51 A Devil In Disguise
“Chessy is in your room?” Luna asked the blue-haired boy, who looked as if he had just seen Koko for the second time in his life. “Are you sure it’s Chessy?”
“Yes!” Ethan replied. “It’s a black, chubby cat and it’s lying on top of my bed. If I remember correctly, Sir Henry said that no one can enter the rooms inside the Manor unless they are the owner of the room, or they have a key to open it. The locks are protected by Magic, and unless a strong offensive spell is used, the door will not open no matter what.”
Luna nodded because this was indeed the case. Wizards and Witches value their privacy, so no one would be able to enter their rooms unless they allowed the person to do so.
“Okay, I’ll go with you to your room,” Luna stated. “If it’s really Chessy then we can ask it why it is inside your room.”
Ethan felt relieved because someone was going with him to confront the notorious chubby black cat of the Academy. He really had a feeling that he was in danger after the Chesmire Cat looked at him with a devilish smile on its feline face.
Five minutes later…
“It’s really you, Chessy,” Luna said as soon as she entered Ethan’s room. “Long time no see.”
“Oh? Is that you, Luna?” Chessy stopped licking its paws and glanced at the angelic beauty with a smile. “It has been a while since I last saw you, but you’ve grown prettier since then. Do you and ‘you-know-who’ still send letters to each other?”
“Yes. Thank you for helping me that one time.”
“No problem. Helping people is my favorite pasttime.”
Luna then sat on the bed and casually picked up the Chesmire Cat before putting it on her lap. She then began to pet it, making Chessy purr.
Ethan watched this with amazement, and thought that Luna was a very brave person to actually treat the Chesmire Cat like a regular pet cat.
Two minutes later, Chessy had a satisfied look on its face and glanced at the blue-haired boy who was watching him with a curious gaze.
“Are you the owner of this room?” Chessy asked. “What’s your name?”
“Ethan,” Ethan replied. “Ethan Gremory. Nice to meet you.”
“Gremory? Those bunch are part of the crazy group,” Chessy stated with amusement. “I can’t believe that the room I decided to rest in belonged to one of their family members. Well, you know what they say. Beggars can’t be choosy.
“Sorry for barging in your room without permission. For some reason, I felt that this room was the most comfortable place to rest here inside Dud Manor.”
Ethan didn’t know if he should thank the Chesmire Cat or feel scared because the chubby black cat liked his room. Although he really wanted to talk to Chessy, he still felt uneasy about being in the same room as it.
“Is that the only reason you came into his room, Chessy?” Luna inquired. “You almost scared Ethan to death, you know?”
Chessy chuckled after hearing Luna’s words. It had just returned to Brynhildr Academy and it was flattered that its name was already well-known to all the First Years of the current school year.
“While it is true that I came here to rest, I also became curious about who the owner of the room was. This is why I decided to wait for their return, and fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long to meet its current occupant. Ethan Gremory… it seems that this year is going to be fun.”
The Chesmire Cat once again gave Ethan a devilish smile, making the latter subconsciously shudder. It was as if Chessy could look straight into his soul, prying out all his secrets, and leaving nothing uncovered.
“I’m hurt,” Chessy said after a while. “Do I look that scary? You’re looking at me as if I was a Chimera that is about to eat you whole. Rest assured, young Ethan, I mean you no harm… at least not now.”
“Chessy, please stop teasing him,” Luna lightly rubbed the Chesmire’s Cat’s cheeks, making the latter close its eyes in satisfaction. “You’re not going to hurt anyone this year, right?” 𝞸𝔳𝗅xt.𝓒𝒪𝓂
“Well, it depends on my mood.”
“There you go again.”
Luna shook her head helplessly before continuing to pet the chubby black cat, who seemed to be very fond of the angelic beauty’s petting.
“So, what is your relationship with him, Luna?” Chessy asked after a minute had passed. “Is he perhaps your boyfriend?”
“N-No!” Luna stuttered. “We’re just good friends. Ethan is a kind, and caring person, but we’re not in any relationship… at least not yet.”
Luna said the last phrase in a very low volume, so Ethan was unable to hear it clearly. However, the Chesmire Cat grinned because it clearly heard Luna’s words.
“I see… so that’s how it is,” Chessy said with a smile. “Just good friends, got it.”
The Chesmire Cat then gave Ethan a mischievous smile before standing up from Luna’s lap and doing a simple stretch.
A second later, it disappeared from where it stood, reappearing on top of the table in the center of the room.
“Since this is our first meeting, introductions are important,” Chessy said. “I am the Chesmire Cat. I go by many names, but I find the nickname that Luna gave me to be my favorite. Listen well, young Ethan. I give you permission to call me Chessy, and I will call you Ethan. What do you think?”
“In that case, I’ll just call you Chessy as well,” Ethan gathered all of his courage as he replied to the Chesmire Cat’s proposal.
“Very good!” the Chesmire Cat nodded its head in satisfaction. “Since you’re here in the Dud Manor, you’re probably a Dud. However, what if I tell you that there is a way for you to use magic? What are you willing to pay in order to know this information?”
Ethan blinked once then twice after hearing Chessy’s words.
“Is there really a way for me to use magic?” Ethan asked. “If you’re just making fun of me, please don’t do that. I don’t want to have false hope.”
“False hope?” Chessy narrowed its eyes. “Although I can’t say that I am 100% certain that the method that I will tell you will work, I can at least say that it is worth a try. After all, you won’t lose anything by listening to my advice, right?”
The Chesmire Cat’s words were as smooth as silk, and as sweet as honey. It made Ethan wonder if the chubby black cat was actually a devil in disguise.
Someone who had the ability to grant his wish, in exchange for something that he held sacred in his heart.