Previously
Alvinus introduces Thiel to the concept of her older brothers, Birdie and Lodian, who are rushing home from the academy to meet her. Thiel struggles with guilt, believing her grandfather Sinder's lie that her mother died because of her, and fears her brothers will hate her.
Being a hybrid born of two different clans did not mean inheriting the distinct traits of both.
Typically, a child inherited the appearance of only one parent; that was the natural course.
A Snow Leopard and a Black Panther.
At first glance, one might assume they shared similar bloodlines, but they were entirely different clans. It was considered impossible for a child to be born possessing the physical traits of both.
And yet…
Just as Lodian said, Thiel had inherited silver hair—the defining feature of a Snow Leopard—along with the golden eyes characteristic of a Black Panther.
She was the only one in the world like this.
Because of that, Sinder had always referred to Thiel as a mongrel. At the same time, he utterly despised her golden eyes.
He firmly believed that the reason Thiel failed to manifest her innate power was that she had inherited the golden eyes of the Black Panthers.
‘You mongrel!’
‘Don't you dare look at me with those dreadful eyes!’
As the cruel memories rushed back, Thiel lowered her head and tightly clasped her hands together.
Cassius quickly noticed her distress and stepped in.
It was an explicit command. Lodian glanced at Cassius with a sullen scowl, but Cassius paid it no heed.
Lodian, whose temper was naturally fiery, looked ready to snap back, but…
Birdie offered a light chuckle and smoothly cut Lodian off.
He then sliced off a generous piece of meat and dropped it onto Lodian’s plate as a silent cue to shut his mouth, before speaking:
Birdie asked in a gentle voice.
Thiel, who had been listening to Cassius’s reassuring words, slowly lifted her head at the soft tone.
‘Ah, twins.’
Thiel, curious about their matching features, glanced back and forth between Birdie and Lodian before nodding.
Now that she knew they were twins, their faces seemed even more alike.
Birdie’s warm gaze helped Thiel relax, loosening the tight grip she had kept on her hands out of sheer nerves.
Lodian, who had been watching with an indifferent expression, let out an exasperated scoff.
Lodian’s face flushed bright red. He looked ready to throw hands right then and there.
Cassius, entirely used to this squabbling, ignored them completely and focused on placing more food onto Thiel’s plate.
In the end, it was Alvinus who had to step in and rein in the two boys.
Alvinus set his utensils down and spoke in a firm, stern voice.
This time, it was Cassius.
Cassius called Lodian’s name in a low, quiet voice.
Surprised that his father, who had been paying them no mind, was suddenly addressing him, Lodian blinked. Cassius fixed him with a stare and said:
"…"
At Cassius’s words, everyone fell silent and turned their eyes toward Thiel.
Finally satisfied with the quiet, Cassius fed Thiel a small cherry tomato.
"…"
"…"
At that moment, Thiel felt like bursting into tears.
Leah asked gently. Thiel briefly peered past the rose bushes before shaking her head.
Thiel was currently taking tea at a small garden table, having followed Leah’s suggestion to enjoy the fresh air.
The miniature tea table, perfectly suited to Thiel’s small frame, was a gift from Alvinus.
Sitting beneath the pleasant shade of a tree, sipping tea sweet with plenty of sugar cubes, she had hoped to spend a quiet afternoon.
…If only her two older brothers weren't constantly peeking out from behind the rose bushes.
They were whispering as quietly as they could, but with so little distance between the rose bushes and the tea table, the boys' voices carried clear as day.
Birdie and Lodian had been forbidden from interacting with Thiel ever since that meal, all due to Cassius’s strict orders.
The reason was that Thiel was extremely wary around strangers. Lodian had protested loudly, but it was no use. Cassius had threatened to pack them straight back to the academy if they made Thiel uncomfortable.
Yet, Cassius’s warning seemed entirely ineffective, as Birdie and Lodian constantly hovered around Thiel, watching her every move.
They lingered in the corridor outside her room and occasionally peeked through her window—even though Thiel’s room was on the second floor!
Once, Thiel had even asked Leah about their strange behavior.
When Thiel asked with a worried frown, Leah covered her mouth with a hand and smiled fondly before answering.
Thiel couldn't bring herself to believe Leah’s words, but she merely nodded along.
‘How could that be?’
There was no way that was true…
Recalling the glimpse of Birdie’s gaze she had caught earlier, Thiel murmured silently to herself.
During her time at the Nestian estate, she had seen nothing but hostile people plotting conflict, so she knew all too well what animosity looked like.
And that day, Birdie—who had acted so gentle throughout dinner—was undoubtedly…
"…"
He was on guard against me…
Unlike Lodian, who acted entirely natural, Birdie was clearly wary of Thiel.
He tried his best to hide it, but it was unmistakable.
In the end, Thiel sighed quietly, anxiously lifting her teacup to take another sip.
The flavor of the black tea, carrying a faint bitterness, filled her mouth.
Unaccustomed to the taste, Thiel glanced briefly at the bowl heaped with sugar cubes before quickly averting her eyes.
Meanwhile, Leah noticed Thiel sipping the tea with an uneasy expression and stepped closer, covering her mouth with a sympathetic smile.
Apparently, the drink was not quite to her taste, even with the sugar cubes.
Leah placed a sweet confection into Thiel’s mouth and asked warmly:
Leah took the teacup from Thiel’s hands and set it aside.
Just as she was about to fetch a fresh cup of tea, another maid hurried over to Leah and whispered something into her ear.
Thiel listened intently to the quiet exchange between Leah and the maid.
‘Who arrived?’
Leah looked at Thiel for a moment, then stepped closer, knelt beside her, and whispered:
Refusing a prince’s visit would have been unthinkable in an ordinary household, but this was the Astrian family, renowned for their immense power.
Leah quietly waited for Thiel’s answer, expecting her to turn down the unexpected guest.
Yet, contrary to Leah’s expectations, Thiel’s face lit up brighter than ever as she smiled and nodded eagerly.
“I want to see him! I didn’t get to thank him properly last time.”
At that very moment, a distinct rustle came from behind the rose bushes.