The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 4

Witch Sophia gently pinched Yi’an’s little paw pad…

Ever since her first bath, the Little Leopard had become obsessed with the feeling of being clean and fragrant. She would paw at Nora every few days, demanding another bath.

Nora never grew tired of this. In fact, she thoroughly enjoyed the Little Leopard’s complete surrender to her ministrations.

She always bathed the Little Leopard herself.

First, she would splash water to dampen the Little Leopard’s fur, then lather her with soap. After working up a rich lather, Nora would meticulously comb through every strand of fur. Finally, she would rinse her thoroughly, first drying her with a soft cloth until no water dripped from her fur, then wrapping her in a small blanket like a little ball and cradling her by the charcoal fire to slowly warm her dry.

During these moments, the Little Leopard would become limp and drowsy from the warmth. Nora would then carry her back to bed, tuck her into a pre-warmed blanket, and only leave to attend to her duties after the Little Leopard had fallen sound asleep.

That afternoon, when Yi’an drowsily opened her eyes, she found herself alone in the room—or rather, alone except for one leopard.

She yawned widely, then arched her back and stretched her limbs, kicking off the blanket.

As she began her second round of “Downward-Facing Leopard Pose,” Nora returned.

“Oh, Little Leopard’s awake!”

Meow.

Every afternoon when she woke up, Nora would come in to greet her. At first, she would meow back several times, but now she strongly suspected Nora was timing her visits just to watch her stretch lazily.

Nora didn’t mind Little Leopard’s aloof and languid demeanor.

She leaned over the bed, her face level with Little Leopard’s head. “Aunt Sophia wants to see you. Do you want to go?”

Meow—

Feeling Little Leopard’s paw tap her hand, Nora’s lips curved into a gentle smile. She scooped the kitten into her arms and headed toward the Central Tower.

“Aunt Sophia spends most of her time in the Central Tower, doing magic experiments, except when she’s sleeping. Look, it’s just ahead.”

Yi’an followed Nora’s gaze and widened her Little Leopard eyes in astonishment.

Rather than a tower, it resembled a small palace.

The entire structure was milky white, roughly the height of a three-story building. Four tall turrets rose from the corners of the roof—three square and one round—and the large windows suggested excellent ventilation and natural light.

“It looks brand new, doesn’t it?” Nora ruffled the kitten’s fluffy head, as if sensing her surprise. She chuckled and explained, “That’s because my mother had it specially renovated for Aunt Sophia.”

“Inside there are laboratories, libraries, bedrooms, and things like that. Aunt Sophia spends most of her days there.”

Yi’an was so shocked she felt numb.

She was certain that the Rose Castle in the game’s lore didn’t have a white Central Tower at all. Sophia was just a witch mentioned in passing in the background lore.

She felt like she had transmigrated into a fanfiction of the game.

As they approached, they saw a petite, beautiful woman in a mage’s robe waiting at the entrance.

Huh? Isn’t that the witch who healed me earlier?

“Aunt Sophia, were you waiting for us?” Nora asked, surprised. She hadn’t told Sophia she would be bringing the Little Leopard over this afternoon.

Sophia nodded, smiled, and pushed open the gate. “I saw your figures approaching in the Water Mirror.”

Once inside the tower, Yi’an realized her earlier shock had been premature.

The interior was as magnificent as the main hall, if not more so.

What was the relationship between this Witch Sophia and Grand Duchess Charlotte? Why would the latter build such a lavish palace for her, bordering on treasonous extravagance?

Yi’an felt like she was about to lose all her fur.

“Tea or coffee?”

It wasn’t until Sophia’s voice rang out again that Yi’an realized they were already sitting on the sofa in the second-floor study.

Nora didn’t sit on the sofa herself, but instead lay across Sophia’s lap, absently stroking Little Leopard’s fur—a habit that had kept Yi’an’s fur perpetually tangle-free.

“Thank you, Aunt Sophia. Could I have a cup of coffee?”

“Where’s Little Leopard?” Sophia asked casually as she brewed the coffee.

Mew~ Mrow!

Nora quickly covered Little Leopard’s mouth, meeting her accusatory gaze. “Little Leopard can only drink goat milk,” she explained to Sophia.

Yi’an glared at Nora, thoroughly displeased. Since arriving here, she’d been stuck with goat milk day in and day out. Even the best goat milk got boring after a while!

But Sophia seemed oblivious to Little Leopard’s thoughts. “How convenient!” she said with a smile. “Your mother just sent over a fresh pitcher of goat milk this morning.”

Sophia glanced at Little Leopard, measured the portion with her eyes, then bent down to retrieve a small bowl from a cabinet. She filled it with goat milk, inserted a straw, and offered it to Little Leopard.

“Drink up,” she said, patting the little leopard’s head.

Mew!

Yi’an was overjoyed. She instantly forgot her earlier complaints about the goat milk and eagerly latched onto the straw, gulping down a large mouthful.

Ah, that’s so much better!

Nora only ever fed her tiny spoonfuls, making her think goat milk was boring!

Nora watched Little Leopard finish her goat milk through the straw, her eyes gleaming with contentment. A subtle, inexplicable discomfort stirred within her.

She reached out and gently removed the straw from Little Leopard’s mouth.

Meeting the startled gazes of Sophia and Little Leopard, Nora’s fingers froze around the straw. Heaven knows why I did that, she thought.

“Um… right, Little Leopard is still small. She could easily choke if she drinks on her own.”

Nora immediately convinced herself that she was right. Her earlier discomfort must have stemmed from worrying about Little Leopard choking on the milk.

“Ah, that makes sense,” Sophia said, seemingly persuaded by Nora’s explanation.

Yi’an was speechless. I’m not a real leopard! How could I choke on milk?

She glared at Nora with mock ferocity.

Sophia didn’t miss the silent exchange between the woman and the leopard. Smiling warmly, she placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee on the coffee table in front of Nora, then scooped Little Leopard from Nora’s lap into her own arms, playfully stroking her small ears.

“Charlotte mentioned she wants me to go to Morong with you?”

“She does, but I’d prefer to go alone.”

Sophia looked surprised. “Just you?”

“Technically, Little Leopard would be with me too—if you count her as a person,” Nora teased, tapping Little Leopard’s paw.

“Morong’s terrain is extremely complex, consisting of either high mountains or vast deserts. Snow Peak, the highest peak, is perpetually shrouded in blizzards, surrounded by snowfields and deep canyons,” Sophia said, turning to Nora with a serious warning. “South of the Greenfolk’s oasis towns, it’s all desert and wasteland…”

“I know,” Nora replied, facing Sophia. “Baal’s activity is a clear sign of growing danger. But with Mother’s mobility limited, Aunt Sophia is the only one I can truly trust.”

“Has the situation become that dire?” Sophia asked, momentarily stunned. To be honest, while she had detected some signs in her crystal ball, she hadn’t believed Baal still possessed enough power to cause widespread destruction after the battle ten years ago.

Nora nodded slightly. “I’d rather be prepared for the worst.”

Sophia gently squeezed Yi’an’s paw pad, making the paw bloom open and then curl into a ball. After a moment of contemplation, she nodded. “Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll support you. When do you plan to leave?”

“We were going to leave the day after tomorrow, but…” Nora shrugged helplessly. “We’re stuck with Grand Duchess Charlotte.”

Sophia chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. “I’ll speak to your mother. But you should wait an extra day before leaving.”

Meeting the puzzled gazes of Nora and Little Leopard, Sophia added, “I need time to prepare some herbal remedies and tonics for you and Little Leopard. You can’t refuse me this.”

Yi’an, who had been growing increasingly annoyed by Nora’s paw-squeezing, suddenly perked up at Sophia’s words.

Aunt Sophia is the best!

She promptly shoved her paw back into Sophia’s hand.

Meow meow meow meow! (Squeeze, squeeze away!)

Nora felt a strange pang of jealousy and narrowed her eyes.

You ungrateful little thing! I’m always running around for you, and you never show any appreciation. But now, just because Sophia says one thing, you’re letting her pet you all she wants!

This is just too… too easy!

Yi’an remained oblivious to Nora’s inner turmoil, mainly because Sophia’s hand massage felt overwhelmingly comfortable. Yes, this is a massage, definitely not any petting or stroking, she insisted to herself.

Just as she was purring thunderously, her limbs suddenly dangled in mid-air.

Ignoring Little Leopard’s shocked expression, Nora scooped up her little belly and announced to Sophia, “It’s getting late. Little Leopard and I should head back now.”

“Your mother said she’d like you to stay for dinner. Why not wait until after the meal?” Sophia glanced out the window; the sun hadn’t even begun to set.

Nora shook her head. “Little Leopard hasn’t had a bath today. Bathing her after dinner would be too late.”

Seeing that they were so insistent, Sophia stopped trying to persuade them and simply gave them a few parting instructions before letting them leave.

It wasn’t until they returned to their chambers that Yi’an suddenly realized something.

Wait a minute, I took my nap after my bath today!

Yi’an sat on the table, her gaze toward Nora utterly indescribable. You came back, fine, but why use me as an excuse?

She sighed. Ah, the child is growing up and developing her own little schemes!

Though Nora held a book, she couldn’t focus on a single word. The little leopard before her was simply too captivating. In just a few moments, the creature had cycled through over a dozen expressions. Who knew a feline could have such a range of emotions?

Despite this, Nora could roughly guess what the little leopard was thinking. To be honest, she couldn’t quite understand why seeing the little leopard looking so pathetic made her feel vaguely irritated.

This really doesn’t align with my gentle and generous nature.

As Yi’an was still pondering these matters, a pair of hands suddenly descended, roughly massaging her head as if scrubbing a washcloth.

Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow! (Stop! Stop! I can’t think anymore!)

Seeing Yi’an glaring at her with her fur standing on end, Nora’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile. That’s right. That little head thinks too much every day. It should be focused entirely on me.

Nora nodded in satisfaction.