Carinne flung open the door in alarm, startled by a faint cry.

Leaning over the railing, she looked down to see Marie crouched on the doorstep. A strange sound echoed from the ground before her, carried by the wind.

It was a sound she recognized all too well.

“Is that a whistle? Or a baby crying?”

Archen emerged behind her and took a position by her side.

“Do you need help?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then, why are you…”

As he scanned his surroundings, his gaze fell on Marie by the doorstep. He rushed down the steps, stopping in front of her. He bent down on one knee and peered at what lay before her.

“You should come look at this.”

His eyes sparkled with excitement as he called out to her.

What could have gotten him so worked up? Carinne made her way down the steps and came to stand behind Archen and Marie, craning her neck.

“A kitten?”

It was a small, adorable kitten. A light-colored calico, it looked to be about three or four months old.

“Meow, meow!”

As she took a step closer, the kitten jumped in fright and scurried out of the doorway.

“Wow, it’s fast.”

Carinne muttered, watching as it disappeared in a flash.

“Let’s leave it alone. Its mother will come for it.”

She had once heard that kittens encountered in the wild should never be touched. What was it they said? If humans touch them, their mother might reject them. It was best to leave them alone and let their mother come and get them.

Carinne gestured for Marie and Archen to step back. She intended to close the door to prevent the kitten from getting inside.

“But…”

Archen rose to his feet, a look of disappointment on his face.

“Its fur is dirty, so I don’t think it has a mother looking after it.”

“We don’t know that.”

“Can’t we give it something to eat?”

His voice was filled with concern.

She hesitated, her resolve wavering. The kitten was visibly thin as if it hadn’t eaten properly in days. Maybe she could just give it some food without touching it? It wouldn’t be too much trouble. She can just put the food outside the door and close it, and it can find it on its own.

Just as Carinne was about to agree, she heard Marie speak up.

“Lady, look. Doesn’t it seem like it’s trying to lead us somewhere?”

Marie pointed at the kitten through the open doorway.

It had returned at some point and was staring intently at the three of them from the doorstep. Then, it ducked into the grass beside the doorway and came out again, repeating this motion twice. Its eyes never left them as if it were trying to tell them to follow.

Carinne carefully opened the door wider, making sure not to startle the kitten. As if to confirm that it had made the right choice, the kitten let out a loud cry.

“Meow!”

Though unable to speak, cats were living beings with emotions, not unlike humans. And sometimes, words were not necessary to convey those emotions. Carinne could see the desperation in its dark eyes.

“Let’s go.”

She whispered, taking the lead and stepping outside. The kitten watched her follow it, then darted into the grass.

It wasn’t long before she realized why it had led her there. In the middle of the clump of grass, a cat lay huddled on the ground. It was also a calico, its fur equally dirty. It was painfully thin as if it hadn’t eaten in a long time.

“Meow, meow!”

The kitten approached the lying cat and nuzzled its head against it. Judging by their similar markings, they were likely mother and child.

Archen approached cautiously to check on the mother cat.

“It’s still breathing, but it’s cold. It will die if we leave it here.”

There was no choice. They couldn’t just stand by and watch a living creature perish. They had to take action.

“We’re taking them with us.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when Archen scooped up the cat in his arms. Sensing his good intentions, it offered no resistance.

The kitten circled around him, meowing pitifully.

“Marie, go to the kitchen and find something for the cats to eat. Archen, bring the cats inside, and I’ll light a fire in the fireplace.”

They quickly split up and reconvened in the drawing room. By the time Carinne had gotten the fire going, Archen had returned, carrying the mother cat wrapped in a blanket and placing it in front of the fireplace.

Marie came in with some leftover scraps, asking if they would do.

The kitten rushed over to the food and began eating ravenously, but the mother cat remained motionless, unable to lift her head. Unable to bear it any longer, Archen fetched a spoon and, cradling the cat in his arms, gently fed her the food.

Fortunately, she had the strength to swallow, and she ate diligently. It must have eaten about ten spoonfuls. Then, as if it was no longer hungry, it turned its head and yawned widely. It seemed that its full stomach was making it sleepy.

Stretching, it slid out of Archen’s arms and went to the blanket where the kittens were. However, upon closer inspection, her gait was unusual. She was limping, unable to put weight on one of its paws.

“I think her leg is broken.”

That must be why she couldn’t find food.

The mother cat carried the kitten in her mouth, placed it on the blanket, and collapsed right beside it. Soon, a purring sound could be heard. The three of them left the two sleeping cats by the fireplace and quietly retreated.

“I’ll go and call the veterinarian.”

Carinne nodded at Archen’s words. While they could provide food, a broken leg was a matter for a veterinarian. They didn’t know how long it would take, though they would have to keep her until her leg was healed.

Once her leg was healed, she would be able to find food, and she would be able to move around without difficulty.

“It would be best to release her once she’s healthy.”

It was a careless remark. Still, Marie, who was standing next to her, let out a sigh.

“Oh, Young Lady…”

“Yes? Why?”

“….”

Marie looked at Carinne with teary eyes, then turned her gaze to Archen. Archen also opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped and looked at Marie. When their eyes met, Archen let out a small sigh.

Why were they exchanging glances like that? Carinne, who seemed oblivious to the situation, blinked innocently.

Archen hesitated for a moment before he asked.

“Can’t we keep it?”

Ah, so that was what they wanted to say. She didn’t dislike cats. In fact, she was rather fond of them.

Why? Because they were cute.

Nonetheless, there was a big difference between liking cats and keeping them at home. Having a pet meant being responsible for it until it died, and to be honest, she didn’t have the confidence to do that.

“Do you like cats?”

“I’ve always dreamed of having one. I read a lot of books about them when I was little, so I know a lot about their habits. I’m sure I can take good care of it.”

But…

“I’ll do all the hard work.”

“I’ll help too! I’m good at feeding it.”

Marie chimed in from the side.

Well, if the two of them were going to say that…

“Alright, then.”

Archen’s face immediately lit up. He looked like a child who had just been promised a trip to an amusement park by his mother.

After talking for a few more minutes, the three of them decided to let the cat roam freely around the house and outside once her leg had healed. They agreed to put out a cat shelter and food bowl in the yard. Then, she could come and go as she pleased and return to the mansion to sleep.

As for hygiene, they could give her a bath every now and then, and since there were no carriages driving around outside, safety wasn’t an issue.

Oh dear. Suddenly, Carinne remembered something and clapped her hands.

“There might be other kittens. Marie, can you go and check?”

Since the mother had come, the other kittens must have come too. From their perspective, their mother had suddenly disappeared, so they must have been very confused.

Marie nodded and ran out. When she returned a short while later, she wasn’t carrying any kittens.

“There weren’t any other kittens. Just in case, I’ll keep an eye out for the next few days. And…”

Instead, Marie held out a letter.

“This was in the mailbox.”

It was a white envelope. There was nothing written on the envelope. Was it Iris? But Iris was a chatterbox. If she had something to say, she would have come in person instead of sending a letter. It couldn’t have been Duke Lucas or Marta, either.

Who could it be?

Carinne opened the envelope and checked the contents. As she read the letter, her face twisted in real-time.

Archen looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

She handed him the letter without a word. A moment later, his face hardened as he understood the contents of the letter.

“Can I burn this?”

“If you don’t use magic… Wait a minute.”

Carinne snatched the letter from Archen and grabbed both edges before she tore it in half.

“Now burn it.”

Archen took the letter and threw it into the fireplace. The letter slowly charred from the edges, then burst into flames with a whoosh. She watched the letter turn to ash, barely suppressing her rising anger.

If there was a god in this world, he must be a heartless bastard. No, after all this suffering, shouldn’t he let her live in peace for a while? Why couldn’t she have one peaceful day? If there was a god, and if she met him after her death, she resolved to grab him by the collar and give him a piece of her mind.

“I need to go and tell him exactly what I think. I don’t give a d*mn about him.”

That way, he wouldn’t send her any more letters like this.

Carinne gritted her teeth, her stomach churning at the thought of Giles’ smug face.

—