Max woke up to the cries of a cat. She reluctantly opened her heavy lids and flinched at the bright light coming through the window causing her a splitting headache. She groaned painfully as she sat down, holding her throbbing head between her hands.

  Her stomach felt heavy as it was full of sand, and her head had ached as if someone had been nailing her skull all night long. She frowned at the unusual discomfort and suddenly saw a cup full of water appear in front of her eyes.

  Max slowly lifted her head up.

  With a gloomy face, Riftan looked down at her, and she realized for the first time that there were three kittens perched on her legs that seemed to have fully regained their powers.

  Riftan told her.

  Max stiffened as memories of last night flooded her thoughts. Riftan handed her the glass of water which she received in shame.

  Riftan spoke to her in a low voice.

  Max replied in a faint voice.

  Riftan gave Max a doubtful look before sitting down on the bed beside her. She felt him breathing deeply, as if to calm his anger.

  Max felt even more anxious by his actions. She buried her swollen face into the sheets, but somehow Riftan’s soft voice went straight into her ears, more clearly than his shouts.

  Max looked up at him in astonishment.

  She realized that she was more surprised by the fact that his words didn’t seem to frighten her at all than from the threat itself. She believes he can’t do anything to her and wasn’t going to harm her.

  He asked her, but he grumbled softly as soon as he saw that she did not show fear. He just seemed upset that she didn’t take his words seriously.

  Max promised.

  With dissatisfied eyes, he looked down at her miserable body, and soon gave a deep sigh of exhaustion.

  Max weakly called to him.

  “Right now, I have some priority work to take care of,” Riftan answered, slowly getting up from his seat.

  He shakes the cat off his boots, puts it on the bed next to Max, and leaves the room. Max hurriedly held the cats who were bursting into tears with discontent in her arms. The high-pitched shout cry felt like a needle piercing to her brain.

  While she was calming the sick cats in her arms, Rudis entered the room with a teapot tray.

  Rudis greeted her.

  Max answered.

  In fact, she felt terrible, but yesterday’s scene felt far worse than the pathetic hangover she had. Max calmed her aching stomach by sipping hot tea while trying to maintain her dignity in front of Rudis.

  Rudis told her with a smile.

  Max nodded at her consideration with appreciation, relieved by the thoughtful words of the maid.

  Rudis called Max after a while, and she was greeted by a bathtub full of hot water. Max pulled her clothes off and went to the bathtub. In the warmth of the steaming hot water, she soaked herself and washed her hair with a mixture made of herbs.

  She enjoyed the hot bath until she felt the water turn lukewarm. Max later changed into a new, fluffy dress.

  Rudis brought Max a thick boiled porridge with barley, potatoes, onions and eggs for the latter to enjoy while grooming.

  After Max’s breakfast of that savory porridge, she sat in front of the fire and opened a book to read. Herbal tea was effective at driving her hangover away, and her headache disappeared, so she was able to look at her bookshelf and chose a book to read.

  Rudis asked Max.

  The maid must have seen her turn the pages with concentration, and was concerned about her being interrupted by the cats.

  Max shook her head, and she didn’t want to kick the little animals out of the room.

  Max responded.

  Then, Rudis smiled as one of the cats purred and rubbed against her. She bent down to rub the cat’s ear.

  Rudis said to the cat, Max secretly breathed a sigh of relief at her soft expression. She was worried that Rudis’s work may have increased. Rudis, however, already seemed to be obsessed with little cats as well.

  She realized as Max spoke that Rudis closed her eyes as if to memorize them, and whispered the names of the cats with a happy look on her face.