The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family-Chapter 43

"Tiel."

Karsus took the baby snow leopard into his arms and lightly kissed the top of her small head. After handing Tiel over, Ria took a step back and bowed.

"When I went to see her, she had already transformed."

"You did well. You may go."

Ria gave a slight nod before quickly leaving the office.

"Uuung..."

Tiel pressed her soft paw against Karsus's chest. The small pink paw pads squished as she pushed.

If her paws hadn't been clean, she would have left little paw prints on his clothes.

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"Why did you suddenly transform?"

"Kyuung!"

The baby snow leopard shook her head. She hadn’t done it on purpose.

She flailed her little paws and tried her best to explain. I just woke up like this!

"So you're saying you didn’t do this yourself?"

"Uung!"

Tiel nodded enthusiastically. Karsus chuckled as if he understood. His large, warm palm came to rest on her head.

Tiel folded her ears in rhythm with his strokes, adjusting herself into a more comfortable position to be petted.

"I see. It’s because you’re still young. Your abilities and transformations are unstable, so your body shifts on its own."

"Kkyuing..."

"You’re asking when you’ll change back? Hmm. Normally, it takes about a day or two."

A day or two? Tiel’s face darkened. She had assumed it would last only a few hours at most.

Being unable to talk was frustrating, but even worse—

It’s too hot...

The thick fur covering her body made her feel twice as warm as usual. She rolled onto her back in Karsus’s arms, revealing all four of her pink paw pads.

"...Cute."

Karsus either didn’t know or didn’t care about her suffering and simply stroked her soft belly.

"Kkiiing!"

No, stop! It’s too hot!

His hands were much warmer than others—of course, they were. He had Fire Abilities. The baby snow leopard wriggled in discomfort.

But Karsus didn’t understand her protests, so in the end, she had no choice but to let him pet her as much as he pleased.

It was too hot... Her body went limp in his arms, but Karsus still failed to notice how sensitive she was to heat.

The Asterian estate was home to the Black Leopards, who wielded fire. No one here was sensitive to heat.

Even when Lena Nestian, a Snow Leopard, had once stayed in Asterian, no one had realized she struggled with the temperature.

That was because Lena had Ice Abilities and could regulate her own body temperature.

It's unbearably hot...

But Tiel had not been born with Ice Abilities. She had no way to cool herself down.

I didn’t feel it this much before...

Before, it had been just slightly warm. But now that her entire body was covered in fluffy fur, she felt like she was about to roast alive.

She even thought she might as well be a well-baked pastry at this point.

Just then, Karsus glanced at the clock and muttered in a weary tone.

"It’s already time for the meeting."

Hearing the word meeting, Tiel wiggled in his arms.

Karsus needed to attend a meeting. He would probably call for Ria and have her take her back to her room. Then she could find the coolest place to lie down.

Just as she was about to leap out of his arms—

"...!!"

Karsus suddenly stood up, still holding her.

Startled, the baby snow leopard pressed her front paws against his arm.

Dad, weren’t you going to your meeting...?!

Karsus didn’t seem to care. He firmly cradled her in his arms and walked out of the office.

The tiny snow leopard, nestled against his broad chest, blinked in confusion.

Maybe he’s taking me back to my room on the way...?

That hopeful thought shattered in an instant.

Karsus strode straight into the conference room—still carrying her.

"...!!!"

"!!!!"

Tiel, realizing she had just entered a meeting in his arms, was too shocked to react.

The retainers and Alpheus, who had just watched Marquis Celeste casually walk in with a baby snow leopard, were just as stunned.

The only one who remained unfazed was Karsus.

Completely composed, he walked to his seat and sat down.

"I’m late," he said casually. "As you can see."

He tilted his chin toward his daughter, who was still frozen in his arms, and smirked.

"There was an issue with my daughter."

"Tiel? Tiel, is that you?"

Alpheus shot up from his chair and hurried over.

Tiel, still flustered, quickly nodded and lifted her tiny paws.

Grandpa!

"Kkyuuuing!"

But Alpheus couldn’t scoop Tiel into his arms. Karsus had already snatched her up, securing her firmly in his embrace.

"Let’s start the meeting."

"You little—"

Karsus tilted his head slightly, an easy smirk playing on his lips. The smirk of a victor.

And so, Tiel remained seated on Karsus’s lap, unintentionally witnessing the Asterian family meeting.

‘My goodness... he’s so adorable.’

‘My daughter used to be that small too... haah...’

She could hear the whispers of the retainers here and there. Her small ears perked in their direction.

Even though Karsus shot them a look, none of them could take their eyes off of Tiel.

Her snow-white fur and golden eyes that gleamed like the sun were so strikingly beautiful and adorable that even passersby would have stopped to stare.

And it wasn’t just the retainers—Alpheus, the head of the Asterian family, was also failing miserably at concentrating on the meeting.

‘Why did she suddenly transform? Damn it, she’s my granddaughter, but she’s just... unbearably cute!’

Alpheus kept stealing glances at Tiel. Every time their eyes met, she flashed a little smile at him.

It was just... so ridiculously cute that it made his chest ache.

Alpheus silently vowed that the moment this meeting ended, he would summon an artist to capture this moment in a portrait.

As Tiel nestled sleepily in Karsus’s arms, her eyelids fluttering, the meeting quickly came to a close.

It was, without a doubt, the most distracted and adorable meeting in Asterian history.

***

"Tiel, my darling!"

Alpheus finally got to hold her once the meeting was over. The moment he scooped up the tiny baby snow leopard, his face lit up.

"Uuung..."

Tiel scrunched up her face and gently pushed at his approaching face.

Grandpa is even hotter than Dad...

She could still tolerate Karsus, but Alpheus’s heat was way too much for her.

Seeing Tiel push him away, Alpheus froze in shock, his expression utterly wounded.

"M-my dear...?"

"Kkyuing..."

"D-does this old man... have done something wrong?"

His voice trembled as he carefully asked. Tiel blinked her round eyes and shook her head.

No, Grandpa didn’t do anything wrong!

But if she had to find one flaw, it would be... his body temperature was just too high.

Tiel hesitated for a moment. Alpheus looked far too heartbroken.

In the background, Karsus was openly smirking, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

After contemplating, the baby snow leopard decided to rub her head against her grandpa’s beard.

A soft purring sound rumbled from her throat.

Grandpa, you didn’t do anything wrong!

"Uuuung!"

Tiel nuzzled into him and wiggled her tiny paws in the air.

Overcome with emotion, Alpheus clutched her tightly and started stroking her fur endlessly.

"Find an artist! At once! My granddaughter’s adorable form must be immortalized in a painting!"

Huh? A painting?

That much?

Tiel blinked and peeked over at Karsus.

But before she could react further, Alpheus practically buried his face into his own belly while hugging her.

A wave of even stronger heat washed over her.

Her golden eyes flickered toward Karsus in a silent plea for rescue.

Fortunately, Karsus understood immediately and pulled her out of Alpheus’s grasp.

"I’ll arrange for an artist. Now, let go. The child is uncomfortable."

"W-what?! She just willingly pressed her head against me! She even purred!"

"Tiel rarely says ‘no’ even when she dislikes something."

Karsus shrugged, having successfully extracted Tiel from Alpheus’s overwhelming embrace.

I’m sorry, Grandpa, but you’re just too hot...

Feeling a little guilty, Tiel reached out a small paw toward him and winked as if to console him.

And then—

"Father—!!!"

"Grandpa!!"

The office door burst open, and Ludian and Ferdi came rushing inside.