The Cat's Repayment of Gratitude

==========

—Shoooo...

Rain pattered down relentlessly on a certain day.

Thud.

Exhausted from hunger, I collapsed on the roadside.

'I don't even have the strength to move anymore.'

For three months, I'd wandered the back alleys, peeking into fish shops and scavenging food scraps to survive. And yesterday, of all days, I got into a fight with the gang that ruled these streets—talk about bad luck.

'If only I'd eaten more, I might've won.'

Deep wounds scarred my thigh and chest from those bastards. I barely escaped with my life, but who would care for a filthy stray like me? No medicine, not even scraps to eat. My wounds festered worse, and my strength hit its limit in just one day.

My shoulder throbbed, my side ached, and my stomach burned fiercely.

'So cold...'

My body temperature was dropping fast.

—Shoooo...

The rain I'd longed for during bouts of thirst was now stealing my warmth, pouring down cold and endless as if determined to kill me. My eyelids grew heavy. My heartbeat slowed relentlessly.

I was dying quietly on the cold, hard ground.

Street life always ends in death. I'd known that since I was a kitten. But...

'Somehow... I don't want to die...'

Why...? Do I have regrets...? Why can't I just close my eyes peacefully?

I had no mate, no family. No one in this world would grieve my passing.

So why couldn't I slip away with ease?

'...I don't know.'

My vision blurred. Was sleep coming? It felt different from usual. Whatever. I just wanted peace.

·····As those thoughts drifted through my mind and I closed my eyes—

—Splash, splash.

Footsteps approached from afar.

'Scavengers come to eat my corpse after I die?'

I wasn't dead yet—couldn't they wait a bit? Until then, I figured it was just alley cats coming.

But as the steps grew closer, I realized.

'Weird... small and light footsteps... human...?'

Definitely a small person's steps. Who'd come to a place like this? Soon, the footsteps stopped, and a clear, bright voice rang out.

"Hwaaa...! S-Si, Ciel! There's a poor little one collapsed here!"

A voice like a pure bell.

"Sis, that's not a kid—it's a cat."

"Anyway! We have to heal it quick! It'll die like this!"

It wasn't alley thugs or local kids who approached me.

"Hi~ Kitty? Don't worry anymore! Our Ciel will use magic and poof! make all the pain go away!"

"Sigh, I didn't learn magic to save cats."

A girl with the kindest heart and most beautiful face had come for me. Without hesitation, she scooped me up.

Her warm touch. The first coziness I'd felt in ages. It wrapped around the rain, my wounds, and the cold.

"Ehehe, my name's Lea Pendragon. Let's live together at my place from now on! What do ya say?"

"Sigh~ Sis, if the head maid scolds you, don't blame me~"

I forced my eyes open and gazed at the girl holding me. Fiery red hair burning like the sun. Mysteriously shimmering purple eyes. A face as lovely as a rose.

She wasn't just any girl. To me, she was a goddess—a savior.

"We're living together from now on! Sounds good, right?"

A girl like warm sunlight piercing the rain. I mewed softly, accepting her offer to live together.

"Meow."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

(Sure.)

On a bitterly lonely rainy day, in a cold, dark back alley, I met a brilliantly shining goddess.

A few months passed since my owner took me in.

"Sugar~ This body has returned~"

"Meow."

(Welcome home, owner.)

She called me 'Sugar.' My white fur sparkled like sugar, apparently. Not the coolest name, but compared to rejects like 'Snow Blast' or 'SquishyStickyRiceCake,' I had no choice but to accept it.

My owner clearly lacked naming sense.

"Hwaaa~ Acting like a stern king today was so tiring~ Comfort meee~"

"Meow."

(Okay, but stop rubbing my belly.)

She was this kingdom's king—the lofty Knight King. But she didn't seem to like the throne much.

"I just wanna ditch being king and travel the world with Lucifer..."

"Meow?"

(Why can't you?)

"Umm, once chosen by the holy sword Excalibur, a Knight King has no choice... No idea why it picked me, but it's such a hassle! Pout~"

Human affairs like holy swords and Knight Kings were beyond me.

"Thanks to the holy sword, my illness is cured and I'm stronger, but I don't wanna be king~"

"Meow."

(Owner, at least wash up and go to bed.)

I couldn't understand it all, but I responded eagerly to everything she said. It was the least I could do.

·····

Then one night.

"Hmnya... Work is haaard... Zzz..."

"Meow."

(Owner, you really need to fix your sleeping habits.)

While she slept, I snuck out to the backyard for a night stroll—first in a while.

'Old alley habits die hard... Feels wrong if I don't patrol at night.'

Then—rustle—voices whispered from the bushes.

'People gathering this late at night?'

Curious, I crept toward the sound. Soon, I reached twelve knights in secretive talk.

"So... we're crowning a new Knight King?"

"Hey, Lancelot. We can't decide that. Only a knight chosen by the holy sword can be king. You know that."

One named Lancelot looked up and answered.

"That's why... we have to kill her."

"Nonsense. The Knight King is beyond our skill. Even all twelve of us couldn't win..."

"Does it have to be swordplay? I hear Her Majesty loves sweet desserts. To strike the king's heart... hide it in sugar-like sweetness?"

The man's eyes gleamed dull silver as he grinned sinisterly, like he was being manipulated.

'More importantly... these guys are plotting against our owner!'

I'd seen their faces—knights who'd sworn loyalty and offered swords to her. I thought them strong and faithful, yet here they plotted cowardly assassination!

I didn't know why, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reasons didn't matter now.

'...I have to protect owner!'

After that, I shadowed her every meal and snack.

And then—crash!

"Ah! Sugar! Why do you keep knocking over this body's snacks lately?!"

"Meow!"

(Owner, don't eat this!)

Every day, I deliberately batted her snacks to the floor. Not knowing which were poisoned, I knocked down every one in sight.

It was to save her, but I got scolded plenty.

"Sugar! You're acting weird lately! I can't even understand what you're saying!"

"Meow! Meow!"

(Owner! The knights are trying to kill you!)

"That's what I mean—I can't understand you!"

She thought she understood me, but whenever I tried warning about poison, she couldn't. Like some spell blocked her from grasping 'poison.'

A week of blocking her snacks later.

"As punishment for your pranks, Her Majesty orders Sugar confined to the room today."

My worst fear happened. She had a maid lock me in!

"Meow! Meeeooow!!"

(No! Owner... Owner's in danger!)

I clawed the door desperately, but my tiny claws were useless.

'Meal time's soon...!'

One slip, and she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠might eat poison. The thought made me leap out the window.

Whoosh!

A high drop, but no issue for a cat.

—Tat-tat-tat-tat!

'No... no...!'

I couldn't imagine her dying. The girl who saved me, who kept me alive... I couldn't watch her go!

I raced to the dining hall with all my might.

'Ow, owner!'

From afar, I saw her about to eat a sweet snack.

I could leap through the window, knock it away. But...

'That only works once... If I'm locked up again, I might not save her next time!'

That realization hit: I knew what I had to do.

—Leap!

I jumped through the window, straight to her side.

"Eh? Sugar? How'd you get here?"

"Meow!"

(No!!)

—Nom nom nom!

I devoured the pudding from her hand in frantic gulps. Then—

"Kyaaa...!"

Having ingested a deadly poison that could fell knights, I—

vomited blood and collapsed into her arms.

·········This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was the only way.

The sole way to reveal the poisoning plot.

By taking the poison in her place and dying.

"Wha...? S-Sugar...? What's wrong all of a sudden...???"

"Poison! Her Majesty's food is poisoned!"

"Everyone freeze! Knights!! Seize the head chef and all food staff immediately!"

"Yes!"

Frantic voices of humans. Seeing me collapse vomiting blood, they'd realized her food was tainted.

'This... should do it...'

I was fated to die rain-soaked in that filthy alley anyway.

She saved me. For her, I'd gladly die.

"S-Stop joking around...! Open your eyes, Sugar...!"

"Meow......"

(Owner, don't cry...)

I tried to lift a paw to touch her face one last time. But my body wouldn't obey.

'No feeling...'

A tiny cat swallowing lethal venom? Expected end.

My temperature plummeted, chest tightened, vision faded. Just like that rainy day.

Shoooo... Strangely, I heard the rain from the day we met.

They say your most precious memory flashes at death. It was true.

But different from then.

Back then, death terrified me. Dying alone, lonely. Slowly on cold stone. I hated it.

Now? No fear.

I'd protected someone precious. Heart stopping? Fine. She lived. That was enough.

"S-Sugar...! N-No...!"

"Meeeow......"

(Owner... Thanks for loving me...)

With my final farewell, my tiny breath ceased.

—Drip drip.

Unlike that rainy day, today rain fell from her purple eyes.

·····Pure, heartbreaking rain.

I awoke in pitch darkness. My body felt light. No pain, no hunger.

'Where... am I?'

Then, a being wreathed in dazzling light spoke.

I knew instantly: god or goddess. I blinked at her question, then answered quietly.

"Meow."

(My owner gets lost easily.)

"Meow~ Meow!"

(She gets lost even with maps. I always guided her. So... if she ever gets lost again, I want to guide her then!)

The goddess smiled faintly at my humble wish.

"Meow!"

(Oh, one more! When I guide her as a pathfinder and someone's by her side, let me tell them to protect her!)

I couldn't become human. Couldn't warn of poison.

So... if someone precious to her appears later, I wanted to beg them to protect her.

"Meow!"

(That's my wish!)

—Flash!

As the goddess finished, warm light enveloped me. I surrendered to it, whispering softly.

"Meow..."

(Owner, see you again...)

==========