The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 247

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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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Side Story 15
To Wilhelm, Iandros had always been a thorn in his side.
It had been that way since the boy was born. A Spatial Ability? Such an ability could run away with itself at any moment and bring the entire Crasion Empire to ruin.
So from the day Iandros first entered the world, Wilhelm worried for his son and grandson alike.
And Wilhelm’s fears came to pass. Iandros’ Ability eventually went into Runaway.
At that time, Wilhelm went to suppress Iandros and save the boy.
But Iandros’ Ability was not something Wilhelm could suppress.
Iandros’ Subspace swelled ever larger, and it was clear that all the Beast-kin in the surrounding area would suffer catastrophe. Like the legend of that mad princess passed down through Crasion’s history.
And then, as Iandros fell into Runaway—
“We cannot have another child.”
Iandros’ Mother, Wilhelm’s daughter-in-law, spoke those words and then, together with her husband—Iandros’ Father—threw herself into Iandros’ Subspace.
The moment they cast themselves in, Iandros’ Subspace sealed shut as if by a lie, and the Runaway ceased.
Thus Wilhelm lost both his son and his daughter-in-law before his very eyes.
Yet before that grief could fully strike him came a different thought.
‘How did they know?’
How could the two of them have known that entering the Subspace would stop Iandros’ Runaway?
Was it parental instinct?
Wilhelm stood transfixed, staring at Iandros as consciousness slowly returned to the boy after the Runaway ended, when their eyes met.
In that moment, fear seized him.
‘How am I to explain this?’
Could he tell a seven-year-old child that his parents had sacrificed themselves, throwing themselves into his Ability to protect him?
Had Iandros been only ten years older, Wilhelm would have told him the truth without reservation.
For there are some things one must know, no matter what.
But Iandros was barely seven, and far too young to bear the weight of knowing that his parents had died for him.
Wilhelm had no courage to tell the boy such a thing, and in his grief at losing his son, he had no composure to comfort his grandson.
So he chose silence.
“…Grandfather?”
Blood dripped steadily from the wounds he’d taken fighting the Subspace’s power.
The blood flowed and flowed, soaking the blade Wilhelm held in his hand.
It was a sword he’d drawn merely to cut through the Subspace, and what stained that blade was Wilhelm’s own blood.
“Where… where is Mother…?”
But perhaps to a seven-year-old’s eyes, things appeared differently.
The child had known early on that Wilhelm disapproved of his Ability, and so he had feared his grandfather.
The trembling pupils fell upon the blood-soaked blade and then shook uncontrollably.
Wilhelm understood in that moment.
The young Iandros had misunderstood. He thought the blood drenching the blade might be his mother’s and father’s.
But Wilhelm did not bother to explain.
Better for him to become a murderer who had killed his own son and daughter-in-law than for the child to learn that they had died because of his Ability.
The young Iandros looked about for a long time, searching for his mother and father, before exhaustion overcame him and he collapsed.
Wilhelm stood alone in the mansion where he had lost his son and daughter-in-law in an instant, watching his fallen grandson, and then lifted Iandros into his arms.
“We return.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
And after that day, the mansion was set aflame and vanished completely from the Crasion Empire.
This much is what Wilhelm remembers of that day.
But now—
‘How am I to tell him?’
Wilhelm gazed at his grown grandson, fingers brushing the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
Iandros had grown so much he was now of age to inherit the throne. He was no longer the small child who had wept himself to exhaustion in that mansion.
Yet to Wilhelm’s eyes, Iandros still looked like a child.
Was this the heart of a grandfather?
He would rather Iandros never learned the truth of that day, even if it meant being hated and resented by his grandson his whole life.
Had he not asked, Wilhelm would not have answered.
He would have buried it and taken it with him to the grave.
But why now? Why did he wish to know the truth of that day? Wilhelm did not know how to tell a story whose moment had long since passed.
He was an emperor, yet before Iandros he remained always an awkward guardian.
It was only after Iandros had grown that Wilhelm learned all the things he’d done to protect the boy had caused him pain.
So Wilhelm could not open his mouth easily. As he moved his lips without speaking, Iandros, who had been waiting, slowly began to speak.
“Whatever you tell me, I will not be shocked.”
“…”
“I simply wish to hear it.”
Iandros’ words steeled Wilhelm’s resolve. He closed his eyes tight, then slowly opened his mouth.
“That day, your Subspace went into Runaway.”
“Yes.”
“I went there to stop you. But I did not go to kill you—I went to suppress you, to contain you.”
Wilhelm added the clarification, worried that Iandros might misunderstand.
And realizing this, Wilhelm laughed bitterly at himself. When had he said it didn’t matter if Iandros misunderstood? Now he feared his grandson might misunderstand him?
Iandros stood quietly in place, waiting for Wilhelm to continue.
“But I could not stop it. Your Subspace grew larger and larger. Many were wounded, Iandros.”
Wilhelm drew a breath and continued his story.
“No one could stop your Runaway. And then…”
“Is it possible…”
Iandros interrupted.
Wilhelm looked at him.
“…that Mother and Father sacrificed themselves for me?”
“…”
“In truth, on the day the Evil God was destroyed, I saw my parents within my Subspace.”
This was something Wilhelm had never heard before. He furrowed his brow and looked at Iandros, who continued in an even tone.
“That day, I saw my parents leaving within my Subspace.”
“…Ah.”
“I had only sensed it vaguely. Perhaps I did not wish to know. That my parents had sacrificed themselves because of my Ability.”
“Iandros.”
“That is why I lacked the courage to ask you the truth of that day.”
Iandros’ Emerald eyes gazed steadily at Wilhelm.
“When I was young, I did not understand the situation at all, so naturally I thought you had… killed them.”
“…”
“But as I grew, and the more I felt that perhaps you cared for me even a little, the more I questioned it. How could someone who cares for me do such a thing…?”
Iandros’ eyes were sad.
For a moment, Wilhelm felt as though his grandson had transformed back into that child who had wept himself to exhaustion, alone in that mansion.
“And then, after I saw my parents’ faces within my Subspace, I thought—ah, perhaps… perhaps what I know is not all there is.”
“Iandros.”
“That is what I thought.”
Wilhelm sighed and slowly rose to his feet. He walked toward Iandros and placed his large hand upon the boy’s head.
“But none of this is your fault. Do you understand?”
“Yes. I also understand why you did not tell me the truth of that day—you judged it would be too difficult for a child to bear.”
“That’s right. I did not wish to place any burden upon you. There is no grandfather who would wish to give his grandson such a great burden as the death of his parents.”
“I apologize.”
Iandros lowered his gaze.
His voice wavered slightly at the end.
“For misunderstanding you… for thinking as I did of my own accord…”
“Iandros, there is no need for such words.”
Wilhelm said, looking at Iandros.
“It was my choice, and not correcting your misunderstanding was also my choice. I would have preferred you hate me rather than hate yourself, and I have no regret in that decision, Iandros Crasion.”
“…”
“So do not torment yourself with such thoughts. If it still pains you to bear this truth despite the years, then blame me instead. Blame me for failing to stop it—but do not blame yourself.”
Wilhelm gazed at his grandson with warm eyes.
He asked gently,
“Do you understand?”
In this moment, he existed not as the Emperor of Crasion, but as a single boy’s grandfather.
Iandros gazed for a moment at his grandfather, who seemed forever beyond his reach, now standing before him and watching over him with warm eyes, then slowly nodded.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
And he opened his mouth to speak.
“Thank you… for protecting my heart.”

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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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