Emilia now sat in the corner of her personal room, burying her face into the pillow as she cried, her body shaking with each hurtful sob. The events of today had been crushing for her. Not because she had summoned the weakest magical beast ever, but because of what her father had done.
The man who was supposed to be her pillar, the one she admired most, had been so cruel.
Sure… she understood that he only wanted the best for her.
But… it still felt crushing, like a painful betrayal.
That was why she had locked the door. No one was allowed to enter her room now—not even her parents.
She needed time to think… and to let her emotions out.
Meanwhile, Claire lay nearby on her back on the same bed, lazily playing with her paws.
Even though she wanted to comfort her master, she didn't know what to say. And even if she did, Emilia wouldn't be able to understand—Claire was a cat now, and of course, humans couldn't understand the language of cats.
So perhaps… just being there was the best thing she could do.
Not to mention, she couldn't spend all her time worrying about her master! She had her own problems to deal with!
After all, there's a lot to figure out when you suddenly reincarnate as a freaking cat!
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"Uoooh!!! Uoooh!!! Amazing!!!"
Claire spread her claws wide, then retracted them again, over and over, utterly fascinated—like she had just discovered the secret weapon of a top-tier assassin. Each time the sharp tips slid out, she imagined herself slashing through shadows… and then, with a simple twitch, hiding them away again.
Her legs were so cute, her paws were so cute, her little bean pads were so cute—and oh-so-soft, like tiny pillows. When she walked, they didn't even make a sound, not even the faintest tap.
This body was still new to her, and she was trying to get used to every little part of it.
Earlier, it had taken her a few awkward minutes to figure out how to walk without tripping over herself. But once she got the hang of it, it felt completely natural. She could even lift herself up and balance on her two hind legs!
And that wasn't the only surprise. Now, in the body of a cat, she felt lighter, quicker… somehow more free.
She was ridiculously flexible too! She could twist her body like a ribbon, lift her back legs all the way to her face to sniff them, and fold herself into strange, bendy shapes that would have been impossible as a human! She was basically a yoga master now.
Well… the weirdest thing of all was zooming around with absolutely no clothes on.
A little embarrassing, yes… but at the same time…
Heheh… absolute freedom!
At least she had fur, so it wasn't like she was completely naked. And her fur wasn't just fur—it was warm, fluffy, and soft enough to make the perfect winter blanket. Still… it did feel a bit awkward knowing that, from certain angles, people could see her butthole when she walked.
That aside, there was another problem—
Her floofy tail. She had no idea how to control it.
It swished, flicked, and curled as if it had its own mind, doing whatever it pleased.
Claire tried to grab it, but the tail darted away like a cheeky little snake.
"Ah! Stay still! Stay still!" she scolded.
The tail refused to listen, flick-flicking at her as if mocking her.
"Oh-ho… is that a challenge?"
"Alright! Game on!"
She pounced, twisting and rolling on the bed, spinning in frantic circles as she tried to trap the mischievous thing. The bed shook with her acrobatics, her little paws swatting at thin air.
And somewhere in the middle of it all…
Wait… am I seriously getting entertained by my own tail???
Her mind suddenly drifted.
Oh shit…
But then, the tail twitched again, taunting her—almost as if it were saying:
Come on, catch me!
"AAaaaaa! Alright! That's it! I'm gonna catch you now!"
And so, she found herself wrestling with the tail for several more long, ridiculous minutes.
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After a while, she got bored.
Well… not bored, exactly—more like tired.
"Alright… you win today…" she said to the tail.
"Haaa… haaa…"
Claire breathed heavily.
As a noctifelis, she didn't have much stamina to begin with.
Oh wait!
She had gotten so caught up in the tail battle that she had completely forgotten—
My master! I need to check on her master!
Claire turned her head to look at her.
And…
Well, nothing had changed.
The sobs had grown quieter, but Emilia was still curled up, face buried in the pillow, hugging her knees. Her long white hair spilled over her shoulders and onto the bed
It had been almost an hour now.
"Hmmm…"
Claire was starting to get worried. She really wanted to comfort her master.
But… how?
She was a cat now.
It's not like her master could understand anything she said.
Oh wait!
Claire's eyes suddenly lit up as realization struck.
Oh haha, silly me!
I'm a cat now!
Cats don't need to say anything to humans! And yet, they can still be the best therapy ever!
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Character image:
Claire (Noctifelis)