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"Big Brother!!"
"Charlotte?" Eli tilted his head in confusion when he saw a little girl with mixed purple-blue hair, small cat ears, and a petite stature standing at the entrance of his house.
"Yes, Big Brother!!" Charlotte eximed joyfully, her tiny hand reaching out as if to pluck Eli from the ground in her excitement.
Eli couldn''t resist the charm of this adorable creature and automatically scooped her up, his gaze shifting to Pearl and Arlyne, who stood nearby with matching grins, their eyes twinkling with mischief and anticipation.
"I told you, He would be so surprised to see~" Pearl chimed in teasingly as she yfully pinched Arlyne''s rosy cheeks.
"Ouch!" Arlyne yelped in mock pain, batting Pearl''s hand away with a scowl.
"So, this is not a costume?" Eli questioned with furrowed brows, a hint of confusion evident in his voice. His memories of Leon''s about Charlotte never had any hint about her being a cat race.
"Oh, Eli dear, do you truly think we would y such a trick on you?" Pearl replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes, relishing the surprise on Eli''s face.
"Well, I don''t mind donning a costume for y..o....u ..." Arlyne''s cheeks flushed crimson as she stumbled over her words, her yful facade momentarily faltering.
"Hehe... Then I am eagerly awaiting that moment~" Eli whispered yfully, intending to tease her further when suddenly,
"Well, I cannot allow my dear sister to be the subject of another man''s fantasy," Oliver, who had been discreetly observing from the shadows, finally stepped forward with a protective air.
"B-Big brother!!" Arlyne''s embarrassment deepened, realizing her brother had overheard her earlier slip of the tongue.
"I apologize, Sister, but I cannot in good conscience leave you alone with a known womanizer!" Oliver dered firmly, his protective instincts in full force.
"We share his sentiments!" Kyra and Kira chimed in unison, emerging from their hiding spots with identical expressions of concern.
"...." Eli blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sudden turn of events, before letting out a resigned sigh and gesturing for everyone toe inside.
As they entered, exchanging nces filled with a mix of amusement and curiosity, one figure remained hidden in the background, silently trailing behind the others, their presence unnoticed for the moment.
As they moved into the living hall,
"NYA!!" Kitty Anna suddenly opened her eyes wide, her nose perked up as she muttered, "I smell a powerful enemy," sniffing the air with heightened sensitivity.
Spotting Eli approaching, Kitty Anna let out azy yawn before leaping down from the sofa and darting over to Eli in a hurry.
"M-Master~nya, I smell a pow.e..r...fful..." Kitty''s words trailed off as she noticed Eli embracing someone else.
Instinctively sensing Charlotte as a potential threat, Kitty Anna''s eyes widened in rm, "M-Master, who is this?
Are you going to abandon your cute little Kitty?
Are you recing me?" Kitty Anna''s voice quivered with a mix of fear and concern, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, forgetting her usual ''Nya'' in her distress.
"What?" Eli''s expression turned puzzled, trying toprehend why Kitty Anna was rumbling like a lost cat... though it was a bit ironic considering she was, in fact, a cat.
Nevertheless, Eli reassured her with a serious expression, crouching down to pick her up. "Kitty, what are you talking about? I am not abandoning you."
"Master~" Kitty''s eyes glistened like precious gems as she gazed at her beloved Master. But her emotions shifted swiftly when she felt a sudden pain.
"HISS!!" Kitty hissed in pain as her tail was identally pulled.
Observing the scene, Charlotte looked at Kitty with curious eyes, sensing a familiarity as if they shared a simr background.
"B-Big brother, What is this?" Charlotte inquired, her astonishment evident as she witnessed a talking cat engaging with everyone.
"Her name is Kitty Anna, and she''s a special cat," Eli exined with a gentle smile as he settled back on the sofa, gesturing for everyone to take a seat.
"Kit---" Before Charlotte could finish,
"Anna!!" Kitty interjected fiercely, her eyes narrowing in a challenging stare.
"HIII!! Big brother!!" Charlotte''s surprise turned to fear as she immediately clung to Eli with a horrified expression.
"It''s okay, Charlotte. She won''t hurt you," Eli reassured, patting her to soothe her nerves. He then turned to Kitty Anna, giving her aforting pat on the head to calm her down as well.
Observing this interaction, the others couldn''t help but feel a tinge of jealousy at Eli''s calming presence, noting the genuine warmth in his smile that differed from before.
It was Truly Gentle!
After the tension eased, Eli exined to Charlotte that Kitty Anna preferred to be called Anna by everyone except him. Charlotte nodded in understanding and cautiously reached out to touch Kitty Anna, her curiosity piqued.
Kitty frowned for a second then let Charlotte touch her.
"Hehe..." Charlotte giggled, her cat ears twitching yfully as she rubbed Kitty Anna''s fur.
''Damn, she''s good...'' Kitty Anna thought begrudgingly, feeling the itch in her spot relieved by Charlotte''s skilled touch as if Charlotte understand her weak spots.
As they enjoyed the yful scene, Eli shifted his attention to Pearl and Arlyne, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you. Even though I sort of forced this situation on you, I really appreciate your help!"
"O-Oh! There''s no need for thanks!" Pearl blushed slightly, waving off his gratitude.
"Y-Yes, you didn''t force us at all. I''m happy to assist you!" Arlyne''s cheeks also reddened as she spoke.
"Tsk," Oliver clicked his tongue in annoyance, then observed Kyra and Kira exploring the room with curious eyes.
"Thank you," Eli smiled warmly before inquiring, "So, what exactly happened?" He gestured towards Charlotte''s new cat ears, indicating his curiosity.
Arlyne nced at Pearl for confirmation before exining, "Well, it happened while we were bathing with her. Suddenly, there was a surge of mana out of nowhere, and that''s when she transformed."
"More like those ears and tail just popped out," Pearl corrected her with a chuckle.
"Hmm?" Eli furrowed his brows, asking for the precise date and time. After receiving that information, he mused to himself, ''I see... So, it was when I regained consciousness in the World Tree,'' ncing briefly at Charlotte and pondering, ''Is she somehow rted to that door?''
"Master"
"Master"
Two different voices interrupted, drawing everyone''s attention to Scy and Prisania walking in from the kitchen with soft drinks in hand.
''Who''s this new woman?'' was the collective thought, as the pink-haired, twin-tailed girl appeared unfamiliar to everyone in Eli''s circle.
"So, this child is your adopted daughter, Master?" Scy inquired, eyeing Charlotte who was engrossed in ying with Kitty Anna.
"Yes," Eli confirmed with a nod.
Scy knelt down before Charlotte and greeted her with a warm smile, "Hey, cutie~"
Charlotte flinched momentarily before seeking refuge by clinging to Eli.
"It''s okay, she won''t harm you," Eli reassured Charlotte, trying to ease her nerves.
"Here," Scy offered a candy, but Charlotte remained cautious, not falling for the trick.
Noticing the tension, Prisania stepped in, introducing herself, "Hello, Cutie, I''m your big brother''s wife. My name is Prisania."
Charlotte nced at Prisania, then back at Eli for confirmation.
"Yes," Eli affirmed, though Charlotte had another question.
"So, I have three mamas?"
"Three?" Scy frowned in confusion.
"Yes, Pearl Mama, Arlyne Mama, and now Pri... Prisania Mama?" Charlotte counted on her fingers, her expression a mix of wonder and innocence.
"Big brother has many mamas..." Charlotte looked at Eli with admiration.
However, the moment of admiration was interrupted as Eli nced at Prisania and Scy who was deadly staring at Pearl and Arlyne.
Pearl and Arlyne didn''t seem to back down as their dark eyes stared return back.
''Fuck! The fight is about to break!!'' Oliver eximed, hastily backing away from the impending conflict.