The perfect friend usually has four feet.

"Safa!" Wolfgang has manged to catch-up with his mistress, Safa was obviously heading to her study room, "Leave me be! I need a moment for myself!" Safa replied without looking back.

"Don't rush your steps, you're going to hurt yourself."

"To hell with that."

"Safa, why are you so angry? I know you hate losing but even that, this is a little bit too much."

"I lost fair and square, it is not the loss that is bothering me."

"Then is it the bet? What did you two bet on?"

"It will all be revealed later, for now I would appreciate if you give me sometime to myself." Safa replied as she stood in front of her study room's door.

"Safa...how long have we been friends? Why do you insist to suffer alone." Wolfgang said, "Trust me, this time I will not be suffering alone." Safa replied and went into the room, leaving Wolfgang behind.

Sighing, "I'll wait here untill she comes out." Wolfgang said to himself.

Meanwhile, Fabian was a small distance away from them, when he saw Safa go into the room, he wanted to go there but Fabian was suddenly pulled away by someone before Wolfgang who heard his footsteps turned to see that someone was approaching him.

"Huh, I swear I heard someone walking my way?" Wolfgang questioned as he looked around him but saw no one.

While Wolfgang was confused, James continued dragging Fabian away until they made it somewhere where he believed Wolfgang's ears wouldn't pick them up.

"What are you doing?" Fabian asked.

Letting go of the man, "Saving your arse!" James replied.

Confused, "What do you mean?" Fabian asked.

"You wanted to speak with her didn't you?

Safa would probably kill you if you did so, the thing with women is that you should always give them some time alone to calm down, yapping in front of their faces when they're angry would only make the situation worse." James replied.

"But I do not want her to be angry at me." Fabian said making James sigh at him.

"I feel like a hypocrite now, I told wolf to let things go their way...but here I am pitying you." James said.

Even more confused now, "What are you talking about?!" Fabian asked.

"Listen here friend, I'm doing you a huge favor because normally I wouldn't interfere in this kind of thing, if anything I like the fact that she's angry at you..." James said.

"Why? Do you like her?" Fabian asked.

"Easy loverboy, my heart is already stolen by someone else, so I'm not after Safa like you are and don't even try to deny it I know you like Safa.

Although marrying safa would do me great favors in fact, it would do both her and i great, she really likes being single so I know it won't happen." James replied.

Blushing, "You like someone else but you want to marry Safa?" Fabian asked.

"Things are complicated, I mean not everyone is lucky to marry who they love especially us Nobles."

"So Safa is just a means to an end to you?"

Sighing, "You must be living in a fantasy world, if you think that everyone gets a glorious love story." James replied.

"I am not that naive, I know life is unfair." Fabian said.

"Good, because you should be thankful that I am willing to give you some advices."

"What advices?"

"On how to be on Safa's good side." James replied with a polite smile.

"Why would you...do that?" Fabian asked.

"Let's just say I'm a good person and I'm trying to do good things for my sister, because believe me I don't want to help you right now, but my sister seems to like you and wants to be your friend, she's especially interested in hearing about your travels.

And if Safa kicks you out of her life, that could mean my sister won't get the chance to be around you, and she's really interested in you.

So I'm just doing what a good brother should do." James explained.

Nervous, "So...what advices were you planning to give me?" Fabian asked.

"Simple, there is three advices! and you already know the first one.

no matter what it is you either shut your mouth or be honest with Safa, no lies nor deceit."

"Al...right."

"And second, be nice and considerate to people around her, especially Wolfgang and Clara, Safa has no problem cutting you off if you hurt anyone she cares about."

"Understood..."

"And last but not least it is true that Safa is a weak woman physically speaking.

her health puts her at danger all the time, that does not mean she likes to be reminded of it, so avoid treating her like she's fragile.

Always remember that she a very capable person, and that her physical limitations don't extend to her mind." James said.

Surprised, "Are you sure you...do not have feelings for her?" Fabian asked.

"No, there was a time where I wished for that, but I guess I got something else, and I quite like what I have at the moment." James said smiling happily.

His smile came so easily it boggled Fabian's mind, "Wow! You must really love that person!"

Chuckling, "Of course!" James replied.

"Can I ask you a question then?"

"I suppose, yes."

"Umm... About Safa...do you think she was being honest when she said I look handsome?"

James let out a loud laugh, "Haha!" And Fabian immediately went red, "Why do you laugh?!"

"Safa is an honest woman, I believe she always means what she say, if she says you're handsome, you're handsome." James replied.

"Oh..."

"However..."

"However what?"

"Safa doesn't compliment people that easily, you must be...special, so make sure you treat her like she's special too." James said with a smirk before he gave Fabian a pat on the shoulder and started to walk away.

But just few steps in, James turn back to face Fabian, "That ribbon? Was it your idea?" He asked.

"What?" Fabian was confused yet again.

"The ribbon around your hair."

"Oh...it was Gertrude's idea."

"Hmm, it looks nice on you, but it's a little silly...Denver has a ribbon like that too.

I guess safa got herself her own puppy after all." James said sniggering then left.

All alone now, "Did he just...call me a dog?!" Fabian questioned.

...Meanwhile...

Inside her study room, Safa sat by her desk, her gloved hand fidgeted with a pen as she lost herself in thoughts.

"Eleanore...Your nephew is as annoying as you are...You knew this would happen you sneaky woman." She mumbled.

Sighing, "Well it does not matter...all I have to do is survive this spring and he will be out of my hair." She said.

Suddenly, She heard something make a noise in the room, it sounded like someone was scratching something.

Safa started looking around with her eyes but no one seemed to be in the room with her.

But as the noise continued, "IS SOMEONE HERE?! Are you a servant? Show yourself unless you wish to be fired." She asked.

But there was no response.

On the other side of the door, Wolfgang could hear Safa and he quickly went to open the door, "Safa what's happening?" He asked.

Funny enough when he walked in the noise had stopped, and Safa has already left her chair and was looking around the room, "There is an annoying scratching noise in here! It just stopped when you came in!

I thought at first that it might have been a servant who wandered in here without permission.

But I suppose I was wrong."

"Are you sure you heard a scratching noise?" Wolfgang asked, "I am not losing my marbles yet!" Safa replied.

"I didn't say you're crazy, I'm just wondering if you're tired and hearing things!"

"I am not! I heard it!"

"Fine, fine! I believe you, take a deep breath!" Wolfgang said calmly.

Sighing, "Help me look around, I cannot remember where I heard the noise exactly.

it could be some small helpless animal stuck somewhere." Safa replied.

"Hmm, maybe you're right, Earlier I heard some servants saw a kitten wandering around, it was in the garden I think, maybe it followed you here when you went to talk with Fabian about the bet." Wolfgang said as he began helping her to look for the source of the noise.

Suddenly, The scratching noise started once more, "Ha! I told you so!" Safa said.

Chuckling, "You were waiting to tell me that weren't you." Wolfgang replied, since he was the one with the best hearing sense, he immediately pinpointed where the sound was coming from.

The study room was actually a two story room, and the stairs to that upper side of the room where behind Safa's desk.

Wolfgang climbed the stairs all the way up until he stood in front of a small bookshelf, and at the bottom of the Shelf, he could see that something has pushed against the books, creating a small opening.

Kneeling down, Wolfgang extended his arm into the opening and very carefully pulled what he and Safa has already expected, it was a small orange kitten with its claws drawn at Wolfgang, the cat scratched at the man's wrist as he did his best to pull it out safely for behind the books.

Once secured in his arms, Wolfgang went to the stairs and began descending with a smile on his face despite the cat clawing at him.

"It was a small animal after all." Safa said looking at the orange tiny cat in Wolfgang's arms.

"Yes, you were right as always...it's a boy by the way!" Wolfgang said happily.

"I can see he scratched your wrist, you should go clean that." Safa replied, "He must be younger than a year, they tend to scratch at that age." Wolfgang said.

"For a new kitten, he is awfully silent, had he not began scratching, none of us would realize he was stuck there."

"Maybe he was scared! Not all cats meow as often as you think they do, although you're right about him being awfully silent...even when he's scratching, he's not making a sound."

"He is only a baby...it is impressive but he managed to get into the Manor, and into the study room, and even climbed the stairs." Safa said.

Grinning, "Reminds me of someone impressive that I know." Wolfgang replied.

"Hmm? You mean me?"

"Yes, despite whatever life throws at you Safa, you keep moving forward like this little kitten, maybe this is fate! you were looking for a cat to adopt!"

"You think I should adopt him?"

"Well we don't know where he came from or even if his mother is somewhere around here too, there's not much to do besides either taking him in or leaving him out.

And he's just a little baby, without our help he will die on his own." Wolfgang said.

Sighing, "I guess I could keep him, he will be a good distraction from everything that is happening." Safa replied.

"Yes! You should give him a name!"

"Hmm, a name..."

"Once you get your name! I'm going to get you cleaned up! I know you can't help it but try not to hurt the other servants, alright!" Wolfgang talked to the kitten who wasn't having any of it, it continued clawing at the happy-go-lucky man.

"Acacius!"

"Huh?"

"His name is going to be Acacius!" Safa announced proudly.

"Isn't that a bit of a grandiose name for a cat? What does it mean?" Wolfgang asked.

"It means Thorny and innocent and of course it is grandiose, only great can accompany great, if he is going to be my cat, he needs a suitable name." Safa replied making Wolfgang laugh at her.

Embarrassed, "ARE YOU MOCKING ME?!" She shouted.

"You and this cat are more alike than what you think Safa." Wolfgang replied.