Kitty Killer Isn't Too Cold

Seeing that her little sister was still assaulting her sanity with that high-pitched voice, the silver-haired girl, as the eldest daughter, felt her anger flare up. She immediately started cursing at the boys peeking over from afar:

"Is this how you bully people?! Just you wait! When I get off work, I'm telling your parents—!!"

With that roar, the boys who had just been pulling their prank scattered like birds and beasts.

After looking around at the street as it returned to its usual atmosphere, the eldest daughter, who had seemingly stood up for her little sister, still had no idea what to do with her mud-covered sibling... She could order her two younger brothers to take her sister for a bath, but their father would probably be unhappy if he found out they had skipped work.

Besides, her little sister was getting older. It was clearly inappropriate for boys to take her into the men's bathhouse... And the bathtub at home was too big for her little sister. She might drown if no one watched her... Nor could she take her sister to the bathhouse herself, for the same reason her brothers could not skip work.

Although she was nearly old enough to marry, and her father was looking for a marriage prospect for her, he would not beat her like he had when she was little before receiving the bride price.

But when that man was in a bad mood and drunk, he still beat their mother and little sister... His two younger sons had grown up, so he could no longer beat them when he was drunk.

What was she supposed to do at a time like this?

The silver-haired girl spotted Nana at once. Though Nana was technically an adult, she was even shorter than the girl herself.

As a neighbor, she was the closest person the girl could find right now.

"Um... Sister Nana... I'm very sorry... Mother hasn't come back yet. Could you take care of my little sister? As you can see, I can't take care of her while wearing my work uniform... The manager will dock all of today's pay."

"...And if you have no money, your father will start yelling again... I understand."

Though she said that, Nana had no intention of taking on this trouble.

Nana's identity was flawless, but Number Seventy-Seven's safe house still contained things unsuitable for children... If the child got hurt, that would be one thing. Having her agent contact the organization to arrange a move would be a much bigger hassle.

The organization would probably demand outrageous terms again and stuff her with all sorts of random assignments.

Seeing Nana's reluctance, the silver-haired girl forced another smile and said:

"Um... How about I treat you to red bean paste bread later? I only learned how to make it from the manager a few days ago! Also... please take this..."

The white-haired girl pulled a little pouch from her collar, opened it, counted several paper bills, then grudgingly picked a few coins out from between them and stuffed them into Nana's pocket.

These Columbian Dollars contained no precious metals, and their value was lower than the Lungmen Dollars Number Seventy-Seven used while working. The amount was probably only enough for Nana and Matilda to visit the bathhouse. There was not even enough left to buy a bottle of milk as compensation.

Compared with the trouble of looking after a child, especially having to bathe her, Nana was reluctant in ten thousand different ways. But since the other girl was willing to pay, Nana tried to decline politely.

"It's useless to tell me. Does Matilda herself want to come to my home?"

"Um... The bathhouse would be fine too..."

"I don't like bathhouses... Bathing is a very private matter..."

Hearing Nana say that, the silver-haired girl froze for a moment. Thinking back, she really had never seen Nana at the bathhouse, and her smile became even more awkward.

But apparently hearing the two of them talking about her, the girl named Matilda pursed her lips and stepped forward.

"I'm willing! Sister Nana is okay."

"Huh?"

"Sister Nana is really strong. Even if she just stands there without saying anything, she can scare those bad guys away just by glaring at them!"

Matilda meant those prank-playing boys... But Nana could not understand where this theory that she was strong had come from...

If she had to explain it, those boys, like Matilda, had grown up under Nana's watch over the past few years... Nana had not changed at all since moving here, so in the boys' eyes, Nana in her suit belonged to auntie territory. Naturally, they did not dare go too far.

But the issue now was not Matilda's misunderstanding of her. It was that this little thing was willing to come to her home, and her sister, that big white cat, seemed to have received a shot of courage as she once again launched a pitiful-eyed attack on Nana.

This time, Nana had no excuse to refuse.

Looking at the silver-haired girl's bitter smile, Nana's heart was full of I refuse, but in the end, she touched the coins in her pocket and nodded.

Was it because she saw herself, unable to refuse an assignment, through that bitter smile? Or was she simply contributing to a better sleeping environment for herself tonight?

Nana did not know. She did not even know which face she should use to deal with this child before her.

While the young assassin was lost in thought, the mud-stained little girl bared her teeth at the boys in the distance, then took Nana's left hand with her clean right hand and headed toward the apartment building.

The boys looked at one another, unable to understand what little Matilda was trying to express.

But a tiny question could not stop children from having fun. Once Nana left, they quickly began a new round of games.

As the apartment building's manager, Nana could always see Mrs. Wilson sweeping the entrance that seemed impossible to ever clean completely, no matter when she came back. As a monthly tenant who had rented here for years, Nana... and the two girls before her were all well known to the apartment manager.

"Oh, Nana's back? Goodness, why is this little one covered in mud again... Matilda, were you bullied again?"

White Cat ignored the elderly Liberi woman and sidestepped into Nana's shadow.

"Hello, Mrs. Wilson... As you can see, her sister left the little one with me..."

"ε=(′ο｀*))) Sigh, perhaps that's for the best. It'll keep that man from making a scene and fighting with someone else again... Children are only playing, after all..."

Hearing the manager dismiss it so lightly, Nana kept smiling as her cat ears twitched.

Expressions were something an assassin could control, but the reactions of her cat ears and tail reflected her emotions... Clearly, the old woman's attempt to smooth things over displeased Nana.

"Although I'm only an outsider and have no children or similar experience, I think that if you want the environment here to improve as a whole, you should personally protest to those boys' parents... Leaving aside the fact that a group of people throwing mud at a little girl is wrong in itself, if my daughter were treated like that, my reaction might be even more intense than that man's.

"Besides, you know this little one's family situation. They know full well that her family members are either away from home or working, yet they keep bullying her. This is no longer playing around. Those boys' actions have already affected this family's income... It is only natural to get slashed for cutting off someone's livelihood. For the peace of our apartment building, Mrs. Wilson, you should have a good talk with them!"

After that lengthy speech, Nana saw that the old manager could only smile apologetically at her... Realizing she might have gotten a little too emotional, Nana embarrassedly took White Cat's hand and started upstairs.

Nana tilted her head toward the old woman in apology, failing to notice that White Cat's eyes were shining.

Nana's apartment was at the innermost end of the fifth floor, near the fire escape. She had chosen it deliberately; it was convenient for making a getaway.

While feeling around for her keys, Nana could no longer bear the girl's undisguised stare and muttered:

"What is it?"

"Sister Nana is so strong! Grandma Wilson couldn't say anything!"

"...It was just empty rhetoric... I was merely standing on the moral high ground and criticizing others. In reality, I did nothing... I even took your sister's money to bathe you... That's not good. Don't learn from me."

As she spoke, Nana took the girl's hand. She needed to make sure White Cat would not touch anything dangerous... Besides, once she had bathed her, she would send her back to Big White Cat. Her home really was not suitable for hosting children.

That was what she thought, and that was the plan, but Nana's attempt to finish quickly suffered a major setback from the very beginning.

The apartment building had solar heating, but after the water supply had been cut off following yesterday's bath, the water tank was completely empty. If they wanted to bathe now, they had to heat water again.

Thus, Nana, who was holding White Cat's hand, became awkward instead. White Cat, on the other hand, held Nana's hand and touched this and looked at that... She ended up inspecting every safe spot in the apartment.

To make the wait seem less idle, Nana turned on the television she normally only used for watching the news. Seeing the girl eagerly watching a Higashi cartoon, Nana relaxed slightly and took the chance to retrieve her potted plant from the balcony.

Normally at this hour, Nana would probably have been wiping dust from the potted plant's leaves... But now she still had a little white cat to bathe. The black cat lady, only one head taller than White Cat, could only sigh and wonder why she had taken on this trouble.

But now that they were home, she still had to put certain things away.

She took off her shoes and pulled off her gloves... White Cat, whose back was turned, could not see that Nana's hands were also covered in black stockings.

But with a change of thought from the assassin, the girl's hands quickly returned to a skin tone no different from an ordinary person's. As the black stockings beneath her pleated skirt vanished, a bundle of special equipment disguised as pantyhose appeared in her hands.

As organizational equipment that could be put on and removed through Arts, change color, and even change material, it was as troublesome as it was necessary to maintain and use.

Only after instinctively taking it off did Nana remember that there was someone else in the house. Feeling somewhat guilty, she turned around to check. Only after seeing White Cat still watching cartoons did Nana breathe a sigh of relief.

After thinking for a moment, she tossed the bundle of fabric aside as naturally as possible. Then, exhausted at heart, Nana began taking off her suit and tie.

"Can we take a bath now?"

"Mm... Take off your clothes first. You should take off those dirty clothes too."

Hearing Nana's words, White Cat copied Nana's movements and pulled off the patched, ill-fitting dress she was wearing in one go.

Taking the clothes from her, Nana noticed that the fabric around the hem had come loose... White Cat had probably stepped on it when she fell earlier. Since the material had aged, Nana thought about it and gave up on trying to mend it.

After all, it seemed Big White Cat's mother had worn this dress a few years ago, and Big White Cat herself had worn it too. Now, after a few patches, it had been passed down to Matilda... Looking at the mud and all the various stains on it, Nana ultimately said nothing and simply found a woven bag to put it in.

Just as Nana was about to tell White Cat to scrape the mud off herself first, she realized the little one was already cleaning her hair beside the trash can.

Though it had not fully dried, the muddy water and clumps of dirt were carefully picked away by the girl and tossed into the garbage bag.

For a little girl only around ten years old, Matilda's movements were cautious and careful. Nana knew why... This child had once been yelled at by her father because she failed to throw trash into the bin in a single try. That man's roar had been loud enough for the whole building to hear... And the main reason he yelled was not whether anyone had done something wrong, but the state of his own mood.

That was why Nana had never thought much of him... But they were only neighbors, with no familial ties, so the young assassin could not really say anything.

Still... seeing a child act so cautiously in such an environment gave Nana a pent-up feeling in her chest that she desperately wanted to vent.

Of course, in the end, she could only hold it in.

She did not make the little girl in dirty underwear wait too long. Once the water heater had reached roughly the right temperature, Nana called White Cat into the bathroom.

"Huh? But there's still so much mud..."

"It's fine. We'll wash it off in the bathroom."

"Won't it clog the drain..."

Mm, Little Cat had been scolded over that too.

"It's fine. I'll take care of the dirty water afterward."

Nana pinched the girl's soft little cheek, removed her shirt and pleated skirt as well, and tossed them onto the sofa before leading the girl into the bathroom.

What followed was nothing more than washing and scrubbing, while White Cat's admiration for Nana's "expensive" bath sponge and shampoo was left unmentioned.

The first time Nana showed an expression of surprise came during the drying stage before she sent the child home.

Just minutes after Nana plugged in the hot-air dryer, White Cat, who had been staring at her the entire time, suddenly said something strange:

"Sister Nana, don't you smoke after taking a bath?"

"Huh? Why would anyone smoke after a bath? I don't smoke... After bathing, I usually only drink milk... But Matilda... Why would you think of smoking after a bath?"

"Because Daddy smokes after taking a bath..."

As she said that, White Cat, dressed in Nana's spare pajamas, sprawled out with all four limbs spread wide and made a V shape with her right hand... Nana knew she was imitating her father's smoking habit.

"Smoking is bad in itself... Why do you want to learn how to smoke, Matilda?"

"Because it looks strong!"

As she spoke, the girl jumped up and made a boxing motion.

"Daddy punches away everyone who says strange things to Mommy, one punch each. Afterward, Daddy smokes, and he looks really strong! Sister Nana can glare those bad guys away with her eyes, so Sister Nana is strong too... I thought Sister Nana smoked too..."

Nana did not comment on White Cat's wandering train of thought. She simply patted the girl's little head.

After giving the little one an extra bottle of milk at a loss, Nana finally brought her and her dirty clothes next door.

"Um... Well... I brought Matilda back. Is anyone home?"

Because Nana normally paid little attention to her neighbors, she suddenly realized at that moment that she could not remember Matilda's surname.

Not only that... In her usual vague exchanges, aside from the name Matilda spoken by Big White Cat... What were the others called again?

With no organization to provide backup in this sudden situation, the young assassin's scalp tingled.

Fortunately, after only a knock on the door, the neighbor's door soon opened in response.

"Coming! Is Miss Nana bringing Matilda back... I'll open the door right away."

Along with the sound of the security chain being undone, a woman's weary yet polite voice sounded from behind the door.

When the door opened, White Cat cheered and threw herself into the woman's arms. For the first time, Nana carefully examined this person... someone she had always labeled in her mind merely as "that man's wife" and "the lady next door."

Rosemary's Embrace: 003 Am I a Lolicon?

With the aid of some work experience, after being invited in and exchanging pleasantries for a while, Nana obtained some basic information about her neighbors.

The Bruce family next door consisted of six people in total. For a poor family, that was somewhat few; for a middle-class family, it was too many.

Mrs. Cole, a Feline, had white hair and emerald-green eyes. Not yet thirty, her figure was still graceful, but her hands were covered in calluses from work and housework, while bags and a few wrinkles had appeared at the corners of her eyes.

Every morning, she had to leave for work at the factory. The responsibility of looking after the home now fell to the eldest daughter, Kate, who had not yet started school.

What surprised Nana was that all four children in this seemingly impoverished household attended school.

"Thank you so much for today!"

Kate, who bowed the instant they met and nearly whipped Nana in the face with her white ponytail, turned out to be a university student... Though she had only received an acceptance letter from a local public university, in this old district that was neither high nor low, she was still the type considered remarkable and hardworking.

"No, it was nothing... I took your money, after all..."

Nana shyly waved her hand, then turned to glance at the boys peeking around the corner. She gave them a professional smile, and one was dragged away by his brother... The two boys were twins, in their second year of middle school.

Middle school was precisely the age when they began paying attention to gender issues. They had only greeted Nana when she arrived before shrinking back into the room.

Then Nana's view was completely occupied by Kate, who bent over and pressed her face close to Nana's. This girl, who had inherited her mother's beauty and looked refined and quiet yet dared to stand in the street and curse loudly, had a far more cheerful personality than her younger siblings.

The Bruce family had probably been doing fairly well when Kate was young... There were hints of that in Mrs. Cole's bearing as well. Though life had left traces upon her, an elegant demeanor was not something families struggling around the poverty line had the leisure to cultivate.

While Nana appeared blank-faced but was inwardly analyzing the situation out of professional habit, Kate directly sat down beside her... Nana was currently seated in a fabric-upholstered armchair. In households that cared about etiquette, children were usually forbidden from doing something like that.