Today, Too, Nansen Is Forbidden from Crawling into Cardboard Boxes

Nansen Ichimonji always thought he was the sort of terrifying sword warrior who could make a crying child fall silent just by standing beneath the veranda.

But in reality, a cat’s curse makes him say “meow” when he talks. He can’t help staring at anything round and plump, and his feet carry him toward sun-warmed cardboard boxes before he can stop them. Worse, the head of the honmaru, Yamanotorige, can always pinpoint the illusion of a tail behind him, while the reclusive Gozensama Ichimonji Norimune is forever calling him “cute” and “a mess.”

This is an ordinary but lively honmaru. Expeditions bring back strange souvenirs, daily chores turn into catnip-growing competitions, the sparring grounds sometimes feel like family meetings, and every day someone sneaks snacks from the kitchen. A few cat hairs always seem to fall out of the Saniwa’s work reports, too.

Nansen swears he isn’t a cat.

The whole honmaru: Sure, sure.

Yamanotorige: Little cat, mind your posture.

Norimune: Hahaha, isn’t that lovely, though?

Nansen: I said I’m not a cat! Meow!

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