The Lion Cub's Cute Rule - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Anyone who’s ever had a cat knows that if a kitty accidentally tumbles into a tangled ball of yarn, it will usually kick all four paws and struggle like mad-only to fail to get free, wind itself up even tighter, and finally become a kitty ball.

Big cats were no exception.

Layer upon layer of velvet had tangled around the lion’s four paws, turning him into one enormous cat ball.

“Don’t look at me!!”

Falling from such a height had clearly startled him badly enough that there was actually a faint tremor in his roar.

But my eyes were on my own face, so of course I ignored his useless intimidation and walked over to examine the big cat’s condition.

It wasn’t good.

His mane was abundant, but far too dry. His ribs showed on both sides, and his belly was completely flat.

And he was injured.

I looked up at the huge hole in the roof. The sharp edges of the broken boards still carried a smear of blood. A fall from that height was no joke.

The Great Lion must have cut his flank. The reek of blood hit me in the nose, blooming into a large patch of red.

“Good boy… don’t move… let me check you…”

“Roar-!! Woman, you dare challenge my dignity!”

The Great Lion bared his fangs and let out a roar with the energy of ten domineering CEOs rolled into one.

He raised a paw the size of a washbasin and slammed it heavily onto the floor.

Crack-one of the spice bottles I carried with me rolled out and was smashed to pieces right under his paw.

A strange fragrance rose into the air. That mysterious spice whose use I had never figured out was actually catnip!

“Hah… hah… mmm.”

The Great Lion, who had been so arrogant and overbearing a moment ago, suddenly lost focus in his pupils. His tongue slipped out, and his huge paws flexed and stretched as he began kneading the empty air.

Then all his strength left him, and he rested his massive head on the floor, panting hard.

“Shh-shh-don’t be scared.”

I approached sideways in tiny steps and lightly scratched the side of the big cat’s face to ease his nerves. The big cat narrowed his eyes and shoved his great head into my arms, rubbing back and forth.

He was as obedient as a loyal little dog.

I took the chance to check the lion’s physical condition.

The good news: no serious external injuries.

The bad news: the lion was anxious, tense, and malnourished.

For felines, cautious by nature and highly tolerant of pain, they rarely let others see their suffering.

But the body did not lie. Discomfort would show itself in the details.

The Great Lion’s nose was dry, several bloody cracks had split open on his paw pads, and a few of his claws were chipped as well. The fur between his toes was very long, stained pink by the blood seeping out.

Lions were social creatures, yet there was no trace of any other big cats in this silent castle. Who knew how long he had been holding on alone in his loneliness?

The dose in one bottle of catnip was small, and the Great Lion soon came back to his senses. Perhaps out of embarrassment, the thin white fur on his ears couldn’t hide the pink that rapidly flushed through them.

I could feel a gaze landing on me. He was probably sneaking glances at me, his fangs showing with ill intent.

I pretended not to notice, reached out, and scooped one of the lion’s front paws onto my lap while exclaiming loudly,

“Oh my goodness! What a mighty paw! What a beautiful Great Lion!”

“Roar… coo?”

The Great Lion turned his head. His roar got stuck in his throat, blocked by the sudden, exaggerated praise, and in his panic he made a ridiculous little birdlike sound.

I continued my performance.

“Such a beautiful big paw-paw, how could it be hidden by all this toe fur? What a shame!”

“Mmm…”

The Great Lion grew embarrassed. His claws curled in for an instant, then spread open again like a plum blossom.

I pulled out my scissors and moved so fast they left afterimages, swiftly trimming the fur around his paws.

“Grrr-”

The Great Lion seemed to sense that he had been fooled somehow. He stared at me intently, his muzzle wrinkling and his fangs jutting out, as if he might bite through my throat at any moment.

But I had long since seen through this big cat’s blustering cowardice-when he attacked, he kept his claws tucked tightly into his paw pads, and if his teeth touched skin, he would immediately let go.

He looked wicked and ferocious, but in reality, he wouldn’t hurt anyone at all.

He did not seem to realize that I had already discovered his true nature as a paper lion. Furious, he kept baring his teeth and letting out terrifying, ear-splitting roars.

I scooped him up in one armful and hugged him to my chest again.

“Mmm?”

The Great Lion froze, his round eyes wide open.