It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 128

Despite everything, Cleed didn’t expel Hogwood. Kitty’s letter contained facts that the former head of the Weebies family needed to know.

[I found out something important through Polly’s mirror. It seems the Leopards have been cooperating with Jerian for a long time.]

It was quite a shock that the Leopards had helped Jerian gain immunity to the Blue Moon. Cleed and Hogwood’s expressions grew darker as they read on.

Whenever Kitty casually recounted stories about her dad and brother, it was so heartbreaking that they could barely speak for a moment.

[So, first, I’d like you to let the Leopards you’ve taken hostage know that Delta deliberately sacrificed their own kind.]

Below that were wishes for Cleed’s health and greetings to Hogwood.

Cleed and Hogwood reread the same letter three times before sitting down and taking a sip of tea.

“The new information is a bit shocking.”

“Indeed. Our Malangson [Kitty’s nickname, meaning ‘rascal’ or ‘troublemaker’ in their language] must be quite heartbroken.”

Hogwood thought it was fortunate that Ethan was with Kitty. A wolf who isn’t by their partner’s side when they’re sad doesn’t deserve to be a partner.

“Shall we leak some information to the hostage Leopards as requested?”

The members of the Leopard family had traditionally selected the strongest successor through competition, and they had reigned for a long time using that method.

If their authority was obtained by sacrificing their own kind, it was only a matter of time before it became precarious.

However, there was one thing that bothered them.

“Cleed, about Delta Leopard.”

Hogwood went outside the barracks and looked at Delta’s castle, which was covered in dark clouds.

Even though the allied forces of foxes and wolves who had obtained mana cores were pressing from all sides, Delta’s side showed no significant reaction.

At first, they thought they were hiding inside until they could come up with a plan because they had no way to deal with it, but as time passed, something felt strange.

“He’s isolated from Jerian and can’t use the Blue Moon anymore, but he’s holding out for quite a while.”

“Isn’t he a bit too calm to be enduring with sheer willpower?”

Cleed also came outside the barracks, crossed his arms, and looked at Delta’s castle.

Before the Blue Moon appeared in the world, Leopards weren’t a race that particularly avoided interaction.

They became friends with other beastmen, fell in love, and mingled.

‘Even then, the affairs inside Leopard Castle were always kept secret.’

Except for appearing at occasional large events, they didn’t come out of the castle.

“There shouldn’t be anything unnecessary inside that castle.”

Cleed stared at the castle with sharp eyes for a long time before returning to the fireplace.

Even using mana records, they couldn’t know what was happening inside Leopard Castle. It was natural since even the previous fox family heads couldn’t have known what was going on inside.

‘Is he confident in his power and dominance?’

But what is he relying on in the current situation, having lost the Blue Moon to Jerian and being surrounded by the allied forces?

Cleed scratched his head and began reading Kitty’s letter again. Hogwood, who had returned, also moved his eyes, following the now quite mature handwriting.

“Wow, Malangson’s handwriting is much better than before? It feels like just yesterday she wrote ‘Hugger-o-do Nim’ on my invitation.”

“The young lady always practiced until her tail cramped.”

“So, shall we quickly start the groundwork for Malangson’s sake?”

“The sooner, the better. My magic power is slowly filling up. Ah, I need to send a reply to the young lady.”

“Then please give her my regards. It would be even better if you drew a picture too.”

“Why don’t you just stamp your paw print and send it with it?”

“Haha, that’s a good idea!”

Cleed and Hogwood quickly took out paper, pens, and ink.

Watching them subtly continue the conversation, Ben quietly thought to himself.

‘Is this what it means to become easily close if you like the same things?’

* * *

Sigma silently surveyed the inside of the iron bars. Without her glasses, she couldn’t see clearly, but the gazes of the elite Leopards looking at her were different from before.

‘Was I brainwashed by the wolves while I was unconscious?’

Seville and the other Leopards had always shown loyalty to her. More precisely, it was loyalty to Delta Leopard, not her.

But now, they were glancing at her as if they were dealing with something very unpleasant.

Sigma’s last memory was when Kitty awakened Polly’s mirror in Lake Aurora.

The scene where a single arrow shot onto the surface of the lake split into dozens and healed the crazed bears.

She was overwhelmed by that splendid and intense image and lost her mind a little, and her battered body slowly recovered, allowing her to wake up now.

Why had the elite Leopards, who had risked their lives for her just a few days ago, started to be wary?

Sigma spoke to them in her usual light voice.

“What’s wrong? Did Malangson touch you with jelly while I was asleep?”

“…….”

The elite Leopards’ reaction was cold. They used to agree with her even if a dog meowed, but now it was like walking on thin ice.

Seville, who had been quietly observing her condition, asked.

“Sigma-nim [a term of respect], you said you used to conduct bio-experiments on Leopards.”

“……Why suddenly that? Isn’t it resolved if I rotted in prison for a few years? Besides, I was obsessed with research. Dissection and experiments were for the benefit of everyone.”

Sigma said as if she had nothing to feel guilty about.

Seville gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t see it without her glasses.

“Is Delta-nim’s concern for his own kind similar to Sigma-nim’s?”

“Huh? No. He’s our king. You better not forget that fact.”

Sigma showed a displeased expression. However, Seville and the elite Leopards also frowned but did not apologize to her.

Sigma began to feel anxious at their attitude, as if they were treating her like a stranger.

‘……They leaked information. What information did they leak?’

She couldn’t easily guess because there were more than one or two things she felt guilty about.

Just as she was about to pretend to fall asleep again, sturdy wolf knights dragged her out.

She entered an empty room. Soon, Anne and Marie, looking quite haggard, followed her in.

‘Are these two the ones Jerian sent as Kitty-a’s maids?’

Sigma only knew that Jerian had sent them to Kitty and that the plan had been exposed and had fallen through.

She had no idea what kind of relationship Anne and Marie had with Jerian, or what and how much Jerian had told them.

That’s why she was more cautious.

“Hello, I heard about you from Jerian.”

Sigma greeted them, pretending to be calm. It was unlikely that Anne and Marie had asked to see her of their own volition.

If they were dreaming of escape, they would have tried to borrow the power of the Leopards to avoid the wolves, but there would have been many eyes watching.

‘We’re also in the same boat. Jackal and Caris wouldn’t have shown those two such mercy.’

Anne and Marie hesitated and looked at Sigma cautiously. She was a beastman who made Jerian tremble and filled him with anger.

Fortunately, she seemed exhausted now and was in a terrible state, but it seemed best to secure a safe distance.

“So, what brings the two wolf beastmen here?”

“We’re trying to, to persuade you…….”

“The Gridwolf couple sent us. To make you confess what you know.”

Sigma felt a sense of despair as she looked at the trembling two.

‘At this rate, they’ll be exposed if they lie.’

She didn’t know how much the two knew, but it was clear that they had already spilled everything they knew to the wolf knights.

As if to prove those words, Anne opened her mouth first.

“Do you want to die here like this? We’ve already said everything anyway, so everything you know…….”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t care whether I die or not. I can even commit suicide if I can see our king stand at the pinnacle of the beastmen.”

“…….”

“Torture is also welcome. I’m the type who enjoys being in pain a bit.”

Sigma leaned against the wall, acting nonchalant.

Mari, who had been quietly watching her, hesitated and opened her mouth.

“……We already told them.”

“What?”

“That the Leopard family sacrificed their own kind to give Jerian immunity.”

“…….”

With those words, Sigma’s eyes, which had been relaxed until just now, sank heavily. The corners of her mouth, which had been curved in a smile, also turned cold, making the onlookers’ hearts chill.

“How do you know that?”

“Jerian told us himself when he was drunk.”

Sigma slowly rolled her eyes. If Anne and Marie had been let in, the wolves would definitely be watching somewhere, so she couldn’t react carelessly.

However, it was difficult to remain calm inside.

‘They know? Already?’

It wasn’t impossible. Jerian was foolish enough to reveal secrets that he should never have told his close aides when he was drunk.

The problem was that the wolves also knew that fact. It was only a matter of time before the Leopards found out.

‘Now I know why the elite Leopards reacted that way earlier.’

Suddenly, her mouth felt bitter.

Anne and Marie were still trembling all over, terrified.

The two were being threatened now. They were reciting the lines according to the script meticulously written by the Gridwolf brothers and Kitty.

And now was the time to ask the question that Kitty-a Gridwolf had told them to ask.

“Your life is your freedom, but if you don’t testify, our lives will be lost.”

“Do I have to take care of the lives of wolf beastmen I’m meeting for the first time?”

As she shrugged her shoulders, Anne said threateningly.

“If, if you don’t testify for us, we’ll tell Gridwolf that Delta Leopard is the reason the Blue Moon appeared in Leopard territory.”

Sigma’s expression twisted at the sentence she spat out while trembling.

“……How do you know about that?”

The nonchalant pretense she had been putting on until now disappeared at once, as if she were taking off a mask.

‘So, the appearance of the Blue Moon was related to Delta after all.’

Kitty leaned against the wall, pricking up her ears and eavesdropping on the conversation.

The stone inserted into the narrow gap in the wall was recording Sigma, Anne, and Marie’s appearances in detail.