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Chapter 18: The Black Cat's Taboo Manuscript
No matter how hard one strives to live a life of perfect rectitude in the present, the past is an immutable shadow that refuses to be cast off. Chloe Rollo, the legendary assassin once known as the "Black Cat" who haunted the underworld's darkest corners, knew this better than anyone. She had long since traded her daggers for serving trays at the Hostess of Fertility, but the whispers of her former life still lingered. She had even heard from her colleagues about a pretender attempting to use her moniker, a nuisance she had largely dismissed.
However, there was a threshold of tolerance that even a reformed assassin could not maintain. Even if she could forgive a hundred billion impersonators for stealing her name, she could never—under any circumstances—forgive the existence of this.
"Nyan! Why!? Why is there a book being sold where I'm savoring the Young Boy's bottom when I haven't even gotten a taste of the real thing in person yet, nya!?"
Chloe's shriek tore through the tavern's backroom, her hands trembling as she clutched a glossy, illicit manuscript. The cover illustration was a masterpiece of scandalous art: a blushing, wide-eyed Bell Cranel was shown being pulled into a suffocatingly tight embrace by a fictional Chloe, while her hand was shown pointedly "appreciating" the firm curve of his posterior.
"Oh, look at that. Another naughty book about the adventurer kid has hit the streets," Lunor remarked, leaning over Chloe's shoulder with a look of cynical amusement. "I'm not surprised about Ryuu, but seeing Anya's book sell out last week was the real shocker."
"Hmph! The author hasn't written a single page about me yet, so why do Anya and Chloe get to go first!?" Syr joined the huddle, her cheeks puffed out in a mock pout of pure indignation.
The staff had spent the previous week dissecting Anya's volume with a mix of horror and morbid fascination. They had spent hours debating whether the "Cat Person in Love" in the story bore any resemblance to the actual airheaded Anya, while Ryuu, the resident "stiff-necked" elf, had been heard grumbling about the injustice of the world.
Why was I forced into such shameful, skimpy outfits while Anya got to wear a normal dress? Ryuu had muttered, her aura radiating a cold, judgmental frost that could have frozen a fire spirit.
"So, what's the plot of this one?" Lunor asked, reaching for the book.
"Nya! Lunor, you pervert! You're just dying to read your coworker's shameful secrets! How lewd!"
"You were the first one screaming to read Anya's book last week, you hypocrite!" Lunor barked back.
"I agree with Lunor. Let's all read it together," Syr said with a pleasant, terrifying smile.
Before Chloe could react, Syr's hand darted out like a viper, snatching the book from her grasp and slamming it open onto a nearby table.
—————
The three of them huddled together, their eyes scanning the first few pages.
『 Ugh... I can't drink anymore... Chloe-hyan... ♡ 』
"OUT!" Syr and Lunor shouted in unison.
"The 'mya' in the book did that, not the real me, nya!" Chloe protested, her ears pinned back in absolute embarrassment.
The story depicted Bell in a state of utter, localized intoxication. In the illustration, Chloe wasn't wearing her tavern uniform but her usual black casual attire, indicating it was her day off. Having clearly subjected the boy to a relentless session of "Alcohol Harassment," she was shown hauling the stumbling Bell out of a bar with practiced, predatory ease.
『 Nnh... Chloe-hyan... my butt feels ticklish... ♡ 』
『 That's because your butt is just too good, Boy. It's only natural for your big sister to pet it! 』
"Wow. Alcohol harassment and sexual harassment," Lunor deadpanned, looking at Chloe with genuine pity. "If Ryuu sees this, she's going to execute you on the spot."
"I also think it's very bad to get someone drunk just to take them home," Syr added, her eyes narrowing in a way that didn't quite match her sweet tone.
"I haven't done it yet, nya!" Chloe screamed.
"The fact that you said 'yet' proves you're guilty," Lunor countered.
Despite the "out" calls, none of them stopped reading. The fascination of seeing their own lives twisted by a third party's delusions was too strong. Chloe, desperate to change the subject, flipped to the next scene.
—————
The setting had shifted to a dimly lit inn.
『 There we go... we've reached the room, nya... 』
『 Nnh... 』
Like a wild rabbit that had forgotten its survival instincts, Bell was shown being stripped down to his underwear by the predatory Chloe. Even in his semi-conscious state, he didn't seem to understand the danger. He reached out with both arms, his face flushed and dreamy, seeking Chloe like a child seeking comfort.
『 Chloe-hyan... 』
『 Mufufu! Come here, Boy! 』
In the book, Chloe sat on the edge of the bed with open arms, waiting for the rabbit to fall into her trap. But Bell, stumbling in his drunken stupor, didn't dive into her embrace; he overshot and landed face-first into her chest.
"Hey! That was my idea!" Syr suddenly shouted, pointing at the page. "I requested that specific 'chest-dive' scenario from her! Why is Chloe getting to use it!?"
"Don't blame me, nya!" Chloe hissed. "But I have to admit, being dived into by such a cute boy wouldn't be the worst thing, nya!"
"If you ever actually try that, Ryuu and Syr will bury you. Just a heads up," Lunor warned.
Syr continued to pout, her cheeks inflated. To Chloe, it was a completely unearned accusation, yet she couldn't deny that the situation in the book was a "feast" for the eyes.
『 Mufufu... the boy's petite butt is so soft and well-shaped, but his body is solid like a true adventurer... so easy to hug... 』
『 Fuaaa... please don't squeeze me like that... 』
"TWO OUTS!" Lunor and Syr yelled again.
The illustration now showed Chloe with the face of a depraved old man, her hands shoved into Bell's underwear as she savored the texture of his skin. It was a scene that would have sent any "member of the justice faction" into a murderous rage.
"Even if I'm 'out,' the Boy looks happy in the book, nya!" Chloe argued, pointing at Bell's relaxed, blissful expression.
—————
As they turned the page, the dynamic shifted.
『 Stop... don't play with me so much. I'm... I'm a man too, you know... 』
『 Fumya? 』
Bell's dreamy, intoxicated expression had vanished. His high-level metabolism had seemingly burned through the alcohol, and a "tent" had clearly formed in his underwear. With a sudden, forceful movement, he pinned Chloe to the bed. The predator had become the prey.
"Wait, this is another one of my requests!" Syr complained again. "The 'Wild Bell' who shows his aggressive side! Chloe, you're so greedy!"
"Exactly how many requests did you give that author?" Chloe asked, staring at Syr with disbelief.
"I remember her talking for hours until Mama Mia finally yelled at her to get back to work," Lunor added dryly.
『 W-Wait, Boy! If you shove something that big into me, even I'll— 』
『 I'm not waiting. You played with me long enough. Now... you'll take your punishment, won't you? ♪ 』
『 Funyaaa!? 』
"Wow... I didn't know the kid could have such an 'S' face," Lunor whispered, her own cheeks beginning to redden.
"He's always so kind, but a forceful, wild Bell is also quite wonderful, isn't he?" Syr said, her eyes practically sparkling.
"Unyanya... well... I suppose a boy who grabs your tail and forces himself on you isn't the worst thing in the world, nya?" Chloe admitted, her tail twitching in reality.
The book then devolved into a scene of pure, unbridled domination. Bell—if he could even be called a "rabbit" at this point—proceeded to overwhelm Chloe until she was a melting, stuttering mess.
『 Nyaa... ♡ Nyaa... ♡ 』
Seeing Chloe reduced to making the sweet, high-pitched cries of a cat in heat, Lunor turned a deep shade of crimson.
"Seriously? Do beast-people really forget how to speak when... you know... they get into it like that?" Lunor asked.
"N-No! I mean, I wouldn't know! I've never been in that situation, nya!" Chloe shouted, her ears twitching frantically.
"Actually, it's not just beast-people," Syr said with a knowing, serene smile. "When a man really takes control, any woman becomes like that."
"That's... terrifyingly vivid," Lunor and Chloe whispered in unison.
They finished the book in silence, reaching the final page where a "white-liquid-covered" Chloe was being kissed and held by Bell as they drifted off to sleep.
"That's it! I need to make sure my book gets written next!" Syr declared, slamming her fist onto the table with finality.
"Are you sure? Everyone in the city is going to buy it and look at you," Lunor pointed out.
"Exactly, nya! My naked body is being stared at by every dirty old man in Orario!" Chloe lamented, hugging herself.
Syr just looked at them with the face of a demonic strategist. "If these books help me fill in the gaps and trap Bell-san even a little bit more... isn't that a small price to pay?"
"Syr... you're a terrifying child," the two coworkers whispered, shuddering at the cold calculation in her eyes.
From that day forward, the staff noticed that Syr began offering Bell drinks much more frequently, leaving Chloe and Lunor to tremble at the realization that the "fictional" plots were quickly becoming a blueprint for reality.
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