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Chapter: 06
If Sabrina, who despises hyenas, had found her, she wouldn’t even have been able to locate the body fragments of the dead informants.
Of all places, the fact that she drew the attention of that guy at the Caliph Mansion, a place he barely stays in for even ten days a year… that was just terrible luck!
“Bariya, out of all the cursed lands, you had to crawl into that one.”
Darius ran a hand through his hair.
His daughter, Bariya.
That fool probably didn’t even know it was the Caliph’s territory. She wouldn’t have that level of knowledge.
And yet, she picked exactly that spot.
He was anxious that the tiger cubs might notice Bariya’s abilities and set their sights on her.
“Claire Bell… if only it weren’t for that guy!”
The leader of the hyenas had to be a woman.
So, even though Darius was born as the son of the leader, he didn’t have the right to interfere in the succession battle.
That’s why he planned to have a daughter with exceptional abilities and manipulate everything from behind the scenes, bringing along the special wildcat, Claire Bell, for this purpose.
For a moment, he was delighted, as if he had everything in the world when his daughter was born according to plan.
But the daughter Claire bore, Bariya, was not a noble hyena resembling Darius, nor one who could inherit the clan—she was a lynx beastman!
He was so angry that he treated Claire and Bariya a bit harshly.
And just for that, Claire harbored resentment and ran away from the clan with Bariya.
And that’s not all.
Unable to evade the hyenas’ pursuit, that guy eventually sacrificed himself to save Bariya.
Without even leaving a corpse.
From that moment, everything began to twist.
“A body can be useful, and yet he just dies…”
Thinking about that alone could make him jump up in anger even in the middle of the night.
So he would make sure to take the cost from his daughter, Bariya.
“I must catch Bariya before her mother finds out.”
The head of the Mariner clan and the leader of all hyenas.
She does not tolerate failure and does not forgive mistakes.
So Bariya had to be brought back as quickly as possible.
By any means necessary.
The person who felt the greatest relief upon hearing that the baby cat, who had disappeared in an instant, had been found was Tyryn.
It was such a relief that she hadn’t been captured by hyenas.
“Ah…”
However, when Sirka actually returned with Bariya, Tyryn could not express her joy.
Her thick, wheat-colored hair, her distinctly defined facial features despite being young, and her clear, feline-like eyes tracing smooth lines.
She was so beautiful that sadness came over her.
Her dress was torn all over, revealing her extremely thin limbs.
Seeing her skinny cheeks instead of plumpness, Tyryn felt as if she had been hit on the head.
She finally understood why the baby cat had been so obsessed with meat.
“…Our little lady. Even in human form, you’re truly lovely.”
But Tyryn did not show it and smiled brightly.
Bariya lifted her head high and said,
“Mm, I’m a bit…”
Her brave demeanor only made Tyryn’s heart ache more.
“Shall we bathe first?”
As Bariya nodded, Tyryn led her to the bathroom and glanced at Sirka.
He stood with his arms crossed, emitting a sharp pheromone.
It was clear he was also greatly shocked by the child’s appearance.
Tyryn swallowed a sigh internally.
“Wow.”
As soon as she entered the bathroom, Bariya exclaimed in amazement.
She had only washed simply in the room yesterday; this was her first time entering a proper bathroom.
It was as if a forest had been transplanted inside: plants and trees were there, and in the middle, a deep bath carved like a lake.
“Can I get in?”
Seeing the water-filled bath, Bariya’s shoulders bounced with excitement.
“Of course.”
With permission granted, Bariya stripped her clothes and jumped into the water with a splash.
“Ah, this is great!”
She could not help exclaiming at the warm water.
‘How long has it been since I could splash around without a care?’
In the hyena clan, such luxuries were impossible.
After fleeing, she had to wet only her neck or briefly dip her body, worrying about being discovered by the chasing hyenas.
‘The more I think about it, the angrier I get.’
She would take revenge on all the hyena bastards, including the one she didn’t even want to call “father”!
Bariya made that firm vow again today.
“Is it fun?”
“Mm, yes!”
“That’s a relief. I’m also glad you returned safely.”
At Tyryn’s sigh, Bariya, who had been happily swimming, stiffened slightly.
Right. She had secretly put Tyryn to sleep and ran away.
“I wonder how you did it…”
Bariya turned her head and rolled her eyes.
Even her hands, which had been splashing joyfully, now fidgeted timidly.
At that sight, Tyryn swallowed a laugh internally.
In animal form, she had been shameless, but in human form, she certainly looked much younger.
“Didn’t the Master, the Owner, and even the Young Master ask the little lady for a reason?”
“….”
“So I won’t ask either. Why does it matter? The important thing is that you returned safely.”
Tyryn crouched beside the bath and smiled brightly.
Bariya stared at her in astonishment.
This place was amazing.
In the hyena clan, people would shout until they got the answer they wanted, or withhold food.
Here, no one did that.
Until now, only her mother had treated her well.
It was surprising, but not unpleasant.
“And it’s fortunate there was no bloody chase either.”
Embarrassed, Bariya continued splashing, dumbfounded by Tyryn’s words.
“Huh?”
A bloody chase?
‘Why would blood be flying if they were chasing me?’
“The stupid, greedy hyena bastards are after you, little lady. To protect you from them, we’d have to accept some bloodshed.”
“….”
“Of course, it would be their blood.”
Tyryn bared her fangs with a grin.
The idea of her pupils elongating instantly seemed to delight her.
What had the hyena bastards done to the tigers that made them hate them so much?
“So, let’s stay together here for a long time.”
Bariya understood why the tigers welcomed her, a stranger.
‘They need me here to properly deal with the hyena bastards.’
She could cheer for them more than anyone.
No, she could even take action herself.
The hyenas’ suffering was her pleasure.
“Kyah!”
Imagining teaming up with the tigers to torment the hyenas, she laughed joyfully.
Watching Bariya splash happily again, Tyryn was a little bewildered but smiled warmly anyway.
After finishing her bath, Bariya wore a new dress that was snowy white and smelled pleasantly clean.
“Wow, it’s super soft.”
However, unlike the satisfied Bariya, Tyryn looked a bit regretful.
“I got this in a hurry, so it doesn’t fit perfectly. Since you’ll be staying here, I’ll need to buy lots of new clothes.”
“I’m fine with just this one.”
It felt soft and wouldn’t irritate her skin, so it seemed fine to keep wearing it.
“I want to dress you in various outfits, little lady.”
“Why do I have to wear so many clothes?”
One is enough to live well, isn’t it?
“…I just want to.”
She couldn’t understand it at all.
“But are you still going to call me ‘little lady’?”
Bariya corrected the title that had bothered her since earlier.
“I’m ten years old, geez! Ten! Years! Old! I’m not a baby.”
“…What?”
“Ten! Years! Old, a proper beastman!”
After Bariya’s roar, Tyryn’s mind went blank for a moment.
Ten years old? Ten?
She looked like seven at most!
“Young Master!”
Tyryn immediately ran out of the dress room.
Sirka, waiting in the bedroom, sprang up.
“Why? What’s wrong…?”
“The little lady—no, Miss Bariya—says she’s ten years old. Is that true?!”
“According to her, yes.”
“Oh my.”
Tyryn buried her face in her hands.
“I thought she was just a cat beastman and would develop slower than a tiger.”
But ten years old.
Even for a cat, she was far too small.
“Exactly.”
Sirka agreed.
From the moment he saw the humanized Bariya’s thin body, he suspected she was older than she looked.
But ten years old?
What on earth did the hyena cubs do to such a little child?
“All of those damned bastards… I’ll tear their necks off…”
Tyryn muttered fiercely.
“What’s a neck?”
At that moment, Bariya, who had followed Tyryn out of the dress room, asked innocently.
Tyryn quickly slapped her own mouth and changed the subject.
“Little one.”
Bariya frowned at Sirka’s calling.
“I’m not a baby. I’m ten years old.”
“If you’re smaller than me, you’re a baby.”
Sirka shamelessly reached for Bariya.
Bariya raised her fist instantly.
Her eyes were deadly, as if to warn him not to touch her again without permission.
“…Wait, little one.”
Sirka instinctively stopped, then froze at the sight of Bariya’s hand.
Her hand was covered with scars.
“This is…”
The hyena cubs didn’t just starve her—they beat her too?
Just as rage was building,
“Yong-ga, no, Yeong! Gwang! Oo! Sang! Cheo! Ya!”
Bariya proudly shouted with a confident expression.
