CHAPTER 04
It was when Aslan had mostly stopped crying.
Like a capricious cat, Aslan suddenly lifted his head and asked me,
“Ah, Mom! Do you want to see my room?”
“Huh? Your room? You mean the playroom?”
Blinking slowly, I came out of my thoughts.
This mansion has a playroom I built for Aslan.
It’s a room a bit away from my bedroom on the second floor. I had the floor partially opened to connect it with the room below, installing a cat tower, cat wheel, catwalks, and even large glass walls so Aslan could run and play freely.
But that wasn’t the room Aslan was referring to.
“Not the playroom! My real room!”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Your real room?”
“Yeah!”
Now that I think of it, based on what Jane said this morning, Aslan seems to have a separate bedroom.
But I don’t remember ever setting up a proper room for a child…
I followed Aslan, still puzzled.
“Here it is!”
“This is…”
Aslan’s room was to the left of mine. But if I remember correctly, this room used to be a storage room.
“Welcome to Aslan’s room!”
Beaming with pride, Aslan threw the door open.
The sight that greeted me made my eyes widen. The room was cutely decorated, filled with furniture and toys that only a human child would use.
…This really is magic.
I never bought anything like this.
Come to think of it, even the clothes Aslan was wearing weren’t anything I had in the house.
While I stood there dumbfounded, Aslan jumped onto the bed and proudly showed off.
“Look, Mom! This is my bed!”
Watching Aslan bouncing on the bed, my complicated thoughts vanished. I chuckled softly.
“You never used the cat beds I bought for you…”
I’d bought so many cat beds, yet Aslan insisted on only sleeping between my head and shoulders. I had shoved all the cat furniture into this room—could they have transformed into this huge child-sized bed?
Well, why not? If a cat turned into a human, it’s entirely possible.
Looking closely, the items in the room resembled the ones I had bought for Aslan.
The scratcher sofa had turned into a comfy couch, the little tent became a child-sized play tent, the toys scattered on the floor were his favorites, and the carpet was identical to the one I’d laid in the playroom.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, I noticed a small door on one of the walls.
Was there a secret door in this room? And this direction is…
Cautiously, I approached and opened it slightly.
Just as I thought—it connected to my bedroom.
So that’s how he got into my room this morning.
There was another door on the opposite side. I opened it and found a dressing room.
It was filled with colorful, adorable clothes. The necklace I once bought for him, the bonnet I hand-made, and even the dresses had all transformed into child-sized clothes.
“My goodness.”
I pulled out a hanger and examined it.
A cat not only turned into a human overnight, but their belongings had changed size too?
Well… at least I don’t need to worry about spending money I don’t have.
Given my current house arrest, I’m likely being watched. Buying a bunch of children’s items all of a sudden would’ve raised suspicion. This way, things transitioned smoothly.
I returned the dress to its place, exited the room, and shut the door.
Only to be met by an angry Aslan.
He was upset that I didn’t pay attention to his proud tour.
“Mom! I was talking and you just left!”
“Sorry, Aslan. I was just so amazed.”
“Look, look! I’ve got a desk, dolls, and even a couch!”
I did buy him a lot of things as a cat…
But perhaps the difference between human and pet items really matters. No matter how many cat toys I bought, Aslan always preferred human things.
With rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes, Aslan looked up at me so adorably that I smiled and patted his head.
“Yeah, that’s great, Aslan.”
“I’m so happy!”
Aslan started running around the room again.
Despite the change in form, he still zoomed around just like when he was a cat, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
Then, Aslan suddenly stopped and asked,
“Mom, when do we hunt lunch?”
“Uh?”
He pointed at the sun hanging high in the sky outside the window.
“It’s lunchtime hunting time.”
So cats really can tell time without clocks. I hadn’t realized how much time had passed since breakfast.
So… I have to wave that cat fishing rod at him again?
Despair washed over me. I really didn’t want to feel that strange sense of guilt that came with “violating a child’s humanity” again.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Aslan fetched the fishing rod from earlier and tugged on the hem of my dress with a bright smile.
“Mom, let’s play hunting!”
“….”
I slumped to the floor.
If anyone sees this, please don’t report me for child abuse.
The Next Day
After somewhat accepting that Aslan had become a human, I went down to the dining room to have breakfast with him.
Today’s breakfast was salad, white bread, warm corn soup, and salmon steak.
As soon as I saw the salmon, I tensed up.
Salmon was Aslan’s favorite dish.
“Wow! It looks so yummy!”
As expected, Aslan’s eyes went wide as soon as he saw the salmon, and he ran for the table.
Luckily, I was tense and ready, so I caught him just in time and hugged him tightly.
Aslan looked up at me with a betrayed expression.
“Why?! Whyyyy!”
“Shhh, Aslan. No running in the dining room.”
“What!?”
“And starting today, you’re not allowed to eat with your hands.”
“Then how do I eat!?”
I lifted the huffing Aslan into a chair.
Hnnng… he’s definitely heavier than when he was a cat.
With trembling arms, I barely managed to seat him.
He whined.
“Mom, I want to eat now. Please?”
“Wait.”
I tucked napkins around his neck and lap.
On the table, shining as if it had waited for this moment, were Aslan’s very own utensils.
Even if he used to be a cat, he’s human now.
I couldn’t let him keep eating with his hands forever.
I placed the tiny cutlery into Aslan’s hands.
“Here, Aslan. From now on, use these instead of your hands.”
“I don’t want to! They’re annoying!”
He pouted.
I expected this.
I raised him, after all—and Aslan was nothing if not stubborn.
With the servants still in the room, I couldn’t talk freely. I decided to dismiss them.
“There’s no need for service today. You may all leave.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The staff quietly and efficiently left. Now, it was just me and Aslan.
Finally, I could talk plainly.
Taking a deep breath, I warned him,
“Aslan, you’re a human now. You can’t act like a cat anymore.”
“Like a cat? What do you mean?”
“First of all, humans eat using utensils.”
“Why?”
His “Why?” made me question it too. Isn’t it just obvious?
I tried giving him a reason he could understand.
“…Because it’s convenient?”
“This is more convenient for me.”
“…Because your hands and mouth get dirty.”
“I can groom myself.”
“…”
Okay, he’s not wrong.
But that’s what cats do. Not humans.
Left with no choice, I took a firmer stance.
“Aslan. Even if that’s easier, you’re human now. You have to stop behaving like a cat.”
“Why?”
“Because… I’m currently disliked by a very powerful person. If you cause trouble…”
I drew a finger across my neck in a slicing motion.
But Aslan didn’t seem to get the gesture. He just tilted his head.
With no other option, I said it bluntly.
“Mom will die.”
“Mom will die!?”
“Yeah. Mom dies.”
Aslan trembled like he’d just heard a ghost story, his big eyes even wider now.
…Oops, maybe I scared him too much.
Time to give him a carrot.
I softened my expression and smiled brightly.
“But if Aslan listens to Mommy, Mommy won’t die.”
“Really!?”
“Really.”
His face lit up. Yep—balancing the carrot and stick is key.
I clapped once and encouraged him,
“Let’s start with holding the fork, okay?”
“Okay!”
He nodded enthusiastically.
Looks like he was finally ready to learn how to use utensils.
Great. I placed my hand over his and began guiding him in cutting food.
“Mom, this is hard.”
“It’s okay. You’ll get used to it.”
I raised a sickly stray kitten before—I can definitely raise one talking child.
Besides, Aslan was always a smart cat.
If he was intelligent as a cat, he’ll surely be even smarter as a human.
“I’ll teach you everything properly.”
Even table manners good enough for a royal banquet—Aslan would learn them all today.
