It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 67

The carriage was fully prepared to depart for the Gridwolf mansion. Theo and Deon, having already bid farewell to their parents, gazed around with regretful expressions.

“Kitty must be very upset.”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Soft Paw [Kitty’s nickname, referring to her gentle nature] dash off so coldly.”

Kitty had always been a well-behaved youngest daughter. Theo and Deon had navigated the tumultuous years of their adolescence relatively unscathed, thanks in part to her.

But she hadn’t shown her face since brunch, leaving the Gridwolf wolves with a sense of unease.

‘Could she be going through a late adolescence…?’

Eventually, Kitty, who had been absent since brunch, approached carrying a bow. Her eyes were swollen, as if she had been crying, making them appear half-closed.

“Oh, Kitty’s coming.”

“Soft Paw, over here!”

Theo and Deon waved to Kitty as if nothing were amiss. She listlessly swung her bow at them with a sulky expression.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

“Ack!”

“That’s too much, deceiving me all along…”

Despite her dejected tone, the hits were accurate, a testament to Elliot’s training.

Jackal and Karis unconsciously stepped back, each thinking.

‘I noticed it when she hit Sigma with the bow, but…’

‘Perhaps it’s because she grew up with wolves, but her tendencies are just like a wolf’s.’

The elegant and aloof demeanor typically associated with cats was rarely on display; Kitty behaved more like a dog or a wolf.

The importance of environment was once again underscored.

“It’s almost time to say goodbye, so I’ll stop here.”

Kitty put away her bow and offered a small, sad smile. Theo and Deon, no doubt, had been instructed by Ethan to keep her secret. Kitty hugged them each in turn and lightly kissed them on the cheek.

“Stay healthy until we meet again, brothers.”

“Of course, you too, Kitty.”

“Soft Paw, don’t overwork yourself while we’re away. Got it?”

The two wolves squeezed Kitty tightly. Compared to them, she was small and still felt like a child.

“I’ll write letters.”

With those words, Kitty entered the carriage. Her already reddened eyes welled up again.

Karis, Jackal, and Elliot, who were in the same carriage, knew from past experience that Kitty would likely shed a cup of tears each day for the next week.

“Then, travel safely.”

“See you next time!”

As Theo and Deon waved, the carriage began to move. Kitty transformed into a cat and waved her soft paw at them.

In her human form, her eyes were too swollen to see clearly.

“Heeing…”

As the training grounds disappeared over the horizon, Kitty’s spirits plummeted.

Karis couldn’t hide her sympathy as she watched the shrinking ball of fluff. Yesterday, Kitty had comforted her; today, she wanted to offer Kitty strength.

“Jackal, could you lower the table?”

Immediately understanding his wife’s intention, Jackal lowered the folding table attached to the carriage wall and removed his jacket, placing it on top.

Karis transformed into a wolf and sat gracefully on the makeshift cushion. Dignity radiated from her long, soft fur and elegant bearing.

“Kitty, come here. I’ll groom your fur.”

“Ah…”

Even in her sadness, Kitty couldn’t resist Karis’s offer of grooming. Reluctantly, Kitty settled into Karis’s arms.

The glossy, fluffy fur enveloped Kitty’s entire body. Even in her small cat form, Karis, as a wolf, was three times her size.

‘She fits perfectly in my arms; she’s still like a baby.’

Karis chuckled and licked Kitty’s face fur, causing Kitty’s face to wrinkle slightly.

“Jackal, our youngest is salty.”

“…”

Jackal quickly retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped Kitty’s face fur. He felt as though he were squeezing tears from a cotton ball, such was the extent of her crying.

Kitty, who had been deeply despondent, gradually felt better with the Gridwolf couple’s sincere comfort. Her body, which had been puffed up like freshly baked bread, slowly relaxed.

Elliot smiled as he watched Kitty unwind.

“It seems the young lady is tired. Well, she did move the legendary bow…”

“Master, will I be able to handle the bow well?”

“You’re already good at swinging it, aren’t you? We’ll have to focus on archery techniques, though.”

Elliot added, ‘If Cleed were here, it would be a great help.’

The Gridwolfs had possessed the bow for a long time, but they had very little information about it. The same was true for all beastmen.

Therefore, Cleed, who could access the records left by previous foxes through the mana record [a magical archive], was desperately needed.

“Master, how is Cleed doing?”

“I checked on him before departure, and there’s no progress. Usually, a beastman whose madness has been dispelled by the young lady should be awake by now.”

“Is it because the Blue Moon [a source of madness] that Sigma implanted in Cleed’s heart is different from the one he usually uses?”

“There are too many variables. From the young lady drawing the Gridwolf’s bow filled with mana to Sigma using an enhanced Blue Moon.”

It was possible that Cleed was reacting differently simply because he was the leader of the foxes. As Elliot said, there were too many unknowns.

“He needs to wake up soon…”

Aside from the mana record, Kitty was worried about Cleed’s well-being.

She didn’t want to lose anyone precious anymore. If Cleed wasn’t there, the mansion would feel truly empty.

“It’s best to wait for Cleed to wake up while doing what we can in the meantime.”

Until now, she had been able to manage things easily thanks to Cleed’s mana. But Kitty knew that she shouldn’t become overly reliant on him.

“First, I think we should slowly deal with Anne and Marie. Give them enough time to write letters.”

They had reported that dispelling madness wasn’t very effective, but now that she had proven them wrong, they would undoubtedly try to send an urgent message to Jerian [the antagonist].

“Shall we monitor when they head to the mailbox?”

“They’ll deny it if we do that. The envelopes they use have magic on them, so the real address only appears after a certain amount of time.”

Immediately after the letter is deposited in the mailbox, it appears to be sent to a cousin or family member. This was information that Cleed had previously uncovered using magic.

Therefore, it was wiser to intercept the letter during delivery.

“Sir Elliot, you mentioned that someone in the wolf territory was delivering letters to Jerian.”

The envelopes that Anne and Marie used would eventually display the same address.

Jackal answered the question instead.

“We investigated, suspecting that Jerian’s subordinate was residing there, but we found many strange occurrences, so we’re reinvestigating.”

“Strange things like…”

“First of all, the resident at that address was an old rabbit.”

A rabbit? Kitty tilted her head, surprised by the unexpected appearance of a beastman.

“Cats do like rabbits, but… would Jerian employ a rabbit as a henchman?”

“He was a rabbit living alone with mobility issues, so we were also puzzled, but he changed at night.”

The rabbit beastman began to move nimbly at night, despite his ailing body. Even when his joints were bent and he was scratched, he flashed his eyes and attached a letter to a messenger bird sent by Jerian.

“And then he fainted.”

“After sending the letter?”

“Yes. When he woke up in the morning, he didn’t remember why his body was injured or why he was sleeping in the living room.”

“Amnesia?”

“It was as if he were briefly possessed by the madness of the Blue Moon.”

The symptoms were similar to those of exposure to the madness of the Blue Moon, in that he couldn’t recall his actions.

But the repetition of the same behavior while delivering the letter several times was peculiar.

‘Did Jerian cast a spell on the rabbit beastman?’

It wouldn’t be difficult if she received assistance from the fox beastmen she had secured. The problem was that the rabbit beastman, upon regaining his senses, wouldn’t even suspect that he had done anything wrong.

“We need to investigate that rabbit beastman. He must feel wronged, so it’s best to reveal the truth quickly.”

“We’ve already placed a spy in his house. I’ll order them to arrest him as soon as he arrives.”

No matter how much she considered it, there was no logical reason for Jerian to use a rabbit beastman. It would have been more sensible to use wolves like Anne and Marie.

“…Could Barniel be involved in this?”

Elliot shook his head, seeing Kitty’s eyes light up with suspicion.

“Don’t even mention it. From the day Cleed discovered that the rabbit was connected to Jerian, he has been meticulously watching Barniel.”

Elliot continued, oblivious to the Gridwolf couple’s slightly frowning faces.

“Cleed has repeatedly confirmed that Barniel hasn’t been subjected to any magic. He conducted a very thorough background check, didn’t he?”

“Foxes are amazing after all.”

Kitty genuinely admired their thoroughness.

Jackal and Karis couldn’t help but recall what Kitty had said at brunch earlier that day.

“I really hate wolves.”

“…”

“…”

At this rate, they might lose Kitty to the fainted fox.

Sensing a potential crisis, Karis gently stroked Kitty’s body with her long tail. Jackal carefully massaged Kitty’s soft paws and inquired.

“Kitty, by the way, I heard you said you hate wolves at brunch.”

“Ah…”

“You seem to have omitted an important word, dear. You don’t hate *all* wolves, do you…?”

Karis whispered gently. Kitty pondered what the two wolves wanted to hear and responded.

“I really hate black-haired wolves…?”

The faces of Karis and Jackal, upon hearing the desired answer, brightened.

“Yes, Kitty. I understand your feelings. Ethan is a bit difficult.”

“Dear, you don’t hate wolves with gray fur, do you?”

Karis hugged Kitty even tighter, preventing her from offering a different response. Feeling cozy, Kitty nodded and asked.

“Is this perhaps wolf obsession?”

The two wolves shook their heads in unison.

“Of course not.”

“I’m just curious.”

Kitty, unaware that she had been subtly manipulated once again, became completely relaxed in the wolves’ arms. Elliot observed the scene and reaffirmed his belief.

‘As expected, the young lady is the true power in this family…’