It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 77

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“Lady Katrina, the beastmen are staring intently, so let’s proceed directly to Gridwolf Manor.”

The bear beastman leading the procession spoke respectfully. Katrina, the representative of the bear beastmen, replied calmly.

“Understood. Let’s hurry and get moving before the sun gets any stronger.”

To the bear beastmen, accustomed to blizzards, the winter in the wolf territory felt like a mild spring day.

Katrina removed the robe she was wearing. The beastmen, who had come to observe the bear beastmen emerging after a period of isolationist policies, looked quite surprised.

The representative of the bear beastmen was younger and more refined than they had anticipated. It then dawned on the wolves that she was only in her early twenties.

“Is that truly the representative of the bear beastmen?”

“I heard she’s the only daughter of the family that rules the bears.”

“Her name is ‘Katrina Polly,’ if I recall correctly?”

Elegance radiated from her appearance, with her blue-tinged, sky-blue hair braided and draped over one shoulder.

The carriage she rode in was adorned with the Polly family crest, a combination of icebergs, auroras, snowflakes, and the Mirror of the Goddess [a symbolic artifact representing their faith or heritage].

Katrina closed her eyes slightly, focusing on the murmurs she overheard. The beastmen were speculating about why the polar bear heiress had come to Gridwolf territory.

“The dog beastmen from the Gray Sled Merchant Group say that the young lady persuaded her parents.”

“Is she planning to end the isolationist policy when she takes over?”

“I heard she came to confirm things after hearing that Lady Kittia moved the bow [a powerful artifact or weapon].”

“Well, regardless, I’m just grateful that she came to us wolves instead of the leopards.”

Not all of their guesses were wrong.

Katrina had indeed persuaded her father and mother, who had been steadfast in maintaining a closed-door policy, to allow her to leave the bear territory.

Just as she was growing weary of the solitude in the polar bear territory in the Arctic, news arrived that the Goddess’s relic had moved, providing her with a valid reason to venture out.

But the primary reason she headed to Gridwolf was something else entirely.

‘Am I finally going to meet the cat that the Icaruses spoke of?’

The true reason Katrina journeyed to Gridwolf territory was to see Kittia, the daughter of Icarus [a legendary figure or family of cats].

She vividly remembered the final words left by the two cats who had perished in the bear territory long ago.

Although she wasn’t present at the moment of the Icaruses’ death, there was a unique ice rock in the Arctic where magic froze, and it arbitrarily recorded the sounds heard in a specific location.

Since the record only contained sound, the detailed circumstances remained unclear, but the name Kittia appeared repeatedly in the dying wishes of the murdered cats.

Katrina hadn’t given much thought to the will she had overheard by chance when she was young. She had dismissed it as a ridiculous notion that the power of the Goddess was imbued in a cat.

She remained indifferent even when she heard the news that Gridwolf’s adopted daughter possessed immunity to Blue Moon [a magical phenomenon or curse]. Hadn’t a cat named Jerian also acquired immunity after birth?

It was no exaggeration to say that she had almost forgotten the Icaruses’ will.

‘I certainly thought so before I received that letter.’

It all began with a letter sent by Hogwood Weevis, a former leader of the wolves, now retired.

When she read that the youngest daughter of Gridwolf, who possessed the magic of the Goddess, had moved one of the relics, the bow, Katrina quietly held her breath.

Even her parents, who had strictly adhered to a closed-door policy, were deeply shaken as they contemplated the future of their race.

‘Perhaps they feared it would be problematic if the secret known only to the head of the family was revealed because of Kittia.’

Katrina probed her parents’ agitation. She requested to see Kittia herself, arguing that it was a matter of the family’s future.

Of course, beneath that facade lay the curiosity to see the protagonist of the will left by the Icaruses long ago.

‘If she’s a weak cat, there’s no reason to tell her anything.’

Although driven by curiosity, Katrina was ultimately a member of the Polly family.

She sought a transcendent power that could alter the fate of the bears, who maintained a closed-door policy out of fear of the bloodbath that the leopards would cause.

If Kittia couldn’t properly wield the great power that the Icaruses spoke of, the bear family intended to maintain its isolationist policy as before.

“Lady Katrina, we have arrived.”

Her attendant announced their arrival. Coming back to her senses, she realized they were in front of the steps of Gridwolf Manor.

Katrina alighted from the carriage with an escort. It was the arrival of the most distinguished guest to visit Gridwolf Manor during the New Year’s festival.

The Gridwolf couple and Kittia, as well as Hogwood, who had arrived earlier, and Clide, the leader of the foxes, came out to greet her.

Katrina had her servants carry the gifts she had brought from the Arctic and smiled gently.

“Thank you for inviting me. I am Katrina, the only daughter of the Polly family.”

“Thank you for accepting. I am Karis Gridwolf.”

Katrina greeted them in turn. The greeting with the cat she had been anticipating was the last.

Kittia, who had been momentarily distracted by the gift box filled with soft cotton, sparkled her emerald eyes and extended her hand.

“Hello, Lady Katrina! I’m Kittia, a wolf temporarily adopted into Gridwolf… no, a cat.”

She was small, considering she had moved Gridwolf’s bow, which a dozen strong men couldn’t budge. Perhaps because she was a cat, her overall physique was slender.

Katrina was slightly disappointed, but she concealed her expression and took Kittia’s outstretched hand.

At that moment, her hair stood on end at the surprising sensation.

Squishy—

“……?!”

Katrina unconsciously squeezed Kittia’s palm while wearing a surprised face.

Squishy—

Squishy, squishy—

It was a surprisingly addictive sensation. Suddenly, she was reminded of the cute cat paw print on the invitation.

“Young lady, did you personally stamp the invitation with your handprint?”

“Ah!”

Kittia smiled brightly, displaying the same pride as when she was a child.

“I’m glad you recognized it! My nickname is Squishy Paws. I have pink jelly paw pads.”

“…….”

For some reason, Katrina didn’t dislike this cat lady.

* * *

‘Ugh…….’

Kittia stifled a groan as she left the room. She had been busy greeting guests and having tea time until sunset.

The time to rest in the room passed in an instant, and now she had to go down for dinner.

‘I’m even more nervous when I think about the bow demonstration after dinner.’

Clide, who had been waiting in front of the room, took her hand.

“Your legs have given out, miss.”

“I want to walk on all fours.”

“Or I could carry you on my back. Tell me if your legs hurt.”

Clide smiled brightly. Kittia sighed deeply, unable to make such a request, and walked down the stairs.

“My paws are squishy, so my legs are still okay.”

“You have to save your strength since you have to use Gridwolf’s bow tonight.”

“I think I’m more tired because I’m nervous about that.”

Kittia pouted. Clide smiled gently and casually suggested.

“Shall we stop by the catnip field before dinner?”

“…….”

Clide casually threw out sweet suggestions, like adding sweet syrup on top of a tart. He had been doing that all day.

Clide was relaxed as he attended the event as the leader of the foxes and as Gridwolf’s escort.

“We’ll just smell the scent for a moment. If you’re still not relaxed, I’ll pick a few leaves and keep them in my arms.”

“If you do that, I’ll stick to your arms like glue, Clide.”

“That’s better than ruining things because you’re nervous.”

Clide shrugged. Kittia shook her head at his composure.

‘Instead of thinking about going to smell catnip, I should emulate him.’

Kittia regained her strength and moved her steps. Just then, Hogwood, who was passing through the lobby and heading to the hall where the banquet was taking place, discovered Kittia and waved his hand happily.

“Squishy Paws!”

“Ah, Hogwood-nim!”

Kittia ran up and greeted Hogwood happily. Hogwood was always cheerful and generous, but his eyes were sunken because he hadn’t slept for several days as he was in charge of diplomacy.

“You should eat quickly and go in to rest.”

“Haha, it’s nothing. You should have seen Eden’s appearance.”

“What happened to your teacher?”

When Kittia’s eyes sparkled, Hogwood naturally recalled what had happened a few days ago.

Hogwood, who had briefly stopped by the central training hall for a meeting with the Forward Commander, was horrified to see his son.

He was sure that he was living the most comfortable and peaceful life in the central training hall, but his son’s complexion was pale.

“Eden is greedy, like my dead wife. I don’t know how he’s going to finish the training hall course in half a year.”

“Half, half a year?”

Not only Kittia, but also Clide, who was listening with a disapproving face, was shocked.

“He’s only taking naps and taking eight exams a day. That’s not the physical strength I raised him for…….”

Kittia recalled Eden, who had been catching her, a cat, like a mouse during class.

When there was a lot to memorize, she would smile and rebel inwardly, saying, ‘You try it, teacher! Can you memorize all of this!’

‘Eden is really doing it…….’

She was worried that his health would be harmed, but she also felt a subtle anticipation at the thought of seeing him again soon.

What kind of face would he make when they met again? Would he still be prickly, like she felt in the letters?

But maybe not. Maybe he would smile and say he missed her a little.

“…….”

Kittia’s cheeks turned red as she imagined Eden smiling softly with his eyes crinkling.

Hogwood, who had been looking at Kittia without much thought, finally noticed something and laughed coolly. Unlike wolves or foxes, cats seemed to show all their feelings on the outside.

“Well, wolves sometimes do reckless things. Don’t worry and let’s go eat, Kittia.”

Hogwood began to take even better care of Kittia, so a slight anxiety was added to Clide’s face as he headed to the banquet hall.

He quietly looked at Kittia’s back and thought.

‘……I can’t put it off any longer.’