It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 82

Kitty felt uneasy as she brewed a warm cup of tea using the tea set in her room.

‘Sir Jackal said that unauthorized outings result in severe punishment….’

She seemed to recall hearing that he had to run sixty laps around the large training ground in the central training area, doing a bunny hop.

Sixty laps. Even real rabbits would struggle to hop that far.

Kitty handed the tea to Ethan and said cautiously,

“Um, Teacher, shouldn’t you hurry back…?”

Ethan took the tea, placed it on the table, and stared silently at Kitty’s face. Her fidgeting only made her look even cuter.

“Kitty, are you worried I’ll be punished?”

“Well, you’re my teacher, after all.”

You should set an example!

Kitty couldn’t bring herself to say the last part. Ethan’s blue eyes curved with amusement.

When she first started lessons as a child, Kitty was a little scared of Ethan’s smile. He always gave her homework after smiling like that.

“Write this ten times.”

“But I think Ethan is a strong, smart, and cool wolf, so he’ll reduce it to once.”

“……Then forget about writing it and memorize it all by tomorrow. There will be a test.”

“Hing…….”

She tried to smooth things over with flattery, but he would avoid her gaze and cover his face, never reducing the amount, which she found annoying.

Now, for some reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off his smiling eyes. Her heart, which usually rested quietly, was now pounding as if to announce its presence.

“I’ll handle the punishment myself,” Ethan said firmly, but Kitty could only interpret it as an admission of his unauthorized outing. Kitty recalled a proverb passed down among cats.

‘Still waters run deep.’ [Meaning: a quiet or unassuming person can possess great depths of knowledge or emotion.]

If one of the three couldn’t stand the boring training and went out without permission, she would have guessed it was Dion, but it turned out to be Ethan, the quietest one.

Ethan, who had always seemed as noble and perfect as a god, felt a little more relatable, and Kitty smiled.

“Still, it’s nice to see you after so long.”

Ethan savored the warmth Kitty gave him, like sunshine, for a moment and asked,

“Did you miss me?”

“Of course.”

“You said you missed me…….”

Ethan got up from his seat. He was much taller and sturdier than Kitty. He reached out and brushed a rose petal off Kitty’s cloak.

“You were alone with that fox.”

There was a subtle anger in his voice. Kitty couldn’t help but glance at him.

‘He’s pressuring the little cat again as soon as we meet…….’

Should I shout and let everyone know Ethan is here?

But if she did that, Ethan would be dragged away immediately. Kitty didn’t want to part with Ethan so soon after seeing him for the first time in a while.

“Clide is my escort.”

“An escort who hands out bouquets of roses.”

“I think it’s better than a wolf teacher threatening a cat student.”

Ethan’s brow furrowed at Kitty’s blunt words. It was too harsh for a wolf who had risked disgrace by going out without permission, after receiving a reply that he could do whatever he wanted.

“That fox is better than me?” Ethan’s voice lowered. The little cat Kitty was startled and hurriedly began rummaging through the drawer.

“By the way, Teacher, did I mention that I have a gift prepared for you?”

It was originally a scarf she started knitting for Karis, but Kitty was a flexible cat.

In the knitting basket she took out, there was a thick scarf that was almost finished.

“It doesn’t seem finished yet.”

“I can finish it quickly.”

“Then hurry up and give it to me. I’ll take it when I go back.”

Ethan must really want the scarf. Kitty soon felt proud, but she didn’t forget to show off.

“But I hope you realize that knitting is a very difficult task.”

Kitty took off her cloak, sat in the rocking chair, and placed the basket on her lap. Ethan turned the chair so he could see Kitty knitting.

Kitty held the knitting needles and concentrated, pulling the dark gray yarn little by little. Soon, her cat ears and tail popped out.

“…….”

Ethan put his balled fist to his mouth and held back a laugh. He seemed to know why Kitty said knitting was a difficult task.

When she moved the right needle, her right ear folded slightly, and when she moved the left needle, her left ear folded and unfolded.

When she pulled the yarn and wrapped it around the needle, her tail wagged in the direction the yarn was moving.

Kitty was knitting with her whole body, just like when she first learned to write. As she gained speed, her ears were perked up and going wild.

Most cats become aloof in appearance and personality around puberty, but why is Kitty still so lovely?

Ethan wanted to run over and hug Kitty right away and nibble on her perky ears. Her round eyes would widen like lanterns.

But he couldn’t confess when he was about to leave for the central training ground. He couldn’t turn her into a cat and put her in his pocket either. Ethan felt frustrated. He snapped, feeling stifled.

“When will you be done?”

“It’s almost done. Please remember that I was a very small baby wolf.”

“…….”

Ethan’s expression softened as he recalled the tiny baby Kitty whose whole body would fit in his hands when he cupped them together.

You cunning cat.

If he stayed here any longer, he might really pick up Kitty and run away to a place where no one else was. There, he would quietly wait until the naive, soft-hearted cat became an adult…….

“It’s done!”

“…….”

Ethan, who was having such thoughts, was unusually surprised by Kitty’s shout.

Kitty cut off the remaining yarn with small scissors and held out the scarf to Ethan.

She didn’t know how to put patterns in it using various yarns yet, so the dark gray scarf only had small tassels at the end.

‘I can knit another one for Karis later.’

Kitty smiled brightly, feeling proud that she had finished a scarf.

“I’m going to knit and sell scarves later. The name is Kkuk Kkuk Scarf. It’s a business item, so please cherish it.”

“Did you give this to Clide, that guy, too?”

She gave Clide a fox tail ornament, not a scarf. Kitty shook her head.

“No.”

“Then it’s okay.”

Ethan got up from his seat. It was time to go back. He was about to take the scarf obediently, but then he bent down slightly and brought his face close to Kitty.

The clean musk scent and his breath made Kitty’s body stiff. It was a different feeling from automatically tensing up in front of a large animal.

Her cheeks flushed again.

“E, Ethan?”

“You do it, Kitty.”

Kitty nodded, trying not to show her agitation. But she creaked like a poorly oiled machine.

Ethan lowered his coat to his shoulders so Kitty could put the scarf on him easily. He was only wearing a thin white shirt without a tie or vest because he had rushed out.

The prominent Adam’s apple and firm neckline were visible between the two or so unbuttoned buttons.

For some reason, Kitty swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, and wrapped the scarf around his neck. Ethan chuckled and tightened the scarf a little more.

His large hand naturally overlapped Kitty’s soft hand. Kitty’s tail hair stood on end.

“It’s too rough and the wind comes in, to be called a business item…….”

Kitty couldn’t answer even to Ethan’s teasing. It felt like Ethan was drawing her soul out through their clasped hands.

“You have to go now.”

“Oh, right.”

Her awkwardness was so cute it was driving him crazy.

Ethan turned his back on Kitty, who was so transparent, and headed for the balcony. He couldn’t go out through the door with a scarf that smelled like cat.

Kitty, who had inadvertently followed Ethan to the balcony, shrank at the chilly breeze.

Ethan wrapped Kitty’s body in his open coat. Kitty was instantly enveloped in Ethan’s arms.

‘Ugh……!’

Her heart tingled. It felt like the downy hair at the tips of her cat ears was standing on end, even though Ethan in front of her was just smiling mischievously.

Kitty couldn’t believe that this prickly wolf’s arms were so cozy.

His body was firm, and his hand on her back was warm. He smelled good too. The grown-up Ethan was a man with strong arms.

Such coziness at the moment of parting. The tearful cat’s eyes welled up. Ethan gently stroked Kitty’s hair and whispered.

“Kitty.”

“Yes.”

“Study hard until my next vacation.”

“…….”

Sharp cat claws popped out at the unromantic words. Kitty stepped on Ethan’s foot as if by mistake. He burst into a light laugh like a child.

“You’re threatening me again.”

“……If you have nothing else to say besides studying, please leave now.”

You heartless cat.

Ethan lowered his head slightly and said softly in Kitty’s ear.

“Don’t be too close to Clide when I’m not here.”

“…….”

“Don’t accept it even if he confesses. Don’t talk to him much either.”

Clide, her escort and close friend, confessing to her? It was absurd.

‘The atmosphere was a bit strange when we faced each other earlier, though.’

Kitty didn’t care and snapped as usual.

“Ethan, is this wolf obsession?”

Ethan didn’t answer.

Kitty, who was only looking at his chest, felt something strange and raised her head. Then she saw Ethan’s face, his eyes slightly red, perhaps from the cold.

The moment their eyes met, he said as if he couldn’t help it.

“Yeah. I get obsessed after being apart for a little while.”

Kitty’s body tingled, and she couldn’t say anything. Her mind was flashing with red lights.

Ethan squeezed her heart even tighter with a voice that sounded low as if it were in a cave.

“I’m also very jealous, don’t you know?”