chapter 14
Theo and Deon were holding back laughter, clearly enjoying my predicament.
Philip told us to wait a moment, then picked a basketful of strawberries and handed it to me.
“My lady, you truly are adorable. You may eat anything here as you like.”
“Oh! Really?”
“Of course. Hearing that you find them delicious makes it all worthwhile.”
Grinning, I accepted the basket and thanked him. The strawberries glistened, as if freshly washed.
“Thank you, Philip!”
“Come visit again anytime, my lady.”
“Yes!”
The three of us continued our walk, nibbling on the strawberries. Looking at the beautifully ripened fruit, I said,
“Being a gardener is such a wonderful job. I wish I could do something like this at the Gridwolf estate.”
“If someone as cute as you walked around with a duster, the servants would be too busy staring to get any work done,” Theo said.
“But being cute isn’t my job,” I replied with a pout.
“Of course not. If it were, you’d be overworked every day,” Deon teased, then added jokingly,
“For now, you should eat well and sleep well so you can grow strong. Once you grow up, you’ll become someone amazing.”
“Right. You’re a Gridwolf, after all.”
I knew this adoption was temporary, but hearing them say that still made me happy. My mood quickly lifted, and I ate another strawberry.
Soon, we reached the boundary between the eastern and western gardens—a stone altar with a large monument.
Theo and Deon’s expressions turned serious.
“This is a memorial monument, Kitty.”
“A grave?”
“The graves are elsewhere. This monument was built to remember the wolves who died—those who were killed by leopards that lost their minds under the Blue Moon.”
The stone was covered in countless engraved names.
I couldn’t read yet, but I could tell there were many. It was heartbreaking.
I clasped my soft hands together and prayed briefly.
‘Please be happy in a place where salmon floats freely.’
Just as I started to feel sad, thinking of those who had passed, Deon suddenly picked me up and ran.
“Look, soft hands. You can see the village from here.”
“Wow!”
From his arms, I could see far below. The estate sat high on a hill, overlooking a small village of wolves and dog beastfolk.
Squinting, I could see people shopping and children playing.
Theo pointed at the market.
“Later, when we get allowance, let’s sneak out and visit. After the New Year festival, Mom and Dad give us money in envelopes.”
“Will I get some too?”
“Of course. You’re a Gridwolf too.”
Allowance… I’d never had that before. It made me excited.
There’s plenty of food here, so maybe I could buy a big ball of yarn! Then I could play with my brothers.
While I was debating between a red or yellow yarn ball, Deon suddenly shaded his eyes and looked into the distance.
“Uh-oh. That’s not good.”
Theo said the same at the same time.
I couldn’t see anything, but I crossed my arms and followed their tone.
“That really is a big problem!”
Soon, I saw what they meant—a large carriage entering the estate gate.
Theo checked his pocket watch.
“Looks like the people from the atelier have arrived.”
“We’ve seen the eastern garden, so let’s head back. Soft hands, does your foot hurt?”
It was throbbing from my broken claw. Walking all the way back would take a long time.
But I didn’t want to act like a child, so I shook my head.
“Don’t lie to your brothers. Does it hurt?”
“A little… but I can walk.”
“No. You need to save your strength for your dress fitting.”
Theo smirked and looked at Deon. Deon frowned, then sighed.
“Fine. But don’t be scared.”
Deon closed his eyes, and a gray wind began to swirl.
A moment later—boom!—a wolf as large as a carriage emerged.
“Eek!”
I nearly fell backward, but Theo caught me.
“I told you not to be scared.”
“Is that you, Deon?”
“Yeah. Hurry and climb on.”
Looking closely, his eyes and fur were the same as before—just much, much bigger.
“How are you this big?”
“Once you reach a certain level of mana, you can increase your size. It’s useful for battle or traveling. Father can become even bigger.”
As Theo explained, Deon sat down so I could climb on.
“Yay! Then I won’t hold back!”
“It tickles, so hurry up.”
Theo lifted me onto Deon’s back, and we set off. Even walking, Deon moved much faster than I could run.
“If I study hard, can I become big like this too?”
“Probably… a giant soft hands…”
“If I get big, I’ll let you run around on my hands!”
“!”
Both of them fell silent, clearly imagining it.
Theo held me steady from behind as I clutched Deon’s soft fur.
People we passed waved at us, making me feel incredibly happy.
“Deon, can I eat the cookies Rena gave me? I’ll be careful not to drop crumbs.”
“That’s fine. Just chew well.”
I shared almond chocolate chip cookies with Theo and tossed strawberries into Deon’s mouth. His mouth was so big he probably couldn’t taste them much.
Riding on his soft fur while eating snacks—it felt amazing.
As we slowed down, I whispered,
“You two are the best.”
They smiled proudly.
“It looks like you had a wonderful walk.”
Rena immediately took me back, fed me, and washed me thoroughly—so quickly I felt like laundry.
As she dried my hair and dressed me, she looked worried.
“It would have been nice if my lady were here. She knows women’s fashion best…”
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
“Of course I am. I can help with clothes, but I’m not very familiar with expensive jewelry.”
“My brothers said they have assignments…”
Rena hurried me toward the dressing room where the designers were waiting.
On the way, we ran into Sir Elliot.
“Sir Elliot! Is Lord Jackal very busy?”
“Good day, my lady. I’m on my way to see him, but he’s likely quite busy.”
Right—he said he’d be in his office all day.
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m going to get fitted for a dress. Since Lord Jackal is stylish, I thought he might help.”
“Ha! Indeed. Even if he wore a sack, he’d look good. I’ll be sure to pass along your compliment.”
After bowing, Sir Elliot hurried off.
I followed Rena downstairs. Inside, designers had already arranged fabrics, mannequins, and tools. They all bowed.
The lead designer spoke politely.
“We greet Mrs. Gray. We are the Weila couple, both designers.”
“It is an honor to create garments for Lady Karis Gridwolf.”
…Huh? Couldn’t they see me standing right here?
I grabbed Rena’s skirt. She smiled awkwardly.
“There must be some misunderstanding. Today’s fitting is not for my lady.”
“But we were told the lady of the Gridwolf family required new garments?”
The designers looked confused. They were all wolf beastfolk—perhaps mixed blood, judging by their dull sense of smell.
That’s a relief… they won’t realize I’m a cat.
‘Even after washing, I still smell like my brothers a bit.’
After checking that female knights were nearby, Rena gently prompted me,
“My lady, please introduce yourself.”
I stepped forward, holding my dress, and bowed.
“Hello! I may be small, but I’m a brave baby wolf named Kittya. I’ve been adopted into the wonderful Gridwolf family until I become an adult.”
“……”
The designers didn’t react at all.
‘Huh?’
I tilted my head in confusion.
