The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

“We have arrived.”

An Asterian knight opened the carriage door and bowed.

Ferdi and Ludian, accustomed to the routine, stepped out first.

Tiel tried to follow her brothers and climb down as well. But—

“Ah, um…!”

“Hold on tight, Tiel. You might fall.”

Karsus, instead of letting her down, lifted her securely into his arms and stepped out of the carriage.

Ferdi and Ludian, who had been waiting to escort her, both frowned in frustration.

“Are you really planning to carry her everywhere?”

Ferdi’s voice carried a note of exasperation.

Tiel didn’t mind being in Karsus’s arms, but… she had to admit she kind of agreed with Ferdi.

‘J-Just when is he planning to put me down?’

From her room in the Asterian mansion to the temple, she had been carried the entire way.

From her room to the main gate, she had been in Ferdi’s arms. From the gate to the carriage and now to the temple, she had been in Karsus’s.

The pretty shoes Ria had carefully picked for her were going completely unused.

Yet Karsus still showed no intention of setting her down. Holding her securely, he strode past Ferdi and Ludian without a care.

And with complete nonchalance, he said,

“Yes, I am planning to carry her. Who knows what kind of nonsense the temple fools might try?”

Karsus’s broad thumb gently stroked Tiel’s cheek.

On any other occasion, it might not matter, but here at the temple, it was better to keep Tiel close.

After the recent incident, word had likely spread that someone in the Asterian family possessed the light ability.

The temple had called for Tiel today, most likely to confirm whether she truly possessed it.

‘The High Priest can distinguish abilities.’

It was obvious why they wanted to see her in person—to verify whether she really had the light ability. Their motives were as clear as day.

Ferdi and Ludian exchanged brief nods, acknowledging Karsus’s reasoning.

Tiel did the same.

‘…I don’t want to be separated.’

What if, the moment she was put down, someone unfamiliar took her away?

What if she got separated from the Asterian family? The worst possibilities flashed through her mind, draining the color from her face.

But only for a moment.

Tiel remembered something Ferdi had taught her when she had been with Ian.

Tiel, if someone tries to take you away, you have to say, “No, I don’t want to go.”

Tiel engraved those words into her heart and nodded firmly.

If someone tried to take her, she would say it. She would refuse.

“You’ll be fine, Tiel. I’m here.”

Noticing her anxiety, Karsus stopped walking and patted her back gently.

Nothing you’re worried about will happen.

At the sound of his reassuring voice, Tiel lifted her head from where she had buried it against his chest.

“…Okay.”

Karsus waited a moment to let her steady her breathing before continuing into the temple.

Inside, rows of priests greeted them with proper courtesy, bowing to Karsus Celeste Asterian, Ferdi Asterian, and Ludian Asterian.

Karsus gave them a brief nod in acknowledgment.

“The paternity test results?”

“This way, please. The High Priest is expecting you.”

At the mention of the High Priest, Karsus muttered under his breath, “Of course.”

Ferdi and Ludian exchanged knowing looks as well. Only Tiel, clueless, tilted her head in confusion.

Following the priests’ guidance, the four of them proceeded to the location where the High Priest was waiting.

At the center of the temple stood a grand fountain—the place where paternity tests were conducted.

The test was simple: a parent and child’s hair strands would be cast into the water by the Pope or their representative. The color of the water would then determine whether they were blood-related.

“Karsus-nim.”

At that moment, the High Priest approached, offering a benevolent smile.

Karsus inclined his head politely.

Ferdi and Ludian did the same.

“It has been a while, Andres. I’ve been too busy to visit.”

“I apologize for making you come here in person. However, His Holiness the Pope insisted that Asterian test results must be confirmed in attendance.”

Having said that, the High Priest turned his gaze to Tiel, still nestled in Karsus’s arms.

The eyes hidden beneath his aged, wrinkled eyelids locked onto her.

“So this is the child.”

The sharpness in his gaze made Tiel instinctively shrink back.

Taking a step closer, the High Priest examined her.

As his aged face moved nearer, Tiel’s body stiffened with tension.

‘…Scary.’

His eyes swept over her small frame, his scrutiny more akin to assessing a valuable object than looking at a child.

Tiel instinctively clung to Karsus’s neck, gripping tightly.

“A-Ah, hello…”

At that moment, the High Priest leaned in a little closer.

Tiel seriously wondered if this was the moment she should be shouting "No, I don't want this!"

“The child is very wary of strangers. I’d rather skip the unnecessary formalities and get straight to the results.”

Karsus shielded Tiel with his long cloak, covering her tense little figure.

The High Priest’s eyebrow twitched for a brief moment, but he quickly erased any signs of displeasure, instead letting out a light chuckle as he nodded.

“Very well. Then, I will show you the results.”

“You're showing them? Then I’d rather hear them without the child present. Ludian.”

Karsus smoothly handed Tiel over to Ludian.

Ludian nodded, securing Tiel in his arms, gently patting the back of her head so she could press her face into his shoulder.

As Ludian and Ferdi prepared to step away from the fountain with Tiel—

“There’s no need for that. You may all witness it together.”

The High Priest stopped them.

Ferdi and Ludian turned to look at him, confused.

And then—

Without any warning, the High Priest dropped both Tiel’s and Karsus’s strands of hair into the fountain.

“……!!”

The air tensed.

The sudden, inconsiderate act instantly darkened the expressions of Karsus, Ferdi, and Ludian.

Of course, none of them doubted that Tiel was Karsus and Lena’s daughter.

But this—this was unacceptable.

When conducting a paternity test, the child was never supposed to witness the result firsthand.

No matter the outcome, the knowledge itself could be deeply scarring to a child.

That was why Karsus had planned to confirm the results after sending Tiel away.

But now, in this manner…

“…….”

Karsus ran a hand down his face. Ludian instinctively shielded Tiel’s eyes, while Ferdi fixed a stony glare on the High Priest.

The temple’s paternity test was a simple one. The Pope, or their representative, would infuse the fountain with divine energy before dropping in strands of the parent and child’s hair.

If the water changed color, it confirmed their blood relation. If it remained the same…

“……”

The fountain stayed still.

Karsus, Ludian, and Ferdi knew exactly what that meant.

Tiel was not Karsus’s biological daughter—according to the test.

The temple had deliberately kept Tiel present so she could see this outcome.

Of course, Karsus knew the truth. The secret chamber in the Asterian estate had already confirmed it.

Which meant only one thing—

This was a scheme.

The temple had manipulated the results, deliberately shocking the child to create an opportunity to take her away.

Karsus clenched his jaw. The sheer audacity of it made his blood boil.

For a fleeting moment, he considered what it would cost Asterian if he razed this entire place to the ground.

But he didn’t get far in that thought—because the High Priest spoke up.

“I believe there’s no need for me to explain the results.”

“……”

Karsus remained utterly silent, standing still as he locked eyes with the High Priest.

It was as if he was waiting, daring him to continue. His sharp golden eyes gleamed menacingly.

“…The temple also serves as a guardian for lost children. If a child is found not to be of blood relation, we provide them with shelter.”

“Ah, of course.”

“Yes, as you must already know.”

No sooner had the High Priest finished speaking than a priest strode toward Ludian and Tiel.

Ludian shot a glare at the approaching priest and tightened his grip around Tiel.@@novelbin@@

“Get lost.”

Karsus and Ferdi smirked coldly, watching the scene unfold.

They had been exactly right.

The temple had wanted Tiel to see the results, to shock her and stir guilt—so they could take her away.

By faking the results and keeping her in their grasp, they could later claim it was “the will of the gods” and never return her.

They coveted the light ability so much that they were willing to go this far.

But then—

Tiel, who had remained quietly nestled in Ludian’s arms the entire time, slowly lifted her head.

“…Um, excuse me.”

Karsus, Ferdi, Ludian, and even the High Priest all turned to look at her.

Tiel blinked her large golden eyes and hesitantly opened her mouth.

“S-So… I’m… not Karsus-nim’s daughter?”

“……”

“That’s weird… That can’t be right.”

Her voice held not even the slightest tremor.

Her words cut through the silence with sharp clarity.

For a moment, the entire room fell utterly still.