chapter 11
“Clid! How dare you speak so rudely to the young lady!”
Sir Elliot immediately restrained Clid. As Lord Jackal, who had been standing still, stepped half a pace forward, the knights’ expressions stiffened.
“Clid.”
Lord Jackal uttered just that one name in an even, emotionless voice. The weight in his tone made Clid stop growling as well.
I didn’t really know how impressive the heir of the Fox family was, but right now, he seemed intimidated by Lord Jackal and Sir Elliot’s reprimand.
“My apologies, my lady. I spoke out of turn.”
When Clid bowed politely in apology, Lord Jackal looked at me. It seemed like he was asking whether I would accept it.
‘That’s a relief. It seems they don’t realize I’m actually a cat.’
Looking around, no one seemed to think much of my ears popping out.
‘I guess foxes’ ears pop out too when they’re startled.’
I had bitten Clid, and he had apologized, so there was no reason to stay angry.
“P-please don’t do that again.”
I tried to sound as calm as possible. Lord Jackal stepped back again. Behind me, Theo and Deon were even angrier than I was.
“Hey, Clid! You trying to be disrespectful?”
“Kitty, were you scared?”
“I was a little surprised, but I’m okay. But why is the heir of the Fox family in the Wolf estate?”
Theo gave me a simple explanation, just enough for me to understand.
“Because of the leopards, the foxes are in a difficult situation, so they’re staying here temporarily as a unit. Fox soldiers are more sensitive to mana than us, so they’re helpful.”
Sir Elliot apologized again, saying he would properly discipline Clid. The knights who followed were all fox unit members.
I thought wolves and foxes didn’t get along, almost as much as bears and wolves. If foxes were asking wolves for help, the situation must be quite serious.
‘I’ll ask about this later when I get a teacher.’
After a while, at the end of the line of arriving servants, I saw a familiar face—it was Mrs. Gray, who had bathed me before.
“Rena. This is Kittya Gridwolf, our youngest daughter. I’ll entrust her to you.”
Lord Karis introduced me in a much louder voice than before. Mrs. Gray smiled kindly.
“It is a pleasure to serve such a lovely young lady. Let me greet you again—my name is Rena Gray. By my lady’s order, I will attend to you most closely.”
The closest? I held back the urge for my tail to pop out in excitement.
“Then does that mean you’ll be with me every day?”
“If that is what you wish, my lady. Please call me Rena from now on.”
“Yay! I’m so happy, Rena!”
Lord Karis patted my head, relieved that I liked her.
After greeting all the family members and saying goodbye to Lord Karis as he left for the council, I returned to my room with Rena.
In the meantime, the wooden wolf teeth on the door had all been dulled. With teeth this blunt, even if they suddenly bit my hand, it would be safe.
“Good night, Rena!”
As soon as I entered the room, I tried to climb onto the bed, but Rena stopped me.
“No, my lady.”
She lifted me up and carried me to the bathroom. Last time, I had used a tub brought by servants, but my new room—with wolf-shaped handles—had a large attached bathroom.
Wait… a bathroom?
“Um, Rena… are we going to bathe?”
“Of course. You must always bathe before going to sleep.”
I hate baths! I hate getting into hot water and having my fur stiffen!
‘Though if Rena uses lots of oil like last time, it’ll get soft again…’
I clung to her arm, trying to act cute as she started undressing me.
“Rena, Rena! How about we sleep first and bathe tomorrow?”
“No. Little wolf pups like you turn as dark as charcoal if they skip even one night of washing.”
“Ugh…”
If I turn dark, I’d just look like a proper wolf…
Even though I pouted, Rena mercilessly removed all my clothes.
“Tomorrow, people will come to make your clothes. Cleanliness is the basic preparation for receiving guests.”
“My clothes?”
“Yes. And we should tidy your hair before choosing accessories. There’s no time, so we’ll do that tomorrow morning.”
Holding my now naked body with one hand, Rena pulled back the curtain and approached the bathtub. But something interesting was happening inside.
“Oh wow, Rena! There are pretty bubbles floating on the water!”
“From today, you’ll be taking bubble baths. The young masters got bath additives just for you.”
She gently placed me into the water. The softly rainbow-colored bubbles made it impossible for me to feel scared of touching the water.
I love bubble baths!
“There’s even a squeaky duck toy. But why does it smell so nice in here…?”
“R-Rena, please wash me quickly!”
While I was distracted by the toy and bubbles, Rena quickly washed me, nagging me to eat well and grow strong since I was still so thin.
After a thorough wash, she applied oil to me. As I admired my now soft and supple skin, she dressed me in a nightgown and smiled.
“My lady, if you gently pat the oil on your face like this, it will absorb better.”
“Like this?”
Tap, tap, tap—
I patted my cheeks three times and looked at her. She smiled with satisfaction and kissed my cheek.
“You must sleep well to grow big and strong.”
As she tucked me into bed, I wondered if she thought I was some kind of bean sprout.
Wiggling my still-sore toes—my broken claw still throbbing—I suddenly thought of Clid.
‘But really, why are the fox unit here in the wolf family?’
I hadn’t been able to ask earlier, but now I could. Rena seemed knowledgeable.
“Rena, Rena. I have a question.”
“But I cannot answer right now. It’s time for you to sleep, my lady.”
Mimicking my tone, she gently stroked me. Ah, this is making me sleepy…
“Yawn… Rena, what situation are the fox beastfolk in that they’re staying here? I’m so curious I can’t sleep.”
She chuckled softly at my contradiction.
“It may still be difficult for you to understand. Soon, my lady will have a tutor, so it would be better to ask them.”
“Can’t you tell me just a little?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the authority.”
Though kind, she was firm. No amount of acting cute would make her spill secrets.
‘She must be very tight-lipped.’
Even though I didn’t get my answer, I liked her even more. Perhaps feeling sorry, she asked:
“My lady, shall I sing you a lullaby?”
“Oh…!”
I love lullabies!
I focused my hearing and closed my eyes tightly.
Twitch—
“Oh my, your ears are so cute and perky.”
“Hehe, thank you. I really like my perky ears too.”
Without them, I wouldn’t have been adopted into the wolf family. Yesterday, I even thought my “special power” my mother mentioned might be these ears.
As Rena gently stroked my ears and head, my body relaxed further.
“Then I’ll sing for you.”
My mother had said this was a lullaby all beastfolk would know—a song about a goddess who disappeared long ago.
I quietly sang along in my heart as Rena’s voice filled the room.
[ The goddess’s hair sways gently.
A bow in her left hand, a mirror in her right.
A cat pulls the carriage diligently.
The sky, clear like a blue necklace. ]
It made me strangely proud that a cat appeared in a lullaby known by all beastfolk.
Rena kissed my forehead as I smiled and gently stroked my hair.
“I’ll take my leave now. If you wake up or need me, ring the bell anytime.”
“Okay…”
I murmured sleepily.
As I drifted deeper into sleep, I felt a warm presence—like the one I felt from my mother—envelop my whole body.
Late at night, a quiet conversation began within the fox unit at the Gridwolf estate.
“Young master, why are you not sleeping?”
“Huh?”
Clid realized belatedly that his reaction was unusual.
“You understand that only when you grow stronger can we foxes become independent, correct?”
“I know, so stop. That doesn’t mean I’ll grow faster.”
“My apologies.”
The fox bowed respectfully. Clid turned his head, staring at the ceiling.
He knew well that rebuilding the scattered fox faction after “that day” depended heavily on him. As the sole heir, only after reaching adulthood and mastering his full mana could he lead his people out of the wolf estate.
‘But waiting until adulthood… too many of my people are suffering. And living among wolves isn’t exactly pleasant either.’
The wolves weren’t helping out of pure kindness. They intended to create a debt and reclaim it later.
With leopards attempting to dominate the beastfolk world using the power of the Blue Moon, the mana-sensitive foxes had become the most vulnerable—yet also indispensable.
‘Jackal and Karis must think the foxes will rise again once the Blue Moon situation settles.’
That was true. If they could rescue the foxes kidnapped by the leopards, their strength would recover significantly.
‘I thought they wouldn’t do anything that didn’t benefit them…’
Clid looked at his right index finger. A tiny bite mark remained.
When the youngest daughter was introduced earlier, he had been baffled. The scrawny girl in Karis’s arms clearly smelled like a cat.
‘Everyone must have noticed she’s a cat.’
But what shocked him more was when she bit his finger. She was weak, missing teeth, and didn’t hurt—but still…
Those trembling emerald eyes had shown a flash of defiance.
‘A cat that isn’t afraid of a fox…’
Everyone was pretending not to notice, so she must think she really is a wolf.
‘Is that why I keep thinking about it?’
Clid let out a quiet chuckle.
“Lord Clid? Is something wrong?”
His loyal subordinate Ben asked again.
“The cat.”
“Ah, the youngest daughter adopted by the Gridwolf couple?”
“Yeah. Why did they adopt her? They’re not in a position to take on burdens.”
“Hmm… perhaps because she’s incredibly cute? They only have two sons, after all.”
Clid thought of Kitty’s twin-tied hair and smiled again.
“She is cute.”
“I heard she came on her own, asking to be taken in. They must have pitied her.”
“Her hands were soft. But Jackal Gridwolf isn’t the type to create weakness out of sympathy.”
Then something came to mind—something he had learned long ago.
A legend: a goddess once granted special power to a cat that pulled her carriage. A cat was also the only animal to appear in the lullaby about the goddess.
‘Could it be… she’s not an ordinary cat, but something related to the Blue Moon…?’
His eyes narrowed slightly as realization dawned.
