It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 119

Katrina and the bear shifters didn’t seem particularly surprised, as if Hashka had already told them I would ask about my dad and brother’s deaths.

‘So, they know about the deaths, just like Hashka said.’

Before I could phrase my question, Katrina spoke first.

“You may or may not know, but in the bear territory that has housed the Holy Relic for a long time, there’s a special ice rock.”

“Ice rock?”

“Yes. It has the unique ability to record surrounding sounds at random using the magic it holds.”

“Then did Icarus and the others leave their wills on the rock?”

My dad was a very intelligent cat who traveled all over the world. My brother, who read me fairy tales and told me various legends, was the same.

They might have known about the special rock in the bears’ territory.

“I can’t say for sure if they left it on purpose or if it was recorded by chance. You have to pour magic into it to hear it to the end… but I’m in a situation where I need to conserve my magic as much as possible.”

“Pardon?”

Even before becoming the head of the family, Katrina was the only daughter of the Polly family.

Considering the power of Jackal or Ethan and Clyde, who are at the same level as the head of the family, it was hard to believe that Katrina didn’t possess a similar level of power.

Katrina avoided my gaze, looking embarrassed, and said.

“I heard that the ancestors who knew the location of the mirror managed it carefully and regularly replenished their magic. But…”

“You don’t know the location of the mirror because you pointed with a bear’s paw, so you couldn’t replenish your magic either?”

Ethan was expressing his disbelief with his whole body.

I thought it was strange that the bear shifters were extremely reluctant to fight and pursued a closed-door policy during Katrina’s parents’ generation.

‘But I didn’t know it was because of such an absurd reason.’

It was a situation that would almost never happen to cat shifters, who are petite even when they return to their animal form.

“I’m sorry, but my parents and I are reluctant to use magic to listen to the wills of unfamiliar cats.”

Katrina said. Ethan asked in a voice that still carried a hint of intimidation.

“I trust that you’re not lying about keeping the will safe.”

“There’s no way I’d do something so reckless. In the first place, the reason I participated in the Gridwolf’s New Year’s festival was because I heard that a cat named Kittia, whom I had only heard about in the will, moved the bow.”

“Ah.”

If Katrina knew about me through my dad and brother’s will, I can understand why she suddenly changed her mind and came to the wolf territory.

Traces of my precious family, who I couldn’t be with in their moment of death, are here.

I wanted to say, ‘I’ll use as much of my magic as you want, so please bring me the stone containing the will.’

‘But I should listen to the will after finding the mirror, rather than listening to it now.’

If I heard my dad and brother being tricked by Jerian and dying in agony, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything.

Noticing that my expression had darkened a little, Katrina added.

“The rock containing the will is safely stored in the Polly Castle’s warehouse, so don’t worry.”

“Okay. Right now, finding Polly’s mirror before Sigma and his group is the top priority.”

The anticipation of being able to hear the voices of those I missed even in my dreams and the fear of facing the moment they died came at the same time.

My heart will hurt a lot when I leave the bear territory.

I felt like my cat tail and ears, which hadn’t even popped out, were drooping, but I tried to smile brightly.

* * *

As it got dark, Ethan naturally headed to Kittia’s room. He had specially requested her room to have a good view, so it included a balcony.

“Don’t neglect the security.”

Ethan was generously deploying Wyvis’ elite knights to protect Kittia.

There was nothing more natural than a wolf head of the family putting effort into a woman he considered his mate, so the knights were faithfully fulfilling their roles.

“Kittia.”

Ethan knocked on her door, holding a cup of warm cocoa that he had specially obtained.

“Kittia, it’s me.”

“Ethan?”

Ethan entered her room with the cocoa in hand. He had mentally rehearsed the route several times, so there was no need to hesitate.

Kittia’s unique sweet scent filled the room. It seemed she was trying to wash up early and go to bed because there was a departure planned for tomorrow.

Her silver hair, which only seemed to become more abundant instead of calmer as the days went by, billowed around her bathrobe.

Her large eyes looked emerald or mint depending on the lighting. And her eyelashes were so dense and pretty.

Ethan wanted to hug her and sit on the sofa or bed, looking into her eyes all day long.

‘…It was bearable when I was at the training grounds.’

When Kittia wasn’t in front of him, he used his reason to the fullest to control his emotions and impulses, but it was a little difficult now.

“Did I interrupt you from sleeping?”

“No, it’s okay. I couldn’t fall asleep anyway. Is this hot chocolate for me?”

“Call me by my name properly.”

Kittia hesitated for a moment and said.

“Ethan.”

The sound of the two syllables felt like it was digging deep into his heart. His heart ached when he faced her. Ethan quickly scrapped his plan to sit face to face in the room and have a cozy conversation.

“I asked for a room with a good view, have you been out on the balcony?”

“Yes. The aurora [the Northern or Southern Lights] is very pretty, but my whole body feels like it’s freezing.”

Ethan drew the curtains and opened the door to the balcony. His magic created a round barrier, making the balcony as warm as the indoors.

“The night view is pretty, Kittia.”

“Ah, just a moment.”

Kittia put on a cloak lined with Jackal fur on the outside in preparation for the cold.

Ethan felt a little disturbed by the smell of Jackal coming from between Kittia’s sweet scent and the cocoa scent.

‘It’s like being with my father-in-law.’

Every time Kittia sipped her cocoa, Jackal’s dignified scent became even stronger. Ethan decided to block his sense of smell on his own.

“It’s my first time seeing the aurora in person, and it’s so pretty.”

“Are you going to keep using honorifics with me?”

“For the time being. It’s still awkward to call my teacher by his name.”

Does that mean I’ve only become more than a teacher, and she doesn’t see me as a lover or a man?

Ethan chuckled, feeling like he was being put through his paces.

‘Oh my god. Ethan’s shoulders…’

Kittia glanced at Ethan, pretending to bring the already empty hot chocolate cup to her mouth.

He leaned against one wall of the balcony in a white shirt, looking like a handsome portrait model.

She was afraid she would say something silly if she kept looking at him, so she asked with a deliberately prim tone.

“Um, by the way, what brings you here?”

“I have things to discuss about tomorrow, and I’m a little worried about you too.”

“…”

“You’ve always been with me on my mother’s death anniversary. I thought you might not be feeling well because of your father and brother.”

His face was still prickly, but the words he spoke were as soft as a cat’s belly fur. Kittia just shrugged her shoulders.

“I feel better thanks to you coming to see me.”

She smiled and took Ethan’s hand.

Soft—

Ethan, who was about to say that he could hug her and sleep with her for a day if she returned to her cat form, belatedly realized that the thought itself was crazy.

Who can just hug someone and sleep well?

He understood a little why Jackal wanted to sprinkle salt on him [a Korean expression meaning to pour cold water on someone or to ruin their chances].

“Okay, let’s think about tomorrow’s work.”

“What are the capabilities of Polly’s mirror? If it drives the shifters crazy like Blue Moon, it’ll be difficult even if we find it.”

“The bears like secrets so much that nothing has been properly revealed. There are only rampant speculations.”

The Polly family did not share the family’s secrets with all descendants. At the moment of passing on the head of the family position, it was secretly passed on to only one successor.

“They probably didn’t have the energy to tell us the details of the characteristics, let alone not knowing the location of the mirror because they pointed with a bear’s paw.”

“I guess so.”

“But I’m thinking that it’s related to the characteristics of the mirror.”

The characteristics of the mirror.

Kittia thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind.

“Let’s find out slowly tomorrow when we find the Holy Relic.”

“We should.”

Kittia stretched. Ethan realized it was time to return to his room.

But his legs wouldn’t move as if he had heavy sandbags tied to them.

It was not easy to leave the aurora and Kittia’s room, which shone with beautiful light.

“I don’t want to go.”

Ethan said, gazing intently at Kittia. Kittia’s cat ears popped out at his words, which were full of sincerity and ulterior motives.

‘That wolf!’

Kittia imagined falling into a drowsy sleep in Ethan’s arms for a moment. Her whole body was wriggling just by imagining it.

It was clear that she wouldn’t be able to participate properly in tomorrow’s battle if she did such a thing.

“But there’s only one bed.”

Ethan reflexively retorted, finding it cute that she was raising the fur on her ears and rebutting.

“It’s big. You’re very small when you turn back into your animal form.”

“I have bad sleeping habits.”

“I’ll hold you tight so you can’t move.”

It was around the time that her emerald eyes scanned his broad shoulders and chest in turn.

“Ethan! If it’s your broad arms, can I join in too?”

“Of course, the head of Wyvis can fit up to three people!”

Ethan frowned slightly and looked down at the balcony below. Sure enough, Theo and Deon were looking at him with eyes that seemed to devour him.

“…Kittia, I’ll be going now.”

Ethan gently stroked Kittia’s cheek and then got up from his seat. He didn’t forget to give her room to think.

“If you’re feeling complicated and can’t sleep, stop by. It’s right next door. If you want, I can steal the rock containing the will for you.”

That wolf, he’s really going to steal it.

Kittia shook her head so that he wouldn’t do anything rash, but she slyly raised the corners of her lips.

She couldn’t deny that her mood had improved thanks to his concern.