Faced with stunning beauty and her tempting scent, Puss couldn't help but lean in a little closer.
And as he did, he saw her start to purse her lips, and for a moment, he almost didn't stop himself from kissing those lovely lips.
But he quickly shook his head and pulled back, taking a deep breath to regain control.
He knew that true love wasn't about some predestined soulmate in this world, but about passion and love built between two people.
If Shrek and Fiona had kissed right after rescuing her from the tower, without spending happy time together, Fiona's curse wouldn't have been broken. Just like in the fourth movie, where they kiss and it doesn't work—because she didn't remember Shrek or love him.
So, his choice was not to kiss her, because it would only make things unnecessarily complicated. Besides, he didn't want to kiss her without her knowing he was a cat, not some knight in shining armor.
"Princess, maybe you shouldn't kiss just anyone who defeats a dragon for you," Puss teased and stretched out his paw, avoiding her lips and instead pinching her cute little nose and giving it a gentle shake.
Fiona, feeling her nose being pinched, opened one eye suspiciously.
But what she saw made her mouth part slightly in disbelief.
In front of her was not the knight she imagined, but rather a charming and gallant orange cat.
No matter how handsome and oddly attractive the cat seemed to her—it was still a cat.
Puss let go of her nose as he backed away, allowing her to sit up and look at him with a headache.
"A cat! No, this is wrong! How can it be a cat?" Fiona placed a hand on her forehead with a bitter and confused look.
"Hey, I'm going to be offended!" Puss complained, crossing his arms over his chest while his tail swayed calmly behind him.
Fiona shot him an irritated, speechless glare. But soon she became confused, and her thoughts tangled up.
'Well... he is a very handsome and charming cat... but a cat? Can he really break the curse? I mean, the curse never said it had to be a human. By night one way, by day another. This shall be the norm until you find true love's first kiss. Then, take love's true form... As long as it's true love, it should break the curse, right?'
She thought with a complicated expression and looked back at the cat—but what she saw only made her lips twitch.
Puss, waiting for the princess to come out of her thoughts, had started casually licking the back of his paw, but when he felt her gaze, he froze.
"Ahem!" He quickly closed the paw he was licking into a fist and cleared his throat against it a little awkwardly.
"... What's your name?" Fiona decided to ignore that and asked, slightly flustered.
"I am Puss in Boots, and you must be Princess Fiona, correct?" Puss nodded and greeted her politely.
He briefly thought of jumping up and carving a P somewhere with his sword while shouting his name—but restrained himself to avoid embarrassment. Doing that in front of an enemy was one thing, but doing it alone in front of a princess felt kind of cringe.
"Yes, I'm Fiona. You... I... well..." Fiona got a little lost for words.
She wanted to ask for a kiss, but she feared it wouldn't work if he was a cat, so she hesitated. She didn't really mind that he was a beautiful cat—so long as the curse would be broken.
But Puss could clearly see her internal struggle.
"I know what you're thinking, and no, I don't think kissing you right now will break your curse," Puss said directly, startling Fiona.
"You know about the spell!" she exclaimed in shock.
"Uhm... don't think too hard about it. Your tale circulates in history books. But what I meant to say is—we don't love each other yet, so even if we kissed, it wouldn't be true love. You're hesitant because I'm a cat, and I can't say I love you when we just met, you understand?" he said calmly, with a steady gaze.
But his words made her frown.
"That's not how true love works." She shook her head.
"You're mistaken. If there are no feelings of love, how could it work? Sure, love at first sight can definitely happen—but a deep, lifelong love can only grow from shared feelings and time together," Puss spoke firmly.
Fiona didn't seem to agree much. What she expected was a powerful soul connection—love at first sight.
Puss didn't argue further.
"Señorita Fiona, in any case, I came to get you out of this tower. I defeated the dragon, and I'm taking her away. It's not good for you to stay here waiting alone. So I want to take you—come with me, come see the world, and who knows..." he said seriously, and in the end, a small charming smile crossed his face as he finished, "... maybe fall in love with me."
Fiona looked at him speechless, but soon caught something in his words.
"Wait, you didn't kill the dragon?" she asked, surprised.
She really had heard heavy footsteps earlier and had been confused at the time.
"Sí. She's a good girl, just misunderstood before. Come, I'll introduce you." He jumped off the bed and waved her along.
Fiona stood stunned for a moment, but her curiosity eventually won out—and she followed him.
Together, they left the room and began descending the stairs.
Puss's eyes landed on the torches, and his earlier question returned to mind.
"Hey, Princess, were you the one lighting these torches?" he asked curiously, glancing at the princess, who looked a bit lost in thought.
"Huh? Ah… yes, that was me. Why?" She nodded as she came out of her thoughts and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh! I thought it might have been magic when I saw your door locked from the outside. But I guess you could leave the tower even with the door locked." Puss looked at her, curious, and took the chance to admire her proud figure.
She was tall, with a slim waist, graceful posture, and a peculiar kind of confidence that radiated from her—quite rare for someone locked in a tower for years.
Fiona was different from any woman he had ever seen. The closest comparison was Elizabeth, another noblewoman—confident, brave, and a warrior.
But Fiona seemed a level above, in nobility, kindness, confidence, courage, and even beauty.
Of course, Fiona noticed Puss's gaze and looked back at him.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked playfully.
Puss blinked for a second and, as always, gave an honest reply.
"I'm just admiring your beauty and personality," he said seriously.
She raised an eyebrow at him with a small smile.
"Personality? But how would you know that? We just met." She looked at him suspiciously, clearly not putting much faith in his words.
But to her surprise, Puss looked her straight in the eyes with complete seriousness.
"Looking into your beautiful and clear blue eyes, it's easy to see a lot," he spoke, making her eyes widen slightly. "They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and much can be told about a person through them. Yours tell me you're a cheerful girl, sweet in some moments, strong in others. You're determined, a bit stubborn, but your heart is kind, and that kindness shines through your eyes all the time..."
"... Anyone who wins your heart can certainly say they're one of the luckiest men in this world."
As his soft, husky voice spoke, Fiona's eyes widened, and her pulse quickened. She listened to every word with full attention, never taking her eyes off his green, slit-pupiled ones.
Puss was clearly using what he remembered from the movies to understand her traits, but he also saw things in her eyes that would be difficult for anyone else to see. He wasn't lying when he said he could read who she was through her eyes—and he didn't hide his admiration for the woman she was.
Many might think Shrek left his old life behind for love of Fiona… but in Puss's eyes, it was Fiona who gave up everything for Shrek.
She abandoned her identity as a human, as a princess, as a future queen, to live a simple life in the swamp—for love.
Of course, if Shrek hadn't saved her, she would've been found by Charming instead—which wouldn't have been good for her future at all—so in the end, it really was the best outcome.
But when she gave up everything for him, she didn't know that.
Fiona was an impressive woman, and received far less credit than she deserved.
And hearing Puss's words, and seeing the sincerity in his eyes as he looked at her, her cheeks began to burn fiercely.
She had never received admiration and validation so bare and raw in her entire life… sure, it could be because she'd been locked away in a castle, but Fiona felt that even if she hadn't, she'd never have heard such words from someone she had just met.
And they weren't just empty flattery—but firm, sincere words that truly seemed to describe her personality.
A personality no one could claim to know, since the last time she had real contact with anyone was when she was seven years old.
The letters from her parents were one-sided, and she had no way to send any back.
"Thank you…" she murmured softly, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear with shyness.
She had made many plans for this moment during her years trapped in the tower. What she would say when her knight found and rescued her, what poems and beautiful phrases he would recite, and how she would respond to them—how they would depart, their kiss, and the breaking of the curse.
But with Puss's arrival, everything was thrown off, and not a single plan had been carried out.
Yet that simple phrase and his sincerity proved far greater than any poem or gift she had ever imagined receiving.