The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 260

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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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Special Side Story 10
***
Ain was a splendid and mighty Snow Leopard Humanoid.
His hands and feet had always been unusually large since childhood.
Magnificent fangs.
A thick, plump tail!
“Roar!”
“Mom! Mom, mom!”
Yet all of these meant nothing when his little sister Luna was around.
Luna bit Ain’s tail whenever she got the chance—because his tail was big and plump, perfect for biting.
So it was only natural that Ain and Luna quarreled often.
Ain disliked Luna.
No one could like a little sister who bit him every day, cried constantly, and was generally a nuisance.
So naturally, on the most recent occasion when Luna had bitten his tail.
Sniff, sniff-sniff.
Ain buried his face in Tiel’s arms, sniffling as he spoke.
“I wish Luna didn’t exist…”
“Ain, you mustn’t say things like that.”
“But Luna keeps biting me. I don’t like being bitten…”
Tiel soothed Ain, saying he shouldn’t speak that way, but he kept his head buried in her arms and continued to sniffle.
And not long after that.
“Ain, I’m leaving.”
“…?”
“I’m going.”
Luna packed her things and departed for Asterian.
Tiel and Iandros asked Ain if he wanted to go with her, but he shook his head.
Ain didn’t want to go with Luna! He didn’t want to have his tail bitten by his little sister again!
And Luna really did leave.
“She’s gone…”
Ain was truly delighted that Luna was gone. Now there was no one to bite his tail, and he didn’t need to console a crying little sister.
He could play all by himself, and everything he wanted, he could have for himself.
He did miss his mother sometimes, but it was fine.
“Mother needs that cry-baby Luna more than she needs me anyway.”
Ain was a sturdy and mature Snow Leopard Humanoid, so he could easily give up his place in their mother’s arms to Luna.
Besides, the newfound “freedom” and the feeling of being “liberated” from Luna were so wonderful that he had no time to worry about such things.
“I’m so glad Luna’s gone!”
As Ain shouted this, the handmaiden who cared for him nearby said.
“But young master, you’ll miss Her Highness the princess soon enough.”
At first, Ain didn’t believe her.
Why on earth would he long for the one who tormented his tail?
He was certain he wouldn’t miss Luna even if she lived in Asterian her entire life.
“Luna’s gone, and I’m glad. A little bored, though…”
The next day, when Ain said something similar, the handmaiden spoke the same words again.
“But young master, you’ll surely miss Her Highness the princess.”
But Ain paid no heed to her words.
And the day after that.
As Ain was playing alone and starting to feel bored, he went to enter Luna’s room—then stopped short, realizing that Luna wasn’t there.
‘That’s right, Luna’s not here anymore.’
Luna had gone to play in Asterian.
How could the clever and sharp older brother, Ain Crasion, forget a thing like that?
In the end, Ain turned around without entering Luna’s room.
And the handmaiden, unflagging, kept asking.
“You miss her, don’t you?”
“No.”
Ain answered firmly.
That evening, when his father Iandros came to share dinner with him, he too asked about such things.
“Do you miss Luna?”
“No… I don’t miss her.”
But Ain was a stubborn little Snow Leopard, and he had no intention of bending his will or easily changing his mind.
Once he said something, he had to stand by it! That was the principle and conviction of Ain Crasion’s short life.
Yet.
“Tch… when’s she coming back?”
Ain muttered, swishing his plump tail back and forth. Without Luna around, no one came to bite it, and he was bored.
When Luna was here, he’d thought her so tiresome and annoying that he’d wished she would disappear quickly.
But now that she was really gone, it did seem a bit boring, just as the handmaiden had said.
Still, he wasn’t quite at the stage of “missing her.” Ain still enjoyed this freedom from Luna.
But as one more day passed, then two, then three, then four.
“You miss her, don’t you?”
When the handmaiden asked as she always did, Ain found himself unthinkingly nodding.
“…Yeah.”
When they were together, she was annoying.
Seeing her every day wasn’t pleasant either.
When she bit his tail, he wanted to hit her back; when she followed him, he wanted to shake her off and run away.
But now that Luna was truly gone.
“I’m just so bored without her…”
Did Luna miss him?
Was she thinking that she was glad to be alone and having fun?
Ain sat alone, looking out the window and fidgeting with Luna’s doll.
***
Meanwhile, Luna in Asterian was…
“I want to play with Raven.”
Luna declared this boldly, clutching a grimy doll.
A flustered Ludian widened his eyes in astonishment.
“W-what?”
“Not with you, uncle. I want to play with Raven.”
“…Why? I can use Abilities, hug you, and even give you a piggyback ride—”
Ludian, who wished to spend a little more time with Luna, desperately made his case.
But the cold girl Luna simply turned her head away haughtily.
“Uncle…”
Uncle wasn’t as small as her, and he wasn’t as young as Raven.
Luna liked her uncle well enough, but now she was more interested in a friend her own age whom she’d just met.
Luna opened her mouth, pondering how to put it.
“Uncle… you’re old.”
“…?”
“Luna wants to play with children.”
Ludian, shocked by the strong opinion of the little girl, dropped to both knees with a thud.
“H-how could you say such a thing to your uncle?”
“Hmph.”
But Ludian was the only one shocked. Everyone in the room burst out laughing at Luna’s words.
“Ahahaha! She says you’re too old!”
“Well, if our Luna doesn’t want to, then you shouldn’t play with her.”
“That’s right, you pest. Leave the girl alone and let her do what she wants.”
They were Ferdi, Cassius, and Alpheus in turn.
Still reeling from the shock he’d just received, Ludian couldn’t even protest, muttering to himself, “She says I’m old…”
Tiel, who had been watching quietly, set Luna on her lap.
“Luna, you don’t like playing with your uncle?”
“Uncle is nice, but I want to play with Raven.”
Luna fidgeted with her fingers.
“I’ve never seen another boy besides Ain before. Luna needs friends too.”
Seeing Luna speak so earnestly about needing a friend, a smile naturally rose to Tiel’s lips.
“Is that so?”
“Can I play with him?”
Luna looked up at Tiel with shining eyes. Tiel paused to think.
Luna was the princess of Crasion.
That meant she could not simply grow up as an ordinary child like others.
Every friend Luna would make as she grew, every connection would matter; and it would be quite difficult for her to make friends or go play freely as she wished.
‘Of course, I’ll do what I can to make it possible.’
“Hmm?”
As Tiel brushed Luna’s hair behind her ear, Luna, who had been waiting for her mother’s answer, tilted her head.
“I can’t?”
“Of course you can.”
But Luna was a special child.
And Iandros and Tiel did not wish for Luna to live constrained by such conventional notions of what a princess should be.
If she wanted to make friends, they wanted her to make them freely; if there was something she wanted to do, they wanted her to live doing it as she pleased.
Besides, Ludian had said that Raven was essentially a boy he himself was raising, so there was little reason to worry greatly.
“Go ask your uncle to call Raven for you. Then he’ll call him. Come on, hurry.”
Tiel set Luna down on the floor and gave her bottom a light tap.
Pitter-patter.
Luna approached Ludian, who was still kneeling on the ground, and leaned in close to his ear.
“Uncle, I want to play with Raven.”
“…Okay.”
“Really?”
“…Yes.”
“Then call him.”
“…Understood.”
Ludian, shocked that his niece, not yet even seven years old, was already rejecting him and going off to meet another friend, responded in a hollow voice.
And not long after, Raven arrived at Ludian’s call.
“Raven’s here!”
The moment Luna heard someone had arrived, she sprang to her feet.
Creak.
The door opened, and a unfamiliar boy cautiously stepped into the room where all of Asterian had gathered.
Raven seemed startled to see the Black Leopards of Asterian gathered in the room, but he neither lost his nerve nor fled.
And Luna, forgetting about Ain, Ludian, and even the Ability she had so desired, looked at Raven with shining eyes.
‘Raven!’
This was a far cry from her older brother Ain, who only looked out the window, yearning for her.

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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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