Konrad's appearance didn't disturb the cat which purred on Jasmine's lap while royally ignoring him.
"Where did you get that thing?"
Konrad asked with glaring displeasure.
"It's a gift from the holy consort."
Jasmine replied while passing her hand through the cat's fur. Konrad's attention had been fully captured by the cat's presence. And as he stared at it, his face contorted into strange grimaces.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Dispose of it. I hate cats."
Even the cat seemed alarmed by Konrad's words, full of grievances, its large eyes turned toward him pleading mercy.
"Don't think that you can soften me with your cat eyes. If she doesn't get rid of you, tonight I'm making cat soup! Let's see who dares stop me!"
It was the first time Jasmine had seen Konrad so quickly lose his composure. And the culprit even turned out to be an innocent cat? How could this be?
"This is a gift from the holy consort. How can I dispose of it? To say nothing of the fact I don't want to."
"You don't want to?"
Toward Konrad's fierce tone, Jasmine remained undaunted.
"When you were running amok outside, battling for the sake of your beauty, this cat kept me company. Now you say you want me to dispose of it?"
As she spoke, Jasmine's tone slowly rose until it finally boomed within the room.
"Konrad, you have no conscience! Even if you can't be faithful, at the very least, you shouldn't be this biased! How could you abandon me in this cruel palace to go rampage within the city alongside others?!
What? DIDN'T WANT ME TO INTERFERE WITH YOUR ORGIES?!"
Jasmine's voice thundered while her eyes blazed with wrath.
Konrad was well aware of his negligence. However, it was really beyond his ability to control. After all, when he initially escorted Iliana back to her family, he never expected to be gone for more than a few days. Only when he discussed marriage with Wolfgang did the knowledge of the Holy Flame Baptism contest reach him.
But by then, it was already too late.
Konrad's face underwent a one-hundred-eighty-degree change, he sat by Jasmine's side, shoving the "abject" cat away from her lap, and pulling her by the shoulders.
"Miaaoo!"
The cat mewled while rolling to fall back onto its paws. Its infuriated gaze locked onto Konrad who royally ignored it.
"Oh, my little wife. How could you say things like that? A day not by your side was like ten thousand daggers to my heart! I writhed on my bed, screaming your name in my sleep, only wanting to be with you!"
"Hum…continue?"
"In those moments of desperation, when gloom and peril surrounded me by all side, it is your name that gave me the strength to keep pressing onward!"
Konrad theatrically declared while massaging Jasmine's shoulders.
"Well said, continue…"
Continue with what? Did you not have enough? Indeed, give them an inch, and they'll want a mile.
However, Konrad didn't say those words, pulling Jasmine against his chest and wrapping his arms around her while adopting a more serious tone.
"How could I willingly leave you behind? The circumstances pushed me into this situation. To not have been able to hold onto you across all those events will be my life's deepest regret."
"Good…very good."
Although Jasmine knew Konrad was only coaxing her, she still relished in the words.
Even the cat couldn't take it anymore. This level of shamelessness had surpassed all it'd seen. Who could listen to all this nonsense without flipping a table? And she even said "very good?" unredeemable!
"Now, I ask again, have you missed me?"
"I've missed you to death!"
Jasmine exclaimed in an aggrieved tone, setting aside all pretense to pull Konrad into a passionate kiss.
The cat couldn't take it anymore, leaping toward Konrad with claws bared to break the unbearable farce.
Konrad showed it no mercy, firing a kick from the side. However, the cat's agility defied gravity. It bent to avoid Konrad's kick and used his leg as a ladder to climb onto his head.
Well perched, the cat struck Konrad's head with a flurry of blows, ruthlessly stepping on it while mewling in indignation.
"Hateful creature!"
Konrad roared as the cat broke the kiss. He attempted to strike it with the back of his left palm. However, it masterfully avoided the blow, and with unparalleled dexterity, perched itself back on his head.
"Oh…you're a female cat?"
Konrad mumbled upon spotting the slit between the cat's legs. Offended, the cat resumed stomping on his head, not showing him any bit of mercy. Any attempt at throwing it away or slamming it aside met with failure. It was as if it saw all his blows coming, and was endowed with preternatural agility allowing it to avoid everything to return onto his head.
"I…HATE…CATS!!!"
Konrad roared, causing Jasmine who witnessed the entire scene to explode in laughter. She stood up, making strange gestures toward the cat. Her sign seemed to be saying "enough with the abuse," and indeed, upon seeing them, the cat stopped its onslaught and leaped off Konrad's head.
"Finally…"
Konrad sighed, falling back into his seat. At the same time, his eyes shone with vigilance. This cat was abnormal, even though he wasn't using his cultivation base and throwing casual moves, how could a normal cat avoid them?
Konrad was about to use his Origin Sight to analyze the cat's body, but at that time, the cat leaped past the doors, striding out of his dwelling.
"You say the holy consort gifted you that cat?"
"Mhm."
Jasmine nodded.
"The Metze are a cat-beast family. Over there, even ordinary cats are treated with utmost care. This cat was probably raised as a little princess and couldn't endure your insults."
Jasmine "reasoned." But, the more Konrad thought of it, the fishier the matter seemed.
However, unable to find leads or evidence, he let it go, shifting his attention back onto Jasmine.
"Your cultivation has significantly improved."
"All thanks to the holy consort's nurturing."
Hearing this, Konrad frowned. Although Jasmine was an outstanding cultivation talent, with the holy consort's background, finding two like her shouldn't be that difficult. Why then was she spending the resources to train a human girl?
"She knows what we are."
"Oh…"
Else's knowledge of their demonic lineage wasn't that surprising. Konrad had long since suspected it to be the reason for his previous self's death.
However, following his rebirth, the holy consort had shown him nothing but care. Therefore, he didn't probe deeper.
"Did she want you to pass me a message?"
Konrad asked, suspecting Else planned to use Jasmine to implant ideas within his mind.
"She wanted me to prevent you from going after Yvonne Voight."
"Oh? Why?"
"She said you couldn't succeed. And even if you did, for you Konrad it would still be a failure."
Konrad's eyes widened in surprise. Never did he expect Else to give Jasmine such a task.
"And what do you think?"
Jasmine shrugged while her lips curled into a smile.
"I think you're free to do whatever you want. I certainly have no interest in becoming someone's tool to befuddle you.
I'm more concerned about how many dual cultivation sessions you've scheduled for us."
Satisfied, Konrad nodded in firm approval.
"True, we have a lot of cultivation to do. Your progress is not satisfactory. From now on, I must…personally…guide your cultivation in hard, deep processes."
As soon as those words left his lips, Konrad grabbed Jasmine by the waist, leading her to the bedroom.
