It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 125

* * *

Following Sigma into the bear territory, Seville, the elite leopard, was now being forced to confront a harsh reality.

Kitty held a mirror up to him, her gaze chilling.

‘A cat with as much nerve as Jerian.’

Seville was well aware that this small cat named Kitty was trusted implicitly by the head of the Weebies and the Gridwolf twins.

Even Sigma, Delta Leopard’s right-hand man, called her ‘Soft Paw’ and showed her special affection. He had heard that nickname so much that he initially dismissed her as merely cute, but now, looking into her eyes, he perceived a mature and cool-headed side.

“Look straight,” Kitty instructed.

She lightly touched the surface of the mirror with her hand, her sharp claws briefly extended. A handprint shimmered into existence, and soon a new image materialized within the mirror’s depths.

Two cats and Jerian’s group, panting and covered in blood, stained the pristine white world around them.

Seville, an elite leopard, swiftly recognized the cats in the mirror.

‘So that’s the rumored Icarus.’

The primary mission of Seville and the elite leopards was to secure the perimeter during secret talks.

Whenever Jerian visited Delta’s office concerning the Mojo Blue Moon [a substance or event granting immunity or power], he would invariably bring up their names.

“I want to increase production, but you know, the Icarus guys’ abilities are terrible,” Jerian would complain.

“We helped you gain abilities when you didn’t have any, and now you’re making excuses like that,” Delta would retort.

Jerian, despite being significantly older, would shrink back under Delta’s gaze. “N-No excuses. It’s not like that. I’m just saying, please wait a little longer as I’m looking for a way. First, I’m experimenting using that guy’s daughter.”

After saying that, he would ramble on and on about Kitty. Delta couldn’t tolerate it for even a minute and would abruptly silence him.

‘Given Delta’s personality, there’s no logical reason for him to join hands with such a troublesome guy, except for that Blue Moon immunity.’

Delta and Sigma consistently maintained that cooperating with Jerian was a strategic move to seize power, ensuring the leopards wouldn’t be vulnerable to the Blue Moon’s magic.

They repeated this rationale so frequently that all the leopards within the territory accepted it as truth.

At the same time, their pride was wounded.

Were these strong and intelligent leopards forever beholden to Jerian, solely because of his immunity? That was the unspoken question that plagued all the leopards, including Seville.

However, the scene unfolding in the mirror that Kitty presented painted a different picture from what he had been led to believe.

[“Yeah. You know, the leopards are backing me up.”]

[“I know very well. You’re putting on a play with the leopards.”]

A play.

That single word reverberated in Seville’s mind.

The Icarus in the mirror were openly disparaging Jerian for gaining power through a staged performance, and Jerian was reacting with extreme sensitivity to these accusations.

If the Icarus’s words were entirely fabricated, he wouldn’t have reacted so defensively.

Seville calmly analyzed what this ‘play’ could entail.

Most of the elite leopards, including himself, had lost their families to the Blue Moon’s effects and were subsequently raised as warriors under Delta’s patronage.

Seville’s own mother had succumbed to the madness induced by the Blue Moon and died in a violent rampage.

Consequently, Seville had been privy to most of the significant events and decisions within Delta’s circle since his youth.

But a play? It was a concept that felt foreign and unsettling.

‘Jerian staged a play with the help of the leopards?’ When and why would he orchestrate such a thing? And why is he, an elite leopard, only hearing about this now?

Seville initially dismissed the notion.

He couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that the mirror before him was some form of elaborate trick designed to extract a confession.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it,” Kitty said, her voice laced with knowing.

However, when Kitty channeled the goddess’s magic into it, the mirror duplicated the image in multiple directions, creating a multi-faceted reflection.

The same phenomenon he had witnessed when observing the surface of Lake Aurora.

‘Polly’s mirror is said to only reveal the truth.’

Having already witnessed Kitty’s adept use of the holy relic, it was difficult to dispute the mirror’s authenticity.

If that were the case, it truly meant that Jerian had indeed staged a play with the leopards’ assistance.

Seville methodically organized his thoughts.

Jerian had already consolidated his power with the leopards’ support back when the Icarus were still alive.

‘Did Delta help Jerian kill the Icarus to gain immunity?’

No, this contradicted everything he had been led to believe.

Seville fought against the unsettling thoughts swirling in his mind, but the more he resisted, the more his subconscious began to piece together the fragmented puzzle.

Jerian became the leader of the cat demi-humans after evading the leopards’ pursuit and making a safe escape.

And if the leopards had facilitated his escape, there was only one plausible explanation.

‘Could it be that Delta and Sigma used their own kind as bait…?’

That day, how many leopards had suddenly succumbed to madness and died while chasing the cats?

Seville’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Kitty observed every subtle reaction he attempted to conceal.

She was astounded that he had seemed content while attacking other demi-humans in the name of the leopard’s prosperity, yet now he was visibly trembling.

She retrieved Polly’s mirror and spoke in a chillingly calm voice. “Whether it’s the head of the family who betrays his own kind, or the knights who are loyal to that head of the family…”

Seville felt as though he had been plunged into icy water by her confident pronouncement.

The wolf knights terminated the interrogation and escorted Seville back to his cage.

Inside the spacious cage, the elite leopards, with the exception of Sigma, who had sustained the most severe injuries, were slowly regaining consciousness.

‘Before Sigma wakes up, Seville will share this information with the elite leopards.’

It was easy to imagine the expressions of shock and disbelief that would cross their faces upon learning the truth.

Kitty was intensely curious to witness Delta and Sigma’s reactions when this revelation became common knowledge among the leopards.

“Brothers, please loosen the security a little today so that the leopards can talk comfortably,” she requested.

“Okay, I understand,” one of the knights replied.

Kitty returned to her room, maintaining a brave facade until the very end. Eden, who had watched her retreating figure, soon followed.

* * *

Knock, knock—

“Kitty.”

Eden gently knocked on Kitty’s door, holding a small tray in his hand. He distinctly heard the sound of slippers dragging across the floor, but Kitty didn’t immediately open the door.

Instead of knocking again, Eden slightly lifted the dome-shaped lid covering the plate.

Crispy cookies and cream-filled desserts began to emit a fragrant aroma.

“Can I come in?”

“……”

Kitty opened the door from the inside. Eden suppressed a sigh as he took in her disheveled appearance.

He felt an intense urge to obliterate the leopards who had caused Kitty such distress.

Her face was flushed, and she was visibly struggling to hold back tears. Her eyes were already red and brimming with tears, but it was heartbreaking to see her trying so hard to maintain composure.

When she was younger, she would puff up her cheeks like a pufferfish or burst into tears even if he made a lighthearted joke, but now she was desperately trying to hold back.

He had initially thought he would be pleased to see Kitty acting like an adult in preparation for becoming his partner, but he had been mistaken.

The current Kitty seemed to be standing on tiptoes, straightening her back to appear taller and more mature, regardless of whether her ankle was sprained or twisted.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand her desire to become stronger, but witnessing her struggle made him feel as though something precious within him was being trampled upon.

“You don’t have to hold back,” Eden whispered softly, placing the tray on a nearby table. Kitty chuckled humorlessly and sat on the bed.

“Dad and brothers said they trust me. So I won’t cry.”

“……”

“As soon as I get back, I’m going to send letters to Nero and Welsh to find out if they’ve located Jerian’s whereabouts, and contact Cleed and Hogwood to discuss how to disseminate the facts I learned today.”

Kitty spoke with a forced calmness. She seemed unnervingly mature and composed as she handled the situation rationally and methodically, refusing to be swayed by her emotions.

Eden appreciated that she spoke to him in a familiar and friendly manner instead of using stiff honorifics, but he couldn’t simply be satisfied and leave.

“What can I do to make you cry?”

“……Eden, did you come here to make me cry?”

“Yeah.”

Kitty made a sulky face at his uniquely wry smile. Eden was relieved to see her familiar expression.

“I asked the kitchen to bring cookies.”

“I won’t eat them.”

“Do you remember when I spent the memorial service period at the Gridwolf mansion for the first time?”

“……”

“I didn’t eat cookies then either, but you brought them.”

“That’s a lie. You ate them deliciously,” Kitty retorted, grabbing a cookie and taking a bite. The sweetness spread through her mouth, and the tension began to dissipate.

‘Eden came to find me. He’s changed a lot.’

It was somewhat surprising that Eden, who had always seemed incapable of uttering flattering words, was now even reminiscing about old memories to cheer her up.

Wasn’t he the one who had looked down on small and weak cats when they first met?

“You’re smiling.”

“Yeah. Because Eden seems to have changed.”

“It’s because of you.”

Eden casually sat next to Kitty. Kitty pressed her trembling lower lip with her finger and leaned against his shoulder.

It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable because he was wearing a soft white shirt instead of his usual uniform with epaulettes. Rather, it was comforting to feel his body temperature now that she felt so empty.

“Thank you for coming to make me cry, Eden. You can go now.”

“You haven’t cried yet.”

“……”

“What do I have to do to make you cry?”

Kitty chuckled and looked up at him. Their eyes met at close range.

For a fleeting moment, she considered saying something she knew he would never do.

“Turn into a wolf. I’m sure I’ll feel better if I stroke something soft.”

He hadn’t reverted to his wolf form even when he was appointed as the head of the family. It was highly unlikely that he would reveal his wolf form this time either.

But Eden didn’t hesitate for long.

Poof—!

Magic surged through the room, and a large, majestic wolf materialized. His fur was so black that he resembled a shadow, save for his piercing blue eyes.

‘How can he be so handsome even in animal form?’

When he lifted his front paws and stood on his hind legs, he seemed much taller than her seated height.

Eden stood on his two hind legs and rested his face on Kitty’s shoulder, who was still sitting down. She felt a soft and warm sensation.

“……”

Kitty hugged the fluffy wolf tightly. His fur was so thick that it seemed like her sobs wouldn’t be audible outside if she cried while embracing him.

She sobbed quietly for a long time while holding him close. Eden remained silently by her side, offering comfort and support.