Chapter 173 - 172: Happy Cooperation

"ROAR!" ’You brat! Make it clear! Who’s the father and who’s the son here?!’

A playful smile flashed in Leo Grant’s eyes as he raised an eyebrow.

"Are you thanking me? No need to be so polite. It’s my duty, after all. The law does require parents to provide for their minor children."

"ROAR!" ’Shameless! How dare you try to pull a fast one on your Lord Lionus! I’m a mighty lion you can’t afford to provoke!’

The Leogryph was not pleased. Its whole body tensed as it glared angrily at him.

Yvonne Lowell gently placed a hand on its head. "Alright now, be a little nicer to my boyfriend. This guy is ridiculously rich. Stick with him, and you’ll have an endless supply of meat for the rest of your life."

"ROAR!" ’You bad woman, choosing a man over your son! I don’t want a stepfather! A stepfather is just as bad as a stepmother! Besides, it’s not like we’re so poor we can’t afford meat!’

The Leogryph shot her a mournful look, its hostility toward Leo Grant intensifying. It looked as if it might lunge forward and snap his neck at any moment.

But with Yvonne Lowell’s hand still on its head, it didn’t dare make a move.

"Don’t worry. He’s not like Henry Lynch. He won’t hurt me, nor could he."

[Editor’s Note: For those wondering who Henry Lynch is—see Chapter 37. He’s that shameless, monumental traitor.]

As she spoke, Yvonne Lowell inconspicuously nudged Leo Grant’s leg, signaling him to shut up.

The Leogryph had been by her side the longest and was the most perceptive, so she knew exactly where its hostility was coming from.

Back when the Leogryph was just a weaned cub, she had intended to groom Henry Lynch into her fifth confidant, to help lighten the workload for her team, the Four Nights.

Like the Four Nights, he was constantly by her side during that period. Naturally, the Leogryph grew familiar with him as well.

But in the end, instead of a new confidant, she had only managed to fuel the bastard’s ambition, and he sold her out.

She, Yvonne Lowell, had hunted geese her whole life, only to be pecked in the eye by one in the end.

When Henry Lynch betrayed her, she was severely wounded. Just as his dagger was about to pierce her heart, she forced herself to activate her Spiritual Ability, killing him in a final counterattack. She then set fire to their dungeon, but the exertion caused her spiritual power to run rampant.

Fortunately, Nina Jennings and Zachary Jacobs arrived with reinforcements just in time to bring her back to Apeiron.

While the potions from Apeiron could stabilize her rampant spiritual power, her physical injuries were extensive, including damage to multiple internal organs.

She received six critical condition notices and lay in a coma for three full months. Throughout that time, the Leogryph stood vigil outside her intensive care unit in Apeiron, interacting only with Nina Jennings and Zachary Jacobs.

After she woke up, the Leogryph, while still abiding by her rules—don’t eat people, don’t bite people, don’t harm our own—refused to let anyone but her touch it.

The only exception was when it initiated contact, which was almost always for a prank.

And that was precisely why it was so hostile toward Leo Grant. It saw Yvonne Lowell placing her trust completely in another stranger it had never met.

It could sense that Yvonne Lowell was even more friendly with this man than she had been with the last traitor, and that made it afraid.

Hearing the name ’Henry Lynch’ again, a chill flashed in Leo Grant’s eyes. Combined with what he’d heard before, he could piece together the general story.

Leo Grant crouched down, meeting the Leogryph’s gaze. "I promise you, I won’t hurt her. In fact, I’ll help you protect her."

Yvonne Lowell froze for a second, then a slow smile spread across her lips.

"ROAR!" ’I’m not falling for that! You’re all a bunch of liars!’

The Leogryph’s icy leonine eyes were fixed on him.

Although no one could understand what it was roaring, they could tell the beast was furious—and that its curses were likely quite foul.

With the exception of Yvonne Lowell, everyone else was sweating bullets for him.

This guy had guts. It just goes to show, you can piss off anyone, but never mess with someone who’s head-over-heels in love.

"I know you can more or less understand me," Leo said. "If I ever hurt her, you have my permission to tear me to shreds. That’s my promise to you."

Leo Grant held out his hand, palm up. "If you agree to work with me to protect her, let’s shake on it. Shake?"

"Leo!"

"Master!"

The faces of the three onlookers paled in shock. ’It may be your girlfriend’s pet, but you can’t be that reckless!’

’The thing is clearly hostile, and you’re just sticking your hand in its face?!’

The Leogryph hadn’t expected him to be so bold, either. As Leo extended his hand, it had instinctively started to open its jaws, only for Yvonne Lowell to grab a fistful of its mane and yank it back.

’Hey, a lion’s mane is still hair! Pull any harder and I’ll go bald!’

The Leogryph stared at him without blinking, and Leo Grant remained perfectly still, his hand outstretched, their eyes locked.

The air grew thick with silence. The onlookers held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

"Not to be a third wheel or anything," Yvonne drawled, "but how long are you two going to keep making goo-goo eyes at each other over me? Should I move so you two can have a moment?"

Yvonne Lowell glanced at the two heads flanking her thighs, her tone teasing.

As soon as she finished speaking, both heads snapped up to give her matching looks of mournful reproach.

’Come to think of it, their expressions are remarkably similar,’ she thought.

Ignoring the head on her left, Yvonne Lowell stroked the Leogryph’s fur and said softly,

"I just don’t want you to be hostile toward him. Whether or not you cooperate with him is up to you. I won’t interfere."

Leo Grant raised an eyebrow and nudged his hand forward again. "So? What do you say? Want to be partners, son?"

Yvonne Lowell’s mouth twitched. ’He really knows how to push his luck, doesn’t he?’

’He’s only this brazen because he knows I’m here to back him up, huh?’

"ROAR!" ’Don’t go claiming we’re related!’

The Leogryph roared at him but then gave his hand a lick with its barbed tongue before placing a paw on his palm.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Leo Grant chuckled, using both hands to ruffle the fur on its head.

The gesture, however, looked less like an affectionate pat and more like an attempt to wipe the creature’s saliva back onto its own head.

"ROAR!" ’Don’t touch me!’

The Leogryph turned its head away, flopped down on the sofa, and ignored him completely.

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Leo Grant didn’t provoke it further and obediently sat back down.

Nolan Crawford watched from the side, feeling both sour and envious. Sour, because the couple never missed an opportunity for public displays of affection; envious, because his bro actually got to pet a giant lion! A real, live, giant lion!

He wanted to pet it so badly! His first reaction had been fear, but the more he looked, the cooler the creature seemed!

A big, cool, ferocious toy—who wouldn’t love that?!

Nolan Crawford gazed longingly at the Leogryph. "Yvonne, ah, do you think I could... pet the Leogryph?"

At his words, Ian Lynch and Warren Lynch immediately looked over too, their own eyes sparkling with hope.

Ding! Excellent! Their designated spokesperson was finally speaking up for them again!