“Mistress!”

  A sudden burst of excitement erupted from behind me, the sound of hurried footsteps followed by a gentle yet eager grip on my waist. I turned my head, my curiosity piqued, only to be met with the sight of small, warm hands grasping my hips.

  Looking down, I found an adorable little girl clinging to me, her expression beaming with pure joy. She wore a snow-white dress that bore an uncanny resemblance to my own, the intricate patterns mirroring the pink and black designs of my attire. It was as if she had been tailor-made to match me, her presence radiating an odd sense of familiarity.

  “Um…” I tilted my head, my voice trailing off as I took in her features. The little girl’s short white hair swayed slightly with each movement, the silken strands catching the light in a way that made them shimmer like fresh snowfall. Her ears, distinctly resembling a fox’s, twitched cutely, standing out as a contrast to her otherwise delicate appearance. But what stood out the most were her eyes—a mesmerizing silver-white hue that seemed to glow softly, reflecting the gentle snowfall that surrounded her.

  Tiny snowflake particles drifted lazily through the air around her, materializing out of nowhere before disappearing upon the faintest contact with the ground. It was as if the very essence of winter clung to her, an ethereal aura that made her seem more like a spirit than a person. She embodied the purity and tranquility of freshly fallen snow, her presence both soothing and captivating at the same time.

  A familiar yawn broke through the moment, drawing my attention away from the little girl. Turning my gaze toward the approaching figure, I spotted a catgirl leisurely making her way toward us, her movements slow and unhurried. Her long, snow-white hair swayed with each step, giving her an almost ghostly elegance. In her hands, she cradled a familiar cup of tea, the steam rising in delicate tendrils that curled in the crisp air. Her silver-white eyes, identical to the little girl’s, carried a hint of drowsiness as she blinked at me with mild interest.

  “Yuki,” I started, my brow furrowing slightly as I glanced between her and the child still clinging to me. The resemblance was undeniable, save for one key difference—while Yuki’s feline ears twitched idly, the little girl bore fox ears, much like my own. “Is this… your child?”

  Before Yuki could answer, a sudden squeal of excitement erupted from beside me.

  “Nnai, catgirl bery multiply?!” Yuzu cried out, her voice filled with unrestrained glee. Her black tails fluffed up in excitement as she began circling me and the little girl, her movements rapid and erratic. She studied us with wide, sparkling eyes, her tail wagging so fast that it was practically a blur. “Yuzu bery see bery many cat now! Fox cat?!”

  Yuki let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temple as if she were preparing herself for an oncoming storm. Her silver-white eyes flickered with something unreadable—exhaustion, amusement, or perhaps a mix of both.

  "So... where's the husband?" I asked, crossing my arms and tilting my head slightly in curiosity.

  For a moment, there was only silence. Yuki simply stood there, her tail flicking lazily behind her. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, she raised her hand and pointed directly at me.

  I blinked. Once. Twice.

  Wait, what?

  "Yuki, I'm your husband!?" I repeated, my voice caught between disbelief and amusement. A teasing smile tugged at my lips, but my mind raced to process her words.

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  I glanced back at the little girl, who beamed up at me with an innocent, expectant gaze. A snowflake landed on her nose, and she scrunched it up in the most adorable way before giggling softly.

  Yuzu gasped dramatically, her tails flaring up in excitement. "Mashiro bery papa?! Fox cat papa?!"

  Yuki took a slow sip of her tea, her expression unchanging. "Apparently."

  I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "I swear, I black out for a moment, and suddenly I'm a father? Can someone explain this properly?!"

  The little girl giggled again, hugging me tighter. "Mama is funny!" she chirped.

  My mind officially short-circuited. Thoughts crashed into one another like an overloaded spell matrix, failing to form a coherent response. I opened my mouth, then closed it again, my ears twitching in sheer bewilderment. Yuzu was still bouncing in circles, chanting "Fox cat papa! Fox cat papa!" with infectious excitement.

  Meanwhile, Yuki simply sipped her tea, entirely unfazed, as if she had just stated the weather rather than turned my entire reality upside down. The little girl, my supposed daughter, clung to me with a delighted grin, her tiny fingers gripping the fabric of my dress as if she had no intention of letting go.

  "Mama is funny!" she repeated, her silver eyes sparkling with mischief.

  I felt my knees threaten to give out. "Yuki, we're going to have a very long talk about this."

  Yuki simply smiled, taking another slow sip of her tea before letting out a drawn-out yawn. Her tail flicked lazily, and she blinked at us with drowsy amusement. It was hard to tell if she was genuinely unfazed or just too sleepy to care.

  "Okay, that's enough, Ai," she finally said, her voice carrying a soft but firm tone. "Give your mama some space before she collapses from shock."

  "Ai?" I muttered, as I looked at the little girl with snow particles.

  "Nnai, little girl bery from fox?" Yuzu asked, her tails flicking in curiosity as she leaned in closer, her dark eyes wide with fascination.

  I furrowed my brows, still trying to process everything. "Did Ai turn from a nine-tailed fox into a loli...?" I tilted my head, the absurdity of my own words making me question reality itself.

  As if mirroring my confusion, Ai mimicked my movement, tilting her own head to the side, her snowy hair swaying gently. "What's a... loli?" she asked innocently, her silver-white eyes blinking up at me with pure curiosity.

  I stiffened, suddenly feeling an odd pressure settle over me. Yuzu's ears perked up in excitement, while Yuki let out a long, slow sip from her tea, her eyes watching me expectantly. Even Ai's fluffy tail twitched in anticipation of my response.

  "U-Um... nothing!" I quickly waved my hands in front of me, my face growing hot. "Anyway, how did you become a little girl?" I asked, desperate to change the subject before Yuzu started chanting something embarrassing again.

  Ai shrugged, a small flurry of snowflakes drifting around her as she swayed slightly. "After cleansing the shrine," she explained, her voice carrying a soft, almost melodic tone, "I was able to morph into this body." She lifted her tiny hands, watching as a delicate snowflake formed on her fingertips before vanishing into the air. "It feels... different, but also nice," she added, her silver-white eyes shimmering with quiet wonder.

  She turned her palm over, watching as a tiny snowflake landed softly before melting into her skin. "Everything feels so new in this form. I can touch, I can hold, I can even feel warmth," Ai mused, curling her fingers as if savoring the sensation. "It's strange... but also nice. Like waking up from a long dream."

  "I see." I murmured, wrapping my arms around her gently. Ai's small frame pressed against me, her delicate warmth contrasting with the cool, snow-like aura surrounding her. She let out a soft hum, burying her face into my shoulder as tiny flakes of frost shimmered around us, disappearing like whispers in the wind. I could feel her breathing steady, a quiet moment of peace settling between us, as if the entire world had momentarily paused just for this embrace.

  "Welcome back, Miss Mashiro." Ai's voice was soft, carrying a warmth that contrasted with the cool flakes of snow drifting around her. Her silver-white eyes gleamed with a quiet joy as she clung to me, her small hands tightening their grip as if afraid I might disappear again.

  I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, the tension in my shoulders easing ever so slightly. I placed a gentle hand on her head, feeling the faint chill of frost lingering in her hair. "I'm back, Ai," I murmured, a small smile tugging at my lips.