The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family-Chapter 67

Alpheus stepped down from his carriage.

Shortly after, Karsus, Ferdi, and Ludian followed suit.

And finally—

"Tiel, be careful."

Holding onto Ferdi’s hand, Tiel carefully descended from the carriage.

At that moment, all eyes were on her. The young girl did her best not to tremble as she lifted her head.

The first thing that caught her eye was the strange-looking stage at the very center of the vast plaza.

What is that?

There were a total of six platforms. Five of them were adorned with ornaments symbolizing the unique abilities of each noble house, while one remained empty.

On the four occupied platforms, the heads of each noble family stood tall, with their family members neatly lined up behind them.

And then—

Gasp!

Tiel’s breath hitched when she spotted Chender Nestian, standing high and imposing atop the Nestian platform.

H-Grandfather...

Her lips pressed together tightly as she instinctively hunched her shoulders.

It was... a reflex. An involuntary reaction, completely outside of her control.

The so-called discipline inflicted upon her in Nestian—the abuse masked as training, the neglect, the torment—had left its scars far too deep.

Even though she had changed remarkably in her time with Asterian, the trauma Nestian left behind was something that could not be erased so easily.

Of course, it was only natural.

Tiel had died in Nestian before coming back to life.

Expecting the wounds of two lifetimes to be healed in such a short time would have been an impossible demand.

Chender’s gaze, as cold as ice, locked onto her before he sharply turned away.

Behind him, Cornelia and Rowen stood silently. Their gazes were fixed on Tiel as well.

But unlike Chender, their eyes burned with clear hostility.

Tiel made a conscious effort to avoid looking in their direction.

That was when—

"Tiel—!"

The Wolfgang family of Wind.

From behind their platform, Olivia had spotted Tiel and was now waving enthusiastically.

Half of the gazes that had been glued to Tiel shifted toward Olivia at the sudden outburst. Yet, she seemed completely unbothered by the attention.

"Olivia."

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Etienne’s voice carried a quiet warning. Olivia pouted but straightened up again.

Olivia unnie...

A wide, unconscious smile broke across Tiel’s lips.

Just moments ago, she had been frozen stiff, as cold and brittle as ice, because of Nestian’s presence.

But Olivia’s cheerful voice, the warmth in Etienne’s gaze, and the steady heat of Ferdi’s hand wrapped around hers all made her tension melt away.

Alpheus stepped up onto the central Asterian platform.

Karsus, Ferdi, Ludian, and Tiel followed behind him, taking their places.

Now, five of the six platforms were filled. Only one remained empty.

Everything was in place.

At that moment, the knights standing in formation all turned their heads at once.

From the distance, a carriage even more enormous, more resplendent, and more imposing than Asterian’s approached at a slow, deliberate pace.

The Imperial citizens held their breaths, unable to make a sound as they watched the colossal carriage draw near.

Emblazoned across its side was the golden emblem of Crassion’s Imperial family—a lion crest, shining under the sunlight.

The Imperial Seal!

There was no doubt.

Inside that carriage were none other than Emperor Wilhelm and Crown Prince Ian Dross.

Before long, the carriage door opened.

Stepping out side by side, Emperor Wilhelm and Crown Prince Ian Dross descended onto the stone plaza.

The gathered crowd gazed up at them—in awe, in reverence, and in fear.

The Emperor walked forward at a measured pace, ascending onto the golden platform at the center of the six stages.

Ian Dross followed behind him, taking his place just behind the throne.

"Lord Ian... It’s Lord Ian!"

"My god, he’s absolutely breathtaking..."

From every direction, an explosion of admiration filled the air. The sheer volume of praise for Ian Dross’s appearance was deafening.

Even Tiel, Ferdi, and Ludian could hear every word.

"Am I not just as handsome?" Ludian asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Tiel, expression firm, clasped his hand tightly and declared,

"Oraeboni, you are very handsome."

"Huh? Oh! Thanks, Tiel!"

"But not as much as Lord Ian."

Tiel was unwavering.

Ferdi and Ludian had inherited Karsus and Lena’s exquisite features to such an extent that they could easily be considered among the most beautiful young men in the Empire.

But—

"Lord Ian is just a little... different!"

At least, that’s how it was in Tiel’s eyes.

Her gaze drifted toward Ian Dross.

First of all, Ian had a certain aura—one that made it feel like he wasn’t someone you could approach lightly.

Neither of her brothers had that... or rather, Ferdi did, but Ludian didn’t.

Of course, Ludian was often called unapproachable when he was out in public. A strikingly handsome young noble, admired from afar.

But in front of Tiel, Ludian never showed that kind of demeanor. Not even for a second.

So naturally, her evaluation of him was bound to be lower.

Ian Dross, who had been standing with a tired, almost bored expression, suddenly shifted his gaze toward the Asterians.

Tiel.

His lips moved slightly.

And even without sound, Tiel immediately understood—he was calling her.

"Lord Ian!"

Tiel held herself back, suppressing the instinctive urge to greet him.

But then—

"What the hell is wrong with him?"

Ferdi’s expression hardened unnaturally.

Ludian’s gaze also sharpened.

"Huh?"

Tiel tilted her head, trying to check her brothers’ expressions, but before she could, the Emperor spoke.

She lost her chance.

***

"Luminarie."

The Emperor’s voice boomed across the plaza.

Everyone fell silent.

Thanks to the relic that amplified his voice, every single citizen and knight present could hear him clearly.

"A festival for Ruisette."

Anyone born and raised in Crassion knew that already—it was an undisputed fact.

Which was precisely why many were confused as to why the Emperor was saying something so obvious.

But the Emperor continued, unfazed by the murmurs of doubt.

"And so, there is one person I must summon to this place."

The moment those words left his mouth, Alpheus’s expression darkened.

Karsus, Ferdi, and Ludian were the same.

Ferdi, sensing something instinctively wrong, tightened his grip around Tiel’s hand.

The only one who failed to grasp the gravity of the moment was Tiel herself.

"Why is everyone acting like this?"

She glanced up at Ferdi, who looked deeply unsettled.

His gaze was locked onto Ian Dross, as if scrutinizing him for answers.

Then it happened.

"Tiel Asterian."

The Emperor called her name.

"...Huh?"

Tiel’s eyes widened.

All at once, every gaze in the plaza turned toward her.

Dazed, Tiel loosened her grip on Ferdi’s hand.

Ferdi, realizing she had to step forward, slowly released her as well.

"M-Me?"

"Come forth."

The Emperor’s voice was gentle, yet unyielding.

Tiel’s head turned toward Karsus and Alpheus, seeking their approval.

There had been no mention of this before.

No one had told her about this.

But then, she felt it—a large, warm hand pressing against her back.

Karsus.

So she wouldn’t be startled, he whispered softly.

"He’s calling for you. Go ahead."

"Ah... y-yes."

Tiel nodded and, taking small, careful steps, began walking toward the Emperor.

She could feel it.

The way every single person in the plaza was watching her.

Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest the moment she opened her mouth.

Trying her best to stay calm, she finally stood before Emperor Wilhelm.

"You have awakened the Light Ability, have you not?"

The Emperor looked down at her.

To meet his gaze, Tiel had to tilt her head all the way back.

"Y-Yes, I... I have the Light Ability."

At her words, the entire plaza fell into a hushed silence.

Everyone knew that a child in Asterian had awakened the Light Ability.

Recently, there had even been rumors about a new legend regarding it.

But still—many had dismissed it as baseless gossip.

So hearing it directly from Tiel herself was shocking to those who had doubted it.

"In that case, it is only natural that you be here for the opening of Luminarie."

The Emperor’s voice reverberated across the plaza.

"Asterian’s Little Snow Leopard."

The moment those words left his lips, Chender Nestian and the Nestian knights visibly flinched.

A tiny snow leopard, born among black leopards.

They knew exactly what that meant—what that name symbolized.

Meanwhile, the Asterian knights stood proud.

The nobles of Asterian, too, remained composed and unshaken.

A snow leopard among black leopards.

Even if she was a hybrid, even if she was not pure, that fact meant nothing to them.

Not in the way it did for Nestian.

Tiel lifted her gaze to look up at Emperor Wilhelm.

"Show me—show us—show them your power."

The Emperor’s voice echoed across the plaza.

"Let the world know that light has returned to Crassion."

He sealed it with a single, resolute declaration.

"The moment you reveal your light, Luminarie will truly begin."