Chapter 13 A First Glimpse of Something, Once an Innocent Youth...
“It could also be a stray cat, after all, I just saw you running around outside.” Although young, Clarind was very meticulous.
Although the big cat was friendly and cute, it should have been a domesticated pet cat, but White's house was full of garbage and stench, with no trace of a pet living there.
"How can I verify your identity...? How about this, I'll test you: where is White's Les hidden?"
The questions were reasonable, and White wouldn't have kept his cat's secrets.
...The only problem is how to explain to the cat what Les is.
After a moment of contemplation, Clarinde made up her mind.
"Lose, a transparent liquid that humans drink."
Little Claude sat in front of the cat, picked up an empty bottle, and began repeatedly mimicking the action of drinking water.
Mainkuhn: "."
Although I want to be a perfect cat, it feels really strange to actually be treated like one.
"Didn't understand?"
Seeing that the big cat in front of her didn't move, but just kept tilting its head to look at her, the purple-haired girl decided to step up her efforts.
"After drinking it, it will..."
"Happiness." The future duel agent twitched his hands and feet a few times, expressionless.
"Excited." Little Clorind made seven or eight faces at the cat.
"I'm hallucinating." She drew her sword and fought against the air.
"It hurts your body, it hurts your nerves, and you still can't quit, understand, cat?"
She patted Maine's head, a hint of resentment in her eyes:
"Please understand, performing is exhausting."
“.
*
"What?! Hahahaha! You really did that!?"
Navia laughed so hard she almost fell over.
"Perform for a cat! How could you even think of that!"
"But it succeeded, didn't it?"
With one hand holding a wooden box containing more than twenty bottles of L'Oréal and the other carrying a large cat weighing over ten kilograms, Claude walked with ease and swiftness.
It's hard to believe that this is just a teenager.
"This only shows that the cat is smart, not that your method is correct."
Navia eagerly extended her hands to Mainkun:
"Come here, big kitty~ Let big sister give you a hug~"
No, I'm several years older than you.
Maine flattened her ears and resisted by swatting her hand away with her paw.
"Young Miss, please be careful."
Seeing Maine extend his claws, Miles immediately reached out to block little Navia, his face full of caution and vigilance:
"In my opinion, this is probably not an ordinary cat!"
"!"
Maine looked at the Rose Society housekeeper with her round cat-like eyes.
No way...
“What’s so special about it?” Navia reached out to touch it again. “It’s just a bit big. I think it’s both majestic and cute.”
"Young Miss, look at his peculiar appearance!"
With her finger almost poking the cat's face, Maine, in a moment of nervousness, couldn't control her instincts and instinctively bit down.
"...Look at the long hair on the tips of its ears and the short tail behind it!"
Miles silently tried to pull his hand away, but couldn't manage it after a few attempts.
"This must be the legendary beast that can kill wolves—"
"Lynx!"
......
The cat calmly stuck out its finger, yawned, and ignored the scratches on the glove.
"There's no mistake, White must be smuggling wild animals to buy Les. Miss Clorind, you'd better put this beast down right now!"
"But it meows, it's a cat."
"...Even cheetahs meow."
"But it will also rub its head against my palm..."
*
The children and the old bodyguard started arguing about Maine's species, while Maine took the opportunity to slip away.
A tuft of fluff squeezed into White's room through the vent, then quickly spread out and landed as a cat.
"What... what the hell...?"
Mainkun is now in cat form, so he is not afraid of people's gaze at all.
With its hind paws stepping on the footprints of its front paws, the cat gracefully approached, looking up at its long-unseen 'brother'.
So old! Judging by my age, I shouldn't be even thirty, but I look like I'm sixty...
How should I ask my brother questions next...?
"Mimi".
The cat anxiously flicked its short tail, its vertical pupils blinking as it sized up White in front of it.
If I could, I really wouldn't want to become a human form that I hate.
Even if I find my brother in the future, I will be happy enough to stay by his side as an ordinary cat.
The person's identity was dirty; they had done many bad things.
But the cat's identity is clean, and it hopes to stay by its brother's side in a clean way.
"Meow—" But how can I communicate with White? By writing with my paws?
"Meow!" Wasn't it obvious at a glance that something was wrong?
"......"
Amidst the anxious meows of the cat, White suddenly moved his chapped lips:
"Is that you, little monster?"
The shouting stopped abruptly.
Within the cat's wide-open pupils, the man began nervously biting his own lips, blood glistening like pearls on them:
"What was his name again... Maine? Maine? Tsk, what a stupid name."
...Why did you recognize me?!
The half-demon took a step back, the hairs on the tips of his ears standing on end warily.
"Hahaha... It really is you?"
Looking at the cat's arched back, he suddenly couldn't help but burst into laughter, blood staining his dark yellow teeth.
"How come you didn't die? You little kitten? Where did your beautiful, fluffy tail go? Did someone stuff it up your ass?"
"??"ah?
The profanities caught Maine off guard, but before he could even understand what they meant, White started singing loudly:
"Cats, dogs, and children—"
"They're all beasts in cages~"
*
When White was a teenager, he had a normal life and a family who treated him with genuine affection.
"Little brother, you're so slow to get back. Did you manage to buy the discounted eggs?"
Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots... White frowned as he examined the remaining ingredients.
Let's make curry.
"If we manage to buy some, we'll add a fried egg to everyone's lunch. If we don't, I'll add more poultry to it."
"Well."
The little boy with black and gray hair and wolf-ear-like haircut scratched his face guiltily.
"What are you standing there for? I won't blame you if you don't buy it."
"Um, um, Brother White..."
The child scratched his face, his eyes darting around, "We bought more than just eggs, what are we going to do..."
"You managed to buy two things with that little money? That's impressive!"
Young White praised his younger brother in surprise:
"What did you buy? Let me see if I can throw it in the pot to cook!"
"No... please."
White ran up to his brother, eagerly opening the black bag in his hand and meeting the cub's eyes.
"Ah!" The thing kicked its legs energetically in the garbage bag, its little hands holding its bald tail, laughing and showing its two sharp baby teeth.
A deathly silence.
"...Brother White?"
Whitego trembled violently.
"...Tell me honestly, how much did you spend?"
"I didn't spend any money, but they gave me two hundred." The boy blinked his icy blue eyes cautiously.
"It's a loss! It's still a loss!"
White grabbed his brother's ear and roared like a madman:
"Formula! Diapers! Baby clothes! Don't these all cost money? Doesn't he need help? Throw them out, throw them out!"
"No! I'll die!!"
"It's alright! Father and Mother have agreed!"
The child held the baby tightly and wouldn't let go:
"Because Sister Jasmine is going to be adopted, her new family said they would sponsor us with some money!"
"Adopted? Sister Jasmine? That's great news... But that won't do! Brother, think about it carefully."
“Our family members were almost all taken in by our parents when they were homeless in the Grey River. Who has ever taken care of an infant? How many times a day does he need to be fed? What should we do if he cries or gets sick? He will die sooner or later here. Raising him is just a waste of money!”
"But--"
“White.” The two brothers were arguing, when their foster mother’s loving voice suddenly rang out.
"Mom! You need to discipline this little rascal!"
White rushed over, thinking that his frugal foster mother would be on his side.
"White, Mommy likes your thoughtfulness, but you should also be a loving person like Mommy." But the woman picked up the baby and gently placed him in the boy's arms.
"Look at him, how handsome he is! He has a reason to live."
"Mwah! Hehehe~"
The baby smiled, patted the boy's face with its little hand, and gave him a straightforward greeting.
The soft little thing is so silly that all it does is giggle; it doesn't even know how terrible this world is.
...but it is indeed cute.
"It's so ugly! It doesn't even look human!...I...I'll go find a way to get some baby formula!"
"Thank you, White! Thank you, Mom!"
The younger brother was overjoyed.
The baby was very well-behaved, neither fussing nor crying, and White soon stopped paying attention to him.
He had many things to do; he was busy chopping vegetables, busy cooking, busy calling his siblings to get their own bowls and chopsticks, and...
"Little White."
Sister Jasmine, wearing her birthday gift from when she was thirteen, lightly twirled in front of him.
"Is it pretty? Is it pretty?"
The light pink skirt rippled like waves, like spring flowers.
"Sister Jasmine, you're always the most beautiful!"
White blushed as he looked at her, a desire welling up inside him to hold her hand.
Jasmine smiled briefly, but worry and anticipation returned to her youthful face.
Do you think... my new family members will like me?
"Sister Jasmine is so beautiful, everyone will like you! Don't you all agree?"
White was quite popular among the children, and at his call, his brothers and sisters would all chime in:
"Yes!" "Don't be afraid, Sister Jasmine!"
"I also want to be adopted..."
"Sister Jasmine, remember to write to us!"
Finally, amidst the baby's yawns, the girl in the pink dress, carrying her handbag, smiled and said goodbye to her family.
"Don't forget about your older sister!"
......
It's all fake! It's all fake!
It's all fake! The parents are fake! The sisters are fake! The brothers are fake!!
Even this cat with its fur standing on end in front of him! He couldn't tell if it was a hallucination or reality!
"I'm asking you a question, Mainkuen! Answer me! How did you turn yourself into this beast! How old are you? How did you learn to moan like that? Huh?"
Did Mainkun really exist? Did I really see the cat-eared baby? Where is Jasmine? Where are my brothers? Where am I? What is real?
"Give me Les! Give me Les! I don't want to think about it anymore! Ah!!"
ah.
Mainkuhn suddenly realized.
He didn't recognize me.
He's gone mad.
*
Outside, hearing the increasingly agonizing cries, Navia and the others stopped arguing.
"Is this guy alright?"
Clarind frowned. "Why such a strong reaction?"
"Old Les is a devil, I've never seen him like this when he's not drinking." Navia's smile vanished as she listened to the screams.
"But he has to quit. Last time I specifically asked a doctor to come and see him. The doctor said that if he doesn't quit, he will die."
"He's going to die? But he's not even thirty yet."
Little Claurind was very surprised.
"Sigh, White is a pitiful guy."
Miles smoothed his gray hair and began to reminisce about the past:
"When Lord Carres rescued him, he was insane, covered in injuries, and had many illnesses... wait, why did he suddenly stop shouting?"
"He might have passed out. Myles, go check on him. If he's unconscious, tie him to the bed and let him get some sleep..."
Miles obeyed the order and went to open the door, only to find torn ropes scattered on the floor and the window wide open.
!?
"Young Miss! He's run away!"
"How is that possible? He still has the strength to run?"
The little girl immediately rushed into the house: "With his skinny frame?"
"Should we go after them, Navia?"
Clarinde went inside and peered through the window, searching for any trace of the escapee.
"Tsk, so unwilling to be locked up... Do I have to hire a few people to watch over him?"
"......"
Myles adjusted his hat without saying a word, but little Navia knew that the old butler didn't want her to do this thankless task anymore.
But watching a life slip away is incredibly cruel for a child.
Little Navia could only pretend not to see and turned to look at her friend: "Clorind, what are you doing lying on the ground?"
"The footprints on the ground are not right."
The thin layer of dust on the floor was hastily wiped up, but a few human toe prints were still visible.
"White, you walked barefoot?"
A note from the author:
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