The chest of a young girl rose and fell at a steady pace.

Here, in this too quiet room, the only thing to be heard was her shallow breaths occasionally accompanied by the odd grunt or groan of discomfort.

Staring at the scene, Baihu took it in.

This was very unexpected.

It was only a few days ago that she became aware of something abnormal trespassing in her territory. A presence faint and entirely new. At first, she had assumed it to be a conniving creature seeking her so-called “treasures”, but when she issued an open challenge and it didn’t flee nor answer, curiosity beckoned Baihu to explore.

Roaming her wintry wonderland, Baihu took her time. Repeating her calls every so often in order to test the resilience of this interloper. The closer she got without there being a visible reaction resulted in her interest rising. Most creatures tended to be very frightful. Easily scared by the most mundane of things. Baihu had long gotten used to such cowardice. And, perhaps due to it, was willing to meet with something equally interested in her.

Arriving at the location of the interloper and discovering the peculiar behaviour of the animals initially put Baihu on edge. There were few beings capable of manipulating creatures, and none of them were any sort of good. Seeing the cub was a light relief. The blood of infected animals always had a bitter taste.

The cub appeared completely clueless. It seemed it wasn’t even aware of the effect it was having on the creatures around it. Baihu debated with herself as she walked to the cub. Taking it with her could cause serious problems, but seeing it, an old, almost forgotten question came to mind.

Where were the others?

Getting up, Baihu made way towards the entrance.

Since she was young, Baihu remembered wondering when she would meet someone like her. Someone of the same kind. She would endlessly listen to the mountain fairies as they floated around singing. Promising everything and anything. As the months passed and Baihu grew, they still sang. As the years passed and Baihu developed, they still sang. As the decades passed and Baihu matured, they still sang. Eventually, without even realising it, she grew weary of their songs.

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A beating within demanded satisfaction, and so she ventured out into the world. Beginning a bloody search that ultimately resulted in nothing. She was only back to where she began.

Grasping the door handle, Baihu left the room.

Seeing the state of the cub, if it was anything like she was at the age, she should be starving.

“H-Hello!”

Closing the door, Baihu watched as a blanket-covered little girl struggled to stand. Her cherry chatty voice contrasting her dishevelled state.

“Crazy weather we’re having, huh?”

The eyes of the girl rapidly scammed the room before almost reluctantly settling on the space behind Baihu. After finally managing to get on her feet, the girl walked... limped towards the entrance.

“Well, if you don’t mind me, I’ll just be on my-”

The girl paused.

“Uhm, I don’t mean to bother you, but your thing—tail! I mean tail! Is just a tiny bit in the way…”

Staring down at the young cub, Baihu examined her appearance once again. It was distracting how much she resembled Baihu. From her hair to the patterns on her tail, it was simply remarkable how much they looked alike.

“I-I might’ve been a slightly rude there. Don’t mind me, I’ll figure it out.”

Feeling the little cub trying to squeeze past, Baihu grabbed the blanket she was wrapped in and threw her over her shoulders. Walking back to the bed, she felt the aggressive squirming of the cub.

Setting the cub down, Baihu unrolled the blanket around her. It wouldn’t do to dirty the bed.

“You’re not going to eat me, are you?”

Lightly copping the head of the girl, Baihu decided to ignore the poor attempt at a joke. Reaching into her cloak, she summoned the meal she had already prepared. A milk soup stuffed with small bits of fresh meat.

“Is… is that poison?”

Cupping the face of the girl, Baihu used her free hand to pour the contents contained within a bowl down her throat. The little girl hesitated to swallow at first, but after one attempt, all previous reservations disappeared. She started drinking avidly to the point Baihu had to pull the bowl away lest she choked.

Quickly finishing, the girl gingerly sat wearing a wide smile. The remains of her meal caked onto her face seemly not bothering her. Stretching out her cloak-covered hand, Baihu wiped the girl clean. The girl stared starry-eyed at Baihu after the act before muttering,

“Please take care of me.”

A startled look filled the girl’s face.

Baihu gazed at her.

“Sure.” (B)

“Huh, really!?”

The girl raised a fist into the air. She then began grinning madly; a fact she tried to hide by facing away from Baihu.

“Yes, I do need an attendant.” (B)

“A what?”

The previous jovial mood surrounding the girl gradually vanished.

“An attendant. One capable of taking care of the home, doing menial tasks, and running errands.” (B)

“Ah, I see... Unfortunately, I’m not good at those sorts of things.”

“No problem. You will learn or…” (B)

Gesturing towards the door, Baihu didn’t need to elaborate.

“So, tell me, what is your name?”

“Leion…” (L)

“Leion, welcome to your new home. As your new master, I believe you will serve me well.” (B)

Seeing as all the important points of discussion touched upon, there wasn’t much left to talk about.

It was time for Leion to get some rest.

Setting down the bowl, Baihu started tucking her in. Pushing her down and pulling up the covers.

“Rest for now; tomorrow is going to be long.” (B)

Spotting no resistance from the little girl, Baihu stood up and sat at the lone table.

It looked like a few changes needed around here.