Chapter 24 : Cat mode.
Adam POV
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“Nyahahahaha!” Dara burst into laughter, her usual stoic and unshakable demeanor completely gone. The image of a demonic monarch had melted away, replaced by that of a jolly, carefree girl who just wanted to have fun.
And then, as quickly as her laughter started, her face flopped onto her desk. But instead of a solid thud, it landed with an almost comedic bounce, as though her entire form had turned to liquid. Her face stretched outward like a slime molding itself to the desk’s surface, conforming in a way only a cat might.
“Nya~,” she sighed peacefully, her voice soft and content. Her lips curved up into a serene smile, her relaxed eyes completing the picture of a cat-like ( - ω - ) expression.
It was a far cry from the Dara I’d encountered earlier, the one who had dragged me into her office with the fire of a thousand suns. Now, seeing her like this, I realized just how exhausted she was.
She hadn’t slept for two days.
I hadn’t noticed it at first, but besides her irritation and frustration, there had been a deeper layer of exhaustion in her every movement. I soon learned why: she’d been working non-stop to clean up a month’s worth of abandoned paperwork, courtesy of Dix, while more and more tasks piled onto her plate.
Her responsibilities weren’t limited to this organization alone. She managed the subsidiary guilds, coordinated with informants, and oversaw branches scattered across various locations. All of it—on her shoulders, with no relief in sight.
Behind her desk, hidden until I’d stepped further into the room, were endless stacks of papers. Documents towered precariously, spilling over in every direction. Me and Dix hadn’t noticed it earlier because she’d somehow managed to keep the mess out of sight. Yet now, faced with the overwhelming chaos, it was clear that only about 20% of the work was done.
When Dara had asked for my help, she hadn’t needed much—just someone to handle some of the numbers she couldn’t focus on in her sleep-deprived state.
At first, I tried working on the documents manually, doing what I could to lighten her load. But then I remembered my secret weapon: Nove.
I discreetly handed more than half the documents to Nove, who, with her near-computer-like efficiency and high intelligence stats, tackled the problems like a machine. She breezed through the calculations, organization, and corrections while I worked on a smaller pile left scattered on the desk. Together, we made significant progress.
And no, I’m not committing A.I. slavery by letting Nove handle 90% of the work. This is what we call efficient workplace management.
When I handed Dara back hundreds of completed papers, the half-asleep kitten across from me looked like she was in a losing battle—fighting her sleep demons more than the paperwork itself.
But the moment she took the stack from me, it was like she’d been hit by a jolt of electricity. Her sleepy, tired expression vanished, replaced by one of absolute shock. Her tail shot straight up, and even though her ears were hidden under her blue beret, I could see them twitching as they poked upward.
Her wide eyes darted between me and the papers. For dramatic effect, I leaned back in my chair, propped my feet up on her desk, and folded my arms, wearing the smuggest expression I could muster.
Dara shook her head like she couldn’t believe life could be so kind, flipping through the papers with the speed of someone counting wads of cash. Sweat trickled down her face, but her lips twisted into a strange, manic smile—the kind you’d see on someone whose wildest conspiracies had just been proven true.
And that brings us to where we are now.
“Uh, Dara?” I ventured cautiously. By this point, I’d long since taken my feet off her desk, watching as she slumped forward, her head melting onto the surface like she’d turned into sludge.
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“Nya~♡,” she purred, her voice soft and drawn out, sounding more like a house cat than the stern monarch she usually portrayed.
She slowly tilted her head to look at me, her face now an unmistakable (- ω -). “Nya~ Adam~,” she said again, her words slurring slightly as if she were in some euphoric daze.
I blinked, unsure whether to laugh or panic. “I want to ask if you’re okay, but I have a sneaking suspicion you’re better than okay right now,” I said hesitantly.
“Nyaaa~,” she replied dreamily, as if confirming my suspicions. “I thought I’d rot hewe fow the nyext week without eating ow dwinking, but you saved me, nya~! You’we my hewo~! My knyight in shinying armow, nya~!”
Oh no…
I thought as I realized the gravity of my situation.
SHE’S TURNED INTO AN E-GIRL!!!
As I sat there, both shocked and mildly disgusted by Dara’s overly dramatic behavior, she opened her eyes and stared at me from her melted, liquid-like state on the desk. “I can’t let you leave with nothing now, can I?” she said, her voice dripping with playful sincerity.
With a sudden shift, she solidified again, pushing herself upright in her chair. The overwhelming pressure she’d been under seemed to have lessened—if not entirely gone, then at least halved. She still looked exhausted, but the relief was evident.
“How can I reward you?” she asked, her golden cat-like eyes half-lidded from exhaustion. Her tanned skin caught the light, giving her a faint glow as she flashed a cute smile, a single fang poking out from her lips.
Note to self: If I ever buy a house, I’ve got to get a cat maid. She’s just too cute. Then again, she was way outside my strike zone. I like older women anyway.
As I debated what to ask for, a thought struck me—something I’d been meaning to figure out. “Actually, there is something I wanted to ask,” I said, leaning forward slightly. Her eyes perked up with curiosity.
I explained my idea: selling the materials I gathered to other people. I wanted to know if I needed a license or permit to do so. If licensing was involved, it might mean building or renting a store, which was way out of my reach. I suggested borrowing one of the organization’s existing stores or even creating a new subsidiary under their banner that I could run myself.
Her answer was unexpectedly straightforward.
“Anyone can sell anything they want in the public domain,” she said casually. “You just set up a stall and get started. No licenses, no special permissions. But,” she added, her tone sharpening slightly, “you’d be liable for everything you sell.”
It was anticlimactic, sure, but also far simpler than I’d expected. Could’ve been worse, I thought, shrugging.
“Nya~ Is that it?” Dara asked, slipping right back into cat mode. Her words were drawn out and lazy as she picked up the stack of papers I’d handed her earlier. She added a few more stacks from her desk, stashing them neatly into her inventory before standing up.
“Nya~ Honestly, this doesn’t even come close to repaying what you’ve done,” she said, her tone full of exaggerated gratitude. “So hang tight~! I’ll get you a proper reward, nya~. Let me just submit these documents first.”
Wait… She can actually help me!
“Dara,” I called, stopping her just before she could leave her office. She turned around, tilting her head with a curious expression and letting out another soft cat noise.
I stood up from my chair and walked toward her, my steps purposeful. “There’s one way you can help me out,” I said, my voice steady with determination.
“Nya~? And how can I do that, nya?” she replied, still fully in her cat-like persona.
Before I could answer, the door behind her creaked open slightly. Deciding this was a private conversation, I reached out to shut it—but misjudged my strength and slammed it closed with far too much force.
Shit!
“Nya!” Dara yelped in surprise, startled by the sudden bang. Worse, because she was standing next to the door, my overly dramatic action had unintentionally boxed her in. My hand was planted firmly on the door above her shoulder, blocking any escape route. Our faces were now inches apart, and the awkward proximity only added fuel to the fire.
She froze, her golden eyes wide, her face rapidly turning a deep shade of red. To any passerby, it probably looked like I was pinning her against the door in some kind of… compromising position.
She began making a noise that sounded like a broken record, “Ny-nya-nya-nanannn...” before finally managing to stammer out, “Ny-W-What is the m-meaning of this!?”
Welp, we’re already in a bad spot. Might as well lean into it.
“Dara,” I said smoothly, my voice dropping into a tone I hadn’t meant to use but one that was habitually... irresistible. Blame it on muscle memory.
Her ears twitched under her beret, and she flinched at the sound of my voice, her blush deepening until her tanned skin was practically glowing. She desperately avoided eye contact, but with how close we were, there was no escape.
“There’s one way you can help me.” I tried clarifying that I was asking for help but I’m pretty sure I made the situation worse.
“N-W-Wait!” she stammered, trying to shuffle away, but my hand stayed firmly in place, keeping her from retreating.
“I want you,” I said, letting the words drip with unnecessary sensuality.
“Nya!” she squeaked, her eyes widening as her jaw dropped in shock.
I realized that I was not making the situation any better so I tried clarifying.
“To become my mascot,” I finished, my tone shifting to one of casual explanation. “It makes sense, doesn’t it? A cute and lovely girl like you could rake in customers effortlessly, especially if you advertise like this.” I gestured vaguely at her current, flustered state.