"I'm so sorry for making you wait outside. You must have been bored, nya."
Felix Argyle was a demi-human with medium-length flaxen hair, matching cat ears, and large golden eyes that made him look almost unfairly adorable.
He wore a blue-and-white outfit styled like a dress, and behind one ear was a white ribbon—an old gift from Crusch from his childhood.
Grin froze.
Then a little tea dribbled out of the corner of his mouth.
This guy… is a man?
"Waaah…"
He stared at Felix in complete disbelief, examining him from head to toe with zero subtlety.
Subaru, of course, instantly misunderstood.
"Haha, Grin-kun, staring at a girl like that is going to ruin your image in Emilia-tan's eyes."
Still, even he had to admit the cat-eared beauty was dangerously eye-catching.
If he quietly reported this to Emilia later, then Grin—a possible romantic rival—might just eliminate himself.
Grin paused, then gave Subaru a deadpan look.
"Look carefully. Flat chest, narrow frame, wrong balance. There's no way this is a woman. This guy's a real man."
Subaru's eyes shot wide open.
"What? He's a man? I already thought Roswaal dressing like a clown was weird enough, but this is a whole new level."
Felix wrinkled his nose in annoyance at being discussed like he wasn't standing right there.
"That's such a rude way to say it. Feli-chan is a delicate and adorable man, nya."
Grin immediately slung an arm around Felix's shoulder as if they had known each other for years.
"My good man, do you happen to have any older or younger sisters? Would it be convenient to introduce me?"
"I'm extremely friendly toward demi-humans. Look at these ears. This is practically a national treasure."
As he spoke, Grin reached out with an unholy level of enthusiasm and made a grab for Felix's ear.
Even through the page, you could practically hear the算盘 clicking in his head.
Sure, Felix was a man—but with looks like that, his family line clearly had incredible genes.
Anyone who had spent enough time in fantasy settings knew how valuable a truly cute catgirl would be.
Felix tilted his head away again and again, desperately evading Grin's hand.
"Nope, Feli-chan is an only child. Also, are all members of the Mathers household this direct when gathering intelligence, nya?"
Felix was used to teasing men with feminine charm.
What he had not expected was to run into a genuine demi-human enthusiast who made even him feel unsafe.
For Grin, meanwhile, the emotional damage was immense.
His dream of catgirl expansion had shattered on impact.
A cat-eared beauty who turned out to be male was one thing.
A cat-eared beauty with no sisters was true despair.
He turned back to Felix with renewed seriousness.
"Feli-chan, have you ever heard of sex-reassignment surgery?"
"My name is Grin, also known as the Animal Castrator."
"I know a thing or two about medicine. I can make the whole process completely painless."
Felix instantly sensed mortal danger and shoved Grin away to create distance.
"That sounds like some kind of evil ritual, nya!"
Grin gave him a dazzlingly suspicious smile.
"Hey, don't be scared. You're a man, so be brave."
"I just so happen to have some really good stuff in my room. Since you came all the way here, the Mathers household should show proper hospitality."
"Good stuff?" Felix looked alarmed. "Is it tea? No thank you. I already had some with Lady Emilia."
Grin immediately stepped forward to stop him.
"You're leaving after just a little tea? That's too weak. Come on, I'll even teach you how to—"
"No means no, nya!"
Felix broke free and fled in utter disarray straight toward Wilhelm.
He dove into the dragon carriage and slammed the door behind him.
"Old Man Will, hurry up and go, nya!"
Wilhelm simply nodded, then offered Grin a polite farewell bow.
"I will take my leave now, Lord Grin. Let us meet again in the capital."
Clang, clang—
As the carriage pulled away, Subaru stared in amazement.
"Wow, Grin-kun. You actually managed to scare them off with just a few weird lines."
Grin let out a disappointed sigh.
He had seen plenty of demi-humans in the capital.
Unfortunately, most of them had not met his standards at all.
And the one genuinely beautiful example he had finally found had turned out to be a man.
Tragic.
Just as he was about to head back inside, he saw Ram waving to him from not far away.
"Grin, where have you wandered off to now?"
The moment Subaru heard Ram's voice, he snatched up his tea set and fled like a criminal escaping the scene.
Ram watched his retreating figure with open disdain.
If she had not been occupied with more important matters, she definitely would have made him pay for the tea theft properly.
"Come with me. Roswaal-sama and Lady Emilia are waiting for you in the drawing room."
…
Grin sank back into the soft sofa and took a sip of the thornleaf tea on the table.
It was pleasantly bitter and refreshing, though still nowhere near as good as the Kofi black tea from earlier.
"Me? Emilia's temporary knight? Sure, I guess—but I don't exactly look like a knight."
Roswaal smiled faintly.
"Not at all~ Grin-kun has both the looks and the ability. With just a little grooming, you will absolutely stand out at the Royal Selection."
Emilia rubbed the hem of her skirt, looking uneasy.
"If this is too difficult for you, Grin… you can refuse. After all… becoming the knight of a silver-haired half-elf…"
"Emilia, don't say things like that."
Grin cut her off before she could sink into that familiar spiral again.
"I've never cared about those stupid rumors. To me, you're just an ordinary girl."
"An ordinary girl…"
Emilia let out a small breath, and some of the tension left her shoulders.
Then Grin quickly raised a hand in clarification.
"Wait, I don't mean your looks are ordinary. You're actually very pretty."
Emilia's face warmed at once.
The atmosphere softened.
"Then… Grin," she asked quietly, "would you be willing to become my temporary knight?"
There was still nervousness in her voice, but now there was hope too.
Grin winked at her.
"Well… actually, we could remove the word temporary. Do I need to kneel and swear an oath, Your Highness?"
"No need to be so formal…"
Emilia lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer.
A knight.
Could she really have someone willing to stand beside her like that?
For a moment, it almost felt unreal.