The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family-Chapter 66

After Ian left.

"Did you have a good talk?"

Ferdi gently swept Tiel's bangs aside. Sitting in Ferdi’s embrace, Tiel nodded.

"Yes! He said he liked my gift! I was really worried he might not, but thankfully, he did!"

"Of course, he would. Who gave it to him?"

Ferdi's eyes curved into a soft smile. Beside them, Ludian, who had been playing with Tiel’s hair, suddenly chimed in.

"Exactly! That guy would’ve been happy with anything you gave him. Even if you just picked up something random, he’d still be grateful."

For the Crown Prince of the Empire, this was quite a dismissive remark, but no one raised any objections.

"Now, hurry up and wash up. You need to go to bed early since you have to wake up early tomorrow."

Tonight was the eve of the Luminarie Festival, and tomorrow was the main event.

Since Tiel was still young, she wasn’t required to attend the eve celebrations. However, she absolutely had to be present for the main festival.

Tomorrow marked not only the beginning of the most significant festival among the beast clans, dedicated to Ruisette, but also—

The day the youngest daughter of the Asterian family would make her first public appearance in the world.

Tiel gulped as she stared blankly beyond the darkened window.

Ferdi and Ludian took turns reassuring her, trying to ease her nerves, but she still felt a little anxious.

That was when—

"Are you nervous?"

At some point, Alpheus had appeared, placing his large, warm hand atop Tiel’s head.

Blinking at the familiar warmth, Tiel looked up.

"Grandpa—!"

Alpheus had been out all day handling affairs and had just returned. Tiel immediately grasped his wrinkled hand tightly.

"A little bit."

There was no need to pretend she wasn’t nervous.

One of the first things she had learned after coming to Asterian was how to express her emotions honestly.

So, Tiel no longer hid her fears. The young girl clutched Alpheus’s warm hand tightly.

"But it's okay. I have Grandpa, Dad, and my brothers with me."

And also Olivia unnie, Aunt Etienne, and Uncle Stefano.

Alpheus gazed at his small granddaughter with pride.

Perhaps because she had been malnourished growing up, or maybe she had simply been born small, but Tiel was incredibly tiny.

That very fact made Alpheus even more protective of her.

"That's right, Tiel. You’ll do just fine."

"You don’t have to do anything. You just need to stand there."

The first statement came from Alpheus. The second, from Ferdi. Following his grandfather’s words, Ferdi took Tiel’s hand and met her gaze.

"You don’t have to worry about anything. Your brother will take care of everything else. So don’t worry. Alright?"

Ferdi’s voice was so gentle and soothing that even the tiny bit of fear left in Tiel’s heart melted away.

"Yes, I will!"

Tiel nodded, her eyes gleaming with a small flicker of light.

Alpheus smiled warmly and lifted Tiel into his arms. Ferdi and Ludian both reached out to pat her head.

Karsus, who had arrived late, stood at a distance, silently watching the scene unfold.

Family.

"...Family, huh."

Karsus muttered under his breath.

"Karsus Celeste Asterian, you don’t know the meaning of family!"

Back then, he had thought those words were nothing more than nonsense.

But now—

"Ah, Grandpa! I’m dizzy!"

Perhaps, he was finally beginning to understand what Lena had wished for.

***

The Day of the Festival.

The Asterian maids put all their effort into dressing Tiel up with utmost care.

Of course, since she was still a child, they avoided any accessories that would be too restrictive or uncomfortable. Instead, they adorned her with light, delicate ornaments.

Yet, because each piece was crafted by master artisans, rather than being excessive, they blended harmoniously, enhancing her radiance.

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And with the dress that Ian Dross had gifted her, she truly looked like a princess from a grand castle.

"Let’s go, Tiel."

Ludian extended his hand to her. Without hesitation, Tiel grabbed her brother’s hand and nodded.

"Yes!"

A massive carriage, engraved with the Asterian crest, stood towering in front of the mansion. Lining both sides were rows upon rows of knights standing in formation.

Even though she had always thought the carriage was grand, standing before it with hundreds of knights surrounding it made it seem even more imposing than usual.

"Tiel, let's go."

Karsus effortlessly lifted Tiel into the carriage. Ferdi and Ludian followed next, and finally, Karsus climbed aboard.

Since Alpheus had to ride alone in a separate, massive carriage ahead of them, he was not traveling with the rest of the family.

"We’re departing!"

With the knight at the lead shouting in a commanding voice, the carriages set off.

The sight of hundreds of knights riding behind them in formation was nothing short of a spectacle.

Tiel, holding back her nervousness, gazed out the carriage window.

On the way to the capital, the horses gifted by the Wolfgang family had been tied to the carriage, making the scenery blur past too quickly for her to take anything in.

But this time, the goal wasn’t to arrive quickly. Instead, it was to allow the Imperial citizens of Crassion to witness the Asterian family in full display. As a result, the procession moved at a slow pace, allowing her to observe the outside world through the window.

Even though they hadn’t yet reached the central district, the streets were already densely packed with citizens.

"Whoooaa—!!"

"Asterian! It’s the Asterians!"

Excited cheers erupted from every direction. It was the first time in three years that the citizens had seen an Asterian procession, and their excitement was boundless.

Ferdi and Ludian, accustomed to such receptions, waved at the crowd with practiced ease.

And then—

"Tiel, come here."

Ferdi lifted Tiel into his arms and seated her on his lap.

Through the wide-open carriage window, the people in the distance would now have a clear view of their youngest lady.

Sitting on Ferdi’s lap, Tiel opened her eyes wide and gazed at the Imperial citizens.

Even in her past life, even in this life, she had never seen so many people gathered in one place. The sheer number of them watching her was far beyond anything she had imagined.

"That— that can’t be...!"

"Could it be?! The youngest lady they found recently?!"

"It’s the youngest princess of Asterian!"

"The one who awakened the Light Ability, right?!"

"Looks like from now on, Luminarie is going to be a festival dedicated to Asterian’s youngest princess!"

The citizens chatted excitedly among themselves. Tiel perked up her ears, listening intently to their voices.

Though the mix of cheers, horse hooves, and countless conversations made it difficult to catch everything—

"Go on, wave to them, Tiel."

Ferdi gently clasped Tiel’s hand and lightly waved it in greeting on her behalf.

Feeling a little overwhelmed, Tiel stared at the sea of people and began to wave.

At that moment, Ludian, who had also been waving at the crowd, leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

"At least half of them are probably here just to see you!"

They hadn’t even reached the Imperial Palace yet, and the sheer size of the crowd was overwhelming.

Even considering the prestige of the Asterian family, this was an unprecedented turnout.

"I’m serious. I bet I’m right."

Ludian chuckled as he observed the countless citizens unable to take their eyes off Tiel.

Just as he suspected, most of the people gathered here had come specifically to catch a glimpse of the youngest lady of Asterian.

The long-lost youngest daughter, missing for seven years, now found and returned. The cherished jewel of the most prestigious ducal house in the Empire—such titles alone were enough to ignite the curiosity of the citizens beyond control.

This is amazing...

Tiel fidgeted with her hands.

It was hard to believe so many people had gathered just to see her.

But at the same time—she felt happy.

Because this moment wasn’t just a spectacle.

This was a declaration to the world.

A moment to publicly affirm that she was part of the Asterian family—that she was truly one of them.

With eyes brimming with emotion, Tiel looked out at the countless faces watching her.

Meanwhile, the carriage, though moving slowly, was steadily making its way toward the Imperial Palace.

The Opening Ceremony of Luminarie was held in an enormous plaza directly adjacent to the palace—an area managed directly by the Imperial family.

The Closing Ceremony would be held there as well. Both the beginning and end of the festival were marked by grand events in that plaza.

And that was exactly where the Asterian family’s carriage was now headed.

Before long, the carriages of the noble houses, each bearing their respective family crests, began arriving at the plaza in succession.

The first to arrive was Iker of Thunder.

Next came House Arne.

Then Nestian.

Then Wolfgang.

And finally—

"Whoooaaaaaa—!!"

The moment the colossal Asterian carriage appeared, an explosive roar erupted from the citizens.

The cheers were vastly louder than when the previous houses had arrived—there was simply no comparison.