IPBPBD 03

Chapter 03 

“But… is it really okay to give this?”

Now that she was about to hand it over, Emilina worried for a moment—what if it caused trouble?

But she quickly dismissed the concern.

After all, there were plenty of households around here that kept pets.

Since most couldn’t afford the luxury of buying noble-quality animal feed, it was common to feed pets scraps of human food instead.

And paya was a fruit that grew in the pasture. Even animals loved it.

Some families even fed their pets discarded leftovers.

So giving this to the cat shouldn’t be a problem.

Besides, if she reminded herself that this was inside a novel, nothing about it felt strange at all.

“In that case… I’ll need a dish, won’t I?”

If she gave it just like this, it might be inconvenient to eat, so Emilina brought a dish.

She scooped out the soft flesh of the fruit, placed it onto the dish, and set it in front of the cat.

The cat slowly raised itself and pressed its nose toward the dish.

The movement seemed to hurt its wound—an involuntary whimper slipped out—but it ignored the pain and licked frantically.

Slurp, slurp.

It must have been very hungry.

Emilina let out a helpless chuckle.

“Eat slowly, kitty.”

Anyone watching might think she was about to snatch the food away.

Well… she did feel a little bit like that.

Because the cat was eating so deliciously that her own mouth started to water.

She wavered inside.

Wouldn’t just one bite be fine?

There were still two paya fruits left, but those were meant for her parents, so she couldn’t touch them.

Knowing how sweet paya tasted, the temptation was almost unbearable.

“Ah! What am I even thinking?”

No matter how much she wanted it, taking back what she had given was shameless.

Even dogs weren’t disturbed while eating—and here she was, nearly stooping lower than a dog. Emilina shook her head furiously.

Fine. Just watching should be satisfying enough… though, truthfully, it wasn’t.

“Ugh. It really does look so good.”

Swallowing hard, Emilina made a resolution.

Next time, she’d gather lots of paya fruits.

Because now there was another family member who needed them too.

Just then, the cat—who had been eating with its nose buried in the dish—suddenly lifted its head.

It looked at Emilina once, then at the dish, and lightly pushed the dish forward with a paw.

When Emilina blinked in confusion, the cat lowered its head and licked around its mouth.

No way.

Emilina sighed softly.

For some reason, the cat was watching her… as though it was holding back its hunger.

“If you’re going to act like that, you might as well just eat.”

She stifled a laugh, pushing the dish back toward the cat.

Then, to reassure it, she gently patted its back.

The cat hesitated, then—relieved—resumed eating.

Seeing this, Emilina couldn’t help but smile warmly.

“Isn’t this just too cute?”

It was the true beginning of her life as a cat’s caretaker.

Thanks to Emilina’s devoted care, the cat recovered quickly day by day.

Its wound had healed considerably, and today she even gave it a bath.

Up until now she had only wiped it down with damp towels, but that left behind a faint odor.

Last night, when she held the cat, the smell had pricked her nose.

The nausea had made her shake her head.

“How is it? Doesn’t it feel fresh after a bath?”

“Myaaah─”

The cat let out a languid cry and stretched out its front legs.

It had hated the water so much, yet now that it was clean, it seemed pleased.

When Emilina stroked its head in praise, she felt how soft its fur had become.

Compared to the stiff, matted coat from before, this was a huge improvement.

The cat, purring happily, rubbed its face against the back of her hand.

Emilina found herself smiling without realizing.

Its affection nearly melted her heart.

“Hehe. Did our Yangi enjoy it?”

Yangi was the name Emilina had given the cat.

It came from simply shortening yang-i (cat).

Simple and cute, wasn’t it?

But Yangi didn’t seem to like the name. Each time she called it, it responded half-heartedly.

As though it hated being called cat.

Once, thinking maybe it wanted something special, she had tried calling it Nabi (Butterfly)—but Yangi had fiercely rejected it.

Its pupils narrowed, glaring at her as if to say, “Call me that again and you’ll regret it.”

After that day, Emilina gave up on trying new names and just stuck with Yangi.

The cat seemed to find that tolerable, because aside from looking sulky, it didn’t react much.

But still, Nabi would’ve been a cute name, Emilina thought wistfully.

“Anyway… what time is it now?”

She pulled her hand away from Yangi and looked for the clock.

The short hand was nearing three—almost 3 o’clock.

She was supposed to meet Rosy around then, so it was time to get ready.

“Yangi, stay home and be good, okay? I’ll be back soon.”

“Meow?”

The cat blinked its big eyes and tilted its head, as though asking where she was going.

Moments like this always amazed her. Yangi really seemed to understand what she said.

Others might laugh at her for being delusional, but…

Who knew? Some clever cats really could understand people.

Maybe Yangi was one of those smart ones.

As she thought this, Yangi suddenly stepped forward and placed a paw on her leg.

A gesture that clearly meant: Don’t go.

“Argh, my heart…”

How could she not be deluded?

What cat in the world tried to stop its owner from leaving?

This was dangerous—dangerously cute.

Emilina stroked Yangi’s head with a troubled expression.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll be right back with tasty treats, okay?”

“Meow….”

Yangi shook its head weakly, eyes drooping in protest.

For a moment, Emilina nearly blurted out that she wouldn’t go.

“Sigh. You’re really making me not want to leave.”

Should she just postpone the meeting?

If it were something trivial, she wouldn’t have minded skipping. But this was about Yangi, so she hesitated.

“Still… I can’t keep putting it off forever.”

Right. She would just go quickly and come back.

“I’m really sorry.”

At her unwavering decision, Yangi curled itself up tightly, lowering its head.

It looked like it was sulking.

Emilina wanted to comfort it, but pressed for time, she had no choice but to leave the room.

The reason she was meeting Rosy was none other than Yangi’s snacks.

Since she couldn’t afford real pet food and had been feeding it scraps, she at least wanted to give it proper treats.

When she’d mentioned this, Rosy had said she knew of snacks cats loved and had promised to bring some today.

So Emilina had to meet her quickly and return home.

Leaving Yangi behind weighed heavily on her.

“You’re here, miss?”

As soon as Emilina arrived at their meeting spot, Rosy greeted her first.

“Miss? What’s with that?”

The sudden, formal address made Emilina tilt her head.

“Well, you are a noble lady, aren’t you?”

“What’s with that half-baked politeness?”

Emilina shot her a look, and Rosy cleared her throat awkwardly.

“My dad’s been nagging me. Said I’m basically an adult now, so I shouldn’t act like some brat using casual speech with a noble. Or else I might get dragged off for insulting a noble or something.”

Rosy picked her ear nonchalantly as she said it.

“Good grief. If you’re going to do it, do it properly. What was that?”

“Hey, you think this is easy? Even calling you ‘miss’ feels awkward as hell.”

Rosy grumbled about how ridiculous it was to act all formal with someone who’d seen every side of her.

Emilina almost told her not to bother, but bit her tongue in case it caused trouble later.

Rosy muttered about why Emilina wasn’t protesting more, but Emilina ignored her and cut to the chase.

“Forget that. Just give me what you promised.”

“You’re so impatient.”

Clicking her tongue, Rosy pulled a small pouch from her bag.

The moment she handed it over, a sharp sour stench wafted out.

Gagging, Emilina quickly covered her nose while Rosy burst into laughter.

“Ugh! What is this?!”

“What else? Cat treats.”

Rosy answered with a mischievous grin.

“Do you actually think this is funny?” Emilina glared irritably.

Rosy shrugged.

“Maybe it’s a bit much for you to handle. But cats really love it.”

“And what exactly is it?”

“Rat carcasses.”

Without hesitation, Emilina punched Rosy in the jaw.