The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

Episode 77

Alpheus had returned.

The children gathered in the dining hall for dinner with Alpheus and Cassius.

“Grandfather!”

Thiel called out cheerfully as Alpheus entered the dining room. He chuckled warmly and gently patted her head.

“Thiel, did you enjoy yourself?”

“Yes, I had fun! Where have you been, Grandfather?”

“I went to pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor. Now, let’s eat before it gets cold.”

As Alpheus sat down and picked up his utensils, the children followed suit, lifting their silver knives and forks. The utensils moved gracefully across the plates without haste. Alpheus silently stabbed at his food with a fork, and Cassius mirrored his composure.

“Grandfather.”

Perdi, who had been patiently waiting for Alpheus to speak, finally broke the silence. Alpheus raised his head.

“What is it?”

“Did you summon us because you have something to tell us?”

Perdi placed his knife down as he asked. Alpheus hesitated for a moment, as though pondering, before shaking his head.

“…No.”

But anyone could tell he had something on his mind.

“Come on, Grandfather, what is it? Why don’t you just—”

“Quiet.”

Olivia, who was about to press Alpheus further, was abruptly silenced when Perdi shoved a piece of meat into her mouth.

Chewing the meat, Olivia alternated glances between Alpheus and Cassius. While Cassius maintained a calm demeanor, Alpheus seemed displeased with something.

The children gave up their questioning, exchanging subtle glances as they quietly resumed eating.

Thiel looked up at Cassius.

Seated across from her, Cassius noticed her gaze, smiled faintly, and blinked.

“Is the food not to your liking?”

Cassius asked, noticing the untouched food on her plate.

Thiel hastily speared a small piece of meat with her fork and popped it into her mouth, shaking her head.

“No, it’s delicious!”

“Then why aren’t you eating much today?”

“Uh…”

Thiel glanced at Alpheus.

Her grandfather still wore a troubled expression.

How could she have an appetite when Grandfather looked so upset?

But Thiel chose not to voice her thoughts, shaking her head instead.

“Um, I have something to tell you.”

Thiel spoke cautiously, breaking the silence.

Cassius, Alpheus, Perdi, Lucian, and Olivia all turned their attention to her.

After carefully wiping her mouth with the napkin on her lap, Thiel turned to Alpheus and began to speak.

“I… saw something strange on the street.”

“Something strange?”

Alpheus asked, his tone steady.

Thiel hesitated briefly before speaking again, her voice clear and deliberate.

“I felt like… something was watching me. I’m not entirely sure, but…”

“…Something was watching you?”

Cassius, who had been silently listening, asked quietly. His golden eyes flickered momentarily.

Startled by his intense gaze, Thiel pressed her lips together and shook her head.

“I’m not certain, but I thought it would be best to mention it, just in case something happens next time…”

“What would happen?”

Lucian interjected, setting his fork down with a clatter.

“Nothing’s going to happen to you, Thiel.”

“Brother…”

Lucian gestured at Olivia, who was sitting across from him.

“She’s here, isn’t she?”

“?”

“If something happens, she’ll get hurt in your place, so don’t worry.”

At that moment, Olivia’s expression crumpled but quickly smoothed out again.

“…That’s true, isn’t it?”

“Right?”

“Well, of course, if anything were to happen to our darling Thiel, I’d—”

“Enough nonsense. None of you will get hurt.”

Cassius’s low voice cut through the chatter. The children immediately fell silent, startled by his tone.

“Go on, Thiel.”

Alpheus encouraged her. Thiel nodded and continued.

“I couldn’t see clearly, so I can’t describe it, but…”

“You had a foreboding feeling?”

“Yes.”

Originally, Thiel hadn’t planned to mention this to Perdi or Lucian.

She couldn’t clearly recall what she had seen, but the ominous and unpleasant sensation lingered vividly in her mind.

‘But just in case.’

If whatever it was truly intended to harm her, it was better to inform Cassius and Alpheus now.

‘I don’t want danger.’

To Thiel, nothing was scarier than being separated from her family.

And the unsettling feeling she had experienced earlier carried the weight of that very fear—a sense that it might tear her away from her loved ones.

Cassius nodded in understanding and spoke gently.

“Don’t worry, Thiel. Once Luminari is over, we’ll return to Asterian right away. It’s safe within the territory. Still, I’ll look into whether anyone else witnessed what you saw.”

“Yes, Father.”

“And with your brothers and the Asterian knights around, there’s little to fear. But…”

Cassius trailed off, casting a thoughtful glance at the children.

Perdi and Olivia were heirs to their respective families, while Lucian possessed abilities nearly as formidable.

For anyone to pose a threat to all three, they’d need to be the head of a great household themselves. Ordinary individuals couldn’t possibly harm these children. Still, there was one concern.

“Thiel, don’t wander off alone.”

The youngest of any group is the most vulnerable when separated from the pack. While she was safe within the group, venturing outside it made her security uncertain.

“Perdi, Lucian.”

Alpheus called. The two boys looked up at him.

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Yes.”

“Take care of Thiel. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

Both nodded without hesitation.

And with that, dinner concluded.

Neither Cassius nor Alpheus ended up sharing whatever had been on their minds with the children.

* * *

The children stayed indoors the next day.

The streets were bustling with the lively crowds of Luminari, filled with laughter and excitement, but Perdi, Lucian, Olivia, and Thiel remained at the mansion.

‘We’ve already enjoyed everything worth seeing,’ Perdi shrugged, his tone casual. Lucian and Olivia nodded in agreement.

‘You don’t need more than two days to enjoy a festival.’

‘Exactly, all the fun stuff happens in the first two days anyway.’

Thiel worried that her siblings might be missing out on the festivities because of her.

But Perdi, Lucian, and Olivia, ever kind, raised their voices deliberately to reassure her that she didn’t need to feel guilty.

Thanks to their thoughtfulness, Thiel spent the day relaxing in the mansion, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

That evening…

“Brother?”

“What’s the occasion?”

As Thiel tilted her head in curiosity, the maid standing behind Perdi carefully draped a coat over her small shoulders.

“Hmm?”

Thiel blinked, glancing between Perdi and the maid in confusion.

“Thiel.”

Perdi smiled broadly, leaning down to gently pinch her soft, chubby cheeks.

“Let’s go watch the fireworks.”

“Fireworks? But…”

Thiel’s expression grew uncertain as she remembered how Perdi had burned the garden earlier that day.

‘Why are we doing this again?’

Was it possible Perdi didn’t like the gardener?

Unbothered by her concern, Perdi scooped up his little sister and descended the stairs with confident strides.

Waiting at the bottom were Olivia and Lucian, already dressed and prepared for the outing.

They wore unique masks that concealed part of their faces.

“Sister? Brother?”

Thiel tilted her head as she looked between Olivia and Lucian.

“Why are you wearing those?”

“You will too.”

Perdi said, taking a small half-mask from the maid. He carefully placed it over Thiel’s face.

The mask was adorned with delicate gemstones and shaped like a cute, tiny leopard.

While Perdi and Lucian wore masks as black as ebony, Thiel’s was a bright, pristine white, perfectly suited to her.

The half-mask had been custom-made by Perdi and Lucian, designed specifically to complement their little sister’s image for this occasion.