The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

There was no disagreement in the Asterian estate about Tiel having grown much taller than before.

As the seasons changed and spring flowers bloomed and withered, the spots on the soft fur of the snow leopard on her body became even more pronounced. During this time, the young girl had grown more quickly than anyone else in the estate.

Her rosy cheeks, small round nose, large, sparkling eyes, and soft, silky hair tied in a round braid — no trace of her previous ragged appearance could be found.

After returning from Arcadia, as promised, the Emperor allowed Tiel to stay in Asterian, and Alpheus temporarily passed on the title of head of the family to Tiel.

Of course, he did not intend to officially throw the heavy and burdensome position of "head of the Asterian family" onto Tiel, so no formal appointment ceremony was held.

However, everything was handled under the name of Tiel Asterian, head of the Asterian family, and no one had any complaints about it.

No one could complain, because this little girl had accomplished so much.

At the age of seven, she saved her brothers, rescued the Crown Prince from a perilous situation, and then saved the beastkin in Arcadia, who were on the brink of being slaughtered.

Who could complain? Even Karsus and Ferdie, who were the designated heirs, had no complaints. There was no one in the Empire who dared to express dissatisfaction.

For the past five years, Alpheus, Karsus, Ferdie, and Ludian had protected Tiel without any gaps.

Though they could not make up for the lost childhood, they lovingly and carefully embraced the youngest, whom they had found late, and vowed to nurture her, providing all the care she had missed in the past.

Thanks to this, Tiel grew up wonderfully, surrounded by the love of her family.

The girl, now dressed in a light pink dress matching the color of her rosy cheeks, gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

"Of course you've grown! You've grown so much more than before!"

Ria smiled warmly as she responded. Her soft gaze rested on the little girl she had lovingly cared for.

Tiel smiled brightly and turned around, lightly embracing Ria. Ria, accustomed to Tiel's playful affection, gently embraced her.

"Now, you must go. Ferdie and Ludian are waiting for you."

Ria gently placed a cute headband on Tiel’s head as she spoke. Tiel nodded.

"Yes! I'll be back, Ria! I’ll buy a delicious cake on the way back!"

"Hehe, the Asterian patissiers will be so upset if they hear that."

"Of course, what they make is also very delicious! But sometimes, a new taste is needed, right?"

Tiel said cheerfully, as if singing. Ria smiled silently.

The girl had undergone many changes in the past five years, and the most notable one was that she had become much more talkative.

At first, she could barely express herself, always watching her words, but now, the once silent girl had disappeared, replaced by a lively, chattering Tiel who filled the heart of the Asterian estate.

Ria, overjoyed at her beloved lady's transformation, always responded to Tiel’s chatter with the utmost care.

"That's right, new tastes are needed. I'm very curious about what kind of cake you’ll bring today! Be sure to buy lots for Ferdie and Ludian!"

"Yes! I’ll make sure to buy a lot. Half of it will definitely be eaten by my brothers."

Tiel laughed happily as she walked out of the room with Ria. At that moment, someone standing by the door quickly scooped Tiel up into their arms.

Startled, Tiel let out a small scream. Ria, smiling helplessly, took a step back.

"Tiel, what’s so fun? Keeping your brothers waiting like this."

The person who suddenly scooped Tiel up was, of course, Ferdie Asterian.

"Ferdie, no! I told you not to pick me up like this. I’m twelve now!"

Tiel protested in an annoyed voice, but Ferdie paid no attention, carrying her while walking.

Ludian followed behind. He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a bag of candy, slipping a piece into Tiel’s mouth.

"You’ll still be small enough to carry even when you're twenty. So, just enjoy being carried!"

"Really..."

Tiel shot Ludian an irritated look but didn’t say anything more, instead rolling the candy around in her mouth. The candy made a pleasant crunching sound as it hit her teeth.

Ferdie and Ludian carried Tiel down the spiral staircase and out of the estate. The servants, watching the harmonious siblings, naturally smiled.

"When does the vacation end? When do you have to go back to the Academy?"

"One month. Not long, right? So don’t think about writing letters to Ian Dross, just spend time playing with your brothers," Ferdie said with mild displeasure.

Ferdie was not happy about Tiel exchanging letters with Ian Dross. In fact, not just Ferdie, but Ludian felt the same.

Since that day, Tiel had regularly exchanged letters with Ian, but there was nothing particularly special written in the letters.

Most of the time, the letters were about cakes or scones they had eaten that day, or occasionally about the weather if it rained or snowed.

Sometimes there were letters saying "I miss you," but those were really rare. Tiel swore to Lysette that she had never written anything inappropriate in the letters to Ian Dross.

Ian Dross, as promised, always replied to her letters diligently.

There were even times when Ian sent a letter first. On days when Tiel said she missed him, Ian would visit, and they would eat sandwiches by the lakeside.

Ferdie and Ludian didn’t like that part at all. They were at the Academy during the semester, but somehow, they had found out about it.

There was no one in the estate who would spill the beans about Tiel and Ian Dross’s correspondence...

"You also wrote to your brothers! Don’t be jealous of Ian!"

"Of course, it’s natural for me to write to you. You’re my little sister, and I’m your brother."

"Right, Ian is just a ‘mere Crown Prince.’"

A mere Crown Prince? Tiel briefly wondered how the words "mere" and "Crown Prince" could be used in the same sentence.

Even though beastkin society had strong family powers and relatively weak imperial authority, Ian Dross was still the Crown Prince...

Ferdie and Ludian, even as they got older, still treated Ian Dross as a "guy who took away their little sister."

This was something that concerned Alpheus greatly, but Karsus never intervened in his sons' way of speaking.

Ferdie, Ludian, and Tiel climbed into the carriage. The coachman, who had already been told their destination, gently started the carriage. The horse let out a long, loud neigh.

They were heading to Grem Street, the busiest place in the Asterian territory, where they would buy Tiel a new dress and enjoy a delicious cake before returning.

Although Ian Dross occasionally sent Tiel new dresses, Ferdie and Ludian insisted on buying her new clothes themselves.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Alpheus and Karsus also felt the same, so Tiel’s wardrobe was piled high with dresses, enough that she couldn’t wear them all even if she changed every day.

Tiel stubbornly refused, saying she didn’t need any more dresses, but Ferdie and Ludian insisted on buying her dresses, just as Ian Dross had, and took her out.

Tiel often found herself confused, wondering if she was entertaining her brothers or if they were entertaining her.

At that moment, Ferdie nudged Tiel’s shoulder and asked.

"Tiel, are you still carrying that fish around?"

Tiel turned her head and looked at the sparkling fish. The fish, almost as if it understood Ferdie's words, continued to sparkle and tilted its head.

Over the five years, the fish, like Tiel, had grown significantly. It now truly looked like a proper fish.

The fins were longer, the body was smoother, and it had grown quite a bit.

"It likes being out. It wanted to see the outside, so I couldn’t refuse. It’s fine inside the carriage, but not outside. Right?"

Tiel smiled softly as she gently tapped the fish’s nose. The fish, as if understanding her, spun around in place.

Ferdie and Ludian silently watched Tiel. It was clear that Tiel had grown unrecognizably over the past five years.

This wasn’t just about her longer limbs or her curly, flowing hair.

Her abilities, too, had grown remarkably over the past five years.