Free Web NovelBy the time they got home, it was already close to dusk.
Vieya rubbed her sore wrist as she set Jasmine down. Her daughter was not heavy, but keeping the same posture for so long was still tiring.
What surprised her, however, was how unusually industrious the black cat had been today. During the time they were out, not only had she cleaned the entire house, she had also trimmed and watered all the flowers and plants in the courtyard.
In her humanoid form, the catgirl wore a simple black-and-white maid outfit. Maybe because her daily routine consisted mostly of eating and sleeping, her cheeks had grown rounder, looking as soft as a steamed bun.
Her pitch-black hair, long as spilled ink, was tied into two lively pigtails that bounced playfully behind her. The furry cat ears on top of her head twitched adorably.
She held a broom in one hand, a bucket in the other, and the watering can for the flowers hung from her tail, swaying behind her.
Vieya walked over hesitantly, greeting her in a flat tone, “What are you doing today?”
“Master and little mistress are home?”
Hearing the voice, Helcat looked over, her golden-red eyes first widening, then sparkling. She came running forward with the broom and bucket, her tone like a spoiled child’s. “Today’s master and little mistress are as beautiful and cute as ever...”
“Stop.”
Vieya raised her hand, halting the flattery. Her gaze slipped past the maid cat blocking her path and swept over the courtyard, frowning in suspicion. “Did you cause trouble today?”
“Eh... no, no!” The catgirl shook her head furiously.
“Cat sister, you must be honest, no lying,” Jasmine reminded kindly — though her voice carried the weight of a threat. “Mom even brought you cake today, but if you lie and make her mad...”
“Alright, alright...”
Helcat’s eyes darted away guiltily; she didn’t dare look at Vieya. In a small voice, she said, “It’s just... this afternoon while I was taking a nap, someone stole the clothes I’d hung out to dry...”
As soon as she finished, seeing Vieya’s gaze turn cold, she panicked and added quickly, “I swear! I definitely wasn’t napping like some useless bad cat! That thief must’ve been a veteran, steeped in the art of stealing for years — otherwise how could they make off with it without a sound...”
“I told you to watch the house, and the moment we’re gone for one afternoon, things start disappearing?”
“No, it’s just that the thief was dishonorable...” Helcat drooped, ears folding down.
“Too bad they didn’t steal you along with it,” Vieya muttered, then sighed helplessly. “Well, what’s gone is gone. It’s just a piece of clothing, nothing important... Here, dinner for you.”
“......”
Helcat caught the bag of cake with her tail, but her expression grew even more uncertain. That melancholic, pitiful look — anyone unaware of her true nature would probably melt at the sight, thinking she was tormented with guilt and would surely cry out: What a good cat!
“......”
But Vieya wasn’t fooled.
Clearly, the missing laundry was only the appetizer this bad cat had prepared. The real feast of trouble still waited behind it for her master to clean up.
Just as Vieya was about to leave, she fell silent, turning her head. Her green eyes glowed faintly as she fixed them on Helcat and asked, each word heavy:
“Did you cause any other trouble?”
“Meow! I just... um...” Helcat shrank back and mumbled, “That purple-haired Hero came looking for you today. Said she had something to discuss.”
“Looking for me?”
Vieya asked, “And where is she now?”
After a pause, she added, “Don’t tell me you two had another fight at the door?”
“N-no, we didn’t, meow!” Helcat flinched and hurried to explain. “While she was waiting, I just said a few words to her — who knew she’d be so thin-skinned? She suddenly got quiet and left, meow!”
“I thought she was only stepping out for a bit, but she really left... And she did sound serious when she said she needed to see you,” Helcat stammered. “I was just afraid something important might get delayed...”
“She left after just a few words?” Vieya asked. She didn’t recall her student being that fragile.
Last time, Rania had faced her enemy without losing composure from start to finish; even after Vieya had beaten her severely, she had recovered and still tried to come thank her. Judging by that, Rania was not the type to run off crying.
Which left only one possibility — the bad cat before her was downplaying something.
She had likely used a few vicious insults to drive Rania off, only to start worrying and regretting it afterward.
Worrying that because of this, her master might miss vital information or fall into danger... and in the end, she might lose her permanent meal ticket.
“Meow... Master, I didn’t mean it.” Helcat tried to act cute. “Since I worked all afternoon, can you please not lock me in the cage or starve me, meow?”
“Cat sister, could you apologize and reflect without rubbing up against my mom?” Jasmine asked.
Helcat: “......”
“I get it. I’ll go out and try to find her later,” Vieya said wearily. She looked at Helcat and added, “Keep an eye on Jasmine. If anything happens again, ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ I’ll cook you into soup!”
“Meow!” Helcat breathed a huge sigh of relief, puffed out her chest, and promised, “Leave it to me!”
Pop!
A soft snapping sound followed — the button on the maid outfit’s chest flew off.
Clack!
It hit Vieya square on the forehead.
The air froze instantly, silent enough to hear a pin drop.
A moment later, everyone recovered.
“T-that... I didn’t mean it,” Helcat said nervously, swallowing hard.
Vieya’s face darkened as she ground out between her teeth, “Eat less from now on — you’ve gotten so fat your clothes can’t contain you!!”
Helcat: ...
“Mom...” Jasmine puffed her cheeks, worried. “It’s almost dark. If you go out, you have to be careful, okay?”
“It’s fine. You keep an eye on this dumb cat too.”
Vieya bent down, gently ruffling Jasmine’s hair. Her voice softened. “I’ll be back soon.”
...
Night deepened.
The sunset slowly sank below the horizon, and the sky’s color shifted from orange-red to deep violet, like a fading oil painting.
Vieya wandered aimlessly, hoping she might run into Rania somewhere along the streets.
Unfortunately, after so many years with little contact, she had no idea where Rania might have gone.
All she could do was follow the general direction that the stupid cat had indicated.
Vieya walked to the top of a long stairway and began descending.
At this hour between dusk and nightfall, the streets were deserted and eerily quiet. As she walked down the long sloping steps, she felt an inexplicable heaviness in time itself.
The people of this world still lived differently from those on Earth — most had no concept of nightlife, nor of overtime.
They rose with the sun and rested with its setting.
This period of twilight was when they sat with family and shared their evening meal.
Vieya often felt she didn’t belong to this world — yet somehow, she still walked within its river of time.
Where would she be going right now?
And what had Rania come to find her for? freёwebnoѵel.com
Now, Vieya was both curious and worried. Her student had always been stubborn, and after all these years, she clearly hadn’t changed.
Since their last separation, Rania had never spoken a word to her.
So if she had come on her own this time, it was either to discuss that past matter more deeply, or because she had some reason that left her no choice but to seek her out.
At the end of the stairway, Vieya stepped down the final step and lifted her head.
Suddenly—
A familiar voice came from ahead.
“You came, huh...”
