"So sorry to keep you waiting outside; it must have been boring, meow."
Felix Argyle was a demi-human with flaxen-colored, medium-length hair, cat ears of the same color on his head, and adorable large eyes that shimmered with a yellow light.
At this moment, he was wearing a blue and white dress, with a white ribbon tied below his ears—a gift from Crusch during his youth.
Grin was so shocked he was left speechless, expensive tea mixed with saliva dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
Is this fucking a guy?
"Wow wow wow wow wow..."
Grin couldn't stop exclaiming as he circled around Felix, observing him.
Subaru Natsuki, as if he had caught Grin's weak spot, said loudly, "Haha, Green-kun, staring at a woman like that is going to ruin your impression points in Emilia-tan's eyes."
But this cat-girl really did look delectable; no wonder Grin was so fascinated.
He just needed to quietly file a little report with Emilia later.
That way, he could easily and thoroughly eliminate Grin as a potential rival in love.
Grin's expression froze, and he gave Subaru a speechless look.
"Look at how flat she is both front and back; could that possibly be a girl? This guy is a pure manly man."
Subaru's eyes widened: "What? She... he's a guy? I thought Roswaal dressing as a clown was weird enough, but there's an even bigger expert?"
Felix was a bit unhappy being discussed so openly. He wrinkled his delicate nose and corrected:
"Calling someone a 'pure manly man' is too crude. Feli-chan is a real gentleman, meow."
Grin hooked an arm around his shoulder, pulling the two of them closer.
"Alright, Mr. Gentleman, may I ask impolitely if you have any older sisters or younger sisters at home? Would it be convenient to introduce them to me?"
"I'm very friendly towards demi-human races! Just feel this fluffy texture—it's simply a treasure of the kingdom!"
As he spoke, Grin also extended a wicked hand, reaching for Felix's ears.
The sound of his scheming calculations could be heard even through the screen.
Although Felix was a male-girl, his outstanding appearance made it clear his family's genes were pretty good.
Brothers who often travel to other worlds for work should all know how rare a cute cat-girl is.
Felix shook his head in confusion, constantly tilting his neck to the side to avoid Grin's assault.
"No, meow. Feli-chan is an only child. By the way, does the Mejereis Household always gather intelligence so bluntly?"
Usually, Felix often teased other men with his feminine appearance, but today he unexpectedly ran into a furry enthusiast, which caught him off guard.
Unfortunately, Grin had only seen the anime and didn't know that Felix's demi-human appearance was actually an atavistic trait inherited from a distant ancestor.
Before this fact could be verified, his biological mother was suspected of infidelity and killed.
Felix himself was imprisoned and abused by his biological father for nine years because of his cat ears and tail.
Today, encountering Grin, who was obsessed with beastman features, he actually didn't dislike it that much.
Grin, however, fell into deep disappointment; his dream of raising a cat-girl shattered instantly.
No cat-girl, only a male-girl... this was a tough situation.
Thinking this, Grin once again focused his gaze on Felix.
"Feli-chan, have you heard of gender reassignment surgery?"
"I am Grin, known as the animal castrator."
"I've done quite a bit of research in pharmacology; I can achieve a completely painless procedure."
Felix sensed a hint of danger and pushed against Grin's body, trying to create distance.
"That... that sounds like some kind of evil ritual, meow."
Grin revealed a smile identical to Brother Jie's: "Hey~ don't be afraid. You're a gentleman, you need to be brave, you know?"
"Coincidentally, I have some good stuff in my room. Since you've come all this way to the Mejereis Household, we must treat you properly!"
"Good stuff? New tea?" Felix was getting a bit scared inside. He shook his head like a rattle-drum, "No need, I already had some at Lady Emilia's place."
Grin hurriedly stopped him: "Leaving after just one little drink? That's too lame. Come with me, I'll teach you how to become a real man."
"No, no!"
Felix struggled free and fled in a fluster towards where Wilhelm was.
In two or three steps, he rushed into the dragon carriage and slammed the door shut with a 'bang'.
"Old Man 威尔, hurry... hurry up and drive, meow!"
Wilhelm nodded and bowed towards Grin in farewell.
"This old man bids you farewell. We shall meet in the royal capital, Sir Grin."
Clatter clatter~
Subaru was astonished: "You're amazing, Green-kun. You just chanted a few weird words and scared them off."
Grin sighed, looking somewhat disappointed.
He had seen quite a few demi-humans in the royal capital too, but unfortunately, none were pleasing to look at—too ugly.
Felix had outstanding looks, but he was But a guy.
Just as he was about to head back, Grin saw Ram waving at him from not far away.
"Grin, where have you run off to again?"
Ram's voice startled Subaru, who picked up the tea set and ran off quickly.
Ram glanced somewhat disdainfully at Subaru's retreating back. If she didn't have important business, she would definitely have taught that household thief a proper lesson.
"Come with me. Lord Roswaal and Lady Emilia are waiting for you in the drawing room."
...Grin lay back on the soft sofa, sipping the holly tea on the table.
The taste was somewhat bitter, very refreshing, but it was still far inferior to koohi black tea.
"You want me to serve as Emilia's temporary knight? I could, but I don't really look much like a knight, do I?"
Roswaal wore a faint smile at the corner of his mouth: "Not at all~ Green-kun, both your strength and appearance are quite outstanding. With just a little polish, you'll definitely be able to stand your ground at the Royal Selection Meeting."
Emilia fidgeted with her skirt, looking somewhat uneasy.
"If you feel it's too much trouble, Grin... you can refuse... After all, serving as a knight for a silver-haired half-elf..."
"Emilia, please don't say such hurtful things. I've never cared about some strange rumors. In my eyes, you're just an ordinary girl."
Grin hurriedly stopped Emilia's usual self-deprecation. This kid's inferiority complex was probably even worse than Rem's.
"An ordinary girl..." Emilia let out a long sigh and no longer seemed as tense as before.
Worried Emilia might misunderstand, Grin quickly waved his hand and added, "I'm not referring to your appearance. Emilia's looks are still very high."
"Then, Grin, are you willing to be my temporary knight?"
Emilia's mood improved, but her tone when asking still carried some worry and caution.
Grin winked at Emilia: "Well... actually, we could drop the 'temporary' part. Do you need me to swear an oath, Your Highness?"
No cat-girl, but an elf-girl is good too!
"No need to be so formal..."
Emilia shyly lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer.
Could she really have a knight of her own?
This really felt like a dream...