Blanc's Ink-Pad Letter
“Kyaaaaah!”
Lumia carefully lifted me and held me securely on her side without letting me tilt.
“Mmhm, oppa! I’ve got you tight.”
Kailian and I gently carried the enormous basket between us.
We moved with extra caution, afraid the bread inside might get crushed.
“Kyuuung~.”
Good. With this much, Grandpa and Mom should definitely taste it.
The rich, warm scent of freshly baked bread wafted from the basket.
I wagged my tail happily.
Making someone else happy always felt incredibly good.
We finally reached right in front of the altar, panting from the effort.
“Kyuuu…”
It wasn’t heavy, but my small body made carrying it exhausting…
“Yeah… Maybe I should’ve just used Lumia’s Fox Orb…”
“Kyaaa…?”
What was that?
“You can carry things like this with the Fox Orb.”
Lumia pointed at the Fox Orb, and a faint spiritual aura flowed from it, gently hovering the heavy basket we had struggled to carry right above our paws.
“Kyuu~.”
Why didn’t you tell me earlier…?
“I didn’t ask, oppa.”
“Kyuuu!”
“Ayaa!”
I couldn’t hold back and swatted Lumia’s forehead hard with my tail.
“Kyuuu!”
You made me suffer for nothing!
When I glared at her with my fluffy ears twitching, Lumia quickly looked away.
She knew she was wrong too.
“Oh? Both of you have been carrying that heavy-looking basket since morning—where are you heading?”
I turned my head at the voice coming from behind.
Rosalia and Haetae approached us with warm smiles.
“Kyaa! Kyang!”
Hi, this is bread for Grandpa and Mom.
I proudly tapped the basket with my paw in front of my face.
“Are you sending this through the altar to your family?”
“Kyuuung.”
Of course! I have to make sure they eat the freshly baked bread properly.
I was about to place the bread on the altar with pride, but Haetae gently blocked my paw with her soft hand.
“Just a moment, Your Highness Blanc.”
“Kyuu?”
Why send it quickly before the bread gets cold.
Haetae looked at the altar bread basket for a moment, then scratched behind my ear and offered her opinion.
“Sending such excellent bread is wonderful, but… since we’re already sending items through the altar, wouldn’t it be better to write a letter along with the bread and send it together?”
“…Kyuu.”
A letter…
“A letter, you say?”
Rosalia’s eyes sparkled.
“It would be most important to convey how well you’re doing to the elders far away.”
“Kyuu.”
That’s right.
“But the bread is good, and adding the letter would surely make them feel more at ease, right?”
“Indeed… That is an excellent suggestion. Blanc, go ahead.”
Rosalia even clapped her hands in celebration, but there was one problem.
She was asking me how to write, and I couldn’t even hold a pen.
“Ky, kyuuung…”
I drooped my two upright ears to the sides.
My wagging tail flopped weakly to the floor.
“Kyuu.”
You idiot. I can’t write.
I lifted my paw and stared at it.
How do I grip a pen with this fluffy jelly pad?
While I lay there with my tail limp, Haetae crouched down with a bright laugh, matching my gaze.
“Your Highness doesn’t need to hold the pen yourself. After all, I can read your voice, so I’ll act as your scribe and write it for you.”
“Kyuu?! Really? You’re going to write it?”
My drooping ears perked up instantly, and my tail that had been dragging on the ground began to wag again.
“Kyaaaaang!”
Hurry up and write it! Right now!
“Fufu, I’m glad you’re happy.”
Once I calmed down, Haetae immediately scratched my head and smiled sweetly.
“H-Hey, Haetae noona! Then can I, can I write a letter too? I want to greet Oppa’s family too…”
Lumia hugged her own tail tightly and asked.
I patted the little one’s head with my paw.
What a clever kid.
“Kyuu, kya!”
Of course! You’re my only little sister, so you should think of something to say too.
“Hehe! Okay, oppa! I’ll write it nicely!”
When I happily agreed, Lumia jumped up and down in delight.
“Right away. We’ve prepared the highest-grade ink and letter paper.”
Somehow, golden letter paper appeared neatly in front of the altar.
Rosalia really is amazing.
Haetae carefully picked up the letter paper and gently placed it on a flat rock.
She dipped the quill pen full of ink and waited for me with a gentle gaze.
“Well, Your Highness Blanc. What message shall I convey?”
I settled onto the rock.
I closed my eyes tightly.
What words do I want to say right now?
These are the people who first made me feel the warmth of family blood here.
What exactly should I write?
It felt like I could feel Grandpa and Mom’s touch stroking me.
“Kyuu… kyaang.”
Grandpa, Mom. I’m Blanc. Are you doing well?
Haetae’s quill began to move across the paper with a scratching sound.
“Kyuuung… kyaang!”
I want to grow up quickly so we can all meet and eat together.
I want to see your faces properly and hug you in my arms.
After my blunt, honest confession, Haetae’s quill paused for a moment before continuing to fill the paper.
“Kyuuung. Kyuu!”
You’re doing great over there. Don’t worry too much. You’re eating an enormous amount of food.
“Kyuu.”
Don’t worry, and be sure to eat the bread. I’ll bake more.”
As I took a deep breath, Haetae neatly added the period.
“Your Highness Blanc’s sincerity is perfectly written. Next, it is Lumia’s turn.”
At Haetae’s call, Lumia smiled cutely and stood beside me. Then she handed over the remaining sheet of paper.
Her handwriting was a bit wobbly but clearly readable.
“I learned how to write from Princess Kailian and the maids, so I tried it myself!”
“…You wrote it very well. We’ll send it as is.”
Haetae read the letter for a moment, then patted Lumia’s head with a warm smile.
“Since the letters are all ready, we can simply send them to the altar right now.”
Just as Haetae was about to fold the letter in half to put it in the envelope, I urgently stopped her hand.
“Eh? Your Highness Blanc. Is there anything else you wish to add?”
“Kyuuung!”
No, that’s not it! Something’s missing.
I instructed Haetae to spread the letter paper wide on the ground. Then I stared at the brand-new black ink bottle she was holding.
“Could it be that Your Highness wants to use your own ink?”
“Kyuu!”
Yes! I should leave something of mine too.
I quickly dipped my entire white right front paw into the ink bottle.
Splash.
My white paw instantly turned completely black with ink.
I lifted my dripping paw and slammed it down onto the area with the most space.
*Thud!*
“Kyahaha! Kyuu!”
This is what my letter should look like.
When I lifted my paw, a large, clear paw print of a young tiger’s footprint had been stamped perfectly on the letter paper.
It was a perfect seal proving that the owner of this letter was me.
“Perfect. Your family will surely be very satisfied.”
Rosalia smiled warmly and gently wiped my black paw.
I handed my black paw to Rosalia and wagged my tail.
Only then did satisfaction wash over me.
Haetae carefully folded the dried letter. Then she gently placed the bread with the paw prints between them and pushed the basket toward the altar.
*Uwoong~*
The massive altar glowed once more with Grandpa’s inviting aura, and the enormous bread basket melted and vanished into the air.
*Paah!*
In the center of the enormous ice cave, the altar flashed, and the vibrating basket of bread dropped with a *thud*.
“Huhuhu… You again. You sent bread. You’re truly your son’s clever one.”
Grandpa wagged his tail and approached the basket.
Blanc’s mother also carefully stroked the basket, focusing on smelling her son’s lingering scent.
“Haa… It’s a relief I can at least smell it like this… My son…”
She carefully opened the basket and could not hold back her admiration.
Every piece of bread was filled with her son’s adorable paw prints deeply stamped.
“Oh… Our child… Has grown this much already.”
She carefully compared her palm with the shape of Blanc’s paw prints and smiled happily.
How could a mother who never once gave him a proper meal send such a lovely gift?
Such a kind child.
“Hmm… What’s this…? There’s some kind of paper here.”
She tilted her head, catching the ink scent among the bread’s aroma.
She discovered and picked up the letter envelope that had been tucked between the breads.
“This is…”
With trembling hands she opened the envelope and carefully unfolded the folded letter.
*Swish.*
The moment the letter paper unfolded.
What immediately caught her eye was not the neatly written flowing script.
It was the small, cute paw print stamped large at the bottom margin of the letter paper.
“A-A… Hoo… This… This is… my child’s mark…”
She clutched the letter with her shaking hands. Even though it had been stamped on the bread, this feeling was completely different.
She slowly began to read each written word one by one.
[Grandpa, Mom. It’s me, Blanc. Are you doing well?]
The instant she read the first sentence, transparent tears streamed down her beautiful face.
[I want to grow up quickly so we can all meet and eat together.]
[I want to see your faces properly and hug you in my arms.]
“Sob… My baby… I miss you too… so much…”
She hugged the letter tightly and cried.
She sat there without even finishing the letter, yearning for her distant child and shedding endless tears.