I Married a Spirit Cat

The iron gate slammed shut behind me with a heavy "clang," rattling my eardrums. Instinctively, I clenched the hem of my dress, my fingertips almost digging into the fabric. This manor, built against the mountain, was as vast as a labyrinth; the blue-gray brick walls stretched to the horizon, carved pillars cast mottled shadows, and the air was thick with a mingling scent of foliage and faint disinfectant. "Come in." The butler handed me a silver badge without expression, engraved with "No. 37," and said, "If you bear a child, the billion reward will be yours, and you will become the lady of the manor." I took the identity badge; the cold metal slid from my fingertips up to my chest. A billion—that number alone could drive anyone insane. But looking into the butler's cold, unfeeling eyes, an inexplicable unease stirred within me. The maid leading me wore a starched white uniform; her footsteps were both swift and light. The corridor was so silent I could hear my own footsteps—tap, tap, tap—striking nerves stretched tight. I caught glimpses of slightly ajar doors along the hallway; inside, women either caressed their bellies before mirrors or sat by windows in a daze—their eyes brimming with hope, yet shadowed by a stubborn unease. "Ms., are you here to conceive as well?" As I passed a room, the door suddenly creaked open a crack. A young girl with a ponytail peeked out, her voice soft and fragile. I stopped and nodded. "How long have you been here?" "Almost half a year," The girl sighed. "There are so many rules here. We can't walk around freely, nor contact outsiders. We can only wait... wait to become pregnant." "What happens if you can't conceive?" I couldn't help but ask. The girl's eyes darkened briefly; she shook her head quickly. "I don't know. No one who's failed has ever left." Having spoken, she shut the door swiftly, as if one more word might invite trouble. The maid glanced back at me but said nothing, only quickening her pace. Finally, she led me into a south-facing room, simply furnished with a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. Outside the window, a small garden was visible. "This will be your room from now on. Dining is from seven to nine each morning; at all other times, remain inside, awaiting Mister's summons." The maid finished speaking, turned, and left, the door closing with equal sharpness. I walked to the window, staring at the meticulously trimmed shrubs in the garden, my thoughts in disarray. Hundreds of women lived within this manor; all of us gathered here for the billion prize, or for the so-called "Mistress" title, waiting for the manor's unseen master.