Chapter 279 - 278: Leogryph, My Most Favored

A flicker of astonishment crossed Old Mr. Lowell’s face. He looked up at Yvonne Lowell uncertainly.

"Is it... trying to shake my hand?"

’This big lion looks so majestic and powerful, but it’s acting just like a mutt. Was it raised by one?’

Yvonne "the Mutt" Lowell: ’...Say that again, I dare you!’

"Yep. It recognizes your status in the family and is trying to suck up to you. I’ve never gotten this kind of treatment myself."

Yvonne Lowell covered her face, unable to watch. ’Where did this sycophantic show-off come from? I’ve never seen it be so good at sizing up a situation before!’

"ROAR!" ’Maternal Great-Grandfather! C’mon, shake paws with me! Once we do, I’ll officially be a lion of the Lowell family!’

The Leogryph nudged its paw forward a bit more. ’This was something I learned from TV, all so I could leave everyone with the perfect impression of a civilized and polite beast who sets a fine new example.’

’Lord Lionus has already lowered his head. You’d better not be ungrateful, okay! Or else I’ll...’

’...I’ll throw a tantrum, roll around on the floor, be shameless, play the victim, and act all cute until I’ve latched onto this big backer!!!’

"Hello there, Leogryph."

Old Mr. Lowell turned his palm up and carefully extended his hand toward it.

The Leogryph met his hand, thoughtfully retracting its sharp claws and using a gentle pressure.

"ROAR!" ’The ceremony is complete! From this day forward, I’m the umpteenth-generation firstborn son and grandson of the Lowell family! Yeah!’

The Leogryph grinned, its maw full of sharp teeth looking utterly terrifying no matter how you looked at it.

Old Mr. Lowell, however, found it increasingly endearing. Men are boys at heart, after all. In his youth, he’d also loved the thrill of a challenge and had a fondness for fierce beasts and birds of prey, let alone a Leogryph that seemed so sapient.

"Well now, good boy, you’re a happy one, aren’t you? Can I give you a pet?"

The Leogryph said nothing, only moving closer and nudging its head forward.

’Good thing I took a nice bubbly bath yesterday. Otherwise, this would’ve been a real disaster today.’

Felicity: ’Oh, you’re so high and mighty, aren’t you? Breaking into my home to take a bath, and you wanted to eat my wife and kids, too.’

Old Mr. Lowell got his wish and ruffled the lion’s mane. The first pat led to a second, and soon, he was petting it nonstop.

The Leogryph rested its head right on the sofa, letting him ruffle and scruff its fur to his heart’s content.

The sight made everyone else’s teeth ache with envy. They wanted a turn to pet it, too!

When Zachary Jacobs came in after parking the car, he was greeted by the scene of a doting great-grandfather and a filial great-grandson. For a second, he thought he’d walked onto the wrong set.

He had braced himself to hear screaming from the parking lot. Instead, from the moment he walked in the door, all he heard was Old Mr. Lowell’s hearty laughter, and all he saw was a pack of people with the ravenous, glowing eyes of the famished.

After greeting everyone, he sat down next to Harrison Lowell and asked quietly,

"What’s the situation here? Aren’t any of you scared?"

"The Leogryph is so well-behaved. What’s there to be afraid of?" Harrison Lowell slung an arm around his shoulder.

"Angus, be honest with your big bro. Have you ever pet this big kitty?"

Zachary Jacobs saw right through him and immediately threw cold water on his hopes.

"Don’t even think about it. The last time I pet him, he wasn’t even as big as Goldie is now."

Goldie, still cowering in Ms. Sutton’s arms: ’Doggo barely alive. Pls do not mention.’

But Harrison Lowell’s focus was always a bit... peculiar. "Holy crap! You mean he’s been with you guys since he was a cub?! So how old is he now?"

"To be precise, he started following Lowell right after he was weaned. He’s a little over three now."

’We don’t have what it takes to raise, let alone tame, a beast this size. Bickering and acting like idiots is more our speed.’

"Man, so you’re telling me you haven’t touched him in almost three years? Why’s that?"

Even so, Harrison Lowell practically drooled with envy.

The devil-may-care smile on Zachary Jacobs’s face didn’t fade. "What other reason could there be? The kid grew up and recognized his master. He’s usually super aloof and ignores pretty much everyone except Lowell."

Harrison Lowell’s expression became indescribable. ’Is the creature Zachary’s describing really the same one I’m looking at right now?!’

Seeing the Leogryph and Old Mr. Lowell having the time of their lives, Yvonne Lowell decided to leave them to it and found a seat.

Charles Lowell looked at his daughter beside him. "Did you bring him back with you when you came home a few days ago? Why didn’t you bring him to dinner the other day?"

’If she had, I would have been the first one to pet him, right? Then I wouldn’t be so green with envy right now!’

"Mhm. He didn’t say he wanted to tag along back then. I don’t know what got into him today, but when he heard I was coming back to the family estate, he insisted on coming with me." Yvonne Lowell shrugged innocently.

At this, Old Mr. Lowell’s face lit up even more. "That’s because the Leogryph likes his Maternal Great-Grandfather, so he made a special trip to the estate to come play with me, right?"

"ROAR!" ’That’s right! I made a special trip just to come to the family estate!’

"Hah! So the Leogryph thinks his Great-Grandfather is right, does he? Well, your Great-Grandfather is very fond of you too. Why don’t you stay for a few days, how about it?"

"ROAR!" ’Deal! As long as there’s meat to eat and my Mom’s here, I could live here my whole life!’

Seeing the human and lion chatting so happily despite the language barrier, Yvonne Lowell couldn’t help but twitch her lips. ’This little brown-noser really hit the jackpot with his new patron.’

Old Mr. Lowell didn’t forget to coax his wife beside him. "Honey, do you want to pet him, too? The boy is very well-behaved."

"This... Am I allowed to pet him?" Grandma Lowell’s tone was hesitant, but her hand was already twitching with anticipation.

As the person who knew her better than anyone, how could Old Mr. Lowell not know what she was thinking?

’This old gal was even wilder than him back in the day. She’s probably been dying for a turn.’

"What do you say, Leogryph? Will you let your Great-Grandma have a pet?" Old Mr. Lowell asked softly.

He was now treating the Leogryph completely as one of the family’s younger generation. ’What a good kid,’ he thought. ’Strong and full of life, well-behaved and clever.’

If Old Mr. Lowell had been an emperor in ancient times, he would have likely declared in front of his entire court, "Of all, Leogryph, you please Us most!"

The Leogryph got the hint and moved a little closer to Grandma Lowell.

"ROAR!" ’Pet all you want! Today, Lord Lionus is just an emotionless kitten here for the scritches!’

The moment Grandma Lowell laid her hand on its fur, she suddenly felt that her life was complete. The adoration in her eyes was no less than Old Mr. Lowell’s.

"What a handsome boy he is!"

Adrian Lowell couldn’t stand it any longer. He walked over to the Leogryph, squatted down, and reached out his eager, loving claws.

"ROAR!" ’Hey, kid! Wait your turn, ya hear? Don’t be so antsy!’

The Leogryph dodged his hand with a single step back.

"Why won’t he let me pet him?" Adrian Lowell instantly deflated, looking helplessly at Yvonne Lowell.

Yvonne Lowell glanced at the big, sulking mushroom, suppressed a smile, and cleared her throat.

"The Leogryph plays favorites. He probably means you need to get in line. It’s not your turn yet."

"ROAR!" ’My Mom’s right! It ain’t your turn yet!’

A sharp glint flashed in Charles Lowell’s eyes. ’In that case, based on seniority, it should be my turn next, right?’

’Heh heh, a big kittycat. A real, live big kittycat...’

Only after the two elders had their fill of petting did the Leogryph continue on its social tour.