บท 5: The Cromwell Family

Smack! Smack!

"Why isn't it crying... but it did the other time."

"Who dares hit a baby like this!" Nox, who was sleeping peacefully, felt something smack his face quite hard; for someone to do something like this, that person must be heartless!

Groggily opening his dark, night-like eyes, he found himself face to face with a fat white cat with green eyes; they would have been mesmerizing if not for the cat's prideful, arrogant expression.

This was the first time he had seen this cat, but for some reason, he already wanted to beat it up.

[Hmmmm, so you finally woke up.] The cat stared at Aina and the other twin before returning his gaze to Nox as it adopted a dignified posture as if it was some sort of monarch.

The sight made Nox clench his tiny fist.

[The name is Mister Fluffington,] the cat said in a condescending tone. [And from this day onward, you, gentleman, would be my servant... Usually, I'd conduct an interview to gauge your skills in serving noble creatures such as myself, but I'll make a compromise for you... any questions?]

~Whistle~ ~Whistle~

The baby and the fat cat stared at each other in silence for a while.

Fluffington tilted his head hauntingly to the side as he looked at the baby. [As expected, it seems even you fell for my charm.]

"What the fuck!" Nox's remaining self-control shattered completely when the cat spoke again.

'Who the heck are you?!' He couldn't help but ask in his mind.

The scene felt like something he would only witness if he were on hard drugs. What the actual heck was this? Why was a cat of all things communicating with him, and how was he even understanding the cat?

Smack!

[Gentleman, it's uncultured to speak like that to your elders, or is it that you lack portraits of old men in your house?] Fluffington reprimanded as it struck Nox with its paws once more.

Tears threatened to fall from Nox's eyes as he looked at the cat with rage. What had he done to deserve such bullying? He was just some hours old, for heaven's sake!

'Sniff, what hurts most is that these stupid baby muscles won't even move,' he thought amidst his silent sob.

However, a mischievous gleam soon appeared in his eyes as he thought of the only way to retaliate.

"Hmphf, take 1 millimeter you eloquent bastard!" Nox sneered as a fountain of water shot out from his lower region, drenching the cat.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

[Moron, how dare you stain me with your filth!]

But the cat's retaliation was even more brutal as it started to mercilessly smack the baby. Unable to take it anymore, Nox burst into a loud cry; he cried with all his might to wake his mother to save him from this evil cat.

"Wuwuwuwuuwuwu!"

In the middle of the night, Aina was startled awake by the cry of her precious baby.

A sword materialized in her grasp as panic gripped her heart. The cry reminded her of the battlefield with her sisters, and she looked around warily, not seeing any assailants.

"Huh?" It was only after she felt wetness on the bed that she noticed that her stubborn male child had wet the bed and the presence of the familiar cat, licking and cuddling with the baby like a protective big brother.

"It seems my little pumpkin finally met Fluffington." A loving smile appeared on her face as she saw this sight. "Fluffington, no matter what, make sure to protect your little brother and sister, alright?"

~Meow~ the cat meowed cutely as it rubbed its soft furry head on the baby's head. Seeing this, Aina nodded her head, thinking the cat was very responsible and reliable.

Meanwhile...

'I'm doomed!' This was the thought that came to his mind when he realized the nature of this mischievous cat.

***

Five days had passed, and Nox came to realize that his current reality was no dream even though it had been very hard to believe at first.

As an orphan on Earth, Nox stayed shut in, doing small tasks around the neighborhood to raise money for food and spending the rest on web novels and anime.

With such a mundane life, he happily accepted this new exciting world with an open heart... after all, in this life he had a loving, doting mother.

... And this strange bag of bones that was coughing violently, looking like someone that might fall and die any moment from now on.

Currently, Nox was being held by the bony hand of who he was just told was his grandpa Nathan.

This shiny-headed man looked at him with a loving gaze, but his broken teeth made Nox a little frightened. The old man looked like those homeless uncles back on Earth who steal candy from little kids.

"Hahahahaha, he looks just like his father when he was younger!" The man burst into a fit of hearty laughter after staring at the boy for a while. "Have you thought of a name for them?"

Aina, holding the female twin, smiled. "Yes, the female is Nyx and the male is Nox."

"Hmmmm good cho- Cough! Cough!" Nathaniel was interrupted by a violent fit of coughing, so strong that his entire body was vibrating intensely.

Worried, Nox patted that shiny bald head while speaking in his baby voice.

"Eyaaa: Bless you. Don't die on me, old man!"

Nox's words came from the bottom of his heart. Although this man's features weren't very pleasing, Nox felt he was a good man and they'd get along just fine. Watching his grandfather's terrible condition, he felt a pang in his heart.

Seeing Nox's adorable action, the man burst into a fit of laughter once more as he hugged the baby. He already loved this naughty grandson of his and would make sure no harm befalls him.

While he was hugging Nox affectionately, Nyx started crying and stretched her hands towards her grandfather from her mother's embrace.

"Hahahahaha, it seems someone is jealous." The old man chuckled as he hugged his two grandkids affectionately. "Anytime you two brats are in trouble, always remember your powerful Gran- Cough! Cough!"

'I'm so convinced,' Nox couldn't help but roll his eyes, but he grimaced the next moment. 'Damn, old man, your chest bones are poking me.'