Reunion
“Everyone, stop staring and eat your fill! This banquet is to welcome our new family member!”
The Emperor’s booming voice rang out, and the enormous doors of the Imperial Grand Banquet Hall swung wide open.
The long marble table groaned under mountains of barbecue meats, smoked delicacies, and glistening steaks.
“Kyaa! Kyaaah!”
This is it! This is life!
I launched myself onto the table without hesitation.
I pounced straight for a massive roasted pig leg, jaws clamping down hard enough to split my cheeks.
Chomp. Slurp. Crunch.
Juices exploded in my mouth—salty, warm, perfect. My tail whipped wildly.
“Brother… eat slowly. Your cheeks are so puffy… they look like they might burst!”
Lumia, sitting beside me, chewed her own meat while her eyes went round at my ballooning cheeks. She opened her mouth in pure shock.
“Kyaa.”
You eat too.
Instead of answering I kept chewing and shoved a thick slab of meat across the table with one paw.
“Aigoo, you glutton. Someone’s not stealing it, so slow down. You’ve got grease all over your mouth.”
Kailian tsked and came over, waving a white napkin like a sword.
“Kyaaah! Kyaa!”
Ouch! Be gentler! You’ll pull my precious fur out, you brute butler!
I snarled and jerked my head away.
“Hehe. Your Highness. Young Blanc seems to be in pain. Please, allow me to take over.”
Gumiho, who had been quietly feeding Lumia from her lap, spoke in her smooth, elegant voice.
She rose with graceful steps, accepted the napkin from Kailian’s rough hand with care, and began.
Soft. Gentle.
My cheeks relaxed under her slender fingers. No roughness at all.
“…Kyaa?”
What? Doesn’t hurt at all?
The gentle pressure of Gumiho’s fingers on my jaw felt like heaven.
She cupped my chin lightly and wiped every trace of grease in one smooth motion.
Whoa… is this magic?
“Now you’re all pretty. Eat slowly while you can.”
She set the napkin aside and began stroking my forehead and ear base with feather-light fingertips.
“Kyaa. Kyaa.”
Hmm… her hands are surprisingly skilled. Refreshing.
I chewed obediently and looked up. Gumiho covered her mouth and gave a soft, motherly laugh.
“If you know how to bathe and care for a child, you can do this too.”
The effortless, motherly poise of the woman who had just called herself a servant.
Kailian’s eyebrow twitched in irritation.
“Tch. That’s nothing. I could wipe his mouth with one hand. Hey, Blanc! Come here! I’ll do it properly this time!”
“Kyaa.”
Move!
Kailian puffed out her cheeks like a spoiled child and reached for my tail.
Before she could grab me, Lina, who had been quietly slicing meat across the table, joined in with a pointed glare.
“Your Highness, such delicate work is best left to the Saintess.”
“Ha! You love delicate things? You’re the one who’s embarrassingly clumsy here!”
“It’s not an misunderstanding! The Saintess trains her body to have the strength to pray anywhere, at any time!”
Kailian and Lina began arguing over who would serve me, poking at each other like children.
“Gah!”
At that moment Emperor Carchion, seated at the head table, gave a heavy cough.
“Saints and princesses—both of you—stop acting like children in front of the new family member. Sit down and behave.”
Our Emperor’s stern words silenced them instantly. Kailian and Lina pouted but stepped back.
I nodded to myself and went back to devouring the barbecue.
Swish. Flash!
“…Kyaa?!”
Huh?! My meat! My table!
Two hands suddenly plunged under my armpits, lifted me off the table, and deposited me onto the Emperor’s massive thigh.
“Blanc, stop making your aunt and uncle fight. Sit properly on my lap.”
Carchion smiled with pure arrogance and skewered a small piece of meat on his fork, holding it right in front of my face.
“Open up. Good boy.”
“…!”
“…Papa! You told us not to fight earlier and now you’re…!”
Kailian sputtered in disbelief. Lina’s fork clattered to the table.
Carchion ignored both of them and kept feeding me meat, chuckling the whole time.
“Kyaaam.”
Only the normal people in this house left.
The banquet finally ended. We headed to the bath.
Hot spring water poured in waterfalls, thick white steam curling like clouds above the massive marble pool.
“Uuuung… brother, I don’t like getting wet… do I really have to?”
Lumia was reluctant.
She stood at the edge with only a small towel around her neck, wiggling her tiny toes.
“Kyaa! Kyaaah!”
I’m already in! The water’s warm, feel great!
I floated in the center, four paws stretched out, belly puffed with meat, doing doggy-paddle circles.
As I splashed around, Lumia finally gave in and waded in.
“Kyaa! It’s so warm… hehe, brother! I’ll make a foam hat for your head!”
She plopped down beside me and packed my ears with huge mounds of suds, giggling like crazy.
“Kyaa! Kyaa!”
Hey! Foam in my eyes!
I splashed back at her face with both paws.
This really is the big brother’s aura, huh?
“Haa… hot water really does make everything feel better.”
Kailian ran wet fingers through her hair and sighed lazily.
She glanced at Gumiho washing herself, then froze.
The sight of her—half-submerged in the water, curves glistening—stopped Kailian’s heart.
Even more, the swell of her chest made Kailian’s eyes narrow.
“…!”
Kailian stole quick glances between her own chest and Gumiho’s overwhelming figure, then muttered.
“…She’s really big.”
The honest admiration slipped out before she could stop it.
Gumiho noticed. She blinked round eyes at Kailian, then followed her gaze and smiled softly.
“Hehe. Your Highness is staring quite intently.”
“Ah, no! I wasn’t staring!”
Kailian’s face turned beet red as she tried to backtrack.
Gumiho turned toward Lumia playing in the water.
“Once a mother embraces and raises a child, she naturally grows and changes. And you’ll understand when you try to give your heart to that child.”
The words carried the weight of years of motherhood. Kailian fell silent.
“Hmph… I’ll never marry.”
Kailian gave a bitter little laugh, then splashed through the water and yanked Blanc out of the tub into her arms.
“Eep! Kyaaah?!”
Hey! I was having fun! Why the sudden grab?!
“I don’t need a husband or kids! I’m gonna live happily forever with this pig! Right, Blanc?!”
She rubbed her wet cheek against mine and squeezed tight.
“Kyaaaah! Kyaa!”
Can’t breathe! You idiot butler! Let go! I’ve told you I’m not a pig a hundred times!
I pushed her chest with both paws and struggled.
After the bath we were tucked into Kailian’s soft bed.
I closed my eyes slowly, dreaming of meeting the Emperor again.
Ssshhh…
A cool, clear breeze brushed my cheek.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a blizzard on an endless mountain range.
This was the place I always met the Emperor in my dreams.
“Kyaa! Kyaa!”
Emperor! Where are you, Emperor! I’m here! I caught a dragon with one swing!
I dashed through the snow, calling his name.
Normally the blizzard would part for him. Today the mountain was deathly silent.
“Kyaa…?”
Strange. Where did the Emperor go?
I pricked my ears and searched for his scent.
Tap. Tap.
Then, far off, faint footsteps approached through the thick snow.
“Kyaa?”
Emperor?
I tilted my head and looked toward the sound.
Long, silver-white hair.
And on her head—two round, white tiger ears exactly like mine.
A beautiful woman I had never seen before walked straight toward me.
“…Kyaa?”
Who are you? I’ve never seen you besides the Emperor and Mom…
I stiffened. My tail stood straight up in warning.
The wind shifted. Her scent drifted across my nose.
Ssshhh… sniff.
“!!!”
The moment I smelled it, every hair on my body stood on end and my eyes went round.
That scent… I had smelled it only once before.
My instincts screamed: that is Mom’s scent.
“Kyaa…?”
I took a dazed step forward. She walked slowly until she stood in front of me, then knelt gracefully on the snowy ground.
Her beautiful eyes overflowed with deep, endless love for me.
“My little one…”
Her trembling red lips parted, and a warm voice flowed out.
She opened her arms and pulled me into her chest in one swift motion.
Her soft cheek rubbed my forehead and neck as she held me tight.
“Kyaa… kyaaah…”
Mom… real Mom?
The reunion I had secretly envied when I watched Lumia and Gumiho earlier was finally here.
I stretched both paws and hugged her neck as hard as I could.
I licked her tear-wet face everywhere, leaving no spot untouched.