OHNIR – Chapter 54
Chapter 54: Kitty
Although Sumolor was quite hesitant, at Lux’s request, she finally relented and allowed the two little girls to go out together.
Upon learning of this, Sogeta specifically called Kelusta over and solemnly instructed her, “Miss Lux isn’t familiar with Seaside Town, so you absolutely must not lead her around recklessly. Especially in crowded places—you must avoid them as much as possible, so you don’t get separated by the crowds and get lost.”
Kelusta nodded with understanding, agreeing with a series of “uh-huhs,” like a proper little hostess vowing to be thorough in every detail.
At the side, Sumolor cast a meaningful glance at the doting father, let out a soft huff, but surprisingly said nothing.
Having thus received the adults’ permission, Kelusta happily took Lux’s hand. The two little sprouts, about the same height, left the wooden house one after the other, crossed the yard, and ran toward the town not far away.
“We’ll go straight to the area near the sea,” Kelusta said with great seriousness, her fingers intertwined with Lux’s. “We won’t go through the town center. We’ll take a bit of a detour to avoid running into anyone we know.”
Hearing this thorough and proper arrangement, Lux couldn’t help but smile at her, though she deliberately teased, “My, you’re so obedient to your father!”
“No, I’m not.” The brown-haired girl turned her head to look at her new companion who was teasing her, stuck out her tongue to make a face, and huffed, “Didn’t you tell me your secret? People with special identities always have to act with discretion. I understand all that!”
Now Lux was truly surprised. She blinked, not expecting this little girl to possess such insight, and asked in amazement, “Where did you learn all this?”
It couldn’t have been Aunt Ricana who taught her… According to her mother, Ricana was never one for subtlety in her daily life.
Kelusta put on a profound expression—a look so mature and worldly on such a baby face was indescribably comical—and said mysteriously, “Kevit told me. His family has been dealing with a lot of strangers from out of town lately… I heard that whenever someone important visits them, they’re always very secretive, afraid of anyone getting a clear look at their face!”
Lux was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. She asked hesitantly, “Who is Kevit?”
“He’s a friend of mine,” Kelusta coughed twice, offering a casual, offhand introduction before abruptly changing the subject with a secretive air. “We’re going to his house in a bit to get a present for you!”
A main road cut through the small town, surrounded by tightly packed houses and shops. Colorful flags fluttered in the sea breeze from afar, and the lively, cheerful sounds of people could be faintly heard up ahead.
Mindful of being “discreet,” Kelusta deliberately avoided the main road, instead pulling Lux behind the houses. Peeking out from the connecting alleyways at the townspeople who occasionally passed by, she led the black-haired girl in a stop-and-go fashion, as if on a covert mission. Now and then, she would lean against a wall and poke her head out, only continuing forward with confidence once she was sure no one was looking their way.
Kelusta’s rather professional maneuvers made Lux’s heart flutter, and she gradually found it amusing. She lowered her voice and said, fully in character, “At one o’clock, there’s a small cat that just jumped down from the roof… May I ask, Miss Ruth, how should we deal with this enemy?”
Startled, Kelusta pulled her half-exposed head back behind the wall before turning her attention to the “enemy” Lux had pointed out.
However, upon seeing the enemy’s fur color, the brown-haired girl’s tense expression relaxed. She said confidently to Lux, “Don’t worry, this is a friendly.”
Under Lux’s curious gaze, Kelusta extended a hand toward the cat and called out softly with a smile, “Good afternoon, Mr. Shark Chili. Why isn’t Rolling Wheel with you today?”
The little cat with gray-blue fur let out a “meow.” Hearing a familiar name, its tail stood up, and it walked toward Kelusta with elegant steps. It was not shy at all, first rubbing the soft side of its neck against her ankle before tilting its head curiously. Its pale yellow eyes stared unblinkingly at Lux for a long moment before it turned back to Kelusta and meowed again.
The brown-haired girl crouched down and scooped it into her arms, saying warmly, “This is my new friend, Miss Lux… To show your welcome, would you be willing to let her pet you, dear Mr. Shark Chili?”
Shark Chili twisted its head, its big, round, moist eyes looking directly at Lux. The latter froze, her expression hesitant. She tentatively reached out a hand, and with Kelusta’s encouraging gaze, she awkwardly poked the gray-blue cat’s little head with one finger.
“Mew.”
Shark Chili grunted in dissatisfaction. Then, with surprising intelligence, it clung to Kelusta’s arm, stretched its neck, and condescended to press its fluffy head under Lux’s palm.
“Oh,” Kelusta said in surprise. “Mr. Shark Chili really likes you, Lux… I’ve never seen him so proactively ask a stranger for head pats before!”
Lux’s family had never kept pets, and she didn’t know much about temperamental creatures like cats. However, seeing Shark Chili’s friendly attitude and lack of anger even after being poked, she couldn’t help but smile. She opened her right hand, letting her palm brush against its soft, smooth fur, stroking it all the way to the tip of its tail, unable to put it down.
“Purrrr.” Shark Chili narrowed its eyes, letting out a contented purr from its throat.
“He’s so cute,” the delicate-faced girl’s deep blue eyes widened in amazement. She couldn’t resist petting him again before finally looking up at Kelusta, who was nodding in agreement. She asked with great interest, “Why give him a strange name like ‘Shark Chili’? It sounds so fierce.”
“Sigh, you’d never guess.”
Kelusta held the cat, freeing one hand to scratch its chin. Shark Chili was so comfortable that it raised its tail to brush against her cheek. Only then did she sigh and say, “This fellow’s fur is the color of a shark, and his personality is just as domineering. He only acts cute around humans. When he’s with other cats, he’s not as soft as he is now; he’s more like a big boss… And he’s a very picky eater. If you try to feed him ordinary dried fish, he won’t easily give in and eat it.”
“Then what kind of ‘not ordinary’ does it have to be?” Lux asked eagerly.
Kelusta shrugged and gestured with her chin toward the alley’s exit, rolling her eyes. “It has to be fish brought back by Uncle Rake, with chili powder ground by Mrs. Mia herself. Don’t ask me why an animal can eat spicy food. Just assume its digestive system is different from other cats.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Shark Chili meowed cooperatively, as if in agreement. Its bright yellow eyes looked expectantly at Lux, all but drooling for a treat.
“How fun.” Lux casually patted the little blue cat’s head and asked, “What about the ‘Rolling Wheel’ you mentioned earlier?”
“Oh, Rolling Wheel,” Kelusta said, waiting until Lux had her fill of petting before bending down to place Shark Chili back on the ground. She glanced at the bustling alley entrance and clicked her tongue. “He’s Mr. Shark Chili’s little underling… but he’s not as cute as this one. Not only is his face as big as a flatbread run over by a cartwheel, but he also loves to roll around in the mud. He never stops until he’s so filthy you can’t scrub him clean.”
Lux covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking as she tried to suppress a laugh that might be impolite. “I wonder when I’ll have the honor of seeing him—a flatbread run over by a wheel is such a vivid and enticing description.”
“Next time. Since he’s not with Mr. Shark Chili this time… I’m guessing Rolling Wheel must be diligently helping his big brother beg Mrs. Mia for chili powder again,” Kelusta said with a shrug. She bent down and asked the gray-blue cat, “Isn’t that right, Mr. Shark Chili?”
Shark Chili turned its head and elegantly rolled its eyes at her before walking out of the alley with dignified, nimble steps.
“It seems I’ll have to add another difference between Seaside Town and the capital to my list,” Lux remarked wistfully. “The stray cats in the capital are never as proud and beautiful as Mr. Shark Chili.”
“Are there cats in the capital that are kept by the whole town like this?” Kelusta asked strangely, naturally taking her hand again. “But ‘stray cat’… that name is much weirder than Shark Chili or Rolling Wheel.”
“No, stray cat isn’t a name.” Lux paused and sighed, her eyes lowering slightly. Her long, silver lashes trembled like butterfly wings, looking bright and luminous in the sunlight that fell on her face. “It’s a general term for ownerless cats that are homeless and emaciated, fighting viciously every day over scraps of garbage.”
Her words were quite profound, and it was unclear if she was talking about cats or alluding to something else.
Kelusta frowned, stopping in her tracks with a hint of worry. She turned around and quietly looked at the black-haired girl before her, whose expression was tinged with weariness and sorrow.
She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly pursed her lips into a smile. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached out and, as if stroking a cat, slowly slid her fingertips down Lux’s long, soft hair.
“What does that matter?”
Her childish voice was filled with sincere comfort, her whisper full of gentleness. Lux couldn’t help but look up, and in an instant, she was lost in the other girl’s sweet and innocent golden eyes.
“If I’m ever lucky enough to go to the capital, I’ll ask you to come feed the stray cats with me.”
Kelusta pulled her hand back and gave the stunned black-haired girl a little wink. A bit shy, yet with great solemnity and hope, she said:
“Then, the capital will become like Seaside Town, a place you can come to genuinely… like, right?”
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