food.

Imuel: "Meow."

Okay.

He pawed at the floor and thought to himself, 'Did you buy it specially for me?'

He remembered that the doctor didn't really like eating beef.

There was still dust from outside on his paw pads. Just now, both of them had been emotional and neither had noticed. Now that he was pawing, the claw marks left behind were very obvious.

Bai Yu lowered his gaze, landing on the paw prints.

Imuel stepped on them, using his body to press over the marks, continuing to act innocent.

Bai Yu frowned slightly.

The platinum kitten was quite clean, its fur fluffy and white, looking as though it had cleaned itself. However, it was still travel-stained. It had rubbed against wall dust on its tail, and its paw pads were covered in dirt. Its legs were too short, so the fur on its belly inevitably touched the ground; some parts had rubbed against water and turned into clumped strands.

The doctor rested his chin on his hand: "A little dirty."

He muttered to himself: "I'll grab you to take a bath after you finish eating the beef paste."

"..."

The Grand Duke, who had been squatting obediently, thought of something unknown and instantly puffed up his fur: "Meow!"

Damn doctor, exactly how do you intend to bathe this Duke?