But the door that usually opened quickly remained still.
What’s going on? Just as Adrian tilted his head in confusion—
“No! You can’t!”
There was a loud commotion from inside, and suddenly, the door burst open.
And the person who popped out of the house was…
“Hi!”
“…Huh?”
A little girl with pure white hair tied into two pigtails stood there.
With her big, round blue eyes, she looked up at Adrian curiously.
It was definitely his first time seeing this girl.
…But strangely, she seemed to have a certain fondness for Adrian.
Does she know me?
Just as Adrian was staring at the girl with a puzzled expression—
“May! I told you not to come out—!”
Sabina rushed out the door in a flurry.
Her usually neat violet hair was completely messy and disheveled.
“…Sabina?”
Adrian called her name in a dazed voice.
“Ah.”
Sabina froze completely on the spot like a block of ice.
That unshakable Sabina is actually looking this disheveled?
While Adrian was still reeling from the shock—
Suddenly, his coat was gently tugged from below.
When he looked down, the little girl was smiling brightly up at him.
And then—
“I’m May!”
She threw her arms around Adrian in a tight hug.
Dangling off of him like that, she looked just like a koala clinging to a tree.
Unconsciously, Adrian patted the girl’s head.
“Ha ha… Hello. I appreciate the affection, but…”
Adrian slowly looked up.
His green eyes met Sabina’s, full of bewilderment.
“So… Sabina? Mind explaining what’s going on here…?”
—
Just before Adrian arrived…
Sabina had firmly grabbed my hand and gave me a warning.
“Listen carefully. The hero is visiting today, so you need to stay quietly in this room.”
“Okay!”
As I nodded enthusiastically, Sabina’s expression immediately turned uneasy.
Tch.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
She knows me too well.
She had definitely realized that I didn’t mean that “okay” at all.
“Can’t you just stay in your cat form?”
“Nope!”
“Sigh. When did you become so stubborn?”
Sabina pressed her forehead in frustration.
But still…
To help sis and Adrian grow closer, I have to take human form first!
This was all a judgment based on my past life experiences.
Here’s the backstory:
When we first settled in the capital, Adrian and Sabina were super awkward with each other.
“Um, Sabina?”
“If you have nothing to say, please don’t talk to me.”
Sabina was always bristling like a hedgehog.
And Adrian just kept tiptoeing around her.
At first, I just watched their awkwardness silently.
But I couldn’t just let things stay uncomfortable forever.
So I tried everything—dragging over toys, sitting them down together by pulling on their clothes, even putting aside my pride and acting extra cute for Adrian…
But there were limits to what I could do in my cat form.
Of course, I understood Sabina’s feelings too.
She always told me:
Familiars that can transform into humans are incredibly rare. So if anyone found out about me, it’d be bad.
When people think of wizards, they often think of familiars, but…
In reality, only a handful of highly magic-attuned wizards can even form contracts with familiars.
So having one means the wizard is incredibly skilled.
And my sister hates drawing attention.
But Adrian was someone I could trust.
After all, in my previous life, he ended up seeing me in my human form.
Back then, I was so tense I froze up…
And he looked at me and said—
“Wow, May! You’re amazing!”
He smiled brightly.
It was a pure, sincere face with no hidden motives or greed.
So that means it’s okay!
More importantly, if I meet him for the first time as Human Maybell, how would he ever guess that I’m Cat Maybell?
It aligns perfectly with Sabina’s goal of keeping my familiar identity a secret!
I watched Sabina sneak out of the room with a suspicious look on her face.
Then—
Opportunity!
I dashed out through the half-open door.
“May?!”
I heard Sabina’s panicked voice behind me.
Sorry, sis!
Even though I wasn’t a cat right now, some of my instincts were still sharp!
Just like I was still a cat, I raced to the entrance and threw open the door.
Warm sunlight poured in brilliantly.
And standing there in the light was that man…
“…Huh?”
His golden hair, like threads spun from melted gold, was slightly tousled over his smooth forehead.
His eyes, a deep green like summer foliage, were looking straight at me.
He was like the warmth of spring—someone who had always been kind to my sister and me.
Adrian’s eyes widened when he saw me.
So full of life, he seemed completely untouched by the tragedy he faced in the previous timeline.
“Ooppaah!”
I couldn’t help but hug Adrian tightly.
—
“She’s my sister.”
Holding tightly onto the troublemaker who had stormed outside, Sabina spoke firmly.
“Sister?”
Wasn’t Sabina supposed to be living alone with just a cat?
Sensing Adrian’s puzzled look, Sabina declared with a face that didn’t allow even a pin to slip through.
“A cousin.”
“Uh…”
Honestly, they didn’t look alike at all.
But with Sabina being so firm about it, there was nothing Adrian could say.
He nodded without argument.
Still…
Once the shock wore off, the situation started to feel oddly amusing.
Sabina, who usually acted all rigid, was flustered.
And for some reason, this little girl seemed to like him a lot.
The chilly air in the house somehow felt a little livelier and warmer now.
Is that just my imagination?
Adrian suppressed a chuckle.
Then he turned to the little girl and spoke gently.
“Did you say your name was Maybell?”
The sweet-faced girl nodded enthusiastically.
Her silver twin-tails swayed with her energetic movement.
At that moment, Adrian felt a slight sense of incongruity.
“Come to think of it, Sabina. That cat from before…”
His green eyes flicked over to her.
“Wasn’t the cat’s name also May?”
At that moment, both Sabina and Maybell froze.
Sissss, do something!
This is exactly why I told you not to come out!
Sabina and Maybell exchanged a frantic glance before Sabina straightened her back.
Then, pretending to be completely calm, she spoke.
“…I named the cat after Maybell.”
“You named a cat… after your cousin?”
Adrian’s expression grew murky.
But Sabina didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.
“Yes. That’s how much I cherish her.”
“Really?”
Adrian nodded, not pushing the issue further.
Then—
“By the way, where is May?”
He probably meant the cat this time.
Sweat began to trickle down Sabina’s back.
“She’s out for a walk.”
“Hm, I see.”
Adrian didn’t seem to find it strange and moved on.
To be fair, Maybell did frequently go out to patrol her territory.
Taking the chance, Sabina quickly changed the subject.
“So, what brings you here today?”
“Oh, that…”
Adrian looked away awkwardly for a moment.
Sabina quietly observed him. Her eyes slowly narrowed.
“Come to think of it, I heard you’re heading out on a monster subjugation mission.”
“Uh, Sabina?”
“Don’t tell me you went on anothe
r rampage alone again?”
“Ra-rampage…”
Adrian winced at the harsh phrasing.
But Sabina was relentless.
“Every time I patch you up, you get hurt again, and again, and again…”
She crossed her arms and tilted her head with sarcasm.
“I just wonder how long you’re planning to keep using me like this?”
