After ordering, Teo was waiting for his order to arrive; he was just lazing in his chair trying to avoid the atmosphere. Even though Wéidù Māo made that bold declaration, Teo just shrugged; it would still take time for him to actually change. So for now he would just keep doing what he was comfortable with, acting like a bit of an asshole.

While he was daydreaming about nothing in particular, Wéidù Māo was lying on the table curled into a ball, sleeping peacefully, unaware that someone was approaching her.

The chime above the door rang as a mother and daughter entered the cafe. Teo glanced up, noticing the contrast between them—the mother with her flowing chestnut hair and elegant sundress and her daughter, who looked nothing like her, with bright blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to sparkle as she clutched a well-loved cat plushie to her chest.

Looking a little longer, he found the mother pleasing to the eye, but that was also all, closing his eyes again to continue waiting for his order.

The mother and daughter looked around for a place to sit down; seeing a free spot, the daughter enthusiastically pulled her mom with her.

"Mom, there is a free table; let's go." She shouted, smiling brightly as she ran through the establishment toward the free table.

The mom looked tenderly at the little girl and let her lead the way. After sitting down at the table, the little girl looked around the cafe enthusiastically. Then her eyes lit up.

"Mom, look at that kitty there; it's so cute!" she exclaimed, staring straight at Wéidù Māo. A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes as a sly smile spread across her lips.

"Leave that kitty alone, Elena; come here and see what you want," the mother replied, not looking up from the menu.

But the little girl had already set off toward the cat she had spotted; with a bright smile and the cat plushie clutched in her embrace, she was approaching Wéidù Māo enthusiastically. But seeing the man sitting beside it, she began to doubt herself.

'Will he get mad if I just start petting the kitty? But it's so cute I need to pet it!' convincing herself, she decided to just do it, hoping the man wouldn't get too mad at her.

Arriving at the table where the cat was resting on, she reached out and started softly petting it. Wéidù Māo woke up immediately when she felt someone touching her.

Turning her head to look at who it was, she only saw an adorable little girl petting her while holding a cat plushie. So she just let her be, rubbing her face against the little girl's.

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A silly grin appeared on Elena's face; she absolutely adored cute animals, and this cat was super cute.

"You're so cute, kitty. Mister, you sure are lucky to have such a cute kitty." But right after finishing her sentence, she froze; she hadn't asked for permission to pet the cat like her mom had taught her; she just did it.

Teo opened his eyes after what Elena said, looking straight at her. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you stay close to your mother?" he said, scrutinizing the little girl that looked terrified.

Elena stopped petting the cat and started stuttering and mumbling while her hands fidgeted, fingers intertwining and untwisting as she stood there sheepishly.

Other customers in the cafe wanted to step in, but when they saw who it was, they froze.

"Isn't that Teo Amanar?" someone muttered softly.

When the other people in the cafe heard that, they all took a good look at the man sitting all the way in the back. When they realized who it was, they just turned around and tried to make it seem as if nothing had happened.

"It's fine, master; I don't mind it," said Wéidù Māo. "Think about what I just said, and please don't make Selene's job harder than it already is," she pleaded.

"Wow, you can talk? That's so cool! I wish I had a talking kitty." Elena blurted out, her sheepish attitude disappearing like it was never there.

"Mister, you should take good care of that kitty, or I will adopt her," she declared boldly.

"What are you doing, Elena!" By now the mom had realized what had happened and rushed to Elena's side. "That man is a strong hunter, you know. Why would he mistreat his pet? Apologize now and come back to our table." Saying that she grabbed the hand of her daughter, looking nervously at Teo, she had also recognized him.

Now she could only hope he wouldn't be too harsh on little children. Wéidù Māo also looked at Teo, unsure what he was thinking. 'Why is he just sitting there? Do something, master!' she screamed in her mind.

Teo just shrugged. "You can keep petting the cat until I leave; just make sure to bring her back to me by the time I leave," he declared, closing his eyes again.

Elena grabbed Wéidù Māo forcefully off the table and, with a huge smile, went back to her table. Her mother just stood there dumbfounded.

"Mom, are you not coming? I'm hungry!" Elena shouted while she sat down petting Wéidù Māo.

"Coming, sweetie," she said. Turning around. "Thanks, this means a lot to Elena," she mumbled.

Teo just shrugged, "Not like I did it for her," he mumbled.

Elena sat contentedly at her table, running her small fingers through Wéidù Māo's fur while her mother ordered their food. The cat's presence seemed to make the little girl even more energetic than usual, if that was possible.

"Mom, look! She purrs just like Mr. Whiskers!" Elena exclaimed, referring to her plushie that now sat forgotten on the table. "But she's so much softer!"

Wéidù Māo observed the child's pure joy with curiosity. Unlike her master's usually guarded demeanor, this little human radiated warmth without hesitation. She found herself unconsciously matching the girl's energy, her tail swishing playfully as Elena told her about all the adventures she and Mr. Whiskers had been on.

From his corner, Teo watched the interaction through half-lidded eyes. Something about the scene left a bad taste in his mouth; this is how his childhood should have been. But it was not meant to be.

"And this one time," Elena continued, now fully engaged in storytelling mode, "Mr. Whiskers and I found a secret treasure in the backyard! It was just a shiny rock, but Mom said it looked just like a real diamond!" She leaned in close to Wéidù Māo's ear, whispering conspiratorially, "I think it might have been magic."