It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 7

I kept my eyes fixed on the soup, continuing my quiet meal.

Jackal kept his gaze fixed on me for a while without eating, until Karis casually spoke up.

“You, instead of staring like that, ask nicely like a child. Kitty’s getting scared.”

“……”

Hmm. I’m not sure what that means.

Since Jackal looked away, I resumed eating. The salmon steak I enjoyed yesterday was served next. The savory butter scent and the glistening, thick salmon were incredibly tempting.

I watched how the others ate their salmon steak.

A knife. I need to use a knife. I stared intently at Theo, who was skillfully using his.

“Kitty, here. I’ll cut it into small pieces for you.”

“That’s right. Leave things like that to your brother until you get used to it. You might hurt yourself.”

Theo cut the salmon steak into easy-to-eat pieces, and Deon finely chopped the grilled vegetables that came as a side dish.

“We cut it for you, so you have to eat it all.”

“Yes! I’ll definitely eat it all.”

I gave them a sparkling-eyed thank you. They seemed pleased, as they both smiled.

Thanks to them, I was able to finish my meal comfortably. Theo and Deon smiled brightly when I emptied my plate.

“Enjoy your dessert, Kitty.”

“I thought Soft Paw seemed to like pudding, so I asked for that.”

“Um… my pudding seems a bit big. Could Jackal’s pudding have been placed here by mistake?”

I looked down at the pudding, which was three times bigger than everyone else’s.

“No, it’s the right size.”

“Enjoy it, Soft Paw.”

After the meal, desserts, including cake, and warm black tea were served. The gold-rimmed tea set beautifully refracted the light.

More than that, I felt those golden eyes were watching me.

‘This is probably when they’ll discuss what to do with me,’ I thought.

But my answer was already decided.

“Kitty, how was the meal?” Karis asked. I smiled happily.

“It was really delicious. Thank you for your consideration.”

“I’m glad. All the food at the Gridwolf mansion comes from here. If you’re ever hungry or want something to eat, come here and tell us anytime.”

Jerian controlled the cats with food. It was a terribly petty method, but it worked because food was a serious issue for everyone.

But just now, Karis had given me access to the mansion’s kitchen.

‘Is it because I look like a wolf?’

I felt proud, and my ears seemed to perk up. Karis said with a smile.

“Kitty, everyone in Gridwolf wants you to become our temporary family, so you can live safely until you become an adult. Can you honestly tell us what you think?”

Everyone in Gridwolf? I looked at Jackal, who was drinking tea with a sculpted face.

‘He has such an indifferent face, but does he really want me as family?’

I wondered if Theo and Deon had begged him, but I calmly organized my thoughts.

Yesterday, I would have been uncomfortable with this situation and unable to say what was on my mind, but I didn’t want to lie to Karis, who had held me all night.

“I would be very happy if everyone in Gridwolf would take care of me. But…”

Theo and Deon, who had been smiling brightly, looked crestfallen.

“I can’t do that. Because I can’t promise to forget my original family. If I did, everyone in Gridwolf would be disappointed. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Karis gave a sad smile when she heard my trembling voice.

“No, Kitty. Once family, they can never be forgotten under any circumstances. You shouldn’t force yourself to forget, and you can’t.”

“Ah…”

“I know that as well as you do, so you don’t have to worry. Family is always in your heart.”

Hearing Karis’s kind words made me feel like the lump in my heart was washing away. My vision began to blur with tears.

“Tsk, crybaby. Come here.”

Deon picked me up and sat me on his lap. I looked at Theo, wondering if it was okay to sit on someone’s lap in this situation, but he was busy taking out a handkerchief to wipe my tears.

I sniffled and asked.

“Really, really, can I have two families until I become an adult?”

“Of course. Kitty’s family would want Soft Paw to be protected and live happily, right?”

I could nod firmly. My mom, dad, and brother would definitely want me to be happy. They hugged me and told me they loved me whenever they had a chance.

“Kitty. Then you’ll be my younger sister?”

Theo asked. I was about to nod right away, but I hesitated because there was one thing bothering me.

“Still, it’s sad to live in luxury alone. I buried Mom in the frozen ground, sob…”

“With your own hands?”

I nodded, and Deon let out a short sigh and hugged me tightly. The Gridwolf couple also came to my side with pitiful faces.

After a while, when I stopped crying, Karis said.

“Kitty. After death, all animals go to a happy place.”

“But I couldn’t hold a funeral. My pockets were empty… But if it’s a happy place…?”

“It’s a little late, but we’ll help you hold a funeral, so don’t worry. A happy place is a cozy and warm heaven.”

“Heaven?”

When I asked, Theo and Deon nodded as if it were obvious.

“Yes. Kitty’s family is living more luxuriously than Kitty. They’ll be in a warm place, hoping you’re happy.”

“So Soft Paw doesn’t have to feel guilty.”

I looked up at Jackal, who seemed like he could never lie.

“Jackal! Is heaven really like a paradise with everything?”

Jackal didn’t ignore my question and nodded slightly.

“Phew, that’s really a relief! To think there’s such a place… Since it’s a wonderful place with everything, will bite-sized pieces of salmon float in the stream?”

‘That would be really wonderful!’ While thinking that, my cat ears popped out in excitement.

Jackal, who was frowning and muttering, ‘Salmon pieces?’ looked at me and gave a long answer for once.

“Yes. It will definitely be such a place.”

It was really wonderful that Mom, Dad, and Brother could all live together in such a happy place. Would our pretty little siblings be born there too?

‘They must be cute.’

I smiled brightly. Theo and Deon also seemed to be in a good mood, sighing happily as they looked at me. Both had very blissful faces.

“I’m really happy that everyone in Gridwolf is so kind to me.”

“I’m happy too because my younger sister is happy, Kitty.”

“Soft Paw is my younger sister…”

Everyone was in a happy mood, so I became even happier. After smiling contentedly for a while, I was startled to realize that I had forgotten an important fact.

“Um, but what should we use for the funeral? Dad and Brother both passed away a long time ago while on a mission in the north…”

Jackal reacted to my words.

“They died during a mission?”

His face became serious at once, so I answered obediently.

“Yes. Both of them in the bear territory…”

“Their names.”

“My dad and brother’s names were both ‘Icarus’…”

Jackal’s eyes narrowed as if he had caught something. I quickly changed the subject, afraid that he would find out I was a cat.

“And Mom is―”

But again, I couldn’t finish my sentence. My mom, who died because of Jerian, was buried in the cat territory.

I remember the approximate location because I dug the frozen ground and buried Mom without even realizing my fingernails were broken, but I was banished and couldn’t enter the cat territory.

‘Digging up the deceased again is a bit…’ I would definitely feel uneasy if I did that. Our mom is a cat with one ear folded, so she doesn’t look like a wolf to anyone.

‘Well, I can just say Dad was a wolf. I heard beastmen can have families with anyone in human form.’

But I still didn’t want to dig up Mom. She must be picking up delicious salmon floating in the heavenly stream right now.

Since there are little ones growing in Mom’s belly, I hope she eats a lot and gets full. I shouldn’t disturb her for that.

While I was wondering what to say, Karis stroked my head. A kind voice followed.

“Kitty, you don’t have to worry. The most important things at a funeral are flowers, candles, and a heart that wishes for happiness.”

“Is that really okay?”

“Yes. But it would be even more meaningful if you drew a picture of your family and put it in a frame. Do that if you want.”

“That’s a wonderful idea.”

If there’s a picture, they’ll be able to see well in heaven that I’m holding a funeral with my new temporary family for my family.

I also wanted to draw a picture and remember them while their faces were still vividly in my mind.

“Then let’s go to my room, Soft Paw.”

“Theo hyung’s [older brother’s] room has a lot of art supplies. He even has crayons with two hundred colors.”

Theo and Deon jumped off the chair and held out their hands for me. I bowed to the Gridwolf couple and took their hands, getting off the chair.

They must be holding out their hands because I’m still too small and my feet don’t reach the floor. How cute.

Karis spoke kindly to me as I was about to leave the dining room.

“Kitty. Bring the picture when you’re done drawing. We’ll prepare the candles and flowers. You have to finish it by sunset.”

“Thank you, Karis!”

I smiled brightly with joy, and Theo and Deon pulled my hands. As I headed to the room following them, I heard Karis telling them to send up snacks.

I like snacks!

With a feeling that had improved to the fullest, I walked lightly and entered Theo’s room. The door was really big, like the other rooms in the mansion.

The doorknob was different from my room; to grab the doorknob in this room, I had to put my hand in the mouth of a wolf carved out of wood.

‘……The fangs are scary.’

It felt like the wolf would snap its mouth shut and bite my hand if I put my hand in. I glanced at Theo and Deon.