It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 91

Just before departing for the Cat Territory, Jackal called Elliot aside to speak with him.

“Elliot, I’m entrusting you to ensure my youngest daughter doesn’t get hurt.”

“Of course.”

Elliot could sense a great deal from Jackal’s worried tone.

He was concerned about Kitty suffering physical harm, but he was even more anxious that she might get emotionally hurt in the Cat Territory, which she was visiting for the first time in a long while.

A wolf father always worries about his daughter.

Jackal always cherished Kitty more than his own sons, Theo and Deon. It was understandable that he would want to keep holding onto Kitty, as cats are smaller and more delicate compared to wolves.

‘But her temporary adoption is running out soon.’

Elliot always felt uneasy whenever he thought about Kitty’s temporary adoption period.

He wished the Gridwolf couple would be brave enough to formally adopt Kitty first. That way, he could see his beloved disciple more often.

Jackal also seemed to think of the lovely and kind Kitty as his own daughter. He would welcome Kitty’s formal adoption with open arms.

The problem was Caris.

‘The Lady, who carried children in her womb, must have an even greater wound from the stillbirth.’

The longer Kitty stayed, the deeper Caris’s sense of guilt seemed to grow.

No one could dare fathom the depth of that dark emotion.

She loved and cherished Kitty, but she would undoubtedly blame and scold herself for burying her own daughter.

Because she loved the deceased Diel Gridwolf so much.

‘The Lady has an especially strong maternal instinct.’

Elliot still remembered how happy Caris had been when she heard the news that she was pregnant with three children.

Even though she was the mistress of the Wolf Clan, she would take her notebook and go to the kitchen, saying she would cook baby food for the children herself.

He loved the sight of the mistress holding her swollen belly and meticulously writing down recipes for three servings of baby food, and the happy smile she wore.

That’s why no one could suggest Kitty’s formal adoption.

‘I wish the young lady would just stubbornly demand to be adopted.’

However, Kitty, who had a similar wound to Caris, was considerate of her and stated that she would leave when the adoption period was over.

At this rate, the temporary adoption would end as stated in the contract.

Elliot’s face, which had returned to its usual composure, darkened even more.

“Master, are you alright?”

“Of course. Shall we go then?”

Elliot made a final check of the personnel heading to the upper Yawang River.

The group was planning to head to the Yawang River disguised as members of the Welsh Merchant Company.

Kitty greeted the head of the Welsh Merchant Company first.

“Hello, Mr. Welsh.”

“Please take care of me, Lady Kittia.”

He was short but had a sturdy and reliable build, and his caramel-colored hair was as soft as his smile.

Soon, the group boarded the carriage. Cleed, who had also placed fox beastmen in Jackal’s ranks, was the last to board.

With Cleed’s magic, the wolf beastmen looked like dog beastmen. Kitty looked down at her palm, which hadn’t changed at all.

“Cleed, do I really look like a dog beastman to others?”

“Outwardly, yes. They’ll probably think you smell like a dog beastman too. But if someone grabs your soft palm, they’ll find out your true identity.”

“Ah.”

Kitty vowed never to show her palms to anyone and held the bag containing Gridwolf’s bow tightly.

As the carriage departed, Elliot pointed to the map and briefly recited the route.

“If the merchant company heads straight to the upper Yawang River, it will arouse suspicion, so we will first head to a small village near our destination.”

“Our merchant company always uses this route when trading with Jerian, so you can rest assured,” Welsh added. Kitty tried to calm her pounding heart and asked,

“So, we’ll be staying in a village where ordinary cats live for a while?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

A strange feeling swept through her body. Since being exiled by Jerian, she had only been able to see cat beastmen through mirrors.

Even if they weren’t close friends, she would be very happy to reunite with beastmen of the same race.

‘Will I ever be able to meet my friends again?’

Although she had forgotten their faces, she remembered all their names. Even though the upper Yawang River and where Kitty originally lived were quite far apart, she brought buttons with her, just in case.

In Kitty’s bulging pocket were the buttons from the clothes she wore when she first came to the Gridwolf mansion.

They were all clothes that she had received from the cat sisters in her neighborhood, so someone might remember these buttons.

Kitty looked out the window, thinking of the faces she missed, which had become blurred even in her memories.

“Ah, I can see Yawang Mountain over there!”

Kitty pointed to a mountain range where two peaks were shaped like cat ears.

A fairly wide road ran along the mountain range where the Yawang River began, and the merchant company’s carriage was heading straight along the road.

Kitty suddenly remembered something.

“This road… it’s the road I took when I went to the Gridwolf mansion.”

At those words, Elliot’s brow furrowed slightly.

“You came this way? You came alone, young lady?”

No matter how well-paved the road was, it wasn’t a road that a six-year-old girl could walk alone.

Kitty added, as if boasting about her excellent survival skills.

“Yes. I remember secretly clinging to a wolf-drawn carriage around here. I slipped off as soon as I arrived at Gridwolf’s commercial district.”

“Hmm…”

Elliot narrowed his eyes and focused on Kitty’s words.

Until now, he had just assumed that she had arrived at the mansion with someone’s help, but Kitty had traveled that long distance alone over several days.

“When I was hungry and sat down, there was a fruit tree nearby. I was really lucky, right?”

And she arrived safely in the Wolf Territory as if she were being protected by someone. It was difficult to explain with just luck.

Perhaps someone was really protecting Kitty’s first journey.

‘Maybe I can get more information about the young lady’s power on this journey.’

In particular, he might be able to learn more about Kitty’s mother, who had been shrouded in mystery.

While Elliot was becoming serious, Kitty glanced at Cleed, who was sitting next to her.

He was looking down at the map on the table with a guilty look on his face.

To be exact, he was staring intently at Jerian’s food warehouse, where the fox beastmen were presumed to be imprisoned.

Kitty felt like she knew what he was thinking.

“Cleed, let’s trust Jackal and Hashuka for now.”

“…”

Cleed, who had been read so easily, chuckled.

He knew that worrying wouldn’t make things work out, but he couldn’t help but feel bad about the fox beastmen who were said to be imprisoned.

The rabbit beastmen’s testimony that the foxes were trapped and unable to move kept ringing in his head.

“I know who they are. I still remember my parents meeting with them.”

“…”

Kitty silently placed her hand on Cleed’s hand. Her warm comfort was conveyed through her soft palm.

Cleed laughed for no reason, afraid that he would make a weak sound if he stayed still.

“Sorry, young lady. I’ll just focus on the task at hand.”

“No, Cleed. No one can be composed when they know that their loved ones are in danger.”

“…”

“Thank you for coming to our side instead of Jackal’s side.”

“…Well, that’s my decision. I sent Ben, my adjutant, to that side, so it’ll be fine.”

Cleed shrugged, his face much more relaxed.

The words ‘thank you’ that came with his beautifully curved emerald eyes always gave him strength.

Elliot tapped his knee with his fingertips as he watched Cleed’s smile. The reddish cheeks of Danger Factor 2 were ominous.

Even Danger Factor 1 hadn’t appeared yet.

‘…This journey is definitely going to be an overload.’

From finding out new facts to protecting the young lady, there was too much work to do.

* * *

As dusk fell, a group of black-haired wolves were heading upriver through Yawang Mountain.

Their steps through the bushes were so fast and quiet that the cat patrols below couldn’t even notice them.

As the speed increased, the wolves following behind began to breathe heavily.

“Clan leader, no, Captain…”

“We’re going to die!”

“Shut up.”

Eden, who was running at the front, spat out irritably but stopped walking.

It was because some of the people the Forward Commander had assigned as unit members looked like they were really going to die.

‘…That fox bastard is probably sticking close, using the excuse of escorting.’

Eden waited for the five or so wolves to catch their breath, his face shadowed darkly.

A wolf woman with short hair handed him a water bottle.

“I understand you’re anxious, but please consider Forward Commander’s intentions as well. The clan leader position requires the ability to work in groups rather than acting alone.”

“I know.”

“Have you ever seen Uncle Hogwood speeding up until the knights were panting? Please try to match their pace.”

The unit members looked up to the woman, Catherine, who spoke kindly to the dark-faced Eden.

‘As expected, she’s from the same Wyvis lineage.’

‘Catherine will probably take a position at Wyvis after graduation.’

Eden didn’t particularly scold her either and accepted the water bottle. He drank some water and immediately returned the bottle.

“We’ve rested enough, let’s go.”

His low voice seemed to have already lost its reason. Jealousy and worry burned like flames in his blue eyes.

‘What the hell is in the upper Yawang River?’

‘Why is Eden so anxious?’

The unit members were curious, but they decided that there was no way to stop him, who was blinded by his emotions, and got up.