PSW Chapter 70: Really, Like
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Bastet thought he was dead for sure this time.
He was never the kind of person who planned three steps ahead.
From childhood to adulthood, he had always been like a little sardine in a sardine school, just going with the flow.
He went with the flow to study, went with the flow to take exams, listened to his teachers’ advice on choosing a school, and followed his parents’ decision on work.
Bastet was like a lazy little donkey.
He never used his brain—if someone cracked a small whip against his rear, only then would he slowly shuffle forward.
He spent his days spacing out—if someone suddenly woke him up, his big eyes would immediately fill with confusion:
"Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?"
His mother always sighed at him and said:
"People aren’t machines. Being human means having impulses and irrationality."
"My dear little candy, when will you finally learn to act on impulse?"
"If you stay this dull, your father and I won’t even get to hold our grandchild in this lifetime! Ah, God!"
At the time, Bastet would pretend to listen seriously to his mother’s endless nagging.
But in reality, by the time she called him her dear little candy—despite him already being in his twenties—Bastet was too embarrassed to do anything but shrink his neck.
"Other than sleeping, my brain doesn’t function."
That was Bastet’s most common self-mockery.
When he threw himself onto Yofar,
He was immediately hit by the stench of rotting food, the putrid stench of pork left to decay in a filthy latrine.
His feline nose, far more sensitive than a human’s, also picked up faint traces of blood.
To be honest, anyone would have been nauseated.
Let alone a cat.
Bastet’s stomach churned.
The room was dimly lit, but in that single instant—
He saw Yofar, curled up on the ground, in an utterly wretched state.
How should he describe it?
In that instant—
Bastet’s eyes burned.
The emotion that rushed out from his chest wasn’t disgust.
It was rage.
It was shock.
And—
It was heartache.
He couldn’t accept that his proud and indifferent owner had been tormented into something even worse than a beggar!
Bastet had no time to question why.
Time wouldn’t allow it.
Besides, thinking things through had never been his strong suit.
So when he saw what Yofar had become,
Everything else vanished from his mind.
He forgot that this place was a nightmare created by the divine eye.
He forgot that the person before him might only be a shadow of a memory.
He forgot that this might not even be the real Yofar.
Even if his efforts were meaningless,
Even if the monster got them both in one strike,
Bastet didn’t care.
He threw himself down on Yofar’s shrunken figure,
Desperately spreading out his body to cover the human’s fragile head and neck.
Even his tail wrapped around Yofar’s arm—
Holding him tight!
"I don’t know if this will help…"
"But I will protect you!"
Bastet shut his eyes and braced for the worst.
The grotesque, disproportionate monster tilted its head.
It couldn’t see Bastet.
But—
It felt something was there.
With a puzzled blink of its blood-red, downward-curving eyes,
The monster let out a low, guttural hiss from its twin-tipped beak.
It couldn’t figure it out.
So—
It gave up.
A long, skeletal hand reached for the young Yofar on the ground.
But from adult Yofar’s perspective—
The monster’s thin fingers were about to touch Bastet’s arched back.
"Bastet!!"
Yofar finally snapped out of his shock.
His expression darkened,
His pale hands came together in a knife-hand strike.
He kicked off the ground, his explosive power launching him forward—
Fast!
Light as a feather, yet striking with the force to shatter stone.
His target—
The monster’s throat.
Bastet heard Yofar’s low growl,
And instinctively curled up even tighter.
Beneath him, young Yofar slowly lifted his face.
His dull, ice-blue eyes showed confusion as they stared at the hand on his own.
Time always seemed to slow down—
Whenever people were at their breaking point.
Like some cruel trick to torture the audience.
Bastet.
Yofar.
The monster.
Three figures—
One second before Bastet was caught.
One second before Yofar’s strike landed.
And then—
The windows of the ruined palace BURST OPEN!
Golden light flooded the room—
Like streams of molten gold, piercing through every shadow,
Dyeing every face in brilliant, burning yellow!
"AAAAAAAHHHH——"
The monster SCREAMED.
But—
Before it could even finish,
Its body VANISHED—
Evaporated in the light.
Just like that.
A single short, sharp wail.
Then—
Nothing.
Yofar’s hand strike hit thin air.
His body twisted midair—
He landed, stumbled, and barely managed to halt his momentum.
His platinum hair fluttered, still settling as he snapped his head toward the window—
His eyes narrowed.
Bastet’s eyes were blinded by the sudden light.
A sharp red haze filled his vision.
Dazed, he blinked rapidly.
Tears welled up, stinging his eyes as he instinctively covered them.
"It’s— DAYTIME?!?"
"Ahh— my eyes…"
"Wait! Yofar! Are you okay?! YOFAR!!"
Bastet forced his eyes open—
Squinting through the painful light,
His hands searched under his belly—
But—
Gone.
He was gone.
Bastet's eyes widened in disbelief.
He straightened up, blinking through the mist in his vision—
And saw the wounded Yofar on the ground slowly fading away,
Dissolving into the golden light.
"…So he was the fake one."
Bastet muttered under his breath.
The moment the words left his lips,
A strong hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Bastet whirled around—
And found himself face to face with the real Yofar.
"Come. We're going home."
Bastet couldn't see Yofar’s expression clearly under the bright light.
But—
His voice was soft.
Not quiet, no—
Soft, like a gentle whisper between lovers.
"Huh?"
Bastet blinked, still lost in confusion.
"But… I thought we were stuck here?"
"Not anymore."
"Someone’s come to get us."
Yofar bent down and carefully lifted Bastet into his arms.
A princess carry.
The one pose Bastet hated most—
Yet, also the most romantic between lovers.
"Bastet, we're going home."
The moment those two words left Yofar’s lips,
All of Bastet’s fears and confusion melted away.
"Mm!!"
Bastet nodded hard, his tail quivering with excitement
As he watched Yofar stride toward the ruined temple’s grand doors.
Those doors—
Which had once led into darkness.
Bastet remembered stepping through them before,
Into this endless nightmare.
But this time—
When Yofar pushed them open—
A blinding, radiant light poured in.
Bastet flinched.
His instincts kicked in,
And he immediately buried his face into Yofar’s neck,
His arms tightening around him.
Silently.
The light swallowed them whole.
The ruined palace—
The darkness—
All of it vanished without a trace.
Like a dream.
Like mist, evaporating under the sun.
The King's Chamber
A small, black kitten suddenly jerked awake on the massive bed,
His fur bristling.
Like a child startled from a nightmare,
He let out a sharp "Meow!"
And sprang up like a tiny, startled spring.
Before he could meow twice,
A pair of warm arms pulled him into an embrace.
"I'm here, Bastet."
Just one sentence.
Bastet's pounding heart immediately calmed down.
But—
Just to be sure…
He darted up Yofar’s chest,
Burrowing into his neck.
"Meow!!"
"Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!"
Bastet's tiny paws gripped Yofar's face,
His emerald eyes scanning him anxiously—
Neck stretched out like a curious black snake slithering toward its prey.
"Meow!"
"Let me see your face! Any injuries?!"
"Meeeeooo~"
"Whew… No wounds. So it really was just a dream..."
The little black cat finally let out a relieved sigh.
His paws dropped,
But—
Like a fussy mother,
He immediately started patting down Yofar’s chest,
Checking him all over.
Lastly—
Bastet shoved his head into Yofar’s hair,
Nuzzling through it—
Even sniffing his ears,
Just in case he had missed something.
"Myaa~"
"Good, no wounds here either. Thank God, you're safe."
"If anything had happened to you, I would’ve had no choice but to throw myself into the Nile River in grief…!"
Yofar had only just woken up himself.
From the corner of his vision,
He saw Nephthys and Hesse standing by,
Their faces full of joy as they rushed forward.
But before they could get too close—
Yofar raised a hand, stopping them.
For now—
He let Bastet climb all over him,
Let the little cat inspect him from head to toe.
A warm, unreadable emotion flickered through Yofar's eyes.
Even with his calm, icy-blue gaze,
The softness was unmistakable.
Even the faintest hue of blue
Could reflect a love so deep, so gentle—
That no words were needed.
Cats are adorable.
When they press their cool, damp noses—sometimes even a little snotty—against you to comfort you, to show they care…
Almost no one can resist that fragile, pitiful cuteness.
The memory of Bastet throwing himself over him in the dream, trying to shield him, was burned into Yofar’s mind.
His eyes glowed softly as he pulled Bastet—who was still diligently inspecting his body—to his face.
Then, tilting his head,
He pressed his lips to the small, feline face,
Kissing him.
Slowly.
One kiss, then another.
Not lifting his lips, he gently bit down on Bastet’s cat ears,
Tracing his lips over the soft fur—
Brushing against the ridge of his nose,
His bright, expressive green eyes.
Left side.
Then the right.
Down the curve of his delicate eye corners,
Drawing a short, lingering line.
As his pink lips brushed the fine black fur,
It was as if there was a soft ‘swish’—
Before his kisses drifted lower,
Landing on Bastet’s adorable, long whiskers.
Then, after a few beats—
He curved around them and pressed a final kiss to the small cat’s mouth.
At last—
Yofar’s kisses traveled back up,
Pecking one after another against Bastet’s nose.
Yofar was never one to show emotions openly.
Even when he did—
His closeness always carried the undeniable authority of a king.
Such a slow, lingering, honey-sweet kind of affection?
Extremely rare.
Bastet, naturally, assumed Yofar was just overwhelmed after their near-death experience.
He let out a soft ‘Meow!’—a reminder about his allergies—
Before purring deeply in satisfaction.
He loved when Yofar kissed him like this!
A man and a cat, shamelessly drowning in sweetness.
Nephthys: …
Hesse: …
Nephthys: Let's be honest. Even an idiot could tell we’re not needed here.
Hesse (nods): Mm.
Nephthys: See? Even an idiot agrees.
Hesse: …
"Do you have to insult me at least once a day? Do you?!"
Wanting to give their king and his little cat some space,
The two High Priests timed their moment carefully.
Once Yofar paused, they lowered their heads and spoke.
"My King."
Yofar was still rubbing Bastet’s soft little paw pads between his fingers.
At their call, he looked up.
Nephthys: "While you were asleep, everything proceeded as per your orders. High Priest Yves arrived and chanted the sacred scriptures for a long time. He was too exhausted, so before your awakening, I arranged for him to rest. Would you like to see him now?"
Yofar: "No need. Let him rest. You two should go as well. Have someone keep an eye on Assyria."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Nephthys and Hesse bowed, then silently exited the chamber.
Bastet, that little fool, still remembered Yofar’s words from the dream—
"Even Nephthys and Hesse cannot be trusted."
So he stubbornly stared after them, watching them leave completely before he finally relaxed.
Then—
The man and the cat simply lay there in silence,
Holding each other.
Finally—
Bastet broke the silence.
He tilted his head and began questioning Yofar about the nightmare.
Maybe before,
Yofar wouldn’t have told him anything.
But now…
As he gazed into those concerned, emerald eyes,
His voice softened.
And for the first time,
He lowered his walls.
In a few, quiet words,
He revealed his past.
And his scars.
Bastet listened.
By the time Yofar finished,
Bastet was furious.
His fur bristled.
His tail puffed up like a bottlebrush.
His ears flattened.
And then—
He hissed.
"HISSSSS!!"
"THOSE BASTARDS!!!"
His claws shot out as he started furiously slashing the air.
First at nothing—
Then at everything.
"Those idiot so-called ‘King’ and ‘Queen’—!!"
"And those damn servant girls—!!"
"AND THOSE USELESS PRINCES AND PRINCESSES—!!"
"SITTING AROUND WATCHING LIKE IT'S A DAMN SHOW?!"
Bastet’s whole body shook with rage.
Even cursing didn’t feel like enough.
His hind legs kicked off the bed,
His front paws swiped wildly.
If he could—
He’d drag those people out of their graves and tear them to pieces.
"MEOWWW!!!"
"Damn Those Bastards!"
"Those people? Calling them human would be an insult! They're nothing but beasts!"
Bastet: “Haoooww!” (And that maid? What happened to her? You couldn't have let her go! That bitch was pure evil! If it weren’t for your unique physique, she would’ve tortured you to death—!!”
Yofar pulled the black cat back onto his chest.
"Of course, she didn’t get away."
"One time, when she came to deliver my food and insult me again…"
"I grabbed her by the ankle."
Bastet: "Hao?" (And then?)
Yofar: "I pulled her down. Inch by inch, I dragged her to me—"
"And then I crushed her throat."
Bastet: "……Myao." (Uh… well… no need to feel guilty! She had it coming!)
Yofar chuckled softly.
He didn't feel guilty at all.
In fact—
Just remembering the sheer terror on that maid’s face as she screamed…
It still filled him with satisfaction.
Bastet, thinking his "fragile" owner needed comfort,
Lovingly nuzzled his chin.
Then, curious again, he asked:
"How did you escape after that?"
Yofar: "Back then, Nephthys wasn’t a Grand High Priest yet—only a High Priestess."
"She carries the bloodline of the Great Priests, giving her a slight gift of foresight."
"One day, she received a divine revelation and decided to gamble everything on me."
"She secretly reached out, little by little."
"And when I finally escaped, I made her the Grand High Priest—the only one in Egyptian history to serve directly under the Pharaoh."
Bastet let out a small ‘Oh’.
Then, after thinking for a moment, his ears perked up.
"Myaow~" (Wait a minute! If that's the case, Nephthys should be absolutely loyal to you!)
"Why can’t we trust her?"
Yofar paused.
Then—a low chuckle.
"You can’t judge things by appearances alone, Bastet."
Bastet: Oh…
Maybe I'm just too dumb to get it.
Yofar knows these things better than me.
And he never lies.
The little black furball scratched his head, deciding not to press further.
"The second person to bring me food was the old lady-in-waiting, Alina."
"Mya?!"
"She wasn’t like the first maid."
"She did her job properly. So, I made her my personal attendant."
"Myaow~"
Bastet swished his tail proudly.
See? Look at my Yofar!
People call him a bloodthirsty tyrant, but he’s actually just a great man who always repays kindness with kindness!
With that thought, Lord Meow Meow clung to his handsome Pharaoh's face,
Rewarding him with a few loud smacking kisses.
Yofar returned the favor with a face-washing session of his own.
The man and the cat snuggled together,
Enjoying the quiet warmth between them.
Even without speaking,
Just staring into each other's eyes felt as sweet as honey.
For a long while, they simply lay there, savoring the afterglow of love.
Then, suddenly—
Yofar asked:
"Bastet… do you love me?"
Bastet froze.
Then—
His furry little face burned bright red.
Shyly, he let out a soft ‘Meoow.’
"Mm."
Yofar closed his ice-blue eyes for a moment.
Then, he smirked.
"Then do you feel sorry for me?"
"Or do you think my past is just pitiful and pathetic?"
"Mya!"
"Of course, I feel sorry for you!"
Bastet purred loudly in distress.
"Sigh… You’ve made me feel so bad for you that my heart hurts, dammit!"
Hearing that—
Yofar laughed, truly delighted.
His hand gently stroked Bastet’s back,
Fingers lightly curling around his tail.
For the first time in his life—
His heart felt completely at ease.
"Meow—Aow."
"Oh, right, Yofar—why do you love cats so much?"
Bastet lay beside his pillow, lazily tossing out the question.
Yofar thought for a moment.
But then—his brows knitted together.
"I... forgot."
Bastet: You forgot?
"Mm. I guess I was just born liking them."
"Aow."
Bastet nodded, satisfied, and continued chattering excitedly about random things.
Yofar was always busy—so busy that during the day, Bastet could only sneakily sniff his clothes and sleep his way through the painfully long hours of waiting.
But now—for once—Yofar had time to hold him close and talk.
So Bastet chattered non-stop, making the most of it.
Yofar didn’t mind at all.
Lying on his side, he gazed at his cat with quiet intensity.
The emotion in his icy-blue eyes was like a deep, endless ocean—
One that could swallow a person whole…
And stretch on for all eternity.
...
…
The scarred 'Beast Prince' slaughtered every last one of those he hated.
Bare-bodied, he sat outside the great hall—
Behind him, the palace burned in a raging inferno.
At his feet—
The headless corpses of the Pharaoh and Queen.
The prophecy had come true.
He had killed his own parents.
It was Nephthys—now a priestess—who finally mustered the courage to step forward.
Suppressing her fear and trembling,
She knelt at his feet.
"Y—Your Majesty, you are now the only heir."
"No one can hurt you anymore. You—"
"Nephthys."
A hoarse voice, speaking in a strange, broken tone,
Cut off Nephthys’s words of flattery and political plans.
She froze, then quickly bowed lower.
"Nephthys is here."
The new Pharaoh, barely fluent in speech,
Gazed at the woman kneeling before him with empty, soulless, ice-blue eyes.
"You…"
"Have you ever seen something… furry, with a tail… something smooth and slippery?"
Nephthys blinked, confused.
"I—what? Forgive me, Your Majesty, could you repeat that?"
The new King repeated himself.
This time, his words were clearer, his tone more natural.
And Nephthys finally understood.
"Something furry, with a long, sleek tail…?"
She frowned, puzzled.
"Your Majesty, where did you see such a creature?"
"There shouldn’t have been any animals inside the Forbidden Hall…"
The new King shook his head.
"I never… saw it."
"But it seemed to have been there."
"It… protected me."
"It had a tail… a long one."
Nephthys: ……
What the actual fuck is he talking about?!
Sweat dripped down her back as she desperately racked her brain.
Then—a sudden realization!
Egyptians loved cats.
The royal children had even kept them as pets before.
Maybe… a cat had somehow sneaked into the forbidden palace,
Chasing a mouse, perhaps—
And the new Pharaoh had seen it.
She immediately said,
"Your Majesty, you must be speaking of a cat!"
"They are soft, covered in smooth fur, with long, graceful tails and pointed ears."
"The Cat Goddess is even one of Egypt’s protectors!"
For the first time,
The empty blue eyes of the new Pharaoh flickered.
He tilted his head slightly.
And in a quiet, strange voice, he said—
"Cats… I like them."
I like them.
Cats.
_
[Author's Notes: (Mini-Theater)]
Bastet: "You said I was the light in your heart."
Yofar: "Mm."
Bastet: (…)
After a moment of silence—
Bastet: "But I’m fucking black, though."
Yofar: ……
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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