The Final Masterminds Are Obsessed with My Foot Jelly
The carriage had finally left the imperial palace behind and raced through four full days and nights without stopping.
Outside the window, the landscape gradually turned a soft white.
We sped past the blue grasslands, then the bare branches of winter forests whipped past us, until everything around us was covered in snow.
Four days was a long time—especially for Lumia, who had never ridden in a carriage before.
“Uuu… big brother… my stomach feels so weird…”
“Hmm… maybe it’s because Lumia’s never been in a carriage before. Should I give her something sweet?”
“No… it tastes gross… ugh…”
The lively Lumia I knew had been completely wrecked by motion sickness.
She shifted into her little fox form and curled up into my arms, burying her face against my fur.
“Nang…”
The drooping ball of white fur looked pitiful.
I spread my front paws and pulled her tight against my chest, resting my chin on the top of her head.
This way the carriage would shake a little less, right?
It was my own form of care.
“Kyaa.”
Hold on just a little longer. We’re almost there.
I patted her back with my tail.
Lumia nuzzled into my chest and fell asleep, breathing in the rhythm of my heartbeat.
“Kyaa…”
Look at her eyes… she’s jealous even now.
I sighed at the gazes of the butlers surrounding me.
Their eyes weren’t full of worry for Lumia. They burned with pure, unfiltered jealousy.
“I’m so envious.”
Kailian muttered quietly, her hands trembling.
“I get motion sickness too. I could throw up harder than anyone… but I still want to be held…”
“Your Highness, please maintain your dignity.”
Rosalia adjusted her monocle and spoke coolly, yet her gaze stayed fixed on me and Lumia.
“But… it’s really unfair…” I want to bury my head in Big Brother’s belly and sleep if only I could…”
“Big Brother, suddenly my head is spinning. Could I borrow your belly just for a bit…?”
Lina’s cheeks flushed as she reached out with impure hands toward my belly.
I swatted her hands away with my tail and turned my head.
“Kyaa.”
Leave the little one alone. I’ll play with her later.
I glanced at the sulky faces of the butlers, then looked out the carriage window.
—We’ve arrived! The entrance to the Kalus Snowy Mountains!
The driver’s strong cry made the carriage stop.
We were finally here.
As soon as the door opened, a cold, crisp gust of air hit my face.
“Kyaa!”
“Waaah…! Your belly felt so nice…”
I passed Lumia to Kailian and leaped straight out of the carriage.
This is exactly like the scenery from my dreams!
Plop!
The pure cold sensation of snow pressed against my paw pads.
Nothing like the hard, flat floor of the palace.
“Kyaaang!”
This feeling! Just like when I played with Grandpa!
I dashed full speed toward the snowfield.
Every time my paws sank into the snow, my whole body tingled with joy.
The entire world was white.
Trees, rocks, even the distant mountain peaks—all of it was snow.
“Kyuuu!”
The scent is just like it too!
I threw myself at a huge snowdrift.
Thump!
Soft, cool snow enveloped my body—neither too wet nor too cold, but refreshing and cozy.
My white fur mixed perfectly with the snow and became an ideal camouflage.
I tumbled, dug, poked my head into the snow like a pufferfish, and wagged my hips wildly.
It felt exactly like the quiet, majestic space where I had met that beloved white tiger in my dreams.
“Did Grandpa and the white tiger really live in a place like this?”
I felt an inexplicable sense of peace and lay on my back in the snow, gazing up at the sky.
As the cold air filled my lungs, something deep inside me stirred—my primal, wild nature waking up.
“Hahaha! Blanc, you’re really into this, huh?”
“Go slowly! You’ll slip!”
The butlers laughed warmly as they unloaded the luggage.
A few days ago this same Blanc had been all droopy, yet now he was racing around with so much energy. It made them feel safe.
Haetae also stepped down from the carriage and surveyed the surroundings.
“Even in the West… this place is so clear and invigorating. It truly suits Big Brother Blanc.”
“Kyaa.”
I think so too.
We ran and played like that for a long time, completely lost in the moment.
Lumia, now that her motion sickness had passed, leaped through the snow in fox form.
Kailian built snowballs and threw them at me while teasing.
“Blanc! Take this!”
“Kyaa!”
I dodged the snowballs flying at me at terrifying speed, then countered by spraying snow with my tail.
Boom!
The snowballs I had dodged smashed into the rocks with a sharp crack.
“Kyaa!”
These crazy butlers! They were definitely trying to catch me!
“…Kuh, sorry Blanc… I got too excited…”
I flicked Kailian’s ankle with my front paw.
“Enough already. There’s so much snow around here—if we keep throwing, we won’t be able to find a body even if one shows up.”
The surrounding snow was too deep… we didn’t need to build a snowman or anything.
—Whoa.
While we were all having fun, a strange sensation suddenly made my movements freeze.
“Kyaa…?”
What is it…?
I stopped playing and looked up toward the deeper parts of the snowy mountain—toward the dangerous cliffs.
The sound of the butlers’ laughter faded, replaced by something else.
Whoosh… whoosh…
It wasn’t wind.
It sounded like a heartbeat—urgently calling me.
An overwhelming pull.
Like steel attracted to a magnet, my body moved on its own toward that direction.
“Hurry up and come… you are the last child of our clan.”
No voice, yet I felt its will clearly.
Grandpa’s scent? The warmth of that white tiger? It was similar, but far thicker, heavier, and grander.
“Kyaa!”
I have to go there—now.
I shook the snow off my head, then took off without looking back.
“Eh? Blanc! Where are you going?!”
“Big Brother Blanc?!”
“Big brother!”
The butlers’ panicked shouts followed behind me, but I couldn’t stop.
My legs were already moving on their own, driven by something beyond my will.
Tap-tap!
I raced up the steep snowy slope without hesitation.
The snow was deep and slippery, but the snow beneath my paws acted like a solid road that had been cleared for me.
“Wait! Come with me! If you fall, you won’t get snacks tomorrow!”
Kailian threatened cruelly, tossed her luggage bag into the snow, and hurried after me.
“Blanc…! It’s dangerous there! It’s a cliff!”
Even though Kailian screamed, I didn’t stop.
We passed through gaps in the rocks, crossed frozen valleys, and entered a deep gorge where no human foot had ever stepped.
When we finally reached the end, my paws stopped moving.
“Kyaa… heh… heh…”
Aw, I’m out of breath…
I panted and lifted my head.
A sheer, jagged cliff blocked my way.
Right at the base of the cliff, an enormous cave entrance—cleverly hidden by vines and snow—was wide open, welcoming me.
“Huff… huff… Blanc! Why are you suddenly like this…?”
By the time the late-arriving Kailian and the butlers caught up, they were all gasping for breath.
They scanned me with worried faces, then followed my gaze to the cave.
“This… a cave…?”
Rosalia wiped her glasses and narrowed her eyes.
“It’s strange. Our empire’s maps and records show no caves here…”
“It might be a hidden place… the aura coming from it is nothing ordinary.”
Haetae, sensing the massive power, recalled her trauma from being surrounded by white tigers in the past. She planted herself firmly in front of me.
“Big Brother Blanc, please step back. The aura emanating from here is not normal. I’ll go check first.”
Haetae spoke politely but resolutely, trying to shield me—but I slipped between her legs and walked straight toward the cave.
When would they ever stop waiting for me?
“Blanc! No! It’s dangerous!”
Kailian reached out to grab my tail, but it was already too late.
The moment I stepped into the cave entrance, something incredible happened.
Kuuung—!
The ground trembled.
The huge rock blocking the cave entrance—covered in ice and stone—began to move on its own.
Like an automatic door, it slid smoothly to the side.
“What…?”
The butlers couldn’t close their mouths.
“It opened…?”
“That huge boulder just… by itself? Magic…? No, there’s not a single trace of mana…”
Through the gap came a faint bluish light. And the rich scent that poured out with it.
The deep, unmistakable scent of the snowy mountains—far richer than anything I had smelled from outside.
“Kyaa!”
I’m going in.
I turned back once to wag my tail at the butlers, then stepped inside without hesitation.
The butlers exchanged glances, then carefully followed behind me.
The inside of the cave was surprisingly vast and not cold at all.
Odd stones embedded in the walls emitted a gentle light.
After walking through a long corridor, the view opened up and a colossal domed chamber appeared.
“Whoa… this place really exists in our empire…?”
Kailian couldn’t hold back her excited exclamation.
It looked exactly like a temple.
The ceiling was high, the floor smooth marble, and at the center stood something radiating overwhelming presence.
“Kyaa…”
It’s really big…
A majestic stone statue of a white tiger the size of a house sat squatting, looking down at me.
The craftsmanship was so perfect it looked like it could have been carved in an instant.
The lifelike expression as if it were about to roar made it seem like I was witnessing the pinnacle of art.
Tap.
As I stepped closer to the statue,
Flash!
The statue’s eyes began to glow bright blue.
That blue light resonated with the power inside my body, and a faint white glow slowly rose from my own fur.
“This… it’s responding to Blanc…?”
“It seems to be resonating with Big Brother Blanc…”
While the butlers held their breath and watched, I was drawn toward the statue like a trance.
Despite its overwhelming size, it didn’t feel scary at all. Instead, my heart fluttered with a strange, wonderful anticipation.
It was like meeting someone I had waited for for a very, very long time.
“Kyaa…?”
Hi… hello?
My small greeting made the entire cave echo with a deep, resonant sound.
The statue’s blue eyes gently enveloped me.