Leo was still puzzled about how Yoruichi had entered this far into town without activating any protection protocol. He looked at Onohana, about to ask, but the answer came before he could speak.
"Well, she is your mom's best friend. Although your system can protect the whole town, it's still child's play for someone on her level," Onohana explained, noticing his confused expression, as she walked to her room.
"Wait," Leo exclaimed. "Can you tell me more about what you know about them?"
He wanted to understand what kind of relationship they had before interacting with her. After all, dealing with this sexy cat was, mildly put, a pain in the back.
"Well, that's not my story to tell," Onohana replied, continuing her walk. "And I think you probably don't need my input on that."
Sighing at her answer, Leo realized he wouldn't get anything from her as usual. And as for the second part, he was even more confused.
He picked up a couple of plates from the kitchen and set the table again for his expected guest, Rosalia.
Shortly after, the doorbell rang. Leo opened the door and escorted her inside. In the process, his eyes hardly left her, leaving her fidgeting in embarrassment.
"What, something wrong?" Rose elbowed him on the side, surprised that he was absent-minded. This only increased her embarrassment, though she also felt a strange pride.
"Sorry, I got enchanted by your beauty," Leo scratched his head. What he didn't know was that it was natural to feel intimacy after the process—it wasn't a choice, but the mate bond pushing them together.
And it was the same for Rose, who could hardly wait to 'jump' on him.
"Now, how about dinner?" Leo asked, but Rose looked away, embarrassed. She was completely full—thanks to Esme, who ensured her daughter regained her sense of food. Rose had spent most of their date cooking.
"Sorry, but..." she started, and Leo could only stare in silence for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.
"I like her even more now," Leo commented, picking Rose up and taking her outside to sit in the garden.
"So, how do you feel?" he asked, still holding her in his lap. Though she didn't resist much, he kept his hand around her wrist.
"I feel… I don't know?" Rose said, shedding her tension, staring at Leo sideways before cuddling deeper into him. "But well, I have you, and now I can eat and sleep again. So great."
"I see, that's good." Leo rested his chin on her shoulder and stared at the forest.
Moments of ease passed, when a deep voice cut through. "Well, lovey-dovey, aren't you?"
Leo glanced to the side and found the black cat looking at him as if scolding him.
"Well, the thief cat's back," Leo said with a smirk. "Back for more treats and head pats."
"You're not cute at all." Yoruichi jumped from the fence and approached the pair sitting at the table.
"A talking cat? Is that even normal?" Rose asked, instinctively picking her up and petting her.
At first, Yoruichi tried to dodge, but when Rosalia's hand got close, she sensed an intimate feeling from her and froze.
After being picked up, she understood clearly: this girl was Leo's mate. The feeling she sensed was Leo's, transmitted from him to Rose. That meant she could sense them as one entity, rather than two.
Why she also felt close to Rose was unclear, but sensing their perfectly blended presence—even for her own soul—infuriated her for no reason.
"Well, I got back to ask you a couple of questions," Yoruichi said, leaving Rosalia petting her as she addressed Leo.
"Well, for someone sneaking around, I don't think you earned any answers," Leo replied, raising his shoulders. "But anyway, go ahead and ask."
"Wait!! You're saying this cat is the lady we saw in that place!!" Rose asked, surprised, lifting her hand from Yoruichi.
"Yup." Leo nodded, patting Yoruichi on the side of her ear. "This little kitty is actually an ex-captain, holds the title Flash Goddess, and is also the little troublemaker who made the past couple of weeks hell for my people."
"You're just like your mother," Yoruichi said with a small, intense meow. "How about letting you see a message from your mother as the price for the answers?"
Leo froze and frowned. If she had asked a few months ago, he would have brushed her off.
But over time here, old memories had started to blend with his current ones—not to change his mindset, but to connect them.
Thanks to that, he could view his parents in this world as close as he did in his past life, despite never meeting them.
After a few seconds of thinking, he sat Rose aside and looked at Yoruichi. "You first, and it better be real."
Leo's words froze Yoruichi. Replaying the event in her mind, she wanted to slap herself—but she held onto a memory from his mother as a bargaining chip.
"Sorry, I didn't—" Yoruichi began, but Leo stopped her.
"It's okay, I understand." He nodded, implicitly asking her to proceed.
Normally, Yoruichi would have switched outright and activated the formation, but for the same reason she was angry, she now felt embarrassed to appear butt-naked in front of them.
"Can I get some clothes first?" she sighed.
Before either of them could respond, a laugh came from the window. Looking over, they saw Onohana waving and tossing something to Leo's side.
"Drama lover as ever." Seeing that the bundle of clothes was the same she had borrowed before, Yoruichi could only murmur in a bad mood, realizing she had been anticipated.
In fact, the whole parade of questions had been an excuse to change form into human, just to verify her suspicion about the feeling she had.
Standing in front of the clothes, she began to change. Thanks to the light she emitted, by the time she was fully transformed, Leo and Rose saw a dark-skinned lady in a stylish yukata.
The moment they set eyes on her, they both felt a clicking sensation in their hearts—something Leo hadn't expected to feel again. Rose, despite her internal shock, let out a sigh, understanding what it meant.
"Give me a break!!!" On the other side, Yoruichi let out a frustrated scream. Feeling what she felt now, she confirmed her speculation: Leonard was actually her mate, and she had to share him!!
Refusing to accept the situation, she gave Leo one last aggrieved look, then swiftly changed back into a cat and ran to the forest.
Under the surprised eyes of Leo and the shocked gaze of Rose, they didn't have time to react. A second later, a hologram of a lady appeared behind them.
"MOM!!" Leo exclaimed in shock as he looked back.
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Here's the last part of this chapter, enjoy!
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