It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 35

Elliot and the other wolf knights were momentarily stunned into silence.

‘Is the youngest lady’s birthday party something to be so serious about?’

‘I thought something terrible was going to happen…….’

But as they relaxed, the Gridwolf couple’s expressions remained very serious. They exchanged opinions as closely as during a strategy meeting.

“Making it too grand would burden Kitty, so let’s keep it simple. A five-tiered cake should be fine.”

“And only invite a small number of painters, maybe a dozen or so…….”

“She’ll wear the outfit we had made last time, and we’ll have a temporary family portrait drawn to hang in the mansion.”

“Let’s also make a small portrait to put on her hand mirror.”

Besides, the ideas coming out for keeping Kitty’s birthday party simple were anything but ordinary.

‘Where exactly is that simple? You only invite two painters for the young masters’ birthday parties…….’

Elliot couldn’t understand at all, but he could realize one thing.

To maintain his position as Jackal’s adjutant for a long time, he needed to get a good evaluation from Kittia.

* * *

Dinner was, as always, a group affair. I sat in the seat prepared between Ethan and Theo.

‘Looks like everyone’s finished shedding.’

All the wolves except for me, the cat, had stylish fur decorations on their shoulders.

I barely tore my gaze away and was eating the delicious food as usual, gripping my fork tightly, but today the gazes of my temporary family felt particularly intense.

I was chewing my vegetables diligently like a mature cat about to turn seven.

When I tilted my head slightly, Caris shook her head.

“Kitty, I heard your birthday is next week. Is that right?”

I couldn’t figure out how something I’d mentioned briefly during class today had reached Caris in just half a day. Judging by the reaction, it seemed Jackal knew as well.

“Yes, but you don’t have to do anything…….”

Caris quickly interjected as if to say, what do you mean?

“Every baby wolf naturally wants a grand and splendid birthday party.”

“Ah.”

“Wanting a grand birthday party is a baby wolf’s instinct.”

Jackal agreed, so I had no choice but to change my mind. If liking birthday parties was a baby wolf’s instinct…….

“T, then I’d really like a very big cake! With colorful balloons, too.”

For some reason, Theo and Deon started sending respectful looks towards their parents. Caris chuckled and asked me.

“Baby, what kind of birthday present do you want?”

“A baby wolf always asks for something unreasonable on their birthday.”

Jackal added quietly this time as well.

Oops. The knitting needles and sewing kit I asked Theo and Deon for weren’t very wolf-like gifts.

Considering they had more than ten outfits made for me at once, the Gridwolfs were very, very rich.

The wolves’ eyes sparkled with anticipation. I said the most ambitious wish I could think of.

“I want to go to the shopping district and buy all the yarn I can see!”

“…….”

Everyone looked a little disappointed, so I swallowed hard. I couldn’t let them find out I was a cat because of my birthday present.

I was about to add that I wanted to buy a lot of boxes to hold the knitting supplies when Theo and Deon cut me off.

“Did you hear that? Kitty wants to go to the shopping district and buy everything she sees.”

“Ah, I wanted yarn…….”

“Come to think of it, Soft Paws said she wanted to look around the shopping district earlier too.”

Looking around the shopping district was essential for preparing for the future, so I quickly nodded.

Jackal pondered for a moment, then exchanged words with Caris.

“Now that she’s temporarily a member of the Gridwolfs, we should raise her strong.”

“You’re right. If the First Knight Order and Theo and Deon go together, that would be just right.”

If my brothers and an entire knight order went with me, I felt like I’d be surrounded by wolves before I could grow strong…….

“But since it’s her birthday, let’s also attach the Second Knight Order to carry the presents. And since Cleed is Kitty’s guard, the fox squad will naturally follow.”

“Yes. Anything more than that is overprotective.”

Caris and Jackal looked a little proud, as if they hadn’t been overprotective.

Wasn’t this already plenty overprotective? I tilted my head at the two wolves and asked.

“Aren’t too many people moving because of me?”

“No, it’s not.”

Jackal answered firmly. Caris answered a little more gently.

“But Kitty…… I don’t think I’d feel good if someone outside touched your Soft Paws.”

Theo and Deon started chiming in.

“That’s right, Kitty. What would your brothers do if you were kidnapped?”

“With about two knight orders, it’ll be good to warn anyone who’s glancing at Soft Paws while she’s overworked.”

The wolves’ golden eyes gleamed intensely. Just in case, I asked.

“Ah, is this perhaps wolf obsession?”

Then the Gridwolf family shook their heads in the exact same motion, as if they had practiced in advance.

“Baby, are you perhaps annoyed by the escort?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then it’s not obsession.”

“I see! Obsession is too difficult…….”

When I said it gloomily, Theo hugged my shoulder tightly. Ethan, who was sitting next to me, continued his meal alone with a bored expression.

* * *

Finally, my birthday arrived.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I finished stretching and came down from the high bed, step by step, and headed to the display case on the wall.

Thanks to the preservation magic on the pendant, Mom and Dad, Oppa [older brother], and the little kittens’ chrysanthemums were still blooming fresh. A few buttons from the clothes I wore when I first came to the Gridwolf mansion were placed together as decorations.

I made circles with both hands and put them on the display case, then whispered.

“Today is my birthday.”

Of course, no answer came back, but my heart felt lighter.

Because I told Mom and Dad, Oppa, and the little kittens that I safely reached my seventh birthday.

In the place where cats live, it snowed every year around my birthday. The sight of Mom making snow kittens with me after returning from work late at night was the image of my birthday that I remembered.

After playing with the snow to my heart’s content, my hands would be freezing, but Mom always warmed them by covering them with her own.

“Soft Paws are frozen. Let’s go inside and eat Meow Soup.”

“Yes!”

I remembered how my body melted when I picked out and ate the fish in the Meow Soup that Mom made.

‘I miss everyone.’

I kissed the glass of the display case and then bravely made my bed.

Soon, Lena came into the room and kissed my cheek, smiling.

“Lady, happy birthday. Have you now become a little wolf from a baby wolf?”

“Thank you, Lena! Now that I’m a little wolf, I can wash my face and dress myself!”

I puffed out my chest and fastened my buttons as if to show off. This time, I was able to fasten them properly from the first button to the last.

“Um, Lady. You’re wearing your clothes inside out.”

“Oops…….”

“It’s okay. It’s a common mistake for little wolves.”

I laughed and put my clothes back on the right way.

After finishing breakfast and leaving the room, something popped over my head. It was Theo and Deon.

“Kitty! Happy birthday.”

“Soft Paws has become a little wolf now, too?”

The two hugged me tightly and kissed me on both cheeks. But I could feel something in the inside pockets of their jackets.

“Ah, did you pack snacks to eat in the carriage?”

“No. We’re going as Kitty’s escorts today. If anything happens, we have to resolve it through conversation and compromise.”

Theo and Deon proudly opened their jackets. Each had a dagger attached to the combat leather belt inside their jackets.

“You just said you were going to resolve it through conversation and compromise…….”

“The dagger I’m wearing is named Conversation, and the dagger Deon is wearing is named Compromise.”

“If anyone lays a hand on our Soft Paws, we can solve it all with these two.”

“…….”

For a moment, the murderous intent reflected in their eyes was a little scary, but I nodded. Because I was a little wolf now.

“Okay! Let’s go to the shopping district quickly!”

I took the lead and walked towards the front gate of the mansion. A carriage was prepared there for the shopping district outing.

Sir Elliot and Cleed bowed their heads towards me.

“Sabunim [term of respect, like ‘Sir’]! Cleed!”

“Lady, happy birthday.”

“I will do my best to ensure the Lady’s safety today.”

“Thank you both.”

I took Sir Elliot’s hand and got into the carriage. As always, Ethan had come out early before the appointed time.

“Ah, Teacher! Are you coming with us?”

“I just have no intention of skipping today’s class.”

In the past, I would have been intimidated by Ethan’s prickly voice and backed down, but I was seven years old now too.

‘Ethan seems like a trustworthy wolf.’

I grumbled while looking at Ethan.

“Please say happy birthday. Otherwise, I won’t take today’s class…….”

“Are you threatening me now?”

Ethan said in a low voice. My ears popped out a little because I was surprised.

Tch, we’re the same little wolves now, but he’s still prickly. But I couldn’t show my true feelings and smiled kindly.

“No. I was just joking. You’re my teacher, so it’s okay if you don’t say happy birthday!”

“…….”

Ethan, uninterested, started staring at a distant place outside the window again. He always seemed to be like this when he was with me.

I stuck my tongue out at Ethan slightly and then sat down.

“It’s reflected in the window.”

“Oops…… I need to go to the bathroom before we leave.”

I quickly got out of the carriage.

* * *

Soon, the carriage pulled by wolves departed. A total of three, including the luggage carriage. The escort knights following in wolf form were separate.

Not wanting to burden Kitty, they didn’t tell her, but the Gridwolf’s Third Knight Order was wearing plain clothes and waiting, mixed in with the shopping district crowd.

Caris and Jackal leaned on the balcony, watching the luxurious birthday shopping procession.

“I hope Kitty buys a lot of things she likes. Other than the buttons from the clothes she wore when she came, she doesn’t seem to have any cherished possessions yet.”

Caris said, rising to her feet. Jackal followed her into the office.

The two were in the middle of a conversation with information Ethan had leaked yesterday.

The fact that Jerian, the leader of the cats, might have immunity to Blue Moon was very valuable information.

“We’re just temporarily taking care of her, but we got valuable information.”

“I know. The wolves have been continuously investigating only the panthers. So I want to properly repay Kitty…….”

Caris took out well-sharpened scissors and a comb from the desk drawer.

“Jackal, as you know from dinner yesterday, Kitty seems to want a wolf fur decoration.”

“…….”

“She couldn’t take her eyes off it. She must feel left out since she’s the only one who doesn’t have one.”

“…….”

“If she has wolf fur, it will also be harder for enemies to find Kitty by her scent.”

Jackal knew at once what Caris was thinking when she took out the comb and scissors.

Poof—!

Magic flared, and a huge wolf occupied Caris’s office. It was Jackal.

Caris gently stroked her obedient husband and then started cutting.

Snip, snip.

Each time the scissors moved, wolf fur piled up in the basket. Caris continued her bold cutting.

She was planning to make a cloak by filling pre-cut fabric with wolf fur and then give it to Kitty when she returned.

If she decorated the hood of the cloak with specially long-cut fur, it would be very cute.

Wanting to quickly see Kitty’s appearance, happy that she had a wolf fur decoration too while wearing a cozy red cloak, her scissors moved faster and faster.

Snip—

“Caris, I think I heard a huge sound just now.”

“No, if I adjust the length, it’ll be passable…… Oh my.”

Snip—

“…….”

Jackal stared at Caris with anxious eyes.