The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 28

Sophia leaned against the desk, arms crossed, gaze lowered, lips pressed tightly together.

The air hung heavy, the silence amplifying the oppressive atmosphere in the room. Two glasses of red wine stood forlornly on the coffee table, their owners having temporarily lost interest in savoring the wine.

“I don’t understand why you’re suddenly bringing this up,” Sophia said, tilting her head slightly to avoid Charlotte’s gaze. Her voice was low and cold. “You know perfectly well I was abandoned by the Green Clan.”

Even after mentally preparing herself, Sophia’s intense reaction caught Charlotte off guard. She cautiously lifted her gaze to Sophia, her voice betraying a hint of barely perceptible nervousness. “You know, Feia, my parents left so suddenly. I don’t know how to cope with the emptiness of losing family.”

Her voice trailed off. “So… I just wanted to know what you think. Do you ever wish you had family?”

“If you don’t like it, I won’t ask again,” Charlotte said.

Hearing Charlotte’s candid confession, Sophia’s expression softened. She sat back down across from Charlotte, raised her wine glass, and spoke in a gentler tone, “I won’t change my mind. My only family is Teacher Morgan.”

“Is the wine good?” Charlotte suddenly asked, pointing to Sophia’s glass, changing the subject.

“Hmm? It’s quite good,” Sophia replied, slightly surprised but following the shift in conversation.

The atmosphere relaxed once more.

Charlotte poured glass after glass for Sophia, her face wearing an inscrutable expression. True to form, Sophia trusted her completely, accepting every drink without hesitation.

Before long, Sophia’s eyes grew hazy, and she soon slumped against the sofa, falling into a deep sleep.

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte murmured softly, lowering her head as she gazed at the defenseless figure before her.

A month later, at the Rose Castle Temple.

“I heard there’s news of Morgan in the Southern Territory?” The Beast God’s voice carried a hint of weariness, though his condition had improved significantly compared to before.

“Yes…” Charlotte hesitated, pausing before answering, “Did Sophia tell you?”

The Beast God nodded slightly. “Sophia mentioned you haven’t been well lately and asked me to protect you more while she’s away.”

Upon hearing these words, Charlotte’s expression grew complex. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she repeatedly tried to speak, only to swallow the words back down.

She lowered her gaze, gently stroking her abdomen. After a moment of silence, she finally looked up into the Beast God’s clear, gray-green eyes, knelt on one knee, and declared, “My lord, there’s something I must confess to you.”

“What is it?” The Beast God waved his hand, lifting her knee. “There’s no need for formalities.”

“I’m pregnant.” Charlotte’s voice was soft, yet it reverberated through the temple like a thunderclap.

“What?!” The Beast God’s eyes widened abruptly, holy light surging forth in an instant, scattering the white doves perched by the windows.

Charlotte had never seen the Beast God so flustered. After a moment of stunned silence, she slowly rose to her feet. “I know you must be shocked, but… I’ve already confirmed it with the doctor.”

The Beast God felt a throbbing headache. The undercurrents between Charlotte and Sophia had never escaped her notice. Yet who could have imagined that just two days after Sophia’s departure, Charlotte would drop such a bombshell?

Still, having lived for over a thousand years—even if most of that time had been spent under the Goddess of Life’s care in the Garden of Eden—the Beast God was a deity of vast experience.

I must pull myself together, she thought, finally regaining a semblance of composure.

She sat down again and waved her hand, summoning a pillow from the sofa to cushion Charlotte’s back. “Tell me,” she said, “what happened?”

Leaning against the soft pillow, Charlotte felt the ache in her lower back instantly ease.

Even in the face of such a shock, the Beast God hadn’t forgotten to care for her. This realization strengthened Charlotte’s resolve. She lifted her head, met the Beast God’s gaze, and parted her lips to speak.

“The White-Skinned Grin you mentioned earlier—I’ve found her. But she refuses any connection to the Grin Clan and denies her Green heritage.”

“I see.” The Beast God sounded slightly disappointed, but she added, “Then we must respect her wishes.”

“Do you have any other methods to awaken the Holy Beast?” Charlotte pressed.

At this, the Beast God’s lips tightened, her eyes darkening slightly. “There will always be a way.”

Charlotte nodded knowingly. “My lord, to be frank, that White-Skinned Grin is Sophia. And I… I’m carrying her child.”

?!

The Beast God’s eyes widened in shock, momentarily unsure whether to be more astonished by Sophia’s true identity or by Charlotte’s audacious act.

Having revealed so much, Charlotte hesitated no longer, pouring out the entire story in a torrent.

“A century ago, you granted my Great-Grandmother the Essence of Life, saving her life but also restructuring her bloodline. She later discovered, quite by accident, that she could conceive with women and bear offspring without the aid of the Tree of Life…”

“…My grandmother wasn’t a descendant of the union between the Great-Grandmother and Great-Grandfather. Their marriage was purely political; they never truly lived as husband and wife. My grandmother’s ‘father’ was the Great-Grandmother’s tutor. Though they never married, they were, in truth, a true couple.”

The Beast God raised an eyebrow, waving a dismissive hand. “I knew nothing of this. How did you come to learn such things?”

“My grandmother kept a journal. The reason she never told you…” Charlotte hesitated, “…they likely assumed you were aware of this change.”

“I thought so too, until… until you and the Goddess of Life conceived Little Leopard through the Tree of Life…”

“That Essence of Life—I obtained it by chance when I subdued the Hellhound. I possess no healing abilities. Your Great-Grandmother was on the brink of death, and I didn’t have time to seek out the Goddess of Life. In desperation, I tried anything…” The Beast God finally recalled the origin of the Essence of Life.

A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes. “Even with such an acquired bloodline, you shouldn’t have to go to such lengths for the Holy Beast.”

Charlotte’s lips curved into a faint smile as she gently stroked her abdomen. “I’m actually quite happy to do something for you and forge a deeper connection with Sophia.”

The Beast God sighed deeply, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. “Charlotte, you need to tell her. You shouldn’t keep this from her.”

“Sophia’s teacher, Archmage Morgan, is missing, and she’s already struggling with her identity,” Charlotte replied, her gaze momentarily evasive but her voice firm. “Besides, the rumors about Morgan’s fate are unreliable. She won’t be back for at least a year or two.”

The Beast God frowned slightly, feeling the full weight of human complexity. He rubbed his overloaded head, the entire panther both amused and exasperated. “So even the Morgan situation was just a ploy to distract her?”

Charlotte fluttered her eyelashes and lowered her head, murmuring softly, “You’re so clever.”

The Beast God was speechless. He leaned back in his chair and waved his hand dismissively.

“Not as clever as you.”