A Baby Hostage Spoiled by the Hostile Noble Family _ chapter 04
At that moment, a good idea popped into my head.
‘I’ll show them the majesty of a White Tiger.’
The Chigr White Tigers ruled the northern continent. And even if I was only half-blooded, I still carried their blood and aura.
If I showed them the presence of a White Tiger, they would surely recognize me as Alec’s heir.
With that thought, I slipped out of Max’s arms and lightly landed on top of the marble table.
They looked at me with curiosity.
I planted my four paws firmly and stood as imposing as I could. My fluffy tail stood straight up.
Staring at them with my small golden eyes, I shouted inwardly—
Awaken! The White Tiger blood sleeping within me!
Then I bared my tiny fangs and let out the fiercest roar I could muster.
“Meooow!!!”
Well? Feel the ferocity of a White Tiger?!
“Oh my, how adorable!”
Max exclaimed from the side, completely charmed.
Adorable? That’s not what I was going for…
While I was flustered, Leon looked at Max with disbelief.
“What is this thing doing?”
“It seems to be performing tricks for us. That cry is incredibly cute!”
I’m not performing tricks!
Max grabbed me by the scruff again.
“Alright, little cutie. Let’s go to the butler now.”
Dangling in his grip, I widened my eyes and roared again with all my might.
“Meeooow!”
At that moment, Leon’s expression changed instantly.
“Wait, Max. Stop.”
“…Why?”
He snatched me from Max and lifted me up to eye level, holding me under my forelegs.
His sharp purple eyes bore into me intensely. As I trembled unconsciously, he spoke in a low voice.
“This one… is Alec’s daughter. A White Tiger cub.”
“Is that true?”
Max looked at me in shock. My face brightened.
‘He recognized my White Tiger presence!’
I lifted my chin proudly and looked at Leon. He continued,
“Yes. I didn’t notice at first, but her eyes are golden. And looking closely, her inner fur is white—just dirt on the outside.”
Max’s eyes widened.
“Oh, you’re right! And now that I think about it, she does resemble a tiger. Then this child really is…?”
Leon nodded.
…This isn’t exactly how I imagined it, but things are working out.
“Alec looks brutish, but his offspring is quite cute. Though I didn’t expect her to be this young.”
Max still looked at me with uncontrollable fondness. Then a hint of discomfort crossed his face.
Seeing that, Leon asked,
“What is it?”
“She looks like a newborn… Taking her away as a hostage right now feels a bit pitiful. Is there no other option?”
Max’s eyes filled with sympathy as he looked at me.
What are you talking about?
Forget sympathy—please take me as a hostage!
I cried out desperately, looking at him.
But Max only sighed softly.
“Look at those pleading eyes. She must not want to leave home.”
That’s not what I mean!
Right—Leon is supposed to be cold and merciless. He won’t pity me.
I looked at him with hope.
He muttered thoughtfully,
“Hm. I don’t know about pitiful, but if she’s this young, taking care of her would be a hassle. Maybe we should just increase the compensation fiftyfold instead.”
My face fell into despair.
I cried out urgently,
“Meow! Meooow! Meow meow!”
Please take me as a hostage!
“What’s wrong with this one all of a sudden?”
“No idea.”
They tilted their heads, watching me make a fuss.
Right… they can’t understand me.
Then I had no choice but to use gestures.
Gestures were a way for young beastmen who couldn’t speak to communicate, along with their cries.
I looked at Leon desperately, stretched out my paw toward him, then bent it.
When he looked at my paw, I quickly waved it side to side.
Wave— wave—
In the north, waving your paw like this meant you were earnestly begging for something.
Please take me to the south! I’ll do anything!
At that moment, their expressions froze.
The gestures of beastmen in the north and south had very different meanings.
That was because gestures were a form of communication used only before achieving human transformation—mainly during infancy, or occasionally when reverting to one’s original form.
During such vulnerable times, beastmen stayed within their own territories under protection, rarely interacting with other races.
Thus, gesture language developed differently between regions and species.
Even the same movement could have completely different meanings.
And since these gestures were instinctively learned and deeply ingrained, beastmen neither understood nor instinctively interpreted gestures from other species.
Normally, this wasn’t an issue, since most interactions between different races occurred in human form, through spoken language.
But Mia, unable to transform, had no other way to communicate.
Worse, she had never left the north in her previous life—so she assumed everyone would understand her gestures.
Naturally, she had no idea what her paw-waving meant to dragons.
“L-Lord… I’m not mistaken, am I? That child of Alec’s… is she… waving her paw at you?”
Max whispered in shock.
Leon’s purple eyes also trembled.
They didn’t know her true intention.
They only interpreted it through dragon customs.
“Is she… asking you for a kiss?”
That’s right.
Among southern dragons, waving one’s paw at someone meant—
“Please kiss me.”
Leon and Max stared stiffly at Mia, who was enthusiastically waving her paw.
‘Why do they look like that?’
I stared at their frozen faces.
They had said something earlier, but I was too focused on waving my paw to hear.
Then Max whispered to Leon,
“…My lord, should we grant what she’s asking?”
Does that mean they’ll take me as a hostage?
I looked at them with sparkling, hopeful eyes.
But Leon frowned and snapped coldly,
“What kind of nonsense is that? Have you lost your mind?”
His icy tone made my heart grow even more desperate.
So he still doesn’t want to take me…
Then there was only one thing I could do.
I waved my paw even more intensely!
Wave! Wave! Wave!
Please take me to the south!!
“Gasp!”
Max stiffened further, while Leon’s frown deepened.
Then suddenly, my paw stopped moving.
It wouldn’t respond.
Press.
Leon’s hand was pressing under my foreleg.
“Stay still.”
It was a calm command—but the overwhelming aura behind it froze my entire body.
“M-meow…”
His purple eyes gleamed ominously. A terrifying dragon aura filled the air.
Scary!
My body went rigid, like stone.
It felt like if I moved even slightly, he would kill me without hesitation.
Once I became still, Leon set me down and clicked his tongue.
“Tch.”
I curled up, trembling, watching him cautiously.
‘I think I overdid it…’
Thinking about it, I was just the cub of a defeated enemy nation—and instead of bowing, I had basically thrown a tantrum demanding to be taken to the south.
No wonder Leon thought I was insolent.
‘What should I do?’
Instead of pushing further, maybe I should just behave and win his favor first.
Gathering my courage, I slowly uncurlled and approached him again.
Meanwhile, Leon frowned as he looked down at Mia, who was curled up at his feet like a lifeless creature.
She’s finally quiet.
Her earlier behavior had been utterly absurd.
A defeated enemy’s young daughter—demanding a kiss out of nowhere?
Even for a clueless cub, that was ridiculous.
“Do you think… she mistook you for her parent?”
“Of course not. Our auras are completely different.”
Leon dismissed Max’s suggestion sharply.
Beastmen were born with distinct auras tied to their species.
Even cubs who hadn’t awakened their aura yet still carried it within them.
From birth, they instinctively recognized those with the same aura as their parents.
Likewise, parents felt an instinctive bond toward cubs with matching auras.
“That’s true. There’s no way she’d confuse a White Tiger’s rough aura with ours. You can sense their stench from hundreds of meters away.”
Instead of responding, Leon stared at Mia thoughtfully.
Something felt strange.
From this little furball, he could barely sense any White Tiger aura.
Even for a newborn, it was too… blank. Too clean.
‘Is that even possible?’
Yet her white fur and golden eyes were undeniable proof of Alec’s blood.
“Then why is she acting like this?” Max asked.
Leon set aside his doubts and replied,
“Who knows. Either way, I’ve already warned her with my aura. She won’t dare act out again.”
At that moment, Mia slowly uncurled.
Then she toddled toward him.
What is she doing?
Leon watched closely.
Then Mia stood up and grabbed his leg with her tiny paw.
Clench.
“…?”
