It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 40

Ethan’s room was much tidier than our brothers’ pigsty. Looking sulky, Ethan handed me a handkerchief.

“I didn’t cry, so you don’t need to cry either.”

Ethan’s eyelashes were still wet as he said that. Looking closely, his eyes were more swollen than usual.

Ethan really didn’t want anyone to find out that he had cried. Yet, he opened the door for me.

“Okay. Everyone says that.”

“…….”

“Here, have a cookie. You didn’t have breakfast, did you?”

Ethan didn’t take the cookie bag I offered and just stared at it before asking.

“Who else did you give this to?”

“……?”

“Did you give it to Clyd Fostein, too?”

Did Ethan have a fight with Clyd without me knowing? His voice, which had been steeped in gloom just a moment ago, was now blazing.

I told him the truth, without adding or subtracting anything.

“Clyd went to the central training ground with the adults, didn’t he? This is only for you, Ethan.”

“…….”

Ethan’s expression softened slightly, as if satisfied with my answer.

Ethan likes cookies.

I was proud of myself for delivering comfort at the right time, but then Ethan spoke again in a prickly voice.

“I’ll enjoy it, so go away now.”

I brought him cookies, but instead of thanking me, he’s kicking me out… I was a little annoyed and blurted out.

“But if I leave, you’ll cry again, won’t you?”

“I told you I didn’t cry, Kitty. You’ve gotten fearless since revealing your true form.”

“Your eyes are still wet.”

“…….”

Ethan rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He chuckled, finding the lie that he hadn’t cried ridiculous even to himself.

As expected, if I leave like this, Ethan will start sobbing again.

I decided to comfort Ethan and tensed my whole body. With a ‘pop’ sound, I could return to my cat form.

As soon as I jumped onto the bed, Ethan frowned.

“You’re shedding.”

“Hing…….”

I felt like I was going to cry if I tried to comfort Ethan rashly. Seeing my tail and ears drooping, Ethan carefully sat next to me, looking a little sorry.

“Rena brushed my fur this morning, so I won’t shed much.”

“Oh. I see.”

“Can I get on your lap?”

Ethan silently gathered his legs neatly. His blue eyes twinkled for a moment, as if he was amazed that I was curling up on his lap.

“Why do you always sit like a freshly baked loaf of bread?”

“This position is the most comfortable for me. If my paws get cold, I can cover them with my tail like this.”

I curled my tail and gently covered his hands. Ethan’s expression, which had been trying not to cry, softened a little.

“Ethan, you’re a teacher, so you’re specially allowed to pet me.”

Ethan reached out cautiously, as if he had been waiting for permission. Ethan’s hand sank deeply into my abundant fur.

“I thought you had gained some flesh and muscle, but it’s just the fur that’s gotten thicker.”

“Can you say it’s become more luxurious?”

“Okay.”

Ethan stroked me carefully. When work ended later than usual, Mom used to stroke me like this without saying a word.

Even if he doesn’t show it on the outside, he must be feeling very depressed inside, so I wanted to comfort him even a little.

In times like this, flattery that makes you feel good is the best.

“Do you know that you are smart, Teacher?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

I was speechless because Ethan answered so confidently. Ethan chuckled as I opened and closed my mouth.

“Of course, I know. Mother always told me that.”

“Ah, I’ve heard that Ethan’s mother was a genius too.”

“She was said to be the smartest among the wolves. I don’t remember well, but she read a lot of books to me.”

“…….”

“And she passed away around this time.”

This was the first time Ethan had told me about himself for so long. Does that mean he’s in a very empty state of mind?

‘When Dad and Brother passed away, Mom said my warmth helped her.’

I sprang up like a spring and charged into Ethan’s chest.

Thump!

Surprised, Ethan hugged me.

“What are you doing?”

“Being like this might help a little in this situation.”

“…….”

Ethan stroked me with slow movements. I was sleepy, but I held back and asked bravely.

“I’ll be next to you on this day next year too, Teacher.”

“……And the year after next?”

“Ah, then too.”

“And the next.”

“I’ll be with you forever.”

Ethan, who seemed to find my existence annoying when we first met, was now holding me tightly and whispering in a low voice.

“You promised.”

“Yes. I keep my promises well.”

Ethan knew better than anyone that I would leave the mansion and go to Jerian when I became an adult.

‘Of course, he must be talking about until I become an adult, right?’

I smiled lightly and rubbed my fluffy cheek against Ethan’s cheek. Ethan murmured in a voice full of satisfaction.

“You clearly said ‘forever’ with your own mouth.”

Ethan checked again, as if he couldn’t believe it even when I nodded.

“Kitty. Wolves only make this kind of promise with one person. Do you know what I mean?”

I didn’t know what it meant at all, but I nodded quietly because I thought a long explanation would start if I said I didn’t know.

“You’re only going to make this kind of promise with me from now on.”

“Okay.”

Ethan’s eyes shone deeply as I answered obediently.

“Good, if you understand, Kitty.”

……Did the way he called me just change a little?

* * *

The next day, I put on my cloak, gloves, and boots and played in the snow with my brothers.

The three of us waited for the carriage to return, and we were tired of having a snowball fight and lay down.

It was fun to lie in the soft snow and flap our hands and feet to the side with the three of us together.

“Kitty, did you play in the snow a lot when you were little?”

“Yes. Whenever it snowed, I always made snow-nyaong [snow cat] with Mom. I remember making Dad and Brother out of snow, too, even when they weren’t home because they were on a mission.”

“Ah…… You call snow-wolves snow-nyaong?”

After I revealed that I was a cat, Theo and Deon became very interested in cat words and culture.

“Yes. We call them snow-nyaong.”

“Ah…… The name is so cute.”

“It would be cute to make your family out of snow and put them side by side.”

I jumped up and said to Theo and Deon.

“Wouldn’t Jackal and Caris like it if we made our family big out of snow?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea?”

“They’ll like it if we have our whole family.”

We jumped up and started making big snowballs.

We needed a total of five: Caris and Jackal in wolf form, Theo and Deon, and me.

It took a long time, but thanks to the wolf fur clothes I received as a birthday present, I wasn’t cold at all.

“Brothers. Will Caris be very sad?”

“Um…… A little bit much.”

“Mother used to skip meals around this time every year.”

While making the big snow-wolves, Theo and Deon told me various stories.

It was the story of how they had no choice but to bury their youngest sister because leopards were rampaging when they were born.

“We also found out for the first time the day you came to the Gridwolf mansion to look for a job.”

“We were scolded a lot by Father for touching Mother’s wounds. We didn’t even know…….”

Because the two of them were sobbing at the end, I also rubbed my eyes after stopping making snowballs. It was because I could understand what the sad expression that Caris sometimes made while looking at me meant.

‘So that’s why she hugged me tightly when I said I buried Mom with my own hands. Even when I confessed that I was a cat…….’

I felt endlessly grateful that she had accepted me as family, even though she had turned pale when she first saw me as a girl.

By the time we had made all the Jackal, Caris, Theo, and Deon snow-wolves, the carriage had arrived.

The people who got off the carriage all had solemn faces, as if they were seeing a nightmare again.

Theo and Deon, who had been sobbing while talking about their family’s pain, smiled brightly as if nothing had happened and brought Caris and Jackal.

“Look at this!”

“Now all we have to do is make Kitty.”

“Cute.”

“Oh…… How lovely.”

The Gridwolf couple watched the snow-wolves for a long time before going inside the mansion. Theo and Deon also gestured to me.

“Kitty, let’s eat dinner and do it.”

“Your paws will freeze if you stay there any longer, right?”

“Ah, I’ll follow you in after staying a little longer!”

I hurriedly made one more small snow-wolf. It was a female wolf that looked like a mix of Theo and Deon.

‘Other people probably won’t be able to tell the difference well, but.’

There was a place for Kitty Snow-nyaong between Theo Snow-wolf and Deon Snow-wolf.

‘This was originally your place, so I’m okay.’

I smiled and put an unknown snow-wolf in Kitty Snow-nyaong’s place. All the gathered wolf families were very reliable.

“Kitty, aren’t you going to eat dinner? There’s salmon steak!”

“Ah, I’m going in!”

I looked at the snow-wolves that blended in well as a set without any sense of incongruity and came inside the mansion.

* * *

Late at night. Caris couldn’t sleep and left the room. She stopped Jackal, who was trying to follow her, and went to the kitchen to pour down strong liquor.

Her throat became hot and her mind became a little hazy, but she still couldn’t fall asleep.

She sat haphazardly on the stairs in the mansion lobby and called out the name that was formed in the large pit in her heart.

“Diel…….”

It was the name of her daughter whom she had buried with her own hands. She ended up spitting it out, knowing that there would be no answer even if she called.

“Caris?”

“……!”

Caris slowly raised her head. There was Kitty, who had secretly left the room to reinforce the youngest snow-wolf more firmly.

Caris quickly rubbed her eyes. She wanted to get up, but she couldn’t because she was drunk.

“Baby, what are you doing out here so late?”

“Umm, I couldn’t sleep, so I was thinking of making a snow-wolf…….”

Kitty saw Caris’s cheeks shining in the moonlight. Like Ethan during the day, Caris seemed to be swallowing her sadness alone.

She had heard from Theo and Deon why she was sad, but instead of pretending to know rashly, Kitty carefully narrowed the distance.

‘It’s okay even if I was temporarily adopted to replace the dead youngest daughter.’

Because Caris took care of my wounds more warmly than anyone else.

So, if Caris becomes even a little happier while I stay, that’s good enough.

Thump―

Kitty smiled and burrowed deep into Caris’s arms. She hugged her tightly with her small hands so that her warmth would reach the depths of Caris’s heart.

Caris stroked Kitty’s back silently for a long time before asking.

“Baby. Don’t you miss your mom?”

“Umm…… I always miss Mom.”

“…….”

“But I won’t cry because I miss her. Because Mom will worry if I’m not strong.”

Tears slowly welled up in Caris’s eyes.

“Because I love Mom as much as Mom loved me, I don’t like Mom being sad.”

Kitty’s small voice reached the depths of Caris’s heart. She hugged Kitty tightly and sobbed silently for a long time.

Would her daughter’s voice, which she had never heard, be this soft and warm? Would she whisper such wonderful words?

No, she wanted to hear Diel’s voice, even if she said harsh words and poured out words of resentment. Just once.

A thick blanket was draped over her shoulders, which were trembling thinly. It was Jackal, who had been watching Kitty and Caris from behind for a long time.

Caris also covered Kitty, who was fast asleep in her arms, with a blanket and murmured.

“Jackal. I wish time would stop. Just like this, forever…….”

But sadly, time passed quickly.

10 years later.

Kitty Gridwolf had become a lady about to turn seventeen.