The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 25

Nora froze, the hopeless possibility suddenly striking her. Her heart pounded in her chest.

She whirled around, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. But all she saw were two unfamiliar women; there was no sign of Little Leopard.

Disappointment washed over her like a tidal wave. Just as she was about to ask about Little Leopard, her gaze inadvertently landed on the fluffy ears atop the champagne-blonde woman’s head.

Her eyes widened, her mouth falling slightly open as shock engulfed her.

She couldn’t be mistaken. Those ears—they were unmistakably Little Leopard’s!

In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through her mind. Discarding the most unbelievable one, Nora’s thoughts plummeted toward the worst possible conclusion, anger, confusion, and anguish twisting in her heart.

She stepped forward, her gaze icy, her voice tight with suppressed fury. “Who are you? How dare you wear Little Leopard’s ears!”

Huh?

Yi’an froze, bewildered. This isn’t how things were supposed to go!

Seeing Nora grip her dagger and advance menacingly toward her, Yi’an panicked. She lunged forward, grabbing Nora’s hand and stammering, “No, no… it’s… it’s me! Yi’an… no, Little Leopard! I’m Little Leopard!”

“Little Leopard?” Nora’s voice trembled, as if she couldn’t believe her ears.

Seeing the exhaustion and confusion in Nora’s eyes, Yi’an’s heart ached. She couldn’t resist stepping forward and pulling Nora into a tight embrace.

The dagger clattered to the snow-covered ground with a soft thud.

Cradled in Yi’an’s arms, Nora greedily inhaled the familiar scent, tears welling up instantly and soaking Yi’an’s collar.

“Little Leopard.” “I’m here.” “Little Leopard!” “I’m here!”…

Nora called out repeatedly, and Yi’an echoed her words again and again in her ear.

After a long while, as their emotions gradually calmed, Nora pushed Yi’an away, letting her gently wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. She stared unblinkingly at the unfamiliar face before her.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” she murmured. “Can I still call you Little Leopard?”

Her lake-blue eyes, brimming with tears, seemed even deeper. Yi’an gazed into those ocean-like eyes and nodded earnestly.

The Goddess of Life had never seen her daughter so distraught. Leaning against a nearby rock wall with amusement, she gently stroked the Snow Leopard’s soft fur.

The two young ones remained engrossed in their tender moment, showing no signs of stopping. The Goddess of Life sighed inwardly. While she wouldn’t mind continuing to observe their heartwarming scene, she feared someone might soon be embarrassed.

“Ahem,” she cleared her throat softly, breaking their reverie.

Nora finally realized they weren’t alone. She hastily pushed Yi’an away, frantically wiping tears from her cheeks. The memory of her earlier emotional display flushed her face crimson.

Yi’an also felt a pang of embarrassment, realizing she’d gotten carried away with joy, leaving her own mother neglected for so long. Such filial piety!

She quickly tugged at Nora’s sleeve, leading her to the Goddess of Life.

“Mom, this is Nora. She took care of me and protected me when I lost my memory,” Yi’an said, trying to sound calm, though the airplane ears on her head betrayed her nervousness. “Nora, this is my mom. The Snow Leopard she’s holding is… my other mom.”

The Goddess of Life smiled gently and nodded slightly. “Nora, it’s lovely to meet you. I’m sorry Yi’an has been such a handful.”

Nora shook her head vigorously, gazing at the golden-haired woman before her, who seemed too beautiful to be human. “No, she’s not a handful at all. Yi’an is my… friend.”

With that, she discreetly smoothed her hair, which had become slightly disheveled from days of travel.

The Goddess of Life observed this with amusement, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Nora’s face flushed crimson. She couldn’t resist shooting a sideways glare at Yi’an, who was grinning foolishly beside her.

I really misjudged her, Nora thought. She was so reliable as a Little Leopard, but as a human, she’s completely hopeless.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the brief silence. The three women turned to see a figure approaching them heavily from a distance.

Only when she recognized Nora did Sophia, leaning heavily on her staff, bend over, panting for breath.

Nora never expected to find Sophia at the summit of Mount Morang. She rushed over and took her aunt’s arm.

“Aunt Sophia, what are you doing here?”

The Goddess of Life followed closely behind. She raised her hand and gently waved it three times, summoning a wisp of pale green wind that swirled around the pale-faced woman. Within moments, Sophia’s ragged breathing gradually calmed.

Sophia looked up, ready to offer her thanks, but her expression shifted dramatically when she saw the golden-haired woman’s face. Her eyes widened with surprise and joy. She hastily removed her hood, bowed deeply, and kissed the Goddess of Life’s left middle finger. “Mother Goddess, Holy One. How did you come to be here? Charlotte and I have been searching for you everywhere.”

The Goddess of Life nodded slightly in acknowledgment, but unwilling to discuss the matter further in public, she changed the subject. “It’s a long story. How is the Grand Duke of Lancaster’s health?”

Sophia replied respectfully, “By your grace, Charlotte is in good health, though her legs still trouble her.”

Nora stared in shock at the scene unfolding before her. She couldn’t resist pinching Yi’an, who still seemed oblivious to the situation, and whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me your mother is the Goddess of Life?”

Yi’an froze, then realized she had been so excited she’d forgotten to mention it. She scratched her ear awkwardly, offering a guilty smile.

Nora saw Yi’an’s feigned innocence in her wide eyes and immediately understood what had happened. She glared at her speechlessly. “You might as well just stay a Little Leopard.”

Yi’an herself felt a bit foolish, as if her IQ had been steadily declining ever since reuniting with Nora.

She quickly tugged on Nora’s sleeve, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, “I’m sorry, okay? I was just so happy to see you, I got carried away.”

The warm breath tickling Nora’s ear sent a shiver down half her body. Her earlobes flushed, and her heart began to race.

She pulled her sleeve free from Yi’an’s grasp, her gaze drifting vaguely elsewhere as she murmured, “Just say what you need to say. Why are you getting so close?”

Yi’an couldn’t resist hooking her pinky finger around Nora’s. She took another small step forward, her gray-green eyes fixed on the faint pink at the corners of Nora’s eyes. Her voice softened. “I just want to be closer to you.”

Nora’s eyes widened, her heart pounding like a drum against her ribs. She stared so intently at the nearby rock, she almost willed flowers to bloom from its surface.

She instinctively pulled her numb little finger away and gave Yi’an a firm nudge, hastily changing the subject. “We should hurry down the mountain.”

Yi’an gently rubbed her empty index finger, a strange sense of regret tugging at her heart. She realized she might be clinging too tightly to Nora after their sudden separation and reunion.

I need to restrain myself a little, Yi’an silently admonished herself.

She straightened her posture and addressed the Goddess of Life with a touch of formality. “Mother, I’ll carry you both down the mountain.”

“Are you sure you have the energy?” the Goddess of Life asked, her voice laced with concern. After all, her daughter couldn’t even retract her leopard ears.

“Hmm, transforming into my beast form won’t be a problem,” Yi’an assured her with a confident smile.

She immediately transformed into a large leopard and crouched low to the ground, waiting for them to settle on her back. With a powerful leap, Yi’an surged forward, carrying them swiftly down the mountain.