Ancestor

"You aren't joking, are you, my dear Evil God?" "What do you think?" "I think even an evil god wouldn't force a cat to eat hot oil noodles—with raw garlic, no less." Karen reached out and patted Purr's head. Purr rolled her eyes at him. "She's quite pretty. Much prettier than I expected." Why does society always emphasize inner beauty? Because at its core, this is a look-obsessed world. "I was even prettier than her back in my day," Purr insisted stubbornly. "Do you have a picture?" "Cameras hadn't been invented yet back then, but there should be murals of me." "Where?" "Let me think... in the subterranean city of Allen Castle, some should still be preserved." "Allen?" "That's my family name." "A cat demon family? Oh, wait—an aberrant demon family?" "Would you be pleased if I referred to the Inmerlais family as an aberrant demon family?" "I don't hold any prejudice against aberrant demons," Karen replied. "You can think of it as a family far grander, more populous, and with a vastly longer heritage than the Inmerlais family. Out of respect for you, I refrained from using the word 'ants' to compare the Inmerlais family to mine." "Very good." Karen nodded. "And now? Has the line died out?" "Why on earth would you think that?" "Because families fond of calling others 'ants' to highlight their own greatness have generally vanished down the river of history." "Damn it, I'm starting to suspect that when Diss went to Belwin last time, he buried one dead grandson and brought home another long-lost twin brother. Do you know? The tone you use when speaking to me sometimes sounds exactly like Diss when he was young. In contrast, the previous 'Karen,' I didn't care for him. Nor do I like Lunt. They always felt unfit to be served at a formal banquet table." "Fair enough." "So sometimes I can see why Diss is so fond of you. Do you know? There's a kind of inheritance in this world that is held in even higher regard and runs even tighter than blood ties." "I can understand that." "You really do?" "Yeah." Karen knew Purr meant the passing of a mantle to a true successor. "The problem now is that Diss doesn't seem to have any intention of inducting me into the faith. Right now, he's more like he's busy trying to get me married off and having kids. I can understand an elder wishing for the family branch to flourish, but I still think it's a bit too rushed." Purr tilted her head, confused. "You just need to enjoy yourself—what hardship is there for you? Besides, once the child is born, you can just dump it on Diss to raise, or pawn it off on Mary. Mary will definitely scream: 'Good heavens, another child to raise!' But believe me, she'll still care for it with all her heart. Diss has always had an eye for daughters-in-law." "What about Aunt?" "Winnie? Don't let her quiet demeanor fool you; she was quite the rebel in her youth. She managed to break free from Diss's 'shackles' and 'clutches' to chase after the happiness she wanted. And then, her marriage fell apart, ending in divorce." "What a tragic story." It was hard to imagine that his aunt, who currently managed the household accounts and conducted herself so calmly and steadily, once had a rebellious streak, bravely breaking free of patriarchal tyranny to pursue her own happiness. Karen washed his hands and dried them with a towel. Purr continued trotting alongside him, saying, "I think the young lady downstairs is wonderful." "I don't think anyone was doubting that." "No, no, no, I'm talking about her aura—her temperament! Her aura makes me feel very comfortable." "She hasn't even stepped into the house and you're already sensing her aura? Some special feline intuition?" "It's the sharp eye of an elder, understand?!" "Right, right." Karen began descending the stairs. Purr followed along the banister. "A young lady with such an exceptional aura is perfect for bearing children." Hearing this, Karen opened his hands and said, "The saying I heard is that big hips are better suited for that." "That's superficial! That only produces a healthy baby!" "'Only'?" "Of course! What's the point of an ordinary, healthy baby? If you're going to have one, you should produce a child whose constitution is better suited for purification, someone who can more readily channel faith power—now that's what makes a good baby!" "Your way of putting it..." "So, there's no problem at all. I think you should win her over and have her bear your children! The Inmerlais bloodline, Diss's bloodline, and yours—it would be a real shame not to pass it on." Karen paused and looked at Purr. "You never got married, did you?" "I'm a cat right now, how would I get married?" "I mean, back when you were still human, you weren't married either, right?" "Uh..." "Never dated either? Never fancied someone of the opposite sex?" "Uh... shut up!" "I knew it." "Do you have any idea how many suitors pursued me back then? I was a legend in my day, the dream girl of countless brilliant young talents!" "Yet you still never dated anyone." "I..." "So in your eyes, whenever a man and a woman are together, it's solely for the purpose of making babies?" "Isn't it supposed to be? What else, romantic sweet talk?" "Fine, there's no talking sense into you." Karen figured Purr had spent so long as a cat that her concept of "love" had devolved into mere "mating." Coupled with the practice of selecting breeds for cats and dogs, she had subconsciously projected that onto humans. "I'm doing this for your own good. Believe me, Karen, the aura on that young lady is truly unique." "Are you saying she's an aberrant demon?" "She's not an aberrant demon, I can guarantee that. But her appearance makes me feel so comfortable, so pleasing to my eyes. Someone like that must be born with immense spiritual aptitude." Purr leaped straight onto Karen's shoulder, patting his cheek with her padded paws. "She could bear you outstanding evil god offspring!!!" Karen reached up, peeled the inexplicably agitated black cat off him, and tossed her aside. "You're worse than an old granny who only cares about staring at a girl's hips." Landing on the stair tread, Purr shouted, "In terms of age, I'm far older than her great-great-grandmother's great-grandmother!" "Did you ever have children yourself?" Karen asked. "No." "So did your family line die out because you failed to produce an exceptional heir?" "My family didn't lack heirs just because of me, damn it! My family had plenty of people! You should be worrying about the Inmerlais family!" Karen waved his hand, too lazy to keep arguing with the cat. Leaving the living room, he walked into the courtyard. By then, the young lady in the black long dress had already pushed open the gate and entered. Seeing Karen, she apologized with embarrassment: "I'm terribly sorry. I thought no one was home, so I let myself in through the courtyard gate to have a look." "I'm the one who should apologize for not coming out to greet you sooner. You must be Miss Eunice, Mina's teacher?" "Yes, I'm Mina's math teacher. Are you Mina's brother?" "Yes. You can call me Karen." "All right, Karen." "Please, come inside." "Thank you." "Mina never mentioned that her math teacher was so beautiful." "Mina never mentioned that she had such a handsome brother, either." "Please, have a seat." "Thank you." "Would you like coffee or black tea?" "Could I have ice water, please?" "Of course. One moment." Karen went upstairs to get ice from the refrigerator in the kitchen. On the stairs, Purr, still sprawled across the banister, watched him and piped up: "Ice water. Two glasses of ice water. Mmhmm." Purr knew that Karen normally disliked tea and coffee and only drank ice water. Karen ignored the cat, went up to pour two glasses of ice water, and came back down. Miss Eunice was standing before a wall mural, admiring it. Hearing Karen's footsteps coming down the stairs, she turned around and smiled. "I like the atmosphere of the interior here." From the stairs, Purr murmured under her breath, "You should like the basement too." Handing her a glass of ice water, Karen said, "Religious elements have a way of bringing peace to the mind." "Yes, exactly. I think that must be the most appealing thing about religion. It can offer our hearts..." "It builds a house for our spiritual world, a home that belongs entirely to oneself." "Your description is so apt! As expected of an honors student in psychology from Rojia University." Hm? An honors student in psychology from Rojia University? Karen realized in an instant: When recommending him to a potential blind date, Aunt Mary had fabricated his academic background. In all likelihood, she had probably lied about his age as well. Granted, calling him an honors student in psychology wasn't far off given his background, and his mental age was hardly young, but... "There might be some misunderstanding. I do have an interest in psychology, but I never attended university. Last year, due to some psychological troubles, I dropped out of high school. Besides... what age did they tell you I was?" "Nineteen." "I'm sixteen." Karen held back the words "not yet," feeling that he had already been honest enough. "I honestly couldn't tell at all. You give off such a calm, steady impression—almost as if you were older than me. Oh no, I'm sorry, I don't mean that you look aged. In fact, looking closely now, I can see you truly are very young." "I've never liked measuring a person's age merely by the span of their life. I prefer to gauge one's true years by the depth of their experiences." "Yes, that makes a lot of sense." "Are you from Wien?" "Yes, I'm from Wien. I grew up there, though my mother is Ruilanese." "What brought you to teach in Rojia City?" "My maternal grandmother passed away, and my mother was heartbroken, so she wanted to stay in Grandmother's former residence for a while. Having just graduated from university, I decided to take a teaching post here in Rojia City." "I'm sorry for your loss." "No, there's no need. I never actually met my grandmother. Even when she passed away and my mother and I rushed back after receiving the news, she had already been laid to rest." Eunice looked around and pointed to the bier in the living room. "My grandmother's casket was probably placed right there." Her grandmother's funeral had likely been held here at the Inmerlais residence. Karen said, "She was a very kind and gentle lady." Though he had no memory of her at all. "You haven't had lunch yet, have you? May I have the pleasure of inviting you to join me?" "Wouldn't that be an imposition?" "Not at all." Karen led Eunice up to the second floor. Purr was still lounging on the handrail. Eunice stepped forward and took the initiative to scoop Purr into her arms. "What an adorable kitty! Her fur is so silky." Karen was slightly surprised; Purr didn't seem to resist being held in Eunice's embrace at all. Seeming to sense Karen's gaze, Purr even kneaded Eunice's chest with her paws, then shot Karen a knowing look. Karen thought the cat had completely lost her mind today. It was only the knowledge that Purr was female that kept him from hurling her out the window. "Take a seat first; it'll be ready shortly." "Do you need any help?" "Later on, all I'll need is your help tasting it." "All right, thank you for your trouble." Eunice placed Purr on the dining table, then rested her cheek against her palm, looking toward Karen in the kitchen. Purr crouched beside Eunice's face, glancing first at Karen, then at Eunice. In her head, she muttered: *See? Fallen completely. As long as someone is handsome enough, what does dropping out of high school matter? What does being younger matter? None of it's an issue.* *Ah, superficial humans.* Karen brought out a large bowl of fish with pickled greens and set it on the dining table. "What dish is this? I've never seen it before. Mmm, it smells wonderful," Eunice asked. "Fish with pickled greens. It whets the appetite and goes great with rice." "I'd love to try some right away." "No, this isn't for us. It's for her." Karen pointed to Purr on the dining table. At those words, Purr's eyes immediately lit up. Karen took out a bandana, tied it around Purr's neck, pushed the bowl of fish in front of her, and cautioned, "Careful, it's hot." Purr glanced at Karen, then at Eunice, thinking: *What are you waiting for? Bearing children for the Lord Evil God is your honor!* Karen brought two bowls of noodles from the kitchen, topped with chili flakes and various seasonings. "Do they need to be mixed?" Eunice asked curiously. "No, just a moment." Karen returned with a large ladle of sizzling hot oil, pouring it first over Eunice's bowl and then over his own. *Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...* To anyone who loved noodles, that sound was sheer heaven. "Let me mix it for you." Karen used chopsticks to mix Eunice's noodles. "What kind of utensil is that?" "These are chopsticks. I'm used to eating with them." "They look novel and very practical—and they're quite exquisite too." Karen had originally whittled bamboo chopsticks himself, but Alfred had later forged ten pairs of silver chopsticks in the exact same style for him. "Would you like to give them a try?" "I would." "Here." Eunice took the chopsticks. To Karen's slight surprise, though clearly inexperienced, she successfully managed to lift a bite of noodles into her mouth. "It's delicious! I love the flavor and the texture. Your aunt mentioned that you enjoy cooking." "Yes. In my view, a happy life can never be parted from good food." "I love sampling regional cuisines too. There are many foreign specialty restaurants in Wien, and I enjoy trying them out." "Believe me, those restaurants definitely aren't authentic." Karen sat down as well and began eating his noodles. Eunice took a bite, looked at Karen for a moment, and took another bite. Busy eating her fish, Purr looked up and saw this. Silently, she pushed the cloves of garlic she had previously peeled with her cat claws in front of Eunice: *What are you staring at? Eat your garlic!* "Hmm?" Eunice looked at the garlic shoved before her by the cat. Karen picked up a clove and bit half of it off, chewing as he slurped down a mouthful of noodles. *Phew.* Raw garlic was always the ultimate companion to noodles. "Are these meant to be eaten together?" "Yes." Imitating Karen, Eunice took a bite. The fiery sharpness immediately made her squeeze her eyes shut; having no water within reach, she instinctively chased it down with noodles. "That is... so pungent!" After a good while, Eunice finally recovered. Glancing at the remaining half of the garlic clove in her hand, she placed it into the noodles, wrapped it in a cluster of strands, and popped it into her mouth. "Mmm... I think I'm starting to like this feeling." "Me too," Karen said, looking at Eunice. Beside them, Purr suddenly felt the fragrant bowl of fish with pickled greens wasn't quite as satisfying anymore. Sneakily pulling another clove of garlic back with her paw, she took a bite: "Meowww!!!" After finishing the noodles, Eunice insisted on clearing the dishes, and Karen agreed. Afterward, the two naturally sat facing each other, chatting away. For the most part, Eunice talked while Karen listened and chimed in. After all, making someone let their guard down, open their heart, and enjoy a conversation was Karen's forte. From their conversation, Karen gathered that Eunice came from an exceptionally wealthy family. She mentioned being injured while riding horses in her backyard as a child—meaning her family owned an estate with stables right in York City, the capital of Wien. She mentioned currently living on Rhine Street to keep her mother company—meaning she hadn't even bothered to rent, but had bought a house outright in the aristocratic district of Rhine Street here in Rojia City. When the topic turned to art, she cited several examples, such as the queen's and princesses' attire and the paintings they admired—meaning she saw Wien's queen and royal family regularly, not just catching distant glimpses of them during public ceremonies. After all, unlike the Ruilanese royal family, who had sunk so low as to endorse fashion brands, the royal house of Wien still wielded enormous political influence. Throughout the conversation, Purr rested her head on her paws and watched from the side: *How much longer are you two going to talk?* *How can you still keep chatting?* *Why not head up to the third-floor bedroom for a fun game of poker?* *And why not try making a baby to add some interactive flavor to your conversation?* *Sigh... the scent on this lady makes me feel so comfortable. How I'd love to see your belly swell and watch you pop out a spiritually gifted baby for me to play with.* As twilight gathered, Eunice glanced out the window and said in surprise: "I'm terribly embarrassed—it's already this late! I'm sorry, I'm usually not this talkative. I don't know why, but chatting with you today just made me want to keep talking." Purr drooped her eyelids: *Because you crave him!* "I've enjoyed talking with you as well. It's been truly pleasant." "Yes, I feel the same." Eunice looked at Karen, then reached into her handbag and took out a pink wallet. "This is a gift for Mina." "All right, thank you. I'll thank you on Mina's behalf." Karen placed the pink wallet on the dining table, then accompanied Eunice downstairs to hail a cab at the roadside. Well, it wasn't that Karen didn't want to drive her home—even though the family had just bought a new car... Watching Eunice drive off in the taxi, Karen turned back inside and climbed up to the second floor. On the dining table, Purr was pawing at the pink wallet with its distinctive emblem. Karen picked up the glass of water on the table, took a sip, and asked, "What brand is it?" Purr looked up blankly, staring at Karen. "The great-great-grandmother's great-grandmother, the great-great-grandmother's great-grandmother... No. Diss... Damn it! Diss did this on purpose! He definitely did this on purpose—it was all arranged by Diss! Damn it!" "What's wrong with you?" "You are not allowed to touch her, Karen! Under no circumstances! I'm begging you, absolutely not! By no means! Great Evil God, you must never touch her! Never! Please stay away from her—stay away from her forever!!!" "Did something go wrong with your brain today?" Karen asked, bewildered. "Do I need to take you to a vet clinic?" Purr pointed a paw at the unique insignia on the pink wallet in front of her and screamed: "This Miss Eunice... she—she's a descendant of my family!!!"