The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

"Hurry up and find a consort and form the bond! What are you wasting time wandering around for?!"

"......."

"If you keep this up, there will come a day when you won’t be able to control your ability! Just how much longer are you going to act like a foolish child, Ian Dross Crasion?!"

Ian Dross lowered his head without a word. The Emperor waved him off as if he couldn't stand the sight of him.

"Get out of my sight! I don’t want to see you!"

Ian didn’t protest. It was as if he had been waiting for those words all along. He sprang up and left the room without hesitation.

The Emperor didn't look back at Ian. Ian didn't look back at the Emperor either.

Cedric followed behind him, but Ian waved him off.

Right now, he didn’t want to be around anyone.

Not a single person.

When Ian returned to the Crown Prince’s palace, he dismissed all the maids. The palace was instantly enveloped in silence.

He stood there for a moment, gazing at the distant scenery before waving his hand.

Paah—.

Ian's ability, Spatial Creation, activated. A large space, just enough for a person to step inside, opened before him.

Without hesitation, Ian stepped into the void.

"......."

He stared at the ruined mansion with lifeless eyes.

His gaze, as he looked around the interior, was devoid of any emotion.

Ian Dross’s ability—Spatial Creation.

The spaces Ian could create were limited.

As a child, he vaguely remembered being able to create different spaces, but now he could no longer recall how.

Now, the only space he could manifest was this mansion.

The mansion that had burned down long ago.

The place where Ian Dross and his parents had once lived.

Ian looked around. It was so dark that nothing could be seen.

Unless one’s eyes had fully adapted to the darkness, they wouldn’t even be able to take a step forward.

But Ian was far too familiar with this darkness to be hindered by it.

He walked without hesitation.

Whenever Ian felt exhausted or lonely, he would retreat into his Spatial Creation. Unlike the chaotic outside world, this space was as silent as the grave.

Nothing could disturb him here.

Inside this mansion, he was the absolute ruler of the space.

He could move freely between rooms and summon whatever objects he wanted.

Except for one thing.

"......Ha."

Ian let out a dry chuckle as he stared at the candle in his hand.

In this space, he could do anything—everything except light up the mansion.

There had been a time when he had desperately tried to fill the mansion with light, yearning for the days when he had lived here happily with his parents.

But he had never succeeded.

The chandelier, the lamps, even a single candle—nothing could be lit.

Complete darkness ruled this space.

Ian clenched his fingers around the candle, crushing it into fine dust that scattered into the air.

With cold, empty eyes, he took another step forward.

That was when something brushed against his foot.

"......?"

Frowning slightly, Ian bent down and picked up the unknown object.

It was a cushion—unusually soft and finely made.

One thing was certain: it didn’t belong in this place.

Why is this here?

Ian frowned, wondering if he had placed it here at some point.

But that was impossible. He had never seen a cushion like this before in his life. And even if he had put it here long ago, it wouldn’t have lasted.

Objects that weren’t part of the original mansion always disappeared after a certain period.

Ian picked it up.

A familiar scent lingered on the cushion. His sharp eyes narrowed.

Snow Leopard.

It was undoubtedly the scent of a young Snow Leopard.

And Ian instantly knew who it belonged to.

It must have been the cushion Tiel had sat on.

He had no idea how it ended up in his Spatial Creation or how long it had been here.

Ian let out a weary sigh and sat down carelessly, pulling the cushion into his arms.

The scent grew stronger. His sharp gaze softened.

"Tiel."

Ian murmured the name of the little Snow Leopard cub.

Had she brought this cushion in? Whatever the case, it was clear that this was something Tiel had left behind.

He didn’t know why it hadn’t vanished like everything else, but one thing was certain:

This small cushion, this tiny trace of her, was giving him comfort.

Ian felt an unbearable loneliness at times.

Today was one of those days.

Perhaps it was because he had just come from the lively Asterian estate. Compared to Asterian, the imperial palace felt like a lifeless void.

There was no laughter. No tears.

Nothing.

Ian had grown up alone in the imperial palace.

A grandfather who ignored him. Servants and knights who feared his power and kept their distance.

Cedric had always been by his side, but Cedric couldn’t be his parents. He couldn’t be a friend.

He was just an aide.

And yet, just because of this one cushion—because he held it in his hands...

To feel less lonely because of something like this... How absurd.

Ian’s lips curled into a lopsided smile.

He pulled the cushion closer to his chest.

It smelled of the little Snow Leopard.

Strangely enough, he kept thinking about Tiel.

...Maybe he wanted to see her.

***

"I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet is being canceled this year."

Karsus spoke as he placed two pieces of meat onto Tiel’s plate.

Sitting right next to her, Ferdi diligently wiped his little sister’s face with a napkin.

Tiel, receiving his care, looked up at Karsus.

"Ian-nim’s birthday?"

"Yes."

Tiel tilted her head. The Crown Prince’s birthday banquet was being canceled? Did something happen to him?

She had never attended a banquet at the imperial palace, but since Aunt Cornelia and Rowen frequently did, she had a general idea of how grand and extravagant those events were.

She also knew how important such banquets were for the Crown Prince and the nobility.

Just as she was beginning to worry that something might have happened to Ian—

"Well, never mind about that bastard’s birthday banquet. Tiel, when’s your birthday? I forgot to ask."

"......."

At Ludian’s words, the knives at the table came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone except Ludian froze.

Ferdi’s eyes sharpened as he glared at his younger brother.

"Ludian, you—"

"Huh? What? Is it wrong to ask?"

Ferdi squeezed his eyes shut at Ludian’s clueless response.

The Asterians had always considered the day Lena Nestian left as her memorial day.

The Nestians had never told them when exactly she died.

But since she had given birth to Tiel after disappearing, there had to be a separate day marking her death.

Even so, no one in Asterian had ever asked Tiel about Lena’s memorial day.

Because...

"......Ah."

Ludian finally realized it.

For Tiel, her birthday was Lena’s memorial day.

The Nestians had always told her that Lena died giving birth to her.

Ludian quickly turned to Tiel, his face stiff with concern. Had his question hurt her? He suddenly had the urge to smack himself for speaking without thinking.

But contrary to what they all feared, Tiel neither cried nor looked upset.

Instead—

"My birthday? I don’t know when it is. They never told me, saying it was an unlucky day..."

"......."

"Because my mother died giving birth to me... It’s not a day to celebrate. But... it’s the first time anyone has ever asked me. I’m happy."

Tiel hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was even allowed to say the word happy.

After all, her birthday was also the day her mother died.

She still carried the guilt of believing her birth caused Lena’s death.

And that guilt would likely never fade.

But...

...It should be okay to say something like this, right?

No one had ever asked her about her birthday before.

And this time, it was her brother who had asked.

Surely, even her mother would forgive this much.

Nodding to herself, Tiel continued.

"My birthday is probably in winter. My grandfather would always become especially irritable whenever winter came."

At that moment, all four men of Asterian had the same thought.

They wanted to kill Chender.

As if on cue, their hands tightened around their knives. They barely managed to suppress their murderous intent.

Karsus was the first to speak.

His expression was heavy, as if he didn’t even know where to begin correcting everything.

"Tiel... what happened to Lena is not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong."

"Yes, Dad."

"I mean it. I’m not just saying this to comfort you. You were just a newborn back then. How could you possibly be at fault?"

"......Yes."

"If Lena heard you blaming yourself, she would have lost her mind and torn that old bastard in half."

"......?"

...Torn him in half?

"And she probably would’ve done the same to me, for not realizing what was happening to her daughter until it was too late."

Tiel blinked.

Her... mother? This was completely different from what Chender had told her.

Chender had always said, ‘Lena was obedient, unlike you!’

Whenever Aunt Cornelia mentioned that Lena had been stubborn, Chender would scold her harshly.

But according to Karsus, her mother sounded much more like how Aunt Cornelia had described her.

...Tearing someone apart?

Her mother... really?

As Tiel stared at him in shock, Karsus spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"So, Tiel, help your father avoid committing another crime. If you keep blaming yourself for Lena’s death, I’ll have no excuse when I meet your mother in the afterlife and she kills me on the spot."

"......."

"You understand, right?"

"...Yes..."

"Good. Now, let’s eat, daughter."

With that, Karsus picked up a piece of meat and popped it into Tiel’s mouth.

Still dazed, Tiel slowly chewed her food, the shock not yet fully fading from her face.