The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

Tiel was familiar with the concept of family physicians assigned to noble households. After all, the Nestian family had one too.

But...

‘...That person never treated me.’

There was a particular day Tiel remembered vividly—when Rowen had pushed her down the stairs, splitting her forehead open. Unable to bear the pain, she had secretly sought out the Nestian family physician.

She had overheard Rowen talking about him one day.

‘I need to go to the family physician. This hangnail is so irritating!’

Rowen had visited the physician that day and came back without another word about the hangnail.

Since then, Tiel had occasionally thought of visiting the "family physician" whenever she got hurt but had always restrained herself.

Her grandfather would never allow it, and acting on her own might get her punished.

But that day, the pain from her torn forehead had been unbearable. Summoning her courage, she had knocked on the door of the room where the family physician resided.

The wound was too deep and painful to ignore... If nothing else, she hoped to receive at least a cloth to clean it.

However...

‘I cannot treat your injuries, young lady.’

The Nestian family physician, whose expression was otherwise gentle, had spoken firmly, leaving Tiel standing in the cold hallway.

‘I am the Nestian family physician. However, young lady, you have not been granted the Nestian name, have you?’

He had refused to treat her, claiming that because Tiel was a hybrid and not officially part of the Nestian family, she was not eligible for his care.

That day, Tiel learned an important lesson.

‘Family physicians only treat those who carry the family name...’

And she wasn’t one of them.

But now...

“It’s an honor to meet you. May I examine your condition, young lady?”

Cade, who introduced himself as the physician of the Asterian family, was kindly and gently asking Tiel for her consent to check her health.

The situation was so vastly different from her experiences in the Nestian household that Tiel felt overwhelmed, her eyes darting around nervously before she finally spoke.

“Um, I’m Tiel. But... I haven’t been given the Asterian name yet. Can I still receive treatment?”

As soon as Tiel finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Everyone was stunned by her question, unable to immediately find the words to respond to this small child.

As the silence dragged on, Tiel shrank back slightly, feeling self-conscious.

Did I say something wrong?

Should I not have asked that question?

Regretting her foolish question but unable to take it back, she closed her eyes tightly, about to plead, Please pretend you didn’t hear that.

“Tiel.”

The gentle voice tickled her ears. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Startled, Tiel cautiously opened her eyes to see Karsus.

His sharp nose, elegantly curved lips, a jawline that seemed sculpted by an artist, and flawless skin...

He reminded her of the fine statues Rowen had cherished, though she thought Karsus might look even better.

But what truly captivated Tiel wasn’t his handsome features.

‘...’

It was his beautiful, golden eyes, identical to her own, shining beneath his thick lashes.

Facing those transparent, radiant golden irises, Tiel felt her anxiety strangely melt away.

As Tiel blinked, unable to take her eyes off Karsus, he smiled warmly, the corners of his lips curving upward gracefully.

“Look at your eyes,” he said.

At his words, Ria pulled a small hand mirror from her pocket and handed it to him.

Karsus held the mirror close to Tiel’s face.

“What color are they?”

Tiel stared at her reflection for a moment before nodding and answering.

“Golden.”

“That is proof that you are my daughter. And it is also proof that you are a member of the Asterian family.”

It was self-evident. Golden eyes were unique to the Black Leopard clan, the Asterians.

The paternity test results were just a formality; there was no doubt that Tiel was Karsus’s child and part of the Asterian bloodline.

Tiel’s eyes widened as she locked gazes with Karsus.

“So, Tiel.”

As if to drive the point home, Karsus gently stroked her small, round head and softly whispered,

“As long as you have those eyes, there is nothing you cannot do in this mansion.”

A moment of silence passed.

Then, as the meaning of Karsus’s words sank in, Tiel’s voice trembled as she asked,

“Does that mean...”

“...”

“Does that mean I can... stay here?”

“Yes,” Karsus replied without hesitation.

Karsus responded without a moment's hesitation. At that instant, Tiel's eyes sparkled, and her small mouth opened in astonishment. The heart that had been frozen solid from years of neglect and abuse was now quickly filling with a warm, radiant light.

‘I won’t be cast out.’

No matter what might happen later, at least for now, she could stay. That alone made Tiel feel like she could leap for joy.

Of course, the memory of Alpheus's enraged voice still brought a creeping unease.

“You don’t have to eat just a little. You don’t have to live as though you don’t exist. You don’t have to sleep in a storage room or a barn.”

Whenever Karsus’s voice reached her, that lingering anxiety dissolved completely, replaced by a gentle wave of relief that tickled her chest.

Karsus’s large hand cradled her small, soft cheek, pressing down just enough to make one of her eyes close while the other stayed wide open, staring at him.

“So, don’t worry. You can stay here without doing any of that.”

“...Okay.”

“You must be tired. Let’s save the details for later and start with your examination. Cade.”

“Yes, Marquis,” Cade replied with a small nod. He turned to Tiel, extending his hand cautiously as he sought her consent again.

“May I examine your condition, young lady?”

Tiel hesitated for a moment before nodding.

***

After a thorough examination, Cade diagnosed Tiel with malnutrition but assured them that, fortunately, her overall health was not in critical condition.

He prescribed rest and regular meals, noting that her condition would naturally improve over time.

Tiel felt relieved at Cade’s reassurance, but the staff of the Asterian estate was far less composed.

“A seven-year-old with malnutrition?!”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m going to tell Hugo to whip up the most delicious and nourishing dishes immediately!”

The staff’s plans to rush the estate’s chef were swiftly quelled by Parden, the head butler, and Sophia, the head maid.

“Malnutrition doesn’t mean she should start eating heavy, greasy foods right away,” Sophia explained.

It was already well past dinnertime, and eating rich foods so late would only upset Tiel’s stomach.

Besides, when Tiel had first arrived at the estate, she had overindulged in cake and ended up vomiting everything.

Still...

‘She didn’t have a proper lunch or dinner.’

Sophia decided they couldn’t let the child go to bed hungry. She instructed the kitchen to prepare something light and comforting for Tiel: a soft corn soup, a small piece of meat, and some warm bread.

Following Sophia’s guidance to “only eat things that are gentle on the stomach at this hour,” Tiel managed to finish half the bowl of corn soup.

As the warm food settled in her stomach, Tiel genuinely felt more at ease.

Sitting on the spacious bed and gently rubbing her full belly, she watched as Ria entered the room with a tray and placed it on a small table.

“Here you go, young lady. Something sweet to lift your spirits.”

Ria spoke softly, as though casting a magical spell, and handed Tiel a small spoon.

Tiel blinked at the dessert placed in front of her.

It was a red fruit pudding topped with sweet, tangy cream.

Ria had noticed Tiel’s eyes light up when she had seen desserts before and had learned that Tiel enjoyed them. With Parden and Sophia’s approval, Ria had asked the kitchen to prepare a simple, sweet treat that wouldn’t overwhelm her.

Tiel blinked at the dessert again.

Can I really eat this?

She wasn’t used to eating anything at this hour, so the idea felt unfamiliar. Looking up at Ria for permission, she saw the maid smile warmly and gently cover Tiel’s hands with her own.

Ria scooped up a perfect mix of cream and pudding, then brought it to Tiel’s lips.

“...!”

“How is it? Delicious, isn’t it?”

The moment the pudding touched her tongue, Tiel’s eyes widened in surprise at the explosion of sweetness and tanginess.