The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 89

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 89
Everyone held their breath at Iandros’s words, their eyes snapping to Emperor Wilhelm.
But the Emperor, showing no inclination to stop him, turned back to address them all.
“Then it is decided.”
The Emperor’s gaze swept slowly across the other Heads of Household, one by one.
“Crown Prince Iandros shall accompany her. Tiel Asterian shall bring morning to the Land Where Morning Does Not Come.”
“I shall obey your command.”
“I shall obey your command.”
Iandros and Tiel bowed deeply in unison, their heads bent low in formal respect.
And so the council ended. The Heads of the various houses departed to their own territories, while those whose families dwelt too far away to return immediately turned toward their appointed quarters.
Once they had all filed out, the council chamber—which moments before had been packed with beastkin—now held only Tiel, Iandros, Emperor Wilhelm, Alpheus, and Cassius.
“Iandros! When did you wake?”
The instant Tiel confirmed that the others had gone, she spun around to ask, seizing Iandros’s hand tightly.
“Just now. Only a moment ago.”
“You came straight here after waking?”
“Yes. There was something I needed to ask His Majesty. But…”
Iandros looked down at Tiel.
The small girl standing before him had not grown an inch since the last time he had seen her—and yet…
‘Something feels different about her.’
Perhaps it was the composure she had just displayed. For some reason, it felt as though Tiel had grown tremendously.
Iandros spoke to her slowly and clearly, his words crisp and unhurried.
“Tiel, thank you for saving me.”
“What? That was only natural… Besides, you’ve saved me many times over.”
“It isn’t natural. None of them would have thought to save me. You were reckless, yes, but you were also brave, and I owe my life to your courage, Tiel. I truly am grateful.”
His sincere thanks stung Tiel’s nose unexpectedly, and she wrinkled it slightly as she nodded in acknowledgment.
“Yes, Iandros. I’m so glad you weren’t hurt.”
“And… there was something I meant to ask His Majesty about, but since you’re here, I may as well ask you directly.”
Alpheus, Cassius, and Wilhelm all raised their eyebrows simultaneously, having intuited the nature of Iandros’s question.
“Tiel, did I form a Bond Mark with you?”
“…”
“While I was unconscious—did you form a Bond Mark with me?”
Tiel gazed at Iandros quietly.
For some reason, her answer was slow in coming.
Because Iandros wore a wounded expression—the look of someone desperately pleading with anyone to tell him no.
That struck Tiel painfully.
But she could not lie to Iandros, so she squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.
“…Yes, yes I did.”
“…”
“While you slept… I formed a Bond Mark with you.”
Iandros’s hand moved to his neck. The Bond Mark connecting him and Tiel glimmered faintly there.
He placed his hand against Tiel’s neck in turn. Unlike the mark that appeared on his own neck in response to her power, nothing emerged from Tiel’s neck.
So the Bond had gone wrong—rather than forming the proper bilateral mark, only one side had taken hold. A very troublesome situation… and yet.
‘Perhaps this is better.’
Iandros withdrew his hand. Then, as if unable to help himself, he reached up and placed it gently atop the small girl’s head.
Startled by the sudden touch, Tiel tensed her shoulders, bracing herself for his anger.
But his next word caught her off guard.
“I’m sorry.”
“…What?”
“I’m sorry, Tiel. I’m sorry for making you bear so much. If there are burdens I can carry, I should share them with you…”
Tiel stared at Iandros in a daze. He had not raged at her for creating the Bond Mark while he slept, nor did he reproach her.
He only apologized for letting her bear the weight alone. And seeing him like that, Tiel suddenly found him terribly lonely, so she reached up and took his hand in her own.
“If there are ways I can help, then I shall carry the burden with you too. We’ve formed a Bond Mark, so now we’re… we’re Bond Partners, aren’t we?”
“…Yes, we are.”
“So whenever you have something to bear, I will always bear it alongside you and take responsibility. Please don’t wear such a lonely expression…”
Tiel scrunched her eyes shut as she held his hand, kneading it gently in her own. His palm was still warm. It was unmistakably the hand of the living—so different from when it had been cold and stiff as a corpse.
Iandros gazed down at the small girl with an unreadable expression, then suddenly covered his mouth with the back of his hand and turned his face sharply away.
Yet one of his hands remained trapped in Tiel’s grip, so he could not escape—only turn his face, now deeply flushed.
Watching this scene unfold in silence, the Emperor released a long sigh and called out to Tiel.
“Tiel, come here for a moment.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Tiel gently released Iandros’s hand and trotted over to stand before the Emperor.
“Tiel, do you understand what a Bond Mark means?”
“Yes, I do.”
Those who form a Bond Mark can never break it, and they must spend their entire lives together with their bonded partner…
Thanks to Cassius’s simple explanation, suited for a child’s understanding, Tiel now knew perfectly well what a Bond Mark signified.
“Tiel, I have no wish to force anything upon you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“However… the Bond Mark is a different matter. Your Bond is incomplete as it stands. If something goes wrong, one of you could suffer grave harm.”
At the Emperor’s words, Alpheus and Cassius exchanged glances of uncertain meaning as they looked between Iandros and Tiel.
Tiel turned to gaze at Iandros, then looked back to the Emperor.
“Then… what should I do?”
“You must return and complete the Bond. The necessary preparations will be made at the Imperial Palace. Tiel, I regret that you have been put through such an ordeal.”
At the Emperor’s words, Iandros began to speak but then closed his mouth. The Emperor regarded them both with a troubled expression.
‘It should never have been delayed.’
No matter how much Iandros had protested and raged, he should have been bonded to a suitable bride quickly.
Had that been done, none of this would have happened.
Wilhelm had once thought Tiel the ‘perfect Bond Partner for Iandros.’
Strong enough in her Light Ability to suffer no great harm from bonding with him, and bearing the name of House Asterian.
He had believed no child was more suited to be the Crown Princess…
But now, watching his grandson treat this small girl as the most precious thing in the world, and watching her spare nothing of herself for his sake, he realized how foolish and selfish his thinking had been.
As if seeing through the Emperor’s heart, Alpheus regarded Wilhelm with a cold gaze.
Then he said:
“Tiel.”
Alpheus opened his arms to her. Tiel hesitated, glancing nervously at the Emperor. The Emperor smiled gently to put the small girl at ease.
“Go to him.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Tiel bowed respectfully to the Emperor, then hurried over and threw herself into Alpheus’s embrace.
“Grandfather?”
“Tiel, I promised that there would be no need for you to step forward, yet this old man has been wanting in his duty and brought you to the fore once more.”
Alpheus gently stroked the back of Tiel’s round head as he spoke. Tiel clung tightly to him.
“My, why does everyone keep apologizing to me? I… I don’t want to hear the word ‘sorry’ anymore, Grandfather…”
At Tiel’s gentle complaint, Alpheus—hearing such a tone from her for the first time—widened his eyes in surprise and embraced her again, firmly.
“Then what would you like to hear?”
“Tell me I did well, Grandfather. Tell me I was wonderful just now… that I did not shame the name of House Asterian.”
In truth, to say she had not been frightened would be a lie.
Tiel had always feared crowds, and the assembled gathering had been far from ordinary beastkin.
A child older than her standing in that hall would surely have crumbled and wept…
In that respect, Tiel had performed excellently. Alpheus felt a swell of pride bloom in his chest as he patted her back.
“Yes, you did wonderfully, Tiel. You were magnificent. You brought no shame whatsoever to House Asterian. Your courage has made our house shine all the brighter.”
Tiel broke into a bright smile.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————