The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 130

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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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Chapter 130
The floating fish beside Tiel proved the fact.
Tiel did not attend the academy; instead, she learned how to use her Ability from Cassius, Ferdi, Ludian, and Alpheus in the training hall within the mansion, and the girl was quite an excellent student.
She absorbed everything her instructors taught her perfectly, and in creating a Shield with her Ability and defending against attacks, she surpassed even Ludian.
Yet there was one thing even Tiel could not do.
“I think… the reason you can’t use an Attack Ability is because you keep summoning that fish and carrying it around.”
“That’s not it! The fish has nothing to do with it, really. This one doesn’t drain my Ability much at all.”
“It’s not about that. An Attack Ability fundamentally requires the will to harm your opponent. But your fish…”
Ferdi gazed at Tiel’s fish. Feeling Ferdi’s gaze, the fish tilted its head in confusion and spun half a rotation in place.
Then it fluttered its fins and scattered shimmering specks of light above Tiel’s head, glittering brilliantly.
“…….”
“…….”
“…… Hey! I told you, you don’t need to do this.”
Tiel chided gently, but the fish paid no heed and only continued to scatter the particles of light with even greater delight.
Ferdi gestured with his chin.
“Look how kindly it’s behaving, as if it wants to scatter light on every beast-person in the world. As long as that fish is inside you, it will be impossible for you to harbor the will to harm another.”
“Then… couldn’t I just work harder on learning how to defend? By what you’re saying, I can’t learn how to attack as long as this one is with me, but since this one is my Ability itself, it’s impossible for me to be separated from it.”
“What happens when a moment comes where you must attack? There will be times when you have no choice but to harm your opponent.”
“That’s true, attack is the best defense.”
“When that time comes, you’ll be at my side, won’t you? You’re all specialized in the use of Attack Abilities! I’m certain there won’t even be a chance for me to step forward. You will be beside me, won’t you?”
Hearing Tiel speak with such conviction, Ferdi could say no more. He laughed lightly, as if admitting defeat.
“All right, who could ever win against you? We’ll protect you. We’ll make sure you never have to use an Attack Ability.”
“When did she become so talkative?”
Ludian pinched Tiel’s cheek gently, not hard enough to hurt. Tiel burst into bright laughter.
The fish at the girl’s side, caught up in the cheerfulness, continued to scatter particles of light, until the children inside the carriage became like a piece of shimmering cake made from floating light.
***
“Welcome, Head of Household! And Ferdi, Ludian! Please allow me to escort you to our finest fitting room.”
The Madam of the Dress Shop guided the children courteously. Thanks to Ferdi and Ludian having reserved the shop in advance, they were led to the best location without having to wait.
Before Ferdi and Ludian, who had been glancing through a pamphlet, could say “just give us all the decent ones,” Tiel deftly snatched the pamphlet from Ferdi’s hand.
After examining it quickly, she pointed out a few dresses that seemed comfortable and suited to her.
“This one, and this one. I’d like to see this one too.”
“Yes, I’ll show them to you right away.”
At the Madam’s gesture, her assistants sprang forth from various corners as if they’d been waiting, displaying the dresses Tiel had chosen.
“It would be good to try them on, wouldn’t it? Just a moment, I’ll get them from the back—”
“No need to try them on. These are fine. Send them to the Asterian Mansion. Bill us there.”
Ferdi glanced through the dresses perfunctorily and furrowed his brow. Then he pointed to a long dress with an excessive amount of white lace and sparkling jewels.
“Skip this one. The design cinches the waist too tightly—it’ll be uncomfortable. Tiel is only twelve; she doesn’t need to wear something like that.”
“Yes, Ferdi! We’ll send all the dresses except this one to the Asterian Mansion as you’ve instructed.”
After that, Ferdi carefully inspected each dress Tiel had chosen to ensure none would squeeze his sister’s body too tightly or have hems long enough to trip her.
Then, seeming satisfied, he led Ludian and Tiel out of the dress shop. Tiel looked up at Ferdi with a bewildered expression.
“Did you not come out to go on an outing with me?”
“I came out to go on an outing with you. We’re doing it right now—we’re on an outing.”
“But since you said there was no need to try things on, the outing ended far too quickly. I wanted to try things on and then buy them!”
“You can try things on next time. And the outing isn’t over yet. We’re going to eat cake, remember? I’ve already reserved a rather nice Patisserie. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“Why not go to the place we always go?”
“It turns out they’re closed today.”
Ferdi, Ludian, and Tiel walked through the streets, chatting animatedly. The Asterian knights followed close behind.
They could have taken a carriage, but since the Patisserie wasn’t very far, the children chose to walk instead.
Besides, this was within Asterian Territory, so there was no need to hide their identities.
Everyone living in Asterian Territory knew the faces of Tiel, Ferdi, and Ludian.
Moreover, Tiel preferred walking to riding in a carriage.
She had told Cassius that she had grown to love walking because her father and older brothers carried her every day, but truthfully she preferred being carried to walking.
However, she had grown so tall that being carried seemed unbecoming, so she merely insisted that walking was better than being carried.
“Please buy a lot of cake! I’ll pack up plenty so I can give some to Lia, the other servants, and Father and Grandfather too.”
“If you give away that much, the mansion’s pastry chef will be sad.”
“Then I’ll just give some to them too!”
“You’re giving bread and cookies as a gift to a baker?”
“Even a baker sometimes wants to eat bread made by someone else instead of their own. The mansion’s head cook felt that way before—they said that cooks sometimes want to go out and eat somewhere else.”
“Our servants certainly tell you everything, don’t they. Fine, I’ll buy all the cakes we have.”
Ferdi said this.
“Not all of them! Then other people won’t have anything to eat. So not all—maybe… half?”
“Half is more than enough. You greedy little snow leopard.”
Ludian said.
“But it’s less than all of them!”
Tiel burst into delighted laughter once more. Every time the girl laughed, it felt as though particles of light were bursting around her.
It was then.
“H-Head of Household!”
A young girl came running toward Tiel, Ferdi, and Ludian.
Even though this was within Asterian Territory, the residents rarely approached Tiel, Ferdi, and Ludian when they walked about.
They were people who had watched for a long time as these shy young lords and the young lady grew embarrassed whenever anyone spoke to them.
So this sudden approach was unexpected. The knights who had been following the children from behind stepped forward and blocked the girl’s path.
“You may not approach further. Take a step back.”
The escort knight spoke with an imposing voice. The girl faltered, then looked up at the knight before her gaze shifted to Tiel.
The shabby-dressed girl appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, and she held a bundle of beautiful spring flowers in her arms.
They were all rare and beautiful flowers that did not grow in this area.
The girl thrust the flower bouquet she held forward and gazed at Tiel.
“I… I wanted to give flowers to the young Head of Household…”
In beast-person society, giving flowers meant blessing that person. So Ludian, rather than hastily turning the girl away, stepped forward.
He accepted the flower bouquet the girl held out, confirmed there was nothing amiss, and then spoke to her.
“Young Head of Household?”
“I-I misspoke…”
Everyone knew that not only the beast-people of Asterian Territory, but all who knew Tiel, called her the “young Head of Household.”
But to use such a title to her face was a breach of etiquette. Ludian pondered whether to reprimand the girl, but it seemed she had genuinely misspoken, so he decided to let it pass this once.
“This time I’ll overlook it. Next time, show proper respect.”
Ludian handed the flower bouquet to Tiel, who stood behind him. Only then did the escort knights relax their guard and step back one by one.
Tiel accepted the beautiful spring bouquet with a bright smile. The large arrangement filled her arms.
“Thank you so much! They’re so beautiful. I’ll put them in a vase when I get home.”
Tiel, her cheeks flushed with happiness, plucked one flower and carefully placed it in the girl’s hair.
“Kind girl, may the Protection of Crasion be with you!”
It was then that the girl’s eyes, which had been watching Tiel with unease the whole time, suddenly changed.
At the same moment, a single question formed in Tiel’s mind.
Flowers like these couldn’t be obtained in this area—how had such a shabby-dressed girl managed to get such expensive flowers to give as a gift?
And so fresh, as if freshly plucked…

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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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