The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

When it came time to thank Karsus, Tiel found herself feeling strangely shy.

But she shook off the embarrassment and spoke brightly.

"Thank you for giving me such a lovely room. I really like it. The blanket is so soft, and the rug is cozy. Oh! And the sun catcher is so beautiful."

"It seems you like the sun catcher," Karsus said with a faint smile. Tiel blushed and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, I really like it."

Although Tiel didn’t know the value of the sun catcher, crafted from blue diamonds, she could tell it was incredibly beautiful.

"I’m glad you like it. Next time, I’ll get you one made of yellow sapphires, just like the color of your eyes."

"...Th-that’s..."

That seems like too much! But not wanting to dismiss his kindness, Tiel simply nodded.

Just then, maids entered, carrying a three-tiered tray filled with desserts. They neatly arranged the pretty treats on the table and placed a cup of cocoa for Tiel and coffee for Karsus before quietly leaving the room.

"...Desserts!"

Tiel suppressed the urge to immediately dive into the fluffy-looking cake and turned her gaze away.

She had come here to thank Karsus, not to lose herself in desserts. Still, she couldn’t completely hide her glances at the cakes.

Karsus, noticing how Tiel’s eyes had been glued to the desserts since the moment they were brought in, couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Go ahead and eat," he said warmly.

He picked up a plate with a strawberry cake—the one Tiel’s gaze had been fixed on—and handed it to her with a small fork.

"Thank you..."

Without hesitation, Tiel took the plate and poked the edge of the cake with her fork.

But unlike when Ria had fed her, the cake didn’t cut cleanly; instead, it crumbled into powdery bits at the tip of the fork.

Tiel’s eyebrows drooped in disappointment as she stared at the ruined cake.

Watching her struggle, Karsus placed his large hand over her small one, steadying it as he guided the fork to scoop a proper bite of cake. He brought it gently to her mouth.

"Here."

A small smile spread across Tiel’s lips as she opened her mouth like a baby bird, accepting the cake. As the whipped cream touched her tongue, her face lit up with pure happiness.

"Eat slowly; there’s plenty more where that came from," Karsus said softly, waiting patiently as Tiel chewed and swallowed. Once her mouth was empty, he offered her another bite.

To make sure she didn’t choke, Karsus occasionally had her take sips of the warm cocoa, which was topped with floating marshmallows. His usually stern face softened as he tended to her.

As he continued feeding her, Karsus brushed back Tiel’s curly hair to keep it from getting smeared with cream. Watching her happily accept each bite, a memory came to mind.

Not long ago, a knight had entered the training grounds wearing a brooch, muttering sheepishly, "These days, my daughter is the best! That tiny thing is so adorable. Honestly, I live for the joy of seeing her!"

At the time, Karsus had thought, Just another doting father, and dismissed it as trivial.

But now...

He found himself thinking that perhaps the knight had a point. Raising a daughter really did bring an unexpected kind of joy.

Karsus lightly poked Tiel’s cheek and murmured to himself, Indeed, there’s something special about this.

***

"You! You rascal! You told me not to approach the child because she’s shy, and yet—!"

Alpheus glared at Karsus, his gaze brimming with betrayal.

"And now, what? You sit her on your lap and feed her cake?"

"The rumors within the mansion travel quickly," Karsus replied nonchalantly.

Alpheus, further incensed by Karsus’s calm tone, flared up even more. Karsus, who had been quietly sipping his tea, finally lifted his gaze to meet Alpheus’s.

"The child wanted to express her gratitude and came to me directly. What was I supposed to do?"

"Don’t make excuses! You’ve already had her over to feed her cookies before, haven’t you?"

Alpheus shouted, his voice filled with fury.

He himself was suppressing the overwhelming urge to meet his granddaughter, Tiel, and stroke her small head to his heart’s content. Yet, the very son who had told him to keep his distance because the child was shy had already had tea time with her. The betrayal was enough to make his blood boil.

But Karsus, unfazed, responded calmly.

"She no longer flinches away from my touch, so it’s fine for me to see her now. Besides, I called her to explain her abilities."

"Abilities?"

"She should at least know what her abilities are," Karsus murmured, recalling the sight of Tiel, staring at her palms in a panic the moment she regained consciousness that day.

"But still, she hasn’t been here long. Isn’t it too soon to talk about such things...?"

"She needs to know. Tiel thinks she’s useless."

"What? Useless?"

Alpheus shot to his feet, his eyes wide and his voice trembling with anger that seemed to echo deep within his chest.

"Useless? Why would she ever think she’s useless?"

Tiel was his granddaughter, the rightful heir of the Asterian family.

Not because she had manifested the ability of light, but simply because she was Tiel.

She was Tiel.

She was the daughter of Karsus Celeste Asterian and Lena Nestian.

No parent would ever consider their child "useless." Even if Tiel hadn’t manifested any abilities, Alpheus would have cherished and loved the child he had regained. That was what it meant to be a parent. That was what it meant to be family.

But to hear that Tiel thought of herself that way? Alpheus’s face twisted with complicated emotions. He couldn’t even blame her for feeling that way.

Because the adults, including himself, were to blame for allowing it to happen.

It tore at him that he hadn’t been able to protect her. That he hadn’t even known she was alive for all those years. The regret was suffocating.

Watching Alpheus’s face darken, Karsus spoke quietly.

"She asked if she could be of any use to the Asterian family."

‘Then... can I be of any use to the Asterian family?’

Recalling Tiel’s trembling voice, Karsus’s expression tightened slightly. Alpheus, at a loss for words, opened and closed his mouth soundlessly.

"Her grandfather told her that a child must contribute to the family, apparently."

"Chender, you bastard!"

What kind of nonsense was that? That children must contribute to the family? It was the family’s duty to support the child, not the other way around!

And Tiel was only seven years old.

The fact that she had been conditioned to say such things only meant she had been hearing them for a very long time.

Grinding his teeth, Alpheus slumped back into his chair.

The image of his granddaughter’s face, the granddaughter he hadn’t even properly met yet for fear of startling her, kept flashing before his eyes.

"So," Karsus said, his voice turning sharper, "it’s time to address the most pressing matter."

His gaze grew fierce as he set his teacup down, the liquid inside rippling gently. Karsus’s reflection on the surface wavered and disappeared.

"The Nestians’ punishment."

It was the most crucial issue.

The one thing everyone in the Asterian family, including Karsus and Alpheus, wanted more than anything.

"Yes, I was just about to send them a letter," Alpheus said, his earlier fury subsiding into a calm, deliberate tone. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Tiel had come to the Asterian estate of her own accord. The rest was now up to the adults.

It was time to send a formal message to the Nestian family, informing them that Tiel was now under the Asterians’ protection.

Though Alpheus wished he could skip such formalities entirely, he knew he couldn’t. Without it, the Nestians could later contest their claim and attempt to take Tiel back.

Now that Tiel had manifested the ability of light, they couldn’t afford to leave any loose ends. Every step had to be handled meticulously.

No interference could be allowed.

And they owed thanks to the Crown Prince for bringing Tiel to them safely.

The tasks Alpheus had postponed under the pretense of looking after Tiel were now pressing.

They had to be resolved one by one. Alpheus tapped the armrest of the sofa as he spoke.

"Tiel is not only your child but also Lena’s. While I can’t hold them accountable for hiding her, there are... other ways to ensure they pay for what they’ve done."

His voice trailed off before picking up again, laced with quiet determination.

"They will pay the price, one way or another."

"Yes, I understand."

Chender Buchanan Nestian had hidden and abused Karsus Celeste Asterian’s daughter.

It was time for him to face the consequences.