The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

Cedric couldn’t believe his eyes.

He took the handkerchief from his breast pocket, wiped his glasses meticulously, and put them back on. He alternated his gaze between Ian and the “thing” Ian held in his hands.

Unfortunately, Cedric’s vision had not deceived him.

What Ian held was, without a doubt, a baby snow leopard.

“...Your Highness, is this some sort of joke?” Cedric asked hesitantly.

Ian shrugged as if to say, Why would I joke about this? He gently set the snow leopard down on a cushion.

“See? It’s not scary, right?” Ian asked in an unexpectedly gentle tone.

The baby snow leopard glanced at Cedric nervously before cautiously nodding its head.

Watching this, Cedric fervently wished he were dreaming.

Please, let this all be a dream.

He prayed that the creature Ian had pulled from his subspace wasn’t really a snow leopard.

But no matter how many times Cedric looked, the small animal was unmistakably a baby snow leopard.

Its pure white fur, a hallmark of the Nestian family, was proof enough.

Snow leopards were only ever born to the Nestian family, just as black leopards were exclusive to the Asterian family.

On rare occasions, a snow or black leopard might be born outside their respective families, but this typically occurred only if their lineage included Nestian or Asterian blood from past generations.

Thus, the existence of a snow leopard outside the two families was exceedingly rare.

Realizing this, Cedric pressed his fingers to his throbbing temple.

Within the Nestian family, there was only one young snow leopard of this age: Rowen Nestian, a seven-year-old girl.

But Rowen was clearly in Chender’s arms when the carriage departed, wasn’t she?

To Cedric’s knowledge, there were no other girls in the Nestian family, officially or otherwise.

Then who on earth is this child?

Ignoring Cedric’s confusion, Ian spoke decisively.

“We’re going to the Asterian estate.”

Cedric, deciding to abandon understanding for now, asked flatly, “Why are we going to the Asterian estate?”

“To return this child,” Ian said, nodding toward the baby snow leopard as if the answer should’ve been obvious.

“Alright, now it’s your turn to talk,” Ian said, placing a firm hand on the snow leopard’s head.

The snow leopard hesitated, glancing between Ian and Cedric before spinning around on the spot.

The next moment, the shabby figure of a little girl appeared before Cedric’s eyes.

She had a head of thick, snow-white hair and dazzling golden eyes that shimmered in the afternoon sunlight—a strikingly lovely child.

Cedric was momentarily at a loss for words, simply staring at Ian and Tiel.

The girl seemed intimidated by Cedric’s intense gaze, her eyes welling up with tears.

Noticing this, Ian glared sharply at Cedric, who gave Ian a look of mild protest, as if to say, What did I do?

“My… my name is Tiel,” the girl stammered after a long hesitation, her voice quivering.

She lowered her head, fumbling over her words. The sight of her trembling form stirred pity in Cedric, who realized he was unintentionally scaring her.

Deciding not to press further, Cedric remained silent, listening as Tiel continued.

“I… I’m going to the Asterian family to meet my father,” she said, carefully unfolding the blanket bundle she had brought with her and showing its contents to Cedric.@@novelbin@@

Inside were two hardened pieces of bread, an old locket, a cheap-looking fountain pen, and trinkets resembling children’s toys.

“My grandfather hates me, so…” Tiel trailed off, glancing up nervously.

From her reaction alone, Cedric could tell she had not been treated well in the Nestian household.

At that moment, Ian interrupted. He pointed to Tiel’s eyes and said, “Look at her eyes, Cedric.”

Cedric turned his attention to the girl’s eyes and finally noticed what Ian was pointing out.

Unlike other snow leopards, who were typically born with blue eyes, Tiel’s eyes were golden—the signature trait of the black leopards.

Snow leopards had blue eyes, and black leopards had gold.

The only way for a snow leopard to have golden eyes was if they were of mixed blood—a hybrid of the two clans.

Tiel’s snow-white hair and golden eyes were undeniable evidence that she was a hybrid of the Nestian and Asterian families.

At that realization, a series of thoughts raced through Cedric’s mind.

…Lena Nestian and Karsus Asterian.

Lena, of the Snow Leopard Clan, and Karsus, of the Black Leopard Clan, had defied their families to have children and build a life together.

They had twin sons, and Lena had been pregnant with their third child when she suddenly disappeared.

Shortly after her disappearance, the Nestian family announced Lena’s death.

The Asterian family hadn’t even been able to retrieve Lena’s body or learn the fate of her unborn child. They had no choice but to hold a funeral, assuming both Lena and the child had perished.

But if this girl is…

Cedric’s gaze shifted to the small, timid child before him.

With a trembling voice, he asked, “Excuse me, Miss Tiel, but how old are you?”

“I turned seven this year,” Tiel replied, counting on her fingers as she spoke.

The timeline matched. If Tiel truly was Lena and Karsus’s daughter, it made sense for the Nestian family to have hidden her.

If it had been revealed that Lena’s child had survived, the Asterian family would undoubtedly have come to claim her.

Realizing this, Cedric stared at Ian, his jaw slack.

Ian merely shrugged in response.

The coachman urged the horses forward, and the carriage sped toward the Asterian estate, carrying Ian, Cedric, and Tiel with it.

***

The carriage traveled nonstop for three days and nights before finally reaching the territory of the Black Leopards.

Throughout the journey, despite Ian and Cedric's attempts to stop her, Tiel stubbornly chewed on the hard black bread she had brought with her.

I can’t trouble them any more than I already have, Tiel thought, recalling the kindness Ian and Cedric had shown her.

Ian and Cedric had been incredibly considerate. They gave her the best seat in the carriage, and Ian even offered to let her stay in his subspace if the ride became too uncomfortable.

No one had ever been this kind to her before, and Tiel found them fascinating.

Most people scowl when they look at me, she mused.

But Ian and Cedric always looked at her with smiles.

Admittedly, Cedric had seemed intimidating at first, but over the three days, Tiel had come to realize how gentle he truly was. He had even bought her clothes, worrying that her thin garments might cause her to catch a cold.

Tiel initially refused, not wanting to impose further, but Ian and Cedric were insistent. They argued that if she fell ill, they wouldn’t be able to properly present her to the Asterian family.

Reluctantly, Tiel accepted their offer. They purchased her a warm dress and a thinner, lighter one from a nearby boutique.

For the first time in her life, Tiel owned a dress of her own.

Until now, she had always worn the hand-me-down nightgowns discarded by Rowen.

The bright yellow dress, as vibrant as forsythia, made her feel much prettier than she ever thought she could look. The front of the dress was adorned with six delicate ribbons, and Tiel couldn’t resist running her fingers over the soft fabric.

But to her surprise, Ian and Cedric apologized, saying they wished they could have bought her something even better. They even promised to send her nicer dresses from the capital in the future.

Though Tiel insisted they didn’t need to, she had a feeling they were serious about their promise.

Do I really deserve to wear something like this?

As she fiddled with the dress's delicate frills, Tiel felt it was far too extravagant for someone like her. This kind of outfit seemed more fitting for a beautiful princess like Rowen.

But then she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

The Asterian family hated her.

If she wanted to make a good impression, even if only slightly, she felt she had to at least dress well.

Inwardly, she expressed her gratitude to Ian and Cedric for their kindness.

Just then—

Whiiinny!

The carriage came to an abrupt stop. Tiel’s eyes widened as she peeked out the window.

“Wow…” she whispered in awe.

The Asterian estate was completely different from the Nestian household.

Where the Nestian lands were perpetually blanketed in snow, the entrance to the Asterian estate was bursting with colorful flowers.

Beyond the gates lay an expansive green lawn, and at the center stood a grand mansion exuding an overwhelming presence.

Tiel felt her confidence shrink as she stared at the imposing estate.

Am I really okay to be here?

Feeling as though she might be turned away the moment they met, Tiel clenched her eyes shut.

The estate gatekeepers, seeing the imperial seal on the carriage, promptly opened the gates.

The carriage passed smoothly through and stopped before the mansion’s massive front doors.

At that moment, Tiel felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

“What are you doing? Let’s get out,” Ian said.

“T-Together?” Tiel stammered, her eyes wide.

Ian narrowed his eyes slightly, as if asking, Isn’t that obvious?

Cedric had already disembarked, standing ready to assist Ian and Tiel.

Still bewildered, Tiel grabbed Ian’s hand and hopped down from the carriage.

As she landed, she noticed an elderly man with white hair hurrying toward them from a distance.

Standing a step behind Ian and Cedric, Tiel observed the man carefully.

He appeared to be the Asterian family’s butler. With a warm smile, he bowed deeply to Ian and Cedric.

“Welcome, Your Highness Ian Dross Crasion. May the blessings of Crasion be with you.”

“And with you, Parden,” Ian replied. “I need to speak with the head of the Asterian family.”

The elderly butler, called Parden, smiled apologetically.

“The head of the family is currently away. Is the matter urgent?”

“It is,” Ian replied firmly. “I need to see him immediately.”

At that, Cedric extended a hand toward Tiel.

Tiel instinctively took it, and Cedric gently guided her forward.

Now standing between Ian and Cedric, Tiel looked up at the two men before glancing nervously at Parden.

Cedric’s grip on her hand tightened slightly as he spoke.

“Inform the head of the Asterian family that we believe we’ve found their youngest daughter.”

For a moment, silence hung in the air.