"Mommy, I want to catch a little rabbit!"
Cedric suddenly stopped, asking softly, "Mommy, can I eat it?"
Catriona crouched down with him and gave her son's chubby face a kiss. "You can eat if you want, it's fine. But you have to get the owner's permission first—here, the owner agrees."
"Okay! Mommy, you're the best!" Cedric grinned, flashing his little canine teeth.
The werewolf led them to a bench behind the house, pointing to an open green lawn and the short woods behind it. "Mr. Nightblade, that area is for the cubs' hunting practice."
"Currently, there are three cubs hunting in there."
The rain had lessened compared to earlier, but a fine drizzle still fell.
Catriona opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
Her son wasn't ordinary; she couldn't compare him to normal kids.
She had to get used to raising him like a wolf cub.
Other wolf cubs were hunting; there was no reason her son should be weaker.
Roderick was right; if her son couldn't catch prey in the wild later, how would he fit into his pack?
Having more skills could only help him. His life ahead was long, and it was good for him to learn survival skills.
She had to learn to let go.
"Excuse me, should he shift to his full wolf form?"
The werewolf, who had never looked directly at her, lowered his head again, saying, "That's up to the cub, but starting out in full wolf form might be best."
Cedric, eager to start, transformed into a chubby little wolf cub on the spot.
Excitedly, he ran in circles around his parents.
"Awoo... awooo..."
"Sweetie, be careful, and don't get hurt." Though she was trying to let go, worry still lingered in Catriona's eyes.
Such a tiny little cub, and he was already learning to hunt.
"Awoo..." The little wolf cub nudged his mom's hand with his round head, then licked her with his tiny tongue. "Awoo..."
"Good boy. I'll wait here for you. Go on."
The little wolf cub let out an excited yelp, then dashed off, his chubby, round form bounding across the damp grass with his tail wagging.
Catriona let go.
As she watched the little one run farther away, she couldn't help but think... one day he would grow up and leave her, braving the rain to venture into the world alone. And she would remain in place, aging with time, still watching him run farther and farther away.
He had his own world.
Look how much he longed for the outside world, how much he wanted to catch those rabbits.
Catriona thought, this was only the beginning.
Her little one would, one day, go very, very far.
And what about her?
For the first time, Catriona felt a tinge of fear. She had once thought that having her son meant having everything, that loneliness and pretty scenery or good food meant nothing—having her son was enough.
She needed to work hard to support him, make sure he was well-fed, warmly clothed, and grew up chubby.
Back when they were poor, she had no time to think of these things; it was all work and more work.
Now, her son had Roderick, a wealthy father, and would never worry about food or warmth. Even she benefited from this.
Now her son didn't need her to stay busy and tense all the time; he wouldn't go hungry, and he wouldn't have to suffer the cold.
One day, he would live his own life.
And she...
Would she return to the same... loneliness she felt in her youth?
She had always kept her head down, moving forward and rejecting those who wished to walk with her.
She had made that choice herself.
This frighteningly lonely road was the one she had chosen.
Catriona's face turned pale, and she stood there, utterly at a loss.
The little wolf cub's figure had already disappeared into the forest.
She remained motionless where she stood.
The werewolf guide had already left.
Only Roderick and Catriona remained here.
His sharp gaze fell upon her; they were alone now.
"The cub has only gone hunting. What's with that expression? Like the whole world abandoned you?"
"...No." Catriona snapped back to reality, looked away, and leaned against the pillar carved with wolf heads.
She felt that...
Since earlier, Roderick's words had started to sting.
She remembered their first conversation six months ago; he was prickly and hard to get along with.
But after that, he had never been like that again.
Unable to resist, she looked up at him. "What... wrong with you?"
Had she somehow offended him?
"I heard it."
"What?" Catriona was taken aback, not quite understanding.
Roderick said, "If you think Luna Palace is too noisy, I can arrange for you and the cub to move somewhere else."
Catriona's lips parted slightly; he suddenly mentioned moving, and now he said he heard it.
That could only mean...
"Why did you eavesdrop on my conversation with Grandma?" Maybe it was the thought of her son eventually leaving her that made her say it. She used the word "eavesdrop" pointedly.
Her face flushed with offended anger. "Does having good hearing make you special? Do you know everything in the world?"
Roderick's hand clenched at his side, and he sneered, "So, that's how you see me?"
"Eavesdrop?" He almost laughed in anger, staring at her. "Who the hell would want to hear words from you that cut like knives?"
"I hate this damn good hearing too!!"
Using a casual tone, with a hint of playfulness, she had said: There's no way anything would happen between me and him!
She had said it so easily.
It was strange, Catriona thought. If it were someone else, she wouldn't even bother with such a pointless argument.
But with Roderick, seeing his angry expression, what was this? Was he being harsh to her? How could he...
Her anger flared instantly.
"So what? You heard what I told Grandma, and now you're giving me that sarcastic tone? You're being so prickly with me, aren't you?"
She looked up at him, eyes wide with anger. "Did I say anything wrong? I didn't say a word against you to Grandma, did I?"
Roderick took a deep breath, pressed his lips together, and tried to keep his voice calm. "If you're uncomfortable at Luna Palace, we'll move."
"I just want to take my son and go home!" Catriona slowly pieced it together, a hint of disbelief in her eyes. "So, you heard that I'm leaving Luna Palace in a month, and now you've changed your mind? You don't want me to take my son away?"
The more she thought about it, the more it seemed to be true.
"So that's it. You're putting on that same face you had when I first came to Luna Palace, speaking to me like this. Whether it was at the start or now, you only get mad at me because of my son."
Catriona's face flushed with emotion, breathing heavily. "You don't want me to take my son away, do you?"
Hearing this, Roderick frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on her, and he said, word by word, "I want you and the cub to stay."
"You're lying!" Catriona was almost overwhelmed by the chaotic emotions inside her.
"All you care about is the son. Just like Grey said back then, you only took me in because I'm his mother. All your kindness toward me is only because I'm the mother of your son."
"Now that we're at the final step, you want to back out. You can't keep up the act, right? That's why you're talking to me like this from the start!"
It had been a long time since Catriona had been this angry or argued with anyone like this. Maybe it was her emotions being too intense; her eyes reddened with rage.
Her vision blurred.
"I'm not naive enough to believe anything else. In this world, apart from my son, no one loves me; no one truly loves me! I have never been the one anyone has chosen resolutely."
Catriona's vision blurred, tears blocking her eyes, leaving her unable to see anything.
Her voice trembled with a sob, "You only wanted a son; you pretended for a few months. But when you heard I still wanted to take him away, you stopped pretending. You became aloof again."
Thinking about how her son would one day live his own life, recalling her own childhood experiences, she looked at the man before her, who had been so kind for so long, now revealing his true nature.
Catriona's emotions finally broke, pouring out like a flood released from a dam.
Why?
Why? Was her life destined to be a tragedy? Her joy and happiness always felt so limited.
As a child, she thought growing up would be the answer, that enduring would suffice. But now that she was grown, why hadn't she managed to live well?
Is everything her own fault?
Does she deserve all of this?
Roderick wouldn't let her take their son, and she had no way around it.
The more Catriona thought about it, the more her tears flowed uncontrollably. "I hate you... I don't like you at all... you're no different from them. I thought you..."
Her eyes were red, her voice thick with sobs, her words piercing. Roderick had never been so panicked. Watching her red lips open and close, his mind buzzed—stop it, stop crying...
Stop it.
With what could he stop her tears, her heart-wrenching sorrow?
"Mm..." Her lips were suddenly sealed, and Catriona's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Mmm... mmm!!!"
Trapped between his arms, her chin held firmly, she was forced to tilt her head as his unfamiliar, cool lips pressed against hers.
"Mmm..."
Catriona was held tightly, as he kissed her with a fierce intensity, unwilling to let go.
