It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 46

Kitty’s gaze drifted to the report in Ethan’s hands. Even before she could decipher its contents, tears welled up at the mere thought of seeing her father’s and brother’s names memorialized within.

“Sir, is that report about…”

“Yes, it concerns your father and brother.”

Ethan carefully smoothed the crumpled report before handing it to Kitty, pulling out a chair for her. Kitty sat slowly, her eyes scanning the document.

“Ah…”

A soft sigh escaped her lips. Tears streamed down her face like glistening beads.

Kitty wiped them away with the back of her hand, her brow furrowed in concentration as she read to the end. Her hand trembled, clutching the report as if it were a lifeline.

Her father and brother, whom she believed had perished in an accident, had been murdered. By cats, of all creatures.

Kitty reread that section repeatedly, as if trying to rewrite reality.

“Hic, Mr. Ethan, is there something wrong with the report…?”

“…I’m sorry, but the chances of that are extremely low. Bears value purity and are not prone to deceit.”

“Then my dad and brother really… Haa…”

Kitty finally relinquished the report, dissolving into tears. Groans of anguish mingled with ragged breaths.

‘Our Soft Paw, what presents would you like your dad and brother to bring this time?’ a memory echoed in her mind.

‘Umm… Kisses?’

‘Don’t worry about that. They’ll kiss your cheeks as soon as they get back.’

But no matter how long she stared out the window, her dad and brother never returned. She vividly recalled the meager but lovingly prepared meal for four growing cold.

Back then, it was Jerian’s henchman who had delivered the news, his footsteps heavy as he spoke of the accident that claimed her father and brother.

Kitty remembered her mother’s long denial, her insistence that something was amiss. She remembered her staggering, clinging to the wall, and crawling on weakened limbs to embrace her daughter, a hollow cry escaping her lips as if it were yesterday.

“How could they murder them and then call it an unfortunate accident…?”

Jerian must have been privy to the truth all along.

He feigned compassion with empty words of regret, all the while knowing the reality. Unaware, her mother and she had complied with his every request.

Kitty clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white, her nails digging into her palms, drawing blood.

Sensing the metallic scent, Ethan placed a comforting hand on Kitty’s trembling shoulder.

“I’m sorry. If I had known this would be the result, I would have rather…”

Kitty shook her head slightly.

“No. Now I know how my dad and brother died.”

“…”

“Did Jerian directly orchestrate their deaths?”

Ethan couldn’t bring himself to lie, not with the desperation blazing in her eyes.

“As you know, the special abilities of beastmen often transfer to the person closest to them at the moment of death.”

“…”

“Jerian either committed the act himself or was present at the scene.”

A heart-wrenching sound escaped Kitty as she collapsed onto the desk. Ethan gently placed a handkerchief beside her as she buried her face in her arms.

He knew that simply being present was more valuable than offering empty platitudes.

‘…It was like that back then, too,’ he thought.

He remembered Kitty, in her cat form, offering her warmth when he was consumed by grief over his mother’s death.

That bright, kind student was now wracked with sobs.

Each tremor of her body ignited a surge of anger within him. He felt helpless, unable to alleviate her pain.

After a while, Kitty grabbed the handkerchief and wiped her tear-streaked face. Her skin was blotchy and inflamed.

“Drink some water.”

Ethan pushed a glass of water towards her. Kitty sniffled and gulped it down.

The heat subsided, and her reason slowly returned.

“Mr. Ethan…”

Kitty turned and buried her face in Ethan’s chest, who was watching her with concern.

Ethan disregarded the stain on his shirt and gently stroked her back.

“You can think of me as Teo or Deon and lean on me more.”

As if those words were a trigger, his shirt became soaked with tears. Ethan calmed the hiccuping Kitty and fell into thought.

If Kitty had learned of the Icaruses’ deaths after her temporary adoption ended, would she have received proper comfort?

‘She seems ready to leave the mansion as soon as she becomes an adult.’

The Gridwolf couple, who had always known Kitty was a cat, hadn’t broached the subject of formal adoption, even with her adulthood only a few years away.

Of course, Ethan understood the reason.

‘No matter how much they love Kitty, it seems that Mr. Caris still can’t forget his daughter.’

He could never forget the cub he had buried with his own hands. Ethan knew he couldn’t fully comprehend the depth of Caris’s wound.

That didn’t diminish his worry about Kitty leaving the mansion after she came of age.

“If it’s too hard, you can turn back into a cat and cry.”

Puff!

As soon as Ethan spoke, Kitty transformed into a cat. Crouching on the chair, she seemed even smaller than before.

Ethan spread his coat on the desk and gently lifted Kitty, placing her on top of it. The stiff cotton softened against her fur.

“Mr. Ethan, I’m sorry. My fur is on your coat…”

“It’s okay.”

Ethan wrapped Kitty in his coat and held her close. Feeling a sense of security, Kitty’s panting slowed.

“From now on, if you’re going to cry, only cry in front of me. Got it?”

Despite his gruff tone, Ethan’s touch was gentle as he stroked her nape and back.

Kitty wiped her tears on Ethan’s hand and nodded.

“Am I very ugly?”

“It’s not that. I just think I’d be annoyed if someone else was next to you while you were crying.”

“Hing…”

Ethan gently massaged Kitty’s pink jelly paws. Her emerald eyes were slowly closing, exhaustion pulling her under.

“Kitty, where are you thinking of going after the adoption ends?”

“First, I’m going to get revenge on Jerian.”

“And then?”

“Um…”

She was diligently saving money in her piggy bank and planning a business, but she hadn’t decided where to live.

Ethan gently wiped the tears from the cat’s whiskers and asked.

“You can live at the Weebis mansion.”

“Hic, really…?”

“Yeah.”

“How long will you let me stay… Haaam…”

Kitty couldn’t fight the drowsiness and drifted off to sleep. Ethan quietly pondered the question she hadn’t finished asking.

How long will you let me stay?

He had taught her to scrutinize offers, and she seemed to have taken it to heart. Ethan chuckled and tightened his coat, ensuring his scent permeated Kitty’s fur.

“As if I would set a time limit.”

* * *

The leader of the leopards, Delta Leopheid, crossed his arms and headed to the laboratory in the basement of the mansion.

The dark brown fur ornaments, mirroring his hair, swayed gently. The leopard’s unique pattern rippled along with them.

The eyes, a harmonious blend of green and gold, shone brightly even in the dim light.

Delta glanced down at something dampening his sleek shoe tips. He saw a pool of red liquid on the floor, illuminated by lamplight and moonlight.

He couldn’t discern if it was rust from the iron tools used to imprison and torture beastmen, or someone’s blood.

“Sigma, why have you summoned me to this dismal place?”

Delta regarded Sigma with a bored expression. However, Sigma was fixated on the laboratory table, his face alight with joy. Moonlight glinted off his large glasses.

“Ah, behold this radiant magic…”

Delta knew precisely whose magic was contained within the glass bead Sigma was studying.

It was the magic of the cat temporarily adopted into the Wolf family, Kittia Gridwolf.

He couldn’t count how many fox beastmen had been sacrificed to obtain the hair needed to extract that magic.

‘But judging from Sigma’s reaction, it seems to be worth it.’

Even accounting for the information the fox beastmen had leaked into the Gridwolf mansion, this seemed like a significant gain.

In other words, using fox beastmen as disposable tools to acquire Kittia’s hair was a worthwhile exchange.

Delta plopped down on the chair next to Sigma and inquired.

“Is there any progress?”

Sigma held up the glass bead with a lewd smile, like a pervert who had stumbled upon a treasure.

“Delta-nim [respected Delta]. You mentioned that Jerian seems to have had a change of heart, correct?”

Delta, who had been regarding Sigma with disdain, furrowed his brow even deeper at the mention of Jerian’s name.

“Yes. That arrogant bastard is overstepping his bounds. Who does he think authorized him to touch the Blue Moon?”

Sigma smiled contentedly and stroked the glass bead containing Kitty’s magic. The nickname he had inadvertently learned for Kitty pleased him even more.

“I suspected as much, but Soft Paw’s magic far surpasses Jerian’s.”

“…”

Delta’s eyes darkened. The reason the leopards hadn’t discarded Jerian was because they couldn’t control the Blue Moon [one of the goddess’s holy objects].

Sigma had been working on solving that problem for nearly 15 years. His chest tightened at the thought that he was finally seeing a glimmer of hope.

“To seize all the holy objects and finally create a world for the leopards, it seems we need our Soft Paw, not Jerian.”

Sigma recalled Kitty’s hair, which would puff up like clouds when she ran.

To think that such a lovely body contained a power capable of controlling the world. Sigma’s cheeks flushed.

“Haa… Our Soft Paw is so…”

“Sigma. Cease your perverted noises and finish your explanation.”

Delta dismissed him coldly.

Sigma continued as if accustomed to the reaction.

“The Blue Moon is one of the goddess’s holy objects, so if we use Soft Paw’s magic to take possession of one of the remaining holy objects, we won’t be dominated by the Blue Moon’s magic. That’s just a hypothesis, though.”

“…!”

There were three goddess’s holy objects passed down in legends.

A jewel, a bow, and a mirror.

Since the leopards possessed the jewel, the Blue Moon, all that remained was the Gridwolf’s bow and the bear territory’s mirror.

Sigma flipped through the calendar, as if selecting an auspicious day, and muttered.

“Jerian must be aware of this, which is why he’s attempting to approach our Soft Paw directly.”

A suitable day to utilize Kitty’s magic was approaching. The memorial ceremony, where wolves gathered annually, was not far off.

Soft Paw had been developing rapidly, bringing him great joy, so she wouldn’t be easily deceived by Jerian’s schemes. If that were the case, he would soon be able to see her face.

“Show Jerian the difference in power, Soft Paw.”

Sigma circled the memorial ceremony day multiple times and smiled lewdly.