Baby Lynx of the Tiger Family - Chapter 6

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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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Bariya Bell, the Baby Lynx of the Tiger Clan
Chapter 6
If she’d fallen into Sabrina’s hands, a Hyena who hated Hyenas, there wouldn’t be a scrap of the dead informants left to find.
Of all the places, she had to wander into Khalif Mansion, where that man barely spends ten days a year. Her luck really is abysmal!
“Bariya, you wretched thing, out of all the lands in the world, you had to crawl into that one.”
Darius buried his head in his hands.
His daughter, Bariya.
That foolish girl couldn’t have known it was Khalif’s territory. She didn’t have that much knowledge, after all.
And yet, of all the places, she picked that exact one.
He was beside himself with worry that the Tiger cubs might sense Bariya’s ability and go after her.
‘Claire Bell, if only it weren’t for that man!’
The Chieftain of the Hyenas must always be a woman.
And so, though born the son of a Chieftain, Darius wasn’t even qualified to join the succession struggle.
That was why he’d devised a plan: sire a daughter of extraordinary talent and pull all the strings from behind the scenes. To that end, he had brought in Claire Bell, a rare Lynx.
For a brief moment, though, it went exactly as planned, and he felt as though he held the whole world in his hands.
But the daughter Claire bore, Bariya, was not a noble Hyena like Darius. She was a Lynx Beastkin who couldn’t even inherit the clan!
Furious, he treated Claire and Bariya rather stingily, I admit.
And yet, nursing a grudge over that alone, Claire fled the clan with Bariya in tow.
And that wasn’t all.
Unable to shake off the Hyenas’ pursuit, she ended up saving Bariya and dying in her place.
Not even leaving a corpse behind.
That was when everything started to go wrong.
‘Even a corpse would have been useful, and yet she went and died.’
Whenever I think about that, I’m so infuriated I jolt upright even in my sleep.
So I will extract the price for it from his daughter, Bariya.
‘I must bring Bariya back before Mother finds out.’
The Clan Head of Marina and the Chieftain of all Hyenas.
She tolerates no failure and forgives no mistake.
So I must drag Bariya back as quickly as possible.
By any means necessary.
* * *
Of everyone, Tairin was the most relieved to hear that the little kitten, who had vanished in an instant, had been found.
That she hadn’t been carried off by a Hyena was a stroke of incredible luck.
“Ah…”
Yet when Sirka finally brought Bariya back, Tairin couldn’t bring herself to show any joy.
Thick wheat-colored hair, delicate features despite her young age, and sharp eyes that drew smooth, cat-like lines.
She was so lovely, and that very loveliness made the sorrow come rushing in.
Her dress was worn and torn in several places, and through the gaps showed arms and legs that were painfully thin.
Far from being plump, her cheeks were hollow, and Tairin felt as though she’d been struck hard on the head.
Only now did she understand why the little kitten had been so obsessed with meat.
“…Our little one. You look so lovely in your human form, too.”
But Tairin hid her feelings and smiled brightly.
Bariya lifted her chin high and spoke.
“Mm, I’m, uh.”
That brave little posture only made Tairin’s heart ache all the more.
“Shall we bathe first?”
As she led Bariya, who nodded, toward the bathroom, Tairin stole a glance at Sirka.
With his arms crossed, he was giving off a fierce Pheromone.
He, too, was clearly deeply shocked by the child’s appearance.
Tairin swallowed a sigh.
“Wow.”
The moment they stepped into the bathroom, Bariya let out a gasp of wonder.
She had only washed up in the room yesterday, so this was the first time she’d entered a bathroom.
It was as though a forest had been lifted and set down whole, with grass and trees all around, and in the middle sat a bath dug deep into the floor like a lake.
“Can I go in?”
At the sight of the water filling the bath, Bariya’s shoulders bounced with excitement.
“Of course.”
The instant permission was given, Bariya tossed off her clothes and splashed into the water with a plunge.
“Ahh, it’s nice!”
A gasp of delight escaped her at the warm water.
“How long has it been since I last splashed around without a single worry?”
Luxuries like this weren’t even a dream in the Hyena Clan.
After I escaped, I had to wet my throat or just dip my body for a moment and get out, afraid the Hyenas chasing me would find me.
‘The more I think about it, the more infuriating it is.’
I’ll make sure to get revenge on every last Hyena bastard, including that good-for-nothing who I don’t even want to call Father!
Bariya firmly vowed once again today.
“Are you having fun?”
“Mm-hmm, I like it!”
“I’m glad. And I’m glad you came back safely like this.”
At Tairin’s sigh, Bariya, who had been splashing happily, stiffened a little.
Right. I put Tairin to sleep secretly and ran off.
“I’m curious how you managed that, though…”
Bariya turned her head away and rolled her eyes around nervously.
Her hands, which had been splashing so energetically, now fidgeted timidly.
Seeing her, Tairin swallowed a laugh inwardly.
When she was in her animal form, she’d been so brazen, but now that she had taken a human shape, she looked distinctly childish.
“The Clan Head, the lady of the house, and even the young master didn’t ask Lady Baby why, did they?”
“….”
“So I won’t ask either. What does the reason matter? What matters is that you came back safely.”
Tairin, crouched beside the bath, smiled brightly.
Bariya gazed at her blankly.
This place is strange.
In the Hyena Clan, everyone would either bully you or withhold food until you gave the answer they wanted.
Here, there’s no one like that.
Until now, the only person who had been kind to her was her mother.
It was strange, but it didn’t feel bad.
“And I’m really glad there wasn’t any bloody chase either.”
While she was just splashing awkwardly, Tairin’s words left Bariya dumbfounded.
“Huh?”
A bloody chase?
‘Why would blood fly when they’re chasing me?’
“Those greedy, stupid Hyenas are after you, Lady Baby. To keep you safe from them, we’ll have to accept some bloodshed.”
“….”
“Of course, it’ll be their blood.”
Tairin flashed her fangs as she smiled.
Her pupils stretched long and narrow in an instant, and she seemed to find even the thought of it tremendously delightful.
What on earth did the Hyenas do to the tigers to be hated this much?
“So stay here with us for a long, long time.”
Bariya understood why the tigers welcomed her, a complete stranger.
‘So it means I’m needed to properly torment the Hyenas.’
I could cheer them on more eagerly than anyone else.
No, I could even step up and fight myself.
After all, the Hyenas’ suffering is my delight.
“Kyahk!”
Just imagining herself teaming up with the tigers to torment the Hyenas made her giggle out loud on its own.
Seeing Bariya splash happily again, Tairin was a little bewildered, but she smiled warmly anyway, glad to see her looking so well.
* * *
When Bariya came out after finishing her bath, she was dressed in a new dress that was spotlessly white and smelled pleasantly fresh.
“Wow, it’s so soft.”
Unlike Bariya, who was satisfied, Tairin had a regretful expression.
“Since I bought it in a hurry, the size doesn’t fit well. Now that you’ll be living here, I’ll have to buy you lots of new clothes.”
“I’m fine with just dis one.”
This one was so soft that it seemed fine to keep wearing it, as it didn’t even make her skin itch.
“I just want to dress you up in all sorts of clothes, Lady Baby.”
“Why do I have to wear so many clothes?”
Isn’t one enough for me to get by?
“…I just want to, that’s all.”
I still can’t understand it at all.
“And how long are you gonna keep calling me baby?”
Bariya corrected the form of address that had been bugging her since earlier.
“I’m ten, dammit. Ten! Years! Old! I’m not a baby.”
“…Huh?”
“Ten! Years! Old! I’m a full-grown Beastkin, you hear me?!”
Bariya’s battle cry knocked the world out from under Tairin for a moment, leaving her mind blank.
Ten years old? Ten?
Anyone could see she looked six or seven at most!
“Young master!”
Tairin bolted out of the dressing room at once.
Sirka, who had been waiting in the bedroom, shot to her feet.
“What is it? What happened…?”
“Little Bariya, or rather, Lady Bariya, says she’s ten. Is that true?!”
“That’s what she told me, apparently.”
“Good grief.”
Tairin buried her face in both hands.
“I just assumed she was small because she’s a cat Beastkin and matures more slowly than a tiger.”
But ten years old?
Even allowing for her being a cat, she was far too small.
“Right.”
Sirka agreed as well.
Ever since I saw how painfully thin she was in her human form, I suspected she was older than she looked.
But ten years old?!
What on earth did those Hyena brats do to a child like this?
“I swear, I’m going to cut every last one of those bastards’ heads off…”
Tairin muttered with murderous intent.
“What’s a ‘head’ supposed to be?”
Bariya, who had followed Tairin out of the dressing room, asked with an innocent face.
Tairin slapped her own mouth in a panic and quickly changed the subject, insisting it was nothing.
“Little one.”
At Sirka’s call, Bariya scrunched her face up sharply.
“I’m not a little one. I’m ten, I keep telling you.”
“If you’re smaller than me, you’re a little one.”
Sirka answered with brazen calm and reached out a hand toward her.
At once, Bariya raised her fist high.
Her glare was thoroughly murderous, as if to say she’d punch anyone who dared pat her again without permission.
“…Wait, little one.”
Sirka stopped on instinct, but the moment she saw the fist, her expression hardened.
The back of the child’s hand was covered in scars of every kind.
“This is…
Did the Hyenas not only starve her but beat her as well?
Just as her rage began to well up—
“Yong-ga, no, Glo-ry! Scars!”
Bariya announced proudly, with a chest-out, triumphant face.

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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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