“D-Do we really have to do this right meow?”

  KYAAA! I LOVE HER!

  “W-We do,” I stuttered my reply, but could you blame me? It was a real-life cat girl. A real-life cat girl that was walking next to me with her arms wrapped around mine!

  Cat girl! Cat girl! Cat girl!

  “Master?” She tugged my sleeve. “Why…are you drooling?”

  “mEdIcAl CoNdItIoN!” My voice cracked as I wiped away the drool on my lip. "Y-You don't have to call me that, you know. You can call me by my name."

  “Oh…Okay…” She yawned, exposing her cute, sharpened canines.

  Ohhhh! My heart pounded, but that elation soon vanished as sympathy kicked in.

  After leaving the store, we headed into the Grassy Plains. I was tired, yes, but I was used to staying up several days at a time to farm in my games, and now that I had her as part of my party, I needed to see how strong she was. She, on the other hand, showed signs of drowsiness.

  Her constant yawning, the dark circles under her eyes, and her clumsy walking, which was why she held onto my arm. Needless to say, I felt terrible, and I was sure she hadn’t slept comfortably in a while, but I had to test her to see where she was in terms of skill and strength. It would give me an idea of what kind of quests we could take on and what her limits were. My first target was slimes.

  “I’m sorry,” I apologized as I looked at her. “I know you’re tired, but I need to test your strength.”

  “On slimes?” She meowed softly. “Do you…doubt me?”

  “N-No! Not at all!”

  “Then… why are you having me fight the weakest monster?”

  So they are the weakest!!

  “Why…are you making that face? Did-Did I…disappoint you? I’m sorry, Master. I-I won’t ask any more questions. Please,” her grip on my arm tightened, and I felt her claws dig into my skin. “Don’t abandon me.”

  LUCK:

  You have survived with one HP

  Are you kidding me! It seemed even her claws were enough to damage me. Of course, when the black market owner pricked my finger with the needle before, I had been given the same message. It looks like everything and anything can kill me.

  But I didn’t care about that. All I cared about was how her body shook violently. She was scared. Scared I would abandon her. I couldn’t help but wonder where that fear came from. It had to have stemmed from somewhere.

  “Were you abandoned before?” I asked softly as I rubbed the ears on her head. She jerked when my hand touched her, but after realizing I was only petting her, she began to purr softly.

  “My parents sold me into slavery.” She started, her voice shaky. “I think it was because Nyroc chose me.” She looked at the sword on her back. “They wanted to sell him after I found him, but because he chose me as his wielder, I refused. They sold me in response.”

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Tsk.” I grit my teeth. “How could they do that?”

  “My family was poor, so I understand them having to sell me off.” My hand clenched into a fist as she continued. “It was my fault. I never should have disobeyed them. I love Nyroc and all he’s done to help me, but…that was only because I kept him. I never would have needed his help if I-“ She stopped as I grabbed her shoulders and looked at her, my eyes glowing with anger. Her ears drooped, and her tail curled around her legs in a gesture of submission.

  “How can you say that?” I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and hurt. “How can you understand why your parents sold you into slavery? They betrayed you!”

  Her emerald-green eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I… I’m sure they had their reasons.”

  I let her go and turned my head as I clenched my fists, my knuckles turning white. “No reason justifies what they did!” I looked back at her, and a vibrant golden light enveloped her face. “You deserve so much better than that. You deserve to be loved and cherished, not sold like a piece of property.”

  She looked down, her ears flattening against her head. “But... what if they were right? What if I’m not worth more than that? What if... I was better off being sold?”

  My expression softened, though my anger still simmered beneath the surface. I stepped closer, placing my hands on her shoulders again.

  “Don’t ever say that. You are worth more than you can ever imagine. And I will never, ever abandon you. No matter what happens, I will always be here for you. I know your worth.” Her eyes stared deeply into mine, and a golden light reflected in her depths. “And so should you.” Her eyes widened, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. “I promise. You’re not alone anymore. We’ll face everything together.” I pulled her into a gentle hug, my anger melting away as her warmth calmed me. “I will never abandon you. I will never sell you. You were worth every gold coin I spent.”

  “Master…” Her tail uncurled as she clenched my shirt tightly in her fragile hands. “Thank you…” She sobbed softly. “Thank you.”

  Shit. I made her cry. Did I say something wrong?

  “Thank you!” Her wails made my heart break, and we both slowly got on our knees as she continued to sob into my shirt. “I felt so alone! I was so scared!” She wiped the tears from her face, but they only continued to fall. “Why did they sell me? Why did they get rid of me like that? What did I do to deserve that?”

  “Nothing,” I reassured her as I rested my chin on her head. “You did nothing.”

  She’s been hurt badly… I stroked her head as her wails sounded through the night. Both physically and emotionally. I looked at her.

  The way the moon made her skin look even paler than it already was, how her emerald-green eyes shone in the night, how red her face and nose were as she sobbed into my arms. In that moment, I made a mental note to make sure she never cried again.