Baby Lynx of the Tiger Family - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Baby Lynx of the Tiger Clan
Chapter 25
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Bariya had certainly made her mark at the banquet.
Confident and poised, yet without a trace of arrogance from riding on the Kalif’s prestige.
And ruthless toward anyone who stood against her.
Having all the qualities the beast-kin admired, she had won the goodwill of many.
“I had so much fun today.”
After the banquet ended, Bariya and the three beast-kin of the Kalif gathered together in the living room.
She had changed out of her gown and washed in hot water, and her body had gone loose and liquid all on its own.
A faint rosy flush bloomed across her plump, well-fed cheeks.
“Thank you for hosting the banquet.”
Bariya bowed her head, smiling with half-closed eyes.
Then she swayed, and Sirka quickly caught her.
Beastkin banquets usually lasted until dawn, but out of consideration for Bariya, who was still so young, they had ended late at night.
Even so, she must be tired.
“Why force yourself to stay up? Wash up and go straight to bed.”
Sirka scooped her up and scolded her, and Bariya mumbled.
“I’m grateful, so I wanted to say it today. Thanking someone means more when it’s done on the day itself.”
At the sincerity in her words, the three beast-kin of the Kalif smiled softly.
“Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yes, Clan Head. I really did. I think I’m built for the stage.”
“You certainly ran around a lot. What would we have done without the banquet?”
Sabrina let out a snort of laughter, remembering how Bariya had scampered all over the banquet hall on her small legs.
After running around like that, she’s bound to be exhausted.
Sirka, holding Bariya, patted her back and asked.
“Would you like to attend another banquet?”
“Can I go again?”
“As many as you like.”
“Then great. I’d get to wear a fancy dress again.”
“You can wear them even when we’re not going anywhere.”
“They’re too expensive. I don’t have any money.”
She needn’t worry about that.
She has already placed orders for a great many dresses with Madame Renoir.
Well, there’s no need to tell her that just yet.
“Let’s go to bed now, little one.”
As Bariya began to doze off, Baiden and Sabrina came over and each gently stroked the child’s cheek and hair.
“Sleep well, little one.”
“Have sweet dreams.”
“Mm. You two too.”
When Sirka carried Bariya out of the living room, Hwaiteu, who had been lying sprawled on the floor, jumped up and trotted after them.
“What’s this, Hwaiteu? You’re coming too?”
Grrr.
At the banquet, he had clung to Bariya’s side like a bodyguard knight.
“You two have gotten along well.”
At first, it had been a very rough start.
Though, even back then, Hwaiteu couldn’t lift his head in front of Bariya, and it was only Bariya he had disliked.
Once they reached the room and Sirka laid Bariya on the bed, Hwaiteu leaped up as if it were the most natural thing in the world and lay down beside her.
“That doesn’t mean you two have to share a bed. Get down.”
Hmph.
But Hwaiteu, who excelled at ignoring Sirka, snorted and wrapped his enormous tail around Bariya.
“Well, look at this brat. How dare you use that heavy thing like that.”
Sirka meant to shove him away at once.
“Fluffy-fluff.”
Bariya mumbled in her sleep and seized Hwaiteu’s fur tightly in both hands.
The grip was so fierce that it lifted the hide slightly off his body.
Whine.
Still, Hwaiteu endured the pain, pressed himself against Bariya’s side, and refused to let go.
“Tch. Do as you like.”
With Bariya holding on like that, there was no help for it. In the end, he gave up.
“Sleep well, little one.”
Sirka tucked the blanket around her and slipped out of the room without making a sound.
Soon, the deep, even breathing of Bariya and Hwaiteu settled across the room.
It was the most peaceful, cozy night Bariya had known since arriving at Kalif.
* * *
News that a young honored guest had arrived at Kalif spread through the entire beastkin society in no time.
And what a house Kalif was.
Unlike the other clans that built their strength on sheer numbers, this was a family that had risen to the ranks of the great houses with only a handful of members.
On top of that, by joining with Frost and producing an heir with Authority, its standing had grown even higher.
Now a guest had appeared whom the Clan Head had declared to hold a status equal to the direct line of Kalif, so naturally the beast society was thrown into an uproar.
At first, they assumed she must be the heir’s fiancée, but once they heard the guest was a child, that possibility was ruled out.
That was when the greedy ones came out of the woodwork.
“If Kalif is willing to sponsor her, doesn’t that mean she’s quite capable? Then wouldn’t it be fine to arrange a betrothal with her?”
Kalif, which had only sons, now had a new marriage prospect!
Rumors about Bariya spread at breakneck speed, fueled by people nursing empty hopes, and before long they reached the Mariner Family as well.
“…”
Darius Mariner stood in front of the Clan Head’s study, his face looking as though a noose had tightened around his throat.
Even though the woman inside had given birth to him, he wanted nothing more than to turn and run.
“Clan Head. Darius Mariner has arrived.”
The steward standing at the door didn’t wait for him and announced him at once.
“Come in.”
The door swung open.
There was no sound at all, and somehow that made it all the more chilling.
Darius swallowed hard and forced one foot forward into the study.
Even though it was midday, the study was strangely dim and silent.
On the sofa sat Rojan Mariner, the heir of the Mariner Family and the brother Darius loathed.
Even in the gloom, his red hair stood out clearly, and Darius’s eyes sharpened on their own.
“…I greet you, Clan Head.”
Darius ground his teeth, but he bowed to the Clan Head first.
Clan Head Belodic Mariner.
With her ash-gray hair, she stood with her back to Darius, gazing out the window.
“Darius Mariner.”
But Belodic did not acknowledge her son’s greeting; it was Rojan, the heir, who called out to him instead.
“There’s been quite the talk that you held a welcome banquet at Kalif for an honored guest named Bariya Bell.”
“Rojan, this is no place for you to interfere.”
“Mind your address, Darius. I am not your brother right now. I am reprimanding your failure as the heir and Young Family Head of Mariner.”
Rojan folded his arms and scowled.
His expression might have been stern, but the glint of delight in his eyes at the chance to belittle Darius was unmistakable.
‘Damn bastard!’
Darius’s temper flared to the very top of his head, but with Belodic present, he couldn’t unleash his usual string of curses at Rojan.
In the end, he could do nothing but stand there in silence and endure Rojan’s scolding.
“Why is that little wildcat in Kalif in the first place? You said she’d be easy to catch, didn’t you? You said it was utterly impossible for a child to evade Hyena’s pursuit without her mother’s help.”
“….”
“And yet why is she staying there as an honored guest?! If you have a mouth, explain yourself, Darius!”
Even as Rojan thundered, Belodic remained utterly motionless.
Faced with that icy indifference, Darius squeezed his eyes shut.
‘Bariya, that wretched thing—why on earth did she have to run off to Kalif of all places!’
Of all the places, Kalif.
Into that loathsome house that had everything Mariner wanted, Bariya had gone and landed.
“Though it was an unforeseen situation, I doubt she has revealed her authority to Kalif.”
Perhaps because of what she suffered at Mariner, Bariya was extremely reluctant to let anyone learn of her authority.
Whatever Claire had said to her, it likely also had something to do with the tight lid Bariya kept on her secret.
So much so that even Darius had needed a considerable amount of time to figure out what her authority was.
“If word gets out that her ability is to manipulate others with pheromones, Kalif will surely shun her.”
Honestly, when Darius first learned of that authority, he had been disappointed.
She had guarded it so tightly that he’d half-believed it must be something remarkable.
For all its grand name, it amounted to nothing more than a faint affection that others would feel toward Bariya herself.
Mariner, which had hoped for a power strong enough to surpass Kalif’s own authority, had been deeply let down.
Perhaps that’s the reason Kalif treats that empty-handed little thing so kindly.
But precisely because of that, Bariya must want to hide it all the more.
“So what? Are you saying that since you don’t know about this Authority, you’ll just leave things as they are?”
But even after Darius’s explanation, Rojan only let out a sneer.
“That one is the only one among the Mariner bloodline who possesses Authority. We have to keep producing Authority through her womb. So what do you plan to do about that?”
Bariya was never recognized as a Mariner because she was a Lynx, but the child she bears later could be a Hyena.
That’s why we had already selected potential fiancés for Bari in advance.
Three years ago, Claire fled with Bari, and every plan fell apart.
And now, of all places, she’s in Kalif.
With every plan on the verge of collapse, the Mariner Family was thrown into a state of emergency.
“Explain yourself! How exactly do you intend to bring her back from Kalif?!”
At Rojan’s outburst, Darius’s pride was shredded to pieces.
But he had no words to offer in return.
He had sent assassins to reclaim Bari, but every one of them was killed by Kalif.
Even after resorting to poison, for some reason there had been no word at all.
If the heir were poisoned, he had intended to trade the antidote for Bari!
With that plan failing too, Darius had no options left.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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