Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)-Chapter 58: Secrets

After our bath, we return to the same place as last night—the roof of the Gilded Horn—each holding a steaming cup of chocolate milk. The wind carries a crisp chill, making the warmth of the cup even more comforting as I cradle it in my hands.

There's something undeniably soothing about sitting under a starry sky, sipping something sweet.

Now I get it.

This is part of Eris's nightly ritual—a quiet moment to unwind beneath the moonlight. And now that I've tried it myself, I can fully understand why.

Up here, everything feels… far away.

The streets below, the blood-soaked horrors of the night, even the worries that gnaw at the edges of my mind—all of it seems so distant.

For just a little while, it's as if the world shrinks away, leaving only the two of us beneath the endless sky.

The stars flicker like candle flames against the vast black expanse, and I breathe in the cool night air, letting it settle the unease still lingering in my chest.

Peaceful.

That's what this moment is.

"As long as I'm here, Felicia, I'll protect you," Eris murmurs, her voice soft as the wind. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Nn." I nod, leaning against her shoulder. The warmth of her presence is reassuring, grounding. "Thank you, Eris… for looking out for me."

She hums in response, her thumb idly stroking the rim of her cup.

We're still waiting for Gordon to return.

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Right now, he's checking to see if necromancy will work on the corpses of those thugs.

It's a long shot, but if he can extract any information from them before their souls disappear, we might finally get a lead on the Crimson Order.

In the Eldenwald Kingdom, this organization is considered one of the greatest threats to public safety—a terrorist group that thrives in the shadows, operating under false identities and hidden dungeon outposts.

They're ghosts.

Whenever a member is captured or killed, a curse activates within minutes, destroying their soul and preventing necromancers from reviving or interrogating them.

That's how they remain untouchable.

No witnesses. No proof. No trail left behind.

They're monsters in human skin, willing to corrupt even their own souls for the sake of their twisted ideology.

It's sickening.

I take another sip of my chocolate milk, my fingers tightening around the cup as I push the thought away.

Then—Eris moves.

She turns her head slightly, her fingers tightening around mine.

"Felicia," she says gently, but there's a weight to her voice, something serious lurking beneath the surface.

I look up, meeting her gaze. Her eyes shine in the moonlight, and for some reason, my chest tightens.

"…May I ask you something?"

I blink, my tail twitching slightly.

"Of course," I say automatically.

Eris holds my gaze for a long moment before continuing.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

She pauses.

"I won't blame you."

For some reason, that only makes my stomach twist even tighter.

The air shifts.

My heartbeat quickens.

She's never looked at me like this before.

Serious. Focused. Almost… piercing.

What is this?

What is she about to ask me?

Did I do something wrong?

Did she notice something?

A million thoughts race through my head, but before I can make sense of them—

Eris speaks.

Her voice is clear. Steady. Unwavering.

"Who are you?"

…

"Huh?"

I freeze.

For a moment, I can't even breathe.

I must have misheard her.

That's what I tell myself.

But then—

She repeats it.

"Felicia."

Her grip on my hand tightens.

"Who are you?"

————————————————

It feels like a bolt of lightning has struck me—my entire body locks up in an instant.

I can't move.

I can't breathe.

My mind is a swirling storm of panic.

I desperately search for words.

"W-what do you mean?" I stammer, my hands trembling. My heart is pounding so violently I instinctively try to pull away—but Eris's grip tightens.

She exhales, her sharp eyes never leaving mine.

Then—she speaks.

"At first, I thought you were some lost aristocrat."

The words send another wave of panic crashing over me.

"The dress you were wearing, the jewelry you carried—they were more extravagant than anything I've seen, even among the kingdom's royals. Your magic is… unusual, too. It doesn't match any recorded data. That led me to assume you were part of some secret household, maybe one that wants to remain hidden. It would explain why there's no record of you anywhere… and why you lied about losing your memories."

I stiffen, my breath catching in my throat.

"W-wait— You knew I was lying!?"

Eris smirks, and suddenly, I feel doom creeping in.

I'm so fucked.

"Of course." She tilts her head, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Your expression and body language gave you away. You may think you're a good liar, but you're not."

I feel the color drain from my face.

And then—

"Besides," she adds with a smug grin, "you just confirmed it with that last sentence."

…

…Huh?

Last sentence?

Wait.

I replay the conversation in my head—

'You knew I was lying?'

…Oh crap.

My eyes widen in horror.

Damn it!

I walked right into that one.

I slap a hand over my mouth, but it's too late.

Eris's grin widens, clearly enjoying my misery.

"If you knew," I mutter, feeling utterly defeated, "then why have you still been so kind to me? Why help me, even though I was obviously lying?"

I brace myself, expecting her to turn serious.

Maybe even angry.

But—

Eris softens.

"Hey, relax."

She offers me a small smile, squeezing my shoulder.

"Everyone has one or two secrets, right? I understand that you can't trust just anyone from the start. That includes me. So it's fine."

Her voice is so gentle that my chest tightens.

"Besides," she continues, "the only thing that matters is that you really did need my help. And I wasn't about to leave you alone."

I bite my lip, guilt pressing down on me.

She's so kind.

And yet, I lied to her. Took advantage of her.

"I… I'm sorry," I mumble, my ears drooping.

"It's okay."

Then—

Pinch!

"Ow—hey!"

Eris suddenly grabs my cheeks, tugging them with both hands!

"Haha! But to think you even forced yourself to eat those vegetables!" she laughs. "Very impressive! You fooled me for a second!"

Huh?

Wait.

Is she talking about—

"…The salad?"

Eris blinks.

A beat of silence follows.

Then—

"WAIT!" She gasps, her eyes going wide. "You were SERIOUSLY trying to eat those vegetables?! You're a CAT Furren!"

"Y-yeah…" I mumble, averting my gaze, completely embarrassed.

"I-I really didn't know I couldn't eat that!"

Eris gawks at me.

"WHAT?! Now I'm even MORE confused!"

She throws her hands in the air, clearly losing it.

"So you really did lose some memories?! Maybe even your COMMON SENSE?!"

She's so frustrated that I can't help but laugh.

The tension from before? Completely gone.

Eris groans, rubbing her temples.

"…And not only that," she mutters, "you seem to be of aristocratic origin—your hands are too smooth for manual labor—yet you went into the kitchen and chopped vegetables like a damn professional?! What the hell is that about?!"

I grin, watching her spiral in confusion.

"And you were even using sword aura!" she exclaims.

"…Huh?"

"Sword aura!"

I blink.

"What… is that?"

Eris stops mid-rant.

She stares at me.

"…Are you serious?"

I nod slowly. "I've never even used a sword before."

Silence.

Then—

"Aaaaaagghhh…" Eris groans, dragging a hand down her face. "What is going on here? Alright, sword aura is—" she pauses briefly, as if trying to recall an exact definition—"it's basically a phenomenon only someone with a very high skill level can produce. They enter a state where they become one with the sword…"

Now that Eris mentions it, I remember feeling something odd when I was chopping vegetables.

I remember feeling… different. Like I had entered a trance-like state. The rhythm of the knife, the weight of it in my hand, the way my movements flowed effortlessly—almost unnaturally fast. My cuts were flawless, precise, instinctive. Time had seemed to slow, and every slice felt… perfect.

Back then, I assumed it was because I'm now a cat Furren. After all, cats are supposed to be fast.

But was that really it?

I blink. "Was that… sword aura?"

"Yeah!" Eris exclaims. "But you're telling me you weren't using it consciously? How is that even possible?"

I cross my arms, puffing out my non-existent chest. "Maybe I'm just that good at cooking."

Eris stares at me for a moment, then bursts out laughing. "Yeah, maybe…" she concedes. Then, suddenly, she flops onto her back with a dramatic groan. "Aaaah, I don't know anymore! First, your absurd reaction speed, then your unnatural magic resistance, and now this?!"

She throws an arm over her eyes, exasperated.

Then, her voice softens.

"And then there's the biggest mystery of all—how did you break free from the Nightmare Orchid's illusion? Unless you have an extremely high magic resistance—like I do—it's supposed to be impossible." She turns her head toward me, studying my face carefully. "So, are you… maybe… hiding your power too?"

I stiffen. "Ah… that… I…"

The truth is, it wasn't me who broke free from the Nightmare Orchid's illusion.

It was the real Felicia.

Somehow, she shattered the nightmare and pulled me back into reality. But how could I possibly explain that to Eris? If I told her everything—about my reincarnation, about the other Felicia—it would sound completely insane.

Eris watches me for a moment, then sighs.

"It's okay, Felicia…" she murmurs, gently squeezing my hands. "Like I said before, we all have our secrets. You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready for."

Her voice is kind. Understanding.

But suddenly —

With her free hand, she reaches forward, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

And then—

She leans in ever so slightly, her soft blue eyes locking onto mine.

"If anything," she whispers, "it just makes me even more curious about you…"

Ba-dump.

My heart skips a beat.

A slow, knowing smile spreads across her lips. "And you're very easy to fluster, too."

"Ahhh, Eris!" I groan, covering my face with my hands, my ears twitching wildly.

She laughs softly, clearly amused by my reaction.

Despite everything—the tension, the unanswered questions, the weight of our conversation—her presence feels… grounding. Safe.

For a while, we sit together in comfortable silence, sipping our warm chocolate milk, the night sky stretching endlessly above us.

But now…

Now that my secret is partially out…

I think it's time.

I set my cup down, taking a deep breath. My fingers tighten slightly around the fabric of my clothes.

"Eris… What if… I'm from another world?"

"Huh?" she replies, staring at me with wide eyes.