It had been a week since Kun was brought to House Ravencourt. The palace still whispered about him, the nobles still eyed him warily, and the servants still avoided him like he carried the plague.
But Kun?
Kun didn't care.
Right now, he was chasing a butterfly.
In the royal garden.
Like a child.
Alice, who was supposed to be focusing on his royal lessons, had given up entirely. His cheek was propped against his palm as he watched Kun dart around the flowers, arms flailing, eyes wide with determination.
He looked ridiculous.
But also… oddly content.
Alice's tutor, however, was not amused.
The man had already shot several irritated glances at Kun, his lips thinning with each passing second. Finally, with a deep sigh of suffering, he gestured to his attendant and whispered something.
Alice, lost in thought, didn't notice.
Instead, he kept staring at Kun, watching the way the boy moved—so freely, so unbothered. It was strange, seeing someone who had once carried such a sharp, dangerous gaze now giggling over a butterfly.
Alice squinted.
"I can't tell if he's a kid or…" He trailed off, remembering the way Kun's eyes had darkened when he used his mysterious power. There was something ancient in those moments, something that made Alice's skin prickle.
But right now?
Kun tripped over a flowerpot and face-planted into the grass.
Alice sighed. Never mind.
The tutor, meanwhile, cleared his throat loudly.
"Your Highness," he said in his usual dry, nasal tone. "If you please, pay attention to our lesson."
Alice barely looked at him. His eyes were still on Kun, who was now dusting himself off as the tutor's attendant approached him and whispered something.
Kun frowned. Then, slowly—almost too obediently—he turned and began walking away.
Alice sat up straight. Wait. What?
His gaze snapped to the tutor.
The man gave him a tight, satisfied smile.
Alice narrowed his eyes.
Slowly, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. His fingers tapped against the polished wood as he stared at the tutor, who was suddenly looking a little less confident.
"I am paying attention," Alice said smoothly.
The tutor gulped.
Alice clenched his pen.
The pen snapped in half.
The tutor went pale.
"Ah. M-Moving on," he stammered, hurriedly flipping the page in his lesson book.
Alice leaned back, expression neutral. But his fingers twitched under the desk.
Kun was his stray.
And if anyone thought they could just send him away without his permission—
They had another thing coming.
- - -
Kun had no idea how he ended up in the west quarters.
One minute, he was wandering aimlessly (that because he was chased out by the Tutor's Attendant)
The next—
He was crouched behind a tree, peeking at Lizzy.
Lizzy, of all people.
She was sitting with a group of royal ladies, working on some kind of embroidery. There was tea. There were tiny cakes. There was a horrifyingly polite atmosphere.
Kun's eye twitched.
So this is what noble ladies do for fun?
Boring.
But then—he caught sight of Lizzy's embroidery.
Kun's eyes widened. His mouth parted slightly in shock.
It was…
A cat.
A very grumpy-looking cat.
Kun squinted.
Wait.
Was that supposed to be him?
Before he could fully process this betrayal, one of the ladies in waiting gasped. "Hey, Lady Lizbeth, do you know that boy who is peeking weirdly at us?"
Lizzy blinked. "What?"
The ladies subtly tilted their heads toward the tree Kun was failing to hide behind.
Lizzy turned, following their gazes—
And locked eyes with Kun.
A long, painful silence.
Kun, still frozen mid-peek, slowly raised a hand. "Hi."
Lizzy's eye twitched. What is he doing here?
She quickly forced a smile. "Oh, him? Haha. Haha. I don't know him."
The ladies blinked. "Really? Because he's staring directly at you."
Kun, unhelpfully, waved again. "I can hear you, you know."
Lizzy's smile twitched. "No, you can't."
Kun frowned. "Yes, I can."
"No, you can't," Lizzy insisted, kicking a small rock toward him in hopes that he would get lost.
He did not.
Instead, Kun finally stood up and casually walked over. "So, what's all this?"
Lizzy clenched her jaw. "Embroidery. A refined pastime. Something you wouldn't understand.*"
Kun tilted his head. "…You're just stabbing a cloth over and over again."
The ladies gasped.
Lizzy's entire being radiated murder. "It's art, Kun."
Kun scratched his head. "If you say so. But why does your cat look like it just found out taxes exist?"
Lizzy's eye twitched again. "It's not a cat."
Kun pointed. "Then why does it have whiskers?"
One of the ladies leaned in. "It does kind of look like a very angry cat…"
"It's supposed to be a tiger," Lizzy gritted out. "A powerful, majestic creature—"
"It looks like it has deep personal regrets," Kun muttered.
The ladies barely suppressed their giggles.
Lizzy inhaled sharply. "Kun."
"Yes?"
"Leave. Before I turn you into my next embroidery project."
Kun hummed, considering his options.
Then, spotting Lizzy's untouched plate of desserts, he quickly snatched a tiny cake and popped it into his mouth.
Lizzy gasped. "Did you just—"
Kun, cheeks full, turned and bolted.
"KUN!"
But it was too late.
By the time Lizzy grabbed her embroidery hoop and launched it at him, Kun was already halfway across the courtyard—grinning like a very satisfied thief.
Meanwhile, Somewhere Safe.
Kun finally stopped running and leaned against a wall, catching his breath.
"Worth it," he mumbled, still chewing the stolen cake.
A voice suddenly spoke beside him. "What did you do this time?"
Kun turned his head—
And found Alice, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.
Kun swallowed. "Nothing."
Alice glanced toward the courtyard, where Lizzy's distant screaming could still be heard.
"...Uh-huh."
Kun sighed, wiping crumbs off his face. "Let's just say Lizzy's embroidery skills need some work."
Alice smirked. "Let me guess—her 'tiger' looks like a depressed house cat?"
Kun grinned. "Oh, you've seen it?"
Alice nodded. "*She showed it to me yesterday. I told her it looked "realistic.""
Kun snorted. "Coward."
Alice shrugged. "I value my life."
A moment passed.
Then Alice casually plucked the last cake from Kun's hand and popped it into his own mouth.
Kun stared at him, betrayed. "Did you just—"
Alice smirked. "Revenge for my tutor."
Kun's jaw dropped. "You—!"
Alice turned, walking away. "Try not to get chased by Lizzy again today."
Kun narrowed his eyes.
Oh, it's war now.