Chapter 13: A Dreamy Dimension and a Misunderstanding

Catsy didn’t drink the tea, only watching the steam butterflies rising from the cup. Occasionally, they’d poke at one with a long nail but never touched the cup itself.
Yet, they seemed far more satisfied than when I’d served the previous two menus.
Enjoying the aroma alone—what a peculiar habit.

“Could this create fantastical dreams, I wonder?”

Flash!

[Effect: Fatigue Recovery / (Special) Nightmare Prevention
Rating: (+2)
Thunderbird – Nearly returned to my egg in ecstasy ★★★★★
Catsy – Better than yarn ★★★★★]
Preferred Customer Type: Nature/Avian / (Special) Dream Sovereign]

‘Dream Sovereign…?’
Like with Yama, the “Special” tag appeared, but this felt different from other customer types.
It seemed less like a category and more like a title for a specific being.
Could this guest be on par with or even above Yama in rank?

“Tastes good, meow?”
“So happy, meow?”
“Mew!”
The little ones’ reactions to the ice cream were also positive.

Flash!

[Effect: Slight Luck Boost
Rating: (+4)
Catsy – Decent enough ★★★☆☆
Nekomata – The happiest in the world! ★★★★★ (+2)]
Preferred Customer Type: Spirit/Feline Immortal]

The ice cream, which debuted with a lukewarm rating, was redeemed by the kids’ five-star praise.

As I added the new menu to the signboard, a loud crash came from the table.

“Waaah!”
“Mew!”
“They ate mine, meow? Wanna die, meow?”

Unlike Blue Child, who acted mature despite their youthful appearance, these kids were truly childlike, causing a ruckus.
‘Are these little ones gods too?’
The fight seemed to stem from finishing their ice cream too fast. Catsy, their guardian, showed no interest in intervening, completely engrossed in the steam butterflies.

With no choice, I grabbed a stack of clean handkerchiefs from behind the bar and headed to the table.

“I’ll make more, so stop fighting.”
Their divine nature didn’t stop me from treating them like kids due to their appearance.
I cleaned up the messy table and wiped the ice cream smudged around their mouths, and surprisingly, the chaos calmed quickly.
Purring softly, they sat obediently as I wiped their faces.

Click.
I gathered the ruined dessert bowls, placed them in the sink, and opened the fridge.
I’d promised more, but sadly, only enough for one portion remained.
I hadn’t expected such high demand.
Since it wasn’t a dish I could whip up instantly due to cooling time, I split the portion into three, serving it with three spoons.

“Too small, meow?”
“Mew.”
“Can’t we have more, meow?”

“Too much might upset your stomachs… If you share nicely without fighting, I’ll give you an extra bowl each next time as a treat.”

“Really, meow?”
“Mew!”
“Promise, meow?”

Worried another fight would break out, my promise of future treats worked, and they quietly picked up their spoons. I smiled as they huddled together, bickering over who got more. Then I felt Catsy’s gaze.
Their yellow slit-pupil eyes widened and narrowed, watching me intently.

‘Did I overstep by meddling?’
Even if the kids were gods, my actions could be seen as rude.

“Oh, I didn’t mean…”

“You handle immature beings quite well, don’t you?”

“I have younger siblings with a big age gap, so I’m used to this.”
I regretted mentioning my family right after.
From part-time jobs, I’d learned such excuses could earn sympathy from bosses or customers, but it might’ve been a habit.

“Hmm…”
Whether the excuse worked or not, Catsy said nothing more.
With the tea cooled and the butterflies gone, they now stared at me from across the room. Too awkward to ask them to stop, I stayed silent.

“All gone, meow?”
Finally, as the kids noisily finished their bowls, Catsy stood.

“How should I pay, I wonder?”

“Pay as much Causality as you’re satisfied with.”

Catsy handed over a whopping 5 Causality units.
Holding five glowing orbs, like with Yama, filled me with a sense of abundance.
With the Thunderbird’s earlier payment, I now had 6 units total.

“These kids have no Causality to pay, so what to do, I wonder?”
It wasn’t a combined payment?
I’d thought the 5 units covered the tea and ice cream, but it seemed separate.

‘I don’t mind getting more payment, but…’
The kids looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes, like the three kittens from Puss in Boots.
I could’ve comped the ice cream, but I decided to push my luck.

“For the café’s new menu development, you could pay by allowing me to gather ingredients from your dimension.”
It was time to develop new menus.
Besides the Thunderbird, I hadn’t foraged in other dimensions, so I needed to seize this chance with Catsy’s.

“Your dimension, you say? Is that alright, I wonder?”

“Come to our dimension, meow? Sounds fun, meow!”
“Mew!”
“No regrets, meow?”

The kids’ reactions felt ominous, like I was volunteering for a trip to hell.

“Do you know about my dimension, I wonder?”

“No, I’m clueless about such things. I just want edible ingredients for menu development—fruits or herbs. If you could bring some from your dimension, that’d be even better…”

“Don’t you know gods shouldn’t reveal themselves to dimension residents, meow?”

“That’s why I’d like to be invited as a visitor to forage myself.”

At my proposal, Catsy gave a cryptic smile and let out a long hum.

“Hmm, already experienced with this, are you?”

“The ice cream the Nekomata ate came from ingredients obtained the same way.”

I didn’t mention the Thunderbird, but the kids’ chatter shifted to that dimension, sparking a lively debate.

“Since we need to pay anyway, shall I allow a dimension visit, I wonder?”
Their tone suggested the decision was already made.

Catsy and the Nekomata stepped outside, gesturing for me to follow.

“Piggy, guard the shop. I’ll be back soon.”

“Pwee-pwee!”
The pig-bird threw a fit, as if it had separation anxiety, and it took a while to calm it before I could leave.

“Do you have nightmares often, I wonder?”
Catsy asked, eyeing my concern about the dimension visit.

“No, I rarely even dream.”
Satisfied, they smiled faintly.

Catsy raised a hand, their sharp claws glinting, and lightly clenched and unclenched it.
A faint glow appeared, and astonishingly, a steam butterfly like those from Silverwing Herb Tea formed.
It lacked the tea’s scent, merely mimicking its shape.

“Do you know what happens if you lose the butterfly, meow?”

“Follow the butterfly, got it, meow?”

“Mew!”
Before I could ask the kids what they meant, Catsy blew gently.
The butterfly, carried by their breath, touched my face—

Blackout.
No warning, just a fade-out like a burnt-out bulb.

It felt like collapsing into sleep after days without rest.
When I opened my eyes, my mind was foggy.
My limbs felt sluggish, my vision hazy, like I was dreaming.

Flutter, flutter.
A Silverwing butterfly appeared, and as it flapped before me, my senses snapped into sharp reality.

“Dream Sovereign… Is their dimension tied to dreams?”
If I’d fallen asleep and been transported to Catsy’s dimension…
I cringed, imagining myself sprawled outside the café, snoring.

I awoke on a bed in an unfamiliar room.
Filled with antique furniture, it felt far from modern—like a scene from a classic film or fantasy castle.
Stepping off the plush bed, my feet sank into a soft carpet.

Flutter, flutter.
The annoying butterfly finally flew in a direction as I moved.

‘The kids said not to lose it.’
Though I’d been thrust into this dimension without warning, it was kinder than the Thunderbird’s.
If the butterfly acted as a guide, it beat wandering cluelessly like last time.

Opening the door the butterfly passed through, I saw a sprawling mansion.
I was on the third floor, with a clear view of the interior below.

Step, step.
Carpets muffled my footsteps wherever I went.
Following the butterfly down the mansion’s corridors, a loud crash came from behind.

Startled, I turned to see a woman in a black skirt and white apron—a maid-like figure—staring at me, pale with shock.
It felt like I’d been caught trespassing.
Recalling my time in the Thunderbird’s dimension, where I was jailed as an egg thief, I tensed to flee.

“By the heavens! The young lady’s awake!”

‘What’s going on now?’
Her scream turned the quiet mansion chaotic.

“There’s a misunderstanding…”

“Young lady!”
Several maids and two men in suits rushed up the stairs, blocking my escape.
The butterfly, which had been leading me, stopped, as if pausing to watch the spectacle.

“Are you alright? You shouldn’t be out of bed so soon!”

“Call the physician!”
Their worried faces crowded around me.
Resigning myself, I let the situation unfold.