The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 138

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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 138
***
“Mmm…….”
Tiel rose from her bed with a drowsy face, blinking her eyes. Her hair, half-tangled and disheveled, stuck out in every direction.
Tiel turned her head to check the time. It was still three in the morning.
Considering she normally woke around eight in the morning, this was uncommonly early.
Tiel opened her mouth in a yawn, stretching luxuriously. Tear droplets formed at the corners of her eyes.
“Ugh…… Why can’t I sleep these days?”
Tiel flopped back onto her pillow, muttering. This was already the third time in recent days that she’d woken without proper rest.
On nights like these, she always had nightmares, but when she woke, she couldn’t remember what the dream had been—only an unpleasant feeling lingered, leaving her unsettled.
“When did it start?”
Tiel rolled her eyes, thinking back to when her sleep troubles began.
It had been a little over a week, so it seemed to trace back to that day when she’d gone out with Ferdi and Ludian and met “that girl.”
‘Did I receive such a shock?’
She’d thought herself not particularly surprised that day, but perhaps without realizing it, she’d been quite shaken.
That might be why she continued to have nightmares and wake in the middle of the night.
Still, she didn’t want to blame that girl. Tiel had recently heard from Cassius why “that girl” had attacked her.
She’d also learned that the girl’s younger sibling was being held as a hostage. For that reason, she couldn’t bring herself to resent the girl.
Tiel pressed her cheek against the pillow and sought sleep again. She thought she might catch a bit more rest. Her soft cheek sank into the plush pillow.
***
“Tiel, are you awake?”
Ferdi opened Tiel’s door and entered, asking. Tiel, who had slept restlessly until the sun reached its highest point, stirred drowsily at the sound.
Ferdi approached the bed and stroked Tiel’s hair. After blinking several times, Tiel opened her eyes and looked up at Ferdi.
“Mmm…… Brother?”
“You’re waking up late these days?”
“I’m sleeping badly…… I tossed and turned all night. Haaah.”
Yawning with her mouth open, Tiel sluggishly got out of bed. Lia, knowing that Tiel had been waking late recently, deliberately hadn’t disturbed her.
Ferdi reached familiarly into the drawer beneath the side table and retrieved a round-handled brush. He turned Tiel around and gently brushed her hair. The soft locks gleamed in his hands.
“You’re sleeping poorly? You can’t rest well these days?”
“Yes, and I think I’ve been having nightmares too…….”
“Nightmares? It seems the stress from last time got to you. I should ask them to bring you some sleep tea.”
“Lia’s already been bringing it, and I’ve been having a cup before bed lately.”
“Though drinking it too often isn’t good either…… I’m worried.”
Ferdi finished brushing and patted Tiel’s hair. Tiel laughed and smiled broadly as if to reassure him.
“It’s fine! It’s very rare. I’m not unable to sleep every single night.”
“Still, I’m concerned. I was wondering why your maid hasn’t been waking you lately, but that explains it…….”
Ferdi murmured. Tiel nodded, then tilted her head as if something had suddenly occurred to her.
“But Brother, why did you wake me? You usually don’t disturb me when I’m asleep…….”
“Ah, you have a visitor. I didn’t want to receive them, but they’re a guest I can’t refuse.”
Upon hearing the words “a guest I can’t refuse,” Tiel instantly understood it was about Iandros.
Iandros had been coming to the Asterian Mansion far too frequently lately, and both Ferdi and Ludian were quite displeased about it.
Iandros was the Crown Prince, and they’d expressed dissatisfaction several times over whether he could afford to leave the Imperial Palace so often. However, the Crown Prince Iandros had simply ignored them.
He’d said the Emperor had permitted it, so what were they making a fuss about? Since they had no grounds to object, Ferdi and Ludian could only stand aside and watch as Iandros came and went from the Asterian Mansion as if it were his own home.
Just then, having heard that Tiel had woken, Lia entered with washing water, set it before Tiel, and left again.
Ferdi tied Tiel’s hair while muttering.
“What did he say this time…… That he had something to show you? Then why did he send a Courier Bird in the first place? He could just give it to you directly.”
“He has something to show me?”
“Yes, he said he came to show you something you’d like.”
Ferdi grumbled. Tiel was washing her face with pleasantly warm water when she lifted her head at his words.
“That’s right! Where is my bird?”
“I prepared a cage and put it inside. The cage Iandros gave you seemed too small, so I had a new Golden Bird Cage made. The servants are probably feeding it right now.”
Tiel nodded and finished washing. She planned to thank Iandros for bringing the Courier Bird with her when she met him.
After finishing with Tiel’s hair, Ferdi patted her back. Just then, the servants entered the room carrying Tiel’s breakfast.
It was because Lia had judged it better for Tiel to eat breakfast quickly in her room and head downstairs, where Iandros was waiting.
Though by the time of day, it was lunch rather than breakfast.
“Thank you!”
At Tiel’s words of gratitude, the servants carrying the breakfast tray smiled brightly and slipped out of the room.
Tiel deliciously ate her way through plump sausages, well-toasted toast, fig jam, white milk, and an egg dish before jumping to her feet.
Then she grabbed the letter she’d written diligently last night, rolled it up, and inserted it into the letter tube. When she tied it to the Courier Bird’s foot, the bird would deliver it to Iandros.
Ferdi, watching this in silence, raised an eyebrow.
“Why don’t you give it to him directly instead of putting it in there?”
“I’m asking the Courier Bird to deliver the letter!”
“But Iandros is downstairs, and you’re about to go meet him anyway, aren’t you?”
“Even so!”
“You’ve picked up one of Iandros’s bad habits…….”
Even so, Ferdi didn’t scold Tiel. He moved aside so she could change into fresh clothes.
At the door, Tiel ran into Ludian, who had been waiting to greet her good morning upon hearing she’d woken.
Ferdi shook his head to indicate Ludian shouldn’t enter, since Tiel needed to change. Ludian turned away with a disappointed expression.
***
“Iandros!”
Tiel approached with a bright smile, walking in quick small steps. On her shoulder perched a bird with fur as white as snow.
It was the Courier Bird that Iandros had given her as a gift, and it matched beautifully with Tiel’s snow-white hair.
As Tiel carefully released the bird, it fluttered from her shoulder to Iandros’s, and gently extended its taloned foot, from which hung the letter tube.
A smile crossed Iandros’s lips as he watched. Iandros withdrew the letter from the tube and spoke.
“I came in person, so why would you bother sending a letter through the Courier Bird? Tiel Asterian…….”
“Because I wanted to send you a letter first!”
At Tiel’s bright reply, Iandros laughed outright. He set the bird on a chair for a moment and tucked the letter into his pocket.
Then he took Tiel’s hand.
“Come here, I have something to show you.”
Tiel nodded.
Iandros waved his hand through the air. A massive Subspace Creation entrance opened. It was Iandros’s Subspace.
The white luminous opening wavered, opening and closing as if waiting for Tiel and Iandros to enter. Iandros held Tiel’s hand firmly.
Tiel, holding Iandros’s hand, stepped into the Subspace.
As soon as the two entered, the Subspace’s entrance closed. Tiel looked around the Subspace, chattering cheerfully.
“Was what you wanted to show me the Subspace? It feels like I haven’t visited here in forever!”
“That would be true…… since I haven’t brought you here before.”
Iandros had not brought Tiel into his Subspace for the past three or four years. At first, that had made her a little sad.
It had felt as though Iandros was drawing a line between himself and her.
But after she learned that his manner toward her hadn’t changed, she no longer felt hurt.
Tiel released Iandros’s hand, which she’d been holding lightly, and looked around his Subspace.
And the first thing that caught Tiel’s eye was an enormously enlarged…… cushion.

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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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