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Chapter 7
I curled up while being held by the scruff of my neck.
He said to stop because he wasn’t going to give me any cookies!
How could he be so cruel over something like that? I’d even thrown away my pride and surrendered.
Is it because I’m a hostage from an enemy nation?
When I drooped my ears and curled into myself, he set me down and glared at me with sharp eyes.
Clutching my empty stomach, I crawled into a corner of the chair. Seeing me sit quietly, frozen stiff, Leon returned to reading his book.
I’m hungry…
Just then, I noticed a piece of cookie that Leon had dropped earlier.
It should be okay if I eat that, right…?
Carefully watching Leon’s reaction, I jumped down to the floor.
I crept toward the fallen cookie as quietly as possible, making sure not to make a sound.
Then I secretly licked the broken crumbs.
Lick, lick.
It’s delicious!
I was quietly licking the cookie when I suddenly felt someone’s gaze on me.
Turning around, I saw Leon staring directly at me.
“Meow!”
Startled, I let out a sharp cry and squeezed my eyes shut.
Please don’t kill me! I only ate something that fell on the floor!
But Leon merely muttered in a low voice.
“Now that you’re behaving, you’re slightly more tolerable.”
Huh?
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
A box filled with almond cookies had been placed in front of me.
The sweet, nutty aroma drifted into my nose.
“Is this what you wanted?”
“Meow…”
“Then stay quiet like you are now. If you pull another arrogant stunt like before, you won’t even get crumbs.”
Tilting my head, I looked at Leon as he held out the cookies.
Earlier he coldly said he wouldn’t give me any. Why the sudden change?
While I was still wondering, Leon pulled the box back and said coldly,
“If you don’t want them, forget it.”
“Meeeow!”
Drool practically pouring from my mouth, I hurriedly grabbed the box with my paws.
Leon set it down.
“Take one yourself.”
After saying that, he turned his attention back to his book.
I peered inside the box.
It was packed full of cookies.
How am I supposed to get one out?
I approached the box and stuck my upper body inside.
Only then could I barely reach the edge of a cookie with my mouth.
I bit down on one edge and began trying to pull it out.
But the cookie was much bigger than my face.
My head trembled from the effort, and sweat began forming on my tiny body.
Almost there!
After struggling desperately, I finally managed to drag the cookie nearly out of the box.
Then—
Slip!
“Meow!”
The cookie slipped from my mouth and fell straight back into the box.
A despairing cry escaped me.
No way! I worked so hard to get it out!
Discouraged, I stared into the box again.
The cookie had cruelly fallen all the way back to the bottom.
I opened my mouth and tried biting the edge again, but having exhausted all my strength earlier, the cookie wouldn’t budge.
To have something so delicious right in front of me and still not be able to eat it…
I was staring longingly at the cookies with my paws resting on the box when—
A large white hand reached inside.
The hand picked up a giant cookie and placed it beside me.
“Eat.”
Leon looked down at me as he gave the order.
He got it out for me?
I gazed at him with touched eyes.
Immediately, he snapped coldly,
“You were making so much noise beside me that it was interfering with my reading.”
Then he looked back at his book.
Carefully watching his mood, I began eating the almond cookie.
It was so delicious that I almost cried.
By the time I’d eaten every last crumb and filled my stomach, the scenery outside the carriage had changed.
Unlike the North, lush green vegetation stretched across the landscape.
Trees blooming with colorful flowers lined the roads.
The carriage had crossed the southern border.
Normally, it took more than two weeks by carriage to travel from the North to the southern borderlands.
But thanks to the aura stones embedded in the carriage, they had reached the South in only half a day.
I stood on my hind legs and rested my paws on the window, gazing outside.
Wow, it’s beautiful.
Having spent both my past and current lives surrounded only by the barren scenery of the North, this was an unfamiliar sight.
My eyes widened.
My mouth fell open.
After a while, a massive castle appeared atop a distant hill.
Wow!
Towering navy-blue spires rose from snow-white walls as though piercing the sky.
Flags bearing the Drake family’s dragon crest fluttered proudly atop them.
A vast, vibrant forest surrounded the estate.
I’d thought Chigr’s mansion was luxurious.
Compared to this place, it looked like a simple cabin.
When the carriage entered the estate grounds, it came to a stop and the door opened.
Startled, I immediately hid behind the seat.
A woman with long straight black hair and a sword hanging at her waist bowed respectfully.
She wore knee-high red boots and carried a long sword.
She appeared to be the captain of the guards protecting the Drake estate.
“My Lord, have you returned safely?”
Leon gave a slight nod.
“Phoebe, nothing unusual happened while Max and I were away, right?”
“Nothing at all.”
Peeking out from behind the seat, I looked at her.
Phoebe was a dragon with warm-looking red eyes.
Then she noticed me sitting on the seat.
Her eyes widened.
“My Lord, what is this adorable little creature?”
Without even giving Leon a chance to answer, Phoebe approached me with sparkling eyes and asked gently,
“Sweetie, would you come here?”
Unlike Leon, who was as cold as winter wind, she looked kind.
So there are friendly dragons too.
Feeling deeply moved, I trotted toward her and let out a cheerful cry.
“Meow!”
“Oh my, what an adorable little voice!”
“Lady Phoebe, stop making such a fuss.”
At some point Max had gotten out of the carriage and scolded her.
Yet even he kept sneaking glances at me with shining eyes.
Ignoring Max completely, Phoebe hugged me and continuously stroked my fur while asking Leon,
“My Lord, is this adorable child a gift for the young masters?”
“No. It’s a hostage brought from the North.”
The instant those words left his mouth—
A chill swept through the air.
The warmth vanished from Phoebe’s eyes.
Sharp killing intent flashed within her red gaze.
Thunk!
She abruptly dropped me onto the carriage floor as though throwing me away.
I rolled across the ground.
Struggling to my feet, I looked up at her in confusion.
“Meow…”
A frightened cry escaped before I could stop it.
Phoebe glanced at me.
Now her expression was even colder than Leon’s.
Then she turned away mercilessly.
What is this sudden change in attitude?
While I sat there bewildered, she questioned Leon in a stiff voice.
“You mean that thing is the child of the Northern Tiger who invaded our South?”
Leon nodded.
Phoebe glared at me before coldly stepping out of the carriage.
Then Leon grabbed me by the scruff again and carried me outside.
Phoebe was still looking at me as if she wanted me dead.
When we exited the carriage, I saw rows of dragons standing perfectly at attention.
Their hair was black, their figures slender, and their formation flawless.
Though not as openly hostile as Phoebe, their eyes were filled with suspicion and animosity.
An overwhelming draconic aura pressed down on my tiny body all at once.
Terrified, I curled into a ball.
At that moment, I truly understood how the North was viewed here.
Then Leon issued an order.
“Take this one to its quarters.”
*
After sending Mia to her assigned residence, Leon held a meeting with the dragons in the estate’s conference room.
He explained Mia’s behavior in the carriage and the conclusions he had drawn regarding Alec’s scheme.
The dragons reacted with shock.
“So it’s not enough that he’s trying to lessen his punishment by using his child to appeal to our emotions—now he plans to use the hostage to build familial affection and eventually target the South? Those Northern Tigers have truly lost their minds!”
“But if it’s Alec, he’d absolutely do something like that. Just look at the reckless war he started. Especially all that wanting hugs, kisses, and playtime… it’s far too obvious.”
“The North got thoroughly beaten this time. They’re desperate.”
Every dragon agreed with Leon’s assessment.
Grinding their teeth, they asked,
“Then what will you do, My Lord?”
Leon answered without hesitation.
“I’ll crush Alec’s ridiculous plan before it even begins. From this moment on, everyone in the estate is to ignore that furball as much as possible, no matter how adorably it tries to cling to you and pretend to be someone’s child. Is that understood?”
“Yes, My Lord.”
The dragons answered respectfully.
“Then who will be assigned as the child’s personal attendant?”
Leon turned toward Phoebe, who sat in a corner of the room.
“Phoebe. You.”
“Me?”
“Yes. The mission requires both care and strict surveillance. As captain of the guards, you’re the perfect candidate.”
Phoebe replied immediately in a firm voice.
“I refuse. Of all things, caring for a Northern brat?”
Leon silently looked at her.
But rather than backing down, Phoebe’s eyes only grew fiercer.
As the atmosphere in the room froze, the other dragons hurried to intervene.
“My Lord, perhaps exclude Captain Phoebe from this matter. Asking her to take care of a Northern hostage is too much.”
“Exactly. You know better than anyone how much she hates the North because of that incident.”
Leon let out a shallow sigh before speaking again.
“Very well. Then assign personnel from the guard corps to monitor and care for it around the clock. And if that child does anything suspicious…”
His cold gaze locked onto Phoebe’s red eyes.
“…then all responsibility will be yours.”
At Leon’s sharp words, every dragon in the room swallowed nervously.
Only then did Phoebe lower her head.
“Understood. There won’t be any problems, so you needn’t worry.”
