No way, I can cast spells briefly while in my transformed state, so why hasn't my transformation spell been broken yet? It doesn't feel like I don't have enough magic power to forcibly break it; it feels more like I'm locked in by some strange force...
But this crude technique doesn't seem like something a mentor would do.
Could it be related to Anne?
I released the saliva-covered fragment of the magic stone and tilted my head suspiciously to look at Annie, who was beaming with joy.
Just then, Annie was chatting and laughing with two other people nearby. As she turned to look for the drink that was lying next to her, she met my gaze and instantly bristled: "Why are you looking at me like that! Let me make this clear, this has nothing to do with me!"
I haven't said anything yet!
"What happened? What happened?"
Sensing the gossip, Hikari immediately looked up from her half-eaten red bean smoothie mountain—"Hey silly girl, you're going to get a headache eating like that!"
On the other side, An, who said he wasn't full yet and was going to the kitchen to find some food to fill his stomach, suddenly floated up slowly from the center of the three intersecting shadows, holding a familiar-looking casserole with a puzzled expression.
"I found this in the refrigerator in the kitchen, but I have absolutely no idea what it is."
An placed the casserole in the center of the table where the light was best.
Suddenly, the focus of the conversation shifted from what Annie had done to what was in the casserole dish.
"Ah—don't open it!"
Annie, whose expression changed drastically several times, suddenly sprang to her feet. Ignoring the faint chill that still lingered on the surface of the casserole, she pounced the moment An completely let go, hiding it under her petite frame.
"Hmm? Is this food made by Annie?" Hikari showed interest again. "It's the first time I've seen Nini cook. I wonder what it is."
No! That's not it!
Anne's eyes darted around rapidly, her anxiety visibly turning into sweat that trickled down her neck: "This, this is, yes, this is just a container I use to store some experimental materials, it's not food, so, so please don't look, okay?"
Her words trailed off with a hint of pleading.
I glanced sideways at the completely panicked little guy.
I understand completely now.
Clearly, Annie had also noticed that there was a very high probability that what was in the casserole was the reason I had been trapped in the cat's body by the transformation spell until now, but she was too ashamed to say it out loud, so she was desperately trying to cover it up, or perhaps she simply didn't want others to find out.
But how could we possibly let that happen!
I was hoping to break free from this strange state by reverse engineering the components! Otherwise, I'd probably have to keep being held in these guys' arms and subjected to suffocation and washboarding, which would be terrible.
I nimbly jumped onto the table, meowed twice to draw the attention of all the creatures present—including the hound that had just been tossed over with its tongue lolling out, and the [cat] that I had shoved aside with my paw. Ignoring Annie's pleading eyes, I pointed a paw at the large casserole dish that was completely exposed beneath her, and formally delivered my "verdict" on her:
"Meow, meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow (I'm going to tell you all that I ate this weird dish that Annie cooked, and that's why I look like this now)!"
"..."
After I finished speaking, the whole room fell silent. Everyone stared at me with stunned eyes for a while, and then silently shifted their gaze to the scrap rabbit that had squeezed half of its front paw into the gap on the side of the closed casserole.
"Huh? Are you waiting for me to translate? I thought you could all understand."
Alice raised her paw to smooth her long ears, and just as she coughed twice in an attempt to speak, Anne pulled her down beneath her, leaving her only able to whimper inaudibly.
In the end, Miyuki couldn't stand watching this childish game any longer, so she grabbed Annie by the armpits and finally managed to free the flattened rabbit.
Of course, what was also uncovered was the casserole containing a strange, pasty food with a layer of grayish-green and light purple hues floating on its surface, its edges scorched.
"..."
The silent gaze fell upon me once again.
I tugged at my ear, shook it a couple of times, and then looked away.
Honestly, I don't know how I was able to bring myself to do it. Maybe I was just blinded by the girl's exceptionally innocent, pure, hopeful, and pleading face.
"Mr. Yumi."
The usually clear voice became unusually deep, like the sea before a storm, calm yet full of subtle ripples. This made me, a small boat adrift with nowhere to go, feel an unbearable sense of oppression. I couldn't help but pull my ears back again and lean back slightly.
The shadows and auditory hallucinations brought a whistling wind that fell rapidly from above. I instinctively closed my eyes, but I felt the approaching giant suddenly stop less than half an inch above my head, and finally gently land on my head with the dissipating breeze.
She quietly opened one eye, revealing clear, bright eyes that met my gaze earnestly and seriously: "I'll let it go this time, consider it a lesson. But next time, if I find out that you, Mr. Yumi, are eating strange things again, I... I'll punish you by making sure every meal you eat from now on is prepared by me!"
This silly child, does he even want to tell me what I want to eat when I'm craving something?! That won't do!
To prevent this from happening in the future, I nodded hastily, while also making sure that Hikari didn't know what I had tried to eat on the other side a top priority.
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