Prima’s expression remained calm, having grown long accustomed to her roommate’s mockery.
She had expected this outcome. Feline transformation was never going to magically regrow her limbs; it was simply the shattering of an impractical fantasy. However, she had followed Wang Yue’s advice and cast the spell by gripping her wand between her teeth. It had actually worked.
Since the day of her “trade,” this was the first thing truly worth celebrating. She had feared she would never be able to cast magic again, but this success undoubtedly reignited the dying embers of her passion for the mystic arts.
Seeing that Prima was indifferent to her taunts, Lilith felt a flicker of annoyance. She pounced forward, her tail swaying through the air.
Bending down, she stared at the “cat ball” with intense interest. The round, fluffy shape triggered her feline instincts. Her paws instinctively reached out, batting at it several times. Still unsatisfied, she used all four limbs to grapple the ball, scratching and kneading it as if it were a giant bolster cushion.
“This is fun!”
Lilith looked ecstatic, like a child who had found a new toy. After playing for a while, she rolled Prima over and lowered her head to begin grooming her.
“Grooming is actually quite pleasant, purr…”
She felt the tiny barbs on her tongue sliding through the fur like a comb. It was as smooth as licking butter, and she found herself becoming strangely addicted to the sensation.
Suddenly, the ball-shaped Prima began to struggle and squirm. Her breathing grew ragged, and she let out a series of soft, airy moans, her voice raspy.
“Don’t… stop…”
In an instant, the entire classroom fell deathly silent. Dozens of pairs of cat eyes turned toward them simultaneously. The students looked as if they had been hit by a mass petrification spell, frozen in place, utterly scandalized by Lilith’s deviant behavior.
“N-No! It’s not like that!” Lilith panicked, realizing how bad it looked. She scrambled to defend herself. “Don’t you all know? Grooming another cat is a display of status! I… I’m going to lick everyone in class to show who’s boss!”
A wave of hushed whispers broke out across the room.
“How terrifying, meow.”
“What kind of cat behaves like that? Meow.”
“What kind of logic is that, meow? If someone licks me, do I have to lick them back to maintain equal status? Meow.”
“If Cat A licks Cat B, and Cat B licks Cat C, but Cat C licks Cat A, how do we calculate the hierarchy? Meow.”
“I’m getting dizzy, meow.”
“I don’t want anyone licking me. It’s gross, meow.”
“Stop licking, I’m begging you, meow.”
…
“Licking is a symbol of high status?” Dorothy’s eyes lit up. She nudged against Wang Yue and pleaded, “Lick me, Master.”
“Not interested,” Wang Yue rejected her coldly.
“What about here?” Dorothy offered a paw.
“That’s enough. You’re making it sound like I actually enjoy this.” Wang Yue swiped a paw across Dorothy’s face.
“Quiet!” Vida tapped on the desk. “No random licking. You’ll get sick.”
She glanced at the Moon Clock. It was about time for the next point of study.
“Has anyone noticed? Even though everyone here is a black cat, your features are distinct,” she asked.
Distinct features?
Wang Yue realized something. While her body was covered in satin-like black fur, her four paws were pure white, looking exactly like a pair of delicate white gloves.
Looking at Dorothy, she saw a heart-shaped white patch on the girl’s chest.
Dina and Matcha looked at each other and cried out in unison.
“Your face is huge!”
“Your feet are so tiny!”
Dina’s face was as round as a steamed bun, her cheeks puffed out like a British Shorthair’s. Meanwhile, Matcha’s paws were exceptionally small—not with the frailty of a kitten, but looking miniaturized relative to her body size.
“Veroni-chan, I can’t find my feature. Can you help me look? Is it on my head? Thanks,” Cerceybe whispered.
Veronica didn’t say a word. She extended a slim finger from her sleeve and pointed at Cerceybe’s ears.
“Oh… my ears won’t stand up. They’re drooping… just like my spirit,” Cerceybe said dejectedly, clutching her folded ears.
On the other side, Lilith lifted her cold cat face, revealing eyes that had turned a blood-red hue.
Lulu’anna couldn’t find any patterns on her fur either, but she learned from others that she had white rings around her eyes, giving her an air of solemn elegance.
Once the students had identified their markings, Vida had them turn to the final pages of their textbook to a section titled ‘The Language of Cat’s Blooms.’
“The physical characteristics you take on after transformation are called ‘Cat’s Blooms.’ They aren’t random; they are manifestations of the caster’s physical traits and personality. As we know, flowers have meanings—lilies symbolize affection between women, for instance, while cacti represent happiness. Cat’s Blooms also carry symbolic meaning. You can look them up in the tables at the back of the book.”
Wang Yue licked her paw pad and flipped the page, finding her specific “bloom.”
‘White Gloves’: Symbolizes the aura of a leader or a prophet; spatial directing abilities; environmental mastery; a talent for eloquence in all matters.
It sounded impressive, but Wang Yue vaguely remembered that back in her home in China, black cats with four white paws were called “Mourning Cats.” Because they looked like they were wearing white shoes, they were associated with carrying coffins at funerals.
Of course, compared to titles like leader, prophet, or master of atmosphere, she actually preferred the idea of being a professional coffin-bearer.
“My Cat’s Bloom is ‘Pounding Heart,'” Dorothy said. “It means a dedicated pursuer of joy and pleasure.”
“Mine is ‘Little Feet,’ symbolizing agility of mind and body. What’s yours?” Matcha asked Dina.
“Mine is ‘Big Face,'” Dina replied softly. “It symbolizes a gentle and broad-minded personality.”
Vida added, “Cat’s Blooms may change as your personality evolves; they aren’t set in stone. However, changing one’s personality is much harder than simply dyeing your fur. If you don’t like your markings, you can always use a dye. That concludes today’s lesson. Future Felidology classes will be held outdoors, where we will systematically study assassination, stealth, tracking, and the identification of the invisible supernatural.”
The timing was perfect; the bell rang just as she finished.
Wang Yue crawled back into her clothes, dispersing the magical energy surrounding her to return to her human form.
Dorothy also transformed back, saying happily, “That was so fun! If only we only had Felidology and P.E.”
“Keep dreaming,” Wang Yue reminded her. “Also, just a heads up: the next class is with Professor Tone. And it’s a triple block.”
“…”
Professor Tone was the strictest teacher in the first year. The subjects she taught—Mathematics, Monsterology, and Medicine—were the three most difficult courses in the curriculum. The combination was a nightmare that even Wang Yue had to take seriously.
The break was long—twenty minutes—allowing the students to chat and play.
In the back of the classroom.
“Lulu, are you sick?” her seatmate, Wei Ning, asked with concern.
Lulu’anna lifted her eyelids slightly but didn’t answer.
At the start of the term, she had been arrogant and overbearing. Now, she lay slumped on her desk, looking sickly and dim-eyed.
Her pale arms pressed down on an open sketchbook. With delicate strokes, she had sketched a pink-haired girl in various maid outfits—cheerful, lively, and innocent. She had drawn these illustrations with extreme care, erasing and redrawing, refusing to accept even the slightest imperfection. The girl in the drawings looked even better than the real Dorothy.
I have to find a way to get my hands on her, Lulu’anna thought, biting her lower lip. But her master is a stubborn, impenetrable block of wood. It’ll be hard to convince her.
She took a pair of small scissors from her pencil case and cut out several maid illustrations along their outlines. Then, she pulled out a semi-finished 3D pop-up card.
When she opened the card, the main feature was a hanging balcony overlooking a vast, misty lake. The distant mountains were lush green, and the clouds were ethereal—a beautiful landscape.
She applied some glue, pasted the stickers onto the balcony, closed the card, and tied it shut with a silk ribbon, finishing it with a bow.
The upcoming three hours of Professor Tone’s classes didn’t pressure her. Her grades were on par with Wang Yue’s; both were at the top of the class.
Once the day’s classes were over, Lulu’anna didn’t even eat. She went straight back to her dorm, showered, and changed into a loose, cream-and-gold silk dressing gown. Slipping into her slippers, she walked back to her desk.
Sitting down, she took out the card and untied the ribbon. As the layers fanned out, she touched it with her fingertip. With a whoosh, she vanished instantly.
