IFAHWIPUTML Chapter 37

Verasielle recovered within two days. Her ankle, the fever—monstrous recovery speed, honestly.

It was probably because she could rest comfortably in an actual bed and received treatment from the physician known as the best in the Empire.

Verasielle was having a delightful conversation with Kaysis, who'd come to visit, in her room.

"So you sold all of them?"

"I don't need them anymore. Buying them out of greed was the mistake in the first place. So."

Verasielle answered with a face that held zero lingering attachment.

She was filling Kaysis in on the fate of the limited edition handbags she'd bought ages ago, since Kaysis had asked.

"Ah. But you worked pretty hard to collect those. That's a big decision, Jelly."

"Not really."

Verasielle smiled faintly and brought her teacup to her lips.

The Golden Wave tea Chayston had given her last time suited her palate better than expected, so even though her fever had passed, she was drinking it frequently.

The longer it steeped in hot water, the stronger the fragrance became—when she held it in her mouth, the scent spread with a feeling of her body relaxing languidly.

"You're Gu. You're Lass. And you're Mar. Last one, you're Bull!"

Raphel was busy naming the various water-colored marbles Kaysis had brought as a gift.

The four marbles each received the names Gu, Lass, Mar, and Bull. Put them together: glass marbles.

"Isn't he actually a genius?"

Verasielle smiled warmly, impressed by Raphel's sense. How did he even think of that? She was beyond proud—practically moved.

"...I think only you would think so, Jelly?"

Kaysis shook her head at Verasielle displaying her doting parent tendencies.

A breeze carrying the scent of autumn entered through the open window where the two sat together.

The wind was rather chilly—you could really feel winter approaching.

"It's gotten cold. We should close it."

Verasielle stood up to close the window. And just as she reached for the latch of the wide-open window—

"Kyaaaah!"

Suddenly a white object leaped up and whoosh—slipped right inside.

Verasielle clutched her pounding chest in shock.

She was so startled, it felt like her heart had dropped all the way to her feet before climbing back up.

"Wow! It's a kitty!"

"Jelly, are you okay?"

While Raphel chased after the white object that had entered the room with single-minded focus, Kaysis hurried over to Verasielle in alarm.

"Ah, I was just so surprised..."

Verasielle lifted her trembling eyelids to identify what had startled her.

"A cat?"

The white object was a cat with fluffy fur.

She calmed her racing heart and looked out the window.

Poking her head out and looking down, the ground was dizzingly far below.

The estate had such high ceilings that one floor here equaled two floors in other buildings.

Which meant this place was effectively four stories high. And a cat jumped up this height?

No matter how good cats were at jumping, was this even possible?

"Kitty!"

Raphel was running around enthusiastically on all fours, chasing the fleeing cat. Apparently imitating a cat.

Children sometimes did incomprehensible things. Just like right now.

Running on two feet would be much faster and easier, yet here he was, enlisting his hands to run on all fours.

Even that was so adorable she wanted to keep watching, but.

"It's wearing a collar, so it must have lost its owner."

As Kaysis said, there was a collar around the cat's neck. A collar with a single small red gem dangling from it.

A collar meant there was an owner somewhere. Someone in the estate must have been keeping a cat.

The wary-looking cat never once let Raphel catch it, jumping all around the room.

"Nooo. Kitty, come here!"

The cat, apparently annoyed with Raphel, leaped up onto the bed canopy and settled itself there.

"Hiiing, kittyyyy..."

Raphaleon grew thoroughly dejected at seeing the cat climb so high and shuffled over to Verasielle's side.

"Veras... the kitty, the kitty!"

"Mm. The kitty went up there."

She stroked Raphel's cheek with the back of her hand, telling him it was okay.

'Can't just leave it like that though.'

They couldn't force it down, so the three of them decided to wait.

The cat, perched high up looking down at them, arrogantly licked its front paw.

"Myaa."

And not even a few minutes later, the cat lightly descended from the canopy.

The white cat perked up its ears and walked haughtily toward the three of them. Specifically, toward Verasielle.

"Kitty!"

Verasielle caught Raphel in a hug to stop him from excitedly lunging at the cat.

It would be troublesome if the cat got startled and climbed back onto the canopy again.

As Verasielle slowly observed the cat with fur white as first snow, she noticed something interesting.

"Heterochromia."

The cat's eyes were heterochromatic. Right side blue, left side yellow.

At those mysterious eye colors, Verasielle stared at the cat as if entranced.

"Myaa."

The cat stopped in front of Verasielle, then in one smooth motion, climbed onto her lap.

"Kitty!"

Raphel clapped his hands in delight at the cat sitting on Verasielle's lap.

"Oh my, it must like you, Jelly."

Kaysis looked at the cat yawning contentedly with eyes full of wonder.

Verasielle was flustered by the cat that had suddenly claimed her lap.

The cat's movement had been clean, without a wasted motion, as if this had been its designated spot from the beginning.

"Can I pet?"

Raphel looked at Verasielle with an earnest face. His small hands were fidgeting, wanting to touch the cat.

"I don't know if the kitty will allow it."

"Hmm." Verasielle scratched her cheek in difficulty, watching Raphel's eyes sparkle with vitality.

She was worried Raphel might get scratched if he tried to pet it, since it wasn't her cat.

"What's it matter? Let's try petting it!"

Kaysis also wanted to touch the soft-looking cat fur, so she immediately reached out her hand.

"Haaaak!"

"Ah!"

But apparently not willing to allow it, the cat extended its claws and scratched the back of Kaysis's hand.

The thoroughly irritated cat showed its teeth at Kaysis.

"Are you okay?"

Alarmed, Verasielle looked worriedly at Kaysis clutching her hand.

The cat bared its teeth and hissed, then languidly licked its front paw.

Its attitude—as if nothing had happened—was insufferably smug.

"Just scratched a little. Hehehe."

Kaysis answered with an innocent laugh, as if it was nothing.

Verasielle called Tia and asked her to bring disinfectant, worried the scratched hand might get infected.

"Raphel. The kitty doesn't like being touched."

"Hiiing. But I wanna touch..."

"No. You might get hurt."

Verasielle shook her head firmly.

"Kittyyyy..."

Raphel drooped his shoulders, thoroughly dejected.

The cat's temperament was no joke.

Verasielle couldn't pet it or put it down, stuck holding both hands up in an awkward position. This was problematic.

"What should we do? If we touch it, it gets angry, so this will just be hard on Jelly, won't it?"

Kaysis, having received treatment for her scratch, asked from behind Verasielle, not daring to stand in front of the cat.

"Right?"

Whether it knew people's feelings or not, the cat peacefully rolled around on Verasielle's dress.

Rustle rustle—the sound of white, long fur rubbing against the dress.

The more she looked, the softer the fur appeared. It had such a sheen that she desperately wanted to touch it just once.

"Myaaa."

The cat that had been hissing just moments ago now seemed extremely pleased.

Watching that cat, Verasielle unconsciously lowered her hand to stroke its fur.

She'd acted without thinking because it looked so soft.

But contrary to expectations, the cat felt Verasielle's gentle touch and softly curved its eyes closed.

Completely different from how it had bared its claws at Kaysis.

"Wow! It really does like you, Jelly."

Kaysis exclaimed in admiration.

Soft fur met Verasielle's hand.

The cat's fur felt like touching fine silk thread.

When she stroked from head to back, the long fur that had been standing up smoothly flattened as it was pressed down.

"Veras, me too, me too!"

"Haaaak!"

Raphel tried to reach for the cat, seizing the moment, but the cat hissed again like with Kaysis and raised its claws.

"Hiiing..."

Rejected again, Raphel whimpered as if about to burst into tears any second.

He really wanted to touch it, but the cat wouldn't allow it—he seemed terribly disappointed.

"Does it only like Jelly's touch?"

Just as Kaysis said.

When Verasielle stopped petting, the cat grabbed and pulled at Verasielle's hand with both paws. As if demanding more petting. As if only allowing her touch.

At the insistent cat's clear demands, Verasielle stroked its fur again.

Then the cat made a pleased purr purr sound.