THE CAT HELPS

Athena gazes downward and spots Kuro. Her expression shifts to sheer joy as she moves in nearer. At that moment, Kuro leaps into Haruki's (Rukito's) arms, feeling somewhat startled. Haruki (Rukito) seizes the moment and remarks, "Apologies, this is my cat Kuro." "I trust you won't object to her staying."

Athena is speechless since she has always desired a cat but had to maintain an image, yet longs to stroke it. In a gentle tone, she inquires, "Could I... uh, can you keep it steady so I can touch its fur? "If you do, I’ll let you keep her." 

She fell for it, hook, line, and sinker, huh ? Even in this world, girls love cats. With this, I can get her. Kuro seems to be her weakness. "Kuro, you be a good cat now and let her majesty pet you."

Haruki draws her nearer to him, causing her to momentarily forget her sense of superiority. She continues to pet while the unfortunate cat waits for her to finish. At the very least, she cares for the cat more than Haruki does. Who would have thought that such a daring and streaked girl could soften in a cat's embrace?

Thanks to Kuro, her attitude towards Haruki is better, making it easier in the long run to gain her trust. But first I need her to see me as an equal yet still show I have respect for her position . Wait and see I have the perfect plan to twist her requests.

Haruki gets some milk that he had with him, finds a small saucer, washes it before pouring milk in, and warms it slightly so it's just right. He then places the saucer on the floor and calls Kuro.
Kuro runs away, as Athena is a bit disappointed, looking at how fast she lost hold of it.
 While drinking the milk, Haruki says, " There, you must be very hungry as we came a long way." He gently strokes her head as she drinks the milk.

"You truly have a fondness for cats, princess."

                                                       "Cats are the only animals that clean themselves; they don't smell , and they don't make a mess. Plus, they're cute, so what of it? You think just because I like cats I'll be your friend and lower myself to your level?"

"With all due respect, princess, I have never said or done anything that would upset you." I allowed you to pet my cat and treated you with respect, but if you believe in any way that you are superior to me, you need to demonstrate it. Indeed, you are the princess, but I'm the only one aware of it, and we share a class and live together. I’m confident your father, His Majesty, simply placed you with someone like me who is considered a nobody for no reason. "Yet if you believe you surpass me, challenge me, and we will determine who is superior."

        She is pissed. She never expected anyone to talk back to her like this, but she knows deep down he's right, which makes her more infuriated. With no words to counter back, she blurts out, " Just shut up! What do you know? What do you know about me to speak to me like this? Do you think you're better, huh? I am the heir to the throne, the future king, ruler of this whole empire. I can do what I want!"

"What is a ruler without a realm?" What is a princess lacking a father? What distinguishes royalty from a common person? Nothing biological; no, it's entirely social. All it comes down to is the individuals. If they refuse to serve under you, then you mean nothing. A king is a leader who safeguards his subjects, and in exchange, he receives their loyalty. But what have you accomplished? Did you take any actions to prove your worth? No matter your past actions, what you do today reveals the kind of king you will become, Athena. Keep in mind that I agreed to keep your secret without hesitation, so you shouldn't treat me like garbage. "Understand that I will show you respect, but I am not a servant to be commanded."

Athena is still angry, practically in tears, but tries to hold it in. She's quite surprised as Haruki doesn't just suck up to her like everyone else and points out her wrongdoings . In her life, what she lived through was easy. Although she knows she's wrong, she still says nothing. Rather, she watches as he pets his cat and plays with her. She can't help but think he's kinder and speaks from the heart, not lying or trying to get on anyone's good side, but is someone who takes good care of his cat. It seems Kuro is the one helping him.

                                                                                    "Could you share the name of the cat?"

" Her name is Kuro "

After what Haruki said, Athena never spoke to him in an undermining way. Although she never apologized to him, he got the message about what she was doing. From hating the sight of him , she seemed to tolerate him thanks to Kuro. After talking about cats, it's soon nightfall, and Haruki finished unpacking and organizing his clothes and what he needs for school.

Man, what a day! Having a headache for a roommate that's also a girl - not any girl, but a princess that everyone else knows as Prince Arthur, who is crown prince of the Heber Empire. I'm bored; there's not much to do, and all I'm doing is lying down. It's going to be night soon . Oh yeah, didn't she say I should put her clothes on for her? Yeah, I've got the perfect plan.

Haruki approaches Athena as she is seemingly taking out some nightwear to put on. He reminds her that she said he should help her change, which she seems a bit confused about, then recalls what she said. She never expected him to follow through with it.

"May I ask why did you ask me to change your cloths?"

                                                                "Since the servants managed it, why can't you?"

"Oh don't worry I'll handle it nicely."

Indeed, I intended it. I begin by removing her top, then proceed to her bloomers. I take off her camisole. Curiously, she remains unaffected. I then gently take off her bra, remarking,
 "You have a lovely set of melons there." While doing that, I glance up at her with a grin on my lips. Her cheeks are flushing and she averts her gaze. I’m certain that only female servants have influenced her. Once I give them a touch before sliding down to the panties, she halts me and says, "You don’t have to take that off, just put on my nightgown." I glide my hand down the center, sensing a bit of dampness, then swiftly take her pajama pants and help her put them on, instructing her to raise one leg at a time.
Once finally putting on her pajama top, I say to her, "Now you resemble a princess all set for bed." 

She seems to be at her limit and falls to her knees. She then remarks, "After this, I think I'll put my own clothes on." Even though she didn't know that what she was feeling was shame, she learned the hard way to not act like a child and grow up.

Haruki helps her up, and she runs back to her side of the room without saying a word. He can't help but wonder if he took this a little too far. As he wanders, his cat comes and sits on his lap.
Haruki goes to bed after taking a long shower, and Kuro hops in with him.
They both call it a night.

A few hours later, Haruki wakes up and hears noise coming from her side. He opens his eyes only to see her trying to use magic. She seems to be struggling with water spells and can't even manage it. Haruki gives her some advice as he casually walks to the toilet. After coming out, she seems to have done it and has a big smile on her face. It seems she's spent the whole night trying.
Looking at her as she is overjoyed, Haruki comments, " It's not my place, but I think you deserve a rest. Staying up too late is bad for your health, and you'll get bags."

Her eyes enlarge as she understands how late it has become. She then exhales in relief since she can relax now that it's done. She tells Haruki, "I appreciate your worry, but I’m accustomed to it." "Nonetheless, for tonight, I'll consider it the end of the day."

The following morning, Haruki gets up and prepares breakfast. He subsequently opens the windows to let in some fresh air. While he is doing that, Athena awakens to the aroma of something delicious. Haruki looks at her and states, "Your breakfast is over there; I placed a cover on it for you." She glances and notices how delicious it appears as her eyes shine.

                                                                                     " Hey, Haruki what is this called?"

"Oh, that's called Omurice. It's made with eggs and put on rice."

Athena gives it a try, and she loves it. She has never had breakfast this good ; never had she had eggs with rice in this way. Not only is there normal rice, but the rice has chicken pieces in it. Soon after, Haruki joins her to eat.

Haruki strikes up a conversation as they eat. He asks her about her life and talks about his ; she seems to trust him more, sharing some personal information. Haruki then asks her why she and her parents are lying to everyone that she is a boy and why she can't live as herself. After much thought, she decides to trust him with the full rundown of how this happened.

Prior to Athena's birth, she had two siblings. However, six months prior to her birth, her brothers were murdered. Her father believed it was someone from within. Upon her birth, instead of feeling joy, her father was heartbroken and contemplated killing her since he had no other son. Suddenly, someone had a change of heart, and since the day she was born, she was compelled to act like a boy.

If a king lacks a successor, the crown will go to his brother's child. As a result, Athena has grown up to be the ideal son. She has learned sword fighting and sorcery. Her true identity is known only to her mother, father, and a single servant. She has spent her life afraid of inadequacy, trying to meet her father's expectations.
 If anyone discovered she was a girl, she would be seen as a spy impersonating the prince and accused of murder. If her father discovers that Haruki is aware of her true identity, he will be murdered, and if anyone else uncovers the truth, she will be executed as a spy, losing her name, rank, and connection to her family.   

                                                                "My whole existence is a falsehood; every word, everything I’ve expressed, all my interests, every item of clothing." I never got the opportunity to experience life as an ordinary girl. My mother, the monarch, solely gave birth to me wishing I was a son just like my father. From the moment I can recall, my days have been awful. As a child, I didn't play; I needed to focus on studying. I needed to master magic, refine my abilities, study various languages, and train in all forms of martial arts."

It seems she had it hard, not your typical spoiled princess that I assumed. Now I actually feel bad for what I did. She never wanted this life. A poor girl trying to play the role of a perfect son. A princess tasked to play a prince, living a life full of loneliness. Maybe I can help her get away. But how?

"If you trust me and put your faith in me, I swear I'll help you break free from the shackles you're in. I also would like to apologize; no... I'll show you when the time comes."

Key

Haruki = Rukito