Léon: The Cat Killer

“…Miss Nana…I…thank you so much…not just Kate, but also the little ones…If anything happened to Andy, I really…”

Faced with his wife's slightly tearful thanks, Nana still reached out to interrupt her somewhat incoherent narration.

“I just happened to run into him… I only helped because I thought if things went well for him, Matilda would have an easier time, and I could get some rest… I just didn’t expect to run into him having an attack of his illness…”

At this point, Nana glanced at the children, who, though mostly seated eating in the restaurant, were all listening intently to their conversation. The black-haired cat took the hand of the bewildered woman and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Although it's a bit impolite, I'll ask anyway... Do you know that your husband has carcinoma...?"

"This... I knew it... I knew I couldn't hide it from you because you used magic to heal Andy... After all, you're a professional spellcaster..."

With a helpless smile, Mrs. Cole looked away and nodded, saying in an apologetic tone:

“My husband did contract Oripathy several years ago… um… if you mind, we will move as soon as possible.”

P.S.: Please vote for my new book...

PS2: Next up is the Loken Water Tank segment... After all, it's a crucial modification for the little white cat to gain power. Although the process and logic will change a lot, it's still unavoidable... After all, this land... right...?

PS3: In short, this book is all about cats cuddling cats... I don't rule out cuddling other things in the future, so I hope readers who like it will support it QAQ.

1st Rosemary Embrace: 005 Scarborough Fair

"...In the past, Andy worked in the tobacco and alcohol treatment unit and the Originium Products Administration under his father's arrangement."

“Back then, we had only been here for a short time after we came from Victoria. Everyone was like the Colombian government’s propaganda… getting along well and working together… But after Andy became infected during a mission, things seemed to change all at once… No, it should be said that everything just went back to normal.”

Listening to Mrs. Cole's sentimental reminiscences, Nana glanced at the four white cats openly eavesdropping in the corner, her expression slightly troubled:

"The right thing you should do is continue to keep it a secret... I can actually pretend I didn't hear it."

"I've kept this a secret long enough; there's no point in continuing..."

Mrs. Cole glanced at Matilda as she spoke, her smile strained:

“Perhaps I should have listened to Andy and separated from him a long time ago, but I’ve always believed that as family, we can be his strength in fighting his illness…”

Realizing that their mother wasn't avoiding the four of them, the children exchanged glances and then emerged from behind the wall, their expressions complicated as they approached the two.

n/a*n-/ji-/n-first/issue

Although Cole smiled as he embraced the expressionless Matilda, his voice inevitably trembled with a sob:

"...Although it was too late when Andy lost control of his emotions, I still hope you won't hate him... He was just sick... He never intended to cause any hardship in your lives..."

Hearing this, Kate remained silent, while the twins exchanged a glance and wiped away their mother's tears: O

“We don’t hate him…” Yi

"We just felt that he was a stranger."

Although the twins' words offered some solace to Mrs. Cole's sobs, Matilda's expression remained one of utter bewilderment as she looked at her mother.

Unlike Kate and the twins, Matilda's father was portrayed as irritable and violent throughout her childhood...

The memories of her father include scolding those who came to cause trouble for her mother, arguing with teachers at school when she was bullied, and yelling at or even punching her parents when she saw bad people... Although she was also beaten when she made mistakes, she felt very safe when those hands held her... Her father's violence was both a terrifying and something to be wary of, and also the source of the girl's greatest sense of security.

Now, Mom suddenly says that Dad's mistakes were caused by his illness... This is tantamount to denying the greatest source of dependence in the little white kitten's memory. It's as if she's saying that the 'strong' father was a false lie, and Matilda simply can't understand it.

Seeing that the little white cat seemed to have entered a dazed state, as if contemplating the meaning of the universe and life, Nana looked at Kate, who had just gone to settle Mr. Andy: [The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.]

“As an outsider, it’s not appropriate for me to judge the interactions between your family members. Mr. Andy’s lesion is in a very unusual location, and frankly, it’s now very difficult to confirm whether his cruel treatment of his family was his true intention or a loss of control caused by enduring pain… As a licensed sorcerer, my first advice is to seek medical attention as soon as possible…”

"...This...Mom?"

Kate's reminder clearly indicated agreement with Nana's rational suggestion, but Mrs. Cole, who still deeply loved Andy, now held Matilda with a look of despair in her eyes:

“There is still money… but these savings… may only… no, this is specifically for Kate to start a family… Didn’t Kate keep saying that she wanted to open a bakery after graduation?”

"I don't care about myself, but my younger siblings need financial assistance more than I do... Can they even afford to pay for their university tuition?"

Faced with her eldest daughter's practical question, Mrs. Cole remained silent... As for the mother and daughter's evasive conversation, Nana, looking at the three bewildered little white kittens, made a simple summary:

"In other words, if treatment is abandoned, the savings will only be enough for Kate to start a family, and that's after ignoring Cole's situation... The rational approach is to gamble on whether Mr. Andy, the breadwinner of the family, can regain his ability to work through treatment before the savings run out... Otherwise, the whole family will starve."

“This… Miss Nana, you could have said it less coldly…”

Seeing Mrs. Cole's troubled expression, Nana simply shrugged slightly:

"Considering human relationships is difficult for me; this is just laying out the pros and cons..."

"...Family members are always different. Even if you're not married yet, it's really unreasonable to judge family members like objects..."

“That’s too much… I know, but after all, I have no family.”

"Eh?"

Seeing that Mrs. Cole was about to say something but then swallowed her words, Nana, holding her teacup, continued expressionlessly:

“I have no family, and I don’t know what it’s like to be with family… so I can’t understand you… I’m sorry, this is all I can do.”

"I'm not complaining... In fact, Andy was only safe thanks to your magic, Nana... But, what's with the lack of family members?"

After taking a sip of the slightly cool tea, Nana looked at Matilda, who was still in a daze in her wife's arms, and reached out to touch her soft hair and cat ears.

"It means exactly what it says, because of a past accident... or some accidents? I have no memory of what happened a few years ago, and I have no idea what it feels like to have family... Although I try to put myself in the shoes of my close work colleagues, it seems that family is not the same as work colleagues that you can abandon when necessary."

With a subtle look of confusion on her face, Nana put down her teacup.

"So my understanding was a bit off... But that's not important. What's important is your choice, madam... You obviously want to help Mr. Andy with his treatment, right?"

Seeing Kate and Mrs. Cole exchange a glance and nod in unison, Nana scratched her head in an awkward manner.

At most, the girl only knows how to use her magic for emergency treatment... As for things related to healing, what could a killer who isn't a patient with Oripathy possibly know?

However, based on my 'work' experience, although I can't offer any profound insights, I can still provide some advice.

"In Colombia, patients with Originium disease are allowed to live in dedicated isolation communities, so even if they are under the control and isolated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they don't have to worry too much about the impact on their daily lives. Of course, this is only relatively speaking... And if they can ensure that they don't develop symptoms, they are not likely to get infected even if they live with normal people. You can refer to the relevant popular science manuals of public hospitals for specific related information."

"However, since specialized Oripathy treatment teams are located in specialized communities, and public hospitals do not admit Oripathy patients, most people in ordinary urban areas who want treatment have to deal with Originium Technologies companies and laboratories... After Mr. Andy's condition stabilizes, you can consider purchasing the medication from a suitable laboratory... Of course, what I'm telling you here are all powerful companies with guaranteed technology, and no one would dare to use their shell to sell counterfeit drugs."

After asking Kate for a piece of stationery, Nana took out a pencil and thought for a long time before writing down 'Rhine Life'.

"Rhine Life Ltd... Although its headquarters are far away in the mobile city of Trimont, we also have an office here to handle basic business... If it's just checking and treating Oripathy, their technology is more than enough... Plus, your family doesn't have anything that they would be interested in, so it's bound to be a simple transaction... and it's very safe."

"Of course, the price for choosing such a 'safe' option is undoubtedly a high cost, which might probably use up the entire budget of a bakery..."

Seeing Kate tilt her head indifferently, Nana blinked and continued:

"There are several other companies at the same level as Rhine Life Insurance... Raytheon Industries, Black Steel International... These are all international companies with independent departments for treating infected individuals, providing full support and humanitarian guarantees."

"But because of the mismatch in their expertise, Mr. Andy would need to be one of their employees to get their help with treatment... However, Mrs. Cole, you mentioned that Andy used to work for the Tobacco and Alcohol Spell Unit and the Originium Products Administration, right? This resume, coupled with his special combat experience, is actually quite attractive... It just depends on whether Mr. Andy is willing to give up his city life with his family and travel internationally with the PMC personnel of an international company."

While Nana finished speaking and picked up her water glass, Kate sidled up behind Nana, tilting her head and scratching Nana's cat ears with her own, while asking in confusion:

"I remember there are many other medical or biotech companies in the business district... Aren't you going to consider them?"

"To be honest, I don't really want to recommend second-rate companies to you... The so-called second-rate companies may seem to be just a level below Rhine Lab in terms of overall strength, but in reality they are fourth-rate companies that use the name of second-rate to recruit third-rate researchers."

"Although these guys can provide basic treatment services for infected people, the leadership and the executive level may disagree, coupled with a lack of moral management and a weak sense of the rule of law... It is not uncommon for those above to take your money and agree to things, while those below may secretly plan to send you to the testing ground."

"Big companies might try to cover up their shady dealings and consider public opinion. For example, Hayden Pharmaceuticals is actually a shell company of Rhine Life, used specifically for doing shady things and doesn't accept outside business applications... Small companies, on the other hand, are all about being greedy to the extreme, so I won't recommend them to you."

"Speaking of which, I saw Mr. Andy bring back a recruitment poster for Loken Water Tank earlier?"

At this point, Nana didn't look at Kate beside her or Mrs. Cole opposite her, but instead glanced at Matilda, who was lost in thought.

Whenever Nana talks about Andy, she thinks of the little white cat that got beaten up, and whenever she talks about the little white cat, she thinks of that sleepless night.

He claimed it was for the good of the whole neighbor's family, but upon closer analysis, it seemed he only cared about Matilda, and was thus providing them with intelligence support... He had previously mentioned the ICA's cleaner, but now he's become the annoying person who betrays information.

But I'm not doing this for profit!

The people’s legitimate right to pursue happiness should be protected… This is a phrase that brokers often use.

What's that saying? 'From the bottom of my heart'... right?

"...Although I can't go into the details, but...don't go...it's a trap. Perhaps my words are a bit confusing, but I am indeed an insider in the industry."

As she spoke, Nana took out a business card and slowly placed it on the table.

It was a very simple hard-sided business card, with the first line of small print in the upper left corner reading ICA—International Contract Intermediary... Clearly, even though it concealed a killer platform intermediary business inside, the shell of an international trade organization was still functioning normally.

As for the large sign for the national laboratory that takes up the main position later, it may not be very noticeable. Without investigation, who would know that this is a place in Colombia that specializes in classified projects?

Those who know this place might find this business card even more bizarre... because this unit is a completely state-owned enterprise, and all projects are funded by the state, so where does it get an independent finance department?

Nana couldn't answer that question either; perhaps she'd have to ask her manager.

So... both secretive and high-profile... those who don't know the inside story will be completely baffled and only feel impressed but confused, while those who know the inside story will immediately recognize that this is a member of that organization...

Nana is no fool. Her agent has provided numerous clues over the years. Regardless of her actual identity, it is certain that she works in a federal department and holds a high position, even capable of acting arbitrarily.

Nana didn't care about that. Whether her manager was good or bad didn't really matter... The reason she listened to her manager was simple: the manager was the one who brought her out of the hospital, like a 'parent'.

Number Seventy-Seven had also considered whether her amnesia was orchestrated by her manager... and the conclusion of her thought was... 'Even if it is, it doesn't matter.'

Without memories, Nana has no attachments, no weaknesses, no ideals, and no despair.

Work, reports, life... Nana, who seemed to grow like a plant, was more interested in Matilda than in her own background... At least Matilda's fluffy cat ears were within reach, while Number Seventy-Seven... was ultimately just an illusory label for an assassin.

Nai Yi Er Ling San II Ling Qi Si Ba Nai believes in the competence of the agent's team; behind this business card lies an entire professional team.

Whether it's to verify Nana's semi-civil servant status or to seek help from professionals at the 'National Laboratory', Nana believes that this business card has the power to stop Matilda's family from collapsing further.

It would be even better if this business card could dispel the Bruce family's expectations of the high-paying recruitment by Locken Water Tank.

At this point, Nana felt she had done everything she could for the Bruce family... It was truly outrageous that a professional assassin would break an intelligence ban for the sake of his neighbors.

Fortunately, Nana was able to say that this was the level of understanding that her 'persona' should have.

Just as Nana confirmed Mr. Andy's condition for the third time and that she could leave, Mrs. Cole unexpectedly stopped Nana again.

"...I know that simply expressing my gratitude is meaningless now...but on one hand, I'm worried about Andy's condition, and our whole family hopes you can stay here overnight. On the other hand...I suddenly realized that you've done so much for our family, yet I've neglected the feelings of our neighbors and friends, and I haven't even noticed that you've lost your ability to perceive the world as a normal person...I feel this is unacceptable!"

"Um...it's really fine...well, I have to go to work tomorrow..."

Looking at the birdhouse-shaped clock on Bruce's wall, which showed it was already 10:30 p.m., Nana thought to herself that she hadn't harvested her flowers, watered them, wiped the dust off the leaves, bought the milk she needed for breakfast, and organized the equipment she might need later... She started to groan inwardly.

It seemed that because of what she had done over the past two days, coupled with her selfless and lengthy speech, she had finally broken through the threshold of goodwill between people. Suddenly, she and this family became much closer, and Mrs. Cole unexpectedly displayed a clingy, almost cat-like, tendency to be affectionate.

She started talking and then grabbed the assassin girl's arm, but the problem was that Nana really couldn't break free without hurting her... To some extent, Nana's social experience was all business-like, and she had no idea how to refuse other people's kindness.

“My family was taken care of by Mrs. Jackson here, and then we met you… You were trying so hard to think of us, but I can only apologize for making you say such cruel things about the lack of affection for your family.”

Holding Nana's hand, Mrs. Cole embraced her as if she were Matilda:

“I am not God, and I cannot bring back your loved ones and memories... If it weren't for your chance encounter with Kate and Mia, I wouldn't even know you were so lonely.”

"Perhaps someone as mature as you would think that what I'm saying is just childish self-pity."

"But you didn't hesitate to help Andy who collapsed on the roadside, selflessly explained the treatment for that disease to us, and offered help to Kate, a stranger, without asking for anything in return... Even Mia said that when she was taking a bath... your hands would gently and carefully dribble away any water that might get into the cat's ears and eyes..."

"I think I've confirmed that, contrary to your seemingly cold exterior, you have an incredibly gentle soul."

"But Andy's story taught me that no matter how gentle a heart is, if it is left to be washed away by suffering, it will shatter, solidify, and become a sharp blade..."

"Andy became a person who would abuse his wife and daughter... Even if there were pathological factors involved, I never paid attention to his psychological pressure and let it develop, which was the root cause of Bruce's family's decline."

"So if you don't mind, I hope we can become your new family."

“My father once said that happy people use their childhood to heal their whole lives, while unhappy people spend their whole lives healing their childhood… So don’t let the pain develop, because at its end there is nothing but regret… This is the most profound lesson for someone who may have to spend the rest of their life making amends to their husband.”

Mrs. Cole chuckled wryly as she spoke, releasing Nana, who had stopped struggling... At that moment, besides Kate looking at her mother with admiration, Matilda, her ahoge swaying, also came over, as if she had overheard something:

"Is Nana-neechan going to become Mommy's child too?!"

"If your older sister Nana agrees, Mommy has no objection~"

Seeing the two white cats, one big and one small, start celebrating on their own, Nana desperately wanted to go home while swaying back and forth... She wanted to feel the hug a little longer... to feel the gentleness of being treated.

Even an agent... no, perhaps this is an action that an agent could never achieve in their entire life.

but……

"Mrs. Cole... well, perhaps you've made a mistake..."

Taking a slightly awkward deep breath, Nana sheepishly held up one finger:

"If I'm not mistaken... my age... is probably your father's generation..."

"Eh?"

"Judging by the timeline, you should have been born around 1970... and if my records are accurate, I did participate in the Tenth Ursus-Kazimir War... I mean, I was a refugee..."

Seeing Cole's completely stunned expression, Nana's lips twitched... not feigned, but an unexpected relaxation as she continued:

"In other words, I was born at least during the Four Emperors' War, so I'm probably thirty... or even approaching forty if I'm being a bit extreme..."