It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 72

<72>

“If that’s what you wish, Milady.”

Clyd, still in his animal form, lightly tumbled on his paws, ready to transform into his adult male self with a ‘poof!’

“Thank you, Clyd.”

“……”

But the moment Clyd saw Kitty’s beaming smile of gratitude, his mind raced.

He wanted to monopolize that smile, no matter what it took. He wanted her to rely on his magic and care for him even more than she did now.

Whether the look in her eyes was affection or concern, he wouldn’t mind.

Hiding the cunning expression of a fox, Clyd stopped mid-tumble.

Fwoosh…….

His body faltered, like a werebeast exhausted from using all his magic.

Gridwolf and his wife, who had been silently moved by how boldly and bravely Kitty had grown, were momentarily speechless.

“Clyd, what’s wrong?”

“……”

“Shouldn’t you have enough magic left to return to your human form?”

He did have magic left. Being near Kitty sped up his magic recovery, and his unstable mana core was much more stable.

But Clyd planned to take advantage of that fact a little.

“Thanks to being by Milady’s side, I do have enough magic to return to my human form… but it seems my body has changed.”

Clyd explained that Sigma had implanted a fake Blue Moon in his body, which seemed to have created a mana core, but it was still unstable.

He had considered hiding this fact until he completed the mana core and left the wolf mansion, but he didn’t regret telling them.

“Really, Clyd?”

Kitty looked at him with a worried expression, and Clyd, without realizing it, wagged his thick tail and approached her.

“Yeah, I’m a little tired……”

“Come here, Clyd. You said you feel better when you’re by my side, right?”

Kitty reached out and stroked Clyd’s small head. By the time she touched his neck, Clyd was nestled in her arms.

“Clyd, what’s a mana core?”

“It’s like this……”

Clyd, enjoying Kitty’s caresses, explained what a mana core was. He subtly added that he needed to stay by Kitty, who possessed the goddess’s magic, to complete it.

Karis, unable to watch the fox leader’s sly behavior any longer, grabbed Clyd by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.

“Clyd Fostein. I’m going to throw you into the bonfire right now……”

‘And roast you?’ Karis was about to say, but he sensed Kitty’s wide, startled eyes. If he threw Clyd into the bonfire and burned all his fur off, she looked ready to burst into tears and run away from home.

“I really hate gray-haired wolves too!”

The thought of Kitty shouting that and leaving the house made him feel faint. Karis forcibly hugged Clyd and continued in a voice filled with anger.

“…It would be good for you to rest by the bonfire. Since you’re not feeling well.”

Kitty’s eyes seemed to say, ‘I love kind Karis!’ Karis felt a little relieved.

Clyd keenly sensed the change in Karis’s feelings. As expected, Kitty knew how to manipulate the wolves’ hearts.

If that was the case, wouldn’t it be okay to get a little closer, using Kitty’s kind heart?

Yes, as she said, he had fox werebeasts to save. He needed to complete the mana core as soon as possible so he could leave the wolf mansion and rescue his comrades.

So, this request was definitely not for selfish reasons.

“So, Madam, there’s something I’d like to ask for your help with to complete the mana core quickly.”

“……”

“I think things would go faster if I stayed in the room next to Milady.”

“……”

For a moment, Jackal almost yanked Clyd’s tail off. How dare he say whatever came to his mind.

But Kitty nodded slightly, so he couldn’t carry out his impulse.

“I like it! It won’t be lonely having a friend next door. If my power can help Clyd save his comrades, I want to do it.”

“……”

Jackal felt a little resentful towards his innocent cat daughter, even after Karis’s sex education. It seemed cats didn’t have the ability to sense a fox’s slyness.

‘How dare you come near our Kitty.’

But he couldn’t lightly dismiss Clyd’s request.

If the fox leader completed his mana core, it would definitely be a great help. Especially now, when they were facing off against the leopards, it would be even more useful.

Besides, if they brought in a large number of external werebeasts for the New Year’s festival, as Kitty wanted, it might be better to have Clyd, as her guard, right next to her.

“……”

Even though he knew that in his head, he didn’t like giving his daughter to Clyd. Jackal glared at Clyd with a fierce look and replied.

“Let’s think about it a little more.”

His voice revealed a hint of complexity.

* * *

A few days later. The first morning of the new year dawned on the Gridwolf mansion as well.

“Milady, I hope this year is filled with only good things for you.”

“Thank you, Lena. Happy New Year to you too, Lena.”

Lena, who had retired from her position as my exclusive maid and now taught the other employees, came to my room for the first time in a while. Just like she always did at the start of the new year.

Baniel brushed my hair with skillful hands and said,

“Today is the first day of the new year, so the employees are off, and there won’t be any preparations for the New Year’s festival.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

The wolves valued their families, so they would each return home to spend quality time together, eating warm stew.

Just like Jackal and Karis had watched the sunrise this morning and brought me Meow Soup.

‘The steaming Meow Soup was really delicious.’

It seemed the chefs at the wolf mansion were gradually getting better at cooking cat food.

Anyway, I had been spending every day preparing for the New Year’s festival, but now I suddenly had a free day.

“Clyd must be busy moving, right?”

I rolled my eyes to the side. Today was the day Clyd moved to the room next door.

He would be moving things, rearranging furniture, so he wouldn’t have time to play with me.

‘Even after he completely moves his room, Clyd will be training to handle the mana core, so he won’t have time to hang out leisurely like before.’

I also had to train with Gridwolf’s bow.

My hands were still tingling from drawing the bowstring all day yesterday, but my posture had only improved, and I still couldn’t shoot the bow.

Elliot said that perhaps I needed special arrows.

‘If I work harder, something will happen.’

I decided to train even harder and decided what to do this morning. It would be nice to write letters to my brothers, who would be training hard in the central training ground.

When I mentioned this, Baniel immediately brought me stationery and a pen. I wrote letters to my brothers, wishing them a wonderful new year.

After finishing the letters, I transformed into a cat and was about to stamp them with my paw print when Lena suddenly asked, as if she had just remembered something.

“Milady, aren’t you writing a letter to Master Ethan?”

Baniel, who had been transferred to the fox squad as soon as she started working at the Gridwolf mansion, didn’t seem to know much about Ethan.

But Lena knew that Ethan had been with me for a long time.

“Lena, will Teacher write back to my letter?”

“Of course. Especially if you send it with a paw print.”

“Then just one……”

I didn’t know the address of Ethan’s dormitory, but it wouldn’t be a big problem if I asked Theo and Deon to deliver it.

I picked up the pen with a light heart and began to write.

[To Ethan Weavers.]

However, after writing the first line, the pen gradually slowed down due to a sense of tension.

At first, I thought I was just paying attention to the spelling because it was a letter to Ethan, who had taught me how to write.

But as I continued the letter, I became increasingly worried about the content.

“Milady, are you alright?”

Baniel asked when I sighed and put down the pen. I read the letter I had written again and asked.

“Should I leave out the part about making five snow meows? Isn’t that too childish?”

“But Master Ethan always enjoyed watching Milady make snow meows, didn’t he?”

Lena advised when Baniel couldn’t answer. For some reason, Baniel frowned slightly and tilted her head.

“Milady, so…… are you and Master Ethan just teacher and student?”

“He’s also my best friend.”

“But your tail didn’t come out when you were writing letters to the young masters.”

“……”

I felt like I had been hit right on the mark, and I couldn’t say anything. This tail again!

I quickly hid the tail that I didn’t know when it had come out. I still hadn’t fixed the habit of my tail popping out when I concentrated on writing.

“It originally moves along with the pen when I concentrate. It’s a little funny, right?”

“The same thing often happens when rabbits in love write love letters.”

L, love letters!

“Baniel, this is just……!”

“I know, it’s just a letter to a friend.”

Baniel smiled meaningfully.

“I’m an expert in letters because I’ve given love advice to my rabbit friends. In other words, it’s my major.”

Baniel was eager to lend me several books on how to write letters well.

“Thank you, Baniel.”

“Think of it as sending it to a friend…… and tell him about Milady’s recent activities. He’ll definitely like it.”

I felt a little more at ease after hearing Baniel’s advice. I started writing about my daily life, starting with the scarf that had become popular thanks to the gifts from Jackal and Karis.

When the ink was drying, I transformed into a cat and dabbed my right paw pad on the inkpad.

Squish—

I hesitated a little after stamping the paw print at the end of the letters to Theo and Deon.

“Should I stamp the left paw print on the letter to Master Ethan?”

“……?”

Lena and Baniel seemed to have no idea what I was talking about. I felt a little gloomy for some reason.

‘I see. It seems that putting meaning into paw prints is a custom only among cats.’

When I was young, Mom would call me to stamp the paw prints after writing a letter to Dad.

“Kitty, the right paw print on the letter means ‘Stay healthy,’ and the left one means ‘I miss you.’”

“Ah, really?”

“Yes. Stamp it as you like.”

I used to stamp both paw prints all over the letters to Dad. To someone who didn’t know, it looked like I had been running around on the letter, leaving footprints all over it.

“Milady?”

“……”

Anyway, Ethan was a wolf, so he wouldn’t know the meaning of the left paw print. I pretended it had no meaning and pressed my left paw pad onto the inkpad.

Squish—

“Baniel, can you check if the stamp came out well?”

“Yes, Milady.”

“Also, check if the letter is okay……”

I turned back into human form and added timidly. Baniel said that my paw print had come out well and added in a subtle voice.

“Milady, how about adding a story about Master Clyd? Like how he’s staying in the room next door starting today……”

Baniel’s eyes were sparkling as she said that.