The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

"Wilhelm!"

Alpheus ground his teeth, his expression dark with fury. His eyes were locked onto the Emperor, standing tall before his granddaughter.

Wilhelm’s intentions were glaringly transparent—so much so that it was almost excessive.

Luminarie, a festival dedicated to Ruisette, the god of light.

By presenting Tiel, a child who had awakened the Light Ability, before the entire Empire, Wilhelm was securing her position—engraving into the minds of all present that she was a worthy match for the Crown Prince.

"Wilhelm, you dare...!"

Disregarding Tiel’s will, disregarding Asterian’s will—all for his own greed.

Alpheus’s expression twisted with rage.

On the other hand, Karsus’s face was utterly calm—almost unnervingly so.

But Alpheus knew better.

When Karsus wore that expression, he was at his most dangerous.

Left unchecked, his son wouldn’t hesitate to overthrow the Emperor himself.

The killing intent in Karsus’s gaze flashed like a blade, and Alpheus, sensing the brewing storm, quietly moved his hand behind his back, signaling for Karsus to restrain himself.

Not now.

Karsus glanced at his father before slowly nodding—a silent agreement not to act.

But now, all eyes and ears were focused on one thing.

Tiel Asterian.

The little girl standing at the center of it all.

Ludian, still not fully grasping the situation, raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Ferdi, however, had already pieced things together—his sharp gaze narrowing as he fixed his eyes on Ian Dross.

And then—

"...Me?"

Tiel, standing with Asterian at her back, looked up at the Emperor in disbelief.

She knew.

Staring at the Emperor for this long was a blatant act of disrespect.

But she couldn’t look away.

Because this wasn’t supposed to happen.

Before leaving for Luminarie, Alpheus and Karsus had assured her that she wouldn’t have to step forward.

And if anything unexpected did happen—Asterian would prevent it.

But now—

What is this?

Tiel was sharp.

The silence from where Asterian stood told her everything.

Even they were struggling to interfere.

Her golden eyes darted to Ian Dross.

He, too, was staring at the Emperor, his expression visibly tense.

Then, as their gazes met, Ian blinked at her. A silent greeting.

It was small, but for some reason, it made Tiel feel a little stronger.

"Hurry."

The Emperor urged her forward.

Tiel’s large, golden eyes locked onto Wilhelm Durand Crassion.

After a brief hesitation, she nodded and carefully turned around.

The eyes of thousands were on her.

Countless imperial citizens watched her every step.

Facing their collective gaze, her stomach clenched as though it were plummeting to the ground.

Even a seasoned general would swallow dryly in front of such a crowd.

Let alone a seven-year-old girl.

She had never stood before so many people in her life.

Momentarily dazed, Tiel blinked a few times before clasping her hands together.

Can I do this?

She had never once used her ability in front of so many people.

Fear gripped her for a moment.

But she shook her head, pushing away her doubts.

She had practiced. Over and over.

She could do this.

On one side, the Nestians stood. The ones who had tormented her. Who had abandoned and abused her.

On the other, the Asterians.

The family that had promised to protect her. That had never stopped believing in her.

Tiel’s eyes slowly drifted shut.

Fwaaah—!

A gentle glow bloomed in her tiny palms.

At first, it was so faint that one could only see it up close.

Silence fell over the plaza.

"...?"

"...?"

For a moment, nothing happened.

Somewhere in the crowd, someone whispered.

"Is... anything happening?"

"Shh! Quiet!"

Someone else silenced him with a nudge.

Inside her small, cupped hands, a warm light began to gather—slowly, steadily, filling her palms with a gentle radiance.

Tiel’s eyes fluttered open.

As her golden irises caught the light, they glowed even brighter, shimmering like molten gold.

And then—

"...!"

The faint light in her hands began to spread.

Right before the eyes of thousands, the small, delicate light blossomed—expanding, unfolding, growing.

Gasps echoed through the plaza.

"That’s...!"

Somewhere in the crowd, someone shouted in shock.

But Tiel didn’t stop.

Like the birth of life, the tiny fragments of light bloomed, softly spinning around her in slow, elegant orbits.

A long trail of light stretched across the darkened sky, weaving a pattern of brilliance into the night.

The Emperor’s voice boomed once more, solidifying his command.

"Let it begin!"

The moment the Emperor’s words fell, the heads of each noble house simultaneously unleashed their abilities.

From Nestian, sharp and dazzling ice crystals bloomed into the air.

From Wolfgang, a colossal gust of wind surged forth, as if ready to sweep away everything in its path.

From Iker, a brilliant arc of lightning crackled, so bright that it almost looked like light itself.

From Arne, a lush sapling emerged, its branches ripe with the promise of fruit.

And from Asterian, a raging inferno burst forth, as if capable of reducing all to ash.

The five abilities blossomed at once, painting the night sky in a breathtaking display of power.

Then—

"Look! Look at that!"

A sudden shout rang out, drawing every gaze toward a single figure.

A tiny girl stood at the center of it all.

The fragments of light that had been gently orbiting Tiel were slowly growing in size, shifting—transforming into the shape of fish. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"...!"

There were six of them.

Six small fish, born from Tiel’s hands, swimming through the air as if recognizing their master.

And then—

Fwaaaah—!

The glowing fish swam upwards into the night sky.

They moved with purpose, as if they already knew exactly what they needed to do.

They glided forward, taking position before each noble house, hovering over their respective elements—ice, wind, lightning, sapling, and fire.

They circled them, twisting gracefully, as if blessing the very forces themselves.

Tiel did nothing.

She didn’t need to.

Her ability acted on its own, moving with a will that was not her own.

One remaining fish lingered above her head.

It absorbed the surrounding light, growing in size.

And then—

"!"

It shot upward, soaring into the center of the night sky.

As if pushing back the darkness itself.

At that exact moment, the five noble heads simultaneously unleashed their abilities, detonating them in their palms.

Tiel’s fish burst apart in the sky, showering the crowd with a rain of stardust.

It was flawless.

A perfect opening ceremony.

Her ability had done exactly what it needed to do.

It had declared to all—

That the master of light had returned.

That there was no longer a place for darkness in this land.

"Let Luminarie begin!"

The Emperor’s voice thundered across the plaza before the awe could even settle.

A wave of cheers erupted from every direction.

The light in Tiel’s hands faded.

Wide-eyed, she turned to look at the cheering masses.

"Tiel."

"Ah! You startled me!"

A hand landed gently on her shoulder, making her flinch.

She instinctively curled in on herself, but relaxed when she turned and saw the familiar face.

"Lord Ian! Did I do well?"

"You did," Ian said, his tone even. "Better than anyone could have expected. Now, go to your brothers."

Without hesitation, Ian pushed her toward Ferdi and Ludian, almost as if shooing her away.

Tiel tilted her head in confusion.

"D-Did I do something wrong?"

Ian was not someone who usually acted this way.

Normally, he would ruffle her hair, praise her—tell her she had done well.

But right now, he was acting as if he wanted to get rid of her as fast as possible.

Even as she was being pushed away, Tiel’s curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced back.

Then—

"Wait."

A voice stopped her in her tracks.

She froze.

Slowly, she turned around.

"Y-Your Majesty...?"

"You did well, Tiel," Wilhelm said.

His voice was warm—gentle. He took a step forward.

Tiel, startled, instinctively tensed. But she did not retreat.

Instead, she lowered her head politely.

"Th-Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I had heard you awakened the Light Ability, but I never expected it to be this magnificent."

At that moment—

A hand rested on her shoulder.

Tiel turned her head.

"Grandfather...!"

Alpheus had approached silently, his face rigid.

For the first time, Tiel saw him genuinely angry.

Something felt off.

Sensing it, Tiel instinctively squeezed his hand.

"Tiel. Go to Karsus."

"Huh? But—His Majesty—"

"You may go."

Wilhelm’s voice was calm.

That was all the permission she needed.

Tiel nodded quickly and, without hesitation, rushed toward her father and brothers.

As she ran, she glanced back—just in time to see Wilhelm slowly open his mouth.

"Alpheus."

"Your Majesty."

Alpheus cut him off.

Under normal circumstances, such blatant interruption would have been unforgivable.

Not even Asterian’s authority should have allowed it.

But at that moment—

Neither Wilhelm, nor Alpheus, nor anyone else paid any attention to that.

Because Alpheus was staring directly at the Emperor when he spoke his next words.

"I told you. My granddaughter is not an option."

His voice was so clear, so unyielding, that even as she ran—

Tiel heard it.