I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

The standoff between Luke and the cat was broken when the feline casually walked over to him and started rubbing its face against his leg. Luke’s lips twitched involuntarily at the heart-melting sight.
“Oh, you’re here,” came a voice from the stairs.

Luke turned to see Gwen approaching. Upon noticing the cat, Gwen clapped his hands lightly in recognition.
“Oh, so this is where Monet wandered off to. I was wondering where she had gone.”
“Is this cat the one kept here at the estate?” Luke asked.

“Yes, her name is Monet. She doesn’t usually come up to the second floor, but it seems she noticed we have a guest.”
Monet continued to nuzzle against Luke, clearly enamored with him. Luke recalled Theo mentioning the cat on several occasions and assumed this must be the same one.
“She was brought here by the Duchess. Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances, the Duchess couldn’t take Monet with her to the south, so I’ve been looking after her.”

Luke nodded, crouching down to carefully pick up Monet. The cat tensed momentarily but then relaxed, settling comfortably in his arms.
“She’s usually wary of people and doesn’t take to them easily, but she seems to like you,” Gwen remarked with a soft laugh, watching as Monet nestled herself securely in Luke’s embrace.
Luke hesitated briefly before asking, “Would it be alright if I kept her with me for a while?”

Feeling the soft fur against his palms and the warmth of the cat in his arms, Luke’s face brightened even further. Gwen glanced between Monet and Luke, then smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling.
“Of course.”
***

The dark of night settled over the estate. Sion remained at his desk, still engrossed in his tasks. With Theo officially returning to his position today, it was inevitable that his workload would increase.
Stretching his stiff body, Sion glanced toward the door to the Commander’s office. It had remained firmly shut since their shared lunch earlier, meaning Theo had been at his desk the entire afternoon, working tirelessly without a single break.
Given Theo’s diligent nature and the looming investigation into the Welharun incident, it wasn’t surprising. Sion had already resigned himself to pulling an all-nighter. A subordinate leaving before their superior was unthinkable.

As Sion continued stretching, the previously immovable office door suddenly swung open without warning. Startled, he straightened up quickly, turning to face Theo.
“Do you need anything, sir?”
“Hm? No, I’m about to call it a day,” Theo replied casually.

“…Pardon?”
Sion blinked in disbelief. He had just steeled himself for a long night of assisting Theo, who was known for working relentlessly until all tasks were completed.
“You should prepare to head back to the dorms too, Sion.”
“But, Commander, what about the paperwork…?”

Sion’s voice was cautious. Theo had been insistent earlier about finishing as much as possible today, given the pressing nature of their investigation into Welharun.
Picking up on Sion’s doubt, Theo offered an explanation with a faint smile.
“Oh, I’ve already taken care of it. I left everything on the desk, so just go over it tomorrow.”

“You’ve already finished everything?”
“Exactly.”
 

 
Theo nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Oh, it’s just that you had so much work… I’m a little surprised you finished it all.”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t rush through it,” Theo reassured.
“What? Of course, I didn’t mean that! If it sounded like I doubted you, I’m sorry!” Sion stammered, flustered.
“It’s a joke,” Theo replied calmly.

Sion laughed awkwardly. If someone asked him to list people least suited for joking, Theo would undoubtedly top that list, Sion thought to himself.
“I hurried to finish because I need to head back to the estate.”
“You’re going back to the estate tonight?”

After a moment of contemplation, Theo nodded decisively.
“I haven’t mentioned it before, but I’ll be staying at the estate for a while.”
“May I ask why?”

Since his days as the 1st Division Captain and even as Commander, Theo had always preferred staying in the dormitories. While other commanders often took leave to visit their families, Theo rarely did.
Sion’s curiosity must have been apparent, as Theo hesitated briefly before finally answering.
“…To see the cat.”

“…Sorry?”
“There’s a very cute cat at my estate,” Theo said, his tone matter-of-fact.
Sion opened his mouth to respond but couldn’t find the right words. He eventually closed it, unable to process the unexpected answer. Theo, however, was already heading past him with light steps.

“The Commander… has changed,” Sion muttered under his breath, though Theo was too far to hear.
Theo arrived at the ducal estate via warp, entering quickly to find Gwen waiting for him.
“Young Master, welcome—”

“Where’s Luke?”
Unlike his usual composed demeanor, Theo interrupted Gwen, his tone uncharacteristically urgent. Ever since Luke had left the meeting room earlier, Theo had been distracted, unable to shake the feeling that something was amiss. He couldn’t pinpoint why, but he felt as though he’d upset Luke.
“He’s in the lounge,” Gwen replied, though he barely finished speaking before Theo was striding toward the room. Surprised by the urgency, Gwen followed closely behind.

Theo didn’t bother waiting; he pushed the lounge door open without hesitation.
“Luke—”
Theo stopped mid-sentence.

There was Luke, sprawled out on the sofa, fast asleep with Monet nestled snugly in his arms.
“It seems he tired himself out playing with Monet after he got back,” Gwen explained, trying not to laugh.
Theo approached quietly, standing over Luke. Beneath his tousled hair, Luke’s sleeping face looked remarkably peaceful, his usual sharpness softened in slumber. Monet, equally content, purred softly as she burrowed further into Luke’s embrace.

“Monet seems to have taken quite a liking to him. It’s unusual, isn’t it?” Gwen remarked, marveling at how the typically aloof cat had so completely let her guard down.
“Maybe she thinks he’s one of her own,” Theo murmured.
“…Pardon?”

“Don’t they look alike? Big, pretty eyes and all,” Theo said, his voice utterly serious.
Realizing what Theo meant, Gwen covered his mouth, trying to suppress a laugh. Theo, however, appeared to be deep in thought. The more he considered it, the more similarities he noticed between Monet and Luke. The silvery fur, the striking eyes, even their personalities—aloof yet subtly caring—were eerily alike.
Monet, as a kitten, used to scratch Theo without hesitation but would always linger nearby afterward, as if to apologize. Perhaps there was some truth to the idea that like recognizes like.

As Theo’s gaze lingered on Luke, something caught his attention. Luke’s shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing a glimpse of his pale, toned skin.
“Gwen,” Theo called quietly.
“Yes?”

“Has anyone else entered this room since Luke fell asleep?”
“No, sir. I made sure to tell everyone not to disturb him once I noticed he was resting.”
Theo let out a small sigh of relief. He carefully adjusted Luke’s shirt, covering the exposed skin. The thought of someone else seeing Luke in such a vulnerable state made him uneasy.

“Young Master, shall I prepare a bath for you?” Gwen offered.
“No, not now. I’ll handle it later. You can go and rest.”
Gwen nodded, his ever-present smile remaining as he stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. The lounge fell into a hushed stillness, the only sound the gentle, rhythmic purring of Monet.

Theo, however, did not leave. Instead, he sat down on the narrow space beside Luke on the sofa, leaning slightly to get a closer look at him.
Gwen, retreating down the hallway, couldn’t help but smile to himself. Whatever it was that had changed in Theo, it wasn’t unwelcome.