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Chapter: 01
Prologue
Ten-year-old lynx beastman Bariya clutched a particularly spotted baby tiger tightly, glancing around nervously.
Across from her sat three tiger beastmen with fierce expressions, eyes sharp and unyielding.
They were the leaders of all tiger beastmen, the ruling family, the Kaliph clan.
There was the head of the family, Bayden, his wife Sabrina, and their heir, Sirka.
The three exuded a deadly aura, almost unbelievable for them to be facing a mere ten-year-old girl.
Grrr…
Sensing the tense atmosphere, the baby tiger in Bariya’s arms bared its teeth.
But the three tiger beastmen didn’t even glance at the tiger—they only fixed their sharp eyes on Bariya.
“You.”
The first to speak was the strikingly beautiful Sabrina Kaliph.
“How dare you mess up my mansion and run away?”
Bariya’s eyes rolled wildly at the harsh tone.
She had made a mistake, but showed no sign of remorse.
Sabrina clenched her fist.
“You little runaway beastman! This is utterly unforgivable!”
“You are right, Mother.”
“I agree with Mother.”
Bayden and Sirka nodded in agreement with Sabrina’s anger.
“So, let’s get straight to the point.”
Sabrina placed a sheet of paper on the table.
“You! Be adopted by us!”
It was a document declaring that Bariya would be adopted as a daughter of the Kaliph family.
“……Huh?”
Bariya’s eyes widened in shock at the proposal.
“Are you all okay? Did you hit your head or something…? Wait, is this because of me?”
“We are perfectly normal!”
Sabrina shouted at Bariya’s worried question.
“But if you refuse, it would break our hearts.”
Bayden nodded at Sirka’s words.
“So, become our daughter.”
“Or, you can be my younger sibling.”
Bariya was dumbfounded at Sirka’s offer.
“Becoming the family head’s daughter, or Sirka’s sibling… isn’t that basically the same?”
Sirka was the son of Bayden and Sabrina, after all.
“If you don’t want to call them Mother and Father, then just be my sibling.”
“Nonsense. Becoming my daughter is far better than being my sibling.”
Sabrina interjected angrily.
To Bariya, both options seemed the same, but the two adults argued that they were very different.
“Now, Bariya. Which will you choose?”
Pick, pick.
Even with a set choice, the three surrounded her, pressing her to decide.
It was the first moment a lynx beastman might join the Tiger Clan.
Episode 1
Deep in a forest where only grass and trees existed.
With no one to help, Bariya panted and looked around fiercely.
Seven or so drooling hyenas surrounded her.
It was a tense situation, but Bariya remained calm, observing everything carefully.
She had been fleeing hyenas for three years now.
Three years—enough time for a dog at an academy to write a thesis—running had become Bariya’s specialty.
Moreover, since entering some unknown beastman’s territory a few months ago, the pursuit had eased.
Only normal animals, not beastmen, chased her now, making it easier to fend them off.
After all, beastmen were far stronger than ordinary animals.
This applied even to ten-year-old Bariya.
“Kyah!”
Bariya hissed fiercely and slammed her tail on the ground.
The hyenas, intimidated by the fist-sized lynx, flinched.
Grrr…
But she had orders and would not back down.
Eventually, despite hesitating, the hyenas advanced, and Bariya unsheathed her claws.
“Come on, you idiots. Let me show you the greatness of a lynx!”
Just as she was about to slash one of the nearest hyenas’ eyes…
Thwack!
Crack!
With a bone-snapping sound, one hyena screamed and fell.
Not only Bariya but also the hyenas were startled.
“Why are so many annoying hyenas swarming here?”
A young man with flowing silver hair kicked one of the hyenas aside.
Honestly, such a bold action was unheard of.
Kicking the annoying hyenas away so decisively was incredibly satisfying.
But Bariya couldn’t react properly.
“W-Who… is that?”
The young man, with flawless alabaster skin, was shockingly beautiful.
Bariya had never realized a man could be this handsome, and she stared blankly.
“……!”
The young man looked back at her.
The moment her eyes met his sky-blue gaze, Bariya’s fur bristled.
This was no time to be dazzled by appearances.
Instinctively, she knew:
‘This isn’t an ordinary beastman. If I get caught, I’ll die!’
He was a predator beastman, more dangerous than hyenas!
“Little cat?”
Her rising alertness spiked further, and Bariya felt irritation.
Lynx, you fool!
Sure, she was small and cute because she hadn’t fully grown, but still!
Even a predator couldn’t tell a lynx from a common cat? How stupid!
But now isn’t the time to argue.
All beastmen were dangerous.
Let alone a predator stronger than hyenas.
Bariya gritted her teeth and twisted her body to flee.
But then—
“Gah! (What!)”
Before taking a single step, she was suddenly lifted into the air.
The blue-eyed young man, who had been far away, was suddenly holding the back of her neck.
“You really are a cat. You must’ve been terrified being trapped among those hyenas.”
Another predator beastman approached the scene.
Bariya struggled violently.
“Kyah! Kyah! (Let me go! Let me go!)”
“You’re quite feisty.”
“Indeed. Not your ordinary cat.”
The blue-eyed beastman sniffed her neck calmly, despite her thrashing.
“……!”
A shiver ran down her spine.
The thought of her neck being bitten flashed before her eyes.
“Kyah!”
Bariya swung her paw wildly at his cheek.
“Good heavens!”
The man was slapped five times in an instant, leaving the others watching in shock.
“The precious little cat did what no one else could!”
He clapped at the paw prints on his pale cheek.
“We’ll have to take her to the mansion.”
Rubbing his cheek, he gave a sinister smile.
Bariya trembled, glaring at him warily.
“You’re not going to eat me, right? I’m just a clueless little cat.”
“That wouldn’t be bad either.”
The young man turned away, leaving a cryptic remark.
“Return.”
Only then did Bariya notice all the hyenas were dead.
They had been dealt with by the young man and his companions.
“Take care of her until we reach the mansion.”
While Bariya examined the fallen hyenas, the young man handed her to another beastman.
In that brief moment of freedom, Bariya’s eyes gleamed.
‘This arrogant predator dares to ignore me?’
Even if I have to run, I’ll make him regret it!
“Uh, uh?”
Bariya leapt into the air, twisting dramatically.
She delivered a fierce kick to the young man’s face.
Smack!
The young man’s head snapped back, leaving everyone watching stunned.
It was Sirka Kaliph.
A rare moment in the life of the heir to the tiger clan.
The Kaliph family ruled all tiger beastmen.
Their heir and co-head, Sirka, had come to the border of tiger territory because of the recent surge in hyenas.
Though ordinary animals, the increasing number of unfriendly hyenas bothered him, so he personally inspected with his knights.
‘I didn’t expect to find this here.’
Annoying hyenas swarmed unpleasantly, and at their center was a tiny baby cat.
At first, he hadn’t even noticed her presence.
“Oh, little cat. You shouldn’t behave like that if you want to live. You were really close to dying just now.”
Sirca’s subordinate, Jake, carefully restrained the little cat with a cloth.
“Why is Sir Jake speaking so politely to a little cat?”
Another knight asked in confusion.
“He hit the co-head’s cheek. Show her proper respect.”
“Oh, in that case…”
The knights nodded seriously.
Sirka was exasperated.
“Kyah! (Let me go!)”
Even restrained, Bariya didn’t stop struggling.
Her ferocity amazed everyone.
“She can’t calm down. Should I give her something to eat?”
Would she even be hungry after all that?
“Here, eat.”
Crunch!
Something was suddenly shoved into her mouth.
The savory, salty taste of jerky filled her mouth!
The delicious, nutritious jerky stopped Bariya’s struggles.
It had been too long since she had proper food.
“Mmm.”
“Oh, she’s eating well.”
“She must’ve been hungry.”
The knights gathered around, watching her closely.
‘Is she going to take it back?’
Bariya grabbed the jerky with her paws and turned to hide inside the cloth bundle.
Sniffle…
Crunch…
Gulp…
The sight of her greedily eating the jerky, tail twitching, made the knights’ hearts flutter.
They had already forgotten how ferocious she had been earlier.
