Accompanying the sound of wind chimes by the hotel door.

"Meow meow meow, so cold, so cold."

As the hotel's old wooden door was slowly pushed open, a gust of cold air rushed into the room, but the figure pushing the door was nowhere to be seen.

Only by shifting one's gaze downwards could one discover a little black cat walking in.

And behind it, several paper bags of ingredients were suspended in the air.

The shopping bags full of goods seemed to be gripped by invisible hands, floating in mid-air, maintaining almost perfect synchronicity with the little cat.

Its back was covered with a little crystalline white snow, and it shook its body gently, scattering the unmelted snow.

As it stepped into the hotel entrance, only a few guests were in the spacious lounge area, huddled near the fireplace to ward off the cold.

Although the guests in the hall noticed this magical sprite cat, no one found it strange; in the Protoss Empire, it was quite normal to have a familiar spirit as a companion.

The weather here was still in that season that made one's bones feel cold; even residents accustomed to the northern cold would seek the warm embrace of a fire.

Spring had actually arrived in the Protoss Empire.

But it never seemed to bring much warmth.

Who knows if spring has really come?

If the north really descends into war in the near future, then this snowy plain will truly never have peace.

Occasionally, such conversations drifted into the cat boss's ears in the hotel's spacious first-floor lounge area.

The faint glow from the heater made its fur appear more lustrous, and its ears twitched.

As it walked past the counter, the clerk sitting behind it, propping her chin up, saw this cute little cat go out to help with shopping and couldn't help but murmur, "I really want a familiar spirit like that too."

"Meow."

The cat boss hummed softly.

It wasn't a familiar spirit or a pet.

Although, theoretically, if it got its paws on Lan Qi's [Transformation Art: Human], it might be possible to transform into a human shape, which would make shopping in this country much easier. However, according to the laws of the Protoss Empire, any transformation or disguise magic that can change a race is forbidden. It didn't want to break the law and become a cat sentenced to death!

Along the hotel's old staircase, the little black cat moved nimbly, each step eager, agile, and fast, while the shopping bag, like a planet rotating around the little black cat, moved forward and backward from time to time, perfectly avoiding collisions with the stairs and walls.

First floor, second floor, finally, the cat boss arrived on the third floor.

It stopped, and the shopping bag landed steadily.

Using telekinetic magic to control the key, the lock opened quickly, revealing a warm space.

The log cabin decor gave the entire room a natural, soft warmth, and natural light shone in through the window, reflecting off the simple floor and walls, as if it were a warm little world.

Walking inside, in the center of the bedroom at the far end was a large bed. Under the pure white duvet, Sigrid's breathing was even and long, and her long hair was scattered on the pillow. She was still sound asleep, just as it had left her.

On the other side of the room, a young man sat on a chair next to a wooden high table by the wall, his calm eyes focused on the book in his hand.

The cat boss exchanged glances with Lan Qi, signaling that it had returned, and then slipped out of the room lightly, its tail swaying gently, dancing in the wind as it walked to the small dining room on the other side.

This was a relatively more private space, which could also be separated by a soundproof barrier, wooden frames, and curtains. When the shopping bag was opened, a faint aroma of food filled the air.

In the center was a marble table, on which were placed various portable cooking utensils carried by the cat boss. Immediately, it began its cooking performance with practiced ease.

…

One hour later.

In the bedroom.

"Sid meow, time to get up for lunch meow, it's time to get up for lunch."

Something gently patted Sigrid's quilt, causing her to hum weakly and open her eyes reluctantly.

But because of the aroma she smelled, she gradually gained the motivation to break free from the Great Sealing Technique and instinctively crawled out of the quilt.

A little black cat had already considerately brought today's lunch into the bedroom.

The main course was chicken stewed with chicken, cream, onions, mushrooms, and white wine, with a thick sauce full of the aroma of wine, served with mashed potatoes made with potatoes, butter, cream, and milk.

There was also pan-fried beef steak, served with red wine sauce, truffle, or pepper sauce.

Finally, the vegetable salad had bacon and eggs, but its base was fresh lettuce, sprinkled with crispy bacon, boiled eggs, and salad dressing.

The ingredients that could be quickly bought in this snowy city-state were limited, and the cat boss could only make something simple.

However, it seemed to be quite to Sigrid's liking.

Being able to provide meals to a cardinal of the Revival Church was actually quite a colorful stroke in a chef's career, but the cat boss hoped that no one would know that it had cooked for the tyrant Catholic Church when it returned to the Southern Continent!

After sitting on the edge of the bed, Sigrid seemed to feel particularly cold and wanted to retreat back into the quilt.

As she hesitated, she looked at the cat boss with the eyes of someone who had found a warm pillow.

"Meow..."

The cat boss hesitated for a moment, its steps a little tentative, but it still jumped into Sigrid's hands.

If Sid was allowed to go back to sleep now, lunch would get cold.

Sigrid hugged the little black cat tightly.

"...Sid, did you just smile meow?"

The cat boss laboriously raised its head in Sigrid's arms, observed the corners of Sigrid's mouth, and asked with confusion.

"No."

Sigrid denied it with a serious expression.

"...Really?"

The cat boss always felt that this female Lan Qi was a little untrustworthy.

However, the current Sid was no longer as terrifying as before. The cat boss no longer had to worry about being slapped to death by her or being accidentally pinched to death in her hands, so it was relieved to be captured by her.

Whenever it thought about how the injuries on her body were left when she fought for her life in the Northern Border Province, the cat boss couldn't help but soften its heart, even though it was still full of fear and dread for her.

Before Sid turns back into Sigrid, treat her as a human being who needs to be taken care of and take good care of her.

It thought.

Sigrid began to enjoy her meal, and Lan Qi looked up at the clock hanging on the side wall of the room.

"We have to leave this city-state in an hour. We need to cross the mountains and return to the snowfield before dark."

Lan Qi said as calmly as ever.

"Yes, you should put down your book and have a good rest for a while too."

Sigrid remembered that when she woke up groggily in the middle of her sleep, she saw Lan Qi reading a book.

Although Lan Qi looked very elegant and graceful while reading, and she felt at ease with him guarding not far away, Lan Qi probably hadn't closed his eyes for a long time.

She should drive on the road later and let Lan Qi have a good rest for a while.

"Yes."

Lan Qi put down the *Snowfield Map That Even a 3-Year-Old Can Understand* in his hand and nodded.

"..."

Noticing that Lan Qi had been reading this book all the time, Sigrid's spoon was suspended in mid-air, and her eyelids drooped instantly.

She felt that this guy's previous solemn reading appearance had become a bit hateful again!

(End of this chapter)