The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 6

It seems the Little Leopard doesn’t have a taste for this…

“That little beauty went out alone?”

The towering palace radiated an eerie chill. Though the sun had just risen outside, it was as if a barrier prevented its rays from touching a single brick or tile within.

A shadowy figure, vaguely humanoid yet also like mist, stood with its back to the throne. When it spoke, its voice was as rough as scorched charcoal.

Leaning against the throne was a gaunt, pale-faced old man. At the figure’s question, he immediately straightened up, sitting rigidly upright.

“Yes, she only took that wild thing she picked up.”

“Such an arrogant little fool,” the shadowy figure scoffed. “And Charlotte just lets her run wild?”

“Then… Father God, should we still send Black Bat to Lancaster as planned?”

“No need. Sophia is still in Lancaster. Black Bat is no match for that woman, and I don’t want Charlotte to suspect anything at this stage.”

After a long pause, the shadowy figure beckoned. The gaunt old man on the throne immediately rose, leaning on his cane, and shuffled forward, stopping half a step behind the figure.

“Since our little beauty is so confident in her skills, perhaps we should give her a little treat to savor…”

Before the figure could finish, the old man leaned forward, his face fawning, and interjected, “I’m sure she’ll appreciate Morong’s grand gift.”

Inside the swaying carriage, Yi’an nestled in Nora’s arms, silent except for the occasional yawn.

Though the scenery outside was novel to this newcomer, she lacked the energy to appreciate it, especially after receiving Charlotte’s leopard-like glare during their farewell that morning.

To be honest, she was innocent! She was just a weak, playful little leopard cub. How could she have known she’d stumble upon such a shocking scandal—or interrupt the Grand Duke’s attempted kiss?

If Sophia hadn’t intervened, Yi’an seriously doubted she would have seen the sun rise today.

Nora stroked the little leopard’s head, her heart heavy with worry.

The previous afternoon, when Nora returned from her busy day, she expected the cub to still be angry and aloof. Instead, the moment she stepped inside, a furry ball came darting to her feet, arching its back, meowing, and rubbing against her legs with its tail held high. It even tugged at her pant leg, begging for a hug.

The little leopard had been exceptionally well-behaved and clingy all night, leading Nora to believe the cub had forgiven her. But this morning, something had changed. The cub had become listless and withdrawn again.

“Little Leopard, are you still angry?” Nora asked softly, lowering her head.

Yi’an was a little confused. Ever since Charlotte had given her a good scare, she had long since stopped being angry. In fact, she now felt she should have listened to Nora and stayed put.

She lifted her head and saw Nora’s genuinely clueless expression, and a wave of sympathy washed over her.

What’s it like when your own mother gets involved with a senior you deeply respect?

Thinking about this, Yi’an suddenly felt her own situation wasn’t so bad after all. She gazed into Nora’s concerned eyes and reached out with her paw to gently stroke Nora’s cheek in reassurance.

Seeing Little Leopard’s affectionate gesture, Nora’s lips curved into a smile. She reached out, scooped up the little cat, and let her paws circle her neck.

“Little Leopard, we’ve left the city. Would you like to see the scenery outside?” Nora lifted the carriage curtain, sat by the window, and positioned Yi’an so she could easily peek out with half her head.

Lancaster was located in the southern part of the continent. Except for Morong, which bordered the Empire to the north, the region was mostly characterized by oases and plains. Yet even within this landscape, the scenery varied greatly. Centered around Rose Castle, the vegetation grew sparser as one traveled north, with resilient trees like locusts and redwoods dominating the landscape.

They hadn’t traveled too far yet; the surrounding flora remained lush, though noticeably sparser than the vegetation around Rose Castle.

Yi’an, peering out the window to admire the scenery and feel the gentle breeze, suddenly felt like she was on vacation.

Nora watched Little Leopard rest her paws on the windowsill, her tail swaying leisurely across her lap, and blinked, a faint smile spreading across her face.

This is perfect.

And so, the woman and her leopard continued their journey, stopping frequently along the way. At one point, Nora even let Little Leopard pounce on butterflies in the tall grass. By dusk, they finally arrived at Penny Town, the closest settlement north of Rose Castle.

Penny Town was the third-largest town in Lancaster and a vital stop for travelers heading to Morong or the Empire. As a result, the town bustled with merchants and travelers from all directions.

To avoid causing a commotion, Nora parked the carriage at the town’s outer post station and entrusted it to the accompanying coachman. With a leather suitcase in one hand and Yi’an cradled in the other, she prepared to enter the town on foot.

Yi’an gazed at the leather suitcase, which was nearly as tall as Nora’s calf, and felt a pang of sympathy. She leaped from Nora’s arms to the ground, tilted her head, and meowed up at her.

“You want to walk with me?” Nora asked.

Yi’an nodded.

“I can’t let you do that, Little Leopard,” Nora said, crouching down to scoop her back into her arms. “There are too many people in town. You’re so small, you’d easily get lost.”

She chuckled and bounced Yi’an gently. “It’s no trouble carrying you. Don’t worry about me.”

Yi’an felt herself lifted into the air and then settled securely back into Nora’s arms. She was momentarily dazed, realizing that Nora’s slender frame belied her surprising strength. Appearances could be deceiving.

And so, Yi’an nestled contentedly in Nora’s arms as they entered Penny Town.

The moment they stepped into town, Yi’an’s leopard eyes widened in astonishment.

The streets were teeming with people—everywhere she looked, there were crowds of people!

No wonder Nora hadn’t let her walk. Yi’an felt like she could be trampled into a specimen in an instant.

The straight, wide streets were lined with rows of houses, each displaying colorful signs. Vendors crowded the sidewalks, selling trinkets from all corners of the world and Penny Town’s local delicacies.

The aroma of food wafting from street-side stalls made Yi’an perk up. She hadn’t had a proper hot meal all day, only the morning’s goat milk and the deer jerky Nora had fed her on the road—which had left her jaw aching from chewing.

Nora felt the little creature in her arms suddenly grow restless, its front paws pawing incessantly at her collar. Before she could ask what was wrong, she spotted the food stalls lining the street and her expression immediately cleared in understanding.

She quickened her pace.

Soon, they entered a three-story building. Nora strode straight to the third floor.

Observing the layout of the first two floors, Yi’an realized this was a tavern-hotel. The only difference was that the third floor contained a single suite. Judging by Nora’s practiced movements, this must be where they would be staying tonight.

After setting down the suitcase, Nora sat on the living room sofa with Little Leopard in her arms. She reached for the parchment on the coffee table and asked Yi’an, “Little Leopard, what do you want to eat?”

Uh… Yi’an squinted at the script on the parchment, but before she could decipher it, the parchment was whisked away.

Meow?

“Oh, I forgot you can’t read,” Nora said, glancing down at the Little Leopard, who was tilting her head in confusion. A faint smile tugged at Nora’s lips. “Then just keep drinking your goat milk.”

Meow!

Yi’an hissed angrily at Nora, her stomach growling fiercely. She was starving! Day after day, it was either goat milk or dried meat. She was about to lose her mind!

She bitterly regretted not finishing that bowl of beef noodles the day before she transmigrated. She could cry!

“Alright, alright, I’ll feed you, I’ll feed you,” Nora said soothingly, rubbing Yi’an’s little ears as she saw the leopard’s angry yet pitiful gaze.

Realizing the Little Leopard was genuinely hungry, Nora stopped teasing her. She rose, opened the door, and gave a few instructions to the attendant waiting outside.

Soon, attendants began bringing dishes to the dining table.

The aroma of the food made Yi’an’s stomach rumble louder. Without waiting for Nora, she leaped off the sofa, scrambled onto the table, and stared at the lavish feast with wide, glittering eyes.

Watching the Little Leopard act so undignified, Nora shook her head helplessly and sat down in the chair behind the leopard.

Before Nora could even settle into her seat, Yi’an raised her paw and placed it on Nora’s hand, then nodded toward the pie-like pastry in front of them.

“Hmm… Little Leopard, are you sure you want to eat this?”

Meow meow meow meow meow meow! (What do you mean? You’re putting such delicious food in front of me just to tease me?)

“It’s not that I don’t want you to have it…” Nora saw the Little Leopard’s suspicious expression and swallowed her words, suppressing a laugh as she said, “Fine, go ahead and eat it.”

With that, she scooped up a large spoonful with a spoon and held it to Yi’an’s mouth.

Now we’re talking.

Instead of her usual slow, deliberate licks, Yi’an, driven by her craving, lowered her head and took a massive bite.

But after just a few chews, Yi’an’s face, which had been radiating satisfaction, suddenly twisted in disgust.

Gag!

What is this?!

Gag!

A snicker, laced with amusement, reached the ears of the frantically vomiting Little Leopard.

“This minced meat custard doesn’t seem to suit Little Leopard’s palate after all.”