hapter 130
Nyx fell into a deeper thought. There aren’t many people in the house–just a few of them.
Theon and Felix would never do something like this. They also know I already have a bottle of catnip perfume. Zayne has even less reason to do it.
That’s it. The only suspect is already glaringly obvious.
With a helpless sigh, Nyx massaged her temples and poked Aurelius in a private message, asking if he had done something
bad.
Even though there was no evidence, Aurelius confessed immediately and sent her a picture of an arrested white cat sitting obediently in front of the camera, its front paws bound together, its ears drooping, and its eyes glistening with unshed tears. In front of it lay a small sign: [GUILTY.]
Aurelius: [I’m sorry… Please punish me.]
Nyx had never encountered anything like this before. The moment she saw the picture, her rationality almost crumbled, and she thought, ‘Forget it and just let it go. After all, how could a little kitty be at fault?‘
It took her a long while to regain her composure and reclaim her sense of reason. She thought, ‘No. Even if he is a cute little kitty, he still needs to be reprimanded.’
Nyx: [Your punishment is… no grooming for a whole week.]
To Nyx, this was a perfect punishment–it wasn’t cruel physical punishment, yet it was a firm enough lesson.
Aurelius, however, thought this was sheer torture.
He would rather be beaten. Even if he had to take a beating every single day for a week, that would be preferable.
Not only was he banned from snuggling with Nyx, but he also had to watch helplessly as everyone else got to snuggle with her. And this torment would last an entire week.
Nyx received another photo. This time, the cat was truly crying.
Looking at the fur dampened by tiny tear droplets, Nyx couldn’t help but feel softhearted–but she forced herself to stay
firm.
Nyx: [Stop crying. I’ll hug you again after a week.]
Nyx: [Do you understand what you did wrong this time?]
If Aurelius had just been jealous and secretly given her a bottle of catnip perfume, she wouldn’t have minded. But this mischievous cat had hidden Xivar’s gift in an obscure corner and replaced it with catnip perfume.
And because she had no idea, it led to the whole embarrassing incident where Kai mistakenly thought the catnip perfume was meant for him.
Nyx explained the entire situation to Aurelius in detail, hoping he would fully grasp the gravity of his mistake.
Aurelius was struck by lightning.
The catnip perfume he sent had somehow become the reason for Kai’s confession. Aurelius was completely shattered. He thought, ‘Indeed, bad deeds never end well. Could this be the punishment meted out by the Beast God himself?”
Nyx waited for a while but didn’t receive any new messages or photos. She started to feel a little worried. She thought, ‘Was I
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08:39 Thu, 20 Feb NN·
Chapter 130
too harsh?’
Hesitantly, she sent Aurelius a video call request. Aurelius didn’t pick up the call immediately.
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By the time he answered, he had already tidied up his disheveled appearance, once again looking like a sleek and beautiful cat. However, his eyes were red, clearly showing he had just cried.
The cat in the video was even more pitiful than in the photos, making it even harder for Nyx to scold him. But the punishment had already been set–it couldn’t be waived, only reduced.
“If you behave, I’ll take two days off your punishment,” she coaxed softly.
The cat nodded frantically. This punishment had been too harsh–he swore he would never do it again.
The thought that he had to endure the punishment while that leopard got all the benefits made the cat burst into tears again, turning into a sobbing cat meme in real life.
Nyx was helpless against him. She spent quite some time comforting and coaxing him before his mewling sobs finally subsided.
In the process, Nyx had, without much principle, reduced the punishment to three days.
Seeing the cat finally stop crying, she let out a long breath and began to check in on him. “How have you been lately? Still busy?”
Ever since the attack, Aurelius had been personally overseeing the situation. He had been incredibly busy and hadn’t had time to visit her in a long while.
Talking about business matters, Aurelius shifted back into his human form. “It’s alright; it’s basically over.”
The masterminds behind the attack had all been captured and brought to justice.
These individuals were remnants of the Central Planet’s purged nobility, harboring a desperate, self–destructive vendetta. They had colluded with Space Pirate Adam’s faction, using Ashton, a military academy student, to orchestrate the suicide attack.
The pilot who perished inside the self–destructing gray mecha was Ashton himself.
Without the protection of his father and family, this once arrogant and high–status noble had been living miserably.
For this competition, he had handed his mecha over to the masterminds for modifications and even relinquished control of its operations–he simply wanted to cheat to win against his opponent.
However, he was deceived, turned into a mere pawn, and ultimately lost his life.
As for Space Pirate Adam, who had provided the weapons for the attack, news of his death had surfaced recently. He had seemingly been killed during an attack and takeover by another space pirate faction.
The Empire was still investigating the matter.
Aurelius said, “Based on current intelligence, the one who killed Adam and seized his power was Jaws.”
“Jaws- Nyx murmured. She had heard that name before.
Kian, after betraying the Empire, had apparently sought refuge under this notorious space pirate leader.
Aurelius brought this up as yet another warning to her. “Kian is no longer who he used to be. He’s dangerous to you. Be cautious.”
08:39 Thu, 20 Feb
Chapter 130
Since the Empire issued the bounty, Kian had yet to be captured. The authorities were now considering a large–scale military operation to eradicate the space pirates.
However, such an operation would be immensely costly. It wasn’t a decision that could be made lightly or implemented in the short term.
A single misstep could disrupt the current stability and plunge the Empire into chaos. Careful deliberation, thorough intelligence gathering, and precise strategic planning were imperative.
Nyx lowered her gaze and nodded slightly.
To change the heavy subject, Aurelius shifted back into his cat form, tilting his head cutely at the camera to cheer Nyx up.
Nyx couldn’t help but laugh.
But no matter how much this cat acted adorable, his sentence wouldn’t be reduced any
further.
Nyx didn’t fall for it and simply reminded Aurelius to avoid overworking himself and to rest well before ending the call.
Just in time, the nourishing oatmeal in the kitchen was ready, steaming hot.
Xivar sipped the nourishing oatmeal, her expression relaxing. After finishing three whole bowls, she couldn’t help but ask, “Fondue has been on sale for a while now. When are you introducing the next tasty treat?”
Nyx was speechless. She thought, ‘What a gluttonous girl. Honestly, I could release it anytime.
‘After all, there isn’t much for me to do–I just need to provide the recipe and taste–test a few times to adjust the flavor. Most of the work will be handled by Seafarion.
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Considering that Seafarion was already so anxious he was practically shedding scales–clearly overwhelmed–Nyx shook her head. “Let’s wait a little longer.” She hoped that Seafarion’s condition would improve soon.
Maybe it was thanks to the three bowls of nourishing oatmeal, that night, Xivar slept soundly, undisturbed.
The next morning, she sent Nyx a message full of praise: [This oatmeal is amazing!]
Nyx immediately sent her the recipe, reminding her to drink it regularly.
After replying to Xivar’s message, she looked around. “Where’s Kai?”
At the dining table, everyone was eating breakfast–except for Kai, who was missing.
Theon answered, “He had a nutrient drink and went straight to the gym.”
Nyx was utterly shocked. She thought, ‘So disciplined?
“This morning’s breakfast clearly included beef sandwiches, which the leopard loves, yet he didn’t even bother to eat and just focused on working out.
‘Although male Beastmen are far stronger than the human men I have in mind, Kai has just recovered from a serious injury. He shouldn’t push himself too hard all at once.
After thinking it over, Nyx set aside a plate of beef sandwiches just for Kai and got up to look for him.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw the half–naked Kai stepping out of the workout machine. His muscles were engorged from the exercise, making them appear even more well–defined. As he moved, sweat slowly rolled down the ridges of his muscles.
Their eyes met, and both of them froze, their faces flushing slightly.
08:40 Thu, 20 Feb
Chapter 130
Since the Empire issued the bounty, Kian had yet to be captured. The authorities were now considering a large–scale military operation to eradicate the space pirates.
40%
However, such an operation would be immensely costly. It wasn’t a decision that could be made lightly or implemented in the short term.
A single misstep could disrupt the current stability and plunge the Empire into chaos. Careful deliberation, thorough intelligence gathering, and precise strategic planning were imperative.
Nyx lowered her gaze and nodded slightly.
To change the heavy subject, Aurelius shifted back into his cat form, tilting his head cutely at the camera to cheer Nyx up.
Nyx couldn’t help but laugh.
But no matter how much this cat acted adorable, his sentence wouldn’t be reduced any
further.
Nyx didn’t fall for it and simply reminded Aurelius to avoid overworking himself and to rest well before ending the call.
Just in time, the nourishing oatmeal in the kitchen was ready, steaming hot.
Xivar sipped the nourishing oatmeal, her expression relaxing. After finishing three whole bowls, she couldn’t help but ask, “Fondue has been on sale for a while now. When are you introducing the next tasty treat?”
Nyx was speechless. She thought, ‘What a gluttonous girl. Honestly, I could release it anytime.
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‘After all, there isn’t much for me to do—I just need to provide the recipe and taste–test a few times to adjust the flavor. Most of the work will be handled by Seafarion.‘
Considering that Seafarion was already so anxious he was practically shedding scales–clearly overwhelmed–Nyx shook her head. “Let’s wait a little longer.” She hoped that Seafarion’s condition would improve soon.
Maybe it was thanks to the three bowls of nourishing oatmeal, that night, Xivar slept soundly, undisturbed.
The next morning, she sent Nyx a message full of praise: [This oatmeal is amazing!]
Nyx immediately sent her the recipe, reminding her to drink it regularly.
After replying to Xivar’s message, she looked around. “Where’s Kai?”
At the dining table, everyone was eating breakfast–except for Kai, who was missing.
Theon answered, “He had a nutrient drink and went straight to the gym.”
Nyx was utterly shocked. She thought, ‘So disciplined?
“This morning’s breakfast clearly included beef sandwiches, which the leopard loves, yet he didn’t even bother to eat and just focused on working out.
‘Although male Beastmen are far stronger than the human men I have in mind, Kai has just recovered from a serious injury. He shouldn’t push himself too hard all at once.
After thinking it over, Nyx set aside a plate of beef sandwiches just for Kai and got up to look for him.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw the half–naked Kai stepping out of the workout machine. His muscles were engorged from the exercise, making them appear even more well–defined. As he moved, sweat slowly rolled down the ridges
of his muscles.
Their eyes met, and both of them froze, their faces flushing slightly.
08:40 Thu, 20 Feb
Chapter 130
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Kai had been completely exposed in front of Nyx before, so his mental endurance had been honed through countless trials. He quickly regained his composure.
He swiftly wiped himself down, put on his clothes, and walked toward Nyx.
A male’s body, fresh from a workout, was in its most excitable state. As he got closer, Nyx could distinctly sense the heat and restless energy radiating from him.
“Are you done?” she asked softly.
Kai shook his head, and then leaned down, placing both elbows on the floor while tensing his shoulder blades. “Sit on my back, Nyx.”
Kai had originally just wanted to add some extra weight to his training, but he had overestimated himself.
The moment Nyx’s soft body touched his back, the calm façade he had maintained instantly cracked. His pupils trembled, and his chest rose and fell sharply.
Nyx thought she might be too heavy. She hurriedly tried to get off his back, but as Kai moved, she lost her footing and tripped over his leg.
