Yuna instantly fell silent. Her tiny paws tugged fiercely at Ethan Gray's shoulder, as if she bore a grudge against the fabric. Her round eyes glared stubbornly at Ethan's neck, leaving no doubt that she might bite him at any moment.
But in the end, she didn't have the nerve to bite him—because what she feared most was going hungry!
Her greatest wish in life was to eat her fill at every meal. Yet, despite being the strongest on Windcloud Continent and a noble princess, she never had a day without hunger. She couldn't help but wonder if she had done something terribly wrong in her past life!
To be fair, Yuna was truly a scatterbrain. It hadn't even occurred to her that she could fly—standing tall and seeing far. If she soared into the air, she could clearly survey the ground below. It wasn't that Damien or Mona were too heartless to remind her; they simply knew it wouldn't help. Their precious daughter was hopelessly muddleheaded in this regard, just like she always forgot to pack food in her spatial ring before leaving. Even if they reminded her, she'd forget again once she got lost. With her confusion, who else would go hungry if not her?
The Tavern Owner spotted them coming downstairs and hurried over with a beaming smile. But before he could speak, Yuna squatted on Ethan Gray's shoulder and glanced at him, asking, "Tavern Owner, are you going to charge me?"
"Uh... n-no, I wouldn't dare!"
"Good, that's what I like to hear. You'll have plenty of business!" Yuna thought to herself, feeling secretly pleased. Being a Divine Beast was quite handy for scrounging free food and drink!
The Tavern Owner's reluctance vanished instantly, and he grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you, Divine Beast!"
Ethan Gray kept his face cold and strolled out of the tavern, completely ignoring the stares from behind.
Yuna tilted her head to look at his face, stretched out a paw to scratch him, and sighed, "Big Demon King, if you want to laugh, just laugh! Bottling it up will only hurt you!"
Ethan Gray's lips twitched. He grabbed Yuna and tossed her onto the carriage nearby, watching her roll inside with a mischievous smile that made him look almost wicked.
The carriage was lined with soft cushions, so she didn't feel a thing. But this was a matter of dignity, so Yuna was furious. As soon as Ethan climbed into the carriage, he caught her as she charged at him, curling his lips into a smile. "What? Planning a rebellion?"
Yuna raised her paw and scratched fiercely. "You scoundrel! How dare you throw your auntie! I'll scratch you to death!" Unfortunately, Ethan had her firmly in his grip, so all she could do was kick her legs uselessly in the air.
After kicking for a while with no effect, Yuna gave up struggling and let him hold her quietly.
Seeing how defeated she looked, Ethan stopped teasing her and placed her on his lap, gently smoothing her fur. Yuna nudged his palm, eyes half-closed in enjoyment, though she silently scolded herself—she was a human, after all! Still, being petted felt so good...
Ethan Gray's lips curled into a faint smile. He closed his eyes and ordered, "Get rid of those tails behind us!" His voice was cold, clearly annoyed by the pursuers.
Sensing the shift in the air, Yuna looked up at him, then quietly settled down again.
She knew this man was no ordinary person, so sticking with him was her best option. She didn't want to be snatched and passed around—too much trouble! Even if it hurt her pride to be bullied, she told herself it was worth it for a full belly. Experience had taught her that if she was on her own, she'd definitely go hungry.
Still, she swore that if he ever let her go hungry, she'd find herself another sucker!
Several days later, the carriage finally stopped in front of Ghost King's Manor. Ethan Gray glanced at the little beast sleeping soundly in his arms, unable to resist a smile. Was this really a Divine Beast? He doubted she'd even notice if he sold her off!
"Little kitty, we're home!"
Yuna reluctantly opened her eyes and muttered, "I told you, I have a name!" With that, she closed her eyes again, drifting back to sleep.
Ethan Gray ignored her protest, carrying her into the manor. The steward rushed to the door, head bowed, and said, "My lord, His Majesty again..."
Before he could finish, Ethan interrupted, "Just handle it yourself!"
The steward glanced at Ethan and, seeing his unchanged expression, breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the lord was in a good mood!
He couldn't help but complain—His Majesty was a real headache, always sending women to the manor for no reason, forcing him to endure Ethan's dark moods each time.
Emperor Augustus must have found ruling too dull, so he amused himself by causing trouble for Ghost King's Manor. For months now, his favorite trick was sending beauties to Ethan's doorstep. At first, Ethan sent them back, but the next day, twice as many would arrive. Eventually, he stopped bothering, accepting them all as if he were raising a herd of pigs!
This time, while Ethan was away, Emperor Augustus sent several stunning beauties, claiming that as brothers, they should share good fortune. So he divided up his own harem, sending some to his dear friend—never mind whether Ethan wanted them.
Once Ethan finished giving orders, he left the study for lunch, but the food was already served and there was no sign of the little kitty who loved to eat. Ethan frowned and asked, "Where's the cat?"
A maid stepped forward and replied, "The little cat said she wanted to visit the garden." By now, everyone had stopped using Yuna's name entirely!
The Ghost King's Manor was different now. Ethan no longer had to hide his identity, so there was no need to turn the manor into a fortress. In fact, he deliberately relaxed the defenses—he preferred to catch intruders in the act. Anyone daring to target the manor would meet a bad end!
Hearing this, Ethan frowned. Visiting the garden? At this hour, the little kitty should be starving and making a fuss. After spending a few days with her, he understood—this little beast was a total foodie. Nothing mattered more than eating, and if anyone let her go hungry, she'd fight them to the death!
After thinking it over, Ethan finally got up and headed for the garden, where he found the pitiful little kitty under the rockery.