The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

Chapter 36

“I heard everything. So… it means that without going through the proper procedure, it cannot be acknowledged.”

“Stop right there, Your Highness! You’re not allowed to come any further!”

Ian casually disregarded the Chancellor’s words and exchanged a brief glance with Cassius.

After glancing at Thiel with a smile, Ian took a step forward towards him.

“Well then… We just need to follow the proper procedure, right?”

The Chancellor’s face turned pale as he realized what Ian was planning to do.

He hurriedly approached Ian in desperation.

“Your Highness! You can’t do this! If His Majesty finds out…”

“I know that His Majesty is away in another country. And Andres… you…”

“That, that’s…”

“Have you forgotten that His Holiness, the Pope, granted me the authority as his representative?”

Ianthros Krasian, currently the Crown Prince of the Krasian Empire and the Pope’s representative in the Luseth Temple.

It was because when he was young, the Pope had granted him the authority as his representative.

However, after being crowned as the Crown Prince, Ian had momentarily forgotten about that power and neglected to use it…

Andres tried to stop Ian, not knowing what to do.

Only the Pope and his representative have the authority to conduct a divine inquiry.

And with the Pope absent from the temple, Ian, as the Pope’s representative, could conduct the divine inquiry properly.

Ian reached out his hand towards the fountain.

A pattern resembling a fish, the symbol of Luseth, shimmered on the back of his hand.

“It means we just need to go through the proper procedure…”

As Ian finished speaking, the fountain shimmered like rippling waves.

It was a response from the authority and divine power bestowed upon Ian by the Pope.

“…”

Everyone held their breath as they looked at the Crown Prince of the Empire.

As Ian slowly utilized the divine power, the fountain shimmered.

However, the color of the water, flowing like gold, remained unchanged.

He gently withdrew his hand from the fountain and turned to the Chancellor.

“Even though I used the divine power, the color of the water didn’t change. Now that we have followed the proper procedure, it should be acknowledged, Andres.”

“…”

“Thiel is indeed of the Asterian bloodline. She is Cassius’ biological daughter.”

Ian raised his hand and lightly touched Thiel’s head. Thiel nodded and looked up at Ian.

A boy with radiant golden hair, the same color as the fountain, gazed warmly at Thiel.

“Thank you, Sir Ian.”

Thiel whispered as she discreetly held Ian’s hand.

The indifferent expression on the boy’s face softened.

“Why make such a fuss? It’s only natural. There’s no need to thank me.”

“But still, you’ve always been there to help me.”

Thiel spoke earnestly. Ian raised an eyebrow.

She seemed startled by the smallest gift before. ‘When did she change like this?’

Her face was lively, her eyes sparkled like stars, and her voice was steady and cheerful.

Seeing Thiel’s transformation, Ian smiled almost imperceptibly.

“Well then, you want to repay me?”

“Yes, once I come of age, I will definitely repay you first, Sir Ian.”

As Thiel spoke, the faces of the men from the Asterian family contorted simultaneously, but Thiel couldn’t see their expressions as she stood in front of them, facing away from her father and two older brothers.

Ian looked at them, seemingly mocking, and pinched Thiel’s cheek.

Ludian’s body flinched for a moment. However, Ian paid no attention and playfully pinched Thiel’s cheek again.

“Uh, uh? I-Ian…”

“Just a little one. You used to act as if you were about to die from a mere touch, and now you’ve found your way to my home. Hm.”

Ian chuckled.

Perdi and Ludian were about to explode and rush out, but Cassius restrained them.

Ianthros was both the Crown Prince of the Empire and Thiel’s… benefactor.

So let him go…

“Oh, Father! It hurts!”

“Father, let go… My clothes will tear.”

Perdi and Ludian looked at Cassius as if he were pitiful.

Cassius had a tight grip on them, his hand trembling.

Cassius didn’t let go, regardless of his sons’ actions or words.

“It seems there was a misunderstanding after all.”

He spoke up sarcastically. His sharp gaze shifted from Ian to Andres.

Andres wiped cold sweat off his forehead and nodded in agreement to Cassius’s words.

There was no room for excuses anymore.

Desperate Chancellor Andres, instead of defending himself, awkwardly smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Yes, it seems there was a misunderstanding. We will definitely investigate how this result came about at the temple.”

The opportunity Cassius had just given to Andres was the last chance for the temple to pass it off as a “misunderstanding.”

Andres, who couldn’t afford to miss that chance, bowed his head once again.

“I sincerely apologize. If there is anything we can compensate for from the temple’s side…”

“No need for compensation.”

Cassius reached out his hand towards Thiel. Ian conveniently let go of Thiel’s cheek.

Thiel, with her flushed cheek, nestled into Cassius’s embrace.

“Thiel, let’s go home.”

A warm voice. Thiel nodded bravely.

At that moment, the golden fish swirling around the fountain found refuge in Thiel’s embrace.

Everyone stared at Thiel, lost for words. Perdi and Ludian were no exception.

After being embraced by Thiel, the small lights found their way into her embrace as if it were their own home.

Thiel, with her eyes widened, stared intently at the scene and burst into laughter.

Her round eyes folded into crescents.

“Do you also want to go home?”

“….”

“Yeah, I want to go home too. Let’s go together, us…”

The word “home” pleased Thiel.

She had never been able to say the word “home” in Nestian.

Of course, it was natural. Nestian was not Thiel’s home.

It was the house of Grandfather Zander Nestian and a place for those who possessed Nestian’s castle.

And Thiel, she did not receive Nestian’s castle.

So, that place could never be Thiel’s home. Thiel’s home was only…

“Asterian.”

Thiel whispered, lifting her head.

The fountain still flowing with golden water caught her eye.

Only Asterian.

So,

“I want to help Dad.”

She had heard it a long time ago.

There were times when wishes made at the temple’s fountain were occasionally granted.

Thiel quietly made a wish.

She wanted to help Dad in Asterian. If this truly was a special power, she wanted to help the people who loved her…

The fish swam as if Thiel’s voice was a signal and then scattered into the air and disappeared.

Before the fish disappeared, they briefly twinkled in the air as if responding to Thiel’s wish. Thiel didn’t miss that sight.

Cassius gently stroked Thiel’s fluffy hair and lightly kissed her forehead.

* * *

News of Thiel being Cassius’ daughter quickly spread throughout the Asterian mansion.

It was thanks to Cassius’ salamander that the news reached the residents of Alpheus Estate, who were eagerly awaiting the news.

“I knew it, there’s no way She’s not his biological daughter. She resemble Lord Cassius’ and Lady Lena so much.”

“Yeah, it’s not easy to look so much like both of them.”

“I knew she were Lord Cassius and Lady Lena’s daughter from the moment I first saw her!”

The servants chattered cheerfully.

Although the Alpheus family in Asterian had long known that Thiel was their granddaughter, they still rejoiced and served drinks and meat. The special bonus was just an added treat.

“It seems to have been resolved nicely.”

Alpheus nodded with a satisfied expression on his face.

Since His Highness the Crown Prince accompanied her, there shouldn’t have been any issues.

Hehe, the Duke laughed heartily.

Alpheus knew that Prince Ianthros would appear in that place.

“His Highness the Crown Prince needs your help.”

Because Alpheus Ewald Asterian was the one who requested help from Ianthros!

He had anticipated that the temple would make a move.

They would probably try to take Thiel away first. The temple grounds were a sacred place where even the Emperor could not enter lightly.

So, Alpheus knew that once he had Thiel in his hands, he just had to hold on to her.

That’s why he had sought help from Prince Ianthros Karison in advance.

Prince Ianthros had the authority of the Pope’s representative.