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Chapter 13 - Changes
🕑 Added 2025-03-27 19:07:41 +0000 UTC"You've arrived."
The commander looked at the two little ones with a small smile. Then, he noticed a worried Imelda walking beside them, clutching her hands tightly to her chest in a silent prayer.
"Mi señora." The commander greeted her respectfully.
If he was known as a model of integrity in the city, Imelda was seen as an example of kindness. So, he knew and respected her.
"Señor comandante!" Imelda greeted him back, but her face turned a little paler, lost in the confusion of what was happening—especially since it involved the commander himself.
"Well, Comandante, is it ready?" Puss stepped forward, asking with a serious face.
The commander simply nodded, a small smirk on his lips, then put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.
Whistle!
Soon, an old, worn-out carriage appeared, pulled by a horse and driven by a city guard.
The guard had a surprised look on his face as he felt the carriage was much more comfortable than usual.
"Let's go for a ride," the commander said with a smile.
With an excited Humpty and Puss, along with a stunned Imelda following behind, they got into the carriage.
With a "Yah!" from the coachman, the carriage began to move.
They took a ride around the city.
Slowly, the questions in Imelda's mind changed from "Where are we going?" to "Why is this carriage so stable?"
Seeing her expression, the commander was amused and then looked at Puss with a grin.
"You didn't tell her?" he asked.
"It was supposed to be a surprise," Puss shrugged.
Imelda looked at them in confusion. Then, smiling, the commander explained.
"These two came to me to… blah blah blah…"
The commander explained everything clearly, but that's all Puss heard. His focus was entirely on the carriage window, the wind brushing against his face as he stood on the seat, resting his two paws on the frame, his tail swaying gently from side to side.
Ever since becoming a cat, his curiosity and interest in things had grown tremendously. He loved watching movement, and he was incredibly inquisitive.
Of course, there were also some annoying instincts he had to be careful about.
But the worst of them, without a doubt—
'Hairballs. They are horrible,' he thought, remembering the absolute worst part of being a cat.
As he was lost in thought, he was suddenly grabbed and pulled into an embrace.
"Meow!" Puss yelped involuntarily.
"Ah!" Another small squeal came from the side.
"My two boys, you're so brave and intelligent. I'm so proud of you!"
It was Imelda, pulling Puss and Humpty into a tight hug, taking both of them by surprise—especially Humpty, who was embarrassed but also secretly happy.
Tears of joy streamed down Imelda's face, but there was also sadness in them. Seeing how the two had been forced to fend for themselves because of the orphanage's financial struggles, which couldn't provide them with a proper life, broke her heart.
For Puss, this was just another moment in his life. But for Humpty, it was the first time he felt seen and needed.
Puss watched Humpty's shy yet happy smile in Imelda's embrace, feeling a bit relieved.
'I hope this is your turning point, mi amigo. That the future won't be as it was meant to be.'
With these thoughts, the journey continued.
And just like the turning wheels of the carriage, the wheels of time never stopped spinning.
With the support of the commander and a trustworthy merchant cousin of his, the Hum&Puss springs entered the market of San Ricardo and its surrounding regions.
At first, their presence wasn't very noticeable, but soon they became popular, and money began flowing into the orphanage.
While there were no imitators in San Ricardo—thanks to the guards' involvement—other cities were a different story. However, they had already prepared for this. By the time imitations started appearing, the Hum&Puss springs had already established themselves as the standard of quality, comfort, and authenticity.
If this were the modern world, sustaining a business on this alone would still be difficult. But in the medieval era, nobles wouldn't buy cheap imitations for their dozens or even hundreds of carriages when the original springs were available—and not even that expensive. It was a matter of reputation, and reputation was worth far more than a few extra coins.
And their focus had always been the nobles, not the common folk. So, their profits were exactly as they expected—and then some. Their success only grew over time.
As the project's creators, 50% of the net profit went to Humpty and Puss, while the other 50% went to the commander's merchant cousin.
Of their 50%, only half actually went to Puss and Humpty. The other half was split between the orphanage and the San Ricardo guard barracks.
In truth, Imelda and the commander had initially refused their share, wanting the full amount to go to the boys. But since Puss and Humpty insisted, they eventually accepted their part of the deal.
Puss didn't particularly care about keeping the business money for himself—he just wanted to help the orphanage. If it were up to him, he would simply steal from some rich person, but Imelda wouldn't accept that, and it would be far too suspicious.
But now, not only was the orphanage financially secure, but he also had his own money, which gave him more freedom—without staining his name.
Humpty was also satisfied with his share and never objected to giving part of it to the guards and the orphanage, which was a huge relief to Puss.
And so, by the time Puss turned one year old, the orphanage was completely different from before. It was far more welcoming and no longer looked like it was on the verge of collapse.
The children's meals were more abundant, and the caretakers had better wages to support their families.
Imelda made sure everyone knew that it was all thanks to Puss and Humpty.
If Puss had already been the pinnacle of fame in the orphanage before, now he had reached another level entirely—though no one dared to get too close to him. He was still that indifferent cat.
Humpty, on the other hand, was far more approachable than Puss. He had become a celebrity, both in the orphanage and throughout the city.
But Puss always felt like there was a shadow in Humpty's heart.
He seemed even lonelier than before.
