The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

“How is her condition?”

“She is in excellent health. Aside from being a little shaken, there are no other issues.”

The imperial physician bowed his head as he delivered his report. Alpheus and Wilhelm stood side by side, gazing at the small girl sitting quietly on the bed.

“Um, I already told you several times that I’m really fine...”

Tiel mumbled, fiddling with the blanket in embarrassment.

“Even so, you still needed to be examined. Tiel, promise me you won’t do something like that again.”

Alpheus spoke to her gently, as if chiding a child. Tiel nodded.

“Yes, I won’t do anything dangerous next time...”

Then, she hesitantly glanced at Wilhelm.

The emperor was standing right there. Was it really okay for her to say that if something like this happened again, she wouldn’t save the crown prince?

But that concern quickly melted away with the words that came out of Wilhelm’s mouth.

“...Thank you.”

He chose his words carefully, making sure his gratitude was conveyed fully—but not in a way that would burden this small child.

“Because of you, Ian Dross is alive. I wanted to express my thanks.”

“A-Ah, no, Your Majesty!”

Tiel flinched, shaking her head vigorously.

“It was just... the right thing to do.”

“No, it wasn’t. What you did was extraordinary.” Wilhelm’s voice remained firm. “However, child.”

He closed his eyes briefly before speaking again, slower this time.

“If something like this happens again...”

“......”

“You don’t have to save him.”

It was a cold statement.

Coming from Ian Dross’s grandfather, it was piercingly cruel—painfully so.

Tiel hesitated, unable to answer immediately. After a moment, she carefully asked,

“...Why?”

“Why?” Wilhelm let out a scoff. “Because it’s dangerous for you.”

“But Ian-nim was in danger, too.”

At that, both Alpheus and Wilhelm blinked slowly.

Alpheus’s gaze silently asked, So you’re saying you’d jump into danger again if it happens?

Wilhelm’s gaze, on the other hand, seemed to say, What kind of child is this...?

The emperor cleared his throat before responding.

“I am currently searching for a bride for Ian Dross. Once he has a wife, she will share his ability. This will prevent anything like this from happening again. I swear, you will never have to step forward like that again.”

“...Okay.”

Tiel nodded.

She had heard about the search for Ian’s future wife before, but hearing it directly from the emperor felt... strange.

Why does it feel like this?

Was it because once Ian got married, he wouldn’t play with her anymore?

Tiel quickly shook off the strange feeling, shaking her head before looking up at Wilhelm and Alpheus with a determined expression.

“Anyway! I have something to tell you!”

“We also have something to ask you.”

Alpheus reached out, gently patting Tiel’s head.

“Tiel, what happened inside the subspace?”

Tiel flinched slightly.

Countless images from the subspace flashed through her mind.

But she kept her lips sealed.

Whether those visions had been an illusion or Ian’s actual memories, she had no way of knowing. She didn’t want to bring them up needlessly.

Instead, she simply said,

“It was just a dark, empty space. I was trapped there the whole time.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes. So I used my ability to light up the surroundings, but there was nothing there...”

Tiel hesitated before adding cautiously,

“But there was something strange around Ian-nim’s neck.”

“Something strange?” Alpheus narrowed his eyes.

“It was similar to what I felt before... the thing I mentioned seeing in the street.”

“You mean what Ian described?” Wilhelm asked.

Tiel nodded. Ian must have told the emperor about what she had said that day after returning to the palace.

“Yes. But it seemed to hate the light, so when I used my ability... thankfully, it all disappeared.”

“...It hates light?”

“Yes.”

Tiel nodded again.

Alpheus and Wilhelm exchanged glances before returning their focus to Tiel.

“Go on.”

“So it disappeared, but... instead...”

Tiel hesitated, then pointed to the side of her neck, tapping it lightly.

“There’s something weird here, on Ian-nim’s neck...”

“......”

“......?”

Alpheus and Wilhelm tilted their heads at the exact same angle, their expressions identical as they tried to understand her words.

“...Something appeared?”

“A mark in the shape of a fish... I tried to erase it, but it wouldn’t go away.”

“A... fish?”

Alpheus's eyes widened in shock—so wide they looked as if they might pop out of his head. His voice trembled as he clutched his granddaughter’s hands tightly.

“S-So you’re telling me the fish-shaped mark... glows?”

“Gasp...! How did you know?!”

Tiel covered her mouth in astonishment, making Alpheus’s already pale face drain of even more color. He grabbed her hand, his grip tight.

“N-No, tell me it’s not true.”

“...Huh?”

“Quick, say it’s not true!”

Confused, Tiel looked up at Emperor Wilhelm.

The emperor had turned his head away, rubbing his face as if he couldn’t bear to meet Alpheus’s eyes.

...What was wrong with everyone?

Baffled, Tiel held onto Alpheus’s hand and lowered her voice to whisper,

“Um... Grandpa...?”

“......”

“Did... did I do something wrong?”

“Tiel.”

Alpheus called her name carefully, his voice so weak it sounded like he was on the verge of collapsing. His eyes, usually full of wisdom and certainty, trembled with unmistakable distress.

“That’s... an Imprint.”

“...What?”

“You and the Crown Prince... you’ve formed an Imprint.”

This was exactly the scenario Alpheus had desperately sought to avoid. The very moment Tiel and Ian had returned, he had stormed into Wilhelm’s office, demanding that the emperor abandon any thoughts of making her the Crown Princess.

And now, the children had gone into the subspace, imprinted themselves, and poof!—popped right back out.

It was enough to make Alpheus lose his mind.

Staggering as he got to his feet, he clenched his jaw.

“...Where are you going?” Wilhelm asked.

“I need to see the Crown Prince,” Alpheus said through gritted teeth, his face dark.

Wilhelm didn’t even attempt to stop him. He simply nodded.

“You should rest first.”

“I-I’m coming too! I’m completely fine!”

Tiel suddenly bounced off the bed, her energy completely restored.

“Look! I’m perfectly fine, see?”

She hopped up and down on the spot to prove her point.

The emperor, his expression unreadable, made no move to stop her. He simply nodded again.

“...Fine. Do as you wish.”

“Okay!”

With that, Tiel followed the emperor as they made their way toward Ian Dross’s room.

Alpheus was walking even faster than Wilhelm, determined to confirm the truth with his own eyes. And Wilhelm, seeing this, didn’t even bother trying to slow him down.

The three of them reached Ian Dross’s chamber in no time.

Before stepping inside, Tiel glanced up at the emperor and asked,

“Um, Your Majesty... has Ian-nim woken up?”

“He has not. According to the physician, he suffered significant shock and likely won’t wake up for a while. Fortunately, his body is unharmed.”

‘I suppose now we know why,’ Wilhelm murmured under his breath.

Tiel blinked.

“Huh?”

“...Nothing. I misspoke.”

The knights standing at the entrance to Ian’s chambers silently pushed the doors open.

Inside, at the very center of the spacious room, a massive bed loomed. And lying motionless atop it, looking eerily like a lifeless corpse, was Ian Dross.

Wilhelm, Alpheus, and Tiel slowly approached the unconscious boy.

Alpheus glanced at Wilhelm.

The emperor nodded.

Without hesitation, Alpheus reached out, gently turning Ian onto his side before inspecting his neck.

And sure enough, just as Tiel had described, the unmistakable imprint of a fish-shaped mark was seared onto his skin.

The instant Alpheus and Wilhelm saw it with their own eyes, their expressions turned icy cold.

“Tiel, come here.”

Alpheus gestured for his granddaughter to approach.

Tiel nodded and took slow, cautious steps until she was standing beside him.

“Touch it.”

“...Touch it?”

“Yes.”

Without questioning further, Tiel obeyed.

She extended her tiny hand and pressed her fingertips to Ian’s skin.

And at that very moment—

The fish-shaped mark responded, glowing brightly.

Unlike before, when they were trapped in the subspace, the mark now pulsed vividly, its light clear and distinct.

As if it were... answering Tiel.

“Oh...”

Tiel’s eyes widened, her round pupils flickering with astonishment.

She blinked, staring at the glowing mark on Ian’s neck.