Leopard Family Dinner

Aliana chased after Aslan, who was in a hurry towards the front room. Although she was reluctant to witness the intimacy between the married couple, it was not proper to ignore her mother, who had just returned from work. She didn't want Zara to think that Aslan had taught her wrong manners.

However, with her mature mind, she found it quite uncomfortable to witness the affection between Aslan and Zara. The problem was not that she disliked seeing her parents getting along, but it was more like they got along too well!

"Honey!!" Zara opened her arms wide to welcome Aslan, who rushed into her embrace.

"Honey, I miss you!!" Aslan replied with a broad smile, burying his head in Zara's ample bosom.

Zara had a beautiful face with a sun-kissed complexion. Her job as a miner had sculpted her into a muscular figure, quite different from the women on Earth who aimed to maintain their slimness. Nevertheless, Zara had a substantial bust and buttocks that made her figure appear balanced.

Her natural ombre blonde hair was a distinctive characteristic of a leopard werebeast. Women in this world usually kept their hair short, whereas men kept it long.

The longer Aliana lived in this world, the more she sensed something was amiss. Whether it was the vastly different cultural customs or the way society viewed men and women, she began to feel like she had reincarnated into a reverse world. This feeling intensified when she observed Zara and Aslan's interactions.

"Hahaha, I only went to work, why are you missing me already?" Zara chuckled.

"Why can't I miss you? Don't you miss me?" Aslan pouted.

"Of course, I miss you!!" Zara responded quickly.

"Then why aren't you hugging me!!" protested Aslan, noticing that Zara's hands were still hovering in the air and not embracing him tightly.

Zara scratched the back of her head. "Ah, while I was working, my hands got covered in machine oil. Even though I washed them, they still feel sticky. I didn't want to soil your clothes," she explained with a smile.

"Washed them? You took a bath before coming home? Mou...I told you that you didn't need to bathe before coming home! It'll just make you get home later than you should! Do you want to attract other men on your way back?" Aslan's forehead creased in a frown.

"NO! Of course not!" Zara quickly and loudly denied, "I took a bath before coming home because we are celebrating Aliana's birthday today. I didn't want to keep her waiting for me to shower," Zara clarified with an honest face.

"Is that so?" Aslan sniffed Zara's body but didn't detect the scent of another man. Nevertheless, he still pouted, seemingly not fully convinced by Zara's explanation. "I don't believe it! Hug me tightly! Prove your words!"

"Yes!" Zara hugged Aslan without hesitation. Aslan smiled contentedly, feeling Zara's warmth as his smaller frame was enveloped by his wife's embrace. A smile appeared on Zara's face too, as she watched Aslan no longer harboring suspicions.

Aliana, observing all of this, could only remain silent with twitching lips. She felt an itch she didn't know where to scratch, making her incredibly uncomfortable with her eyes not knowing where to look.

As if just realizing Aliana's presence, Aslan was startled and released his tight embrace. His face turned red as he lowered his head, stealing glances in Aliana's direction shyly. Zara looked at him with a grin on her lips before turning to Aliana.

"Welcome home, Mother," Aliana greeted, hiding her protest towards the so-called father.

"Thank you, Aliana. Did you take care of your father while I was at work?" Zara said seriously while still holding Aslan's waist with one hand.

"Of course, Mother! Leave it to me; the house will be safe as long as I'm guarding it," Aliana replied, flexing her biceps. Zara nodded upon hearing Aliana's response, and a proud smile was etched on her face.

After the usual brief conversation that the mother and daughter often had, this leopard family headed towards the dining room. Aliana, still trying to conceal her diabetic expression, walked at the forefront, followed by Aslan and Zara whispering affectionately behind her.

The dining room in Aliana's house was directly connected to the kitchen, separated only by a gray film curtain designed to blur the view. The room was a modest and functional space, efficiently using the available square footage. The walls were made of a mixture of progisa wood and elefeim sand—a suitable blend that Zara's budget could afford to create sturdy house walls.

As they entered the room, the temperature control machine activated automatically, adjusting the room's humidity. LED strips illuminated the space, providing a warm, dim yellow atmosphere. Both devices had power-saving functions, only activating when there were more than two people in the room.

Morrowind, as its name suggested, had unpredictable weather and was always covered by strong winds. Only areas designated for farming and agriculture had weather control machines, ensuring a consistent harvest pattern to prevent hunger among the planet's residents. However, only native plants can be cultivated on Morrowind's soil.

Various sustainable food items were displayed on the round table. Usually, there was only one type of food on it, but today they were celebrating something special, so Aslan had prepared it since morning, opening his one-and-only priceless refrigerator.

Three folding chairs surrounded the round table, placed closely together not just because of the small dining space. There was no seating arrangement in this room; wherever they chose to enjoy their meal, it would feel the same. Aliana, eager to escape the intimate whispers of the couple behind her, quickly took a seat.

"Oh, impatient already, huh?" Aslan chuckled, releasing himself from Zara's embrace and heading to the kitchen. The bio-suit he wore instantly transformed into a pink apron. Zara's eyes followed her husband's behind as he disappeared behind the gray film curtain before sitting in one of the remaining two chairs.

Zara redirected her attention back to Aliana. The atmosphere felt awkward without Aslan to break the ice. Zara wasn't a talkative mother; she held many words within and only let them out when she deemed it necessary. If not, she communicated through nods or facial expressions.

Perhaps, if Aliana were a normal seven-year-old, she might have felt unloved by her mother. However, Aliana, with her share of experiences with people, knew her mother cared for her. Zara just expressed it in her own way, sometimes difficult to understand.

"So, how was your day at work, Mom?" Aliana initiated the conversation with small talk.

"Good, I guess. How about your school?" Zara responded, turning the question back.

"Good, I guess..." Aliana replied.

And their conversation ends there.

Aliana lowered her face, hiding her embarrassment. She wasn't someone incapable of communication; in fact, she was quite skilled at it. She could guide a conversation towards where she wanted her interlocutor to be. However, talking to business associates and her own mother were two different things.

Aliana was very new to this family thing.

"Zara, can you help me set up a bit on the table?" Fortunately, Aslan emerged from the kitchen with a birthday cake in hand.

Zara promptly followed Aslan's instructions, and the birthday cake with a "7" candle was placed on the table. Aliana once again tried to look very interested; she didn't want to hurt her father's feelings, who had prepared this birthday cake since morning.

The birthday song was lively and led by Aslan, who clapped his hands enthusiastically. Zara watched with her usual flat-half-smiling expression, but happiness was evident in her warm eyes. Aliana didn't want to join in singing, but Aslan's melodious and spirited voice made her hum along.

With a satisfied smile, Aliana cut her birthday cake and handed the first slice to Aslan. Zara seemed fine receiving the second slice after her husband. She looked happy because Aliana cared for her mother more than herself. Aliana could guess that Zara was a cold and reserved woman before Aslan found her.

The small leopard family joyfully savored the little birthday cake. Before Aslan stopped Aliana and instructed her to eat "actual" food first, mentioning that consuming too many sweets could upset her stomach. Aliana nodded; she wasn't interested in sweet either.

"Aliana now that you're seven years old, going to school and learning is good, but it's time for you to choose your future path. I've talked to Mrs. Riddick, and he mentioned there's an internship opportunity in the accounting department. Maybe—"

"Honey!" Aslan interrupted Zara with a surprised tone.

"What?" Zara turned with confusion.

"Aliana is only seven years old! Isn't this too early for her to work?"

"It's not too early. I started working in the mines at her age. When I was ten, my Mana Core was mature enough to take on higher positions," Zara replied.

"Morrowind is not the same as it used to be! Aliana doesn't need to work as a miner to become a resident of the Miner District. With your current position, getting her Miner District resident status should be easy," Aslan said.

"Well, I can help her get Miner District resident status. But as you said, Morrowind is not the same as it used to be. It's challenging to find a job now, and there are already too many people working in the mines. If she doesn't seize the opportunity now to become a miner, it will be difficult for her to maintain her resident status later. You know that at the age of 10, every child will leave their family and start living independently. Besides, I'm offering an internship in the accounting department, not a dangerous job," Zara argued.

"..."

Aslan couldn't respond, but his face still couldn't accept Zara's words. He remained silent for a while, causing concern for Zara. Aliana watched all this silently; she wanted to express her opinion, but once again, she had limited information. She didn't even know what was mined in this City, but she knew the minerals were valuable, making miners the highest position in the Miner District.

Shortly after, Aslan turned to Aliana and suddenly shook his head, saying, "No, I will take her to meet Mr. Asoli. I'm sure he will accept Aliana to join him."

"What? No! My daughter will not deal with people from the Slum District. It's very dangerous, Aslan!" Zara said firmly.

"Honey, trust me, I know what I'm doing. Aliana, our daughter, has a greater destiny than just this planet! Besides, Mr. Asoli still owes me; he wouldn't dare do anything to Aliana," Aslan patted his chest.

Zara gazed deeply into Aslan's eyes, but she knew her husband was very stubborn. It would be challenging to change his mind once he decided on something. Eventually, Zara sighed deeply and nodded.

However, before she did, she turned to Aliana, looking at her daughter with deep concern. Aslan too turned to Aliana and said, "Aliana, tomorrow you don't need to go to school. We will go to the Slum District to meet someone."

Aliana understood a little of what her parents were talking about. She formulated their conversation with the information she had gathered. Although she still had many questions, she was confident Aslan would answer them tomorrow. Moreover, she was still under the protection of her parents. If not them, whom could she trust in this world?

So, Aliana nodded and said, "Yes, father."

"Aliana, the Slum District is very dangerous. You must listen to everything your father says when you go there. And don't accept anything from anyone unless your father allows it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, mother!"