PSW Chapter 58: Your Cat Is on Someone Else’s Bed
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When Bastet was in middle school, high school, and university, both boys and girls had to wear small suits, and a tiny bow tie accompanied Bastet from innocence to passionate youth. Whenever Bastet saw one, memories would light up like a lamp, illuminating its mind with warmth and brightness.
Its conflict with Yofar had successfully defeated its not-so-bright self.
The memories evoked by this bow tie made Bastet’s heart ache with bitterness.
It missed its home—Mom and Dad, the lovable yet annoying school, the classmate who was like a campus heartthrob, and the elders at the research institute…
But it could never go back.
In This Ancient Land Where He Had Nothing, Bastet Felt Powerless and Alone.
In the past, it had always placed its emotions on Yofar, squeezing out even the slightest warmth from his scent and body heat to comfort itself. But now?
The image of Yofar’s indifference flashed through its mind. No matter how hard Bastet tried, it couldn’t find a solution. So, it started running to Miss Yano, the one who had saved it, as a way of escaping.
It’s not my fault I’m like a snail… He’s the one being unreasonable… right?
Bastet asked itself.
“What’s wrong? Look at that expression. Oh, come on, haha! The way you’re frowning makes me almost mistake you for a human.”
Yano cupped Bastet’s cheeks and lifted its little black face, speaking softly, “I’ll knit you that… what was it again? Ah, a turtleneck sweater, using tapestry weaving techniques. Cheer up, Bastet.”
Looking at her sun-warmed smile, Bastet’s fragile heart melted. It nodded firmly.
“Meow (Okay)!”
Women were like water—delicate and gentle. If they wanted to, they could be as refreshing and soothing as a breeze, harmless and endearing.
Compared to the harsh, often hurtful interactions between men, one had to admit that women found it easier to get close to others, bridging the distance between strangers with ease.
Yano was an expert at this.
As she knitted a tiny garment with thick yarn, she asked Bastet to hold the ball of wool steady. But when Bastet couldn't resist its feline instincts and started pawing the ball around the bed, Yano covered her mouth and laughed.
Feeling embarrassed, Bastet flicked its ear with a hind leg, but deep inside, it was happy—even as she teased it.
For once, it felt at ease.
—
Meanwhile, night had completely fallen.
Yofar sat at the dining table, staring silently at the roasted beef in the center of the feast, its fragrant presence only making his mood worse.
The handsome king’s face grew darker by the minute.
“Bastet hasn’t returned yet?” he asked the lady-in-waiting.
The elderly maid, Alina, knelt on the floor and lowered her head. “No, my king, it has not.”
Yofar’s voice turned colder. “Where is it? The Assyrian princess’s palace?”
Alina sensed the danger in his words, but she had no choice but to answer truthfully. “Yes…”
Bang!
A loud crash came from the table. Alina shuddered, and the surrounding maids, whether at fault or not, immediately dropped to their knees in fear.
After that sound, the room fell into an eerie silence, suffocating and still as death.
Finally, Yofar rose to his feet. The ornate jewelry on his white robe jingled as he moved, his expression unreadable. Without another word, he strode out of the hall.
Alina hurriedly followed, bringing the maids with her. The royal guards at the entrance saw the king leave and silently fell into formation behind him.
His strides were long, his robes and hair trailing sharply behind him—anyone could see the anger radiating from him.
Struggling to keep up, Alina sighed inwardly at the direction he was headed.
That little black furball… The king has been waiting nearly three hours for his cat to return for dinner. Bastet, where on earth have you gone!?
—
Elsewhere…
“Princess, it has fallen asleep.”
Yano’s lady-in-waiting looked at the princess, who was sipping wine on a wooden chair, and hesitantly asked, “Your Highness, do you really think Pharaoh will come here just because of a cat? It’s already so late…”
“He will.”
Yano cast a casual glance at her servant. “A king who personally leaves the palace to fetch a pet that stayed out late—do you really think he wouldn’t come looking for his cat at my place?”
“……”
The lady-in-waiting set aside her doubts and nodded. Their princess was always right.
"You all go to the side hall to rest. Remember, do not make any noise. Act as if you are truly asleep—extinguish all the lights. But when the King of Egypt arrives, I need you to 'come alive' instantly. Let every maid and soldier nearby know that he has come to me."
Yano had already changed out of her beautiful white dress adorned with blue flowers from earlier in the day. Now, she wore a sheer gown commonly worn by Egyptian noblewomen at night. This fabric, one of Egypt’s finest, was as soft and delicate as mist draping over a woman’s body. Yet, due to its loose weaving, it provided little to no coverage.
Her figure was outlined without restraint, stirring the blood of anyone who laid eyes on her.
She set down her wine cup and murmured, "Egyptian wine is far too sour." It lacked the rich sweetness of Assyrian-brewed wine.
"But… what if that king doesn’t linger?"
"He doesn’t have to. As long as he comes to me, I’ve already won."
Yano's smile remained bright and composed. The lady-in-waiting glanced at the flush on her princess's face from the wine, hesitating before ultimately lowering her head in obedience. She left to carry out Yano’s orders.
Yano, too, turned away, calmly returning to her bed. She looked at the sleeping black cat curled up beside her, a genuine softness flashing in her gaze. Her fingers brushed over its sleek fur before she lifted the covers and lay down.
But she didn’t lie there for long.
The outer palace of this royal residence soon welcomed its true master.
Yofar arrived with his men and immediately surrounded the Assyrian princess’s quarters.
In Egypt, the Pharaoh never needed to knock on anyone’s door.
The darkened palace was instantly roused from its feigned slumber. Assyrian maids rushed out of their rooms, their eyes widening in terror at the sight of the heavily armed royal guards and the storm-faced Pharaoh. They shrieked in fear, their expressions of horror utterly genuine.
The guards ignored their resistance, their eyes flashing with menace as they subdued the palace staff, starting with the princess’s closest attendants.
The screams of the Assyrian maids grew louder—until the head lady-in-waiting received a sharp slap across the face from the captain of the guards. Staggering, she was caught by her weeping companions, who immediately fell silent.
Yofar’s face was as dark as a brewing storm. He strode forward and kicked open the princess’s chamber doors before marching in with his men.
Inside, Princess Yano looked utterly startled, as if she had just awoken. A blush still lingered on her cheeks. Panicked, she clutched the sheets to cover herself, her sheer gown doing little to hide her form.
Perhaps due to her flustered movements, everyone in the room saw more than they should have.
Yofar’s guards, however, remained expressionless, their faces unreadable as ever.
Yofar’s gaze fell upon the black cat, curled up and sleeping soundly on someone else’s bed, dressed in an odd little garment. The moment he noticed the woman’s attempt to cover herself, his fury ignited like a wildfire reaching the heavens!
Imagine this—your lover, whether a man or a woman, lying in someone else’s bed. Just two days ago, you had a fierce argument, and now the two of you are locked in a cold war. Yet here they are, sleeping peacefully in a stranger’s embrace, while the person who betrayed you scrambles in panic to put on their clothes.
What would you think?
Yofar did not care what anyone else thought.
But every person in the room could feel the suffocating, murderous aura erupting from the tall and imposing king.
The sheer terror of it was no less than the world collapsing. Yano even felt as if the king’s gaze was slicing across every inch of her exposed skin, peeling it open, letting blood and pain consume her entire body.
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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