The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 16

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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 16
***
“Miss! Which do you like better, pink or yellow? Oh, and there’s also lavender!”
“What kind of curtain material would you prefer? Would you like ornate lace curtains, or something simpler and more refined—sheer chiffon perhaps?”
“I, well……”
Surrounded by the maids firing questions at her relentlessly, Thiel rolled her eyes and gripped Ria’s sleeve tightly.
‘What on earth is happening?’
She’d woken late this morning, eaten a warm Bagel and a warm cup of Cocoa for breakfast along with some fruit, and had been resting contentedly in Ria’s arms,
when the maids suddenly arrived in high spirits, determined to ‘create the perfect room for her,’ nodding along as they peppered the child with questions about her every preference.
She was grateful for their desire to decorate a pretty room for her, but Thiel was naturally shy, and these questions felt burdensome.
‘And I don’t even know what I like……’
It made sense. Thiel had worn only the hand-me-downs Rowen discarded.
The room she’d lived in was an Attic where rats occasionally scurried out, and her meals had always been cold Soup or hard bread.
Growing up in such circumstances, it was only natural that she’d be confused when asked what she liked.
Unable to answer or ignore the question, Thiel looked flustered and silently pleaded to Ria for help with her eyes.
Just as Ria was about to notice Thiel’s distress signal and dismiss the maids, someone knocked on Thiel’s door.
The heads of every maid who had been staring intently at Thiel turned in unison.
The door opened, and in stepped Sophia, the head maid of the Asterian Mansion.
“I told you not to swarm around her like this because she’s shy, but you all turned a deaf ear to me, didn’t you?”
Sophia clicked her tongue disapprovingly at the maids. They exchanged sheepish glances, then smiled weakly and took a step back.
Still held in Ria’s arms, Thiel looked up at Sophia and bowed her head politely.
“Hello……”
“Hello, Miss Thiel. I am Sophia, the head maid of this mansion.”
Sophia’s sharp gaze fell upon Thiel’s small hand, which was gripping Ria’s clothes tightly.
In that brief moment, Sophia understood that Thiel had been greatly startled by the sudden crowd of maids, and she bowed respectfully to the child.
“Please forgive these girls’ rudeness, Miss. It seems they became so excited about decorating your room that they overstepped.”
At Sophia’s words, the maids standing behind her nodded and bowed their heads in apology.
After confirming the bowing maids, Sophia met Thiel’s gaze slowly and smiled gently.
“Everyone in this mansion is excited that you’ve returned. So forgive us—everything here is still unfamiliar and unsettling to you, but we ask for your patience.”
At Sophia’s kind voice, Thiel’s tension eased. She nodded carefully and opened her mouth hesitantly.
“Yes, Sophia. I didn’t think of it as rude. I’m happy that you asked what colors I like. It’s just……”
The child seemed to have something to say, but her lips fumbled. Her face flushed, and she looked away.
“I, I don’t really know what colors I like myself……”
Seven years old, and she still didn’t know her own favorite color.
Thiel suddenly felt pathetic.
At the same time, a creeping fear rose within her—what if these people thought she was pathetic too?
But the fear quickly subsided, thanks to Ria’s gentle voice.
“Miss, you don’t have to know yet. You can discover what you like from now on. Don’t worry—many adults don’t know what they like either.”
“Really?”
“Of course. For now, let’s decorate your room as we see fit? And later, when you’ve figured out what colors you truly like, we can change it.”
Ria soothed the child with practiced ease. The girl’s large eyes turned to Ria’s face once, then to Sophia’s. And then——
“Yes——”
Thiel broke into a bright smile, her eyes crinkling beautifully at the corners.
At the sight of her angelic, lovely expression, every person in the room squeezed their eyes shut.
‘Impossible……’
‘Impossibly adorable……’
Though no one spoke aloud, their thoughts seemed to echo through the air.
Even Sophia, the notoriously cold-hearted head maid of the Asterian Mansion.
“Ahem, ahem……”
For the first time in ages, Sophia’s face had flushed deeply at the sight of such a lovely child.
Seeing the maids struggle with the excessive cuteness, Ria smiled warmly and hugged Thiel tight.
While everyone fought to suppress the overwhelming urge to bite their fists and punch the walls at how impossibly cute this little miss was,
Thiel alone stood among them with a bewildered expression.
***
Thiel’s room was completed at an astounding pace, thanks to the enthusiastic maids and the generously paid furniture craftsmen.
Solid Wood Furniture with rounded corners to prevent injury to the child was arranged throughout, and the large bed was layered with several plush Quilts to make it soft and cozy.
A lovely pink cover was placed on a Pillow sized just for the child, and before the sunlit window hung flowing Silk Curtains and dozens of Suncatchers that refracted light from every angle.
A warm Carpet covered the floor so that even bare feet wouldn’t grow cold.
Right beneath the bed, where feet would first touch the ground, lay a plush Rug made from the finest wool.
Under the orders of Karsus and Alpheus, Thiel’s room was furnished entirely with the finest materials and looked impressive at first glance.
When Thiel first entered her room, she stood silent for a long time, her mouth hanging open.
“This is my room……?”
Barely finding her voice, Thiel looked up at Parden in disbelief.
The room was far too spacious for a seven-year-old child alone.
Thiel was still too young to distinguish whether the wood was the finest quality or whether the fabrics were the best,
‘but I can tell everything here is made from the finest things……’
In the Nestian Mansion where Thiel had lived until now, the most grandly decorated rooms were her grandfather Chender’s study and Rowen’s bedroom.
But even Rowen’s bedroom wasn’t as spacious as this.
Thiel’s new bed appeared to be twice as large as Rowen’s, and the plush Quilts and decorations scattered throughout seemed incomparably finer than anything in Rowen’s room.
Overwhelmed by a room far too generous for her, Thiel carefully opened her mouth and looked up at Parden.
“Um, Steward……”
Parden, quick to notice that the young miss wished to say something, bent down and lowered his gaze to bring his ear close to Thiel’s mouth.
Thiel glanced nervously and hesitantly whispered near Parden’s ear.
“I really don’t need to stay in such a nice room. A room like this is far too much for me.”
On the day she first came to the Asterian Mansion, she had meant it sincerely when she said she’d be content living in a barn as long as she could stay here.
For Thiel had even considered living on the streets, so long as she never had to return to the Nestian Mansion.
But such an excessive room!
The thought that it was a room unsuited to her station made Thiel’s small shoulders curl inward.
Seeing her this way, Parden paused briefly to consider where this had all begun, then looked directly into Thiel’s eyes.
“Miss, there is nothing excessive for you in this mansion.”
“……”
Parden’s reflection shimmered in her translucent golden eyes.
“As Karsus has said, so long as you bear the Golden Eyes—a symbol of the Black Panther alone—you are the rightful master of this mansion. There is nothing excessive for you. If there is anything you wish to have, speak it. If there is anything you wish to do, speak it.”
Parden’s gentle voice caressed Thiel’s ear.
The words ‘rightful master of this mansion’ still felt foreign to Thiel, but she held her breath and gripped her dress hem, nodding in acknowledgment.
“Yes……”
“Then shall we take a look around? It’s a beautiful room that suits you perfectly. As you explore, if anything displeases you or if you find anything inconvenient, please say so freely. I will have it corrected at once.”
At the gentle push of Parden’s hand on her back, Thiel cautiously stepped further into the room.

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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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