The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

“Miss, are you okay?”

Lia asked, touching Thiel’s forehead.

Thiel rubbed her sleepy eyes with her sleeve and nodded, except for feeling a bit tired, she was fine.

“Yes, I’m fine. But, Perdi, is Perdi okay?”

Thiel blinked her eyes and asked.

Her last memory was of holding Perdi as he ran amok in the training grounds.

Since then, she couldn’t remember anything, as if the power had been spilled over it.

At that moment, the door opened quietly, and familiar figures entered.

It was Perdi and Ludian. Thiel’s eyes rounded with joy.

“Thiel!”

Perdi and Ludian, who noticed Thiel sitting on the bed with her head resting on her hands and blinking, approached her near the bed, calling her simultaneously without hesitation.

Perdi and Ludian were summoned by Cassius to hear what had happened to Thiel at the Nestian Mansion.

About the abuse inflicted on this little child…

Perdi’s neat face was completely disheveled.

Ludian was the same.

Thiel reached out her hand, bewildered by the disheveled appearances of her two older brothers.

“Brothers…?”

“Thiel, are you okay?”

Perdi asked with a deeply worried expression.

Perdi and Ludian blamed themselves, thinking that Thiel collapsed and that Cassius and Alphius were in trouble, all because of their fault.

Especially Perdi thought that way.

‘If only I hadn’t done something unnecessary…’

Thiel would not have collapsed.

The image of Thiel collapsing into his arms still came to mind when he closed his eyes.

Even the sight of her small hand weakly falling.

“Brother.”

Thiel didn’t know their true feelings, but she could tell that her two brothers were extremely worried about her.

Thiel cautiously wrapped both of Perdi”s cheeks with her hands and nodded her head.

“I’m really fine! But, Perdi, are you… Are you okay?”

Thiel examined Perdi’s condition with a trembling gaze.

The last image Thiel remembered of Perdi was him standing precariously amidst the flames.

“Are you okay now?”

Fortunately, Perdi looked a bit disheveled, but he didn’t seem as precarious or in pain as he did at that time.

Thank goodness.

Thiel smiled brightly.

“…Thiel, at times like this, you should worry about your health first.”

Perdi muttered with a hoarse voice as he looked at Thiel.

He seemed to have lost some of his strength.

“That’s right, you fool! It’s a relief that you’re okay. If you weren’t, what would we have done? You could have been seriously hurt!”

“But…”

“But what do you mean by ‘but’? Do you know how shocked I was? You’re already so small, and you don’t even have any fear…”

Ludian grumbled.

Thiel, with a bewildered expression, rolled her big eyes.

Perdi turned his head as if trying to calm Ludian down.

“Hey, Ludian. Watch your words.”

“Did I say something wrong? Don’t you know how shocked I was?”

Sparks flew between Ludian and Perdi.

Concern for Thiel had suddenly turned into a skirmish between the two brothers.

The child quickly grabbed Ludian’s hand tightly.

“I’m okay! So please don’t worry. I’ll be careful from now on. And…”

“…And what?”

“I knew you wouldn’t hurt me.”

Thiel looked up at Ludian and spoke.

A faint strength seeped into the hand that held Ludian’s.

Thiel’s pupils sparkled.

“…What do you think you know! You’re just a child.”

“No, I really know.”

That you won’t hurt me.

Thiel whispered softly.

Everyone in the room held their breath.

Shortly after, Ludian turned his head with a groan.

“I-I’ll let it slide this time. Got it? If you do it again next time, I’ll lose it.”

“Yes! Don’t worry! I won’t do it again, I promise.”

“Alright, Thiel. Never, never do it again.”

Perdi, who had been silent all along, finally uttered a word with great effort.

Thiel’s gaze turned back to Perdi. He now had an expression that seemed on the verge of tears.

“Oh, older brother.”

“Don’t ever do it again. Understand?”

Perdi pulled Thiel into a tight embrace.

The child nodded vigorously, burying her face in his warm chest.

After a while, Perdi finally let go of Thiel.

A warm sensation lingered in Thiel’s body, having been tightly embraced in his warm embrace for a long time.

Lia, who had been watching them with satisfaction, pushed Thiel’s hair back and tied it up while speaking.

“Since you just woke up, you should eat something. I’ll go downstairs and bring some soup and soft bread. Master Perdi, Ludian, take a little rest.”

“Yes-.”

After Lia left the room, Perdi and Ludian apologized to Thiel several times thereafter.

Especially Perdi seemed greatly affected by this incident.

The strange wariness that Perdi had shown towards Thiel had disappeared completely for a long time.

Perdi stayed by Thiel’s side throughout her sleep, filled with guilt.

Ludian snickered at the sight, but Perdi ignored him.

Thiel didn’t dislike Perdi and Ludian in that way.

No, Thiel liked Perdi and Ludian in that way.

The thick guard Thiel had against her older brothers, whom she thought would hate her terribly, completely melted away as they showed concern and care for her.

Moreover…

‘That spark…’

The flames that had engulfed Perdi as if to consume him had completely withered away in Thiel’s hands.

[Jump in, child. Jump in.]

[You can save him…]

What was that voice she heard back then?

But no matter the identity of that voice, one thing was certain.

‘I can save him.’

If something like last time happens again, I can save him again.

Thiel’s bright golden ring sparkled once again.

Just that fact made Thiel thrilled to the point of jumping.

She could be of help to Asterian.

She could be of help to the kind people of the Asterian family and her loving two older brothers.

“What good thought did you have that makes you giggle like that, little one? Hmm?”

Ludian pinched Thiel’s cheek gently to avoid hurting her.

Thiel giggled, “Hehe.”

But Ludian’s hand was quickly brushed away. Perdi slapped the back of his hand.

“Don’t casually pinch her.”

“You, you?”

Just as the two brothers were about to argue again, the door slowly opened.

The three children naturally assumed it was Lia who had entered.

“What kind of trouble are you planning to cause again, Perdi, Ludian?”

However, unexpectedly, the person who opened the door and entered was Cassius Celest Asterian.

Thiel’s eyes widened, and Perdi and Ludian’s eyes narrowed.

They were wary of being chased out of Thiel’s room.

Cassius gestured with a fake laugh as if saying it’s okay.

“I won’t tell you to leave, so just make some space. What kind of look is that, my sons?”

Cassius lightly pushed the two boys aside and sat next to Thiel, assessing the child’s condition.

Thiel looked at Cassius with her small hand placed on his large hand.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m not in pain.”

“Good, I’m relieved. I heard about last night’s incident from Perdi and Ludian. They said you stopped Perdi’s rampage.”

“Yes, yes!”

Thiel nodded happily.

The people in the room all smiled with satisfaction at her adorable appearance.

However, Cassius quickly composed his expression and looked at Thiel with a serious expression.

“You were reckless, Thiel.”

“Yes…”

“It was a reckless act. Perdi was in a dangerous state at that time. If you were an ordinary child, you might have died.”

Cassius’s voice was stern. Thiel nodded her head, her expression immediately turning lifeless.

If she were in her animal form, her ears and tail would have drooped for sure.

Perdi, who couldn’t bear to see Thiel like that, interjected abruptly.

“It’s not Thiel’s fault! It’s my…”

“Perdi.”

At Cassius’ call, Perdi tightly sealed his lips.

However, his expression still showed discontent. Cassius glanced at his son for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Thiel.

“But thank you.”

“…!”

“You saved Perdi’s life, no less.”

Cassius gently stroked Thiel’s soft cheek, as if tenderly nurturing the child.

“I didn’t scold you. I was just worried about you. Because I am your father.”

Thiel nodded her head.

Cassius was genuinely worried about Thiel. They were different from her great-grandfather, Zander Nestrian.

Cassius always prioritized Thiel in any situation.

Thanks to that, Thiel was gradually learning to value herself little by little.

Thiel nodded and smiled softly.

“Yes, I will be more careful from now on. Thank you.”

And after a moment of hesitation, Thiel firmly held Cassius’ thick hand and tentatively opened her mouth.

“Da… Dad…”

“Yes… You’re a good child, my daughter.”

Cassius chuckled as he gently stroked Thiel’s fluffy hair.

Cassius’ thick hand gently touched the child’s head.

“Thiel.”

Cassius looked quietly at Thiel, and Thiel met his gaze without avoiding it.

The two pairs of identical golden eyes were facing each other.

After a brief pause, Cassius whispered in a low voice.

“There is a place we have to go together.”