Chapter 03
Bariya was born into a hyena clan.
She had lived there for seven years, but she didn’t have a single good memory of it.
The hyena bastard she refused to even call her father tormented her mother every single day.
Her mother endured the suffering for a long time for young Bariya’s sake, but when that bastard tried to raise his hand against Bariya as well, she could no longer bear it and ran away.
But shaking off the relentless pursuit of the hyenas was not easy.
In the end, to protect Bariya—to save at least her daughter—her mother had no choice but to choose an eternal farewell.
‘Never return to the hyena clan. And be wary of all beastfolk. Promise me you’ll never get caught, never die, and live on no matter what.’
Even now, that final promise with her mother was deeply engraved in Bariya’s heart.
‘So I can’t die. I have to survive. There’s something I must do.’
Fortunately, she had been born a lynx like her mother, not a hyena, so she knew how to move silently.
Unlike hyenas, tigers wouldn’t monitor her so obsessively, so escaping should be easier.
“Now! A special meal prepared by the head chef for the young miss!”
Ah, that smell.
But despite her firm resolve, Bariya immediately melted at the sight of the food Tyrene brought.
W-Well, if she was going to run away, she needed a full stomach first.
Like that bastard used to do, they might feed her and then lock her up, so she had to eat well whenever she could.
“And this is nutritious milk just for you, young miss!”
“….”
However, her expectations were shattered in an instant.
The warm milk, white and rich with a savory scent, did look delicious, but…
Bariya was a ten-year-old lady who loved meat.
“Go on, try it. Milk from the Caliph territory isn’t something just anyone gets to drink. It’s incredibly delicious.”
No, not this—give me meat that can actually fuel my energy!
Even the jerky from earlier would be fine, so please, anything with meat!
“Is the baby kitty eating?”
“Meow!”
While glaring at the milk, Bariya suddenly jumped in surprise at the voice.
When had he even arrived? Sirka was standing behind Tyrene.
“Young master, please make some noise when you walk. You startled her.”
“Isn’t that a bit much to ask of a tiger?”
“Then stomp your feet loudly.”
Tyrene tapped the floor with her foot.
“Raising a child isn’t easy. But don’t cats walk quietly too?”
Sirka reached out toward Bariya.
Come any closer and I’ll smack you.
She quietly raised her paw with that intention, and Sirka clicked his tongue.
“That’s harsh. I saved you from the hyenas, and this is how you treat me?”
Of course, she was grateful.
But it would’ve been even better if he had just killed the hyenas and left her behind.
“You mustn’t drive the young miss away.”
At Tyrene’s words, Bariya’s ears perked up instantly.
It’s okay! Throw me out! Please abandon me right now!
“Meow! Meooow! (Throw me away! Please abandon me!)”
Clutching Tyrene’s clothes with her paw, Bariya cried out desperately.
Seeing her earnest expression, Tyrene’s face stiffened.
“See? She’s begging so desperately not to be abandoned.”
“Meow! (No! Just leave me!)”
“She’s still far too young to survive alone in the wild.”
“Mrrrow! (I’m ten! I can survive on my own!)”
“To cry like this… She must be terrified of being cast out. My goodness, just how badly those foolish hyenas must have treated her.”
She agreed that the hyenas were foolish, but everything else was wrong!
How could not a single word get through?!
“Pfft!”
At Bariya’s dumbfounded expression, Sirka burst out laughing and collapsed onto the bed.
Annoyed, Bariya considered scratching him with her claws this time instead of just her paw.
“You can even make that kind of expression with a cat’s face? Amazing. And Tyrene, it wasn’t the hyenas who suffered—it was them, not this little kitten.”
Sirka gently patted Bariya’s back as she drooped.
“But why isn’t the baby eating?”
“Because you interrupted, young master.”
Sirka glanced at the now-cooling bowl of milk.
“Bring another one.”
“It’s already gone cold. I’ll warm it up again.”
“No, leave that. Bring something with meat in it.”
…What?
Bariya, who had been sulking, snapped her head up.
M-Meat? Really?
“Just look at that face. This little one was so worried the knights would steal her jerky earlier. Do you think milk alone will fill her up?”
At Bariya’s teary eyes, Tyrene felt guilty for no reason.
“But the chef said a kitten this small should drink milk…”
“She might look small, but she might not actually be that young.”
Gasp—was he psychic?
In reality, Bariya was smaller than average.
Because she hadn’t been properly fed while living with that damned hyena clan.
‘Those awful hyenas… My dream was to become the biggest lynx in the world.’
Just you wait. When she grew up, she would definitely get her revenge.
Clenching both her front paws, Bariya made a vow.
While Tyrene went to fetch a new meal, she drank the milk first.
Maybe because she was so hungry, it really did taste delicious, just as Tyrene had said.
“Young kitty, you’re grateful to me, right?”
She wished Sirka had gone out with Tyrene.
Unfortunately, he stayed by her side the whole time, chatting endlessly while she drank.
“If you’re grateful, what should you do?”
Does he really want to hear a thank you that badly?
‘Well… he’s not wrong.’
He had saved her, yet instead of thanking him, she had slapped him.
After some thought, Bariya gently touched the cheek she had struck earlier.
‘Sorry for hitting you. I was startled. And… thank you for saving me.’
Even though Sirka couldn’t hear her, she conveyed her sincerity.
“….”
Sirka’s eyes widened at the soft paw carefully brushing his cheek.
“Young miss, I’ve brought your new meal.”
At that moment, Tyrene returned with a bowl that smelled delicious.
Bariya immediately abandoned Sirka and ran toward her.
The soup was filled with shredded meat, with a sweet and tangy aroma.
“Mrrr.”
Her eyes sparkled as she devoured the soup.
She had never tasted anything this delicious in her life. The meat was so tender it practically melted without chewing.
Back in the hyena clan, they had only given her dry, tasteless bread.
“Young master? Why are you smiling like a creep?”
With her face buried in the soup, whiskers covered in broth, Bariya turned her head at Tyrene’s uneasy voice.
And she locked eyes with Sirka—who was indeed smiling like a complete creep.
“….”
“….”
Her guard toward the tiger clan had just barely lowered thanks to the delicious food.
But seeing that face snapped her right back to her senses.
Being grateful was one thing, but being wary of beastfolk was another.
So at dawn, she would definitely escape from here!
“….”
Lying sideways on the bed, Sirka watched the little kitten with curious eyes.
“Grrr… snrr…”
With her belly round and full, the kitten slept soundly, sprawled out with her limbs stretched wide.
She had been so wary earlier, yet now she was sleeping incredibly well.
Anyone would think this was her home.
“How did the search go?”
At Sirka’s question, Tyrene answered,
“There’s no evidence that the hyenas sent animals after her.”
Sirka frowned.
He had expected as much. Hyenas were good at leaving no trace.
“However, it has been confirmed that members of the hyena leader clan are moving in secret.”
“In Mariner?”
The hyena leader clan—Mariner.
Its head was someone exceptionally skilled at getting under others’ skin.
The Caliph clan had long been at odds with Mariner.
The hyenas constantly coveted the far richer and warmer territory of the tigers.
And that conflict had only intensified in recent years.
The current leader of Mariner was a hardliner, aggressively expanding their influence.
Once, during a leaders’ meeting, Bayden had gotten so furious at her that he nearly killed her.
But recently, things had gone quiet, which had been suspicious.
And now they were moving again?
“For what reason?”
“We couldn’t determine that. Their vigilance is too high, making it difficult to get close.”
“Tch. Their rotten temperament is something else.”
Clicking his tongue, Sirka looked at the kitten sleeping peacefully.
As the heir of Caliph, his instincts told him clearly.
This kitten was connected to the hyenas—specifically, to Mariner.
It wasn’t something simple like being prey.
So what exactly was the connection?
