It was lunch time now.

The spread provided by the kitchen staff was at first glance "normal" - but here and there they had added in some unexpected and to me unknown dishes.

"I hope you like these onion rings - I could eat these all day if I didn't mind buying new dresses... ahhh yummy!" [Katiana]

So she influenced the kitchen again - when does she find time to do that?

"So - I am grateful and all, but why did my Duke not turn me away when you first met me?" [Katiana]

"My instinct."

I answered immediately.

"Your... instinct? Was it because of some sort of  deja-vus?" [Katiana]

"Deja-Vus? That's that feeling that one has experienced something before, yes? No. Pure raw instinct."

"That sounds... useful... well for me it ended up useful. But is seems a bit... flimsy?" [Katiana]

"My instinct is a solid as star-metal. It is battle trained and war hardened. If my instinct tells me to duck, I duck, and that arrow that was about to bury itself in my eye passes over me. If my instinct says those enemy troops charging down that right flank is a feint, and that the real attack is from the left, I change course and charge to the left flank. And if my instinct tells me not to drink this tea because the concentrated hemlock will slow me down, I drop the tea cup."

"Hemlock ... That is poison... and you would be only... slowed down? Eh, must be part of your cheat, I guess." [Katiana]

"My cheat?"

"Never mind that - I was just thinking out loud - please try some of this on the fried fish - I call it tzatziki - it is very refreshing..." [Katiana]

"I can guess the base - it is yogourt - but what was added?"

"Cucumbers! And some spices and salt and olive oil..." [Katiana]

"Well it is nice indeed. Talking about cucumbers... So how do you know so much about slimes - and don't say you read about them, because there is only one book with any usable information about slimes, and my grandfather's brother's wife wrote that, and I happen to have one of the only copies."

"That makes her what... your great-aunt by marriage?" [Katiana]

"Yes, and get back on track. Slimes. You. How?"

In complete disregard for even the most basic of table manners, I stabbed my fork with a piece of fried fish skewered on it in her general direction.

Around this woman even my patience was starting to crumble, sigh. 

"Hwell... let me show you... come on out, child, Mr. Nice Duke wants to meet you." [Katiana]

Katiana tickled her left arm with a finger.

And a black mass ballooned up from Katiana's night-silk dressed arm and suddenly looked at me with one silvery eye.

The slime that was darkness itself slid off Katiana's arm onto the table, and modulated itself up and down, maybe as a sort of greeting.

It was about the size of a big fat black cat.

"This cute child here of mine is called Nozomi. It is the first slime I met, and for some reason we became good friends." [Katiana]

I leaned forward a bit to inspect Nozomi the Slime... any light that reached it was swallowed, so except for the eye, the slime's body appeared to be a hole ripped in the very fabric of reality.

"Only one eye, a low-level slime, but the color is very rare. So you have a talent as a monster tamer?"

"No, sadly I have zero talent for taming - like I said, we just became friends - somehow we can communicate, but Nozomi is its own cute lil slime. Here, have some of this..." [Katiana]

Katiana picked up a piece of fried fish with her fingers and held it close to Nozomi the slime.

A fine tendril carefully extended and wrapped itself around the offered treat, and then retracted into the darkness that was the slime.

After a few moments another tendril emerged and waved.

"Oh you like it - well here have some more..." [Katiana]

"Is it sort of a pet?"

"Hmmm... no, more like a companion, or a partner. Our relationship is based solely on mutual respect, you see. Slimes have feelings too, you know." [Katiana]

"Other than my great aunt, I had never heard anyone else say that about slimes. I've never killed any myself, as that would be like stepping on ants for me, but many new adventurers and even children cut their teeth - so to speak - on slimes. They are at the bottom of the monster food chain, after all."

"Yes, that sort of makes me sad... Slimes could be so useful to the dukedom, if only people would accept them." [Katiana]

"I'll dig up my aunt's book and you can borrow it - might be helpful for your mission in freeing slimes from their lowly and downtrodden position in society."

"Well thank you - but I have a feeling you are making a bit fun of me." [Katiana]

"Maybe once your projects have proven your pets' worth, I and the general populace might change our viewpoint. But for now, slimes are still just like ants for me."

Katiana made a pouty face and behind her hand whispered something to her slime, while glaring at me sideways.

"But we know ants are super important to the ecology, don't we my cute Nozomi?" [Katiana]

A tentacle emerged from the slime and gently patted Katiana on the head.

"Where does that thing have ears anyway, that you are talking to it? I am genuinely curious."

"Slimes don't need ears - they can feel the air vibration - just like spiders, really..." [Katiana]

I rose form my chair, having finished my meal, and stopped behind Katiana's chair, my hand resting lightly on her shoulder.

The slime's single eye stared up at me, almost as if it was judging me, but other than that it made no motion.

"And I did not know spiders could hear, either... well I have some annoying and useless work to take care of at the palace again this afternoon, so we might only meet again at breakfast."

She twisted around to look up at me.

"Ah, that's a shame... Oh wait - before you leave - you should have gotten an invite to the crown prince's birthday that will happen three weeks from now. Would it all be possible that I could tag along? Oh... maybe it won't be possible - I never had my social debut." [Katiana]

"So let us make this your social debut. And... how about we announce our engagement for now? That will be reason enough for you to be my partner at the ball."

"Oooo clever! I knew my husband wasn't just all rock-hard oiled-up glistening muscle! Woof! Right right... Other than the staff here no-one knows about the mariage certificate, so it would be a bit of a social bombshell if I went as your wife..." [Katiana]

I gently squeezed her shoulder before moving towards the exit - what sort of fantasy this woman had.

Or was it more a fetish?

At the door I turned back  towards Katiana.

"Make sure to discuss your projects with the steward - I will see you in the morning."

Katiana made a strange V sign with one hand while grinning.

"Those annoying court 'jesters' you are going to see - make sure to beat the cra... ahhhh... make sure they know you are the Boss, dear Nitram!" [Katiana]

The slime - no - Nozomi - waved a single tentacle at me... was it saying good-bye?

---

Before I left the mansion, my steward handed me two envelopes.

One was from the crown prince's palace - the invite that Katiana had predicted.

The other was in a red envelope with white lace trimming.

It was from my mother, the dowager duchess.

Ah... I did not feel like opening that one.

---