《The Youngest Daughter of the Snake Family》 Chapter 0 A dark room. There was a little white egg in the basket placed by itself. The moonlight shone through the window. The man, who loosely tied his long black hair together, squatted with a worried face and looked at the egg. What a strange thing to do. It¡¯s already been a week since it was supposed to hatch, but nothing has happened. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± The Astrophels were very precious, but they never failed to hatch. They¡¯re a family famous for its powerful vitality¡­ ¡°¡­Hm. Are your pheromones deficient?¡± The man, who had narrowed his eyes and smoothed his chin, sighed. It was right to say that there was no hope since it was well past it¡¯s hatching date. It was then. A visit was held that would not be tolerated by anyone other than those permitted. ¡°Baon.¡± ¡°¡­ My lord?¡± A cold voice came from behind. He had black hair like the man, but he had an atmosphere that seemed to be more dangerous. It could be shown in the dark that the flashing red-eyed man was not human. The cool-looking man stared indifferently at the basket. ¡°I guess not yet.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Tsk. The man flicked his tongue at Baon¡¯s answer. That¡¯s it. He drew his eyes without hesitation. ¡°The third one won¡¯t hatch.¡± It was a cold judgment. Although his child had not been born, he did not seem to be very impressed. There¡¯s already two descendants who have hatched. Baon looked bitterly at the last egg, which had not seen the light of the world. It was only three months old, but it wasn¡¯t until now when he became attached. ¡°You were born weak.¡± ¡°Good for you. You wouldn¡¯t have been able to do my part even after you were born anyway.¡± The man stood in front of the basket. The feeble wriggling energy was worn out, but it was about to dissipate. ¡°Tell me that there are two descendants in the family.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The man, who was indifferently staring at the egg, turned around as if he didn¡¯t need to see any more. Because he could no longer feel any energy from the egg. It was that moment. Crack. A miracle happened. Crack. Crack. The egg started to move. Baon opened his eyes wide with surprise. The man who was about to leave the room also stopped walking and turned around. Tik. Tik. He could feel the movement from the inside to the outside in earnest. A piece of eggshell fell to the floor. ¡°Really, now¡­!¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s being born.¡± The man¡¯s eyes narrowed. He could feel a faint life. Why was the black mamba¡¯s energy so weak? He didn¡¯t see the moment when the first two descendants hatched, so the man went away for a while, Pii-! He heard a cry. ¡°Pii-!¡± At the same time, there was silence in the room. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a bird.¡± A pure white ball of cotton, not even the size of a palm, was flapping its dainty wings. It was very trivial to peel off the skin on it¡¯s head. Still, they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off it, so the two men watched it with their breathless eyes on it The baby bird, finally freed from its shell, seemed to have lost all its strength. It¡¯s eyes seemed to close at any moment as it began to doze off. Sure enough. ¡°Pii¡­¡± It fell asleep with a tingling sound. It looked amazing. He couldn¡¯t believe it fell asleep after hatching. For the first time in his life, the man looked at Baon. Baon had his mouth open with a look of stupidity. Soon, the man¡¯s mouth twisted upwards. ¡°Explain, Baon.¡± The birth of a baby bird from the Astrophel Family, which symbolizes the black mamba. He needed an explanation. Chapter 1 The peaceful Astrophel family turned upside down overnight. This is because an unprecedented event occurred. It began with an unknown source of mystery. When I said it looked absurdly small and somewhat short, the little bird hatched and came out. The cause of the incident had not yet been determined. Baon, who was in charge of managing the eggs, broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Isn¡¯t someone going to feed it to the newborn masters?¡± ¡°You must want to be thrown out as their meal instead.¡± ¡°It slipped my tongue.¡± Baon immediately corrected himself and stepped back. That¡¯s because of his opponent standing in front of him. Cade Astrophel. He was the head of the Astrophel family, who led the tribe. Cade, the head of a tribe who was born with the strongest power in the modern world and the cruel, violent nature in proportion to it. The atmosphere, with its unique, dangerous energy and red eyes with black hair, were all symbols of the Astrophel family. He wouldn¡¯t be thrown out as food, but Baon coughed in vain because he knew that if wasn¡¯t obedient, he wouldn¡¯t be able to pick up his bones. ¡°We looked for pheromones from it¡¯s guardian, but there was no sign of them.¡± ¡°Is it abandoned?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility. If not¡­¡± Maybe the guardian can¡¯t take care of the baby anymore. Either way, it wasn¡¯t good news for a newborn baby bird. It¡¯s as if it had nowhere to go. ¡°Its slow growth was attributed to poor absorption of pheromones.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°What would you like to do?¡± Baon asked for the disposal of the baby bird. Cade looked in the basket on the desk. Even though they were talking about it, a baby bird that hid its beak in its wings rolled its body in a circle and fell asleep without knowing three things. There was no peace in the world. It doesn¡¯t even know what awaits it in the future. The absence of a guardian for a newborn baby meant death. At least if they were found in another family, they might protect it until adulthood, but it wasn¡¯t protected here. In the Astrophel family, the weak were not welcomed, which strictly adheres to the wild rules of the jungle. ¡°Leave it outside of my territory in due course and come back.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Baon lifted the basket to carry out his orders with an expression knowing he would. At the same time, a small head popped up from the basket. ¡°Pii?¡± The baby bird woke up. It was just waking up and tilting its head as if it were trying to figure out what was going on. The small plump wings fluttered loosely as if they had not yet properly moved. Soon after, it was surprised to see its wings and didn¡¯t know what to do. The appearance narrowed Cade¡¯s forehead. ¡°You¡¯ve got a small egg, so you must have a slight problem with your head.¡± ¡°¡­. But you¡¯re pretty cute.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°Do you really want to throw it out?¡± At that moment, surprisingly, the baby bird stopped moving. It seemed to understand what they were saying. It wouldn¡¯t have been strange if the baby bird was born as a snake, but it was amazing because it was a baby bird. But it didn¡¯t seem like it could absorb pheromones in its egg. Given it could understand the language of the tribe to a certain extent. Baon¡¯s eyes sparkled interestingly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll throw it out.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Your orders, my lord. ¡°Pii! Pii!¡± His eyes were fixed on the baby bird, and Baon spoke as if he were reading a Korean language book. Each time the baby bird fluttered its wings in a passionate reaction. Baon looked over the baby bird once again. Expectedly. The faintly felt pheromones were surprisingly smeared with Cade¡¯s. ¡°I sense your pheromones.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°¡­ But do you really want to throw it out? It¡¯ll be torn apart as soon as it¡¯s thrown out of our territory.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean to say you want to raise it in my family, do you?¡± The unique shady pheromones were all aglow. Baon took a step back with a troubled expression on his face at the terrible smell of poison. ¡°Pii¡­ pii¡­¡± The baby bird was shaking in fear at Cade¡¯s pheromones. As it entered the quilt and cried in fear, it hesitated and collected pheromones. ¡°Pii¡­ pii.¡± As it looked for someone with tears in it¡¯s eyes, Cade touched his forehead. It was a widely known fact that if a baby bird follows the person who supplied the pheromones, they would automatically be their guardian. When his eyes met the baby bird who was scared and crying at him, Cade frowned and waved his hands. ¡°Do as you please, Baon.¡± * * * What is this about? I still can¡¯t believe this happened to me. Am I dreaming right now? No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t remember anything. However, I tilted my head at the situation that remained the same. How am I alive? Originally, I was living alone in a small area in the east. I didn¡¯t know who I was. I only knew that I could walk on all fours and had a tail. Because no one told me who I was. It was the result of the absence of a guardian. It wasn¡¯t unusual for a young lady to live alone in the east. Because strong families fought each other fiercely, there were always bloodbaths in the east. The last recollection I have of my life was barely surviving being chased down by a fierce beast. I thought I wouldn¡¯t survive, but I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m alive, breathing. Moreover, when I opened my eyes, I found myself as a bird. It¡¯s a bird. I¡¯m a bird. I was still in shock and tried to cover my eyes, but I saw a small, chubby wing. ¡°Pii!¡± Not this one! I shook my head round and round. It was so small that it was not possible at first, but I saw a wing anywhere I looked. I rubbed my face in this fire to escape reality. I almost lost my mind for a moment with the soft touch of my wing, but I came to my senses again. What¡¯s happening all of a sudden? I looked around nervously. Nothing explained to me what had happened. Besides¡­ ¡°You¡¯re not trying to raise it in my family, are you?¡± No matter what, ¡®I,¡¯ am going to be ignored. Puu. I sighed and laid down. I¡¯ve gone through so many things in only a few moments. I just woke up and I¡¯m already exhausted. Dangle. I felt myself in a swinging basket and saw a man named Baon. Where is he taking me? You¡¯re not really going to throw me out of this territory, are you? I couldn¡¯t survive on my own with this body. I have to be alone again as soon as I was born. I feel depressed. I guess I¡¯m alone again in this life. I must have felt the glare of Baon¡¯s pale blue eyes because ours met. ¡°Why are you looking that way?¡± ¡°Pii. Pii. Pii.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Pii pii. Pii pii!¡± ¡°If word gets out that there¡¯s a bird here, someone may come to eat you. Like a snake or something¡­¡± Hap. I covered my mouth with my short wings. As he curled up and looked around, Baon pushed his face close to the basket. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating. The way you can understand what I¡¯m saying.¡± The pupils of his blue eyes were squinted vertically. I closed my eyes tightly. Oh, my God. It must be a real snake. I¡¯m a bird, but I guess Baon is a snake. To a bird, a snake was known as it¡¯s natural enemy, so my hair stood on end. ¡°It was a joke.¡± ¡°Pii. Pii¡­?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even satisfy their hunger.¡± Baon said refreshingly. I swept my chest with relief. Being a bird really felt like everything was being assimilated. Now I have to worry about being eaten by snakes as soon as I was born. How miserable. I was looking down at the bottom of the basket, and Baon stopped walking. ¡°This is where we¡¯re going to stay. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine because my lord gave me permission.¡± END OF CHAPTER 1 Chapter 2 ¡­ He gave permission? Perhaps Baon was quite slow-witted? It didn¡¯t seem to matter as it turned out to be a good thing for me. I lifted my heel and looked around the room, hanging from the knotty basket stem. It was hard to see, but I could tell from the ceiling and walls that the room was quite spacious. I just remembered the man Baon called ¡®my lord.¡¯ Such a title meant that he was leading a family and that this house belonged to him. Wait a minute. I belatedly awoke to the important facts and solidified myself. ¡­ His landlord hates me. It was a fact that I could easily tell just by thinking about the conversation I had with Baon. A man named ¡®my lord¡¯ was reluctant to let me stay here. It was only a matter of time before being kicked out. What should I do? ¡°¡­ Pii.¡± I covered my eyes. My wings seemed to moisten. ¡°You¡¯re crying.¡± When Baon saw me in tears, he asked strangely. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°¡­ Pii.¡± I tilted my head and nodded. It seemed that way. I hatched out of my egg and hadn¡¯t eaten anything. My stomach growled when I realized it. Then unexpectedly, Baon showed signs of embarrassment. ¡°Hmm. Come to think of it, what do birds eat?¡± No, wait a second. ¡°Do you eat meat? No, I think that¡¯s what reptiles eat.¡± Baon looked at me and muttered as if he was in distress. This isn¡¯t right. Not with those kinds of eyes. I squeezed my beak with anxiety rising slowly. No. I¡¯ll never open my beak. It was a moment when my anxiety reached its peak and a scene I didn¡¯t want to imagine played into my mind. Baon opened his mouth again as if he had remembered something. ¡°Oh. Do you eat bugs? Insects?¡± ¡°Pii pii! Pii pii!¡± No! No! I shook my head strongly, refusing. In my fierce reaction, Baon¡¯s mouth swept up a smile that looked evil. There seemed to be a lot of intention to make fun of me. ¡°I¡¯ll get them right away.¡± ¡°Pii. Pii! Pii!¡± No. Don¡¯t go! Baon! Looking at Baon¡¯s back leaving the room, I called him anxiously. What if he really went to get them? He flung down on his knees and reached out his hand. My short wings were shaking pitifully. It was like a mountain over a mountain. I could only feel the distant future of my ancestors. Fortunately, what Baon brought was a small fruit. The red fruit was giving off a sweet aroma. ¡°There aren¡¯t any creatures that can be found on this family estate.¡± I don¡¯t know how the land was created that it couldn¡¯t produce any life forms, but it was a relief. I was worried that he¡¯d tell me I had to eat bugs. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I began to eat the fruit one by one, filled with small holes. At first, I thought it would be difficult, but when I used my beak, it wasn¡¯t that difficult. As I ate, I developed my skills and was able to eat ten fast. ¡°Pii pii pii.¡± I¡¯m full. He patted his bulging stomach. I felt like I ate a huge meal, and the sun was shining by the window, so my eyes closed. Naps were the best way to relax after eating. How long has it been since I took a nap? It felt like a dream to be able to fall asleep like this without being wary of my surroundings. ¡°You must be sleepy.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I nodded and flopped down on the blanket. A yawn came out of my mouth. I was dozing off rubbing my body, and I could see that there was juice on my soft white feathers. ¡°Pii?¡± When did this get on me? I looked around and roughly wiped it with the blanket. It got even messier. ¡°¡­ Pii!¡± It didn¡¯t go away after a few wipes, so I kicked the blanket annoyingly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t do that.¡± Baon severely reprimanded. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s trying to scold me for being rude. At a glance, Baon leaned over. When our eyes met, he spoke very seriously. ¡°If you break your leg, I¡¯ll be damned.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So don¡¯t kick.¡± I glanced at my legs in words that I couldn¡¯t pass. Wriggle. ¡°¡­ Pii.¡± Look at this, it¡¯s fine. I showed my legs. They were glued together very well. I have to be careful from now on. Baon had a queer look on his face as I flattened the blanket. It¡¯s like he¡¯s holding back his laughter¡­ Maybe it¡¯s just my mood. I looked down at the blanket. Even blankets that contain nothing but cotton should be classified as dangerous. I thought this blanket was the safest place in the world. ¡°From tomorrow, someone new will arrive.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Rosaria will help you in many ways, so be nice and listen carefully.¡± I nodded gently. There was no reason to dislike someone who would help me. Rather, it was good news. My goal was to grow up safe and well in this house. And if I could learn, I wanted to stay for a long time until I could be humanized. Because I had to end my previous life without being humanized. If I¡¯m lucky, wouldn¡¯t I be able to learn that from Rosaria? * * * ¡°Hello, baby. You¡¯re so much cuter than I heard! I¡¯m Rosaria.¡± Early in the morning, Rosaria came to visit much earlier than expected. ¡°Pii, pii.¡± I said hello in a daze. Because I didn¡¯t expect such a kind approach. She was obviously treating me favorably. I looked at her awkwardly with a tingling sensation. I didn¡¯t get help from the elders of this tribe, but it was strange to see Rosaria, who was not in the same tribe, taking care of me. I¡¯ve decided to use this momentum to show the lethal moves I¡¯ve been struggling with all night. It was a skill that was trained to capture family members in their own way of survival. ¡°Pii. Pii!¡± And was advantageable for a young child. Also known as ¡®Hug me.¡¯ Rosaria touched her chest above her heart as I stretched out my arms and approached her while walking. ¡°Pii pii.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve got something on your feathers. Shall we go wash up first?¡± The sneering Rosaria said, covering up the traces of my food from yesterday. I crept carefully up her palm. It was time to get back my original soft feathers. Rosaria, who held my body with one hand as if I would fall, shook her hand for no reason. ¡°How did he come up with the idea of sending a child out of his territory? Whoo, it¡¯s been a long time, so I don¡¯t think I can control my strength.¡± ¡­ I think I heard that wrong. Is it not? Looking back nervously, Rosaria smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby. I¡¯m good at controlling my strength. I¡¯m not like the ones who go out with swords before horses.¡± I guess that¡¯s why Baon invited her. Rosaria said proudly. On the contrary, I was stiff. From head to tail, it felt like my hair was standing on end. I think I¡¯ve just heard a very life-threatening statement. Rosaria, who brought me into the bathroom, turned on the warm water. ¡°Because you¡¯re still young, you should take water slightly warmer than your body temperature.¡± It was reminiscent of what I had seen in a book. Anxiety came upon me. Rosaria smiled at me with a beautiful face. The distinct features of this family were that their appearances were so good that it made people forget about reality for a while. After watching Rosaria for a moment, I was brought back to my senses by her words. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in. Baby.¡± Mother. I¡¯m gonna be okay, right? For a moment, I missed Baon madly. END OF CHAPTER 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 I could hardly get into the water, shivering. What if it¡¯s too hot or too cold? I lifted my front foot and touched the water, the water was warmer than I thought. ¡°Pii! Pii!¡± I slipped into the water with a sigh of relief and flapped my wings. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve had a bath. I felt as if I were flapping my wings and hitting the water, it was an extremely pleasant feeling. Rosaria smiled at me happily and poured water on me. ¡°Shall we go out to play after your bath?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°The flowers are in full bloom, I know you will love it.¡± We¡¯re playing with flowers! I stomped my feet with high expectations. Splash, splash. Small bubbles in the bathtub floated in a line due to the movement of splashing water. A drop of water that couldn¡¯t bounce out of the bathtub fluttered around. Rosaria, who opened her eyes widely, touched her heart once again. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous¡­ I might have to throw it all away.¡± She muttered in a shady manner, and I stopped moving after hearing her voice. Because I felt like something huge was going to happen. In the end, I finished my bath. It would¡¯ve been nice to have to have a bubble bath, but unfortunately I couldn¡¯t due to my young age. I was then wrapped in a fluffy towel, I felt relaxed with the careful and gentle touch that dried the water off. ¡°Pii pii. Pii.¡± A pii- pii- came out. ¡°Are you dry now?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°But what should my baby have for lunch? Do you have fruit?¡± Rosaria frowned at the fruit that was still left in the basket. ¡°Those aren¡¯t very nourishing.¡± Certainly, only eating fruit for a long time would strain my body. Without adequate protein nurishment, I would grow slowly. Rosaria sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯ll have to prepare baby food mixed with nutrients. No baby toys, no bedding¡­ I think I¡¯ll have to arrange a separate budget.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°What if I give you your own room? Baby, all you need in this life is wealth. Just trust me, baby.¡± ¡­ But I might get kicked out if I say I need money? Shouldn¡¯t I have to be dry? When I saw the anxious expression of Rosaria, she just hugged me and smiled dependably. ¡°Even if you look like this, you should still take a bite out of the family.¡± Rosaria hugged me and stood in front of the mirror before leaving the room. A white little baby bird sat adorably in front of the mirror. I slightly raised my wings and tried to move my feet. ¡°Pii pii!¡± That¡¯s me! As I pointed at the mirror and shouted, Rosaria then nodded and took something out of her pocket. It was a tiny pink ribbon. ¡°It¡¯s a gift to celebrate our very first meeting, baby.¡± I looked at Rosaria, who had hung the ribbon loosely around my neck so that it would not tighten around it. I fumbled awkwardly with one end of the ribbon and wrapped it around my cheeks. ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°You seem to like it.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯ve fixed you up, should we go out now?¡± When we came out of the room, I saw a dark corridor made of marble. The sunlight which came through a big window was dazzling. Wow, it really feels like we¡¯re in a castle. As I was looking around, I heard a small laugh from above. When I saw the strange-looking figure, my body started shaking with excitement. Rosaria walked slowly so that I could see the flowers to my heart¡¯s content. ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Shall we go over there?¡± I could see a garden with a huge fountain. I could also see the flowers over there! When the petals fall, they¡¯ll look like snowflakes. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. As I was stomping my feet as if I were walking, I felt a familiar yet cool energy. I suddenly turned my head to where my gaze landed. There was a man with black hair and red eyes looking at me with an expressionless face. He laughed as if he didn¡¯t expect to see me here. Soon his lips, which had been tightly closed, opened and a cool voice came out. ¡°I told you to do as you please, but I never thought you¡¯d walk around my house.¡± It was the landlord. I hid my wings that were stretched forward curiously behind me. I can¡¯t believe I bumped into the landlord while looking like this. How could I ever be so unlucky? ¡°Pii, pii.¡± ¡°You scared the baby.¡± ¡°How hilarious.¡± ¡°Are you all right, baby?¡± Rosaria patted me and asked me anxiously. I was fortunate that there was someone I could rely on at that moment. I hugged Rosaria in search of her comfortable arms. Rosaria soothed me when she felt the strong gaze of the landlord upon us. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby. I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Pii¡­¡± ¡°The ribbon is crooked. I¡¯ll fix it.¡± The knot seemed to have come undone as I moved my arms. I sobbed and stayed still as Rosaria fixed the ribbon. The string was once again tightened around my neck in a gentle manner, and the pink ribbon settled down on my head. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it!¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°My baby is so cute! Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Rosaria asked the landlord. I glanced at him with the ribbon on my head. Would the landlord really think so? His eyes met mine at that moment. I didn¡¯t expect him to be watching me. Flinch. ¡°Pii¡­¡± His eyes narrowed as my body flinched noticeably. His eyes were fixed on the pink ribbon hanging over my head. I wriggled and gulped down my dry saliva. Before long, his reply, which seemed inaudible even after a long time, came out of the landlord¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s unusual to only wear one ribbon.¡± * * * The landlord seemed to hate me much more than expected. If he kept on hating me like this, I might really get thrown out. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad, baby.¡± ¡°Pii¡­ pii.¡± ¡°Look at this! It¡¯s a flower.¡± Rosaria threw the flowers she had just prepared high into the sky. Colorful petals fluttered and fell from the sky. I looked up at the sky and sat down, waving my wings. The lawn was full of petals. ¡°Pii Pii!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± ¡°Pii¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be able to look down from the sky when you grow older.¡± Wow. Really? Rosaria nodded at my sparkling eyes. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re still a baby¡­¡± But her expression became more subtle and serious. I came closer to Rosaria in wonder. ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°Oh my God, baby. What am I doing?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t teach you how to fly. I don¡¯t have wings!¡± Rosaria seemed very shocked. Were you trying to tell me you¡¯re not a bird? Because it¡¯s obvious. She shook her head when I patted her saying it was okay. ¡°I wanted to teach my baby a lot of things.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As long as that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll teach you how to hunt.¡± You¡¯re teaching me how to hunt? I looked at Rosaria in amazement because no one has ever told me this. Rosaria was very pleased that she had something to tell me. ¡°My tribe¡¯s hunting methods are so perfect that everyone wants to learn them.¡± I really want to learn them too, but¡­ Can I really learn how to hunt when I¡¯m just a few days old? I was seriously troubled. ¡°From the moment you were born, you should have known how to hunt, but I¡¯ll teach you properly now since you¡¯re not a child anymore.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± As I listened to Rosaria, I tilted my head at the unbelieving remark. How could I know how to hunt from birth? I guess the young masters living here are that amazing. That¡¯s something you can¡¯t learn unless your guardian teaches you. As Rosaria answered my curiosity, she continued. ¡°Because we know instinctively from birth.¡± ¡°Pii, pii?¡± ¡°If the environment were to be created for you, you could do a great job.¡± Is it really possible? The will of Rosaria was burning at a glance. END OF CHAPTER 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The next day she showed up with a doll slightly larger than me. It was a colorful snake doll. No way. There¡¯s no way. ¡°Now, look, baby. This is what you¡¯ll be hunting.¡± ¡°¡­ Pii?¡± Even though it¡¯s a doll¡­ There were snakes everywhere. You don¡¯t think I can hunt snakes, do you? First of all, I¡¯m not a predatory bird, but I could live off of seeds. Besides, if it¡¯s a snake, isn¡¯t it the same species as Rosaria? I was confused. There seemed to be many problems, but Rosaria didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°I¡¯ll put some of my pheromones on it.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Please remember this scent.¡± Rosaria put her wrists close to me so that I could recognize her pheromones. Her pheromones were not as dangerous as the landlord¡¯s, but they were dangerous enough. It felt as if the nape of my neck would be bitten off. The strange thing is I didn¡¯t feel a direct danger toward me. What is it? I tilted my head. It¡¯s a little different, but I felt like I already knew similar pheromones. I¡¯m mistaken, right? ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°As expected, my baby is smart. If you can remember the scent, I¡¯ll hide it now.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I nodded. It was unclear whether I could find the snake just by hiding it, but I couldn¡¯t just say no to trying. Rosaria didn¡¯t come back until a long time later. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. It took a while to find the right place.¡± You hid it so far away? ¡°Let¡¯s go find it, shall we?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Slowly feel the pheromones. Only when you can sense them will it make the process of humanization easier.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± Humanization! I focused my mind on the words that tickled my ears. Where did she hide it? If she hid it too far away, I might not be able to find it. ¡°Pii!¡± I felt the faint pheromones flowing in the wind and raised my head. My small feet that had been working hard stopped. I think it¡¯s somewhere around here. I looked back as I moved my feet forward. Fortunately, Rosaria was following. I felt relieved and stepped up my pace a little. How many more minutes did we have to walk for? ¡°Pii!¡± There was a colorful snake doll among the bushes. I found it! I spread my wings wide and bit the doll with my beak. You! You! You! Whack! Whack! Whack! Actually, I don¡¯t know if this is the right way to do it. I had thought of the way I scratched my shoulder and plunged my beak into the back of its neck. Without letting go of the doll, I moved around, shaking my body, but at that moment, I began to hear cheerful clapping coming from somewhere. Clap clap clap! ¡°¡­ Pii?¡± With the doll in my mouth, I tilted in the direction that made the sound. The landlord and Baon were looking at me. Baon, who clapped his hands in an exaggerated way, shook his shoulders as if he were holding back his laughter. ¡°This is really¡­ incredible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A very ferocious hunting method.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared to death.¡± I let go of the doll in my mouth. What do I do? The landlord was standing there. I can¡¯t wait for Rosaria to come and save me. It seemed like she was following me, but I couldn¡¯t see where she went. The landlord was still looking at me with an unknown expression. He seemed to be amazed at something. Where the hell is so amazing? The landlord, who seemed to be observing from a few steps away, called me. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°Your eyes are red.¡± ¡°¡­ Pii?¡± What¡¯s with that? The landlord couldn¡¯t turn away from me. There was a surprised look in the red eyes that glanced up and down. ¡°Is this possible, Baon?¡± ¡°Yes. Although, it¡¯s my first time witnessing such a thing.¡± Baon raised his silver-rimmed glasses and admired them. The sharp eyes that were covered with glasses were looking at me. I called Baon because I was nervous about the cautiousness I had not shown before. ¡°Pii pii?¡± ¡°It seems like this is really happening. I¡¯ve only heard of it, but I didn¡¯t expect to see it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re born with a new subject.¡± The landlord looked at me with a cool gaze and turned his head toward the snake doll. ¡°It¡¯s Rosaria¡¯s pheromones.¡± ¡°It looks like Rosaria was teaching her to hunt.¡± ¡°Teaching her to hunt?¡± ¡°When they¡¯re young, you have to teach them everything.¡± ¡°My people won¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t babies different?¡± ¡°That¡¯s going to be a pain in the neck.¡± It was a simple and clear conversation. The bottom line is, ¡°She¡¯s not worth it.¡± Oh my God. The landlord was so annoyed that he hated me even more now. I stepped back and looked around. Where¡¯s Rosaria? What if I get caught and get thrown out? One word from the landlord and everything would be over. While stomping his feet, he wondered what to do, and Baon waved as if he figured it out. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I haven¡¯t seen her¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t grown an inch.¡± They usually say you grow empty-handed, don¡¯t they? My eyes began to swell. Baon grinned. He had already predicted my reaction and continued to speak with a look as if saying he didn¡¯t care a bit about what I thought. ¡°You must be looking for Rosaria.¡± ¡°¡­ Pii.¡± I nodded, trembling. Just because I haven¡¯t grown doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m offended. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s watching from nearby. It¡¯s standard practice to observe when you¡¯re hunting.¡± If that¡¯s the case, she¡¯d have seen me run into the landlord. Rosaria probably won¡¯t show up. I stood in front of the landlord with a determined heart while contemplating how to get through this situation. The landlord¡¯s eyebrows were raised by my sudden action. ¡°Pii.¡± I dragged the colorful snake doll I had just been holding and gave it to him. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­ What are you doing?¡± The landlord was frowning. Oh no. I guess he doesn¡¯t like it. This is the only thing I can give him right now. ¡°It¡¯s as if you¡¯re feeding me the food you hunted.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°I was right,¡± he replied. The landlord¡¯s face became subtle when I pushed the doll with my wings, telling him to take it quickly. There was some dirt on it, but this much would have been enough. ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s asking you to hurry up.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± I nodded again at Baon¡¯s words, and the landlord¡¯s expression became strange. Like someone who¡¯s heard something they shouldn¡¯t have. * * * ¡°Baby!¡± ¡°Pii pii!¡± I was walking on my own, and I could hear Rosaria calling from far away. I lifted my head. Where the hell have you been? How did you find me! Rosaria laughed with an embarrassed expression as she burst into tears and ran with the sorrow she had endured. She didn¡¯t seem to know things would go this way either. Rosaria bent her knees and held out her hand toward me. Her face was full of sorry emotions. ¡°My baby, were you very surprised?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a bunch of dirt on you.¡± Did I wander around too much? My white feathers, which were clean when I came out this morning, were thick with dirt. Carefully, Rosaria lifted my small body and dusted off the dirt that stuck to my feathers. I settled myself on the palm of her hand in a comfortable position where I could move. It wasn¡¯t difficult because I¡¯ve already sat on her hand many times. Sitting on her hips, Rosaria began apologizing with a teary face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen. I had no choice since the lord was there with you and Baon.¡± ¡°Pii pii.¡± I held Rosaria¡¯s hand to say it was all right. How can I blame Rosaria for running into them? The landlord was just wandering around his house. ¡°But did you manage to find the hidden doll?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I puffed my chest proudly. Even though I¡¯m still an immature baby bird and can¡¯t detect pheromones, I found my target at once. Rosaria frowned at me as she looked at me with a face of wonder. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to take the doll.¡± That¡¯s the mystery. Surprisingly, the landlord took the doll I gave him. I thought he¡¯d say no because he had a weird look on his face. It was a tremendous job. Besides, he didn¡¯t say anything. I was nervous as to what I would say about wandering around when I met him in the hallway ¡°Today¡¯s class was very perfect. You found the doll, and you handled that crisis well.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°When you get back, I¡¯ll prepare a bubble bath. I¡¯ve got something that you can use.¡± Bubbles! I couldn¡¯t control my bouncing body. END OF CHAPTER 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 How about a bubble bath? It smells really good, doesn¡¯t it? My feathers will be soft. I hummed a song, feeling the cool breeze. ¡°Are you that excited?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Shall we go now?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± When I urged, Rosaria sped up her pace a bit with a small smile. Looking into the distance, I could see a wide open forest that I¡¯ve never seen on these grounds. There was a rock in front of my nose. As I turned my head and looked around, I realized one thing. As Baon said, no life was felt here. How is that possible in such a wide and deep forest? ¡°This is your first time in the forest, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°This is the private property of the Astrophel family. As you can see, there are no creatures. It is prohibited because there is a possibility that someone may enter under a disguise.¡± So that¡¯s why it¡¯s like this. Turns out it was a huge forest. ¡°Since this place is safe, the young masters train here. I understand you have a training schedule today as well¡­¡± Rosaria slanted her head. ¡°He¡¯s not here today. Maybe he¡¯s out hunting.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± For a moment, I thought I misheard. From what I know, I didn¡¯t think the timing of my birth was much different from when they were born. They¡¯re already hunting? Rosaria grinned as she opened her mouth in surprise. ¡°The masters have already completed their humanization. You don¡¯t know what humanization is yet, do you? You can be human like me.¡± ¡°¡­ Pii.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do it soon, too.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I¡¯m no good at hunting, so I¡¯m done with humanization. The young masters must have had cheating abilities. But if I work hard, I can do it! I gathered my will and curled my wings tightly, but¡­ ¡°Pii?¡± What¡¯s that? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± A huge tree had fallen miserably. Then the next tree, and the tree after that. Large trees that looked at least decades old had fallen in groups. Why are these healthy trees being uprooted? Rosaria looked to where I was pointing and calmly said it was not a problem. ¡°Ah. The trees must have fallen over after their training. ¡° Huh? ¡°This was probably the first young master¡¯s doing.¡± How could a young man who was just born smash a tree like that? My mouth dropped out of amazement. ¡°When you grow up, you¡¯ll be able to do it, too. By the way, you¡¯re a good girl.¡± Rosaria clicked her tongue and walked to the center of the ruins. It was a much more disastrous sight to look at from up close. I¡¯m sure his personality is very eccentric. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this! But why did they come all the way out here to the trees? ¡°If you¡¯ve made a mess, you should know how to take care of it properly. Don¡¯t you care about that yet?¡± Rosaria placed her foot on the tree. Tuk. The sound of Rosaria¡¯s foot was as light as a tree branch. However, the result was surprising. Two to three adult men barely began to roll the thick tree away. I swept my eyes with my wings as I saw the marvelous sight of trees piling up in the corner one by one. ¡°Pii, pii?¡± What¡¯s going on here? ¡°It¡¯s all clean now. I¡¯m sorry, baby. You¡¯ve been waiting, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Pii, pii, pii.¡± Not at all. I haven¡¯t been waiting. I calmly straightened my posture. Mom, she¡¯s like a scary older sister. * * * There was a doll in Cade¡¯s hand that didn¡¯t suit him. It was the snake doll that Rosaria prepared for the baby bird so it could practice hunting. ¡°It¡¯s amusing.¡± Cade grinned interestingly as he recalled what had just happened. Such a gift was unimaginable in the Astrophel family, which never gave to their own. Cade, having received his first unexpected hunt from a baby bird, was lost in thought. ¡°That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s talking about my daughter.¡± It was a small murmur, but Baon, who had a keen hearing, caught on to it. While talking about important matters, Baon appeared stunned at his off-topic words. Not long after, Baon trembled when he saw Cade holding the doll. It was a perfect combination that did not suit him. ¡°Ahem.¡± Cade¡¯s eyes landed on Baon who was on the brink of laughter. ¡°Baon.¡± ¡°Hmm, yes?¡± ¡°I think it would be better for you to stop if you value your life.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Life is precious to everyone. Baon collected his expression with a straight face. ¡°Why are you suddenly talking about your daughter? You have two sons.¡± ¡°They never gave me things like this.¡± Cade held up the doll. It was colorful and very cute. Baon immediately closed his eyes. No, don¡¯t laugh. Sad thoughts. Sad thoughts. ¡°Well, huh, isn¡¯t that brave? Even though it¡¯s a doll, she¡¯s thinking of hunting snakes.¡± ¡°It was fantastic.¡± Cade recalled a baby bird struggling with a snake doll that he wouldn¡¯t see anywhere else. ¡°She¡¯s just the same as the Lord.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°She¡¯s very vicious, isn¡¯t she? The same goes for her hunting methods.¡± She was vicious in another sense. Cade¡¯s eyes were wide open at Baon¡¯s words. That hunting baby bird¡­ ¡°Her eyes were definitely red.¡± Red eyes were the feature only by the blood of the Astrophel family on this land. Influenced by the powerful pheromones of the first generation, the Astrophel family line looked very much alike. Black hair and red eyes. And the baby bird¡¯s eyes, though temporary, were definitely the same color. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the baby received your pheromones.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the problem.¡± Cade narrowed his eyes as he resumed the topic of conversation he was sharing. It was hard to know who had dared invade the Astrophel family and left the egg. How was that possible? If it¡¯s related to Estella, who died while giving birth to a successor, things would grow out of control. Cade¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Prove it, see who was involved when Estella gave birth. Every single one of those men who stood guard at the mansion that day.¡± ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a mole in the family?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no law saying it can¡¯t be true.¡± ¡°Then the scope of the investigation will be quite large. It will take some time.¡± Baon¡¯s expression also seriously hardened. If there was a spy in the family, it would require a close investigation to find out who it was. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it takes time, just catch all the hiding rats.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Baon looked bitterly around the office, seeing as Cade instructed him to take his time. When Estella died, Cade did not blink an eye. As a result, there were many rumors behind Estella and their relationship, but there were still traces of her in his office. Cade was so mindful of her that he appeared weak enough to Estella. Having knowledge of it, Baon was confused. If there was any link between the death of Estella and the newborn baby bird¡­ it would be bloody for quite a while. Baon coughed and opened his mouth to change the gloomy atmosphere. ¡°By the way, the baby has absorbed your pheromones. I¡¯m afraid now it¡¯s too late to throw it out of the territory.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just watch for now.¡± ¡°Rosaria seemed to be affectionate with the baby.¡± ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t you make up your own name for it instead of calling it baby?¡° ¡°That¡¯s what Rosaria calls it, so I gave it a try. Isn¡¯t it a cute title?¡± ¡°It¡¯s terrible. Why are you calling it that?¡± ¡°Because the Lord didn¡¯t name it.¡± As soon as she was born, he ordered me to throw her out of the land, so she didn¡¯t have a name. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t think anyone else would dare name it. No one would do such a thing if they felt the pheromones of the family head, unless they were out of their minds. ¡®If it were Rosaria, it might be possible.¡¯ If she were the only one, Rosaria would have done so. In addition, she was quite pleased with taking care of the baby bird. It seemed like he was still watching the situation, but he might move independently after judgment. Baon twinkled his eyes. ¡°If the Lord doesn¡¯t name it, someone else may steal the opportunity.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Maybe the baby will follow others and give them a gift.¡± Cade blanched at the strangely disturbing remark. He didn¡¯t really want a daughter. It was right to not be interested. If only the right successor was born into the family with precious hands, that would be enough. But he was upset at the thought of the baby bird following others and giving them a doll. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± That was an immediate answer. Baon was at a loss for words. END OF CHAPTER 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡°Baby are you excited?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a soap bubble!¡± ¡°Pii pii!¡± I am enjoying heaven now. It feels like all the tiredness of the day was drifting away. Bubbles floated above the tub filled with bubbles. ¡°Pii pii¡­¡± But in reality, there was no heaven. I stretched out my wings. When I came back from the forest I was filled with joy. It was because the room was decorated. I thought the room was already very luxurious, but Rosaria said it was not. I didn¡¯t understand at first, but after I saw the decorated room I understood right away. Because the room was beautiful enough to be reborn like me. White silk curtains hung by the window with a bed that looked fluffy at glance. The carpet on the floor was switched out with a soft white material, including a sofa and table with vases. That alone was amazing¡­ ¡°One more time, baby!¡± ¡°Pii pii!¡± When Rosaria blew air into the tub, rainbow colored bubbles floated up. I¡¯ll catch it this time. I stared at the bubbles breathlessly like a swift predator. Actually, bubbles were the first thing I saw today. At first I didn¡¯t know what the round bubbles were, so I was scared to avoid them¡­ But when I realized what they were, I tried my best to catch them. Float float. ¡°Pii!¡± I spread my wings wide to catch the bubbles floating in the air and waited for the right time to flap my wings. ¡°Pii!¡± How many times did I repeat that? By the time I was exhausted, Rosaria announced it was time to stop playing. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here, baby. We¡¯ve played too long.¡± ¡°Pii, pii! Pii!¡± No! I haven¡¯t caught it properly yet! Can we do it one last time? I shook my head as I stood in the bathtub. Then Rosaria suggested something. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to lie in your new bed, baby?¡± ¡°¡­Pii?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be very cozy. You can also run around on the bed.¡± Her tempting words made my wings feel weak. A comfortable bed. I¡¯ve always used a basket, how warm would a bed be? I didn¡¯t want to get out of the bathtub at first, but I gathered my strength. When I came out of the bathtub, Rosaria covered me with a towel. The moment I had been looking forward to so much finally came. My body touched the bed. ¡°Pii!¡± It¡¯s cozy. ¡°Pii¡­!¡± As her hands gently dried my feathers, my eyes closed shut. I decided to leave myself in the dark. ¡°¡­Pii¡­ pii¡­¡± ¡°Oh, baby?¡± ¡°¡­Pii¡­¡± The basket and other luxurious comforts lulled me to sleep. * * * After visiting the forest, the days went by peacefully. I¡¯ve started to grow steadily and my body has gotten a little fuller. Although there wasn¡¯t much difference, I could tell since one of my daily routines was looking in the mirror. ¡°Piit.¡± ¡°Baby, your tail has grown a little longer!¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I turned around to look at my tail as I couldn¡¯t see it in front of the mirror. My short tail was taking a more definite shape. At first, I felt uncomfortable with my tail as I kept stumbling over it whenever I sat down but Rosaria made me think otherwise when she brought another mirror and showed me my tail. Yeah, it¡¯s pretty, isn¡¯t it? I liked my tail very much. It looked like there was a horn on my hip, but when I grew older into an adult it would be long and soft. Then I¡¯ll be prettier, right? ¡°You don¡¯t fall as often lately!¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I think my tail allows me to balance. The daily walks were getting easier as I got used to balancing with my tail. It was short. I could run but sometimes I would fall. I twirled around to see my tail. ¡°Pii pii! Pii pii!¡± ¡°Kuek.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± The number of days Rosaria placed her hand by her heart increased. I often approached Rosaria who sat with her head down. ¡°Oh no, calm down baby. You might get hurt.¡± ¡°Pii pii pii pii.¡± ¡°Huu.¡± ¡°Pii pii pii pii!¡± I called Rosaria, who was making a villain-like line at first glance. (Q/N: The PR and I have no clue what this is referring to. Let us know if you do though!) I couldn¡¯t call her with words yet, but I could tell she¡¯d know I was calling her if I chirped at her. ¡°Yes, baby, would you like some snacks?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± Rosaria regained her composure and returned to how she was originally. She fed me snacks from a small bowl bit by bit. It was delicious! Her tail swayed automatically. There was nothing better than a tail expressing emotions. Rosaria smiled happily as her baby swayed her body from side to side and expressed her feelings. ¡°Since you¡¯re getting bigger, you must eat a lot to grow.¡± ¡°Piit.¡± ¡°Caring for you lately has felt like a reward. I¡¯m truly happy.¡± I swallowed a snack and opened my mouth. Rosaria waited and threw a snack into my mouth. It was such an amazing day¡­ It felt like a dream. ¡°Piit!¡± It would be nice if the future were to be like that too. I stretched out my feet against the cushion. But I can¡¯t live like this forever can I? I would have to leave home when I become much older. No, would it be alright if I stayed here until I grew to be an adult? I don¡¯t know if I would have to move out or not. As it would depend on the landlord, if he changes his mind because the landlord clearly doesn¡¯t like me. Thinking about the future and the fact I might be forced out made me feel depressed. It was very peaceful here, but I don¡¯t know what the outside world would be like. ¡°Pii¡­¡± I breathed a sigh. Rosaria noticed and spoke to me. ¡°Baby, are you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Pii pii pii pii.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rosaria¡¯s eyes widened with curiosity as she cleaned up the empty snack bowl. I shook my head weakly. No, I have to do this by myself once I become an adult bird. But the world is too tough for a new baby like me to survive in! Besides, I was getting used to Rosaria¡¯s thorough care. What if I¡¯m alone later? I don¡¯t want to be alone again. Worries about my future came to my mind one by one, and my tail drooped down. ¡°Pii.¡± I shook my head as if it was nothing. ¡°But your tail has lost its liveliness.¡± ¡°Pii pii.¡± It¡¯s really nothing. Rosaria blinked as she didn¡¯t know the reason. After sitting helplessly for a long time, I lifted up from my depressing state. I can¡¯t just give up like this! ¡°Piit!¡± First, let¡¯s find out what I can do. I could feel my tail moving up again as I snapped out of it and cheered up. It¡¯s amazing no matter how much I look at it. How mysterious this tail is. In my previous life, I had a tail, but I didn¡¯t respond to this change of emotion! Well, I still like my old tail but I still think it¡¯d be nice if it reacted a little. More. Recalling my previous life made me feel depressed, and my tail drooped again. I shook my head to erase those useless thoughts. ¡°Pii piit!¡± No, I¡¯m not who I used to be. I rubbed my cheek with both wings. All right, I¡¯ll build up enough strength so that I can survive outside the mansion before I become an adult. ¡°Piit. Piit!¡± Swish swish. My tail went up and became completely straight. Toddle. I walked toward the water bottle next to the snack bin and dipped my beak in. It was so cool! I drank the water and wiped my wet beak with my wings. I didn¡¯t know then. How worried Rosaria looked when she saw my mood change every minute and second. The misunderstandings Rosaria had. If only I had known. I would have desperately stopped her from thinking that. END OF CHAPTER 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 * * * ¡°Do you think she wants to see her guardian?¡± ¡°Yes, it seems so.¡± In the office was a statue of a snake with two swords crossed through, along with a red emblem wrapped around it. Cade froze and stopped what he was doing. He shifted his gaze from the report to Rosaria. ¡°The baby hasn¡¯t been energetic recently.¡± ¡°Well, would you like me to visit her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cade thought she was ridiculous. Rosaria had no reason to visit Cade as her only duty was ¡°caring for the new bird.¡± Rosaria abruptly came and requested for Cade to check on the baby bird. Cade was confused and shook his head, urging her for more information Rosaria went on, ¡°She¡¯s been having many mood swings. Sometimes, she¡¯ll feel sad after playing and I think it¡¯s because she feels anxious with the absence of her guardian.¡± ¡°How do you know that she¡¯s feeling anxious? I thought she was unable to speak.¡± ¡°Oh. Her tail grew not too long ago.¡± ¡°Her what?¡± ¡°Her tail.¡± Rosaria looked back and thought about how she watched the baby bird grow day by day. ¡°Her tail goes up or swings side to side when she¡¯s in a good mood.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, she has gotten bigger and heavier. She is also running a lot these days. Isn¡¯t that a great improvement?¡± It wasn¡¯t that big of a deal but Rosaria felt accomplished saying that. Rosaria was filled with pride when Cade showed some interest. Her eyes glistened with worry as she thought of the baby bird. ¡°The way she calls my name has changed. Now she says it correctly and sweetly. She is different from the other young masters who address me by ¡®Hey you¡¯.¡± Cade was tired. He lifted his hand up and did a stop sign thinking that there would be no end if no one stopped her. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Anyway, what i¡¯m trying to say is that you should come visit her often so she wouldn¡¯t feel uneasy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°As a guardian, that should be the least you could do.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you recently request to increase the budget and I gave you permission to do so?¡± Rosaria had demanded quite a lot of money, and Cade approved it. This was enough for him to understand the situation. But Rosaria shook her head firmly, saying it was not enough. The growing child was sensitive, and he was quick to notice. No matter how close the child was to her maid, the absence of her guardian is a different matter. Rosaria was convinced that the absence of a guardian was the cause of the baby bird¡¯s mood swings. ¡°My lord, I request for you to please visit your child.¡± Seeing how desperate she was, Cade nodded reluctantly. ¡°Okay, I will go.¡± ¡°When will you be visiting?¡± ¡°After I complete my duties. So, please see yourself out.¡± Cade pointed at the door with a crooked smile. It was an order. Rosaria frowned and reluctantly left the room. Cade put down his pen as he couldn¡¯t continue to work since his workflow was interrupted. He couldn¡¯t believe that the child needed a guardian as he believed that they were capable of growing on their own. Thinking about the standards of her childhood for growing up made him laugh. ¡°So her tail grew?¡± He thought that it was interesting. * * * Blink blink. My eyes opened while I was still under the covers. The child probably fell asleep thinking about how she should live her life. ¡°Pii.¡± I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Still feeling sleepy, I looked around. The room was too quiet. What? Around this time, Rosaria would have come and greeted me. I looked around and tried calling for her. ¡°Pii pii pii pii.¡± It was quiet. ¡°Pii pii pii pii?¡± Rosaria probably left to do her business while I was asleep. She can¡¯t be by my side all day. I knew that already, but now that she¡¯s actually not here, it feels lonely. I can¡¯t believe I have to be alone in such a big room. I wiggled completely out from under the covers. When will Rosaria be back? ¡°Pii pii pii pii¡­¡± I was just sitting on the bed swinging my legs, when I felt a fierce gaze coming from somewhere. Huh? What is this? Why does it feel like someone is watching when there¡¯s no one here? ¡°Pii?¡± I lifted my head. And I was horrified. ¡°Pii?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re reacting as if you¡¯ve never seen me before.¡± The landlord was looking at me with his arms folded, leaning against the door. Oh, he scared me. I quickly put my wings over my heart. Boom boom. My heart was pounding. Why did I run into the landlord when I was alone? Looking embarrassed, the landlord approached me and said, ¡°I was about to leave, bored of waiting, but now you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°¡­Piit!¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯ve grown a tail, is that right? Surprisingly, the landlord knew that my tail grew. Rosaria seemed to have tipped me off. I nodded slowly and stepped back, matching every step he took. As if to laugh at me, the landlord came forward without hesitation. Even though he was still standing far away, I took a few steps back while the distance between us closed. I leaned against the wall and froze. W-What should I do¡­ ¡°Pii, pii pii!¡± Don¡¯t take another step! I¡¯m scared! I watched the landlord intensely as he leaned back on the chair that Rosaria usually sits. His gaze was burdensome. I swallowed dry saliva, but suddenly the landlord said, ¡°Turn around.¡± ¡°Pii pii!¡± ¡°Rosaria said it was growing but it doesn¡¯t look like it is. Where is your tail?¡± The landlord seemed genuinely curious. Did he come all the way here just to check it? He was looking at me tenaciously as if he had never seen a tail before. I quickly hid my tail. Why was the landlord suddenly interested in my tail? His miniscule expression makes him hard to read. ¡°Piit!¡± Go away! I flapped my wings with a big puff. The landlord¡¯s mouth lifted slightly as he watched me do that. ¡°Is that a threat?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡±That?¡± At that moment, the landlord¡¯s eyes were glaring while he was looking at my wings. Fluffy wings soared cutely toward the sky. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± What should I do? No matter what I did, I was not a threat to the man in front of me. Rather, he seemed to have become more curious. After looking at me for quite some time, the landlord reaches his terrifyingly big hand towards me. ¡°Piit!¡± I closed my eyes tight. Soon, my whole body froze and it felt like I couldn¡¯t move. However, I didn¡¯t feel pain or anything. Huh? Gently opening my eyes, the landlord murmured curiously. ¡°I thought Rosaria did this.¡± The landlord was showing his palm like Rosaria does. Is he telling me to get on? ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this how she does it?¡± He pushed his hand closer as I hesitated. ¡°I heard you haven¡¯t had energy lately. Was it a lie?¡± I¡¯ll have to leave the estate if I grow up fast. ¡°And your tail has been droopy all day long?¡± ¡°¡­Pii.¡± I tried to forget, but I felt sad being by myself. I felt that my tail, which was hidden, moved down on it¡¯s own. The landlord looked at me and picked up the snacks Rosaria left on the table. Does he think I¡¯ll eat it if he hands it to me? ¡°Eat.¡± My beak flinched and I moved automatically. A sweet-looking snack was calling me. But these snacks look delicious, shall I just taste it for a second¡­?. I¡¯m only giving it a taste, the snacks are innocent. Eating the snack the landlord gave me, he opened his mouth while repeating the act several times. ¡°You take it quite well.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°You look like a dog.¡± ¡­I look like what? I spit out the snack. It seems like he¡¯s decided to have a serious conflict with me. END OF CHAPTER 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°You can¡¯t even eat properly?¡± Looking at the spat snack, the landlord clicked his tongue. Suddenly, I became a baby bird that couldn¡¯t eat properly. That¡¯s not it! ¡°Pii! Pii!¡± When I shook my head in anger and stomped my feet with all my might, the landlord smiled coldly. ¡°Is that so? Then, maybe you spit it on me?¡± ¡°Pii, pp-¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You have no table manners.¡± The landlord grabbed and lifted me up. Feeling my body floating in the air, I shrugged my legs in surprise, but I couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Little one.¡± The landlord laughed arrogantly and before I knew it, my body stiffened as I got closer to his nose. He had an incredibly beautiful face. His gaze looking down at me was terrifying, but even that was a look that could not be easily ignored. But, I shouldn¡¯t be deceived by his beauty. Because the landlord¡¯s personality was habitually awful! When I proudly shot a fiery stare at the landlord, he snorted while looking at me. ¡°You know how to stare.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t even beat a rabbit with that.¡± Doom. (TL: this is like a sfx sound.) It was a shocking remark. I can¡¯t beat a rabbit¡¯s glare? If you have ever seen another cute and pretty baby bird like myself, tell her to come out! It was a very rude statement for me, who was still growing up. ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°I fed you, put you to sleep and raised you. You¡¯re such an ungrateful baby bird.¡± As If to make me listen, the landlord began to complain. I flinched. As much as I hate to admit it, I knew that all the good things I enjoy now are impossible without his permission. I laid down my glaring eyes as I gathered my floating feet gently, the landlord looked at them with curious eyes. He had intrigued eyes that showed his curiosity like it was the first time he was seeing a creature like me. ¡°You¡¯re small.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Are you really growing up?¡± ¡°¡­pii.¡± I nodded timidly. ¡°I heard you haven¡¯t even humanized yet. Is there something wrong with you?¡± Snap. It¡¯s because I¡¯m still a baby! As I struggled with my legs, protesting his remarks, the landlord was relaxed as if he wanted to do more. As he held me up in one arm, I turned my head sullenly. Then I felt a finger poking my cheek. ¡°Pippet!¡± ¡°This little one has a temper.¡± ¡°Pet!¡± I felt bad, so I tried to pull my body out of his embrace while putting strength on my two wings. Hung. Argh!! Oh¡­ I¡¯m so tired. ¡°Pii!¡± Let go of me! Poking at the landlord¡¯s arm with my beak, he put me down with a big smile. I quickly hid behind the cushions while poking my head out with great vigilance. Why aren¡¯t you going? Hurry up and go. ¡°This is my house.¡± The landlord who read my eyes smiled with his chin up. Yes, he was the landlord of this house. This room belonged to the landlord, too. So does this cushion and even those snacks. Perceiving my reality once more, I dropped my shoulders, and he opened his mouth. ¡°Come to think of it, having a daughter wouldn¡¯t be bad, for the time being.¡± ¡°¡­Pii?¡± ¡°So I thought of a name.¡± What are you talking about? My eyes widened with his unbelievable words. I was hearing things that I didn¡¯t expect at all. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°¡­Pii?¡± ¡°From now on, that¡¯s your name. Irene Astrophel.¡± At that moment, unknown emotions rushed in. Are you really giving me a name? I¡¯ve never been called like this before, I didn¡¯t even have a name. Is that why? I couldn¡¯t believe I was called by someone, even more so by a name of my own. Irene Astrophel. From now on, this seems to be my name. I forgot to breathe and looked blankly at the landlord. ¡°What, you don¡¯t like the name?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I quickly shook my head, saying it wasn¡¯t the case. I was just a little surprised. ¡°Pii Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± What should I do? I¡¯m so happy! I called my name over and over again, but the man¡¯s red eyes glanced towards the door. At the same time, the door swung open. ¡°Baby! I¡¯m late¡­¡­ My lord?¡± ¡°You came, Rosaria.¡± ¡°Pii Pii Pii Pii!¡± I spread out my wings, welcoming Rosaria. Rosalia, who found me hiding behind a cushion, approached me with quick steps. ¡°Baby!¡± I missed you! I rubbed my cheeks in her arms as she hugged me, making Rosaria laugh a little. I felt a sense of security in her familiar arms. ¡°Were you surprised that I wasn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I hugged Rosaria tightly and nodded my head. After I calmed down a bit, I held my head over her shoulder and looked at the landlord. He was watching Rosaria with a face radiating disapproval at something. ¡°My baby, aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I shook my head because I was full with the snack I had earlier. ¡°Have you been well with the Lord?¡± Have I been well? It was a bit agonizing, but the landlord gave me snacks, and¡­.. gave me a name. Come to think of it, he seemed to have been very careful when he hugged me in the beginning. ¡°Pii.¡± Rosaria looked surprised when I nodded that I had been well, but the landlord¡¯s mouth went up as if satisfied. ¡°That¡¯s what the little one says.¡± The landlord got up from his seat. He seemed to want to go back now that Rosaria¡¯s here, but the landlord, who was trying to grab the doorknob, paused. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not baby anymore, it¡¯s Irene.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ A warm afternoon. I was on a picnic with Rosaria in the garden. Lying on a mat laid out beside the fountain while hugging the yellow cushion Rosaria prepared for me, I enjoyed the sunlight. Oh, I love it. ¡°Dear Irene.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± After the landlord gave me a name, Rosaria has changed the way she calls me, from baby to Irene. It was a little awkward but I really liked it. I love my name! If I could, I would call my name all day. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t speak now. I don¡¯t know what kind of strange wind blew making the landlord suddenly give me a name, but good things are good. Does that mean I can stay in this house for now? He said he would recognize me as a daughter for the time being, so I think that¡¯s probably right. I had to work hard to lower the corners of my lips that were rising. After all, I got a name and a place to stay for a while! Pet. The tickling touch sweeping over my soft plumage made me drowsy. It felt so cozy that I turned my body asking for the other side to be petted as well, but I heard a strange voice laughing quietly nearby. ¡°Hehe, Rosaria, I think you¡¯re out for a walk with Irene.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°Are you enjoying your walk?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Pii Pii Pii.¡± I nodded awkwardly and looked at the strange grandfather. I don¡¯t know why, but more people in the family seemed to know me. This time, I sprang up reflexively at the appearance of a grandfather, whom I¡¯ve never seen before. ¡°You¡¯re very polite.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Where would a daughter like you come from?¡± Surprisingly, the people here are very open-minded. Even though I was a bird, they seemed to naturally accept me as the daughter of the landlord. If it had been somewhere else, I might have been kicked out as soon as I arrived. Even mixed breeds were easily abandoned by their clan. ¡°Lady Rosaria, aren¡¯t you uncomfortable living with the family in the manor after a long time?¡± ¡°I am fine. Don¡¯t worry about it, Geras.¡± ¡°I see.¡± If there was one new thing I learned, it was that Rosaria¡¯s status was much higher than what I expected. Most people talked to her formally. Awesome, this is great! ¡°Looking at your expression, it seems that your worries have been resolved?¡± (Rosaria) ¡°Ah, are you talking about that? It was easily resolved thanks to the Lord¡¯s direct intervention.¡± (Genas) ¡°The Lord?¡± That can¡¯t be true. Rosaria had a look of incredulity showing that she couldn¡¯t believe his words at all. Then Geras laughed. ¡°It¡¯s true. The Lord wiped them out, all the way across the Anead Plains to the Venea River.¡± ¡°Dear me! Then, we¡¯re pretty close to a neutral zone now, right?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a shelter in the South.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± Rosaria covered her mouth, and the same was true for me. END OF CHAPTER 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I was shocked. It was an area that all the werebeasts wanted. In the ruined east, there were rumors that the area was paradise because of its beauty and peace. However, I heard that it was one of the areas that couldn¡¯t be touched easily because powerful families wanted to get it. Don¡¯t tell me he got his hands on that place? Is that what you¡¯re saying now? If I recall correctly, it was less than a week ago that the landlord came to visit me. I blinked my eyes in disbelief. ¡°Hoho, I couldn¡¯t be more confident when the Lord came forward himself.¡± ¡°¡­Why is the Lord suddenly interested in that land? He wasn¡¯t before.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t understand.¡± Even though he said he didn¡¯t know, Geras looked at me as if he knew something. Why are you looking at me all of a sudden? As I tilted my head, my stomach growled. I was getting hungry. As I snooped around the lunch box, Rosaria came to my side. ¡°Shall we have lunch now, Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re about to eat. I¡¯ll get going because I have work to do. Have a good time, then if you excuse me.¡± ¡°Pii Pii.¡± When Geras said his farewells and tried to leave, I waved saying goodbye. I saw him off properly so I should eat freely now. A thought came up while I was eating, when will I be able to humanize? ¡°Will I?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I hope I will grow up soon. Then, Rosaria won¡¯t have to bother feeding me every time and take care of everything. I felt a little sorry and looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Pii Pii Pii. Pii Pii.¡± I wanted to say thank you, but there was no way to convey it. That adds one more reason to speed up humanization. Rosaria chuckled softly as she was blowing on the baby food to cool it down. I was eating deliciously when I heard a rustling of grass. ¡°I was wondering where you were, and here you are.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°Greetings, my lord.¡± Rosaria greeted with a change of posture. Following her, I leaned forward, gathered my wings in front of my body and bowed my head. Oh, I still can¡¯t say hello. As I looked at the approaching floor in embarrassment, my body suddenly went up. ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t seem to know how to use your body.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s still young.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s been a while since she was born.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been three weeks now.¡± Yeah, it¡¯s been only three weeks! The landlord laughed as I shook my head up and down as if I supported Rosaria¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, she must be far from growing up.¡± ¡°¡­Pii.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take a longer time to be able to go sailing.¡± A boat ride? I raised my head to make sure that I heard correctly. Are you sure you¡¯re asking me to go on a boat ride? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s summer soon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you went all the way to the Venetian River! It¡¯s certainly famous for its beautiful scenery but didn¡¯t you say expanding the territory was troublesome?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm in having one or two more areas.¡± I didn¡¯t think I heard it wrong. To sum it up, the landlord was on his way back to the mansion after he conquered the whole area, and now, he was talking about going out to play. Was it supposed to be that easy? I was staring blankly at the landlord and he tapped my beak. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± ¡°¡­Pii?¡± What are you giving me? I think I just heard something amazing. I was dumbfounded. Rosaria clapped with a happy face. ¡°That¡¯s great! Miss Irene says she loves playing in the water.¡± ¡°Good for you.¡± ¡°Miss Irene, are you happy?¡± Wait a minute, Rosaria. I also need time to embrace reality. If what I understand is right¡­. ¡°Now that you have a new playground, we can go play soon.¡± Having figured it out, I opened my mouth. Did you give that amazing place as a gift? As my playground? ¡°Pii Pii¡­.¡± For the first time in my life, I couldn¡¯t calm myself down because of the immense gift. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The news that the Astrophel family had a young lady spread widely. This news came nearly a month after rumors began to circulate that there was a problem with the third egg. It was already publicly known that the third egg was not a Black Mamba, so after the meeting, the family vassals gathered and started to gossip. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you it was a baby bird?¡± ¡°Apparently, the eyes are red like the Lord.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The vassals gathered in a circle and went silent, no one there had ever seen a baby bird either. Where could they see the main character of the rumors? When no one answered, they showed signs of disappointment. ¡°Did anyone actually see her?¡± ¡°Ho Ho. I saw the little one playing in the garden the other day. It was so cute I couldn¡¯t put it into words.¡± When an old man appeared in the conference room, everyone¡¯s attention was focused on him. Geras smiled kindly as he remembered the baby bird that was politely greeting him. ¡°¡­Are her eyes really red, Sir Geras?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Everyone could not hide their admiration when the expression of the old man, who had made the conference hall chilly with every bit of bitterness in the air, softend. She must be a real skillful Lady to soften the Elder Geras. While everyone was talking noisily, someone raised a hand and asked. ¡°By the way, how did she get into the family when the young lady is not an egg of the clan?¡± All eyes turned to the man. The question was still unresolved. It was even more frustrating because Cade didn¡¯t mention anything. ¡°Since the Lord has admitted that she is his daughter, isn¡¯t she supposed to be the youngest lady in the Astrophels family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the case but¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if the fact that he¡¯s raising a young werebeast from another clan becomes known?¡± Everyone¡¯s expression hardened. This is because it was forbidden under the Werebeast Conduct Act to bring in and raise a young werebeast from another clan without a guardian. Since it has such a devastating effect on the growth of young werebeasts, it was usually customary to be raised by someone from the same clan. Moreover, it is rare for a youngling to leave their domain on their own, so the problem could be even bigger. It was such a serious matter that if the clans¡¯ families raised an objection, it had to be sent back immediately without opposition. Therefore, it was very unusual and dangerous for Cade to recognize the baby bird, Irene, as his daughter. The news that the youngest born in the family was a girl excited everyone for a moment, but the black mambas soon had a gloomy expression on their faces. ¡°So does that mean that the young lady can¡¯t stay in the family?¡± ¡°It can happen if things go badly¡­ Actually, no one knows how she came to the family, right?¡± That was the main point. In fact, Irene herself was very suspicious of her existence. In the first place, a race that could not be born into the family was born. Maybe Irene was caught up in adult affairs before she was even born. She didn¡¯t know how she ended up in the family, but the reason would not be very good. ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ The lady¡¯s position is ambiguous.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, the Lord gave her a name. What is he thinking?¡± ¡°How do we know what he wants?¡± Everyone was shocked when they heard the news. They thought that the existence of the baby bird would soon disappear from the family¡­. It was a situation in which she even received a name, Irene Astrophels. Besides, it is said that she even wanders around the mansion now. Rumors about Irene had grown so much that they were drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Now I wonder what kind of person she is.¡± Someone muttered in a low voice, and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to one side as if they had rehearsed beforehand. The Black Mamba who spoke shrugged his shoulders as he spoke. ¡°You know it too, the Lord has already given her everything from Anead to Venea.¡± It was a story everyone knows. END OF CHAPTER Chapter 10 Chapter 10 ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The Anead Plains and the entire Venea River were places Cade did not even look at. Although it was such a beautiful and peaceful area that other people drooled over, he didn¡¯t want such a place, because it was boring. However, he showed interest for the first time and the reason for doing so was none other than ¡®because I was bored.¡¯ Cade, who guided the clan on his own, literally wiped out all the tribes that set their eyes on the territory. ¡°You can find the answer just by looking at the details. This time, he went on a mission in person. That just means she is definitely the youngest lady in the family.¡± ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t we declare that we have three successors to the family?¡± Right. The retainers recalled the fact that they had already announced there were two successors to the Astrophel family. ¡°Oh, we should brag about having a young lady.¡± ¡°¡­.ha.¡± Sighs burst out from all over the place, and Geras, who was watching it, burst into laughter. ¡°You guys look excited about the increase in work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Ah, does it look like that?¡± The retainers gave off a stern look. It was no mystery that the number of individuals lessened significantly as one went up the food chain. Especially in the case of women, it was so rare the numbers could be counted in one hand. That¡¯s why everyone genuinely was curious. ¡°How cute is she?¡± ¡°Rosaria said she¡¯s so lovely that it can¡¯t be explained in words.¡± Ah, it was really awesome. The retainer¡¯s eyes shone with emotion one by one. Everyone wanted to meet her at least once and call her Young Miss Irene. The people began to stand up and left one after the other, glancing at each other. Apparently, they wanted to go to the garden where Irene often appeared. Geras shook his head with a big smile and opened his mouth looking at the back of the hall. ¡°What are you doing, hiding there, Sir Arban?¡± He was gifted in killing but he was inexperienced in many ways. Moments later, a boy with curly dark hair and red eyes appeared from behind a marble column. Although the boy was still young, he had a luxurious atmosphere as if he had just come out of a painting and a beautiful appearance like a sculpture. The first master was at least pretending to be rational, but the second was not. ¡°Do I have a sister?¡± ¡°Yes, as you heard.¡± ¡°A bird?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arban frowned at once. ¡°How can a bird be my sister?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the Lord admit it himself?¡± Although, so far, it has only been shallow interest. ¡°I don¡¯t remember hearing that father was crazy.¡± At Arban¡¯s outspoken remarks, Geras swallowed a moan. I don¡¯t know where he learned such a word, but Arban¡¯s witty talk was developing day by day. ¡°¡­¡­.Ha¡­ Young master, how can you say such things about the Lord?¡± ¡°Huh. Otherwise, my father wouldn¡¯t make that decision.¡± Geras closed his eyes as if he had given up. Now, he didn¡¯t wonder who had taught him such words. There was something more worrisome than that. When he thought of Irene hanging out with Arban, seeing and learning such things, he imagined the scene. ¡®Are you crazy?¡¯ (TL: this is Geras, imagining Irene repeating the same thing) It would be cute if it was done in a gentle and dainty way, although¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. It couldn¡¯t be permitted. Geras couldn¡¯t let the youngest lady, the family¡¯s last hope, do so. ¡°Young master, you have to be especially careful with your words in front of the young lady.¡± ¡°Why should I watch my mouth because of her?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying that you shouldn¡¯t drink cold water easily in front of a young child.¡± (PR: you shouldn¡¯t be discouraging in front of a child) ¡°Huh. Do you think I even recognize that thing as a sibling?¡± Arban grumbled, rubbing his lips together. Even though it was almost time to go to class, he stayed in place for a long time then coughed in vain and asked softly. ¡°So where is she?¡± ¡°You are not going to see her yet. She¡¯s too young.¡± ¡°What? Father saw her. You said you saw her and Rosaria saw her as well!¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t control your strength, can you? I heard you broke the wall a few days ago, and that there was nothing left.¡± Arban winced as Geras said so. There was nothing to retort. Not only the walls of the mansion, but also on numerous other records. Arban, who looked at him angrily with his lips closed, stamped his feet. Crakiic. The floor sank and the child¡¯s face was filled with dismay. Geras gently raised his eyebrows. ¡°Look at this. The floor is messed up, too.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯ll see¡ªI¡¯ll be successful in a few days!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yes! I can control my strength in no time!¡± Arban, who had raised his voice to the point of anger, huffed. Geras gave him a remorseful smile. As a matter of fact, news that the second master¡¯s control over his power didn¡¯t exactly say the reason for it. However, he thought, if the desire is related to this, it might be fixed properly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to the good news, Young Master Arban.¡± Arban swerved and began to move. Discontented red eyes touched the garden where the retainers were headed and fell. I want to see it, too! The cute and lovely sister! Unable to reveal his innermost thoughts, Arban hesitated but walked away nervously. ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s so hard to meet the little sister.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Pii, Pii, Pii, Pii.¡± I¡¯ve been feeling a lot heavier lately. I could barely eat rice or water and there was no energy in my body. ¡°Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Besides, my whole body hurts so much. There was no place that didn¡¯t hurt- be it wings, feet, and back. Why am I like this? Tears came to my eyes. Rosaria had been unable to leave my side since morning because of my poor condition. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Pii, Pii, Pii, Pii.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± Rosaria placed a wet towel on my feverish forehead. I took a deep breath and dug into the duvet. ¡°I can¡¯t do this, I have to call a Doctor.¡± ¡°Piit, Piit, Piit, Piit!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll be right back, so please wait for a moment.¡± When I shook my head saying I didn¡¯t like it, Rosaria stood up firmly. Oh no, I don¡¯t want to take an injection! Don¡¯t go, Rosaria! ¡°Piii Pii~~!¡± Click. But despite my desperate call, I could hear the door shut coldly. ¡°Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Sniffle. I felt even sicker when I was lying in my room alone. I didn¡¯t like the feeling of silence, so I counted the ceiling patterns one by one. How much time has passed? The door opened and Rosaria came in with a woman who seemed to be a doctor. I was half happy and wary, I couldn¡¯t let go of the tension. Maybe she came with a syringe? I quickly glanced at the doctor¡¯s hand. Fortunately, she was holding nothing. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Irene. My name is Hestia.¡± Hestia waved her hand as she tucked her black hair behind her ear. The pale green eyes that smiled softly were folded into a half-moon shape. ¡°Then I will check her condition for a bit.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I hugged the blanket tightly. As she had been briefed on the way, Hestia began to check my condition immediately, and started asking a few questions. ¡°When did these symptoms start appearing?¡± ¡°From this morning. She hasn¡¯t been feeling well for a few days, but it was not that bad as today.¡± ¡°Did she not hate it when you touched her wings or legs? Or maybe she can¡¯t sleep well at night?¡± Uh? How did she know? I took a deep breath and looked at Hestia with my eyes wide open, as she was picking up the symptoms correctly one by one. She grinned as she quickly checked and scribbled them down on the medic chart. ¡°Congratulations, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°It¡¯s growing pains.¡± ¡­Growing pains? That was one reason I hadn¡¯t thought of. There was only silence for a moment as Rosaria could not have guessed either. Growing pains come even though I¡¯m a baby bird. I tried moving the wings again and felt a sharp pain. This is all because I¡¯m getting bigger!! ¡°Around this period, it¡¯s time for growing pains.¡± ¡°Really? ¡­Then, will she humanize sooner or later?¡± ¡°Of course. It can hurt a lot, so please massage gently from time to time. It is better if you can do it with warm water. Let me show you.¡± Hestia gently massaged my wings. When she pressed it down with moderate force, a pleasant feeling spread throughout my body. ¡°Pii. Pii, Pii.¡± ¡°Are you refreshed?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± So good! I felt my muscles loosen and the pain subsided. Rosaria, who was rubbing the opposite wing, shed a smile. Her complexion, which had been filled with worries, suddenly brightened. ¡°I need to prepare clothes for Miss Irene to wear¡­.I don¡¯t know the degree of strain it will have in my heart. So, I have to prepare my mind.¡± ¡°Fufufu. There is a place I go to, would you like to know?¡± Hestia gave her a tip, whispering as if telling her secret. Rosaria showed interest and listened to her. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°When I went out of town, I saw a separate shop selling clothes for children. There are so many different clothes, their shoes are also very pretty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very good information. What¡¯s the name of the dressing room?¡± Rosaria, who was reciting the address that Hestia gave her to remember the location meticulously, suddenly made a curious face. ¡°But how do you know about that Hestia? Do you have children?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then how ¡­?¡± The doctor smiled brightly. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you know? Miss Irene is so famous in the family, and everyone¡¯s dying to see her. As her doctor, I had to make this much preparation because I thought it was time for the growing pains to start.¡± Everyone wants to see me? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of it. As I lifted my head at the sudden rumor of me being a celebrity, Hestia wrapped her cheeks in glee. ¡°If I could, I wanted to get the Young Miss footprint. So I have been waiting for this day when you would call for me.¡± ¡­Oh my god what¡¯s going on? Hestia suddenly looked so dangerous that I hid my toes in fear. END OF CHAPTER Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Rosaria was delighted to learn that I was sick due to growing pains. But for me, it wasn¡¯t that joyous of a news. ¡°Miss Irene, you can eat three snacks a day.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°When you grow up, you have to eat healthy food instead of candy. Young children, especially those who are about to humanize, should pay special attention to eating.¡± ¡°Pii, Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡­¡­because snacks have decreased. At the news that came like a bolt, I held the candy box containing star candies, dearly. Rosaria gave me one every day after each meal, and Star candy was my favorite because I couldn¡¯t eat bulky things yet. It was the only snack that a baby bird could eat without any burden! ¡°Shall we put the candy box over there for a while?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you another type of snack.¡± Rosaria showed no signs of backing down. After several turns of persuasion that weakened my mind, I turned my eyes away. It¡¯s my star candy! When I didn¡¯t let go of the box, Rosaria put her hand on her chest as if she was heartbroken. ¡°I¡¯m heartbroken, too. You¡¯re upset that you can¡¯t eat it even though you¡¯ve already arranged the colors evenly, right?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Because Irene loves the candies right?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I worked hard to save and collect the colors. Inside the snack box were white, yellow, and pink star candies shining evenly. Rosaria came up to my side and sat down when I didn¡¯t easily give up the box. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t see it completely. You¡¯re only saying goodbye for a little while.¡± ¡°Pii Pii Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Yes, you just need to hold on for a while. We¡¯re going to open it and eat it together when we eat snacks next time. I¡¯m going to put it over there.¡± Rosaria pointed to a crystal shelf installed on the wall. It was a location where you could easily check if the star candy was in good shape at any given time. Well, if that¡¯s the case¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°Pii Pii.¡± Rosaria smiled happily as I gently handed over the candy box I was holding. ¡°Miss Irene, I¡¯m so proud of you!¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask the chef to prepare a delicious snack.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I felt better when I was praised. Yeah, as Rosaria said, too much sugar wouldn¡¯t be good for me. Instead, the chef will give me a delicious snack! I shot up from the table to the bed. This is because it was time for Rosaria to read a children¡¯s book. It was nap time. ¡°Pii Pii Pii.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Irene. Shall I read you a book?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± When I called Rosaria, the woman who was watering the flowerpot by the window put down the sprayer and came over. The bookshelf that had been built a few days ago was filled with children¡¯s books. Even when Rosario has been busy because of my growing pains, Rosaria brought a surprise gift. ¡°Come here, Miss Irene!¡± ¡°Pii!¡± Rosaria sat on the sofa and I leaned over her lap. I really liked the fairy tale book. She changed her voice to make the content realistic and fun to listen to. When she opened the first page of the children¡¯s book, a cute picture appeared. ¡°Once upon a time, there lived a family of baby birds in the forest.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Then one day, the baby bird wanted to see the forest alone.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°The brave baby bird decided to go on an adventure!¡± I nodded my head at Rosaria¡¯s words, but inside I was worried. It¡¯s my second day with storytime. So far, the experience has been a piece of cake. ¡°But then, the baby bird got lost!¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°It turned out that it was a realm with a horde of fearsome lions.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± This must have been the ultimate children¡¯s book. Whoever the author was, it was a tremendous story that made me sweat. I hid in Rosaria¡¯s arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Irene. As long as you don¡¯t go outside the family¡¯s territory, you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I groaned as I closed my eyes. The baby bird must have survived and returned to her family¡¯s arms. When I was ready for a nap, Rosaria closed the book and patted me in a pleasing way. After hearing the news that humanization was imminent, Rosaria wanted to teach me a lot of things. She especially emphasized the importance of the territories several times. But I was afraid of that. ¡­¡­if the territory is something far too important, everyone will fight. I didn¡¯t want to go through that again. However, I decided to study hard about what Rosaria taught me. For me, who only knew a little bit about the world, Rosaria was the only one who could tell me various things. Besides, now, I will have to live my life as a baby bird. If I¡¯m not careful, I might come across a lion like the baby bird in a book. My hair stood still in my sleep from instinctive fear. With a loud yawn, I closed my eyes, and Rosaria blocked the sunlight with her hand. ¡°Have a nice dream, Miss Irene. Even if you meet a lion, he will die¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Hmm. What does she mean? I pricked up my ears, trying to catch the words that were drifting away. ¡°The moment one steps on our territory, we will wipe it all away before Miss Irene notices¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I fell asleep as it was. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Hestia was walking down the hallway with a more excited expression than ever. Inside the basket she was holding was a miniature bathtub and fluffy towels. Baon, who was heading to the office, found Hestia and talked to her. ¡°I think something good is happening, Hestia.¡± ¡°Oh, Sir Baon?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a present for Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Is it a toy?¡± Baon looked at the basket and asked curiously. If it was a toy, Rosaria would have already provided enough. However, unexpected words came out of Hestia¡¯s mouth. ¡°No way. This is a massage tub.¡± ¡°Massage?¡± ¡°The lady is going through growing pains these days. It¡¯s a secret, but I think she¡¯ll be able to humanize sooner or later.¡± There were only the two of them in the quiet hallway, but Hestia lowered her voice in case anyone could hear. Baon¡¯s eyes widened when he heard the great news. ¡°By now, it¡¯s time to wake up from her nap, so I¡¯m on my way to give her a massage.¡± Hestia walked away as if every minute and every second was extremely important and Baon, who was dazed, hurried to the office. To inform a certain someone who is showing great interest in the status of the baby bird, while pretending not to be curious. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ¡°Lady, how are you?¡± ¡°Pii-.¡± ¡°Are you comfortable taking a half-bath?¡± Her body fluttered as she swept her wings to the back. Hestia, who came to see her for the first time ever, kept coming after her first visit. This is because her growing pains, which she thought would end soon, were getting worse. If she didn¡¯t give her a massage every day, her joints would soon hurt. ¡°Okay, this time it¡¯s the feet.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving it to me right away? You are so obedient.¡± Hestia smiled bashfully and pointed to my feet. In fact, I was still skeptical. Somehow, it seems that she hasn¡¯t given up on my footprints. I stood still for a while, then wiggled and got up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Should we stop now?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± As I took off the headband made of towel, Hestia withdrew her hand. And as I stepped out of the bathtub, Rosaria held up the towel as if she had been waiting for me. While I shook the water out and stretched myself, I heard a familiar and unfamiliar voice. ¡°Huh, it looks like the massage is already over.¡± ¡°Sir Baon?¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Yes, the Lord has also come.¡± The Landlord? I looked behind Baon, and the Landlord was really standing there. I think we see each other often these days. Is it just me? When I waved my hand, the Landlord¡¯s lips rose subtly. ¡°You¡¯re going through a growth spurt, right?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Come here.¡± The landlord reached out his hand. It was the biggest hand I¡¯ve seen until now. I took a step closer, pondering. END OF CHAPTER Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ My tail, which now began to grow in shape, allowed me to balance myself even in non-flat areas. Shuffle, shuffle. ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good walker.¡± ¡°Pii~.¡± As I went to the palm of his hand, the landlord tapped my beak. I feel it all the time he does this, the landlord seems to like my beak. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you can humanize soon.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t see where you actually grew up.¡± He muttered while holding me up and looking around. No, I¡¯m growing up really well. I can eat more rice than before. When I glared with a silent energy, the landlord grinned. It was an obvious sneer. ¡°Or did all the food go to your belly?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°My Lord, Miss Irene is growing up very well.¡± When I got angry, Rosaria intervened and brought a white wooden board as evidence. It was a wooden board measuring height every morning. The edges of the wooden boards were punctuated with red lines dated at short intervals. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It is a record of Miss Irene¡¯s growth.¡± Rosaria smiled proudly and showed it to everyone, and they turned to the wooden board she was holding. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s growing up?¡± Measurements of her feet were recorded, placed with the dates. She was obviously growing, albeit barely. The landlord meekly admitted the truth as I flapped my wings for him to look at. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°You are definitely growing up. But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± When will I finish growing up at this rate? Everyone looked at Hestia with curious eyes. Having the most savvy knowledge in the room, she glistened her eyes while looking at the wooden board and coughed to speak. ¡°You can¡¯t try to understand it with the same knowledge used for fast-growing individuals. Miss Irene is different from us.¡± ¡°It will take her a while to grow then.¡± ¡°She¡¯s different from the masters who grow up day by day with a significant change. The Black Mamba quickly becomes independent but Miss Irene will take a little longer.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Listening to Hestia¡¯s explanation, the landlord smiled satisfactorily, somehow liking what he had just heard. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The landlord, who I thought would just take a quick look, stayed for quite a long time before going back. Thanks to that, all the intelligence that I had hidden was revealed in front of everyone. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how smart Miss Irene is?¡± The landlord, who was slowly losing interest over time, replied attentively. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± ¡°She¡¯s learning about other Clans these days.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing unnecessary things again.¡± Even though he said so, the landlord beckoned at her as if saying to show him something. There was a box with pictures of various animals. It was one of Rosaria¡¯s recent purchases for educational purposes. She took out one of the wooden paintings in the box, shook it and asked. ¡°Miss Irene, what is this?¡± ¡°Pii Pii!¡± Huff! I pulled my tail straight and puffed my body. It¡¯s really scary, just like this. I remember it because she has emphasized it several times that it was scary. ¡°Great job!¡± Rosaria clapped her hands and Hestia, who was eating refreshments, opened her mouth while blankly looking at me. Neither the landlord nor Baon expressed much reaction, but I could feel that they had stopped what they were doing and were concentrating. You didn¡¯t know I was this smart, did you? I clapped with my wings excitedly. The landlord, who was staring at me, nodded to Rosaria, asking her to get something else out. ¡°Then Miss Irene, what is this?¡± ¡°Pii¡ªii~~.¡± Moo~~. Rosaria shut her mouth as she heard the cow cry that I did with my chirping. I was a little embarrassed by the harsh reaction. In fact, Rosaria praised me for every little thing, so even I was getting used to this kind of atmosphere. I¡¯m a baby bird who can do this easily. ¡°How can you be so smart! You must be a genius!¡± As expected, Rosaria began to rant on with her compliments. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen any other clan yet, but you¡¯re so amazing, Miss Irene.¡± Next to her, Hestia gave her a helping hand. I felt like my cheeks were getting hot, so I snooped around for no reason. As soon as Hestia took out a new animal picture for me to look at and shook it, another thing that caught my eye intensely appeared. Hmm. I want to eat snacks too. The landlord held it up when he saw the snack lying on the table. ¡°Do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Would you like to?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Then what am I?¡± ¡°Pii?¡± The landlord secretly urged me to imitate him. You¡¯re the landlord, right? But he even gave me the name Irene and said that he would make me his daughter¡­It was awkward until now, so I kept calling him the landlord, but I knew he wasn¡¯t just called that. But it¡¯s so embarrassing and awkward. What should I do? As the baby bird shut her mouth and fell into serious trouble, the surroundings became noisy. ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t know who the Lord is?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never explained it to her.¡± ¡°¡­but she knows that?¡± Hestia, who was whispering with Baon, pointed to the animal character cards. As my silence got longer, the atmosphere in the room became stagnant and gloomy. Eventually, I met the Landlord cold looks head-on. The moment his forehead narrowed slightly, I secretly avoided his gaze. ¡°There is nothing wrong.¡± The Landlord pushed back the cookies he was giving me. ¡°Ungrateful baby bird, it¡¯s Cade.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°Follow me, Cade.¡± ¡°Pii Pii Pii.¡± When I followed him and said his name, the landlord sighed and gave me a snack. Chew Chew. It¡¯s been a month since I lived in this house, but I got to know the name of the landlord for the first time today. ¡°Pii Pii Pii.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Pii Pii Pii.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As the frozen atmosphere eased little by little, Rosaria, who was embarrassed, hurriedly began to take care of the aftermath. ¡°Miss Irene didn¡¯t know the Lord¡¯s name, did she?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. It¡¯s good that I found out now.¡± Cade laughed at the words. I looked straight through to his red eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t even know I¡¯m your dad.¡± I¡­ I knew that. However, there was no time to feel it because it didn¡¯t feel realistic. I took a big breath. If I take a long time to answer here, the landlord might completely reverse his decision in making me his daughter. Took. I grabbed his finger in a hurry and Cade¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Pii Pii.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Pii-¡° Poke. I hit my beak gently and Caid¡¯s fingertips winced. ¡°Oh my gosh! The Baby expressed her love to the Lord.¡± Hestia quickly explained what it was this time and Caid¡¯s stiffened expression, abated by her explanation. ¡°I see.¡± I was relieved of my worries. ¡°Pii!¡± Whew, that was a relief. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ On a sunny afternoon, I recovered to some extent and went out to the garden. ¡°Shall we play ball today?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± Rosaria rolled a huge ball the size of my body on the lawn, but in truth, it was the size of her palm. They said it was a ball specially made for me. Tung Tung. A cheerful sound rang from the air-filled ball. As I looked around, Rosaria gave me some rules. ¡°You¡¯re only playing around here. Okay? ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go beyond the fountain. It¡¯s dangerous for Miss Irene to go into the forest alone.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I rolled the ball with my body and ran. I didn¡¯t roll it quickly because it was a lawn, but my body didn¡¯t move as well as I wanted to, since I was playing this hard for the first time in a while. END OF CHAPTER Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡®Come on.¡¯ I hit the ball with my wings. Tong, tong, tong. ¡°You¡¯ll get hurt, Miss Irene!¡± ¡°Pii-i!¡± ¡°Is it because the ball doesn¡¯t move at will?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± As I waddled with the ball, Rosaria hurriedly picked the camera hanging on her neck. Resting my cheek on the soft rubber for a while, I turned my eyes to Rosaria¡¯s call. ¡°Look here, Miss Irene!¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cute.¡± After several clicks, Rosaria put down the camera. These days, she has been into taking pictures. If there¡¯s anything unusual, it¡¯s the fact that she just takes pictures of me. Rolling. After catching up with the unruly ball a few times after it bounced off, I was exhausted. The ball is boring! ¡°Pii Pii Pii Pii!¡± I swung it around and ran to Rosaria¡¯s place. ¡°Are you done playing?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I crawled up the mat and sat in front of the blueberry pie Roseria bought which the chef had prepared for today¡¯s outing. ¡°The chef said he wanted you to eat well and grow up soon.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Is it delicious?¡± ¡°Pii~!¡± The flavorful taste instantly made me feel better while Rosaria patted me on the head, telling me to eat a lot. The pie quickly disappeared after a bite or two. Next time I meet the chef, I¡¯ll have to say thank you for the delicious meal. There was a gentle breeze as I rubbed my stomach. ¡°Are you full?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you lie down and fold paper with me?¡± Rosaria was thorough. It seemed that she had prepared the next game in case I wasn¡¯t interested in playing ball. She took out a colored paper from one side of the basket and stretched it out. All my portions were cut into quarters. ¡°What color do you like here?¡± ¡°Pii Pii.¡± When I picked the yellow paper, Rosaria smiled and handed it to me. ¡°Let¡¯s fold your favorite butterfly.¡± ¡°Pii Pii?¡± ¡°Yes. Fold it into a triangle first.¡± Rosaria demonstrated slowly. It must have bothered her when I was wandering around to catch a butterfly the other day. I was worried that I couldn¡¯t fold it well with my wings, but it wasn¡¯t that difficult as I focused on following the steps one by one. ¡°Then, spread the fold completely.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°Yes, you did a great job!¡± This is easier than eating star candy. I confidently showed the folded paper. Rosaria, who was smiling and checking what I had folded, moved on to the next step. As we were folding paper together, Rosaria¡¯s hands paused. ¡°Pii Pii?¡± ¡°Hmm. Hold on, Miss Irene. The order is a bit confusing.¡± She seemed to have forgotten the next order. Then, we have to wait until it comes to mind! I¡¯m sure Rosaria has never done origami before. So I shouldn¡¯t rush her because she must¡¯ve memorized it particularly to spend time and play with me. Then shall I play ball over there for a while? I got up and checked the ball near the fountain. ¡°Pii Pii Pii Pii.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± As I pointed to the ball, Rosaria, who was almost crying, smiled broadly as if she was happy inside. ¡°Do you want to play ball? Then, will you do it for a little bit? I¡¯ll quickly think of the next step.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I grabbed the folded colored paper with my beak and walked to the fountain. I did my best to fold, so I didn¡¯t want it to be blown away by the wind. If I play around here, she would just call me in a little while, right? Once more, I checked the struggling Rosaria who was not so far away, and kicked the ball. Tong, tong, tong. ¡°Pii. Pii. Pii!¡± I was toddling around kicking the ball, and as I lifted my feet again, a gentle breeze blew. As I tried to catch the ball rolling in the wind, I tripped over a stone and fell. ¡°Pii, Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It hurts. ¡°Piii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± A little tear came out and I was about to cry, but the ball that was rolling toward the forest beyond the fountain was blocked by something and stopped. For a moment, I had a strange feeling that I had entered a different space. I don¡¯t know for sure, but I could tell that this was someone¡¯s pheromone. Swoosh. Whenever the wind blew, pheromones that remained threatening strongly exuded. I raised my head. ¡°I was thinking there was a chirping coming from somewhere, and I guess I didn¡¯t hear it wrong.¡± There was a boy who looked just like Cade, staring at me with no expression. It was the first time I saw him, but I knew that the boy in front of me was one of the people who were called ¡®young master.¡¯ The unexpected sudden encounter caused hiccups. ¡°Ppit. Ppit. Ppit!¡± I forgot my injured leg and stopped crying. I was more afraid of pheromones that made my body stiffen. Now, I realized how careful everyone was in front of me. Even the seemingly indifferent Cade was actually extremely careful. The boy who came out of the woods nudged the ball sideways with no sincerity. Suddenly, I remembered what Rosaria said the last time we were in the forest. ¡°The first young master is training here.¡± I couldn¡¯t forget the fallen tree and the squashed ground. The gradual narrowing of the distance between us resembled that of a predator with its prey in front of it. ¡°Is that your ball?¡± ¡°Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re scared. I forgot to control it because I was on my way back from training.¡± (TL: he¡¯s talking about holding his crazy ass pheromones from leaking) The gaze that was looking at me turned to the colored paper that fell at my foot. Do you want to have this? Hiccups. I picked up confetti with my beak while the hiccups didn¡¯t stop. ¡®T-this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ ¡°Pii.¡± ¡®Take it if you want it.¡¯ This seemed like a scene I¡¯ve seen somewhere, but it might just be my imagination. The boy had a puzzled look on his face. ¡°Are you giving me this one?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± The boy¡¯s mouth closed. Despite being so close to each other, not one of us moved until I heard Rosaria call for my name. ¡°Miss Irene!¡± ¡°Pii Pii Pii Pii!¡± I quickly hid behind her feet and clasped the hem of her trousers, unable to let go of my tension. The boy¡¯s eyes narrowed because he didn¡¯t like the sudden appearance of Rosaria. ¡°Master Seth, have you already finished your training?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°Please control your pheromones. Miss Irene must have been surprised. Shall we have some water?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I¡¯m terribly surprised. When I stretched out my wings, Rosaria hugged me. I felt a burdensome look as I was nibbling at the water she gave me. The reason was that the young master called Seth did not go his way yet and was staring at me. ¡®Why are you looking at me like that?¡¯ Holding a plastic bowl containing water with both wings, I shook my head away as if I didn¡¯t know. I wish he would go quickly, but instead, Seth started talking to me. ¡°You¡¯re the bird of the gossips these days, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What do you mean bird? It¡¯s Irene. She got her name from the lord.¡± ¡°Is her name Irene?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the youngest lady. Isn¡¯t she lovely? These days, I live with the pleasure of taking care of Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Is that why you abandoned the border?¡± Seth responded sarcastically, frightening me. I knew that Rosaria was great because she had shown great power, but she must have been a much greater person for her to guard the border. ¡°It¡¯s about taking care of the youngest lady, and not just anyone can do it.¡± ¡°I was wondering who was the last breathing sibling in the egg.¡± Set smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡± You managed to survive. It was a soft voice, but it had such a nuance with it. END OF CHAPTER Chapter 14 Chapter 14 I was sure Seth didn¡¯t like me. I thought it could be because we are not the same snake species, but I felt sad in a corner of my heart. I crouched down. I couldn¡¯t be welcomed by everyone. Still, I didn¡¯t like it even if I knew it was inevitable. I hid the colored paper I was going to give as a gift. ¡°Miss Irene, don¡¯t be so heartbroken. You can get along with Master Seth.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Do you want to be friends with me?¡± Seth tilted his head expressionlessly and I poked my head out. ¡®Will you accept this if I say I want to be friends with you?¡¯ The folded butterfly was a little crumpled, but this was the only thing I had now. ¡°What a strange kid. I guess you are not afraid of my leaking pheromones.¡± ¡°That is the charm of Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Everyone was trembling and busy running away.¡± Seth approached and held out his palm. I glanced at him and handed him the colored paper. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Pii.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not very happy with you. I don¡¯t want you to be seen by me in the future. If you want to keep living.¡± Rosaria¡¯s expression hardened as the atmosphere changed terribly. ¡°Sir, if you say more than that, I have no choice but to report to the Lord. Please be nice.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Then I¡¯ll stop here. It¡¯ll be hard if my father knows this.¡± An arrogant smile resembling Cade was painted around Seth¡¯s mouth. I kept staring at him in Rosaria¡¯s arms, as he was about to take a step back, he looked down on my legs and spoke in a pathetic tone. ¡°I thought I smelled blood. Looks like it fell and got a wound.¡± Rosaria took a look at my leg at Seth¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t a big fall, so it was only a very small scratch, but she turned white. ¡°Miss Irene, where did you get this wound¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. When did you fall down?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± For some reason, the pain seemed to come back belatedly. Maybe it was because I was relaxed. ¡°It hurts, Rosaria. Please blow ¡®Ho, Ho.¡¯¡± Seth, who was watching me being taken care of by Rosaria, frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t need a sibling like you with a body that gets hurt from just falling down. You¡¯re weak.¡± With that, I became a weak baby bird. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ That¡¯s how the outing ended. After returning to the room and washing briefly, Rosaria applied medicine to my leg and meticulously put on a band-aid. It wasn¡¯t that long, but it felt like ten million years had passed. I lay on the bed as I hugged the pillow. ¡°Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Pii.¡± My voice sank as I was still hurting. ¡°Miss Irene, are you still very upset?¡± Rosaria asked, stroking my head. I nodded slowly. The lingering feeling of the intense first meeting that happened in the garden did not go away. I blinked at the ceiling as I couldn¡¯t fall asleep easily even though it was nap time. ¡°You can¡¯t fall asleep? Do you want me to draw the curtains?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I shook my head. I don¡¯t think I would fall asleep just because it was getting dark. Somehow, the sensation of my whole body seemed to be extremely sensitive. I didn¡¯t know if it was because I was affected by the pheromones leaking from Seth earlier, but just the slight movement of Rosaria made me nervous. I tossed and turned with a grunt. ¡°Miss Irene?¡± Rosaria called me when I made a sudden groan, but I didn¡¯t answer and dug into the blanket. ¡°Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Pii.¡± The reason was that my heart rate became faster without me knowing why. What¡¯s wrong? As I tilted my head, Rosaria lifted the blanket anxiously. ¡°Are you having any discomfort anywhere, Irene-sama?¡± ¡°Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Not really¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. I fiddled with my fuzzy feathers. Somehow, I felt as if a faint feeling was spreading all over my body. I pulled the blanket tightly because I felt like I had to find a comfortable position quickly. Rosaria patted my back as I rolled around and tossed and turned. ¡°Would you like a lullaby?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed, Miss Irene. For the God in the moon is sleeping too~.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± Rosaria lifted the blanket up to my chest. My eyes, which were wide open just a moment ago, fell heavily on the warm texture of my body. I tried hard to keep my eyes open, but it was no use with her patting. I whined and shook my head. ¡°Do you not want to take a nap today? Is it because of what happened a while ago? It¡¯s time to sleep.¡± ¡°Pii Pii Pii Pii.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Pii Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± My mind slowly faded with the patting. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Late at night, when everyone would start to fall asleep, Rosaria looked anxiously at Irene¡¯s condition. Irene has been sleeping all day. Rosaria, who had prepared the meal in time for her to wake up, was hanging around. ¡°Why are you sleeping for such a long time? You have to eat dinner, too.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if she slept like this, but she could wake up at dawn and change her day and night routine. Rosaria was troubled because she wanted to avoid such a situation. Should she wake her up like this? ¡°I wonder if she was very tired¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Maybe I should go and visit Hestia.¡± What if I go looking for Hestia and Irene wakes up? It was not dangerous to be by herself, but she might be scared to know she was alone at night. If she tried to leave the bed while I was away for a while, something could happen In addition, Irene couldn¡¯t fly yet. It was actually unexpected. Usually, as the tail begins to grow, baby birds show interest in flying, but Irene¡¯s growth was a little slower. Environmental problems were also something to think about. Irene might have grown a little faster if she had an original guardian. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤You have to grow up without any problems.¡± Sometimes, young shapeshifters do not grow properly and stay in the shape of animals. There is no doubt that she will humanize because she has already experienced growing pains due to her primary awakening, but Rosaria was still deeply troubled. This is because one minor mistake could have affected growth. It was not known what kind of growth the bird clan goes through. The growth process of each clan was a secret, and the realm of the bird clan was mainly the sky, so there were not many encounters. ¡°Sigh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. What should I do? If I had known this would happen, I would have befriended more people at the border.¡± She let out a sigh mixed with regret, recalling the Bird Clan guarding the eastern border. If she befriended them, she might have been able to ask for help. Rosaria looked down at Irene, who was asleep in the dark. Irene, who never slept all day, was asleep without moving. What if this is a precursor to secondary awakening? All abnormalities before growth should not be overlooked. Rosaria¡¯s brow is wrinkled. ¡°I can¡¯t, I think I¡¯ll go find Hestia.¡± She stood up. Rosaria, who grabbed the doorknob and looked back to leave the room, opened her mouth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll be right back, Miss Irene.¡± She opened the door carefully to avoid the sound of footsteps. After a while, Irene¡¯s sleeping eyes began to tremble. ¡°Pii, Pii¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The little body fumbled its wings as if it was trying to find a safe place. She then began to retreat her body in the blanket that she could easily hide in. A small corner of the blanket above Irene rose convexly. The baby bird, who could be seen through a small gap in the blanket, still hadn¡¯t woken up and she was exhaling her breath evenly. The body, which had been crouching for a while, began to stretch out as if it had never been so comfortable before. The blanket had only a tiny hole, opened enough to allow breathing, and that was the moment. A fluffy pheromone wafted out around the small, white body. The scent was so sweet that it tickled the tip of the nose. It lingered around Irene without leaving her all night long as if protecting her. Then, Irene opened her eyes. END OF CHAPTER Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ The Astrophel family held weekly Elder meetings. Again this time, Cade, who was looking around the elders who were arguing over the boring agenda. What is she doing by now¡­probably poling around somewhere in the mansion. Cade, who was briefed on Irene from time to time, smiled. It was cute to see a small thing wandering around in a mansion crawling with Black Mamba. It didn¡¯t matter where she went because everyone knew Irene was growing up as the youngest in the family, but on the other hand, it bothered me. What if that little thing wants to look outside the territory? Should I sweep the places she¡¯d like to visit in advance? Cade touched his chin with a frown. Where is the famous tourist spot? It would be better to ask Baon to draw up a list as soon as possible. When Cade was openly preoccupied with something else, the arguing elders shut up. Their gazes all went at once to their master. ¡®Who are we talking to now?¡± The vassals, who were exchanging their eyes in unison, made a trembling face. ¡°Lord.¡± In the end, Geras, who was sitting closest to Cade, called out with a low cough. Awakened from his imagination, Cade looked at Geras. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We are in the middle of an important meeting.¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you focus on the meeting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening, so keep going.¡± Cade beckoned to resume the meeting. Watching the situation, Baon was familiar with the current Cade. They might faint when they find out that a colorful snake doll is coiled up on one side of the sofa in his office. ¡®Well, Miss Irene is definitely very cute.¡¯ Seeing as Cade, who is always cold to everything, have such a changed atmosphere as compared to before, Miss Irena indeed had a great ability. Apart from the fact that she was simply cute, there was something in her that one could not explain exactly. She seemed to be quick-witted, but sometimes looked just like any other child of her age as she listened to adults well. Baon smiled faintly and hurriedly became serious the next second when he made eye contact with Geras. And he had the audacity to act like he had done nothing. ¡°We¡¯re discussing a very important issue, my Lord. Stop thinking about Miss Irene and focus.¡± ¡°I know. Small dwarfs are swarming around the territory, right?¡± Those hyenas. Cade kicked his tongue annoyingly. There were often small skewers peeking at the gap because a new number of people were assigned to the border every quarter. In particular, it was even more troubling because the east side had no quiet day. It was time for the discussion to come again. ¡°Maybe we can just leave it alone. They¡¯re scared of us anyway.¡± ¡°If you turn a blind eye to me, they¡¯ll keep crossing the line.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set an example. To quell dissatisfaction among the neighboring clans.¡± Elders representing each region expressed their opinions with a word of guidance. Caid turned his head out of the window in a dull way. ¡°Take care of it yourselves.¡± This would be the answer the elders were waiting for. Black Mamba was not a restrained clan, rather, they welcomed the battlefield. Until now, they had been holding their breath to maintain a good relationship with other Clans, but they didn¡¯t have to do that to people who were running wild without knowing their place. The mouths of the retainers twitched when Cade gave permission to run wild as much as they wanted. ¡°Then, is it okay to expand the territory as an example?¡± ¡°Well, since you¡¯re doing it, expand it to a place with good water and air.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± The vassals asked back with a puzzled face to make sure they heard it correctly. ¡°The west would be nice.¡± Come to think of it, I think I received a letter saying that someone would give me a white sand beach in exchange for a mine. There are so many mines that you won¡¯t notice even if some were gone. Cade began to think seriously. Let¡¯s a suitable area. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to go to a place where the days are warm in winter. I think it would be nice to build a few villas. Cade stood up from his seat. ¡°If you¡¯re done talking, let¡¯s call it a day.¡± The elders followed and prepared to leave one by one. In the tumultuous atmosphere, as Kade was leaving the conference room, he felt an unstable energy growing closer and stopped his steps. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s Rosaria¡¯s energy.¡± Baon, who was beside me, mumbled curiously. Some elders seemed to have already sensed the energy and it was not long before Rosaria showed up. She had an unappealing nervous face. It was far from the usual relaxed Rosaria, so everyone¡¯s attention was focused on her. ¡°My Lord!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Rosaria?¡± ¡°Miss Irene is now¡­!¡± Cade¡¯s eyes were wide open. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ When they arrived in front of Irene¡¯s room, pheromones were leaking out of the hallway. It was as sweet and fluffy as cotton candy. The sweet scent vibrated, so all the surrounding areas were bitten. A feeble presence was felt in the room. It was Baon who reacted first. ¡°She must have finished humanization.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Cade pretended to be calm and turned the doorknob around. The moment he stepped inside, he took a deep breath. ¡°Rodaria¡­?¡± ¡°Miss Irene!¡± The child was very small. The child, who had an anxious look at the sudden change, smiled brightly at ease when she found Roseria. With white silver hair, the child was hiding under the blanket, hugging a pillow tightly. She seemed to be scared even if she tried to hide it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m cold.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you dressed quickly.¡± Rosaria, who took out a sky blue dress from the closet, hurriedly dressed the child. The little one that appeared from under the blanket was all white, except for the red cheeks and pale red eyes. Cade¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t fall from Irene. He walked carefully to the child. His lips, which had been closed, finally opened. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Irene Astrophel.¡± Although it was a common awakening, he was overwhelmed with emotion. It was a strange feeling. Was it because the child, who he thought was gone when it was still in the egg, survived and even humanized safely? This moment came as a special one and Cade bent his knees. ¡°My Lord?¡± Baon called in surprise. When he met the eye level with the child, the child¡¯s light red eyes opened round. Cade¡¯s mouth, which had been gently loosened, rose playfully at the moment. ¡°You¡¯re still short.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°This is why you can¡¯t hunt alone.¡± Oh, my God. Baon touched his forehead. This was because Irene¡¯s face soon turned into a tearful look. Irene, who tightly hid behind Rosaria¡¯s legs, chewed her little lips. ¡°I can.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°I can!¡± She seemed to be so upset that tears were forming in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m good at hunting, too!¡± ¡°Of course, Miss Irene will be able to catch any prey she want as well!¡± Rosaria was at a loss for comfort. She was also embarrassed by the situation, not knowing what to do. I heard from Hestia in advance, but knowing it and experiencing it in person were two different things. I expected Irene to be small, but this is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°She looks about three or four years old.¡± (Rosaria) ¡°Aren¡¯t they usually humanized by the age of ten?¡± (Cade) ¡°¡­ungh.¡± The child was about to cry. Rosaria, who belatedly broke up her thoughts from the shock, hurriedly cut off the conversation. ¡°No! It¡¯s an unusual case to start with the size off a 10-year-old. Miss Irene is not small, right?¡± Everyone has to say so. Rosaria¡¯s purple eyes glowed frighteningly. Baon, overwhelmed by the momentum, turned his head away. This is because they have never seen anyone spend their childhood in a size as young as Irene. Especially the top predators. And because of that fact¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡®It was amazing in itself.¡¯ The little thing was moving and the three pairs of eyes that fixed on Irene couldn¡¯t fall. Cade looked unhappy at the child, still hiding from him behind Rosaria. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Uhng¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°No! You said I was small.¡± The chubby cheeks were full of wind as if they were already sulky, but despite her strong sulk, Cade had to try hard to get his rising lips to stand still. He knew that if he couldn¡¯t stand it and laughed here, she wouldn¡¯t get over it. He decided to try to appease Irene. It was the first time he has ever done it, making even the viewers feel awkward. ¡°You are not small.¡± ¡°¡­really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Irene let go of her sulky look at that one word. Only then did the child, who had a bright complexion, come forward with a big smile. It was still difficult to walk on both feet, but Cade waited until the child came to him. When the little one finally reached out, he lifted the child lightly. He felt unfamiliar with the small hands and body that hugged him tightly. It was so light that it would fly away if you blow it. It¡¯s small and light. And it was weak. Cade, who slowly loosened his arm, poked her in the cheek as he always did. The cheeks like glutinous rice cake softened. She rolled her eyes in his arms and held his collar tightly, putting quite a lot of strength on her hand. ¡°This is how it felt.¡± (TL: this is when Cade usually touched her beak when she was a bird.) ¡°I feel a little strange.¡± Rosaria looked thrilled by Irene¡¯s long-awaited humanization. Baon also had a strange look on his face, he felt different because he had managed the eggs for three months. Maybe it¡¯s because everyone was watching without saying a word. But Irene leaned over Cade like she was hiding herself from the stares. Both ends of his mouth rose beautifully. ¡°Congratulations on your safe humanization, Irene.¡± END OF CHAPTER Chapter 16 Chapter 14 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ??¡î?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I became a human being when I woke up. I looked back and forth in front of the mirror in an inexplicable wonder. I grabbed and unfolded my hands and moved my feet. I¡¯ve touched my long hair, touched my eyes, nose, and mouth. ¡°Rodaria!¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯re all awake!¡± Rosaria nodded as I showed my hand wide open. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s five!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve become a real human!¡± And I love it! I¡¯ve been standing in front of the mirror for hours, but I couldn¡¯t get enough of it. ¡°Are you still that surprised?¡± ¡°Yes!,,,,but Rodaria.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What if I wake up and I¡¯m a bird again?¡± Then it¡¯s a big deal. I looked in the mirror because I liked it, but I was also worried that I might become a bird again. So whenever I had time, I looked in the mirror. What if my arms turns into a wing or the tail pops out? Young children with weak pheromones sometimes return to their original form along the way. I was humanized at best so I didn¡¯t want to go back. When I expressed my concern, Rosaria, who was organizing the toys, burst into laughter. ¡°Are you worried about becoming a bird again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was often surprised to see similar things like my white silver hair and get confused, so every time I did that, I ran to Rosaria, sweeping my astonished heart. This time again, she stopped what she was doing and hugged me back while holding me face to face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It won¡¯t be like that if you eat well without being picky.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was a little relieved when Rosaria said yes. After a sigh of relief, Rosaria¡¯s actions accelerated after she confirmed the time. ¡°Miss Irene, are you hungry? Let¡¯s go eat.¡± ¡°The food is not here yet.¡± The meal arrived to my room every day, but I haven¡¯t seen it so far today. I hope it comes soon since the time to eat has become ambiguous because something big happened since morning. Rosaria smiled. ¡°From today on, you will eat at the Dinner Hall.¡± ¡°¡­is it food?¡± ¡°Yes. The young masters and the Lord will be waiting for you. Give me your hand!¡± ¡°Oooh! I¡¯m going to stay in Dinner Hall now.¡± I was so excited to be able to go to the hall from now on. The chef will be there too, right? Other than that, what else is hiding in here? There were still many things I didn¡¯t know about the manor as I only went to limited places with Rosaria every day. My heart was pounding with anticipation. Now I can go to a dinner hall on my own two feet! ¡°Miss Irene, your hand!¡± ¡°Uh.¡± I took Rosaria¡¯s hand and proceeded cautiously. Because I could have twisted my feet and fell over if I was careless since I was still not used to walk in two legs without a tail. As I left the room and bravely walked down the hallway, I stumbled again. Rosaria, who supported me before I fell down, saw me crying and smiled at me saying it was okay. ¡°¡­Rodaria.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡­ I guess I can¡¯t do it alone if my tail is not here.¡± I used to walk very well, but now that the tail that held my center disappeared, I couldn¡¯t do that anymore. What if I have to learn to walk again from the beginning? I thought everything would be solved if I humanized, but there were a lot of things I had to learn again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be impatient. You¡¯re still walking well.¡± ¡°But this is¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It¡¯s like a toddler. To go up the stairs, I had to climb one-step at a time. No, let¡¯s not cry. I can make it! Pop. Pop. Pop. My shoes made sounds as I walked bravely. Pop. Pop. Pop. ¡°Oh, Lady Rosaria. Is that Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Sir Durias?¡± ¡°She¡¯s very¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± A man walking by while carrying documents approached with interest when he heard popping sounds. I think I¡¯ve seen him in front of a conference room before. Wearing white gloves on his hands to prevent his skin from being seen, he gave off a clean and neat atmosphere overall. Durias smiled refreshingly as he looked at me holding Rosarias¡¯s hand in a yellow sleeveless shirt and white shorts. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as the Lord said.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°She¡¯s so cute that that you want to take a bite.¡± I stiffened and Rosaria stopped Durias in a hurry. ¡°If you say that, Miss Irene will misunderstand!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Durias put on a look of genuine surprise. I wondered what kind of thinking would make it possible to have such a way of speaking. The way this family expressed their emotions was too extreme. ¡°Lady Rosaria did, too. You said she was so cute that I you wanted to kill everyone.¡± Rosaria was startled. Come to think of it, I think she said she wanted to destroy everything some time ago. I smiled softly to indicate that I understood her real intentions, and Rosaria, who was a loss for words, had a moved expression on her face. ¡°As expected, our Miss Irene has a broad mind and a big heart.¡± ¡°Right!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still good to be careful, Sir Durias. What if Miss Irene learns such radical expressions?¡± I was writing too openly for something to worry about. I wiggled the hand I was holding. When are we going to the restaurant? I¡¯m hungry. ¡°Rodaria. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Hoo, are you going to feed?¡± ¡°¡­Sir Durias. Be careful with your expressions. That kind of conversation is only used among clan members.¡± So it means that they are also aware that their way of speaking is out of the norms. But I had no intention of fixing it. It was very likely that it would be a useless task. Looking at the family members I¡¯ve met so far, my guess is that they didn¡¯t even pretend to listen if dissatisfaction as expressed right on their faces. On the contrary, I wished I had done more, but it seemed that I would not have stopped. ¡°Then enjoy your meal, miss. I¡¯m very busy.¡± ¡°Good bye.¡± Bye Bye. When I waved with the other hand, Durias politely bowed his back and disappeared on his way. ¡°Rodaria.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°My leg hurts. What do I do?¡± Is it because I¡¯ve been standing for too long? Slowly, my legs started to hurt. I was only coming down from the second floor to the first floor, but I was already exhausted. Is the original body of a young child so weak? Rosaria smiled and hugged me. ¡°Then I can carry you with me. The restaurant is in the basement.¡± ¡°Underground?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if it¡¯s underground, you don¡¯t need to be afraid at all because the sunlight comes in.¡± Oh, if it¡¯s like that then it¡¯s ok. I grabbed Rosaria¡¯s neck and leaned my body against her. When I walked, it took a long time, but when I was held in her arms, we quickly arrived in the restaurant. A delicious smell emanated from the entrance, making my stomach churn. ¡°My! Miss Irene, you must have been very hungry. I should have brought you sooner, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°How are you going to live in this world been this nice?¡± Rosaria said with a really worried expression on her face. ¡°Irene, it would be better if you could express and act as you want.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± You¡¯re even worried if I¡¯m too nice. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m nice. Sometimes, I act while thinking about myself. As I entered the restaurant talking about Dorandoran, I saw the Cade that had arrived in advance. ¡°Here you are.¡± And two boys were seen. One was a Seth I had already met, and the other was a boy I had never seen before. ¡°I want to go down!¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Irene.¡± Rosaria dropped me off on the floor. At the same time, the shoes made a sound. Pop! Pop. Pop. Pop. ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s that?¡± (Seth) ¡°Take that thing off!¡± (the other one) I shouted vigorously that it was mine. The names that I¡¯ve been memorizing in my heart. Cade laughed out load. ¡°I hear a strange noise.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not strange. It¡¯s a gift from Rodaria.¡± ¡°Miss Irene doesn¡¯t know the way yet, so I put it on to prevent her from getting lost.¡± That¡¯s right. It¡¯s like that! I moved to an empty seat. I could see hot meat on a plate. I can eat meat now! I was in a hurry, so I walked quickly. END OF CHAPTER Chapter 17 Chapter 17 TL-Mechatronic ¡°Will you be able to go up on your own? Should I give you a hand?¡± Rosaria, who was following, looked at the high chair and asked, but I shook my head. ¡°No! I can go up alone.¡± Now that I¡¯ve grown up, I was able to do this easily Because I¡¯m not the old me who could only chirp. Hung! Giving strength to my arms, I climbed into the chain and sat down, Rosaria applauded me joyfully. I was smiling proudly when I heard a sneer next to me, ¡°Hmph. You can barely come up on a chair. What kind of black mamba are you?¡± ¡°Irene is a bird!¡± ¡°Ha?¡± The boy with curly black hair raised his chin and one side of his mouth. ¡°What are you so proud of when you¡¯re only a bite away, you idiot!¡± The boy seemed to be waiting for me to cry out of fear. So, what do you think? Are you afraid now?¡¯ He looked at me like that. What should I do? It doesn¡¯t bother me, since I just learned that the expression ¡°a bite away¡± is known as a sign of cuteness among black mambas. ¡°That¡¯s right, Irene is cute!¡± So I responded confidently. Then the boy winced and shouted out in an emotional voice. ¡°H-Hey, this! What nonsense are you talking about! How can you say that about yourself!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the truth, Irene is cute!¡± Somehow, it felt as if my audacity was rising day by day. Seth had a pathetic expression on his face when he saw the two of us arguing. He had eyes that couldn¡¯t understand why we were doing this. I glanced at the curly-haired boy sitting next to me and smiled bashfully. The boy seemed speechless. As I pretended not to take any damage and did nothing as he wanted, his face contorted and a slightly bewildered expression passed by. This isn¡¯t it. What gives? It was such an expression, Cade, who was watching the fight, said briefly. ¡°Stop.¡± With those words, the boy rubbed his lips, softening his momentum. Hunf. The boy shook his head. As the chaotic atmosphere calmed down, Cade spoke again. ¡°Seth, Arban. Don¡¯t you know that today is the day you are introduced to your little sister?¡± I think the name of the kid sitting next to him is Arban, I glanced curiously at Arban, whom I had never seen before. There was an argument, but I couldn¡¯t help but be interested, and maybe it was the same for Arban, since our eyes met. It felt like I had been caught stealing, so I kept myself looking straight ahead and pretending to know nothing, but Seth greeted me like he knew. ¡°I see you again, Irene.¡± ¡°¡­..Yes, hi.¡± ¡°Seems like you are taller?¡± Seth spoke out in a friendly tone, without hesitation. I usually just think of things like that. He was surprisingly straightforward. ¡°Have you two met each other?¡± ¡°Yes. Last time, in front of the forest. The ball was playing with her.¡± ¡­.Did I hear it wrong? As I tilted my head, Seth smiled, closing his eyes. It looked like he was asking me if I had any problems with what he just said. ¡°¡­.. was the one playing with the ball.¡± Seth turned his head, pretending not to hear. I feel like even if I change my fur, he would still detest me the same. He did it last time, but I can feel it clearly this time as well. Now that he is in front of Cade, it seemed that he could not openly show his dislike, but even if it was this much, Cade would have noticed. It seemed like it would take a very long time to change Seth¡¯s mind. But, at that time, I also gave the folded colored paper as a gift¡­¡­. When I was depressed, Seth¡¯s mouth went up just in time. ¡°Ah. She also gave me some ugly colored paper. I was impressed because it was the worst thing I¡¯ve ever received.¡± ¡°Then you can throw it away.¡± Arban grunted. For some reason, he felt very upset, and to such an Arban, Seth said. ¡°Are you the only one who didn¡¯t get a present from Irene?¡± ¡°You know what, who wants to get that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like.¡± ¡°No one wants that!¡± It was the moment when the second round of the brothers¡¯ chatter was about to begin in earnest, and before Arban could say something, ¡°Stop.¡± The atmosphere, which was about to become ugly, was calmed down again by the involvement of Cade. Don¡¯t tell me the meals always start like this? Seth seemed to be having fun teasing Arban, who always had an over-the-top reaction for everything, I stopped paying attention to both of them and grabbed the children¡¯s fork. It was the moment when I took a good look at the sliced meat. ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°¡­.-Don¡¯t laugh.¡± It was not easy to eat because the table was chestlevel for me. I think my arm will get numb if I keep eating like this. What should I do? I was wondering if there was a good way, but the plate in front of me suddenly disappeared. ¡°Mine!¡± I resentfully flicked a look at the criminal. ¡°That¡¯s my dwinner¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The table is high. Come here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I opened my eyes wide. Cade was pointing at his knee. Thesitated and came down from the chair and walked towards him. Pon. Pon. Pon. Big hands came between both arms and lifted me up. My legs were dangling in the air. Cade, who put me on his lap, casually brought the meat to my mouth. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Ah-.¡± Hap. A large piece of meat, big enough to fill my mouth, came in. Soft texture and savory juices spread out. Nham Nham. When I chewed hard and swallowed it, the next meat came into my mouth as if waiting for its turn. ¡°You eat well.¡± How many times did I take it? A chef wearing a beret appeared from the kitchen as swallowed the last piece of meat. ¡°Desserts are here, my lord, young masters¡­ oh, there you are, Miss Irene!¡± The chef, who was putting on desserts that looked delicious one by one, gave me his greetings. I realized that he was the chef who sent me delicious snacks every day. ¡°The uncle who gives snawcks to me!¡± ¡°I am honored that you know me. My name is Baharn.¡± I bowed my head quickly. This is because I remembered that I promised to say thank you when I meet him later. ¡°Thank you for giving me something to snawck on every day!¡± ¡°Thank you for enjoying your meal.¡± ¡°I like Baharn!¡± A voice rang loudly in the dining hall. With that said, the atmosphere in the room quickly subsided. ¡°¡­¡­Who do you like?¡± Cade¡¯s hand, which was trying to give me snacks, stopped in the air. Seth¡¯s eyes then slowly turned to me. With a subtle frown on his face, he flapped his lips and closed them, and finally, Arban¡¯s mouth, who was teasing me for not being able to eat alone, quickly closed in a straight line. What? Did I say something wrong? I pulled Cade¡¯s hand that stopped in the air. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Here.¡± The atmosphere that had become chilly was once again lifted. Baharn, who was sweating profusely, tried to change the mood by continuing what he was doing. ¡°But why is the Miss sitting on Lord¡¯s lap?¡± ¡°The chair was low.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Then I¡¯ll tell them to prepare a tall chair.¡± ¡°Baharn.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Cade¡¯s mouth twisted up. He looked at Ziggy Baharn. And in a few seconds, breathtaking tension came and went. ¡°I think you have lost your touch.¡± ¡°Do you want me to send you to the front lines of the territory to bring your senses back to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve made a slip of the tongue.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Baharn quickly changed his posture as the threatening questions continued and quickly disappeared into the kitchen. I tilted my head in a vague way. What did Baharn do wrong? Sometimes I can¡¯t understand adults¡¯ conversations. While eating pudding, I asked with my mouth full of whipped cream. ¡°Drink!¡± I was eating it without knowing that there was whipped cream on my mouth, and Arban, who was looking at me, clicked his tongue. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dig in too much. You¡¯re going to get my hands too dirty, it¡¯s bothersome.¡± Then he cleaned my mouth with a tissue. It was a rough but cautious touch. I was being taken care of with an awkward touch, and Seth opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve been training in the woods for days and worked hard, Arban.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± When Arban asked back as if he was saying something, Seth¡¯s eyes turned to the tissue. At that moment Arban¡¯s body shuddered. He jumped out of his seat at the moment when I looked suspicious of his bewildered face. ¡°I don¡¯t have to work hard! I didn¡¯t practice because I wanted to see her!¡± Arban ran out of the restaurant. Even if he practiced to see me, why is he so angry? I swallowed the last piece of bread and drank the whole glass. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 TL-Mechatronic Around the end of the meal, Rosaria entered the dining hall. ¡°Rosaria?¡± ¡°Miss Irene, I¡¯m here to pick you up. Did you enjoy your meal?¡± ¡°Yes! I met Baharn too!¡± I got down from Cade¡¯s lap without any regrets and ran to Rosaria. ¡°Have you met Baharn? Did you say hello?¡± ¡°Yes. I did it like this.¡± Rosalia smiled sweetly when I showed her how bowed my head down to my belly button to say hello, ¡°If you¡¯re done eating, should we go brush your teeth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded my head and took Rosaria¡¯s hand. As I was about to go back to my room, I stopped and looked back. It doesn¡¯t seem like Arban will come back after storming out so I decided to say goodbye to the other two. ¡°Nice to meet you today Seth.¡± . Goodbye Big Brother I wiggled my fingers and waved my hand. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s really going to accept it, but I just tried it anyway. If I keep being friendly like this, won¡¯t he accept me at least once? Seth frowned upon receiving my greetings. He seemed embarrassed because I kept talking to him even though he kept showing that he didn¡¯t like it. The next one was Cade. ¡°¡­.Goodbye Daddy.¡± I tried to mumble an unfamiliar word to my lips that I had spoken for the first time. I felt like my ears were getting hot, so I covered my face with both hands. I¡¯m embarrassed! He won¡¯t hate me just because called him Daddy, will he? Peek out. She slowly opened her fingers and looked at where Cade was. If he doesn¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll call him by name from now on. With that in mind, I took a deep breath to calm my beating heart, but a nice voice penetrated my ear. ¡°Yes. See you next time, Irene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± That¡¯s good, he doesn¡¯t hate it. A sense of relief made me laugh out loud. Somehow, felt tickled. After Irene returned. The two black mambas, who extremely value their personal areas and also hate being with only the two of them as if thorns would prick them, we¡¯re standing still in their place, not moving. Irene¡¯s sudden attack of names has kept the two out of their minds for quite some time. It was a very small voice, but Cade, who had monstrous physical abilities, listened carefully. ¡°¡­¡­.Goodbye Daddy.¡± Would Irene know what kind of ripple effect that one word has brought? It was surprising that such a creature could exist. ¡°You look like you are in a good mood, Father.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re flustered.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Seth wiped his face. When he looked at the door where Irene disappeared, he frowned and looked away. I even warned her in the first meeting, so I thought she would be scared without fail. But there was no sign of such a thing today. Rather, she crossed the line without fear. In addition, didn¡¯t she smile while saying goodbyes and left as if it was something extremely normal? Seth didn¡¯t like Irene¡¯s attitude, which didn¡¯t seem to have a sense of crisis. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t something lacking somewhere? She¡¯s a strange kid.¡± ¡°You are a poor judge. I heard you got a gift.¡± ¡°What kind of a gift was that? It was just paper. I didn¡¯t even know what it was folded into.¡± Seth recalled the yellow-colored paper that Irene had given him. Such crumpled paper could not be called a gift in this world. He couldn¡¯t even remember where he had put it. ¡­..Where did I put it? Did I put it on my desk? Otherwise. . Did I throw it on the floor? Perhaps it was. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Aren¡¯t you mad?¡± ¡°What?¡± Cade asked back and Seth asked once more, careful not to anger him. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how I treat Irene.¡± ¡°I saw it.¡± Cade¡¯s reaction was strangely bland. Seth¡¯s red eyes flashed with suspicion at such an incomprehensible calm reaction. He had expected Cade to give him a warning, so Seth looked at him with a slightly bewildered expression. This is because his father had a face that said, everything was fine. ¡°It takes time to adapt to anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I will get close to her.¡± Cade chuckled, and after, silence prevailed. When there was no more conversation to come or go, Seth stood up. ¡°I¡¯m done eating, so I¡¯ll just go.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± As soon as permission was granted, Seth left the dining hall. Looking at his son¡¯s back, Cade burst out laughing. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even realize it.¡± If you are not interested and do not like it, you can ignore it from the beginning. Nevertheless, it seemed that he had given Irene a warning. He is already so concerned about her and does not even know. Irene¡¯s existence had a greater impact than expected. To the extent that he was concerned that it might be a little dangerous. Cade remembered the banquet to be held soon. It was a banquet where several people from each clan gathered. I was planning to announce Irene¡¯s existence there, but¡­ ¡°Should I show her, or not?¡± Cade fell into deep trouble when his two intentions collided. He wanted to brag, but he also wanted to keep her hidden. It was better to announce that there were three of them sooner. As he remembered that day, his mouth was bitter. It felt like he was stabbed in the foot. In the end, he had to be immersed in thoughts until the moment Baon came to the restaurant to find him. I was currently in Hestia¡¯s clinic. It was for a simple physical examination. She said that everyone who succeeded in humanization should do it. Everyone does it, so I can do it too. Last night, before I went to sleep, Rosaria gave me enough explanations, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. While waiting for Hestia for a few minutes, I looked around curiously inside the treatment room. I couldn¡¯t really feel it every time she came to my room, but Hestia was like a doctor. ¡°Miss Irene, you can walk and look around.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You can rest comfortably.¡± ¡°I will stay here.¡± swallowed my saliva holding the baby snake doll that I sleep with every night. There were many other dolls, but this one was the one doll I picked up without having any doubts. As the time with my appointment with Hestia approached, I hugged the snake doll tighter. It was never because I¡¯m afraid. I peered through the brown door, which looked unusually large today. Then the door opened and Hestia in a white robe entered. ¡°Miss Irene, have you been waiting for a long time?¡± Too fast! Seeing Hestia keeping her promises too well, I cried. ¡°Why do you look so sad?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s intimidated by the atmosphere in the clinic.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid, Miss Irene. I¡¯m not doing anything that hurts today.¡± ¡°Rosaria told me. I¡¯m not doing anything that hurts today.¡± Hestia flinched as she pulled out her chart. and muttered a little. ¡°Oh, my¡­¡­ This is the best.¡± Trolled my eyes anxiously, nervous about what Hestia was going to do, muttering to herself. I was worried even though I knew that I was not getting an injection because the atmosphere of the clinic was quite different from the outside. Hestia noticed my nervous mind and bowed her body with a smile. I glanced at her, who was at the same eye level. ¡°Today we¡¯re going to have an eye exam, a dental exam, and check your height and weight.¡± ¡°Is that the end?¡± ¡°Yes! When we are done, I¡¯ll give you your favorite chocolate as a gift.¡± Chocolate! As I showed interest, Hestia pointed to the back of the clinic. ¡°Then shall we go over there and see?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Let¡¯s hurry up, finish this and get some chocolate! I followed Hestia¡¯s guidance and climbed onto the machine that measures height. When I put my heel close to the back and inhaled, I heard the sound of the measuring instrument moving above my head, Where is it coming down? I fixed my gaze, stopping it from going up. Tock. The meter lightly touched my head and then fell. As Hestia was writing down in the chart record, she gave a subtle expression, and soon the corners of her mouth trembled. ¡°¡­..Haha. Kof. Um-hum. Shall we go over there this time and do an eye exam?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Since the first hurdle ended safely, the next test was easy. As instructed, I covered one eye and said the number and picture Hestia was pointing to. ¡°Your eyesight is normal. Lastly, let¡¯s lie down here and say ah.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°There are no cavities, and the number of teeth is correct. Oh my gosh, your fangs are round. How cute.¡± Hestia, who was checking for cavities, tapped, Irene¡¯s canine. She quickly shut her mouth. When Irene looked at Hestia waiting for her to say it was okay to go down, she smiled and held a chocolate in her hand. ¡°Here, it¡¯s a present for you because you finished it bravely.¡± ¡°Un, thank you.¡± ¡°If you eat this, you have to brush your teeth, okay?¡± ¡°I always brush my teeth¡±. I smiled brightly with excitement. This is because I haven¡¯t been able to eat much candy or chocolate due to concerns about cavities these days. Isn¡¯t that the true hardships of all young children? It¡¯s so delicious but you can¡¯t eat a lot. I¡¯m going to save it for later. Irene put chocolate in her pants pocket. But Rosaria¡¯s expression has been serious since earlier. ¡°Is it okay if Miss Irene¡¯s fangs are blunt? I saw it briefly, and the molars were also too small.¡± In response to Rosaria¡¯s serious question, Iran to the mirror on the Doctor¡¯s desk. I guess my fangs can¡¯t be blunt! When I held myself up on tiptoes and opened my mouth wide, a small and round canine was located on both sides. ¡°Miss Irene doesn¡¯t hunt like we do, does she? There¡¯s no need to worry, Rosaria.¡± ¡°But fangs are the basics of the basics.¡±¡± ¡°That¡¯s what children of predators are like. More than that, what we need to pay attention to is something else.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with her?¡± Hestia looked more serious than ever. Rosaria brought her ears to her, asking what the problem was. I swallowed my dry saliva when I saw the two reflected behind the mirror. A small whisper was heard. ¡°The lady is less than a meter tall.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Hestia spread her palms. ¡°She¡¯s only about five spans of my hand.¡± It¡¯s crazy how even her height was so cute! Hestia could not hide her excitement. Rosaria opened her eyes wide and smiled slowly. It was a look similar to the leisure of those who have known it beforehand. ¡°Oh my, I already knew that. Isn¡¯t this a privilege of those serving Miss Irene?¡± Recently, there was one illness that the vassals working in the Astrophel family were contracting. Symptoms were varied, but in the end, they all had the same cause. ¡°I want to show off the youngest little lady to the world, but I can¡¯t!¡¯ Children who have not yet become independent on their own are thoroughly banned from external exposure except in special cases. This is because it was the iron rule of the Astrophel family, where succession was a precious matter. Therefore, the meeting held this time could be said to be very important. It was because it was the historical first moment when Irene was officially known to the world. The vassals gathered in one place and carefully agonized over the banquet to be held in spring. ¡°As scheduled, should we invite only the Clans who have formed an alliance with us?¡± ¡°That sounds good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little worried. What if those hideous guys show interest in Miss Irene?¡± That¡¯s true. The opportunity to finally brag about the youngest lady finally came, but there were also such side effects. The vassals all fell into trouble. The families who formed an alliance with the Astrophel family were all equally dangerous. The alliances that come to mind immediately were the Lions in the western meadow, the Jaguars and the Wolves in the east, and¡­ ¡°The North also sent a letter saying that they would participate this time?¡± Cade looked at Durias for confirmation. Sir Durias, who was in charge of the family¡¯s external activities, agreed. ¡°Yes, the letter arrived this morning.¡± ¡°Why are they suddenly participating?¡± Baon nervously asked. This is because the North has already been absent from the banquets for more than a decade. Durias shrugged. ¡°How do I know what they¡¯re thinking?¡± ¡°Then, why are you doing that with the correspondence?¡± Cade pointed to a crumpled gold letter. ¡°Ah, this one. I thought for a while whether to rip it apart or not.¡± Durias smiled and mistreated the letter again. He looked like he was thinking of ripping it at any moment. The Northern willingness to participate would have had a huge impact. A large number of families who wanted to connect with them would express their intention to attend. The news of the sudden attendance of mysterious tigers shook the audience. The servants, who were hectic preparing for the banquet less than a month away, frowned, annoyed at the unexpected variables. ¡°Baon.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do our best to prepare for Irene¡¯s escort issue.¡± Even though it was an annual event, it was a gathering of predators in one place. There were no important figures who dared to work something while in the south, but exceptions always exist. There was nothing bad about being careful. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already nervous at the thought of Irene going around among the predators.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement with Elder Geras. They seemed to have forgotten that they were already classified as high-risk themselves. Cade laughed as if it was ridiculous. ¡°It¡¯s just a banquet in the front yard after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Had it been hosted by a different clan, Cade might have hesitated to send Irene. But this year¡¯s banquet was held in the South, their backyard. ¡°Then should we bring in the remaining manpower stationed on the border?¡± At the end of the meeting, Baon hinted. Cade tilted his head. ¡°Is there any remaining manpower? I don¡¯t remember anything like that.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t people still over there?¡± Baon smiled vigorously. Cade, who realized who he was referring to, narrowed his forehead. ¡°They¡¯re not interested in anything other than the battlefield, are they?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Rosaria like that in the first place?¡± That¡¯s true. Even inside the Black Mamba clan, she was i known as a war-maniac. It was unbelievable she was now taking care of Irene. Rosaria, who he thought would be back soon, now wants more than anyone else to remain in the family. ¡°Won¡¯t they be curious? Rosaria hasn¡¯t returned in over two months.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡°They should be enough as Miss Irene¡¯s escorts. Clans are coming from all over the place, so we have to have a shield like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Cade tapped the table and offered his permission. Putting them next to Irene was a bit annoying in itself, but there was no more reliable escorts than them. ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact them.¡± ¡°If these guys come back to the family, there¡¯s no need to organize separate escort knights.¡± Pop. Pop. Pop. The number of steps I could take increased day by day. Thanks to the hard work, I could, now go up and down the stairs by myself. Today, while I was walking hard around the mansion, my cheeks were dyed red because of the delight in the eyes of those around me. Everyone seems to be interested in me! Affectionate attention always makes you feel good. ¡°¡±Miss Irene, are you going for a walk alone today?¡± ¡°Yes! Now that I¡¯m all grown up, I can walk around alone.¡± As I greeted one of the passing vassals with a bashful smile, the surrounding area was buzzing with laughter. Everyone looks happy. Then I feel good too! I stomped my feet vigorously. Byok. Pop! Byok. Pop! Byok. Pop! ¡°You are full of energy today. What did, Rosaria put inside this time?¡± A cool older sister asked, while pointing to a bag full of snacks. Uhn. I don¡¯t know that yet. I fiddled with the snap of the bag that was hung long enough just to fit my chest so that it wouldn¡¯t get loose. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to open it yet.¡± ¡°Oh my. It¡¯s a pity I won¡¯t be able to see what¡¯s inside. I¡¯ll give you one of these too!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I was handed a heart-shaped glass bottle and looked at it carefully. It was a candy covered in shiny powder. It¡¯s the first type of candy I¡¯ve ever seen! I quickly grabbed it and started walking again. Because today I had a long way to go. It¡¯s been a few days since I started leaving the room alone. The mansion was so wide that I had not yet seen half of it. I learned about the places I¡¯ve been to by eavesdropping the surrounding gossip. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¨C Did you know? ¨C What? -There is a big library on the first floor? -I had no idea! How do I get there? So, on the first day, I went to the library, I wanted to read a fairy tale book, but I had not yet learned to read, so I went to Rosaria, who was waiting in the room, with the most popular book recommended by the librarian. As Irene wandered around, she found out that the mansion was so large that she had no idea which place was what or where to get there. ¨C There is a place on this floor where you can observe the night sky. I heard the ceiling is made of glass? ¨C I had no idea! I should go in the evening, right? Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t go because I had to sleep in the evening. I¡¯ll definitely go there, later. ¡°Where are we going today?¡± Pop. Pop. In fact, when I said that I wanted to go around the mansion alone for the first time, Rosaria said no and stopped me from doing it. However, Cade¡¯s permission was granted and I was able to leave the room. ¨C It¡¯s not permission to go out, but I will let you roam around the house as much as you want. The permission was granted with such a detail attached. Actually, I didn¡¯t even want to go outside by myself. Small children are not allowed to go out alone. Rosaria had warned me several times that there were a lot of strange and scary things. First of all, let¡¯s master the mansion first! Pop. Pop. Byoop. Pop. Byoop. Pop. However, contrary to Irene¡¯s grandiose goal, there was something she didn¡¯t expect. ¡°Oh, my leg hurts.¡± Her stamina was too weak. After walking around from the morning with half excitement and half anticipation, her strength gradually decreased. Is there a place where I can sit and rest? I patted my leg and looked around, and found a chair lying alone. ¡°Uh?¡± Was it originally there? Tran with happy steps filled with joy and sat down on the chair. Then, whenever I was thirsty, I opened the water bottle that I hung around my neck to drink. Pong. A small straw came out. I took a sip of the water and looked around the hallway. Recently, the atmosphere in the mansion has been chaotic. As I passed by, I heard at first glance that visitors were coming soon. How many people would come to make everyone so busy? The hallway was unusually crowded as there was no room to sit on the floor. I was resting, shaking my legs back and forth, when two men came out of a room with a black door, with serious expressions on their faces. ¡°Udis.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Orka.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a greenhouse garden on the 3rd floor of the mansion, right?¡± ¡°Yes. There are always snacks ready.¡± Prick. (TL: Irene¡¯s ear pricked up) I caught on to a pretty interesting topic. ¡°The room where the young masters are staying is also on the third floor. Have you been there?¡± (Udis) No! Where is that? I¡¯ve never been there. ¡°I haven¡¯t been there because I don¡¯t know where it is.¡± (Orka) Third floor? There¡¯s a greenhouse garden with snacks, and there¡¯s Seth and Arban! I twinkled my eyes. I want to go! ¡°I want to see them.¡± However, I was too weak to go alone and the mansion was too big. I had to climb the stairs to get there, but this was the first floor. ¡°¡­I really want to go, but it¡¯s too far away. I want to see Rosaria.¡± The vacancy of Rosaria was felt again. Teary. The tip of her nose wrinkled. Suddenly Irene missed Rosaria and while she was grieving, she felt a bustle of movements. She rubbed her red eyes and looked ahead. ¡°Uhm-hum! Sir Orka. Could you bring this to the third floor for me?¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°Then go ahead and ¨C Oh! Isn¡¯t it Miss Irene?¡± I nodded quickly. In the meantime, I glanced, at a man called Orka. Wiggle. Wiggle. Irene wriggled her fingers, holding the water bottle, and smacking her little lips. ¡°Orka.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Orka, are you going to the 3rd floor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Orca with white hair and light eyes stared at me, waiting for my next word. If I ask him to go with me, will he take me? I quickly stepped down from the chair, lest Orka just decided to go away. In a hurry, Irene reached out and gently pulled the hem of his sleeve. Orka flinched and took a deep breath. A moment of anticipation and expectation seemed to pass over his eyes. ¡°Me¡­I want to go to the third floor.¡± ¡°But my legs hurt so much.¡±¡± Trummaged through my bag. This is because I remembered what I heard when I visited the conference room not too long ago. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for help with a bare mouth.¡± (TL: asking for help with a bare mouth means, to ask for help, demand a service or something else without giving compensation, paying up, or rewarding.) ¡°Oh, I see.¡± (Udis) Udis smiled broadly while replying. ¡°I¡¯m a baby bird who repays the favor!¡± I learned that when I get help, I should reward it. So, I should give Orka a present. I rummaged through my bag and pulled out an elongated, transparent jar of star candy. Fortunately, Orka showed interest in the star Candy. ¡°Is that the reward?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s my favorite thing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very smart to already understand that concept.¡± Orka looked somewhat surprised. I smiled brightly. In fact, this was something remembered after hearing Cade muttering while looking at the documents. ¨C These guys are always asking for help with their bare mouths. Should I just kick them out? If you receive something, you have to give something. It was an immutable truth. I spoke seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t ask for things for free. If I do that, I will be kicked out.¡± As they widened their chests with pride, the expressions of Judith and Orka, who were smiling happily, hardened in seconds. ¡°If you go to the left hallway from here, you will find the garden. You¡¯ll see the glass door, so you¡¯ll find it right away.¡± After holding Orka¡¯s hand and following along, I arrived at the third floor. I thought I should remember the way back, so I asked him to drop me off his hug in the middle of the way. I carefully memorized what Thad seen in my head one by one. When arrived at my destination, I handed the star candy I was holding in my hand. ¡°Thank you for bringing me here. I¡¯ll give you a gift.¡± ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll receive it with glee.¡± Orka was given a star candy with a mixed face, He hasn¡¯t looked very good since earlier. Considering that Udis was acting just like him, there must be a reason. I was excited to go to the garden quickly. I thought I had to give up running around in the garden because I couldn¡¯t go outside, but I didn¡¯t know there was a greenhouse! ¡®If I have time left, I¡¯ll go look for Seth and Arban. I said goodbye to Orka, who had not yet left. ¡°I¡¯ll go. Get home safely Orka!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Miss Irene, I hope you have a good time as well.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Pop.Pop.Pop The quiet hallway rang brightly with the sound of my shoes. When I go to the garden, I should arrange the snacks neatly and eat them deliciously! As Orka pointed out, I walked all the way to the left and really did come across a white door with a transparent window. ¡°Wow.¡± I opened my eyes wide. The garden of the mansion gave out a different feeling. ¡°Pretty.¡± When I pushed the door and went inside, a carp was swimming in the artificially created little lake. The squirrel who was eating an acorn from the tree disappeared when I went inside. Unlike the forest where other living things were blocked from entering, it felt very lively. I liked this place so much that I laughed. ¡°I will choose this as my hideout.¡± I sat down on the grass and unpacked the bag I was carrying. Tok. Tok. Tok Snacks spilled out when I lifted the bag upside down and dusted it off. I was contemplating what to eat first, but I felt a presence among the bushes. Whash. ¡°Uh?¡± I turned my head in the direction of the sound. I think I heard something? Tjumped up and walked towards the sound, And there, I ran into an unexpected person, Arban was hiding among the bushes. ¡°Arban?¡± ¡°What. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Arban!¡± ¡°Shut up! What are you going to do if I get caught!¡± He looked desperate. He put his index finger to his nose and shh! for me to be quiet. I covered my mouth. As he held his breath and rolled his eyes, Arban came out of the bushes and brushed off his clothes. Who was he hiding from? Whatever the reason, I smiled happily. Arban let out a sigh with a look of annoyance, It was the first meeting after we broke up at the restaurant. Chapter 21 ¡°Arban, why are you hiwding alone?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t hiding.¡± ¡°Then?¡± I followed from behind as he walked into the garden. Arban, who had been shy, went inside the woods, but he occasionally looked back to see if I was following him well. The corners of my mouth twitched as he pretended to not take care of me while doing so. I guess it¡¯s not like he hates me. I thought he would hate me because we fought at the dinner table. ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a stone beak there.¡± ¡°Yes. Irene didn¡¯t hit it!¡± (Note: Sometimes, she talks in 3rd person. It¡¯s a cute thing children in western culture do when they¡¯re young.) ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± When I laughed a bit, Arban flinched and then he quickly turned his head. He swept down all the hard-to-walk paths, making the high-grass like an easy-to-walk path of mushed stems. Although it was said to be a greenhouse garden, the deep part seemed to have been created as an environment wild enough, to some extent that other life forms also lived in the forest-like side of the garden. It was a bit uncomfortable to walk, but thanks to Arban¡¯s care, I was able to follow along without difficulty. Again, I ran on the road that Arban had made for me. ¡°I like Arban!¡± ¡°W-what are you talking about!¡± Arban, whose face was blushing, quickly stepped forward. His ears, visible through his curly black hair, were dyed red. ¡°Then you don¡¯t like Irene?¡± ¡°Of course! You idiot.¡± Huh. Do you really hate me? I dropped my shoulders sullenly. While I was walking vigorously behind Arban with my plump feet, water droplets splashed on my sandals. ¡°Hn?¡± I quickly called Arban. ¡°Arban!¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Look at this!¡± I¡¯m going to show you something great right now! If you don¡¯t watch, you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life! As I made a fuss, Arban reluctantly turned to my side with interest. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look closewly at me!¡± I pointed to the puddle that was formed by watering the garden. And jumped across. Arban¡¯s expression, who had been watching the scene from beginning to end, changed to a confused gaze. He seemed to have no idea at which point or how to react. ¡°I can jump puddles now! That¡¯s cool, right?¡± As I crossed the puddle beautifully, I felt better again. My uncontrollable mouth fluttered as it went up. While covering both my cheeks and savoring the joy to my heart¡¯s content, Arban snorted. ¡°What are you talking about after jumping over one small puddle?¡± ¡°Irene did great, right!¡± ¡°You can just avoid things like that, you idiot.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not an idiot. It¡¯s Arban who doesn¡¯t know.¡± Arban is not a bird, so he doesn¡¯t know anything! I was sad because Arban didn¡¯t understand my heart, and my lips popped out. Now I don¡¯t have to be afraid of falling into a puddle like this, and it¡¯s so nice to be able to easily avoid the rocks that stand in my way. There was no need to worry about getting lost when going inside deep fields or deep forests, unlike before. It was all possible after humanization. When I closed my lips, Arban was embarrassed and did not know what to do. ¡°H-hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Forget it. Irene is mad!¡± Pyo. Pyo. Pyo. As I passed Arban while heavily stomping my feet, I could feel his presence following up with a small delay. I pretended not to know and kept walking, looking straight ahead, when I saw an elongated red flower fluttering to one side. ¡°Huh?¡± It was an unknown flower that I saw with Rosaria. The flower that seemed to rise high in the sky is now smaller than me. As I happily patted the flowers, Arban, who was staring at me from the side, spoke in a half insecure tone. ¡°It¡¯s smaller than you.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s smaller than Irene!¡± ¡°Hey, this is smaller than you too.¡± ¡°Is it really smaller than me?¡± The corners of my mouth, which had been closed, gradually rose. Since I felt better, my tail might come out. ¡°Brother Arban.¡± ¡°Wha-what?¡± Arban jumped back in surprise. Seeing me puzzled, he straightened his posture while coughing, and asked again. ¡°What am I?¡± ¡°Brother Arban.¡± Maybe you don¡¯t like being called my brother? As I slowly lowered my voice, Arban¡¯s lips twitched as if he was holding back his laughter. He crossed his arms in an arrogant manner and raised his chin. ¡°Heh. If you want to call me Brother, I¡¯ll allow it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want Irene to call you?¡± ¡°That depends on how you do it.¡± Arban looked up at the sky covered with glass. The sun was already setting. He remembered coming out in the morning. Time went by too fast. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Where? Class is over, so let¡¯s go back. If you go home late, you will also be scolded by Rosaria.¡± Did Arban skip class? He said he wasn¡¯t hiding earlier, but it turned out that he was hiding from the teacher. When I blinked, Arban messed up my hair. ¡°Anyway, go or not, do whatever you want. I¡¯m going to go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming too!¡± The surroundings felt strange as they had entered deep into the garden. When did we come all the way here? I didn¡¯t realize it because I was only looking at what Arban was doing. I called in an urgent voice in fear that I would lose sight of Arban, who was walking fast. ¡°Brother Arban!¡± Pauses. ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Why do you keep calling me?¡± ¡°Go back with me¡­¡­ I¡¯m scawed¡­¡­¡± (Note: She still has a baby tongue on some words.) It was gradually getting dark outside, so the garden was getting dark together. If I get lost here, I will be stuck until tomorrow morning. Pyo. Pyo. Pyo. ¡°Give me your hand, please.¡± ¡°Why me!¡± ¡°Sniff!¡± My legs were sore because I had walked too long. I thought Arban would just go away. What if he goes away because I keep bothering him? I was scared and my eyes got teary. ¡°W-why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard for me. Hug.¡± ¡°How can your leg hurt from just walking around?¡± Arban grunted and leaned down, showing his back. I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I stood still in my place and he urged me. ¡°Get on.¡± ¡°¡­But now that Irene is big, I¡¯m heavy.¡± ¡°Heavy my ass. Hurry up.¡± I got on his back with hesitation. As I hugged his neck tightly from behind, Arban carefully lifted me up and my vision easily rose up. ¡°Wow. Arban is the best.¡± ¡°Hunf. You¡¯re not bad yourself.¡± ¡°Really cool!¡± ¡°¡­Cool?¡± ¡°Yes! Arban is the coolest in the world!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to be happy just because you called me cool?¡± Arban coughed and moved his steps back to the way where we came from. I inflated my cheeks. ¡°Irene is sincere.¡± ¡°¡­Am I really cool?¡± ¡°Yes! Like a pwince on a white horse!¡± Huh? Arban¡¯s ears are red again! As expected, it doesn¡¯t look like he feels bad. It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t like me. I was excited and shook my legs. When I get back, I have to brag to Rosaria that Arban gave me a piggyback. * * * The southern border is the area where the Astrophel family is located. At the top of the castle called the Black Wall, a man with dark blue hair was blankly looking down. This is because the border has been too quiet recently. Ahead of the banquet to be held soon, the clans facing the border were extremely concerned about offending each other. ¡°Not fun.¡± It¡¯s always hard to stay with nothing to do. I wish someone would pick a fight with me. The man quietly recited wishes that would never happen. He seemed to be able to do anything if he could escape from his boring routine. Of course, if it means that he can avoid facing the person who is coming from below, he will choose to stay quietly in his room. The man¡¯s face contorted with irritation. ¡°No manners.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the door swung open. ¡°Karma!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A man called Karma familiarly asked back. He is now used to living at the border and having his private spaces invaded. The intruder grinned when Karma, who had been disturbed during his alone time, showed signs of displeasure. Black mambas tend to value their personal space. The annoying guy was obviously a mutation. Although Karma had an annoyed look, the uninvited guest Fayman neatly ignored his gaze as he usually did. ¡°An order have been issued from the family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Order?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an order to return in time for the banquet.¡± Return. It was a one-sided return order from the Duchy. The seal belonged to Baon, the second-in-command of the family, but he was always moved by the words of the Duke. ¡°What happened to the family? As far as I know, this has never happened.¡± It was hard to know why Cade, who always deploys the maximum number of border personnel, ordered a return. The ¡®gatekeepers¡¯, including Karma, were organized separately from the clan members deployed at the border, but there was never a case where a sudden order of movement was issued without notice. ¡°No, nothing happened. Oh, maybe it did happen?¡± Fayman handed over the letter he was holding. ¡°It¡¯s an order to escort the Lady.¡± ¡°Lady?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? There¡¯s a youngest miss in the family.¡± What does that mean? When? Karma¡¯s brow furrowed at the first time of hearing such news. Chapter 22 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Not too long ago, it was said that there were only two heirs. ¡°Then there were three heirs?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Rosaria is taking care of the Lady in the family.¡± ¡°Ha. No wonder I haven¡¯t seen her for nearly two months.¡± Rosaria, who made a name for herself as a gatekeeper at the border with her outstanding skills, is taking care of a child? Is the kid okay? The more he heard it, the more ridiculous he thought it was, but Karma kept his composure. ¡°There are some guys who already want to go. The border isn¡¯t fun right now. They say this banquet will be more interesting. I wonder what kind of person the youngest miss is. Are you going too?¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a boring meeting that requires formality. I¡¯m not going to attend.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Fayman nodded his head as if it was regretful, but he didn¡¯t ask again. Once refused, it was their way of conversation to not ask again. This method of dialogue sometimes brought tears of blood from the eyes of those who refused out of courtesy, when it was necessary to strengthen kinship among the clan. ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll inform that everyone is going back, except for you.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s going?¡± ¡°Yes. They are all curious.¡± ¡°What?¡± Curious about the banquet? Or the youngest miss? Either way, there seemed to be nothing special. Children of the clan could also be seen near the border. However, out of Fayman¡¯s mouth came out a reason that Karma couldn¡¯t have guessed at all. ¡°The little lady recently finished humanizing, and she¡¯s five spans tall.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Spans?¡± ¡°Five spans. I¡¯m sure Hestia said it was about this.¡± Karma was greatly shocked. How can she be 5 spans tall? He quietly stretched out his palms. So a little over a meter?. (Note: 5 spans = 1,14 cm) ¡°I heard it¡¯s less than a meter. It¡¯s based on Hestia¡¯s hand.¡± (Note: Must be around 90cm since Irene¡¯s really small. 2-3y old toddler size.) ¡°¡­Is there a problem with the successor? That¡¯s why they announced that there were two people?¡± ¡°Fuhaha! You really don¡¯t know anything! Pay attention to your surroundings.¡± Fayman hit the wall while he laughed. Bang! Bang! The wall was beaten down without mercy. It cracked and dust fell. It was a familiar sight. ¡°The Lady is a bird. You didn¡¯t even read Rosaria¡¯s letter? There were loads of pictures of the Lady. So everyone lined up to go.¡± Fayman pulled out a picture from his arms. A young child hugging a doll was smiling brightly with her head raised, perhaps looking at Rosaria. Karma opened his eyes wide, and Fayman, who knows how much he admires cute creatures, shed a smirk. That¡¯s the way it should be. He¡¯d probably be even more surprised to find out that members of the family created a fan club for the Little Lady. Fayman snatched the photo back. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one last time. Are you really not going?¡± Karma responded faster than ever. ¡°Put my name on the list.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Fayman wrote Karma¡¯s name on the spot. This confirmed the return of all Gatekeepers. * * * My eyes opened early in the morning. I jumped up with a baby snake doll I was hugging while sleeping. ¡°How many nights are left?¡± A few days ago, I started doing the same thing every morning. One, two, three. Ten fingers were spread out and folded one by one. ¡°Seven days left.¡± The long-awaited day is now a week away. I buried my face in the doll at the fact that there was still a long way to go. ¡°I hope it comes faster.¡± Then I soon noticed that the room was quiet and I came down from the bed. As I touched the carpet with bare feet and held a snake doll that dragged on the floor in one hand, Rosaria came inside just in time. ¡°Rodaria!¡± (Note: I only noted now that she speaks Rosaria¡¯s name wrongly. So I will write like the raw until she grows up.) ¡°Oh my, when did you wake up? I thought you were going to sleep a little longer.¡± ¡°Just now! There are 7 nights left!¡± I stretched out the number seven with my fingers. Every day I was telling Rosaria how many nights were left. ¡°My little Miss Irene, you must be looking forward to the banquet day, right?¡± ¡°Yes! I want friends. Many!¡± Stretching out my arms, I drew a large circle. I thought the banquet was only for adults, but it wasn¡¯t. Rosaria said that I would be able to meet with friends my age. I¡¯m so excited! I can meet new friends! What should we do when we meet? I hope we can have fun together. As I was full of anticipation, Rosaria stroked my hair. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to make a lot.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then, shall we wash up quickly and have breakfast before preparing for our banquet?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Is there something I need to do early in the morning? Rosaria smiled brightly when asked such a question because Irene had not heard about anything. ¡°Mrs. Seri is here. She¡¯s the one who will make beautiful clothes for Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Irene¡¯s clothes?¡± ¡°Yes. You have to wear pretty clothes at the banquet.¡± Pretty clothes! I have to look good to make new friends, so I¡¯m going to wear pretty clothes! I ran to the bed and put the snake doll down. As I hurried, Rosaria prepared breakfast on the table. Each morning, the meal was delivered to my doorstep so I could prepare quickly. I used to eat at the dinner hall, but even if I went, there were more days when I had to eat alone than not, so I usually ate in my room. This is because Cade, Seth, and Arban were all busy with their schedules. We used to eat together once a week, but because of the recent banquet preparations, Cade was absent every time. I blew the steaming food, but it was still hot. ¡°It¡¯s hot!¡± ¡°You have to eat carefully.¡± ¡°What about Rodaria¡¯s?¡± When I asked while poking the quail eggs with a fork, Rosaria, who was cutting the meat in little pieces for me to eat, smiled brightly. ¡°I ate.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°When Miss Irene was asleep earlier.¡± I guess I woke up late so she ate first. The clock¡¯s hands were already pointing to ten o¡¯clock. ¡°I want to eat with Rodaria.¡± ¡°Then shall we have dinner together?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I chewed the meat. A savory scent spread throughout. When my mouth was full of food, Rosaria poured water into a cup. ¡°You have to eat slowly. You¡¯ll get indigestion.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll eat slowly.¡± ¡°Chew 10 times and swallow it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Gulp. I chewed it ten times and emptied the rest of the food. ¡°Irene is done eating.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As I got down from the chair and entered the bathroom, I saw a plastic staircase under the sink. As I went up the stairs one by one, a white hairdo suddenly appeared in the mirror hanging on the wall. As I stepped up to the last stairway, I saw bright red eyes blinking. I was standing on my tiptoes to show all of my face in the mirror, and Rosaria came in next. ¡°Miss Irene. I¡¯ll brush your teeth. Ah-.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s rinse your mouth.¡± ¡°Poah!¡± ¡°Close your eyes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brushing and washing were completed quickly. I put some lotion on my face and rubbed my cheeks. Pat. Pat. ¡°I put it all.¡± ¡°Good job! You¡¯re so pretty.¡± ¡°Irene¡¯s pretty?¡± ¡°You are the prettiest in the world.¡± A smile came out of my mouth when I heard I was pretty. Rosaria, who had taken my clothes out of the closet, shouted loudly. ¡°Let¡¯s change clothes now!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What do you do when you change clothes?¡± ¡°Hands up!¡± I raised my hand. I changed into a green dress and put on my new yellow sandals, and everything was ready. ¡°Are we done?¡± ¡°Please, wait a minute Miss Irene. I¡¯ll bring Mrs. Seri soon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good girl.¡± Rosaria took the blocks out of my toy box in case I would get bored of waiting. She even took out as many as five chocolates, which she had been strictly managing! My eyes never thought of falling off the table. ¡°I¡¯m good at waiting, I¡¯m good at waiting.¡± The target was chocolate. Chapter 23 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? ¡°Hello, Miss Irene. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Mrs. Seri, who came in with Rosaria, was a very glamorous person. I greeted her back and stared at her. As if she was familiar with it, she only smiled back. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there would be such a cute lady in the Astrophel family.¡± She said while taking a measuring tape and notebook out of her bag. There were a lot of other things in the bag, but I couldn¡¯t see it very well. As she approached and stopped in front of me, she stretched out a tape. It was for taking simple measurements. ¡°Then shall we raise our arms?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good job. Shall we try one more time?¡± I raised my arms again. She checked the numbers several times so as not to make a mistake and recorded them in her notebook. When I marveled at her fountain pen with colorful feathers, she said, ¡°It¡¯s a peacock feather. I¡¯m a peacock. You get one of these when you become a designer.¡± ¡°Wow. Pretty.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Nod nod. I gently touched the tip of the feather. It was surprisingly soft. A nib was attached to the tip of the multicolored feathers. I imagined a pen made of my feathers. It would look a little dull. I wish my wings were this pretty too. When I thought of my small and pure white wings and compared them to the colorful feathers in front of me, the wonder was doubled. After fiddling around for a while, I handed it back to Mrs. Seri, who folded her notebook and started working in earnest. ¡°I think you¡¯ll look good in any color. Bright monochrome palettes will look the best on you. Is she active?¡± ¡°She¡¯s very lively, always running around.¡± ¡°Then I will be a little more careful with the design. What¡¯s your favorite color, Miss Irene?¡± As I listened intently to their conversation, I fell into trouble. Favorite color? I like them all. It was difficult to pinpoint one thing, but both were waiting for an answer, so I made the decision after much deliberation. ¡°I like pink.¡± ¡°I will refer to it when making clothes.¡± ¡°I will put on pretty clothes and make lots of friends!¡± The madam, whose eyes widened at my ambitious aspirations, burst into laughter. After that, she confirmed several things with Rosaria. It was the same question as to whether there were any allergies or how the atmosphere of the banquet hall was conducted. While rolling my eyes, I found a piece of cloth protruding at the end of the madam¡¯s bag. What¡¯s that? As I stared at the bag, the Madam opened it as if she had noticed my gaze. ¡°You must be curious about this. It contains various samples.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± She took out clothes one by one. Dresses of various designs lined up one after another, and the one thing that caught my eye was¡­ ¡°Faiwy!¡± ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s a very pretty fairy outfit.¡± I pointed to the yellow fairy robe. It was a cute dress with a curved end of the fabric. It had a pair of transparent yellow wings on its back, and it looked like it had a matching pair of lace socks and yellow shoes. ¡°I want to be a faiwy too!¡± ¡°Looks like you like this. Would you like to try it on?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hurry, hurry! I changed clothes with Rosaria¡¯s help. The wings reflected in the mirror shook with each movement. Wow, I really became a fairy! Rosaria, who tied the string on my waist in a ribbon shape, admired me from behind. ¡°How can you be so cute!¡± ¡°You look good in it.¡± The madam said while drinking tea. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to Miss Irene as a present. It¡¯s a commemorative gift for meeting you for the first time.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be really happy, right Miss Irene!¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± I nodded to thank her. The madam put the clothes back into her bag. ¡°I¡¯ll make you the prettiest clothes for the banquet.¡± ¡°Thank you. Mrs. Seri. The money will be sent by the family.¡± ¡°Thank you, Rosaria.¡± After the business was over, Mrs. Seri stood up from her seat. Her clothes were gorgeous and beautifully designed. It was a dress that showed her personality. Will my clothes come out that pretty too? As the madam prepared to go back, Rosaria followed her out. It seemed that she was going to see the guest off. ¡°Hold on a minute, Miss Irene. I¡¯ll see Mrs. Seri off and come back soon.¡± ¡°Yes. Go ahead, Rodaria. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, miss.¡± The door closed after saying goodbye to the Madam. I looked down at the fairy dress I received as a gift again. I really liked the fluttering socks and shoes. ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s pretty.¡± It was when I was watching the wings flapping from side to side while moving in front of the mirror. Bump! The window above the mirror opened wide. And¡­ Arban, who opened the window, jumped inside. Arban, who came to my room for the first time, looked around and made a strange face when he saw me. He looked me up and down, remaining silent for a few seconds. ¡°What are you wearing?¡± ¡°Look at this. I¡¯m a faiwy.¡± ¡°What kind of fairy¡­¡± Arban, who was about to say something, hastily bit his mouth. What were you trying to say? As I stared at him in my fairy clothes, Arban, who avoided my gaze, muttered in a small voice, not caring if I heard him or not. ¡°Well. You¡¯re wearing something just like you.¡± ¡°You saw Irene, and said I¡¯m pretty.¡± ¡°¡­When I said you were pretty?¡± Eventually, he screamed, and I laughed out loud. ¡°But, why are you coming here?¡± ¡°I stopped by on the way.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Arban laughed. ¡°I¡¯m going to the banquet hall. Well, if you want to go, I¡¯ll take you with me.¡± I opened my mouth wide. Banquet hall! Somehow, it seemed that the area around Arban was shining. ¡°I want to go too!¡± ¡°Then come.¡± Arban lightly hugged and lifted me up, and in the blink of an eye, he landed gently through the window he had entered. It happened in an instant. As I was stunned and unable to say anything, Arban opened his mouth cynically. ¡°Isn¡¯t this cool?¡± ¡°Arban is really cool!¡± But even after Arban landed, he did not put me down. When I made a puzzled expression, Arban frowned and shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not hugging you just in case your legs hurt, so don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just going like this because it¡¯s comfortable.¡± ¡­It was an explanation with great enthusiasm and sincerity. The banquet hall was located not far from the main building. It was in the east wing of the mansion, and there were a lot of busy people moving around. It seemed very hectic with the banquet happening in a few days time. I looked around the banquet hall curiously. Dozens of tables were laid out, and a huge chandelier was twinkling. The place where the orchestra will play was open in the middle. It really felt like a party hall. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Young Master Arban and Little Miss Irene?¡± (Servant) A man who was dragging a cart with a large stack of small boxes started the conversation. ¡°You must be here to look around. Now, in just a few days, everything will be ready.¡±(Servant) ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± When I asked, pointing to the small boxes stacked in a high pile, the man answered. ¡°It¡¯s a small gift for the invited guests.¡± ¡°Gift?¡± ¡°Yes. After the party, we¡¯re giving it out one by one. I¡¯ll have to put this in the warehouse, so I¡¯ll go now.¡± The man disappeared, and I stared at the cart moving away. ¡°I want to give a gift to my friends too. Do you know how to do it, Arban?¡± I wanted to give them a gift box full of toys and snacks. When I asked, Arban clicked his tongue. ¡°You need money to prepare something like that. Do you have money?¡± Money? Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen any money. Rosaria did everything I needed, so I didn¡¯t even feel the need to think about it. I got a strong shock. ¡­¡­I do not have money. Looking at my miserable face, he made an expression as if he knew it. So what should I do? I also wanted to prepare a gift, but I don¡¯t have the money. ¡°What if I don¡¯t have money?¡± ¡°Of course you have to work to earn, you idiot.¡± ¡°Where can I work?¡± I asked with anticipation. It wasn¡¯t long before Arvan laughed. ¡°Who is going to hire a little girl like you?¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Listen well.¡± Arban seriously lowered his voice, saying that he would only tell me once. Gulp. I swallowed dry saliva and prepared myself to listen at once. I focused my attention as if I was hearing a great secret no one knew about. ¡°All the money in this house belongs to my father. He said that all the treasure troves of wealth in this house are his.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± All the money in this house belongs to Cade. I jumped to my feed. ¡°That¡¯s how it is, and if you need money¡­¡± ¡°Irene is going to go! Goodbye, Brother Arban!¡± Where¡¯s Cade?! I moved quickly. There was no time to delay, as there was only one week left until the day of the banquet. * * * On the other hand, Arban, who was left alone, looked at Irene¡¯s back, and made a dumbfounded expression. ¡°¡­I was going to explain that you only had to tell Rosaria to ask for it without having to go to father by yourself.¡± Each year, the successors received a set budget for living expenses. Of course, Irene would also have money allotted to her. Arban shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Whatever.¡± I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out. Chapter 24 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Cade, who had a busy schedule with no time to catch his breath, was in a state of being as sensitive as he could be. The vassals who had to match his mood were literally dying. They were in a position where they had to save their lives by themselves if they so much as stared into his blood red eyes. ¡®I should have submitted my resignation letter sooner.¡¯ It has been six years since he worked under Cade. Amerod who has been hesitant and afraid of submitting his carefully written resignation letter for the past six years, burst into tears. He was gentle in personality and soft by nature. Because of that he was bullied by his clan from an early age. But as he grew up, he was selected by Cade when he awoke powerful pheromones¡­ -You are perfect for working in my family. At the time, he didn¡¯t know what that meant. Unfortunately, Amerod could not understand the meaning of those words until he entered the Astrophel family. A family that had its mouth wide open branding black sharpened teeth. He was the only mediator within a family infested with ferocious individualism and fierceness. Therefore, Amerod, who barely managed to work and was squeezed almost to death between each department¡¯s egoistical notions, submitted a resignation letter, saying he would quit this time. And the answer that came back? -You risk your life to submit a resignation letter, Amerod. He wanted to cry. This is because he could no longer handle the owner of the hideous energy next to him. Amerod, who was walking down the hallway, sighed deeply together with the other vassals, and widened his eyes at a faint and fluffy presence. Irene was hiding behind the pillar and peeping her head out. ¡°Uh¡­? That person is¡­¡± ¡°She can¡¯t even hide herself. At the way this is going, she¡¯ll have to live by my side forever.¡± What did he say right now? Amerod looked at Cade with a dumbstruck gaze. Cade, who was expressionless, raised his lips as he got closer to Irene. He restrained his pheromone so as not to scare Irene, and stopped his steps as the child fully appeared from behind the pillar. His red eyes softened as he stared at the child. ¡°You look like a moth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a moth, but a butterfly, my lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Butterfly?¡± Cade and Baon exchanged words. Irene, dyed yellow from head to toe, had wings on her back. Although anyone could see it was a fairy, Amerod was stunned at their erroneous speculation, which went all the way to the abyss by mentioning moths and butterflies. It was truly a mystery how this family has survived to this day. ¡°¡­¡­She¡¯s a fairy.¡± ¡°Fairy?¡± The eyes of the two men turned to Amerod. ¡°Every child knows that¡¯s fiction, Sir Amerod.¡± Baon laughed and raised his glasses. Then approached Irene and asked. ¡°Oh, Miss Irene. Is today¡¯s concept a butterfly?¡± When Baon failed to guess, Irene flatly shook her head. ¡°Irene is a faiwy.¡± ¡°¡­You were really a fairy. But where is the fairy going?¡± ¡°¡­I came to see Daddy.¡± She hesitated. Irene said so, but she didn¡¯t willingly go to Cade. She clung to the pillar like a moth trying to secretly hide. She seems to have something she wants. Pretending not to know it, Cade asked. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± ¡°Yes. I wanted to see Daddy.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± ¡°I was going to eat with Rodaria?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Rosaria.¡± ¡°Yes! Then it¡¯s fine!¡± Irene smiled brightly to show how much she liked it. A smile was also drawn on the lips of the vassals. It felt like all their tiredness had gone away. Cade held Irene in one arm and supported her back. She came to see him all the way here by herself, so it was his turn to listen to what she wanted. ¡°What were you doing while hiding there?¡± ¡°Waiting for Daddy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡­¡± Irene rolled her eyes and looked elsewhere. Cade decided to wait patiently. Still, he was curious. What does she want that makes her hesitate this much? After Irene hesitated for a long time and couldn¡¯t get her words out, Cade poked her in the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds. Tell me.¡± One. Two. Three¡­¡­. After the three-second time limit, Irene hurriedly rushed out her hands. Cade wrinkled his brow as her tiny hand stretched out in front of him. What kind of situation was this? Her tightly closed lips opened slightly. ¡°Pocket¡­¡­¡± Pocket? Cade doubted his ears. Unless he heard it wrong, the word that came out of her mouth was definitely. ¡°Are you talking about pocket money?¡± Irene¡¯s complexion became noticeably brighter when he asked her. The vassals suppressed the laughter that was about to burst out with all their might but Cade laughed out loud as it was absurd. What do you mean pocket money? I don¡¯t know where she heard the word pocket money, but does she know how much money was allocated to her to talk about pocket money? When Cade didn¡¯t give her an answer right away, Irene¡¯s cute voice leaked out of her small mouth once again. ¡°Please, give me pocket money Daddy¡­¡­¡± Cade, who was playfully enjoying the situation, decided to correct what he lightly thought about the situation. Should I open the family treasure trove after a long time? He was seriously troubled. * * * ¡°Please, give me pocket money Daddy¡­¡­¡± (Note: Same scene, change of POV) She closed her eyes and held out her hands. I need pocket money! However, after a long time, the desired answer did not come. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at Cade. Cade, who seemed to be in trouble with what he was thinking, was looking elsewhere. What if he thinks that a baby bird doesn¡¯t need pocket money yet? I got impatient and called Cade. ¡°¡­¡­Daddy!¡± Then, the red eyes that had been directed elsewhere fiercely stuck to me. The lips, which had been bitten in a straight line, rose smoothly as if he had awakened from his deep thoughts and a long-awaited gentle voice came out. ¡°Okay. How much do you want?¡± ¡°¡­A little bit.¡± ¡°A little bit?¡± ¡°Lots of a little bit.¡± She looked into his eyes and spoke softly, but Cade said in a contented tone to show that he heard it clearly. ¡°It¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve asked me for something directly. What are you going to do with it?¡± ¡°I want to give presents to my friends.¡± I revealed my ambitious plans. For the first time in my life, except for when meeting with Seth and Arban, it was my first time seeing friends my age, so my heart was pounding. Just imagining having fun with my friends with the toys I gave them as a gift made me happy and laughter came out. Just thinking about it is so good! As I sat in Cade¡¯s arms and wiggled my feet, I heard a chuckle. ¡°You must have been to the banquet hall in the East Building.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re looking forward to it. But what about my present?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± ¡°My present?¡± As I rolled my eyes, groaning at the unexpected attack, he poked me on the cheek again. ¡°It looks like sticky rice cake.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not rice cake!¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Maybe an ungrateful baby bird.¡± ¡°Hing! Irene is a baby bird who repays the favor!¡± ¡°Are you going to pay me back?¡± I shut my lips in embarrassment, and Kade¡¯s eyes narrowed at the ridiculous situation. I¡¯m still young and I can¡¯t earn money, but when I grow up, I can pay it back. As I inflated my cheeks and quickly turned my head, the vassals who were watching with joy opened their mouths one by one. ¡°The Lady is a baby bird that pays back with kindness, you must have high expectations, my lord.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still young, but she has deep discernment.¡± I nodded my head. When the other¡¯s took turns praising me, Cade didn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood. ¡°Amerod.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard it, so I don¡¯t need to explain it.¡± When Cade called for Amerod, a person who appeared from the corner answered. He was a pale, cool-looking man. I was startled by the sudden appearance and grabbed Cade¡¯s collar, but I was quickly relieved by his natural touch of patting my back. After calming down to some extent, I relaxed my body and let go of the collar I was holding. Even though Amerod was nearby, I couldn¡¯t feel much of a presence. ¡°Irene wants to give a present to the little kids. If there is a suitable store, buy them all and procure them.¡± ¡°I will prepare without a hitch.¡± I was surprised by Cade¡¯s instructions. I thought I could just buy a toy and hand it out, but things got too big. In embarrassment, I hurriedly pulled his arm, and Cade¡¯s red eyes met me. ¡°What? Do you want more?¡± I shook my head and anxiously said with a tearful face. ¡°I can¡¯t pay back.¡± ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 25 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Then I heard a loud laughter from around me. The vassals were struggling to hold back their laughter. Some looked at the distant mountains, while others took a deep breath. Someone from between them walked next to me. It was Durias whom I recently met in front of a restaurant. Covering his mouth with his gloved hand, he organized his expression and met my eyes. His golden eyes gleamed with playfulness. ¡°Well, I think the lady is going to take her words back right away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡± Durias smiled and pretended to be relieved, saying he was happy. Cade, who had been walking down the hallway holding me for a while, stopped on the spot. Before I knew it, we arrived in front of my room on the same floor. As he dropped me off from his arms, Cade looked at me and lightly pushed my forehead back without hurting me. Oh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in this little head. You don¡¯t have to pay it back, so try to figure out where to spend the next pocket money.¡± I opened my eyes. Does this mean that you will give me pocket money again? * * * ¡°Rodaria! Irene is back!¡± As I excitedly opened the door and entered, Rosaria was talking with a stranger. Who is it? Rosaria, who was talking in a serious mood, greeted me warmly and beckoned to come to her. I quickly ran to Rosaria¡¯s side. ¡°Miss Irene, did you have fun?¡± ¡°Yes. I came with Daddy.¡± While diligently answering Rosaria¡¯s question, I looked at the woman sitting opposite her. ¡°I guess this is the Miss Irene I will be teaching in the future.¡± ¡°Yes. Miss Irene, say hello. This is teacher Kasana, who will conduct basic education in the future.¡± Teacher? I looked at Kasana with curious eyes. With a calm impression, she pulled out a piece of paper that looked to be a planner. I haven¡¯t learned how to write, so I couldn¡¯t read it yet, but it looked similar to one because it was divided into several sections. ¡°I¡¯m studying?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you looking forward to it? Master Seth and Master Arban are also taking classes. Now Miss Irene can also take one.¡± I was immediately interested in the idea of ??doing the same thing as Seth and Arban. ¡°What are we studying?¡± ¡°We will proceed with simple interactive education.¡± ¡°Like my brothers?¡± ¡°The young lady has a different class from the two young masters. This is a special instruction from the Lord.¡± I was disappointed that I couldn¡¯t attend class with the two of them, but I lifted my head at the words of Cade¡¯s special instructions. Kasana put down the teacup and started her explanation. ¡°As tradition goes, successors should take succession classes through the same process without exception, but since the young lady is still young, we decided that the classes the two masters are taking are difficult. It¡¯s a little¡­ violent.¡± What kind of class do you take to tag it as violent? When I thought of Arban, who last time entered and jumped through the window like it was nothing, I roughly guessed what class he was taking. ¡°I think that part was bothering him, because the Lord has asked us to revise the whole course of the class.¡± It was fortunate. It would be difficult if I had to go to the forest and pull an entire tree by hand. Kasana seemed relieved when I showed a positive attitude. She looked like she was thinking about what to do if I begged that I wanted to take the same classes as my brothers. ¡°If all your questions are answered, I¡¯ll go back for today. Classes start at 2pm every day, so please take good care of me Lady Rosaria.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Miss Irene. Feel free to call me Kasa.¡± Kasana got up from her seat. Having missed the timing to greet her, I hurriedly stretched out my arm and grabbed her finger. ¡°Kasa bye bye. Oh, no. It¡¯s goodbye.¡± ¡°Oh my, Miss Irene is really polite.¡± Kasana, caught by my fingers, glanced back at me, smirking. It seemed like she didn¡¯t know I would run and hold her hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to study hard. Evewy day.¡± ¡°Yes. I look forward to a fun class tomorrow.¡± Kasana left the room with a faint smile on her face. * * * Under the darkened sky. Shadows wearing black hoods appeared in front of the mansion. Overwhelming pheromones were overflowing around them. In a second, people could feel a sense of threat just by their own existence. They did not show any signs of exhaustion even though they came all the way from the border without resting once. ¡°We finally arrived.¡± ¡°Hey, coming back from the wasteland feels like coming back home?¡± The man who spoke vigorously took a breath. The familiar air awakened the senses that had been forgotten. ¡°I know you feel special, but don¡¯t be frivolous. From now on, I will let you know the precautions you have to take.¡± The man standing in the front gave a warning and pulled out a piece of paper with the word ¡®Caution¡¯ from his pocket. It was sent in advance by Rosaria. Things in red stars were marked as top priority. He began to read aloud from the first line one after another, carefully scanning the notes. ¡°First. When in front of Miss Irene, hide the pheromone as much as possible.¡± Then, each one of their pheromones, which had been fluttering uncontrollably in all directions, became silent as everyone was holding their breath. ¡°Second, don¡¯t take your eyes off from her and escort the Lady as if you were hunting for prey.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident in that.¡± ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t understand the concept of escort. Can someone explain?¡± They were absurdly strong beings from the moment they hatched from their eggs, far from being a target for protection or being escorted by others, even the words that came out of their mouths were too awkward to pronounce. There was silence for a moment, and someone spoke in an unsure voice. ¡°¡­If there¡¯s someone who bothers her while we are watching, we drag them out and take care of it? That¡¯s how you usually deal with things coming near our prey.¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s what I understood as well. I guess that¡¯s roughly right?¡± A noisy atmosphere was born. Awkward conversations came and went. The man who gave a pathetic glance at the gatekeepers read the remaining cautions. ¡°Third, in case of unavoidable circumstances, defense should be prioritized over attack.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Fourth, Miss Irene is weak, so be extremely careful like handling cotton wool. Lastly¡­¡± Three stars were drawn, saying it was the most important thing. While thinking it was childish, he mechanically read the last warning. ¡°Do not show up unless it is an emergency.¡± Already infamous as the gatekeepers of the South at the border, if it was known that they had gathered for a banquet, whatever their intentions, it would have been an issue with other clans. When the precautions were over, the hooded men quickly disappeared on the spot. It was only two days after Cade¡¯s return order was issued. * * * Today was the first day of class with Kasana. I drew a picture in my sketchbook, waiting for the time to come with excitement. While waiting for class I drew colorful clouds and a big house, and at two o¡¯clock on the dot, a knock sounded. Knock. Knock. Rosaria, who was preparing light refreshments for class, approached. ¡°The teacher must have come, Miss Irene!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± ¡°Then should we open it for her so the teacher doesn¡¯t have to wait?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The crayons that had been put down in a hurry rolled on the floor. I jumped up from lying on the rugged floor. Then ran to the door and shouted. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± When I reached the front door and grabbed the doorknob, I saw Kasana through the cracks in the door. Holding a book for class, she was dressed in a light suit like yesterday with her light red hair tied up. I smiled brightly, took Kasana¡¯s hand and led her inside. ¡°I was waiting for Kasa!¡± ¡°I see. Shall we put what we were doing to one side?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The toys that were scattered on the floor were brought to their original places one by one. Kasana, who was watching me do it, gave me a light compliment. ¡°You¡¯re good at organizing things.¡± ¡°Did I do a good job?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll put a compliment sticker on it.¡± Kasana pulled out a piece of paper in the form of a grape, and one green caterpillar sticker was pasted on the blank space. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of it, so she handed me the paper. ¡°From now on, this is Miss Irene¡¯s.¡± ¡°Mine?¡± ¡°Yes. Irene will take care of it from now on. Please let me know when everything is filled. I will give you a present.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Suddenly, a picture of grapes appeared as a gift package. Besides, I¡¯m taking care of this myself! I quickly grabbed the paper and ran to the treasure chest where snacks were kept. It was filled with not only snacks, but also items that I usually cherish. I will keep it here. I folded the paper in quarters, put it in the box, and carefully closed the lid. ¡°Is that where you keep your precious things, Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Irene¡¯s treasuwy.¡± Chapter 26 It contained yarn and soap bubbles that she used to play with when she was a baby bird, as well as her most cherished star candy. I looked at Kasana with a bit of anxiety. Oh my God. Kasana seems interested in my treasure chest. But this is my secret. I quickly put the treasure chest into the drawer and returned to my seat. ¡°Then shall we start the class?¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll study hard!¡± ¡°Today is the first day, so I¡¯ll briefly show you how to write Lady Irene¡¯s name.¡± Kasana took out her notebook and scribbled letters down in straight and large sizes. It was a text that felt a little stiff. I carefully observed the gestures of how to write, then grabbed a pen and drew along what I could see. ¡°Now, turn to the side there.¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re still awkward. Shall we do it again?¡± I repeated the name several times. This is my name after all. I even followed the long curly letters. Perhaps the long letters on the back looked like an adult. Concentrating all my attention on the name, I suddenly lifted my head. ¡°Kasa!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Daddy, Seth, and Arban! Rodaria and Kasa, too.¡± I turned the notebook to the back page asking for more names. ¡°I want to know the names of evewyone.¡± ¡°Okay. Do you want me to write it here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After memorizing everything, I should surprise everyone. I can write my family¡¯s name now! I moved my little hand hard. ¡°Pewfect!¡± I finally memorized everyone¡¯s name. Now, all I had to do was visit and show it. A laugh full of pride came out. I had a great desire to go and show it to everyone. I left the room with a pen in my hand. The first person I visited was Seth. Hesitating to enter several times in front of the door. I closed my eyes tightly and immediately called out to him. ¡°Brother Seth!¡± ¡°¡­What? Irene, why are you here?¡± I was worried about what would happen if he wasn¡¯t inside, but luckily enough, Seth was in the room. I smiled broadly at Seth that came out of the door. ¡°Can I go in?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I came to see Brother Seth¡­¡± I rolled my eyes. I was worried about what to do if I was asked to go back before doing anything. A brief silence followed. Seth looked down at me and sighed. A somewhat grumpy voice was heard. ¡°Did you come to see me?¡± At the same time, his questioning eyes were not smoothed in the least. The red eyes looking at me narrowed as if trying to figure out what was going on. I nodded quickly. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°I came here because I wanted to see Brother Seth.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Seth responded in a dumbstruck tone and made a deflated sound. The way he frowned and slowly blinked his eyes showed that he still didn¡¯t understand the situation. I smiled bashfully and entered the room. Seth¡¯s room was very neat, it was different from mine. Unlike my room, where snacks and toys were prepared everywhere, Seth¡¯s room had only what was necessary. One thing that stood out was that there were plants scattered all over the place. Does he like plants? Seth, who followed me into the room, said in a voice full of dissatisfaction. ¡°If you¡¯re just going to look around like that, why don¡¯t you go back, Irene.¡± ¡°Ah! No. I¡¯m going to show this to Brother!¡± I recalled the reason for coming here and quickly said. ¡°Then I want you to show it to me now and leave.¡± ¡°I learned to write my name, but I also learned Brother¡¯s name. I¡¯m here to show you that.¡± I brought a pen, so all I needed was paper. I pulled out a blank piece of paper lying on the table and clumsily wrote down the name I had memorized. Seth¡¯s eyes widened slightly as I pressed hard and wrote down each letter. ¡°Ta-da! Look at this!¡± Are you surprised? Are you surprised that I already know how to write your name? ¡°You know how to write my name.¡± ¡°Yes. Irene studied hard.¡± While sweeping down the crooked but carefully written name, Seth¡¯s mouth rose significantly. Soon, an outspoken harsh remark came out. ¡°The handwriting is so bad that if you hadn¡¯t called it my name, I wouldn¡¯t have recognized it.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not. I was praised for writing well!¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know who it is, but it¡¯s better not to trust too much.¡± I thought I would be praised here too, but I slumped my shoulders instead. As I was preparing to go back after inflating my cheeks in a sulky mood, Seth grabbed the piece of paper with his name written on it. ¡°Did anyone else get this other than me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to show them now.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m the first?¡± ¡°Yes. I like Brother Seth¡­¡­ but brother said my handwiting is bad.¡± When I fidgeted with my fingers smeared with ink while frowning, Seth, who looked surprised, showed an unusual smile. ¡°Ah. I suddenly changed my mind.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You write well, Irene.¡± The next place I headed was where Arban was. He was lying on a hammock installed in the garden. You¡¯re not skipping class today, right? ¡°Arban!¡± ¡°What?¡± Arban got up from his seat when I called and came down from the shaking hammock. ¡°I¡¯m going to show this!¡± ¡°What are you going to show me?¡± ¡°This.¡± But I couldn¡¯t find anything suitable in the garden. Arban, who showed interest when I said I had something to show, glanced at me pretending to not be interested. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What do I do? I want to show that I can write Arban¡¯s name.¡± ¡°My name?¡± I couldn¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll have to show it to him the next time I get a chance. Because I don¡¯t have a place to write it right now. When I tried to reluctantly go back, Arban caught me. ¡°Hey, you said you were here to show me. Why are you going back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have paper.¡± ¡°You can write it here.¡± Arban spread his palms out. I rolled my eyes. It won¡¯t come off easily if I write it on his palm. Can I do it? ¡°Can I really write here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay. Then watch me well. I learned Arban¡¯s name the fastest.¡± There was a part where our names overlap, so it was the easiest to memorize Arban¡¯s name. As I bowed my head and wrote down each letter, his palms trembled. Arban, who had been hesitating, sneakily asked. ¡°Did you memorize my name the fastest? Not father or brother?¡± ¡°Yes. Arban is number one. I got it all!¡± ¡°I¡¯m number one¡­¡± I smiled and lifted my head at the perfectly written name that I had not yet forgotten. My eyes met Arban¡¯s, who had his head lowered. He smiled at the name written on the palm of his hand. His lips, which had been raised at the same time, drew a straight line and were tightly closed in a second. Arban seemed embarrassed. ¡°Arban smiled!¡± ¡°W-who smiled because they liked it!¡± Arban, whose face turned red, quickly ran out of the garden. I headed to my final destination. The last person to visit was Cade. I went down to the first floor and carefully opened the office door. As I poked my face inside through the gap of the door, my eyes met with Cade¡¯s, who was looking at the documents. Beside him, Baon was waving his hand, warmly welcoming my arrival. Cade looked at me and asked as if he knew I was already sneaking around. ¡°What have you been doing in front of the door since before? You¡¯re finally coming in.¡± ¡°Daddy, are you busy?¡± I hesitated, and when I asked, the two gave contradictory answers. ¡°No, I¡¯m not busy.¡± (Cade) ¡°Yes, the Lord is very busy.¡± (Baon) ¡°¡­I won¡¯t stay long.¡± (Irene) ¡°Come here.¡± (Cade) Cade put the papers down and reached out his hand. I quickly opened the door and went inside. The desk was full of papers. He seemed very busy. When I stood on my tiptoes on a desk taller than me, Cade pressed my forehead hard. The heels holding my tiptoes stuck to the floor. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Pretending to be hurt.¡± ¡°I said ouch!¡± When I covered my forehead and inflated my cheeks, Cade¡¯s lips rose faintly. As he reached out for more pranks, I quickly hid behind Baon. ¡°Lady Irene.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Was my neck your purpose?¡± Baon, who had received Cade¡¯s fierce gaze with his whole body, tremblingly asked. ¡°I was going to show you something great. I¡¯m not going to show Daddy anymore.¡± ¡°Is it that great?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a great thing.¡± ¡°Come here and show me. I won¡¯t touch your forehead.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I was very skeptical as to whether he would keep his word, but I decided to trust him and went back to the desk. Cade put me on his lap and nodded for me to show him what great things I had prepared. Baon came to this side, inwardly wondering what I was going to do. I picked up the pen I had brought. Chapter 27 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that a pen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Have you already learned letters after taking Kasana¡¯s class?¡± ¡°I can write Daddy¡¯s name. Look.¡± ¡°My name?¡± When I pressed the pen firmly, black ink softly came out. As I wrote Cade¡¯s name one letter at a time, his admiration came out with a ¡®ho-¡®. ¡°Did you learn this today?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked Kasa to teach me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re here to brag.¡± Cade pat me on the head as if he was proud. I happily smiled, feeling a little bit shy and good at the compliment. ¡°Teaching you is worthwhile. Every time you learn something, come to show me.¡± ¡°Did I do a good job?¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Cade, who packed the paper with his name on it, touched his chin and looked satisfied. * * * Finally, the day of the banquet came. Today, Cade was going to tell everyone that I was the youngest daughter in the family. I was sitting in front of a dressing table with a large mirror in the middle of being decorated. I had been sitting for several hours already, but it was tolerable. I¡¯m going to look the prettiest today! Fortunately, Mrs. Seri sent the party dress on time, so the banquet preparations could proceed leisurely. ¡°Rodaria. I¡¯m nervous.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Everyone will be by Miss Irene¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Everyone?¡± ¡°Yes. The Lord and the Young Masters will be by your side. The family members participating in the banquet will also be with you.¡± Rosaria, who had been brushing my hair, looked at the mirror and smiled. Her reassuring words seemed to relieve my anxiety a little. ¡°Yes. In that case, I¡¯m not nervous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t need to be nervous. Shall we get up for a moment, Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I cautiously got down from the tall chair. In fact, all preparations were done in the morning, and what Rosaria was doing now, was one final check before going to the banquet. It was awkward because I wasn¡¯t used to my reflection in the mirror. My hair was waved in a single braid, and my side hair curled with the heat iron swayed next to my cheeks. There was a ribbon that was beautifully pleated in the shape of a butterfly on the chest of the dress, and the skirt spread as it went down to make it as easy as possible to move. I was now mesmerized as I looked in the mirror. This is because the pink dress with cute lace was more beautiful than I had imagined. ¡°Rodaria.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°I became a princess.¡± When I spoke with eyes wide open, Rosaria smiled slightly as she brought the hairband that was sitting on the table. A hairband with fluffy white flowers was carefully placed over my head. ¡°Now it¡¯s really over. All you have to do is go see your friends!¡± ¡°Wow! Friends!¡± ¡°Should we wear a cape just in case it¡¯s cold?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Anyway, the banquet was held inside, but Mrs. Seri worried that the sleeveless dress might be too light, so she sent a matching cloak as well. I was ready to go out only after putting on white stockings and white round-toed shoes. ¡°Shall we go to the Lord, Miss Irene? You will enter the banquet together.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± I took Rosaria¡¯s hand and, fiddling with the ribbon tail on my chest, headed towards Cade. Knock. Knock. ¡°Lord, this is Rosaria.¡± ¡°Come on in.¡± As I opened the door and entered, I saw Cade wearing a black suit that matched his body perfectly with a white tie filled with luxurious gold embroidery. Cade, who was wearing his white gloves and looking in the mirror, tilted his head and lowered his gaze as I approached. I unknowingly shouted at his sight. ¡°Wow. Daddy is so cool.¡± ¡°Cool?¡± ¡°Yes! The coolest in the world!¡± When I shouted, the people who were helping Cade get ready began to help me one by one. ¡°It seems that the young lady really likes you.¡± ¡°Right! How much do you like the Lord, Miss?¡± Cade seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I smiled broadly. ¡°I like Daddy the best in the world!¡± ¡°Oh my. The Lord is number one.¡± ¡°Yes! Daddy gave me pocket money, sent me Kasa, raised me¡­¡­.¡± When I listed them one by one, there were countless. As the reasons increased, the corners of Cade¡¯s mouth, which had been expressionless, went up in satisfaction. I laughed along with that kind of Cade, and Baon came inside the room in our friendly atmosphere. ¡°Lord.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Now is the time to join the banquet. Everyone is waiting.¡± ¡°Seth and Arban?¡± Come to think of it, Seth and Arban were nowhere to be seen. Maybe they¡¯re not going together? ¡°The two are waiting in front of the banquet hall.¡± ¡°Right.¡± It seemed that the preparations were quickly completed and they had arrived in advance. Cade looked at me who was a little anxious and said. ¡°When the banquet starts, can you introduce yourself without being nervous in front of everyone?¡± ¡°I can do well.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± He held out his hand. I grabbed the hand with all my might and all my trembling seemed to go away. ¡°Then I hope you have a good banquet, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Rodaria coming?¡± I took a step back and looked back at Rosaria, who said goodbye. Of course, I thought we were going together. ¡°It¡¯s a problem if there are too many people from a certain family at the banquet. I¡¯ll be cheering you on, from a place you can¡¯t see.¡± ¡°Hm. Okay, Rodaria. See you later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was sorry, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Leaving Rosaria behind, I headed to the party with Cade. Cade, who was slowly walking at my pace, opened his mouth. ¡°I prepared toy presents at the entrance of the banquet hall.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Check it out when you get there.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I wanted to see it sooner, so I walked quickly. I hope everyone likes it. As we passed through the hallway leading to the East Building, the lobby and garden were filled with people I had never seen before. I saw people wearing clothes that were completely different from those of the South, and others with completely different looks. As I was passing through the crowd filled with curiosity at the different kinds of people, someone approached Cade, pretending to know him. He was a very bright-looking man. ¡°Isn¡¯t it Astrophels? It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°You seem to have put a lot of thought into this banquet. My child is very happy with the gift.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a good thing. By the way, it was proposed by this one.¡± ¡°This one¡­?¡± When Cade pointed at me, a man with a huge white cloth around his arm turned his head toward me. Now it was my turn to introduce myself. I took a deep breath and spoke in a clear voice. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Iline.¡± ¡°¡­Iline?¡± ¡°Iline¡­¡­ Iren.¡± Oh my God. I made a teary face. Contrary to the momentum I was so proud of, my pronunciation was messed up. I repeated it several times to correct the name, but the result was the same. As I grew pale, the man opened his mouth as if he had just realized it. ¡°Is your name Irene?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Irene!¡± I nodded my head with a bright smile, and the man¡¯s eyes widened. And soon he burst into laughter. ¡°Who is this cute little girl, Duke Astrophel?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my daughter.¡± ¡°Oh? Weren¡¯t there only two successors?¡± I could feel that the people gathered in the garden and lobby were paying attention to this place. In particular, they had excited expressions on their faces when looking at me. As I sneaked behind Cade, the man who kept glancing at me lit his eyes. He seemed to be curious about my existence. ¡°There are three. She is the first daughter of the Astrophel family in 50 years.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°The banquet is in full swing, so I hope you enjoy it to your heart¡¯s content.¡± Cade announced the end of the conversation. However, I felt the man staring at me without leaving his place, so I peeked out my head. After exchanging glances for a few seconds, the man murmured in a voice full of envy. ¡°¡­Daughters are indeed a little different. I am Hoshit of the Fox Clan. Call me when you come to the West, Lady Irene.¡± As I nodded my head to say yes, Hoshit smiled brightly and disappeared into the banquet hall. I put my hand on my beating heart. Good. I did a good job without being too nervous. Just do it like this! When I followed Cade to the entrance to the banquet hall, I saw Seth and Arban, both dressed in stylish suits, waiting for us. Chapter 28 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Seth looked around undisturbed, and Arban leaned against the wall with a bored expression as nothing interested him. I quickly called them both. ¡°Seth! Arban!¡± At the same time, both turned to me. As I ran around holding Cade¡¯s hand, Seth approached with a big smile. ¡°Welcome, Irene. You look pretty today.¡± ¡°Yes. I really like my clothes. I look like a princess.¡± ¡°What kind of princess are you?¡± Arban came to my side with an absurd expression on his face. Seth and Arban were standing on either side. As I became confident and smiled, Arban mumbled tremblingly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that it¡¯s too bad to be seen.¡± (Arban) ¡°I feel calm now.¡± (Irene) ¡°¡­What are you talking about. Don¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± (Arban) ¡°Yes!¡± (Irene) Before long, an employee left after saying something to Cade and he called us. ¡°Irene, Seth, Arban.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± We stopped quarreling and looked back at Cade. ¡°It¡¯s time to enter, so get ready.¡± At the end of that, the door to the splendid banquet hall opened. Many people that gathered in one place, were talking with each other. As the music that was being played gradually decreased, people who noticed glanced toward the door. Soon our entry became known. ¡°Cade Astrophel and his successors are entering.¡± The audience became quiet. Cade went inside first, followed by me. As soon as we got to the top seat, he opened his mouth. ¡°Thank you all for participating in the banquet. I hope everyone enjoys it well before returning to your territories.¡± It was quite different from the usual Cade I knew. It was wonderful to see him speak calmly in front of everyone as if it was natural. I have to do it well too. I did it before, so I can do it now. When I straightened my back, Cade introduced me before finishing his greetings. ¡°And let me take this opportunity to introduce to you, Irene Astrophel, the youngest child in my family.¡± When it was my turn to introduce myself, I took a deep breath and smiled brightly. When everyone was together, there was nothing to be afraid of. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Irene Astrophel!¡± As I confidently finished my brief introduction, Cade glanced at the band. ¡°Then I hope you enjoy the rest of the time to your heart¡¯s content.¡± The music, which had been playing quietly like a background sound, began to resound in a lighthearted way. I curiously looked around the banquet hall. It was a different feeling from when I came to see it together with Arban. The hall really sparkled as the food was served at each table and it was crowded with guests. I came down holding hands with Cade and sat down in the family¡¯s reserved seat. He said that each family had a separate table. And to make it easier to distinguish them, the tablecloth was engraved with the clan¡¯s coat of arms. I¡¯ve never seen so many different werebeasts gathered in one place, so I¡¯ve been busy looking around. Most of them had many straightforward crests that could represent the characteristics of the clan well. As soon as I walked with my eyes shooting around everywhere, Cade warned me. ¡°You have to look ahead.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You must be amazed by the large number of other clans.¡± ¡°Is everyone from far away?¡± ¡°To some extent.¡± ¡°¡­From the east too?¡± I asked softly. My whole body was filled with tension. People living in the East were scary. To be precise, it was referring to the strong werebeasts occupying the East. This is because the whole area is devastated every time they appear. I still remember kicking the ground with all my might to escape from there. The memories of my previous life had gradually faded away and now I can¡¯t recall them very well, but the feelings of that life were clear. If such a werebeast appears, wouldn¡¯t I have to run away again? When I anxiously looked around and asked, his gaze reached a long distance. ¡°¡­I wonder why are you curious about that all of a sudden? Has anyone ever told you about the East?¡± ¡°¡­No! It¡¯s not that.¡± I strongly shook my head. The memories of that time were replaced with the memories of this place, and I couldn¡¯t recall them well. ¡°The East came as well.¡± ¡°Many?¡± ¡°Not really. About two Clans came.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Two Clans. I held my hand tightly. Cade sat in the middle, Seth and Arban were seated one besides the other, and an unknown man walked around and talked to him. I opened my eyes to look at them, putting fruit in my mouth. ¡°Hello, Lord. Do you remember me?¡± ¡°Ah. Who are you?¡± It was a very honest and direct answer. When Cade asked back with a genuine expression, the other person¡¯s face was contorted for a moment. I was very surprised inside. This was the first person Cade openly asked ¡®Who are you?¡¯ He was not sorry at all for not recognizing his opponent. ¡°I¡¯m the head of the Retra family in the west.¡± ¡°Oh, right. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something to speak with you for a moment¡­ It¡¯s about the trade.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± As if the conversation was going to be long, Cade stood up. Starting with that, people who wanted to have a conversation began to gather around one by one. It seemed that he knew that this would be the case and that he had created a separate place for the conversation. I rolled my eyes nonstop, sipping orange juice with both hands. I could see some children already playing together. What if everyone becomes friends except me? I fiddled with the glass. ¡°I want to play with them too.¡± But I¡¯m a baby bird who knows how to wait for my dad. ¡°When is Daddy coming back, is he still busy?¡± ¡°Do you want to go out to play?¡± ¡°Unh. No. I¡¯ll go when Daddy comes.¡± ¡°You can hang out with your friends, Irene.¡± ¡°Can I do that?¡± ¡°Because it seems like it will take a long time for father to come back.¡± I looked at Cade¡¯s back in the distance. It really seemed like it would take quite a while for the conversation to end. Arban yawned as if he was already familiar with this situation and was nodding in his sleep. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± I quickly got up from my seat. Now I can go see my friends too! My steps were light with excitement. Not far away, I could see children gathering in twos and threes. I¡¯m going to join them and play with them! I walked briskly between the tables, avoiding the servants caring for the food and drinks. At that time. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± I found a blond boy sitting alone. The boy looked at the gathered children with a serious expression on his face. Thinking about the reasons why he was alone, only bad things came to mind. Is he being bullied? But for such a thing, his expression was so calm that it didn¡¯t seem like he was being bullied. Or is it because he wants to get to know each other and is shy? Perhaps this one was more likely. As I stopped walking and looked at him, his blue eyes slowly stuck in me as if he felt my gaze. I felt like I was caught sneaking a peek, so I flinched and greeted him casually. ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Hi.¡± Fortunately, the boy did not show any signs of displeasure. I decided to take courage. ¡°I¡¯m Irene. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Sage.¡± ¡°Why are you here alone? If you¡¯re bored, do you want to play with me?¡± Sage, who seemed to have been thinking about my question for a while, smiled. ¡°With you?¡± He looked me up and down and muttered a little. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to fly away if I hit it¡­ I just need to be careful.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s play.¡± Sage eagerly nodded. First friend! Expectations have risen over the fact that I made my first friend. ¡°I live here. Where does Sage come from?¡± ¡°North.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Sage house seems to be in the north. As it is located in a region opposite to the southern part, there seemed to be many stories to be heard. I can¡¯t wait! Is it true that it snows all day in the north? I heard everything is white. I was excited to spend time with Sage. Chapter 29 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Around the same time. Karma was looking at Irene¡¯s actions with a more serious attitude than ever. Among his colleagues, he was the best at stealth, and because of that, he could be chosen for a role dedicated only to Irene. No matter how fast an enemy was, Karma was able to overpower his opponent at once with his outstanding visual acuity. As soon as the banquet started, and he saw Irene running around, Karma thought. ¡®It¡¯s fatal.¡¯ The little lady, with her white hair tied up tightly, was busy moving her short legs. Irene who couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut as if the banquet hall she had participated in for the first time was just amazing, was receiving a lot of attention from everyone in the hall. ¡°Astrophel¡¯s youngest lady must be curious about this place.¡± ¡°It is to be expected.¡± ¡°By the way, her hair is white? Isn¡¯t the Astrophel family originally black-haired? Besides¡­ it¡¯s small.¡± ¡°Looking at the pheromones, she doesn¡¯t seem to be a black mamba. There must be a story.¡± ¡°Since her eyes are red. That must be why Duke Astrophel officially announced her existence.¡± ¡°By the way, it¡¯s very lovely and cute¡­. There¡¯s no child that small in our clan.¡± Karma, who nodded in agreement with the last line, met Messi¡¯s gaze, who was nodding his head at the same part. Messi has been the hottest topic in recent times. He said he liked this mission because he felt like he had returned to his hometown, but by his bloody standards, he seemed to have returned to the past altogether. It wasn¡¯t long after Messi returned to the mansion that he was spotted as a major problem figure. Pyo. Pyo. Pyo. Irene, who was walking in the hallway, lost her balance while looking elsewhere for a moment. As she safely touched the floor with her hands the moment she almost fell, Irene smiled brightly. ¡°Good. I didn¡¯t fall. Fuu.¡± That moment was very short, but Karma still couldn¡¯t forget Messi that was shooting himself in front of Irene. The story of Karma grabbing Messi by the collar at full speed and jumping straight out of the side window was already famous. Irene herself didn¡¯t notice, but it was an incident that all the black mambas passing by had witnessed. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for an emergency, you shouldn¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°I want to hug Miss Irene. What should I do? I knew you would stop it, but at least I tried once.¡± Messi smiled broadly as he shook off his grabbed collar. The way he casually spat out words that turned one¡¯s insides out was exceptionally bright in tone. He sent a warning look to Messi, who had already left Karma behind. It meant that no matter what the circumstances, he was to never come forward first. And when he turned his gaze back to Irene¡­ ¡°Would you like to play with me?¡± ¡®When did you get over there?¡¯ A voice came from quite close. It was said she wanted to make friends, and it seemed that she was already doing it. Feeling pleased for some reason, Karma confirmed who Irene¡¯s dotted friend was. He was a boy with blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Unlike the young werebeasts who had gathered around, the boy was alone. Did she approach to take care of the boy? ¡®Miss Irene has a warm heart.¡¯ Karma was impressed. It was a warm sight, rare in the wild world of black mambas. But something was very strange. ¡­What is this strange feeling? That boy kept getting caught in my eyes. Karma slowly scrutinized the blonde boy once more. Golden hair, clear features, fair skin, and blue eyes. The body was exceptionally large compared to the young pheromones flowing around the boy. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Karma recalled the peculiarities of the invited guests he had received to memorize. ¡°I heard that the Tiger Clan is also participating this time.¡± ¡°I heard that a baby was born in the family a while ago. I think they brought the child out to check the atmosphere of the outside world.¡± The moment he remembered it, Karma¡¯s eyes widened. The boy, born with the deepest traits among the tigers he had seen recently, was exploring the surroundings on his first outing. As if wary of things outside of his realm. The low-fluttering pheromone was warning the young beasts not to come closer than a certain distance. In other words, contrary to what Irene misunderstood, the boy was rather the object of fear to the young ones. And it seems the two have just become friends. ¡°¡­How am I supposed to explain this to the Lord?¡± Sure enough, Messi was also stiff with complicated eyes. ¡®Should we stop that?¡¯ Messi eagerly asked with the shape of his mouth. It looked like he was trying to intervene. Karma shook his head. He quietly replied to his colleagues who were waiting for the next instructions. ¡°For now, we are on standby.¡± He had a headache. Blonde hair and blue eyes. It was undoubtedly characteristics of the tigers dominating the North. * * * ¡°Do you know how to play the Hide-and-Seek?¡± ¡°I know what the game is.¡± ¡°Shall we play over there?¡± While I was thinking about what to do and play, I thought of hide-and-seek. It seemed like the two of us could have fun together. I remember having fun every time I played alone with Rosaria. There was not enough space in the banquet hall, so when I pointed to the garden, Sage smiled. ¡°Okay, then you hide, Irene.¡± ¡°Will Sage be it?¡± I preferred to hide, but I was going to make concessions because Sage was a guest. When I asked again, Sage said yes, and he walked towards the tree. ¡°Yes. I prefer to catch.¡± ¡°Okay. Then I will hide!¡± Sage turned his back and started counting. ¡°One.¡± Where should I hide? Shall I go through the bushes? Then I could hide well, but I thought my clothes would get dirty. ¡°Two.¡± Then is it better behind the tree? I lifted my heels and walked gently. It was because I could see a place with suitable bushes and trees. ¡°Three.¡± You can¡¯t find me here, right? There was a round groove inside the tree, so it was possible to hide without difficulty. I listened carefully to how much Sage had counted. ¡°Ten.¡± After he counted until 10, Sage turned around slowly. While looking around, I saw him walking inside. When I saw Sage looking for me in the wrong place, I was a little more confident. I¡¯m hiding here and Sage can¡¯t find me. Then a gentle wind blew. At the same time, Sage¡¯s feet stopped moving. ¡°Ah. He can¡¯t find me.¡± I rolled my round eyes around. What should I do? If he still can¡¯t find me, should I just leave? While I was deeply in trouble, Sage¡¯s presence disappeared. ¡°Huh? Where are you going?¡± You didn¡¯t leave because it wasn¡¯t fun, did you? It was time to get up in a hurry. ¡°No way.¡± Shush. Shush. Thud. ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Caught.¡± I stared blankly at the tree that had fallen to the floor. A languid smile was painted on Sage¡¯s face. The blue eyes that were half closed were flashing and staring at me. ¡°Ah, we are playing Hide-and-Seek¡­¡± ¡°I know. There are similar games in the north. You¡¯re practicing hunting in advance, right?¡± Not really. For some reason, the Hide-and-Seek that I knew and the one that Sage knew seemed a little different. ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. Irene saw things like this. I¡¯m not surprised at all!¡± Even so, my heart was pounding. Hu. Ha. Hu. Ha. He took a deep breath and stood up. This time it was my turn to be it. ¡°Now, hide because I¡¯m it!¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°One!¡± I closed my eyes and counted. ¡°Two.¡± But what if Sage hides too well? ¡°Three.¡± I wiggled my finger and opened it slightly. The sunlight was shining in my tightly closed eyes. No. I have no flaws in my conscience. I put my fingers together again and started counting. ¡°Ten.¡± And when I finally counted to ten, I opened my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m looking! Is Sage hidden?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m hidden.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? No! No! You have to answer no!¡± As the words came and went, I turned to where the sound was coming from. I think the sound came from somewhere around here. Where are you? I snooped around the places I had been eyeing when I hid. ¡°Not here?¡± Did he go down underground or rise to the sky? I put my hand on my waist and fell into thought. ¡­¡­Wait a minute. Sky? I raised my head, wondering if it could be, and I made eye contact with Sage, who was looking at me. ¡°Sage, what are you doing there?¡± ¡°I was hiding. Can¡¯t you catch me?¡± Sage, who was sitting with his back against a tree, stretched his arms down. I looked at the distant arm in vain. ¡°I can¡¯t reach it.¡± ¡°Then you can¡¯t catch me? The game only ends when you catch me.¡± ¡°Sage, that¡¯s cheating. It¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°Then I won.¡± Sage slowly came down. My chance! I grabbed Sage as he landed on the floor. Sage, who lost his balance, staggered and fell to the floor. ¡°You¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Hehehe. I caught you.¡± I hugged him tightly as to not let his arm escape my grasp and smiled softly. I got him! The tip of my mouth that went up didn¡¯t come down. Sage, who was staring at me like that, shook off his clothes without saying a word. ¡°Sage, are you angry?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± ¡°The next time we meet, let¡¯s play again. Then I won¡¯t be caught.¡± Chapter 30 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? We came back to the banquet hall. Would Cade have come back by now? I was about to return to my original seat after breaking up with Sage, but I heard a very angry voice right next to me. ¡°They say that the Clan is doing well. How difficult is it to give out just one road! They told me to pay a toll of fifty gold coins!¡± ¡°Calm down, Mr. Retra. Giving access to the border roads is a sensitive matter. There¡¯s nothing good about being emotional.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why don¡¯t you talk about it next time?¡± Retra was the person who had come to talk to Cade earlier. I glanced at him as I passed by. He was huffing and puffing with a red face. ¡°Isn¡¯t fifty gold coins okay? I heard the Black Mamba Clan offered to escort you while moving through the road.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that easy for them? They are trying to make money by using a weak family like us.¡± In a serious atmosphere, I walked as carefully as possible. I don¡¯t like this. I¡¯m scared. I was about to go back to Cade with a tearful face, but I met Retra¡¯s eyes. He had a surprised expression on his face as he didn¡¯t know I was listening, and then he smiled. ¡°Well. Black mambas are cruel and greedy by nature, aren¡¯t they? It¡¯s obvious because such a Duke is their leader.¡± At those words, my mind went blank. Retra looked like he was expecting me to run away scared or crying. The rest of the people who belatedly noticed my existence was astonished at his radical remarks. ¡°Oh, why is the child here¡­¡± No. ¡°¡­-o.¡± (Irene) Cade and the people here aren¡¯t bad. ¡°No!!¡± (Irene) I shouted loudly. The banquet hall suddenly became quiet. I could feel the people around me stop what they were doing to look at me. Retra¡¯s expression turned to embarrassment as if he didn¡¯t know I was going to scream. ¡°W-why is the little one screaming?¡± ¡°Cade is nice! Cade is cool every day! You don¡¯t know anything and are lying!¡± Rosaria takes care of me every day, and the other people always smile when they see me! Arban pretends he doesn¡¯t care but always listens to me¡­ I¡¯m not close to Seth yet, but he doesn¡¯t look that bad! I squeezed all my last strength. ¡°It¡¯s my Daddy!!! Irene knows him best!¡± The noise of people talking grew louder. Retra flinched and reached out his hand to cover my mouth. As his large hand approached, I closed my eyes tightly. ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch the Lady recklessly.¡± A man with dark blue hair tied up in a long bundle stood in front of him. I looked at the man in surprise. I was staring blankly at the large back that was blocking my front, and I heard a familiar voice from behind. ¡°Yes, I heard you well. Irene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Daddy¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Buahh.¡± The tears that were welling up were pouring down as if they had been waiting. As I was held in his arms, Cade, who was holding me, gently patted my back. ¡°My daughter never cried before.¡± With a single word from him, the atmosphere subsided. ¡°Who made the daughter I raised so nicely cry like this?¡± Whenever Cade¡¯s gaze touched each person, people avoided his eyes. Soon after, Seth opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s okay Irene. You don¡¯t have to say it. Just wipe them all out. It must be one of them.¡± Then Arban calmly replied with a cold face that was not like him. ¡°No. She has a weak stomach. Better handle it from behind.¡± I wiped away my tears with a sniffle. No. I don¡¯t want things to go that far. Feeling that something big was going to happen, I quickly decided to tattle who the criminal was. ¡°That uncle said bad things.¡± Three pairs of red eyes turned to Retra. ¡°Oh, are you talking about that rat?¡± Cade twisted his lips and laughed. ¡°I was getting ready to take care of them one day, but thank you for setting the game up, Retra.¡± I thought that the guy named Retra was the main target of, ¡®These fools are always asking for help with their bare mouths. I should kick them out.¡¯ Retra jumped as the situation turned serious. ¡°No. Children usually cry a lot, don¡¯t they? I didn¡¯t make her cry.¡± But Cade seemed unwilling to listen. ¡°You¡¯ve hurt my daughter¡¯s heart, and you will pay the price.¡± He looked very angry, making Retra¡¯s complexion turn white. Could it be that I made this bigger than necessary? I was worried for a moment, but when I remembered what Retra just said, I was angry again. I whispered in Cade¡¯s ear. ¡°That Uncle said Daddy was a bad guy. I heard everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you felt upset?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why Irene is sad.¡± It¡¯s my daddy. Suddenly, my lips went down and my eyes got wet. Sniff. When I got upset again and buried my face on his shoulder, Cade asked back while comforting me. ¡°How should I scold that uncle?¡± It was a voice with a hint of joy. I was troubled by his sudden question. How do you scold him? I¡¯ve never thought about it. I don¡¯t know, so I shook my head. ¡°Daddy. I don¡¯t know how.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Cade laughed out loud. Soon, a cold voice reached Retra. ¡°The promise of alliance with your clan is void, Retra.¡± ¡°What is that¡­! To end the alliance unilaterally like this? It¡¯s not something that can be decided by a child¡¯s words! Won¡¯t you listen to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°Children of that age are good at lying. Of course, you should listen to m-!¡± ¡°Retra.¡± Cade cut off Retra¡¯s excited words. I clenched my fist out of resentment. I¡¯m not a liar¡­ ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in my realm, do you?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been turning a blind eye for a while, but you are still doing things like that. Why did you do that?¡± The quiet tone as if he were joking around was strange, so I got goosebumps for some reason. ¡°You should have acted wisely. If you had grasped your place well, this wouldn¡¯t have happened, right?¡± ¡°Lord! Even so, this is too much.¡± What happens if they break the alliance? Looking at the facial expressions of the people around him, it seemed like a pretty radical remark. Retra was trying to calm the situation somehow, and the people around were looking around with great interest. But Cade calmly announced the end of their relationship. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see anyone from the Retra family in my land in the future.¡± ¡°Our family has been in contact with the South for a long time. We have maintained a good relationship with the Astrophel Clan all this time!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I, the current owner, have no intention of doing so.¡± It seems that Retra did not know that Cade loved me so much. In fact, I was very surprised by this result. I never dreamed that Cade would come out like this. I thought he was thinking of me as a little cute child that lives in his house. But it was awkward for me when I felt I was really precious to him. I was feeling itchy. I wiggled my fingers for no reason. Cade called for Baon, who was next to him. ¡°Baon.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°From this day on, let it be known that any Retra spotted in my land can be hunted at will.¡± ¡°Yes, sire.¡± It was a complete breakdown of the alliance. Gossip around the concerned parties grew again. In the future, the Retra clan would not have any points of contact in the whole South. Because Cade won¡¯t tolerate it. Everyone held their breath at his instructions. ¡°If I could, I¡¯d hang that neck.¡± A bright red gaze touched Retra¡¯s neck for a moment and then fell. ¡°But it¡¯s not good for children¡¯s education, so let¡¯s move on.¡± Cade laughed softly. Retra didn¡¯t say anything, he could only be speechless. It was because, overnight, they were not allowed to enter the southern land. And that little detail meant a lot. ¡°Oh, no. Lord, wait a minute¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm-um. Let¡¯s think a little more about our interactions with the Retra Clan.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll think about it too.¡± Clans that valued relations with the South would turn their backs on Retra. I looked up at Cade in the serious atmosphere. It was obvious that he was angry, but he seemed to be excited since a while ago. ¡°Daddy, are you feeling good?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why are you laughing?¡± I saw Seth, Arban, and Baon standing next to each other in order. Likewise, they were expressionless but seemed to be secretly enjoying the situation. Why? I¡¯m a little confused. ¡°Karma.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cade called the dark blue-haired man. ¡°Write a reflection letter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°The same goes for the other guys.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I looked curiously at Karma, who suddenly appeared out of the air. Since when have you been watching me? Looking at the ¡®other guys¡¯, it seemed like there were probably several other people hiding besides Karma. Chapter 31 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? I couldn¡¯t forget the after image of Karma who stood in the way between Retra and me in a second. ¡°Karma.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± As if he didn¡¯t know I would call him, Karma had a slightly bewildered expression on his face. ¡°Thank you for protecting me.¡± ¡°¡­I just followed orders.¡± ¡°Thank you, though.¡± Had it not been for his help, I would have been caught by Retra. I hugged Cade again. My startled heart still hasn¡¯t calmed down. I could feel it pounding hard. To calm me down, Cade gently patted my back nonstop. I thought the situation would end like this, but Retra called out to Cade and caught up to him before he could turn around. ¡°Lord, please give me a second chance. I will never make that mistake again. I will pay double the toll in platinum coins!¡± Flop. Retra fell on his knees. Earlier, he was definitely angry about fifty gold coins, saying it¡¯s too expensive. It looked like an urgent situation. I didn¡¯t know the value of money yet, but I could tell just by looking at the buzzing around us just how big a platinum coin was. However, Cade ignored Retra¡¯s words and turned his body. ¡°If you want other conditions, I will fulfill them all! Lord!¡± At the end, when Retra got up and tried to approach him, he was blocked by the people of the family. Cade was so cool. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Un?¡± ¡°Say it one more time.¡± ¡°What?¡± After returning to our original seat, Cade, who sat down, sat me on his lap facing his front. I tilted my head. Something I said before? The corners of Cade¡¯s mouth rose playfully. ¡°It¡¯s my Daddy.¡± (Cade) Ah. My face grew hotter and hotter. As my ears grew hot, I quickly covered my face with my hands. ¡°You said it well before, but now you¡¯re shy?¡± It was because I was so mad! Seth and Arban were looking at me, pretending to not pay attention. They seemed to be looking forward to it. ¡°¡­My Daddy.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t feel like that.¡± ¡°No. I said like that.¡± Cade frowned as if he wasn¡¯t satisfied. Even Baon, who came after handling the situation, pretended to wipe away emotional tears. ¡°It¡¯s very touching, Miss Irene. I¡¯m mightily impressed that you got rid of the Retra family in the South. I don¡¯t know how to express these emotions.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When I saw you I thought something was peculiarly familiar, not to my surprise, you are quite similar to the Lord.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s an insult.¡± (Cade) ¡°¡­I mean, the Miss was very brave. She was very cool.¡± Baon raised his thumb and quickly changed his attitude. Cade pulled his bloody gaze away and looked down at me. ¡°Be careful from now on. What would you have done without me, huh?¡± My forehead was flicked without pain. ¡°¡­.Ouchy!¡± ¡°Her body is buried with tiger pheromone. Explain, Seth. Arban.¡± ¡°¡­Tiger?¡± I¡¯ve never seen a tiger. I sniffed the clothes and smelled them. Tiger pheromone? Seeing me like this, Seth sighed. ¡°I think I warned you not to go too far.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t go far. I only go to places I know.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had to tell you this. There¡¯s a tiger nearby, so you have to be careful. Everyone else knows, you¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t.¡± No way. Arban¡¯s words brought a sense of uneasiness. ¡­Is Sage who I played with earlier a tiger? Huh? So, am I, friends, with a tiger? ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t know.¡± That¡¯s why he was good at climbing trees and was strong. With the clues, everything seemed to be resolved. ¡°I played with a tiger¡­?¡± ¡°Why? Are you scared now that you know it?¡± ¡°Nuh-uh. I¡¯m not afraid.¡± I continued speaking as if it were natural. ¡°Daddy will protect me.¡± I knew that everything that happened inside the mansion went into Cade¡¯s ears. And by encountering Karma today, I realized something. Here, I was safe. At my words, Cade widened his eyes as if he was surprised. His hand that had been rubbing my forehead momentarily paused. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°¡­But that didn¡¯t mean it was okay to hang out with a tiger.¡± ¡°Miss seems to have stood together with the little Lord quite a bit, but she was on par with him. She has good abilities.¡± (Baon) As I got used to the pheromone of the people of the family, I did not feel that it was dangerous if it did not exceed a certain level. In particular, Cade¡¯s pheromone was so intense that I didn¡¯t seem to recognize Sage¡¯s pheromone. Cade said in a serious tone. ¡°I¡¯ll have to give pheromone training soon so she can distinguish between other clans.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Master Seth and Master Arban can now freely humanize and change their body at will, but Miss Irene is a bit late.¡± I¡¯m late again. Why am I always so late? My shoulders slumped helplessly. Everyone is growing up fast, but I felt like I was staying behind alone as a child. In particular, the gap between black mambas, who grow very fast, was felt even greater. As if noticing my concerns, Cade held my face with both of his hands and met my eyes. ¡°What can we do?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°My daughter is special, so we have to understand.¡± * * * An interesting situation came to happen at the participation in a formal banquet for the first time in a decade. The head of the North, Muhella, chuckled as she remembered what had happened. It was a rare scene that will never be seen again and will be talked about for a long time. ¡°It was a good thing I participated in this banquet. I almost missed something fun to watch.¡± Muhella, who turned her long blonde hair once and passed it behind her ear, shook a glass of ice water. Her deep blue eyes shone with joy. Currently, the banquet hall is in a state of chaos. The rolling brains of those who wanted to enter the vacant seat of the Retra Clan could be heard up to here. Looking around leisurely, Muhella paid attention to some families. They hadn¡¯t moved directly yet, but they were watching the situation develop. Muhella leaned leisurely against the back of her chair. ¡°Sage.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You decided to be friends with the youngest child of the Astrophels family, right?¡± Muhella pointed to Irene, who was sitting on Cade¡¯s lap and eating. Her round eyes were rolling to and fro, and she looked like a baby bird being fed by a mother bird, eagerly eating what was given to her. Sage turned his head to look at Irene. Every time she chewed her mouth, the white, plump cheeks moved with it. Irene looked particularly white among the people of the Astrophels family, just like a northern snow rabbit. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect they would have cherished children over here.¡± ¡°I know, right.¡± Sage¡¯s mouth loosely went up. Muhella¡¯s eyes narrowed at Sage when he, who she never knew what he was thinking, unusually revealed his feelings. ¡°You seem to like that kid quite a bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a snow rabbit.¡± ¡°You play jokes every time you are bored. Well, she does look like one.¡± When I imagined Irene among the snow rabbits living in the castle, I did not feel a sense of incongruity. Muhella twinkled her eyes. ¡°What did you play with that kid?¡± ¡°Hide-and-Seek.¡± ¡°The rules would be different from the North.¡± Because Hide-and-Seek in the north was a game designed to teach hunting methods, harsher methods were also allowed compared to other regions. In the North, it¡¯s a game to hide the presence and cut off the breath of the target with one strike, so that the prey does not notice. ¡°I¡¯m going to play again next time. I was caught at the end.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Muhella had a surprised expression on her face as if she had heard something that couldn¡¯t have happened. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that okay?¡± There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. I just couldn¡¯t believe that Sage, who had a strong desire to win, took a step back. Sage stretched out and drowsily held his chin. If it had been his beast form, his tail would have been waving. ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t eat your friend, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I kept drooling, but I was caught at the end because I was holding it in and lost focus.¡± So, in a word, he was caught by a baby bird because he was suppressing his appetite. Muhella coughed at her son¡¯s shocking remarks. Sage narrowed his brow and was immersed in thought, clenching and opening his left arm that had been caught by Irene in the garden. ¡°¡­¡­Sage.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°What?¡± It¡¯s my fault that I raised you like that. Muhella was unable to answer and let out a sigh of frustration. Chapter 32 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? I didn¡¯t expect this kind of problem to happen because I raised my only son preciously. I thought that I only needed to teach him the most important way to survive¡­ I didn¡¯t know he would become so ignorant of his feelings. ¨C It¡¯s like a snow rabbit. Come to think of it, the evaluation was very generous. Sage, who often ignores his opponent like they are invisible if they don¡¯t get in his eyes, likened the other child to a ¡°snow rabbit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not hunger, Sage.¡± For now, Muhella decided to correct the wrong part. Don¡¯t tell me you are mistaking that as appetite for food. ¡°If it¡¯s not hunger, what is it?¡± I will correct it. He really doesn¡¯t know¡­How should I explain it? Muhella was speechless. ¡°¡­There will come a day when you will realize that for yourself. Sigh. Is that why you came back to the banquet hall?¡± ¡°I think it would be better to separate for a while. I can¡¯t bite by mistake.¡± ¡°¡­Well done.¡± I thought he was finally making friends and going out to play together, but I didn¡¯t know such a development would happen. When Muhella looked at her son, who was less than a month old, she struggled with whether she should like this situation or not. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something to celebrate, but the reason why it¡¯s so uncomfortable is probably¡­ ¡°I think she looks so much like a snow rabbit that I want to bully her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I want to take her to the north.¡± Somehow, I was worried about the future because it felt like he was expressing his feelings in a slightly twisted direction. Muhella smiled awkwardly as she saw Sage licking his lips. Yes, doing that would probably ruin both the North and the South. ¡°That¡¯s going to be a little hard, Sage.¡± To protect one child, they summoned a gatekeeper from the border. Not just one, but four. One person for each range, and one person for the closest location to the child. ¡°You¡¯ll be caught even before you leave the mansion.¡± Muhella remembered the face of the man who was blocking Retra. Unless her memory was wrong, it was definitely Karma. To a banquet hall that promotes peace, he brings up people who, alone, can wipe out any small clan. It was an atmosphere in which everything was well and good if passed by smoothly, but it was an issue that could turn into a big problem if something risky happened. Muhella knew one indisputable piece of information from this. And that¡¯s how precious Irene was to the Astrophels family. ¡°You must never eat Irene, Sage.¡± ¡°I know that much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you know that.¡± * * * It felt like my stomach was going to explode. It was because Cade put food in my mouth without a break. When I closed my lips because I didn¡¯t think I could eat anymore he put down the fork. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°After eating only this much?¡± ¡°Un.¡± ¡°The amount is too small.¡± Two plates were emptied, but it seemed to be too little for Cade. When I checked how much other people ate, I had eaten the least. I patted my mouth with a tissue. Since I¡¯m done eating, I¡¯m going out to play again. ¡°Can I play now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult right now.¡± ¡°¡­Why!¡± ¡°Because of him.¡± Cade pointed to the gray-haired man who was sitting not far away. Raising my head over my shoulder, the man who met my eyes greeted with a grin and fiercely waved his hand. I tried to smile back at the way he greeted me even though it was my first time seeing him, but I couldn¡¯t because of the large hand that firmly blocked my view. I sullenly grabbed Cade¡¯s arm and lowered it. ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Wolf.¡± ¡°A wolf?¡± ¡°Yes. You can¡¯t follow along and laugh just because he¡¯s smiling at you.¡± I tilted my head. As I poked my head out once more, the gray-haired man from earlier waved his hand again. ¡°He seems fine.¡± ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Seth called me. ¡°Do you know what a baby goat and a baby pig have in common?¡± A baby goat and baby pig? I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What it is?¡± Then Arban, who was listening silently, came up with the answer instead. ¡°Both became food for wolves.¡± ¡­They were eaten by wolves? ¡°That¡¯s right. And there¡¯s one more.¡± More? ¡°Both are babies, aren¡¯t they?¡± Baon joined the conversation and helped out. I was shocked. Do wolves eat babies? Then, will he eat me too? The man who stared at this place and smiled brightly whenever our eyes met, quickly began to look like the worst person in the world. I quickly grabbed Cade¡¯s hem and hid. ¡°The wolf is bad. They eat baby!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So you can¡¯t go right now. There are a lot of people around.¡± ¡°W-when can I go out to play?¡± ¡°When they¡¯re all gone.¡± ¡°They are looking over here so much that it¡¯s burdensome. The Miat family of the Wolf Clan, the Kashmere family of the Lion Clan, the Artban family of the Jaguar Clan¡­¡­¡± Baon glanced at each person one by one and started reciting the family names. I pricked up my ears at the unfamiliar family names. It was a feast of dangerous-sounding clans. Baon grinned for the last Clan. ¡°Even the Kiras family of the Tiger Clan. I¡¯ll work hard to get rid of them, my lord.¡± ¡°Everyone is so interested in my daughter.¡± Cade sighed and looked at me. His eyes were like, ¡®What should I do with you?¡¯ Somehow, I felt like I should say no, so I shook my head quickly. ¡°I did nothing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°I really did nothing.¡± Cade laughed when I made a desperate face that I didn¡¯t know. ¡°You turned the banquet hall upside down, but you don¡¯t know anything?¡± ¡°If you saw me, introduce us. Isn¡¯t it too much for you to hog her all the time, Cade?¡± I looked back when an unfamiliar voice was heard. It was the first time someone called Cade¡¯s name without hesitation, so a feeling of amazement prevailed. Is that person Cade¡¯s friend? The man looked at me and said hello. ¡°Hello, kid.¡± Who is it? As I was blankly staring at the guest, Cade leaned back, and at the same time, I was also distanced from him. Seeing me bewildered, Cade said calmly. ¡°Irene, it¡¯s dirty. Don¡¯t get near.¡± There was a moment of silence. The man¡¯s amber-gold eyes moved slowly to the tip of Cade¡¯s finger pointing at him. At the same time, the corners of his mouth trembled and twitched. ¡°Lord, don¡¯t you think the word ¡®dirty¡¯ is too much for Sir Dante?¡± When the silence did not break even after a few seconds, Baon whispered as he glanced at the man. Judging by the use of honorifics, the man seemed to be of a fairly high position. ¡°Not at all. He¡¯s off-limits to Irene. His insides are black.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Unlike the way he was looking for his opponent¡¯s mood, Baon nodded gently. As I listened to the conversation curiously, I met with red eyes. ¡°Do you want to know who it is?¡± Cade asked me. I quickly nodded my head, saying yes, and looked at Dante. His red hair contrasting with the copper-colored skin was very impressive. Moreover, the clothes he was wearing were engraved with unique patterns that I had never seen before. He must have come from very far away. It¡¯s so exciting! I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of the man as I stared at him. His eyes, which had been stained with displeasure, turned to me. ¡°She must think I¡¯m strange, Cade. She can¡¯t take her eyes off me.¡± ¡°I definitely said he was dirty, Irene.¡± ¡°¡­I was a little curious, so I just watched for a while.¡± Dante¡¯s gleaming golden eyes folded in half as I murmured with a small pursed mouth. It felt as if a large beast was hiding its true appearance. I tilted my head in surprise as a subtle energy seemed to flow out from Dante. ¡°She must have felt my pheromone. Normally, they don¡¯t notice it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural because she¡¯s my daughter.¡± ¡°Anyway, all the kids in this house are unusual.¡± Dante sat down next to Cade, shaking his head with an amazed expression. Interest flashed in the amber gold eyes that stared intently at me. We were curious about each other. Then Dante opened his mouth first. ¡°I enjoyed your introduction, Irene.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I am Dante Ishelod. I came from the west when I heard that you were born.¡± To see me? From the west? I lifted my head when I heard that he had come to see me. Dante¡¯s lips moved upward. ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Chapter 33 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? ¡°The two of them I have already met, but you weren¡¯t born then.¡± He said, pointing to Seth and Arban. Seeing him say this, it really felt like he was Cade¡¯s friend. As I pulled my body forward and approached with a sudden interest, Dante, who was holding his chin, was surprised and held his body straight. It was a reaction as if he didn¡¯t know that I would come to him first. I inflated my cheeks when I saw him move his body backward in embarrassment. ¡°I was going to ask for a hug.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You avoided me.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it.¡± Dante said no and shook his head. When I looked up at him with a sullen look, he let out a sigh. His restless hands caught my eyes. ¡°Cade. I can¡¯t handle it right now, so please help me.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± Cade cynically declined his request for help. It seemed like he was having fun seeing Dante panicking. I¡¯m serious. Why is everyone else having fun? When I put my hand on my waist and looked around, Baon covered his mouth. Seth and Arban were looking at Dante with a subtle look as if the man was pathetic. They seemed to know why Dante was reacting that way. ¡°Sigh. I¡¯m not avoiding you.¡± ¡°Really? You looked at me earlier, but just sighed.¡± ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± Dante, who avoided my gaze, seemed to be embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve never held a child from another clan.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Because children of other clans are weak at birth¡­ If I touch them wrong, you may have problems with your body.¡± How strong are you that I can have problems with my body? I was curious because of how careful he was. Just in time, Baon explained as if he read my mind. ¡°Dante is the head of the Ishelod family. For your information, Ishelod is a bear clan.¡± ¡°Bear?¡± ¡°It¡¯s famous for being the strongest of all werebeasts. There is also a saying that just by brushing by, one can crush bones.¡± Oh My God. I covered my mouth in surprise. When I blinked at him, Dante secretly avoided my gaze. How much strength do they have for such a saying to go around like this? I nodded my head once as if I was okay with Dante from afar. ¡°Now that I know, it¡¯s okay. Uncle avoided me because he was careful.¡± But as soon as I finished speaking, there was a strange silence. It was Cade who spoke first. ¡°¡­Whose Uncle? I don¡¯t remember mixing blood with him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same with me.¡± Dante furrowed his brows, not wanting to imagine such a thing. Then, suddenly, Dante called Cade. ¡°By the way, Cade.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been curious since the first time I saw her, but I think the pheromone is a bit different compared to a black mamba child. Even when I saw her before, the egg was unusually small, is it related to that?¡± Puzzled, Dante, who was looking at me with narrowed eyes, turned his gaze to Seth and Arban, and he looked at me again. ¡°It¡¯s definitely different. I can feel your pheromone, but it¡¯s too weak. Did you not absorb the pheromone properly in the egg? It¡¯s like looking at a child of another clan¡­¡± Dante¡¯s golden eyes widened in surprise as he continued to speak. His shocked eyes quickly turned to Cade. ¡°This kid isn¡¯t a Black Mamba?¡± ¡°You¡¯re catching on quickly.¡± Cade replied with sarcasm. Dante remained silent for a moment, probably in shock, and lowered his voice as he looked around. ¡°Where did you kidnap this kid? I didn¡¯t take you for such a twisted guy.¡± ¡°I feel the same way. This is a child born into the family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t make any sense. Because of your personality, you would have thrown away any other child of another clan¡­¡± Dante hurriedly slammed his mouth shut. I nodded casually because I already knew what he was going to say. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a bird.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Uncle doesn¡¯t like me because I¡¯m a bird?¡± I was happy to hear that Uncle had come all the way here. So from the bottom of my heart, I was very nervous to hear an answer that he disliked me. I was waiting for a quick answer, but suddenly Dante bowed his head, holding his forehead. He rather muttered in a voice without any strength, perhaps more nervous than me. ¡°This little one can sure throw people off their game.¡± ¡°Do you regret coming to see me?¡± ¡°No. I have no regrets. You can keep calling me Uncle.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll keep calling you Uncle.¡± I drank the juice lying in front of me to quench my dry throat with tension. Dante looked at me like that and burst out laughing. ¡°I¡¯m going to faint because I¡¯m surprised that another Clan¡¯s child was born so safely.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m also surprised every time I see her.¡± ¡°You¡¯d know best that amazement is not the only thing bound to come around.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Dante opened his mouth at Cade¡¯s calm reply. ¡°There will be a lot of families aiming for this chance. Especially in the East.¡± I held my breath. People from the East are looking for me? Why? As I anxiously dug into Cade¡¯s arms, he laughed about the ridiculous worry. ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Then what else should I say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s completely lawless right now. You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°Therefore?¡± Cade was consistent with his cutting words supported by his expressionless face. His low-pitched voice somehow gave me goosebumps. ¡°Who would dare?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It sounds like the target would be Irene.¡± I grabbed Cade¡¯s arm because I sensed an unusual atmosphere. Seth, who had been quietly listening to the conversation in such an atmosphere, quietly raised his hand. When everyone¡¯s eyes turned to him, Seth smiled and said. ¡°I understand what Sir Dante is worried about. But we have never been hit because we always hit first.¡± Seth was quietly speaking terrifying words. What was even more surprising was that Arban, who was sitting next to him, nodded. What if he goes around destroying his surroundings because he doesn¡¯t like it when he becomes an adult? Anxiety was rising, and Arban looked at me and said. ¡°There¡¯s a saying that goes like this, ¡°Whatever it is, punch it up first.¡± ¡°¡­I never heard it¡­¡± ¡°What? I heard you¡¯re taking classes from Kasana. I was told this on the first day.¡± At those words, I doubted my ears. Kasana taught you that in class? Not too long ago, she put a cute green caterpillar compliment sticker on my grape report card. As I was confused, Cade clicked his tongue and lifted my hands for everyone to see. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. What if you get a scratch on this hand?¡± At Cade¡¯s words, all eyes turned to my hand. As I wiggled my fingers in embarrassment for some reason, everyone seemed to be convinced. ¡°So, when you¡¯re all grown up, you have to take the lead and protect your little sister. Oh, of course¡­¡­¡± Cade erased his smiley face. ¡°Before that, I¡¯ll deal with it first, but I can¡¯t rule out all possibilities.¡± I pulled out my hand that was still up and hid it in my back. Dante looked at my hand as if possessed, looked down at his own palm, and muttered blankly. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never seen such a small fist in my life. Usually, it¡¯s bigger than that.¡± ¡°She¡¯s grown a lot now. When she first humanized, she was smaller.¡± Baon said in a tone of triumph because Dante was surprised by something like that. At that moment, Dante slowly widened his distance and moved away. It was a similar reaction as when he got closer before. Then Cade shook his hand with satisfaction. ¡°Yes. Farther away, Dante. If possible, I¡¯d like you to disappear as far as possible.¡± Chapter 34 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? The banquet ended successfully. All guests have also left. Cade had been away for a while to see off the returning guests. While returning first with Seth and Arban, I found Rosaria who had come to meet me on the first floor and ran for a hug. ¡°Rodaria!¡± ¡°Miss Irene! Did you enjoy the banquet?¡± ¡°It was so much fun!¡± I laughed softly and immediately turned sullen. ¡°But there was a couple of mean things.¡± ¡°Are you upset?¡± Rosaria¡¯s expression, who bowed down and welcomed me, hardened slightly. I shook my head, fearing that Rosaria would be worried about me. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s okay. Daddy showed up and solved it for me.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad the Lord was nearby.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Come to think of it, so many things happened in one day. It feels like it took a few days, but it all happened in one day. I started telling Rosaria about the events of the banquet one by one. ¡°Rodaria. I met Uncle today?¡± ¡°¡­Uncle? Have you met Dante?¡± ¡°Do you know Uncle, Rodaria?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s a close friend of the Lord¡¯s. The Ishelod family maintains a close relationship with our clan.¡± Although they quarreled, they were undoubtedly close friends. I smiled with a nod. ¡°He told me I can keep calling him Uncle.¡± ¡°Sir Dante? That¡¯s great, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Really? I also made a new friend too.¡± I was excited and told Rosaria about what happened at the banquet without a break. ¡°Really? What kind of new friend did you make?¡± ¡°His name is Sage and he¡¯s a tiger. We played Hide-and-Seek.¡± Rosaria, who was interested in hearing that I had a friend, paused the moment I said that my friend, was a tiger. It seemed to bother her that Sage was a tiger. Because she has been telling me every time that roars are scary, I quickly added to let her know that Sage was not scary. ¡°Sage is nice. He told me to come to the North to play.¡± ¡°¡­Did he say that himself?¡± ¡°Yes! He said he¡¯d show me around if I go to play.¡± After the banquet was over, while everyone was preparing to return to the family, Sage came by. -Irene. Next time, come to the North. I¡¯ll show you around. -Really? Then I¡¯ll go! I don¡¯t know if it will happen someday, but I promised in anticipation of the day I would visit the North to play. ¡°So when I grow up, I really want to play in the North¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Rosaria, who had regained her composure and was concentrating on my words, had a shocked expression this time. Eventually, she cut me off and started asking questions one by one. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that he invited Miss Irene to the realm where he lives?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rosaria¡¯s smile was distorted when I nodded my head hard, and she asked again as if to confirm. ¡°He told Miss Irene that he would show you around where he lives.¡± ¡°Yes. Why?¡± Is there any problem? Seeing my puzzled self, Rosaria shook her head and smiled broadly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Miss Irene.¡± Soon, the twinkling purple eyes stared fiercely at somewhere in the air. Rosaria¡¯s voice softly echoed in the hallway. ¡°I sent you to escort, but how did she come back with a leech?¡± (TL: Karma is going to have a bad time.) * * * The carriage going back to the north had left the southern border and was passing through the neutral area next to the border. As an area that no one owns, it exudes a peaceful atmosphere. Sage, who was looking at the passing scenery out the window, called out to Muhella. ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Muhella, who was looking at the work that had been put off by the banquet, raised her head. It was the first time Sage, who was only looking at the window lost in thoughts since the start of the homecoming, opened his mouth. However, even though Sage called her, he didn¡¯t open his mouth for a while. The only sound in the air was the noise of the wheels of the carriage running on the meadows, and Sage¡¯s lips, which seemed unlikely to move, finally opened. ¡°When can I meet Irene again?¡± Sage asked an unexpected question. Muhella put the documents aside and took off her glasses. ¡°Why are you asking that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just.¡± ¡°Do you miss Irene already?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± Muhella asked, subtly stretching her words. Her blue eyes gleamed. When Sage averted his gaze, she grinned. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me why, I won¡¯t tell you.¡± It was a very pleasant voice because she caught her child with a low guard. Sage sighed quietly and shut his mouth. However, Muhella did not give up. As the gaze persisted, Sage frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy. But I¡¯m willing to listen to my son¡¯s concerns.¡± Liar. It¡¯s because you¡¯re having fun. It seemed like things wouldn¡¯t end if he didn¡¯t say anything. Sage felt like he was in a trap. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s trivial.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you feel sad because it¡¯s your first friend?¡± Sage didn¡¯t deny it. It seemed that way too. It may be because of that reason that he had an appetite while playing with Irene. ¡°I think so.¡± Of course, Muhella, who thought he would refute it, looked surprised. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d say yes with that personality. ¡°That¡¯s possible. I think the next meeting will be a banquet next year. If the North also participates.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± Sage had a hunch. He¡¯s going to get teased for this for a while. He shouldn¡¯t have brought it up. When his mother said they were going, he got a bad feeling. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He doesn¡¯t fall easily. Muhella smacked her lips. I thought I could hear his inside thoughts a little more, but it was for nothing. Sage sullenly said. ¡°When can I have my next growth?¡± Look at this. Muhella held back the laughter from bursting out. He¡¯s already planning the next way because the situation doesn¡¯t go his way. ¡°I¡¯m a bit sad. Do you want to become independent already?¡± ¡°I think it would be faster that way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a long way from becoming an adult.¡± Sage¡¯s fine brows were wrinkled when Muhella shook her hands at once. She was inwardly surprised. He wants to see Irene again so much, he thinks he should become an adult faster to do it. ¡°Why are you asking for your next growth? It¡¯s just because you want to meet Irene?¡± At first, she was skeptical, but by this time she had guessed. Even though he didn¡¯t seem to know. Sage shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯m going to see her after I become an adult.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. You don¡¯t have a clear purpose, but you want to be an adult?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Just because. For some reason, I want to look at you like this.¡± Sage avoided her burdensome gaze. Muhella was still looking at her young son for a long time, contemplating whether to cheer for him or stop him. It didn¡¯t matter that Sage was interested in Irene, but if he wanted more than that, it would be a tough road. And it seemed like he already hoped for more than that. When the Kiras clan had something they want, their instinct to achieve it grew stronger. In the eyes of Muhella, who went through the process before her son, she could see it clearly. There¡¯s something Sage wants. Although it was still only at a cute level of interest for now. Muhella laughed happily. ¡°Sage. Do you know how our clan was able to take over the North?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but that¡¯s not all.¡± ¡°Really?¡± When a random question came in, Sage was vigilant in answering the question. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something more important than that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Is there anything else besides being strong? The Kiras have long been known for possessing the most powerful pheromone amidst the werebeasts. The period of growth into an adult was significantly faster than that of other clans, and their sense of battle was superior. Naturally, they have never been pushed back in territorial disputes. But there was another reason besides that? Muhella whispered as if telling a secret. ¡°Why do you think we reach adulthood earlier than other clans?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trait.¡± When I was taking classes about the Clan, I remembered hearing that it was a characteristic of the Kiras. Muhella¡¯s pupils narrowed in a thin line. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a trait. Because we are more obsessed with what we want than any other clan.¡± Sometimes to the point where it¡¯s very cruel. Muhella laughed softly. Chapter 35 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? That was the secret of being able to keep the territory even though the population was smaller than that of other clans. However, Sage still looked unsure. ¡°What does that have to do with the question?¡± ¡°You just asked when you can have your next growth.¡± That was the answer. Sage made a puzzled face. ¡°You think I want Irene?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I think I¡¯ll be able to see Irene sooner if I become an adult.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so!¡± Normally people don¡¯t try this far just to meet each other! Muhella thought to herself. Sage felt uncomfortable because it seemed he got caught. In fact, he said he would invite Irene to the North because he wanted to know the reason for this as well. I think I¡¯ll know the reason by looking at her a little more. ¡°I said I¡¯d invite Irene to the North.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Is it too cold here for her?¡± You don¡¯t know what it means to invite someone to your realm yet? That¡¯s not possible. Sage, who even took the successor class, couldn¡¯t have not known that. Muhella replied in a puzzled voice. ¡°¡­It might be cold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult to be weak.¡± Sage muttered a little. There are many things to take care of. The carriage had just entered the northern border. Snow falling from the sky caught his sight. Sage leaned comfortably at the familiar air. ¡°When I become a householder, I should expand my realm first.¡± ¡°Ho-.¡± Muhella was dumbfounded. He¡¯s thinking of expanding his territory to invite Irene to the North. He was planning right away when he heard that the small child would not be able to withstand the cold. If you think about his direction of thinking for a little bit, you will immediately find out why he is doing this. Is it because he¡¯s still young? On one hand, Muhella was confused, on the other, she was worried. It doesn¡¯t matter if the target of obsession is an object, but when a person becomes the target, the story changes. ¡®It¡¯s a little dangerous but¡­. it might still be safe?¡¯ It might have been some kind of a whim because Sage is very capricious. ¡°Do your best, Sage.¡± It seems that Irene¡¯s family would never allow her to come to the North to play. * * * Something strange has been happening lately. It was the gaze I felt around me. At first, I thought it was just my feelings and let it go, but as time went on, I realized it wasn¡¯t. As soon as I felt the fierce gaze again, I stopped my arm that was diligently painting. And shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not scared!¡± A shrill voice resounded throughout the room and I quickly looked towards the window. Only the clear sky and green leaves were reflected in the transparent window. I think there was something there! I rolled my eyes and got off the chair. I ran to the window and raised my tiptoes. When I barely looked down the window, I saw a large garden with no one in it. ¡°No one again.¡± It moved really fast this time. With no income, I exhaled heavily. I went back to the front of the desk and sat down, but I couldn¡¯t stop my gaze from going to the window. I deliberately waved my legs vigorously and gave strength to the crayons that filled my palms. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of ghosts.¡± In fact, my heart was pounding. I muttered words that were completely different from my inner heart, like a mantra, and swallowed dry saliva. I was no longer interested in coloring pages. Because all my sensory nerves had long since been directed elsewhere. While I was coloring in the picture book, Rosaria, who came out after cleaning the bathroom, asked with a puzzled face. ¡°Miss Irene, who is here?¡± ¡°Huh? No. No one is here.¡± ¡°Then who were you talking to earlier? Are you scared of something?¡± I decided to tell Rosaria what I had kept a secret. ¡°Rodaria¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Irene?¡± Sniff. I closed my lips in tears. In order to not be afraid, the hands that held the crayons tightly were dirty. The tip of my nose wrinkled because I was sad about a situation I didn¡¯t like. I knew there was no such thing as a ghost in my head, but my emotions were a separate area. ¡°I-I¡¯m scawed¡­. There¡¯s a ghost¡­. Buaaa.¡± I shouted that I wasn¡¯t afraid at all, but in fact, they were all lies. As I began to cry, Rosaria asked calmly. She seemed confused about what she heard. ¡°A ghost?¡± ¡°It¡¯s watching me since a while ago¡­¡± Rosaria looked embarrassed at the sudden appearance of a ghost. She gently patted me on the back as I hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Miss Irene. That¡¯s not a ghost.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. So let¡¯s not cry.¡± ¡°Ugh, not cry.¡± ¡°Did someone keep looking at Irene?¡± Nod. Nod. I was in Rosaria¡¯s arms and only looked down. I heard Rosaria quietly laughing. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I think I know who the culprit is.¡± I don¡¯t know how, but Rosaria¡¯s words made me feel relieved inside. I wiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand. After calming down to some extent, Rosalia, who got her body up, walked to the window. It was the window I had just checked. What is she trying to do? There was no one there. Rosaria, who opened the window wide, softly opened her mouth at the quiet air. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out right away, I¡¯ll get rid of you and not even birds and rats will know. One, two¡­¡± The content was something unknown. As Rosaria began counting the seconds without notice, an unknown presence urgently appeared from thin air. He was a gray-haired man with a graceful impression. I didn¡¯t know that a person would appear from the sky, so I blankly looked at the man. Deep purple eyes that caught my gaze stuck to me. ¡°Hello, Miss. Is this the first time we¡¯ve met like this, right?¡± I was so surprised that I got hiccups. The man grumbled as he led his body, which had been hanging over the window, into the room. ¡°That¡¯s too much, Rosaria. At least start by saying you¡¯ll be counting seconds. Do you think I¡¯m Karma?¡± I opened my eyes wide when a name I knew was mentioned. The three of them must have known each other. ¡°Miss Irene was scared because you were peeping while hiding. You should be grateful I was counting the seconds.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a mistake. I was careful, but I got caught.¡± The man had a very dignified tone. Rosaria smiled brightly when she heard it. ¡°You must have been dying to get caught.¡± As if they had known each other for a long time, the conversation between the two was relentless. I sneakily walked over to Rosaria¡¯s side. I was curious about who the man was, and I wanted to ask why he was peeping while hiding. ¡°Are you Rodaria¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Ah, this one is called Messi.¡± Rosaria introduced the man. ¡°It¡¯s a colleague I was working together at the border, but this time he¡¯s in charge of escorting Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Is that why he was watching me secretly? I remembered that Karma I saw a few days ago was also an escort. It turned out that Messi was also protecting me, so I felt a sense of closeness and my heart was relieved. I guess everyone is watching me from somewhere! I felt like I was playing hide-and-seek. Where can I see them all? I wanted to ask a lot of questions, but I decided to ask them step-by-step. ¡°Did Messi protect me too?¡± ¡°Of course. I ran from far away to protect the lady.¡± ¡°Messi. Don¡¯t talk too much.¡± Rosaria cautioned Messi, and he made a face that he was wronged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I practiced, but I¡¯m not used to it.¡± I don¡¯t care about that and laughed, saying it was okay. ¡°You know, is the border far away from here?¡± Messi folded his fingers one by one when I asked because the southern size was not well measured. ¡°You¡¯ve got to run for a few days because the southern end is very far away.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Recently, I started to have a great interest in the outside, and my eyes twinkled. ¡°I want to go there too. When can I go?¡± Chapter 36 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Since I had never seen the outside of the mansion, an envious voice came out. ¡°If you grow up a little, we can go out together.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Still, the border is difficult. It¡¯s a terrible place, I think the Lord won¡¯t allow it¡­ Oh, maybe not?¡± Messi mumbled, touching his chin. ¡°Maybe he will order us to organize the surroundings in a way that is easy for the miss to go.¡± His serious expression and tone of voice made me feel anxious. As he said, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll really happen so I shook my head quickly. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to go!¡± ¡°You said you wanted to go see it earlier.¡± ¡°No!¡± I knew that there was nothing good about causing trouble at the border. I can roughly guess how strong Messi, who is guarding such an important area, will be. The thought of people like Messi having a group riot at the border at Cade¡¯s orders made my desire to go non-existent. Messi smacked his lips when I shook my head repeatedly. ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s a pity. Everyone wanted to see you, but only a few came as representatives.¡± ¡°Others beside Karma and Messi?¡± ¡°You want to meet them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I desperately wanted to know, I was very curious. Messi grinned as I actively leaned forward. ¡°Do you want me to tell you a little bit about them?¡± I nodded my head. Messi came closer to whisper. The moment he was about to speak, a fragrant scent poked the tip of his nose. What scent is this? As I stretched my body forward towards where the scent was coming from, Messi fell from me with a small but quick movement. When I looked back at him in curiosity, he laughed awkwardly. ¡°You must have detected my pheromones, but you can¡¯t try to smell them like that, Miss.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Is it rude to do this to each other? I wasn¡¯t familiar with the etiquette yet, so I didn¡¯t know that I had made a mistake. I was wondering if I should apologize, but Rosaria explained. ¡°It is because, among the clansmen, Messi is specialized in poison.¡± ¡°Poison? Messi has poison?¡± When asked quickly about the fact I had not expected, Messi explained as it was a normal thing. ¡°Everyone is born with it.¡± Oh My God. So, you mean that everyone in the family I see every day has poison? But this is the first time I¡¯ve ever felt this scent. I looked at Rosaria next to me. No way¡­¡­. ¡°Rodaria too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the most powerful weapon that increases our chances of survival.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Because everyone was careful. If Miss Irene gets poisoned, it¡¯s a big deal, right?¡± It was the most shocking story I had ever heard. In fact, I had expected it to some extent, but hearing the answer directly felt different. I was able to realize how careful they had been around me. ¡°Miss Irene is not immune to poison. So, we should keep a distance and talk, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I will be here.¡± I decided to listen carefully to Rosaria. ¡°Messi is being careful, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± ¡°Yes. I know.¡± As it turned out, the more I knew, the more the Black Mambas were an overpowering clan. From birth, it wasn¡¯t just physical abilities that were outstanding. The level of pheromones was easily beyond imagination. Could it be that everyone can use that power? ¡°But are you really okay, Miss?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve touched my pheromones after all.¡± Messi asked with a stiff expression on his face. I looked at my body. There was no problem at all. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°I think you definitely touched it¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you mistaken, Messi? If Miss Irene touched your pheromone, she wouldn¡¯t be okay.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He tilted his head and nodded. Even a very small amount seems to be a problem. I realized once again how I was being raised in a terrifying place. I¡¯ll have to be careful from now on. I sat my buttocks close to the end of the backrest. Messi shrugged his shoulders at how funny my reaction was and laughed out loud. Among the swaying white hair, the piercings that were tightly hung along his ear drew my attention. The elaborately crafted jewels were gorgeous. Although it felt a little different from what you would call a jewel. Messi, who stopped his laughter, caught his breath and spread out his hand. ¡°There are four escorts, including myself.¡± ¡°Four people?¡± ¡°Yes. A little too much, isn¡¯t it?¡± Because the Lord is an extreme person. Messi muttered. I agreed with him. What do you mean four? I was surprised by the number that was larger than expected. So, are there two more escorts I haven¡¯t seen yet? Where is everyone hiding? There is not enough space in the room to hide. Maybe they are outside of the room like Messi earlier. As I glanced out the window, he shook his head, still smiling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but not now. Everyone is absent except for me.¡± ¡°Where did everyone go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s shift work. We take turns in watching over you, but in the banquet, we were all together.¡± I was so sorry to hear that we couldn¡¯t meet now. I pouted my lips sullenly. I really want to meet them, but I guess we can take turns. Even though I knew I couldn¡¯t do it, I was upset. It was because several days had passed since the banquet had already ended, but no one showed up except for Messi. ¡°Oh, Miss Irene. Don¡¯t be upset.¡± Rosaria gently patted me on the shoulder as if she had read my mind. ¡°Everyone is busy writing letters of self-reflection.¡± ¡°Self-reflection?¡± ¡°Yes. The Lord ordered it.¡± Then I remembered that Cade had said for everyone to submit a statement of reflection. The reason for the silence must have been because everyone was writing a reflection letter somewhere in the mansion. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to meet by chance if you look around? I saw Messi. He was sitting comfortably, showing the luxury of a person who had already submitted the letter of reflection. ¡°Why? Do you have anything to ask?¡± ¡°Did Messi finish the letter?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Can they come to see me when it¡¯s all over?¡± ¡°Do you want to meet them soon Miss?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to see them!¡± I shook my head broadly. As I clenched my fists, Messi gaze turned to my hands. His lips, which contained a faint smile, deepened and ascended in a long arc. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know when it will end. Those guys will probably take a while since they¡¯ve never written a reflection letter¡­ It seems like they don¡¯t know what a reflection letter is in the first place.¡± Messi, who was muttering as he tapped the armrests of the sofa, glanced at me. As I tilted my head, a playful smile passed through his lips. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way to help them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°To do that, Miss Irene must do something first.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Messi pointed to the colored pencils and crayons lying on the desk. Next, he beckoned to the sketchbook, which had jagged edges on the bookshelf. ¡°Would you like to write them a letter with that? , like this. I¡¯ll give it to them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Did you know? If you send that, they will surely complete and submit the letter at a tremendous speed.¡± Messi smiled brightly. If I send a letter, they will finish work quickly and come see me? I was a little skeptical but decided to try it as I pulled out my sketchbook. Messi, who sneaked up to the side, kept looking as if interested. What should I write? I drew a large heart in the center. ¡°I can¡¯t write yet, so I need Rodaria to help me.¡± ¡°Of course, I can help. What do you want to write?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I repeatedly thought of something to write and spoke clearly after I decided. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet you. Come soon, Irene.¡± Rosaria wrote lightly on the heart to make it easier to follow and I traced it over with crayons. By filling in the remaining blank space with stars, a plausible letter was completed. ¡°It¡¯s all over!¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s a very pretty letter.¡± ¡°You have to deliver it well!¡± My heart swelled with pride and Messi received the letter with a subtle expression. ¡°This might really work.¡± Chapter 37 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Afternoon work was finished. To cool his head, Cade turned to check the self-reflection letters submitted in the morning. It took quite a while for everyone to submit. Cade started to read with a light attitude because he was thinking of going easy on them. But the moment he read the first line, he realized what a complacency it had been, and called out Baon. ¡°Baon.¡± ¡°Yes, did you call?¡± Baon, who was processing unfinished documents, raised his head. Cade re-read the letters several times with a dumbfounded expression and held his forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t know how these guys got into my family. Bring me the papers of who brought these guys in.¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Baon curiously asked at the sudden instruction. Do you want to check the precedents of the gatekeepers only because you read their letters of self-reflection? Their identities were so certain that they didn¡¯t have to be checked separately. To begin with, only collateral families are eligible to enter the Astrophels Family. It goes without saying that there was nothing to be concerned about. However, Cade¡¯s expression was cynical. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it was, but bring them in front of me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve the right to be treated as a guest.¡± ¡°Is it that bad?¡± What the hell was written in those letters? Baon wondered why Cade reacted like that. ¡°May I read it too?¡± ¡°Read.¡± When permission was granted, Baon caught the crumpled self-reflection letter from Cade¡¯s hand. First of all, the beautiful handwriting was a pass. At this level, the appearance was not bad. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with¡­¡± Baon, who was checking the contents, doubted his eyes for a moment. What should I say? He was speechless for a while. A quiet atmosphere filled the office. ¡°These are the guys that work under me.¡± The more he thought about it, the more absurd it was, making him burst into laughter. He rubbed his forehead and sighed. ¡°¡­It seems that they did their best. Seems like all the formalities were met?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more ridiculous.¡± It was needlessly honest. Baon deeply sympathized with those words. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°What does it look like to your eyes?¡± ¡°If you mean this¡­ It¡¯s undeniably not a reflection letter¡­¡± But it was very similar to a war report. It was almost no different from the war strategic plans that were regularly submitted at the border in case of an emergency. In addition, the submitted contents were surprisingly similar, whether they were even drafted together. It was even more admirable because they hadn¡¯t discussed how to write it beforehand. Baon was confused and closed his eyes, and somehow tried to interpret the meaning in a good way. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a plan that was proposed out of terrible concern for Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Concern as in, asking me to prepare the troops as soon as possible for all-out war?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or taking Retra¡¯s head to present it to Irene?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask them to write again.¡± No more words came to mind. Baon clicked his tongue slightly. It seemed it was already wrong from the beginning to expect a normal statement of self-reflection. Cade looked out the window where the sun was setting. He hasn¡¯t been able to see Irene in the past few days because he¡¯s been dealing with overdue work. ¡°What is Irene doing these days?¡± ¡°Ah. Come to think of it, Rosaria came to report yesterday.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Cade¡¯s expression softened, and a faint smile was added. The obvious change was so visible that Baon was surprised even though he was witnessing it every time. ¡°She eats very well and actively participates in classes.¡± ¡°I see. Is that the end?¡± ¡°There is one more, but I don¡¯t know how to say it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Baon was at a loss as to whether or not to say this. He doesn¡¯t know why he¡¯s in a situation where he has to deliver this kind of content himself. He turned his gaze away from Cade, who was waiting for the next part. ¡°The successor of the Kiras family told Miss Irene to come to the North to play.¡± There was a chilling silence. Baon swallowed his dry saliva and quickly added more words. ¡°It seems like he said something he didn¡¯t know because he was still young.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That kid?¡± It was something no one would believe. Cade¡¯s lips twisted upwards. He was already concerned about those matters involving Irene, but in the end, things turned out like this. ¡°There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t know if he¡¯s taken succession classes properly.¡± One of the most important factors in the succession class was to grasp the truth behind words. Of course, he must have known what it meant to invite her into the realm. ¡°Who dare you wag your tail to?¡± Not knowing your place. Cade chuckled as if it was ridiculous. The very next day. An amazing thing happened, and Baon briefly expressed his surprise. ¡°Ohh?¡± On the desk, something that could be called a normal ¡®self-reflection letter¡¯ was newly submitted. It was just as Messi had guessed. * * * ¡°Rodaria! What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a new bathrobe.¡± After showering and wrapping herself in a large towel, she found a gown she had never seen before. Irene¡¯s eyes twinkled at the white bathrobe hanging cutely on the hanger. Is that mine? As she pointed to the gown and turned around, Rosaria smiled. ¡°Now, I thought it would be better to wear a robe instead of a towel, so I prepared it. Would you like to try it on?¡± ¡°Wow! I¡¯m going to try it on!¡± The towel wrapped around my body twirled and untied. When I changed into a pure white gown, the soft touch on my skin felt like a bubble. ¡°Do you like it, Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Yes. I feel like a grown-up because I¡¯m wearing this. I¡¯m an adult.¡± I excitedly ran in front of the mirror. I tried to fiddle with the slightly wider sleeves and the ribbon tied around the waist. Now I can even wear a bathrobe! Rosaria, who had been watching with delight from behind, approached with a soft towel. It was to dry the hair, which was still wet. ¡°It took me a while to find the right size. If I knew you would like it this much, I should have brought it earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I feel really good right now.¡± I drank the iced tea that was prepared as a snack. Ice and pieces of fruit were floating in the ice tea. ¡°Miss Irene, have you finished your homework?¡± Rosaria asked, shaking off my hair with a towel. I glanced at the wall clock adorned with flower vines. There was still quite a bit of time before class started. I shook my head because I still had homework to do. I was learning simple vocabulary recently, but in order to not forget, there was a daily homework assignment to write the letters before class the next day. ¡°A little left.¡± ¡°Are you going to go out to the garden today as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll prepare some snacks for you too. Today¡¯s snack is crackers. There are chocolate and fruits on top. Doesn¡¯t it sound delicious?¡± ¡°Delicious!¡± ¡°All right. It¡¯s all dry.¡± ¡°Thank you, Rodaria.¡± I got out of my chair and grabbed my notebook and pen. When I put the container of snacks in the bag and zipped it, the flat side became plump. I put down my bag in front of the door and picked up the sky blue dress that was folded on the bed. I unbuttoned the button on the back. ¡°May I help you change your clothes?¡± ¡°No. I can do it.¡± In fact, it was still difficult to wear socks by myself, but I could easily wear a dress alone. I put clothes on my head, pulled out my neck, pulled out my arms one by one, and simply changed into a dress. My hair got a little frizzy, but after I cleaned it with my hands, it went down again. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve changed so well! I¡¯ll button it up for you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rosaria fastened the button on the back. Whenever something came up that I could have done on my own, Rosaria expressed joy mixed with a subtle expression. She seemed amazed as she watched me grow up in real-time. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go pick you up before class starts.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I put the bag over my shoulder. Let¡¯s go to the garden and get on a swing! A private swing was recently installed in the garden. They said there would be a slide soon. It was because there was no suitable entertainment in the mansion. Another new thing installed was the parasol. There was also a large mat laid out under it. This was also for me. I came out to the garden, put my bag on the mat, and ran to the swing. ¡°Oh, Miss. Are you riding on the swing?¡± ¡°Messi?¡± ¡°Hello. Good morning.¡± Messi came out with sleepy eyes when I turned my head towards the voice I heard. Maybe he had just woken up. Chapter 38 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? After being caught once, he seemed to have no hesitation in appearing in front of me. Messi, who was walking next to the swing, snooped around to see if the swing was safe. ¡°Did you deliver the letter well?¡± ¡°Oh, that. Of course. Everyone loved it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. They have submitted all the letters. It¡¯s because the young lady cheered them on.¡± It was fortunate that all the letters of self-reflection were submitted. Then can we meet now? Messi¡¯s mouth trembled as I spoke, perhaps thinking of something. Seeing me curious, he smiled brightly. ¡°There was no other spectacular view such as that. Thank you. Thanks to the lady, I was able to see such a scene.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± ¡°Ask yourself later. What did they do?¡± I was curious, but I nodded for now. First of all, it was more important to ride the swing. I set my buttocks on the swing and held the string firmly with both hands. ¡°Messi, please push me.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I have to do like this, back and forth, but it¡¯s hard.¡± When I shook my leg and pretended to be in trouble, Messi, who was moderately away, approached. ¡°How hard should I push?¡± ¡°Hmm. Gently!¡± ¡°Gently? ¡­It¡¯s not a very difficult request, but why does it feel difficult?¡± Messi muttered. Contrary to his positive tone in accepting the request, Messi seemed to ponder for a moment. He looked like he was contemplating how softly he should push. I looked ahead and waited for him to push me quickly. Soon the swing began to move slowly. With a sense of a moderately fast speed, I vigorously rolled my legs back and forth. ¡°Wow!¡± A cool breeze fluttered my hair. As I cheered every time I got closer to the sky, I heard Messi¡¯s small laugh from behind. ¡°Harder!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just a little harder!¡± I exclaimed with great excitement. It seemed that it would be okay to go up a little higher from here. I thought Messi would save me right away if anything happened. I¡¯m going to ride a little bit more and go do my homework. The swing that went up high in the sky went all the way down again. As I was stretching my legs, I felt a poking in my back. ¡°Huh?¡± I tilted my head. What is it? The feeling was quite different from when Messi was pushing. It was a feeling of being very careful, leisurely pushing forward in a slow manner. ¡°Messi?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When I called Messi with doubt, a voice that I had to hear from behind came out right next to me. I looked to the side in surprise. He was leaning on the tree with the swing and watching as if it was very fun. Who¡¯s pushing the swing now? Messi laughed out loud when I was confused. ¡°Fayman. Stop it now that you¡¯ve been caught. The lady is surprised.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± An unfamiliar voice full of regret came from behind. The hand that gently pushed the swing disappeared. Fayman? It was a name I never heard before. I immediately realized that he was one of my escorts. When did you change seats? I quickly waited for the swing to stop. ¡°I received your letter, Miss Irene.¡± It was a very friendly voice full of affection. ¡°Did you read the letter?¡± ¡°Yes. I was at a loss because I didn¡¯t know how to write a reflection letter. After reading your letter, I was able to come and see you early because I got the energy to finish it.¡± ¡°How did you write the letter?¡± ¡°I thought it was okay to reflect in moderation and get revenge.¡± It was a very exotic letter of self-reflect. Because of that, it took several days to submit the letter. I wondered why it took so long, but the question was solved. I jumped off after the swing completely stopped. Then turned around to see Fayman. My eyes met with dark brown hair and green eyes that gave a mysterious feeling. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m finally able to say hello.¡± ¡°Are you Fayman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I looked down and saw a finger poking out awkwardly in the air. Not knowing why he was holding up his finger, Fayman smiled as if he was embarrassed when I looked blankly at him. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s. I heard I have to push gently, but I don¡¯t know how much power I needed to control.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°About one finger was enough.¡± I guess that finger was the feeling of poking me earlier. ¡­You made me fly high in the sky with just one finger, and I think I flew very high. I smiled happily at Fayman, whom I was meeting for the first time, face-to-face. ¡°Did Fayman also want to meet me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking something obvious.¡± ¡°I wanted to meet too!¡± Clop. I hugged his leg. Fayman, who was about to step back, stood still in place when he saw me hugging his calves. In an instant, Messi freaked out and began to speak hastily. ¡°Hold on, Fayman. Remember, the lady is holding your legs right now.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m trying to be careful right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± Dukukugung. At the same time, I sunk to the floor. I glanced at the lawn that became hollow. If this was the first time that something like this had happened, I would have been very surprised, but I was not surprised because I had seen and experienced it before. To-duk. To-duk. When I lifted one foot after the other, a lump of dirt from the back of the sandal fell. I gently pulled out the feet that were inside the ground. ¡°¡­Miss, are you okay? You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± Rather, it seemed that Messi was more surprised than me. He, who had been dazed, approached with contemplation. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay. Not hurt.¡± When I nodded that I was fine, he was relieved. Nevertheless, he looked around my legs because he couldn¡¯t relax. I looked up at Fayman, who was frozen. I think he was very surprised by the sudden hug, seeing as how he sunk the floor. ¡°Fayman.¡± ¡°Ah¡­. yes.¡± ¡°Sorry that I surprised you.¡± When I apologized, Fayman, who had been silent for a while, suddenly covered his eyes with both hands. He stepped back, looked at me and sighed. Eyes full of trouble roamed the air. Soon, he quietly called out to Messi. ¡°Messi. This is too much.¡± ¡°No. Hold back.¡± ¡°Did you see the Miss walking in front of us? Did you see how cute the little miss walking by is?¡± ¡°You were told not to go around breaking everything as you did at the border.¡± It was a conversation that showed how Fayman usually behaved. I looked again at him. His green eyes and dark brown hair that seemed to melt like chocolate gave off an infinitely soft atmosphere. But it turned out that he was violently smashing things around. I could hardly imagine it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Irene. I¡¯ll be more careful now.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like this every day, right?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± Fayman muffled his words as he squatted and stuffed the hole he made in the lawn. His brow narrowed slightly, Fayman seemed to recall the past. ¡°When I was at the border, it¡¯s hard to answer positively to you, because I don¡¯t have to control my strength¡­. It was not every day, but sometimes? Whether it¡¯s when I felt good or bad, or when I was embarrassed.¡± When I put the list of situations one by one, it seemed to happen almost every day. I decided to keep a distance from him. Messi clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°As you can see, that¡¯s why we can¡¯t all come together.¡± ¡°¡­Un, I understand.¡± ¡°Thanks for understanding.¡± It would be difficult if the same situation happened consecutively. I thought it had been a while, so I walked toward the mat. Messi and Fayman followed as if it was natural. I took off my sandals and neatly sat down. Because it seemed like I had to do my homework soon. Bringing the bag from one side and taking out a notebook and a pencil case, the two looked at the bag with interest. Messi asked. ¡°What are you going to do? Aren¡¯t you going to swing more?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to study now.¡± ¡°¡­Study?¡± ¡°Kasa gave me homework for today, so I have to do it all. If I don¡¯t, I feel bad for Kasa.¡± I opened my notebook and started writing down the words one by one. Messi and Fayman stayed quietly by my side until I finished my homework. ¡°It¡¯s all done!¡± ¡°Oh, are you already learning the words?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all done, so I¡¯ll eat snacks.¡± I was hungry because I focused too much even though I didn¡¯t think I did it for a long time. I pulled out a snack box from my bag. Fayman pointed to the barrel and asked. ¡°Is that a snack?¡± ¡°Yes. This is my snack.¡± ¡°¡­Is that the all?¡± ¡°The lady can¡¯t eat much. You saw it last time.¡± ¡°It is, but¡­¡± When I opened the snack box, a sweet scent came up. Crackers topped with cute fruits appeared. I picked up the crackers the size of the palm of my hand and handed them out one by one. You¡¯re supposed to share things like this! ¡°I¡¯ll give you one. Eat this.¡± Chapter 39 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? ¡°Are you giving this to us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat well, Miss.¡± Messi gladly accepted the cracker. Fayman, who was seriously contemplating whether to take it or not, saw him and quickly received the snack. Piercings glistened through Messi¡¯s hair when his ears peeked out as he ate the cracker in one bite. I decided to ask what I¡¯ve been curious about. ¡°Messi.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± I pointed to his ear and asked, Messi said as if it was nothing. ¡°Ah, this. It¡¯s a pheromone stone.¡± ¡°A pheromone stone?¡± That kind of thing exists too. It was a story I had never heard of. When I looked at him with a look that I didn¡¯t know, Messi seemed to be thinking about how to explain it, and then opened his mouth. ¡°It has a variety of uses, but it is mainly used as a control device.¡± ¡°Control device?¡± ¡°It is mainly used by werebeasts who have difficulty controlling pheromones.¡± It seems that he is unable to control the pheromone on his own. I was curious about a new fact I heard for the first time today. ¡°Then Messi can¡¯t control pheromones?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Messi quietly shut his mouth. When I who was puzzled stared at him, his deep eyes secretly avoided my gaze. Huh? What is it? What do you use it for? The most frustrating thing in the world was when someone stopped talking. Messi flinched when I grabbed his arm and shook it to ask for a quick answer. Fayman, who was watching from the side, smirked and said. ¡°Why do you go around digging your own grave?¡± ¡°What is it? Do you know, Fayman?¡± ¡°He¡¯s using it to maximize his pheromone.¡± Maximize it? But wouldn¡¯t that mean you can¡¯t control it? I think it would be incredible if there were so many gemstones on it. ¡°If you look at it, most of it is purple, right?¡± I saw a piercing in Messi¡¯s ear. Each one was filled with deep purple. Like the color of his eyes. Fayman whispered with a tired face. ¡°The closer the gemstone is to purple, the more pure and powerful it is.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You would usually think it¡¯s used for control when he¡¯s wearing several of them, but this guy uses them for crazy purposes like pheromone explosions.¡± In a word, it meant that he was insane. Messi replied in a voice tinged with resentment. ¡°It¡¯s not something I use every day. It¡¯s only used occasionally when there are a lot of enemies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And if it¡¯s dangerous, he can control the pheromone again with the same thing. Because of that, he claims it¡¯s not complete insanity.¡± Fayman smiled brightly. It was nuanced that his friend didn¡¯t dare admit the truth. I looked at Messi with concern for no apparent reason. ¡°I hate Messi doing dangerous things.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I hate dangerous.¡± Either way, it was a risky method. When I frowned as hard as I could and spoke firmly, Messi, who had twitching lips, nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then you promise?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay then!¡± I laughed softly when he promised to not use it. It seemed like it was time to go back, and just as I packed my bag, I heard Rosaria calling. ¡°Miss Irene!¡± ¡°Rodaria?¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for class. Give me the bag.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I put everything I brought with me in my bag and put on the sandals I had taken off. You can¡¯t be late for class, so let¡¯s hurry up! I took Rosaria¡¯s hand and paused for a moment before returning to my room. ¡°Bye-bye! I¡¯m leaving now.¡± After saying goodbye to both of them, I looked forward again. Rosaria, who had stopped and waited for me, asked with a happy smile. ¡°Did you have fun together?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rosaria squinted at the hollowed lawn. ¡°If Miss Irene is having fun, I¡¯m glad.¡± The two escorts, who had been waving their hands side by side as they watched Irene¡¯s back, stood up with regretful faces. ¡°I was wondering why Rosaria wasn¡¯t coming back, but she was here hogging the little lady all to herself.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Messi shook his head in agreement. He looked at the seat where Irene had been sitting before. Fluffy pheromones were scattered all over the garden. Fayman raised the corner of his lips and murmured. ¡°I would have really regretted it if I hadn¡¯t come.¡± *** On my way back to the room with Rosaria, I ran into Kasana who was waiting at the door. ¡°Kasa!¡± Kasana turned her gaze to us as I warmly welcomed her and silently bowed. Why did she come so early today? There must still be time left for class to start. Every time I was in the garden, I knew that Rosaria came to pick me up at a generous time. ¡°Kasa, why are you here so early today?¡± Kasana smiled faintly as we stepped inside. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when class is over.¡± ¡°Okay. Then, I¡¯ll be back after washing my hands!¡± I quickly went into the bathroom and climbed up the simple stool in front of the sink. After washing my hands with soap, Rosaria wiped them with a towel. ¡°I¡¯m done washing up!¡± ¡°Good job. So, shall we get ready for class now?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I sat across from Kasa. She was standing upright and checking my homework in advance. ¡°You did well today, Miss Irene. I¡¯ll give you a sticker.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Kasana opened the transparent box. Inside were stickers that had been cut into squares. I quickly received the caterpillar sticker and pulled out the grape-shaped paper that I had stored in the treasure chest. Now it was almost half full, so if I worked a little harder, I could receive a gift. ¡°You¡¯ve collected a lot. You¡¯ll receive a gift soon.¡± ¡°Yes. I like gifts.¡± I don¡¯t know what kind of gift it was, but either way, it was good. I proudly checked the paper a few times and put it back in the box. ¡°Do you remember all the words you learned so far?¡± ¡°Of course. I did it again and again, so I know everything.¡± ¡°Then this is my personal gift.¡± ¡°Gift?¡± I haven¡¯t collected all the praise stickers yet? I twinkled my eyes. A wrapped present appeared under the table, it was probably hidden until now. ¡°Can I open it now?¡± ¡°You can.¡± Excitedly, I unpacked the wrapping paper. Inside was a storybook I had never seen before. ¡°Baby¡­ Sprout?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°This is what I learned last time!¡± I looked over the first page. I could read it smoothly from the first line. It seems that the words that I have been taught in the meantime have been taken from this book. I thought of Kasana, who must have chosen a children¡¯s book with a lot of thought. I laughed out loud at the warm and fuzzy feeling. ¡°Thank you, Kasa. I think this will be fun!¡± ¡°That s relief. Then let¡¯s learn the next word.¡± Kasana pulled out a notebook with a list of short words. I looked at the notebook with interest. What kind of fairy tale book did you choose this time? I leaned close to the table to see it up close. When I learned that Kasana, who seemed to be blunt in everything, was thinking deeply about the contents of the class every time, I was motivated. ¡°Huh? I think I can read this?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Su..san¡­It¡¯s sand!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You learn very quickly.¡± I bashfully laughed at her compliment. In fact, once you learn how to write and read characters, the application is very easy. The continent used an official language, which was made so that all werebeasts could learn easily. Kasana told me the meanings of each word written in the notebook, and as I progressed through the class to the last word without hesitation, she closed the notebook. ¡°I think I was worried for no reason.¡± ¡°Worry?¡± ¡°Yes. I was going to decide on a future schedule based on the progress of today¡¯s class, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°Decide?¡± Kasana pulled out some documents in front of me. It was similar to the class schedule shown when we first met. This time, more complicated things were added. ¡°New classes will be added.¡± (Kasana) ¡°What else am I learning?¡± (Irene) Rosaria, who had been avoiding her seat, approached as if she had been listening to the conversation. ¡°It seems like the contents of the class are changing, right?¡± (Rosaria) ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Kasana) ¡°Is it a pheromone class that¡¯s been added?¡± (Rosaria) ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time since Miss Irene succeeded in humanizing.¡± (Kasana) ¡°I think it¡¯s the right time then.¡± (Rosaria) Pheromone class? I opened my eyes wide in surprise. If I learn how to handle pheromones, will I be able to transform myself freely? Rosaria, who sat next to me, read the schedule. ¡°Teaching in the room is reduced to once every two days.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Rosaria. Pheromone classes will be held in the forest.¡± ¡°Can we go into the forest now?¡± Chapter 40 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Until now, I had not been able to enter the forest because it was dangerous. There was no problem in going together with Rosaria, but I was warned every time I went somewhere near the area. But this time, I was thrilled to hear that I¡¯ll be taking classes in the forest. ¡°You did a great job. Congratulations, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to take classes like Seth and Arban.¡± Seeing that the two of them practiced in the forest, maybe they took a pheromone class then. I was excited to think that I would go through the same process as them both. ¡°Before that, there is one thing I need to check.¡± ¡°Check?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold your hand for a moment.¡± I reached out with a puzzled look and Kasana explained. ¡°We need to check to see if your pheromone has reached a stable phase.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It seemed that the pheromone class had to be conducted when it was in a stable state. Kasana, holding my hand, seemed to be carefully looking at something. As the atmosphere became heavy, showing how important this was, I hardened my body to not move without reason. After holding my hand for a long time, Kasana¡¯s black eyes moved towards me. I swallowed dry saliva. Is something wrong? ¡°¡­Why? I¡¯m weird?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. You can just sit down comfortably.¡± I looked up, leaning my body in anxiety towards where Rosaria was sitting. When our eyes met, Rosalia smiled. ¡°Rodaria, am I strange?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Irene. This is how everyone is checked. I did the same.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kasana¡¯s hand, who was checking the pheromone, fell. At the same time, my body which had been stiff from tension was released. ¡°How is it, Kasa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, don¡¯t worry. Miss Irene¡¯s pheromones seem to have reached a stable phase.¡± ¡°Really? So, can I learn in the forest now?¡± ¡°You can go to the entrance of the forest for the next class.¡± It was a very fortunate thing. I took a deep breath of relief and started to collect the class materials that Kasana had arranged one by one. ¡°Then let¡¯s finish today¡¯s class here.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Kasa.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be going then.¡± I followed her to the front door and waved my hand. She seemed awkward while looking back at me as if she wasn¡¯t used to being seen off like this every time she went back from class. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­¡­See you tomorrow.¡± Clack. The door closed. I laughed while running to the bed and fell flat on my face. I love it! As I stomped my feet and rolled from side to side, I heard laughter from behind. ¡°Are you that happy, Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Yes. What should I do? Will I be able to do it?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯ll have great success.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll surprise everyone.¡± I made an ambitious plan. * * * Clack. The door closed and Kasana stepped out into the hallway. Her eyes sank deeply. Walking at a constant stride, she stopped in front of a door. Her destination. Knock. Knock. ¡°Lord, this is Kasana.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± After the permission was granted, Kasana went inside. Cade, who was looking at the report, turned his gaze to her. Since he already knew why Kasana came to him, he immediately brought out the main point. ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± Kasana¡¯s black eyes flickered slightly. Cade, who had guessed the result from that little reaction, shifted his gaze back to the report he was looking at. ¡°I understand even if I don¡¯t listen to it.¡± ¡°Did the Lord already expect it?¡± ¡°I hoped it wasn¡¯t the case.¡± It meant that he had already expected it. It was only then that Kasana understood why he had given such instructions. She felt her anxiety calming all the way down as she looked at Cade¡¯s laid-back reaction. Because Cade was well-known to be a person who finds things out faster than anyone else and makes dozens of plans in advance. Kasana believed that this time too was such a case. That¡¯s why she spoke with a much lighter heart. ¡°The Lord¡¯s prediction was correct. It has been confirmed that the lady¡¯s body has pheromones of different energy.¡± ¡°Explain.¡± She opened her mouth, recalling Irene¡¯s pheromone she had just felt. ¡°One was Miss Irene¡¯s natural pheromone, and the other had a form similar to that of a Black Mamba.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a little different.¡± ¡°Different?¡± Cade¡¯s hand that was signing the paper stopped. At that moment, the cool red eyes turned to Kasana again. ¡°It was as if¡­ it¡¯s not alive.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± Pheromones were akin to the life force of werebeasts. If it did not move, it was safe to say that the life of the beast was as good as lost. ¡°When my pheromones approached, there was no response.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you said it didn¡¯t seem alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When someone else¡¯s pheromone approached, pheromones are bound to react instinctively. In particular, when a stronger or higher ranked pheromone than its own approached, it would defend or attack. It was a set reaction in either direction. However, Irene¡¯s pheromone was strangely silent. It was like holding its breath while waiting to see what happens. Moreover, such an approach was one of the hunting methods adopted only by higher predators. Kasana could never erase that strange sensation that made her feel like prey. ¡°It felt like it was watching, knowing I couldn¡¯t hurt Miss Irene.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember what you reported, but I think you said that Irene can¡¯t handle pheromones yet.¡± ¡°I remember. Indeed, Miss can¡¯t deal with pheromones yet.¡± ¡°Then you must be well aware that there is a sense of ambiguity in what you are reporting to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying now sounds like the pheromone is acting with an ego of its own.¡± That was impossible. No pheromone could go against consciousness. That was only the case when a beast was eroded by pheromones and lost all reason. Irene wasn¡¯t such a case, so it made even less sense. ¡°Interesting.¡± Cade burst into laughter at the increasing mystery. ¡°There¡¯s nothing ordinary about my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is this the fun of raising daughters?¡± I don¡¯t think so. Kasana swallowed her words, which reached the tip of her throat. Cade was probably the only one who could laugh at such an important matter. ¡°Shall we proceed with the pheromone classes as scheduled?¡± (Kasa) ¡°Yes. Manipulating pheromones is an ability that Miss Irene absolutely needs.¡± (Cade) ¡°I see. Do you have further orders?¡± ¡°For the time being, keep this to yourself.¡± ¡°¡­Are you going to keep it a secret from Lady Rosaria?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shouldn¡¯t Rosaria, who is always by Irene¡¯s side, be aware of it? Kasana looked at him with questioning eyes. ¡°If Rosaria changes her attitude out of the blue, those around will notice. It¡¯s only a matter of time before rumors spread.¡± ¡°Are you saying that someone will leak it to the outside world?¡± ¡°There are people everywhere who wonder what¡¯s going on in my family.¡± There was no place to be relaxed. Emergencies always happen when you don¡¯t expect them to. Rosaria was the perfect match for Irene, but she was too dedicated, and overzealous devotion can be poisonous at times. She would have searched the continent to find a solution for Irene, but at the same time, it was a very dangerous method. From time immemorial, those who covet the South often target the young heirs of the Astrophel family. The moment the hyenas who are looking for an opportunity sniffed something, Irene would be under their fire. No, maybe¡­ It may have already started when Irene came to the Astrophel family. ¡°For the time being, don¡¯t let Rosaria know.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Kasana, who understood what Cade meant, bowed her head. ¡°It¡¯s a fine day, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± She was confused by the weather small talk that came out from nowhere. As if thinking about something, Cade tapped his desk and narrowed his brow. ¡°It¡¯s about time you come. You seem to have a lot of patience.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll want to go outside and see new things.¡± He murmured, flipping through the calendar with a more serious face than ever. At his incomprehensible words and actions, Kasana looked back on her memory to see if there were words she had not heard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Kasana.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did Irene say something about wanting to go outside?¡± Cade asked while looking back and forth at the calendar with his chin on his hand. Kasana was speechless and shut her mouth. She had recently heard that Cade allowed the two Young Masters to go out on the condition that knights escorted them. But she thought that he did not allow Irene because she was still young. That may be one of the reasons, but¡­ did he do it on purpose? Do you want to see Irene running up to you to beg? ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking forward to it, Kasana?¡± Cade¡¯s lips rose mischievously. Chapter 41 ¡°Miss Irene. It¡¯s time to wake up.¡± Wiggle. Wiggle. When I fall asleep to take a nap, I always wake up in a daze. I wiggled into the blanket wanting to sleep a little longer and heard Rosaria¡¯s voice whispering in my ear. ¡°You have to get up. It¡¯s already past five.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°The Lord said that today, everyone should have dinner together.¡± Blink. We¡¯re all going to have dinner together? I sprang to my feet. It has been ages since we had a family meal. Sticking my head out of the blanket, I looked at Rosaria. ¡°Family dinner?¡± ¡°Yes. You have to get up and get ready to go, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m up. I¡¯ll be the first to arrive.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tidy up your hair first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ha-am. I yawned loudly because I was not fully awake yet. I had a lot of fun in the garden today. Sitting on the bed, I waited for Rosaria to fix my hair. I could feel her hand gently brushing it down. While I was fiddling with my side hair, I suddenly thought I wanted to have braids today. ¡°Rodaria. Can I have braids now?¡± (Note: She¡¯s talking about length hair) ¡°Okay. Shall I braid it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rosaria started braiding it down, and a yellow ribbon was tied at the end of my tightly braided hair. ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡± ¡°Woah, pretty!¡± I didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable with my long braids tied on both sides. After all preparations were done, I left the room to go to the dining hall. ¡°I¡¯ll be the first.¡± ¡°If you go now, Miss Irene will arrive early.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Everyone was busy, so there was a high chance that they would come on time. I turned the corner of the hallway to go to the stairs that went to another floor. At that moment, I ran into Seth that was coming down from the floor above. Seth looked a little surprised, as he didn¡¯t know he would run into me. ¡°Irene?¡± ¡°Brother? Where are you going?¡± ¡°I was on my way to the dining hall.¡± Already? This fast? It was a very unexpected situation. Seth, who had stopped in his tracks, said as he went down the rest of the steps. ¡°You braided your hair, Irene.¡± ¡°Rodaria did it for me. Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± I held my long, braided hair with both hands and showed it. Seth, who quietly looked down at my head, walked by my side. ¡°Brother Seth, didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°Heh. I wanted to see everyone very much, so I came out first.¡± ¡°I see.¡± But why did Seth come out so quickly? Did he leave early because he had something to see before going to the dining hall? When I curiously looked at him, Seth¡¯s red eyes that were looking straight ahead turned downwards. ¡°I just have nothing else to do.¡± ¡°Okay. Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± I almost forgot to brag about it! With a wide smile, I started to brag to Seth. ¡°Me too! I can take classes in the forest now.¡± ¡°Forest?¡± ¡°Yes. Now I can take pheromone classes in the forest. Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± Hurry up and say it¡¯s cool. As my eyes twinkled in anticipation, the corners of Seth¡¯s mouth stiffly rose as if it were made of plastic. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± It was a soulless reply, somewhat within the anticipated scope of his reactions. Because Seth is awkward when giving praise. In the meantime, I had roughly grasped Seth¡¯s nature, so there was no damage to my self-esteem. ¡°Now I can turn into a bird and fly. Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°And¡­¡­.¡± ¡°By the way, Irene.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Seth¡¯s eyes grew wide open, and a smile that seemed to be plotting something was deeply drawn on his face. ¡°You must not lose concentration when you change your body. If that happens¡­¡± If it happens? ¡°Only a part of your body will turn into a beast¡¯s, so you might have to walk around like that for the rest of your life.¡± Kwagwang. (Note: Mental Shock sfx.) I was in shock. Seeing how I stiffened with an open mouth, Seth laughed. He passed by me, who was frozen in place. I stared blankly at his back which was moving away. What happens if only half of my body changes? When I suddenly came to my senses, I followed him with quick steps and grabbed Seth¡¯s cuffs. Seth, who was slowly walking by, stopped at a small turn in the corridor as if waiting. ¡°What?¡± ¡°W-what happens if I only half transform?¡± ¡°Curious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Of course, there must be a way back, right? However, the expected answer did not come back after a long time. Seth shrugged, seemingly in trouble. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It has never happened with me before.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was successful in one smooth try.¡± ¡°Kasa never told me anything like that!¡± ¡°Did she forget?¡± If it was that important, she would have told me in advance, but to think she must have forgotten. As I was gloomily staring at the floor, Seth giggled. Why are you laughing? As soon as I raised my head, Seth returned to his expressionless face and cleverly tilted his head. Something was fishy. Did you make fun of me until now? As I squinted my eyes, Seth went past me once again. ¡°I think wherever you go, you will be fooled by others.¡± ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A very dignified answer came back without hesitation. I paused for a moment in my confusion, and then came a deep sense of betrayal. The brief moments of seriously agonizing with something I thought was real until a second ago seemed to be insignificant. When I sullenly inflated my cheeks and followed Seth again, he slowed down. ¡°I was surprised to think it was real.¡± (Irene) ¡°I was also a little surprised that you had been deceived so easily too.¡± (Seth) ¡°I won¡¯t fall for it anymore.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be fooled a little longer.¡± It was a voice filled with nuances of regret. I wiped my chest in relief. After all, there¡¯s no way Kasana wouldn¡¯t say something so important. While arguing, we arrived at the entrance to the dining hall. When we were about to go inside, I saw Arban coming from the other side. I warmly waved my hand. ¡°Arban!¡± Orka was together behind Arban. After meeting him for the first time in a long time, I gave him greetings and waved my hand. Orca lightly bowed down. ¡°Hello, Young Master Seth, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Where did Arban and Orka go?¡± The two were dressed in outerwear that I had never seen before. It was very different from the outfit I saw when he had been training in the forest. When I curiously looked at him, the corners of Arban¡¯s mouth, who had taken off his coat, rose sharply. ¡°You still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°Outside.¡± ¡°¡­Out?¡± As in outside the house? When I, who was puzzled, glanced at Orca, he smiled awkwardly instead of answering. It seems to be true that he went outside. I heard it was only possible to go out when you are an adult. As I tilted my head at the part I still didn¡¯t understand, Seth explained. ¡°It¡¯s possible if Father allows it.¡± ¡°Daddy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Oh my god, so that¡¯s how you do it? Am I the only one who didn¡¯t know? I nodded and looked back at Seth. ¡°¡­Did Brother Seth go outside?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed that the two of them had already gone out, except for me. Then, when can I go out? In an instant, my lips popped out. The sadness that could not be hidden was being expressed through my whole body. Seeing my expression change in real-time, Orca was greatly embarrassed and at a loss for what to do. ¡°¡­T-the Lord will soon give you permission. Don¡¯t be too heartbroken, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Can I also go out soon?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Orca¡¯s lively lips that were giving out answers one after another could not open at my last question. His words faded and his eyes that had been looking at me slowly turned to another place. Orca¡¯s hand, not knowing what to do, were restless in the air. He even looked nervous, unable to answer. ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± At that moment, Cade¡¯s voice was heard, and at the same time, Orca¡¯s complexion brightened. He was filled with expectations that he could finally get out of this situation. I still curled my lips with a bitter heart and looked back. ¡°Daddyyyyy!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Then I ran to Cade and hugged him. When I looked up while tightly holding his leg, Cade, who was looking at me, raised his head and looked at Orka as if asking for an explanation. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ When the Miss found out that Young Master Arban has gone outside, she wanted to go out too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why she looks so sullen.¡± ¡°It seems that she was upset that both Young Masters were allowed to go out.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Cade looked down at me and asked. I buried my face in his leg and nodded my head. ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Chapter 42 In fact, I knew why Seth and Arban were allowed to go out first. The two had the strength to protect themselves, and they would be very safe with guards to strengthen their protection. Of course, I have to understand it, but. ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I want to go out like my Brothers.¡± I wiggled my fingers and muttered. At the same time, I was nervous about whether I would be scolded for whining, so I secretly looked into his eyes. However, as if my worries were nothing, Cade¡¯s lips rose slightly. ¡°Do you want to go out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°As much as the sky is high!¡± I thought I¡¯d miss the opportunity if it wasn¡¯t right now, so I stretched out my arms wide. This much! A lot! As I expressed my strong opinion, I heard Arban laughing at me. Seth openly judged my actions, and Orka had his mouth covered and bowed his head. ¡°I want to go out too, Daddy!¡± I shouted out loud and my loud voice echoed in the hallway. Cade, who looked at me with crossed arms, tilted his head at an angle and muttered with a face that seemed to be in trouble. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°If she wants it that much, how about letting her out at least once?¡± ¡°She¡¯s too young for that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± Cade who was sharing his opinion with Orka, raised his voice as if to let people listen. The way he raised his voice with a teasing tone somehow seemed to show he was enjoying the current situation. As I was listening to the conversation, I got impatient and quickly shook my head. ¡°No!¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m this big.¡± It was a groundless claim, but I spit it out to somehow get a wedge in. A child grows day by day, so I too must have been a little bigger. Cade laughed with a muffled voice at my desperate words. I was afraid that the opportunity would be lost like this, so I hugged Cade¡¯s leg. ¡°I won¡¯t let go until Daddy gives me permission.¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s difficult.¡± Even when he said that, there was no sign of trouble in his voice. As if he had been waiting for this moment, it was hard to think that his lips, which had pleasantly risen, would come down. Cade picked me up and walked into the dining room. Seeing as the sun was setting outside the window, it must have been a while since I arrived at the door. ¡°If you want to go out this bad, I can¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°Are you going to let me go out?¡± ¡°Instead, why don¡¯t we agree on a condition?¡± ¡°Condition?¡± Whatever it was, I was confident that I would do my best. When I asked back with enthusiasm, Cade made a serious face. ¡°I heard you are going to take pheromone lessons from Kasana, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I promise to take you outside when you can freely transform into your beast form and humanize.¡± It was a time-consuming proposal, but it wasn¡¯t bad. I quickly nodded my head, saying that I would do it so as not to miss the opportunity. ¡°Then, shall we all go on a family trip together?¡± ¡°A family trip?¡± Seth, who was following us, asked with surprised eyes. It seemed to be the case with Arban as well. They didn¡¯t seem to expect that Cade would ever make such a suggestion. ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Well¡­ If that kid succeeds.¡± The two answered with a look of dislike, but it seemed like both wanted to go. This added one more reason to succeed. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we go on a family trip. Wait for it, Seth, Arban.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Who is looking forward to going on a family trip?!¡± I smiled with a knowing face while he pretended he was not. I saw it earlier. Arban¡¯s eyes twinkled with joy at Cade¡¯s words, and while Seth was nonchalant, it looked like he was paying attention. ¡°I want to go on a trip with everyone¡±. ¡°Then you just need to succeed, right?¡± ¡°Will you two help me?¡± I gently threw the bait. ¡°Well, I¡¯m helping you because you said you wanted to go. It¡¯s absolutely not because I want to go, so don¡¯t get me wrong!¡± Arban took the bait nicely. Seth, who was walking at the same pace, walked into the dining room first, as if he didn¡¯t need to listen any more. Upon entering, an appetizing scent pierced my nose. Chef Baharn, who was waiting for us to come in, approached with a warm smile. ¡°Welcome, my Lord. Young Masters, Young Lady.¡± ¡°Bahaln!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, Miss Irene. It¡¯s an honor to have you remember my name. Would you like to take a seat?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± At my words, Cade leaned over and dropped me off. I came down to the floor and walked to the place where Baharn was leading me. ¡°The Lady¡¯s seat is here.¡± My seat was right next to Cade¡¯s left. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s shiny.¡± The table was beautifully decorated. Lilac flowers were brightly adorned in vases placed at regular intervals. A long golden candlestick was covered with a crystal holder, and inside a candle was shining softly. In front, sliced ??bread was placed in a small basket, and various other plates such as salads, fruits, stews, and steaks were prepared. And lastly¡­¡­. ¡°Huh? The chair has changed!¡± A high chair made of wood. I guess I don¡¯t have to sit on Cade¡¯s lap to eat this time. While I was sneaking around and showing interest, Cade, who was looking at the high chair, quietly called out to Baharn. ¡°Baharn.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Cade¡¯s lips went up very high. ¡°You are still preparing useless things.¡± ¡°¡­Did I make any mistakes? If you tell me, I¡¯ll change it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t change it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Irene has already begun to take an interest in it, and she seems to like it very much. Seems like it was worth the long transportation time it took. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And Irene will be able to eat by herself, very comfortably.¡± As Cade continued to speak, Baharn¡¯s complexion grew bluish. The red eyes that were looking around the inside of the restaurant came to me. I smiled broadly as I put my legs on the footrests to get up on the chair. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The chairs were equipped with footrests for easy sitting. Thanks to this, I was able to climb up and sit down very easily. Cade and Baharn were watching me from beginning to end. The two had very different vibes. Baharn felt like it was already too late and he was faced with an irreversible situation, and Cade was like¡­ It was something similar to ¡®How do I get rid of that¡¯. ¡­¡­What is it? ¡°I¡­ Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you like the chair?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At my immediate answer, Baharn¡¯s complexion darkened even more. I said I liked the present he prepared for me, but why is his expression dark? I fiddled with the armrests to see if I had made a mistake, but no matter how much I think about it, there is no such thing. ¡°Isn¡¯t the seat uncomfortable or perhaps do you have any inconveniences?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. No! I like this.¡± ¡°¡­If there is anything that makes you uncomfortable, even the smallest thing, please tell me right away.¡± Even the smallest uncomfortable thing? When I checked again, there was no such thing. The chair was very soft, as if it was custom made, the height was just right, so it was perfect for eating. ¡°It¡¯s very good. Thank you for taking care of me Bahaln.¡± I picked up the bread with tongs and laid it out on my plate. Somehow, it felt like the temperature in the restaurant had dropped even more. Cade smiled as he sat down in the seat at the head of the table. ¡°How could she not like it? You brought it from the end of the continent. You must be very happy, Baharn.¡± Cade elegantly raised the knife, emphasizing the words ¡®end of the continent¡¯. I tilted my head while drinking water. It was because I was starting to notice something at this point. Cade didn¡¯t seem to like it when I was able to sit in a chair and eat by myself. Does he want to feed me food? But that would be inconvenient for Cade, and for some reason, Baharn, who was standing in the corner, looked very pitiful. What should I do? ¡°Daddy.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Ah-.¡± I spread the jam on the bread and handed it to Cade. He stared at the bread with a surprised expression. ¡°Huk.¡± Baharn took a deep breath and covered his mouth. He wasn¡¯t the only one surprised. Seth, who was drinking water, coughed a little, and Arban, who was watching the situation with his hand holding his chin, slowly raised his head with a startled face. Those were the eyes of people who witnessed a bizarre behavior that was never heard of. In the atmosphere where everyone held their breath, Cade laughed. ¡°Who else taught you this?¡± ¡°Daddy gave me food like this before. I¡¯ll do the same.¡± Chapter 43 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? ¡°You¡¯re doing something praiseworthy.¡± Cade slowly took the bread and ate it. Looking at the bread going into his mouth, I asked. ¡°It¡¯s good?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Do you want one more?¡± ¡°Well. If you want to grow up quickly, you should eat it.¡± Cade tapped my cheek. I rubbed it with a smile at the satisfaction of having accomplished something. The atmosphere of the restaurant, which had been subdued, began to come to life again. Now I can eat comfortably. I stabbed the pre-sliced ??meat with a fork and put it in my mouth. Cade, who was looking at me like that, muttered. ¡°I feel it every time, but it¡¯s worth spending money on things.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What should I buy after this chair?¡± ¡°¡­No, I don¡¯t need anything.¡± I was startled by Cade¡¯s question. Because it reminded me of a gift I had received in the past. Even then, he said that it was a gift, but what he gave me was a land that was huge enough to be called a realm. If something like that happens again, I might lose my mind. ¡°You¡¯re not too greedy.¡± (Cade) ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because she has everything she needs.¡± (Baharn) ¡°Is that so?¡± (Cade) It seemed like a situation where I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut, but if I said something wrong here, something big would happen. It was because he had the momentum of a commander in a war. He seemed to bring whatever I wanted right in front of my eyes in a second. No way¡­¡­. He wouldn¡¯t go that far. ¡­Would he? Seeing Cade seriously ponder, my guesses might become a reality, so I kept my mouth shut. Baharn, who had been in trouble like me, uttered a hint. ¡°How about the new products of the Marinette Clan?¡± ¡°The Marinette?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems there are a lot of things that she would like.¡± Marinette? What kind of clan is that? It was the first time I had ever heard of them. Cade nodded his head with a face that accepted the suggestion. ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m sure it will be worth the price this time too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it will¡­ but it might take a little while. There are a lot of people waiting in line to buy their stuff.¡± ¡°Tell them that I¡¯ll buy everything that Marinette deals with.¡± ¡°After all, they do love money. That way, you won¡¯t have to wait.¡± The conversation between the two was very serious. My heart raced at the prospect of the immediate implementation of the plan. It was clear that the amount was beyond my imagination, considering that Cade, who is incredibly rich by my standards, usually buys expensive things. That was too burdensome. Then Seth pointed to the chair I was sitting on. ¡°That chair was also brought from the Marinette Clan, Irene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Because the emblem on the side of the chair is the seal of the Marinette Clan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Gasp.¡± Looking at the side Seth pointed to, I covered my mouth. I could feel my confused pupils shaking wildly. Because it wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d seen it. It was a star embedded in the center of several layers of oval circles stacked above each other. In fact, this was something I saw very often. It was a pattern that was not uncommon to see on objects and toys I used every day. Were those things so expensive? ¡­¡­Are you saying that all the things I¡¯ve been casually painting, pasting, and ripping are ridiculously expensive? I asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Uh, how¡­ how expensive is it? A lot of my things have this seal¡­¡± I didn¡¯t think much of it because Rosaria held it in my hand as if it were nothing¡­ As I meekly asked with a tearful face, Seth¡¯s lips twitched upwards. ¡°By general standards, it could be said to be very expensive.¡± ¡°¡­Actually, there¡¯s a lot of these in my room.¡± They were piled like a mountain. Rosaria brought stuff every time a new toy came out. ¡°It will exceed at least dozens of gold coins. After all, the Marinette Clan is famous for having the most outstanding technology on the continent.¡± In an instant, a series of scenes flashed through my mind. Some toys were broken because I missed them. Maybe a lot of money went down the drain because of me. Arban snorted his nose as I made a worried face. ¡°Don¡¯t make such a serious face with only this much. Even if you spend that much money, the Clan won¡¯t even flinch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± ¡°What do you take our family as? Just because you bought a few toys doesn¡¯t mean we go broke. It¡¯s okay to fill the room.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s good to know.¡± I sighed in relief and took a deep breath. Cade, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, said to Baharn. ¡°Did you see it, Baharn?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. I was very moved to see the young lady who is already concerned about the family¡¯s finances.¡± ¡°I guess this is the fun of raising children.¡± ¡°Then shall I put an order for Marinette in advance?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Cade gladly answered. Why is the conversation going like this again? I looked at Seth with dumbfounded eyes, and he said. ¡°Give up, Irene. That¡¯ll make things easier.¡± The meal took much longer than expected. I rolled my eyes as I watched the desserts come out one after another. After Baharn left to really place an order to the Marinette Clan, the atmosphere became seriously quiet. I felt again that the people in here did not intend to have a conversation unless someone spoke first. Besides, after dinner is over, which was the original purpose of gathering, it seemed obvious that everyone would go back to their room without looking back, so I asked Seth. ¡°Brother Seth.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seth, who was drinking tea, answered slowly. ¡°What have you been up to?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you suddenly curious about that?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seth looked at me in silence with a puzzled face. ¡­Is this not it? I thought we usually have this kind of conversation when we have a meal together with family. But there was only an awkward silence for a long time. When there was no answer for a while, Cade¡¯s gaze slowly turned to Seth. He seemed to show interest in the topic of conversation. When everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to my question, Seth reluctantly opened his mouth. ¡°I read a book and took a succession class.¡± ¡°Really. What else?¡± ¡°¡­When I have free time, I sometimes go for a walk.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°No. Why are you asking these questions?¡± Seth frowned softly. He had a look on his face that he could not understand why I keep talking about things that have no meaning or reason. With this I realized. Whenever everyone met, it was clear that they had never shared their regards with each other. It was very likely that even such a small exchange should have a reason to exist. ¡°I was just curious¡­¡± ¡°Why are you curious about this?¡± That¡¯s¡­¡­ I¡¯m curious because it¡¯s a family. ¡°It¡¯s natural to ask about the well-being of your family members, Seth.¡± ¡°¡­But even Father didn¡¯t ask me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching how you guys are doing, and I know you got a perfect score on all these tests.¡± At Cade¡¯s words, Seth¡¯s eyes widened slightly. He seemed embarrassed but in a good mood. Looking at his reaction, it seems he didn¡¯t know that Cade kept an eye on his daily routine. I was greatly impressed Seth got a perfect score on the test. I knew that the contents of the successor class were very difficult, but he still got full marks. ¡°Wow. Brother Seth is really smart.¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t too difficult.¡± ¡°Very cool.¡± ¡°Well done, Seth.¡± As Cade¡¯s praise continued, Seth coughed and looked away. He seemed to have no immunity to being praised. Still, it didn¡¯t seem like he felt bad. This is because Seth did not show any dislike for the trivial questions that followed. ¡°Where do you go for a walk?¡± ¡°¡­To the indoor garden on the third-floor or towards the annex of the mansion.¡± ¡°I went there to play too. Why didn¡¯t I see you?¡± I couldn¡¯t go often because it was far away. Seth seemed to be mostly walking away from the manor. I had a good feeling that the flow of the conversation was going smoothly. I grinned and looked at Arban, the next to be questioned. Arban, who met my eyes, was startled and confused. He looked slightly nervous as he sensed it was his turn now. At the same time, he seemed to be expecting a little bit that I would ask him questions. It seemed that Arban had never been asked a question like this before. It was very strange and unique. Why has no one ever asked them how they¡¯ve been? I was very curious about how they had managed to maintain the shape of a family during that time. ¡°What about Brother Arban?¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°How have you been? You didn¡¯t skip classes did you?¡± ¡°Hey! When did I say I skipped classes!¡± Arban shrieked, twitching his shoulders. Not knowing what to do, he looked terrified for fear that he might be caught if he looked into Cade¡¯s eyes. You sneaked out of class this time too. There was a judging look on Seth¡¯s eyes, who looked at Arban as if he was pathetic. ¡°¡­I only skipped once.¡± ¡°I heard that Kasana is having a hard time looking for you every class.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You are pretty good.¡± ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 44 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Hm? He ran away to not attend class, so why is that a good thing? Arban took a deep breath, probably surprised by the sudden compliment. He seemed confused. ¡°For how long can you hide against Kasana?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t hide for very long.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve become pretty good at hiding your presence.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you keep ditching classes, Irene will overtake you, Arban.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to get caught by a little bean like that kid?¡± Arban had a spicy mouth. Still, his expression subtly hardened perhaps because he was bothered by the words ¡°catching up to you¡±. It was not difficult to understand what he had imagined, because soon after Cade said so, his grimacing face could not be straightened out. ¡°Did you imagine me catching up to you, brother?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t even dream about it, little baby.¡± ¡°Hunf. I¡¯m not a little baby. I mean, I grew this much.¡± I spread my thumb and index finger apart. They said that children grow day by day, and I was really getting bigger every day. It wasn¡¯t that obvious, though. Arban, who stared blankly at the gap of about 2 centimeters, smirked. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve grown up.¡± ¡°I bought new shoes too!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Arban shrugged his shoulders and finished the grape tart he was eating. I inflated my cheeks and cried. ¡°I¡¯ll grow up fast after eating a lot!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it when you can¡¯t even eat much.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Well, even if you do, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ll grow very much.¡± Seth smiled brightly. He couldn¡¯t help but say mean things like that. With a fork, I cut a large cake filled with cream and put it in my mouth. Eating sweet food seemed to make me feel a little better. Cade, who had been interested in us noisily bickering around, suddenly turned his gaze to me. ¡°Irene, how have you been?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who didn¡¯t speak.¡± This time, as before, all eyes were on me. I folded my fingers one by one, it would take a long time to talk about it because there are so many. ¡°It¡¯s okay if it takes a long time, so tell me.¡± ¡°Hm. I went to the swing, I studied new things¡­ And I also met people who escort me.¡± ¡°Escort? ¡­Ah. Are you referring to the man who appeared at the banquet then?¡± Seth asked, and I nodded my head. ¡°Yes, I met Karma. He said there were more, but I haven¡¯t seen them all yet.¡± ¡°I see. He must be very anxious if he was already showing himself like that.¡± Cade laughed in an understandable tone. ¡°I also met Messi and Fayman.¡± ¡°Huh? Those two, too?¡± ¡°Yes. I wrote a letter to cheer them up while they write their apology letters.¡± It would be nice if I could meet the others soon. They still had to write reflection letters, so I might be able to meet them all within a few days. Hearing my words, Cade paused and asked. ¡°Letter?¡± ¡°Yes. Rodaria helped me, so I made a letter and sent it to them. Messi delivered it.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why they delivered the right one.¡± Cade muttered as if an everlasting question had finally been answered. ¡°So, was it fun to meet them?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to meet the others soon.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you get bored?¡± That was the fun. There was a thrill of waiting because I couldn¡¯t guess who would come out next. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be surprised because they will appear from nowhere. The flow of conversation had concluded to some extent. It was so dark outside the window that it was hard to see things properly now. Yawn~~. I let out a long yawn. I opened my hazy eyes because dinner time was not over yet¡­ but once I got sleepy, there was no end. I opened my eyes and slapped both cheeks to wake up, and Seth, sitting in front of me, had a bewildered face. ¡°If you¡¯re sleepy, you can go to bed.¡± ¡°Yes. But we are not done talking yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a story worthy of being dragged on for a long time, is it?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s very important!¡± I didn¡¯t know when we would meet again like this and talk. I wanted to hear more stories, so it was a shame to end things like this. There was finally an opportunity to get closer, and I didn¡¯t want to miss it. Seth looked at me with a subtle expression. ¡°You are saying that, but I think you¡¯re going to bang your head on the table, Irene.¡± Oops. I raised my nodding head. ¡°You¡¯d better go back now.¡± Cade, who watched me like that, announced the end of the meal. He got up from his seat and hugged me. When I was placed in his large and strong arms, a deep sleep came upon me at once. * * * Now I could leave the room by myself. Because today was the first day of pheromone classes. ¡°Huhu-Hung. Hu-Hung.¡± I hummed and walked with light steps toward the entrance to the forest. We decided to meet at the entrance and go in together, so perhaps Kasana was waiting first. And just as I thought so, a familiar face began to appear. ¡°Kasa! Did you wait long?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t wait very long.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± ¡°Then shall we go in?¡± ¡°Yes. Before you come here, I prepared a lot.¡± Even if I said preparation, mental preparation was everything I actually did. Whatever it is, attitude is important! I went inside step by step. I felt strange when I entered the area where huge trees were planted in the sun-drenched garden. I had already experienced the feeling of deep silence once, but it seemed like it would take quite a while to get used to this atmosphere. I followed closely behind Kasana. ¡°Kasa. Where are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to go inside a little longer.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At first, there was a clear trail that had been laid on the floor, but it was disappearing in the grass the further we walked. I wonder how deep inside we are. Kasana stopped walking. ¡°I think this would be a good place for a class.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t like it?¡± Looking back, the entrance was no longer visible. Surrounded by trees on all sides, the road now looked more like a maze. I felt eerie because it felt like I would not be able to find the exit by myself if I got lost here. ¡°If you want to take a pheromone class, it is recommended to be as isolated from the outside as possible.¡± ¡°Okay. But, what if I get lost?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll come to find Miss Irene before anyone else.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was relieved by Kasana¡¯s reliable words. Before leaving the room, I decided to wear a cardigan that Rosaria had given me. The forest was supposed to be shady and cold, and she was right. I took off the cardigan that was hanging around my neck and put my arms on it. Kasana waited for me to wear it all. ¡°I¡¯m all dressed now.¡± ¡°Then shall we begin the class?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°First, let me briefly explain pheromones. All werebeasts have energy called pheromones from birth. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Pheromones have slightly different characteristics for each clan. This is because they have developed in various ways depending on their survival method. Especially the Bird Clan¡­¡± What about the Bird Clan? Why did you stop talking? While waiting for the next words, I curiously looked at Kasana. She frowned as if she didn¡¯t like something about what she had to tell me. It was such a rare sight that I was inwardly surprised. Because Kasa, who usually doesn¡¯t show much change in expression, frowned! What could be that bad to make her do that? ¡°¡­Just to remind you, Miss Irene has the Astrophel surname, so please don¡¯t forget that you are one from the Black Mamba Clan.¡± What are you talking about all of a sudden? I looked at Kasana. It was an atmosphere where she looked more serious and careful than ever, and it seemed that I could only say yes. I nodded. ¡°Yes. I know.¡± ¡°Now the explanation I will give is merely an example of the characteristics of Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Apparently, Kasana was concerned that I would be confused if I heard the explanation of the Bird Clan. I¡¯m different from other black mambas around me. In fact, I wondered how I was born into the Astrophel family. But I wasn¡¯t really curious about who my real guardian was. The people who raised me and took care of me until now are none other than the people of the Astrophel family. ¡°The Bird Clan has been good at information warfare since ancient times. They specialize in flying in the sky to check enemy positions and inform allies.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s very cool!¡± ¡°¡­Yes. They were quick to get information and plan for the future of their clans. They are mostly active in flocks, and most of them who travel alone are birds of prey.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± But I am not a bird of prey, and flock life is even more impossible. I thought I should know about it because she was explaining the basic characteristics of the Bird Clan for a reason. ¡°But that¡¯s just is one way to live according to the characteristics of the Clan. From now on, Miss Irene will learn how to live in the Black Mamba Clan.¡± Chapter 45 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? My ears twitched. So far she has been explaining about the Bird Clan, so I thought the contents of the class would flow in a similar direction as a matter of course. But that wasn¡¯t the case. How can I live like a Black Mamba in the future? ¡°¡­What to do? I am a bird.¡± ¡°Werebeasts can transform their pheromones and use them in many ways. The most basic ability is to transform their bodies, and if you use it in a more intricate method, you will be able to defend and attack¡­¡­ like this. ¡° While explaining, Kasana threw the leaves that had fallen on the floor into the air. Tak. Tak. Tak. Several leaves flew through the hard bark of the trees and more than half were stuck on it. I doubted my eyes. Wh-what is this now? The leaves are stuck in the tree, right? ¡°Depending on how much pheromone you can handle, the uses are endless. This is the ultimate direction of the classes Miss Irene will receive in the future.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of it. Will I be able to practice and do such amazing things? ¡°But it¡¯s still too early for Miss Irene. Of course, it¡¯s a necessary learning factor to protect your body, but¡­¡± Kasana looked at me with a serious face. This is where the main point seems to start, so I listened carefully. ¡°You have to be careful when using pheromones. It¡¯s especially dangerous for young beasts.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Pheromones are like a life force to beasts. When everything is consumed, one dies without exception.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re still young, just trying to shapeshift can consume a lot of pheromones.¡± Does this mean that I can die while practicing shapeshifting? I was at a loss for words at the unexpected warning. I can¡¯t believe the class I¡¯ve been waiting for is so dangerous! As I gave a worried look, Kasana shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. It¡¯s not too dangerous if you have a guardian around.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. But I have one thing you need to promise me before we start.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Promise me that you will practice shapeshifting only when you are with me.¡± That was a matter of course. I had already heard the explanation, so I understood enough. I nodded my head, telling her I understood. ¡°Then shall we start the class?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°First of all, you need some external stimulation to feel pheromones.¡± ¡°External stimulation?¡± ¡°Yes. The method is the same as the last time you gave me your hand, but it will sting a little.¡± ¡­How stingy will it be? Kasana walked closer to me and gently grabbed my hand. Soon pheromones entered my fingertips. I felt a slight pain in the tip of my fingers, and at that moment, a strange feeling seized me. It felt like something inside me didn¡¯t like Kasana¡¯s pheromone moving secretly. It was full of cold energy as if it was spinning in the dark. It felt a little creepy. ¡­¡­What is this? It feels weird. I reflexively leaned back. It was then. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is this¡­¡± Kasana¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. Because her pheromone had completely disappeared. Both I and Kasana blankly looked at each other in surprise. I don¡¯t know, but if what I felt was right, Kasana¡¯s pheromones were eaten up at once. ¡°¡­Miss Irene. Did you happen to feel what pheromones¡­ what it was?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t know.¡± It happened so suddenly that there was no time to figure it out. Kasana slowly looked at me and took my hand once more. ¡°I¡¯ll try one more time. If you feel something strange, please tell me right away.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± ¡°If you feel pheromones in your body, you have to remember that sensation.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kasana¡¯s pheromones began to cautiously enter my body once again. This time, the energy was weaker than before. As the quantity of pheromones Kasana released gradually increased, a sweet scent began to emanate from the surroundings. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve succeeded this time.¡± ¡°Wow. Is this my pheromone?!¡± ¡°Yes. This is the pheromone that Irene was born with.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± t felt like a warm, sweet pheromone wrapped around my body. I jumped all over the place with joy. This allowed me to learn the basics of shapeshifting. But on the other hand, I couldn¡¯t get rid of a strange, tiny feeling. It was because it was a completely different kind of pheromone from the first one. I don¡¯t think it was like this before. It¡¯s like there are two pheromones in my body. Even though it wasn¡¯t something possible to happen. Should I say it¡¯s like there¡¯s something else lurking down there? *** On the way home after class, I entered the mansion with brisk steps. I didn¡¯t do much, but the feeling of accomplishment that I finally did something made me feel good. Growl. It¡¯s been a while since I ate lunch, and I already felt hungry. ¡°Huh. Why am I hungry already?¡± My belly clock was so accurate that I didn¡¯t have to check the time. Maybe it was like that because I was using pheromones. Will frequent use of pheromone make you hungry sooner? ¡°Miss. Would you like to eat this?¡± Messi appeared from somewhere and held out something in his hand. ¡°Candy?¡± ¡°When you don¡¯t have enough energy, you have to eat sweet things.¡± It was a milk-flavored candy wrapped in transparent paper. ¡°That¡¯s my favorite!¡± I mumbled with the candy in my mouth. Since the size was not large to begin with, the candy melted and quickly disappeared. As I entered the lobby of the mansion, I saw the elders gathering one by one. ¡°Seems like they were having a meeting today.¡± ¡°Is that so? They always start in the morning.¡± ¡°Sometimes they do it in the afternoon.¡± I stared inside the meeting room, which was seen in a glance. I haven¡¯t been there yet. For some reason, I felt that I had to get Cade¡¯s permission to enter, so I put it off as the lowest priority place to explore. But because he said it was an important place, I snooped around the conference room as if I were being led by the nose. I hid behind the door while sneaking a peek inside. Messi followed my actions and hid his body. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someone act stealthily to spy in plain sight. Are you doing this on purpose?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m hiding.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s understandable.¡± Messi had a look on his face that did not understand the word ¡®hiding¡¯, but he answered the exact opposite. In the conference room, a long glass table was placed in the center. There was a large window on the wall, and flags bearing the family seal were placed at regular intervals. It was similar to Cade¡¯s office but had a different feel. What was a little strange was that the floor and walls seemed to be built with slightly different material when compared to other places. From the start, I knew that the inside of the mansion was firmly built, but the conference room seemed exceptionally sturdy. ¡­It looked as if it was used to prevent some kind of mishaps that may happen in advance. No way. This should be just a conference room. There is no way they will be fighting in here while using brute force. I tried to ignore such thoughts that popped into my head. By the time I had finished looking through the cracks in the door, the table was almost full, I turned around and around in place thinking it was best to leave now. Tuk. ¡°Hm?¡± Someone was standing behind me. At first, I thought I had bumped into Messi, but he was standing by my side. I turned to check who it was, and Cade was looking down at me. ¡°Daddy?!¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Taking a look.¡± ¡°Why are you hiding like this? It looks more suspicious.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not suspicious.¡± I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on the meeting, but I felt wronged because he said I was suspicious. I was just going to take a quick look around! When I shook my head strongly saying I wasn¡¯t suspicious, Cade laughed. Then he turned to Messi. ¡°It seems you are the afternoon escort for Irene.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°I see. You received a letter that I have never received before, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It must have been great. Irene even wrote the letter herself.¡± Messi¡¯s face turned white. ¡­That¡¯s right. I had not written a letter to Cade yet. The longer Cade¡¯s eyes stayed, the more troubled Messi felt and the more cold sweat he shed. Does Cade also want to receive a letter too? I thought he wasn¡¯t very interested in things like that. I even thought he wouldn¡¯t like it as his daily job was to read correspondence from outside. I must write to him next time. ¡°You haven¡¯t entered yet, what are you doing here, my lord?¡± Baon, who was the last to enter the conference room, stopped walking inside and asked. It seems like it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Baon. How long has it been? ¡°Baon! Hello!¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it the Miss? ¡­By the way, what are you all doing here? It¡¯s time for the meeting to begin soon.¡± Baon showed me the watch he was wearing on his wrist. It was just past four o¡¯clock. Now it¡¯s really time for the meeting to begin. It¡¯s a pity, but I¡¯ll have to stop looking around and go back for now. When I get to my room, I¡¯ll ask Rosaria for a snack. I waved to Cade and said goodbye to him. ¡°Goodbye, Daddy. I¡¯m going back.¡± However, Cade did not accept my farewells and just stared at me. Chapter 46 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? He immediately nodded his head to the inside the conference hall and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about how a meeting goes?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Shall we go in together?¡± ¡°Can I go in there?¡± There was a very serious atmosphere inside. What if I go into the meeting and everyone feels uncomfortable? Baon also raised his glasses again, probably not knowing what Cade would say. After I hesitated for a long time to answer, Cade flashed a hug. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Who would object if I allowed it?¡± That¡¯s right. Obviously, the owner of this family is Cade. But still¡­¡­. When I anxiously looked back at Baon, he shrugged and stepped out of the doorway as if to come in. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± Messi, who watched as the situation progressed, took a step back. I nodded my head in agreement. As Cade entered, the elders who had been waiting for him to come in stood up one by one. All eyes focused on me who was in his arms. When I felt the burning gazes, I felt embarrassed for nothing. When we arrived at the center of the table, Cade took a seat. His low voice echoed in the quiet conference room. ¡°Sit down.¡± As soon as his words were finished, the elders sat down one by one, as if they had been waiting. I sat on Cade¡¯s lap and looked ahead to see the entire interior that was brightly visible. He has been sitting here and deciding important things for the family. Cade¡¯s position was renewed in my mind. I fiddled with the bowl of snacks. When it was ready, light tea and snacks were placed at the respective seats of the participants. There was also a piece of paper filled with dense writing. It seemed to be a paper summarizing the contents of this meeting. I glanced at it and turned my attention back to the snack. As a matter of fact, I was about to get hungry, so I should eat all of this. ¡°Then let¡¯s start the afternoon meeting.¡± A separate person sat alone to one side and raised a quilled pen when the start was announced. ¡°What is that person doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the secretary. A person who records and keeps the contents of the meeting in documents.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The contents of the meeting were recorded separately. Although I was nervous about the atmosphere of a full-fledged meeting about to start, I was looking forward to it. It was because I was curious about how the family meeting was conducted and what was going on inside this room. I looked around to see what kind of people there were, but I saw a seat that wasn¡¯t filled yet. It was the seat opposite Baon. Whose empty seat is it? ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but there is a missing person.¡± ¡°Are you late?¡± Somehow, it didn¡¯t get off to a good start. ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Sir Duria?¡± The protagonist of the seat must have been Durias. ¡°It seems that payment forms have been pushed back for some time now. It seems he has been away, but where have you been?¡± ¡°Did he quit?¡± ¡°¡­Is that possible? He¡¯s not one to quit so suddenly.¡± Many people were curious about Durias¡¯ whereabouts. They didn¡¯t seem to know why he was absent. They say he¡¯s been away for a few days, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s was just late. Cade looked at Baon and asked. ¡°Durias hasn¡¯t returned yet?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s been a long time since he has rolled around so much, so it might be taking a while. I¡¯ll try to roll him around more often so that this doesn¡¯t happen in the future.¡± ¡°Do so.¡± ¡­What the hell is this conversation about? An old man with a long beard, who had been listening to the conversation with an uncomfortable look, coughed. ¡°If he¡¯s unable to attend the meeting under any circumstances, where did Sir Durias go?¡± ¡°I sent him on an errand for a while.¡± ¡°¡­An errand? Sir Durias?¡± Gasp. Breathing sounds were heard from everywhere. It meant that Durias was in such a high position, to the extent that it was shocking to hear that he had gone out on an errand. Baon shrugged his shoulders regardless of the reactions around him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about people who are not here, let¡¯s go ahead and proceed with the meeting. We¡¯re all busy people.¡± ¡°¡­I-if you say so.¡± I cut the toasted bread into bite-size pieces and put them in my mouth. The chaotic atmosphere was slowly calmed down by Baon¡¯s words. Everyone looked at the documents and seemed to be concentrating. ¡°This is Surpia. I will post the first suggestion.¡± The first person to suggest was a woman with long, straight hair that reached her waist. It seemed to be a rule to stand up from the seat while mentioning their name. With her golden-rimmed glasses hanging from her neck, she began to speak with serious words. ¡°This is about the family¡¯s budget for the second half of the year.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Before planning this summer¡¯s Southern Festival¡­ I hope you¡¯ll come up with an accurate budget for Miss Irene.¡± My budget? I was mentioned out of the blue at the meeting and I listened closely. ¡°The Young Masters¡¯ budgets have already been decided, but the Young Lady¡¯s budget is still not yet accurate.¡± Surpia seems to be in charge of money-related affairs. In the summer, there is a festival directly organized by the family. It probably seemed to be quite big in scale. But what does that have to do with the budget allotted to me? Is there a separate budget for me? I thought there was nothing more than what Rosaria had requested. I stopped eating my snacks as I looked at Surpia, because it was the first time I heard such news. But it was easy to accept. Considering the clothes and toys that Rosaria brought with her, it seemed that a penny or two would not have solved it. ¡°Please make sure to make this clear, my Lord. That will make organizing the festival easier.¡± ¡°I guess so. I¡¯ve never really thought about this one¡¯s budget.¡± ¡­¡­Why? I paused at the thought that I hesitated to think deeply. I was suddenly on alert. The reason he hasn¡¯t decided on the amount of money I need yet is probably that he hasn¡¯t decided what to do with me. Because I was just a temporary daughter, and thinking about it made me feel depressed. That¡¯s right. I might have to get out of this house someday. I didn¡¯t know how my situation would change once I became an adult. I couldn¡¯t even think about it because, for a while, I was immersed in my peaceful daily life. Having lost my appetite I put down the bread I was holding in my hand. Cade, who was drinking tea, curiously asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat more?¡± ¡°¡­Hm. No, I¡¯m full now.¡± ¡°If you had taken the pheromone class, you would have been hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°Even so, eat more. You must have exhausted your energy.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to eat.¡± What if I have to leave this house? It was all that my head could think at the moment. I don¡¯t have any money right now. Even if there was any money being paid for me, it was not mine, but Cade¡¯s. Besides, I had never actually seen the money. There was a time when I asked for pocket money, but in the end, didn¡¯t Cade prepare everything himself? I had never actually used or made any money, so I had no economic knowledge. This was a very serious problem for me. I need to know a little about the outside world before I become an adult. I can¡¯t believe I had been this easy-going until now. Unbelievable. Being happy because I was able to feel the pheromones was not something I should be doing now. Something bigger was waiting for me. Money was a big problem when living outside. Especially since I don¡¯t have money, I had to figure out a way to get it. Although I¡¯m a bird, I like meat, so I¡¯ll have to save a lot, right? Because meat is expensive¡­. But how expensive is it? How much money do I need to live outside? Troubles come out one after another. The more I thought, the darker my expression became. ¡°Surpia, how much do you think is appropriate?¡± ¡°¡­How about making a decision similar to the Young Masters?¡± ¡°But, isn¡¯t Miss Irene still growing? It¡¯s not like she grows up all at once like the Young Masters, she grows little by little.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need a lot of stuff.¡± ¡°I see. The amount may have to be allocated higher than expected.¡± Cade tapped the table with a troubled face. My heart also pounded at him. Oh no. I guess he¡¯s bothered by the large amount of money he has to spend on me. What if he suddenly tells me to leave? But he¡¯s not going to tell me to go out empty-handed because he¡¯s super-rich, right? I saw Cade¡¯s hand anxiously pounding on the table. When I get back to my room, I¡¯ll have to find out what¡¯s the most expensive thing I have¡­¡­. Thinking about it again, I couldn¡¯t even say it was mine. But if it¡¯s not me, there is no one else who can use it, wouldn¡¯t it be ok to take out that much? I heard last time that the Marinette Clan¡¯s items were expensive, so I thought I should focus on items with that pattern on them. It was no longer important to collect star candy or grape stickers in my treasure chest. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a big deal.¡± Suddenly, I felt the surroundings become quiet. What? When I looked up, the elders who were focusing on the meeting had stopped what they were doing and were all looking at me. Why are you looking at me? ¡°¡­¡­Why are you looking at me?¡± I murmured in wonder, and Cade smiled softly and leaned his arm sideways. The red eyes looking down at me were full of interest. ¡°I was wondering what you were thinking so deeply that you didn¡¯t eat your snacks. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Tell me what¡¯s the big deal.¡± Oops. I let it out without realizing it. Hup! I covered my mouth. How to deal with this situation? I couldn¡¯t answer anything and I was rolling my eyes, but Cade softly laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, is it? We¡¯re in the process of setting a budget for your future.¡± Suddenly, Surpia raised her glasses and asked. ¡°Do you have any other amount you want?¡± ¡°Well. You said it was a big deal, so let¡¯s hear your opinion. What else were you thinking of with this little head of yours?¡± Cade placed his hand on my head, and Surpia was waiting for my answer. Are you really going to listen to my opinion? It was a little embarrassing, but it was definitely a good opportunity. I decided to say the largest amount first. Then the ones Rosaria buys for me will also be more expensive, and I¡¯ll have to keep the most expensive-looking ones in the treasure chest. I stiffened my expression and spread out my ten fingers in a serious movement. ¡°I want a hundred.¡± Chapter 47 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°A hundred.¡± What do you think? Are you surprised? You never dreamed that I would ask for such a large sum, did you? Then why did you ask me? I brazenly raised my chin. Surpia could not hide her bewilderment that grew by the minute. ¡°I think the lady wants platinum coins.¡± ¡°¡­But that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± The surrounding atmosphere was also flowing with a strange nuance. It seemed that they were not very happy when platinum coins were mentioned. Let¡¯s not be discouraged. They asked me for my opinion, so I just said it. Surpia, who was quick to scan the documents in a hurry, stuttered in the end. ¡°Is-Is it true that you said a hundred?¡± ¡°Hm. If it¡¯s not a hundred I don¡¯t want it?¡± I must never back down. I nodded my head and said with strength the word ¡°hundred.¡± There was silence again. Then Cade sighed deeply and grabbed his forehead. The strange thing was that while he seemed to be in trouble, the corner of his mouth was drawing an arc. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve only learned the number up to 100, so let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± What? Do you mean there¡¯s a number bigger than a hundred? Then Baon also called me with a smile on his face. ¡°Miss Irene. Please take a look at this.¡± ¡°What?¡± Several numbers were written on the paper Baon handed out, and he gave a brief explanation with a pen. ¡°This is one hundred. Then one thousand. Then ten thousand. After that, it increases in the order of 100,000, then one million, then ten million.¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°The amount allotted to Miss Irene is far more than a hundred.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How much?¡± ¡°A million times a lot.¡± A million times? So how much is that all?! At Baon¡¯s words, I just froze. In the end, my budget was able to be set at a value higher than 100 million gold coins that I had requested. And that¡¯s just the amount to use for the second half of the year. That fact made me feel somber again. Once I get used to how the people here spend money, nothing else would be up to par. Of course, it was Cade and the people around him who made that huge contribution. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot to learn.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m smart, so I can learn fast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Irene¡¯s ability to learn is rather fast. A werebeast intelligence also develops according to the rate of growth. At your level, this is really advanced.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hunf.¡± Look at it. They say I¡¯m right, I puffed my cheeks. After the meeting, we were heading somewhere. I thought they would send me back, but I guess not. Where are you going? I rested my cheek on his shoulder and leaned back comfortably. ¡°Kasana said you are able to detect pheromones now.¡± It seems the place to where Kasana had rushed earlier was his office. He knew about Seth and Arban¡¯s daily routines, so I must be the same. ¡°Yes. Next time, she said we¡¯ll try to change my body slowly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fly in the sky too.¡± I wish I could fly so high that I could walk around from place to place. I don¡¯t know how Kasana would teach me to fly, though. Baon, who was walking next to us, spoke few words today. At this point, he should have intervened and said something. What¡¯s going on? Upon closer inspection, his complexion was not very good. ¡°Baon.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°No, Miss.¡± ¡°But how come you don¡¯t look so happy.¡± ¡°Ah. The Lord took my vacation away and made me work all night long¡­ It¡¯s because I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a vacation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a day to rest.¡± I see¡­¡­ Your vacation was taken away. Somehow I felt sorry for Baon. Cade snorted, ignoring Baon¡¯s words. We arrived at the office, and as soon as he opened the door, Cade dropped me off. ¡°Let¡¯s play here.¡± ¡°Why? Messi will be waiting for me.¡± ¡°Messi is nearby.¡± Oh. I guess he has already followed me. But why in the office? There¡¯s nothing to play with here. Still, it¡¯s not bad to be with Cade. I thought it would be better than playing alone. I was sitting on the sofa to see if there was anything to play with, and the seal that was on Cade¡¯s table caught my eye. ¡°Do you want to play with it?¡± ¡°Are you talking about this?¡± ¡°Yes, that one.¡± It was a very luxurious, very expensive seal made of heavy gold. Baon, who was looking at the documents with a face that he didn¡¯t want to do it, made a bitter expression. ¡°That¡¯s a seal that only the Lord can stamp. If you need it, I¡¯ll make one for you separately¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯m bored here.¡± There was nothing to look at in the office, where only basic furniture and things were arranged. Cade laughed when I pouted with a gloomy face. ¡°Okay. Take it and play with it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°What are you going to do with this?¡± As far as I know, as long as I had this stamp, everything was allowed. I knew that because everyone was anxious to get Cade¡¯s stamp. I¡¯ve seen vassals bring out documents that were not stamped with the seal. Is this seal that great? I looked at the stamp, which was a little heavy to lift with one hand. ¡°What about the red goo?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about ink. Here it is.¡± Baon gave me a square box. When I dipped it at the pad with strength and press it on the paper, the seal of the family came out clearly. ¡°I¡¯m going to stamp like my Daddy.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s make a stamp here.¡± ¡°Here? ¡­It¡¯s a real document, right?¡± Do you really want me to stamp this? When I opened my eyes wide, Cade happily nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a very important piece of paper. You can put it next to the signature.¡± Cade moved a bunch of papers piled up on one side in front of me. Uh¡­ I feel like he¡¯s sharing the work. It¡¯s probably just me, right? Baon glanced at the pile and secretly placed the documents he had on hand. ¡°Then please do this too, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°All you have to do is stamp it. It¡¯ll be easy, right?¡± I feel like I¡¯m being forced to do something unintentionally. Unable to erase my doubts, I narrowed my eyes and looked at Baon. Well. He wasn¡¯t able to go on vacation because it has been really busy, so I guess I can stamp a few documents for him. ¡°Okay.¡± It¡¯s not that difficult to stamp. I straightened my posture and crossed my legs as Cade did. As he watched me do it, he laughed in vain. He must have found out that I was imitating him. He told me to stamp next to the signature, right? I held the seal straight so that it wasn¡¯t crooked and lowered it. And did the same for the next one, and the next one. It was fun to repeat it over and over again. Should I say that I feel like I¡¯m really a kid? ¡°Are you having fun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to come here often and stamp some documents for me.¡± Baon seemed very sincere. Just stamping the seal like this was helpful. I think I¡¯m done with half of it. I decided to ask something I was curious about. ¡°By the way.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where is Durias?¡± He said he had gone on an errand earlier, but he didn¡¯t tell exactly what he was doing. I felt like he was being evasive. When Baon, who uses direct speech without hiding anything, reacted like that, I was curious inside. ¡°Durias has gone to pick up someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± It was such a great and important person that Durias even went to pick them up. Are there any guests coming to the family? ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Baon rolled his eyes as if teasing me. If you won¡¯t tell me, don¡¯t make me curious in the first place. I looked at Cade. Baon didn¡¯t tell me, but I thought he might let me know. Cade was looking out the window where the sun was setting down. ¡°By now, it must be slowly approaching the target point.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°Hey? Don¡¯t speak only between you two. You have to tell me too!¡± It¡¯s fair for everyone to know together! I jumped up and put my hands on my waist. Cade, who was staring at me like that, narrowed his brow. ¡°It¡¯s about you, so you might as well know it.¡± ¡°¡­Is it about me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°How you were born into the Astrophel family¡­ Durias has been away for a while to find out about it.¡± I took a breath. Now is the time to know the truth. Then what then? What will happen to me after I know? There were a lot of things I wanted to know, but I couldn¡¯t bear to ask. I was worried that I might hear something I didn¡¯t want to hear. It was a truth I was curious about but didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but don¡¯t let it get to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make things clear.¡± I was relieved by those words. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not my fault that I was born into this family. For I awoke to find myself as a member of the Astrophel family. I was a little bit curious about how I was born amongst the Black Mambas, in fact, I was very curious about it. If I was this curious, there was no way that Cade couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Soon I will know the secrets of my birth. Now I couldn¡¯t avoid it without knowing it. ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Chapter 48 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? Some days, something came to mind before I went to sleep. Who am I? It was, of course, a question worth having. Who left me here and why? And how was that possible. The Astrophel family was very vigilant, and no one from outside had access to it. In particular, if other beasts had approached, they would have noticed right away. Despite this, they left me in the mansion and disappeared without being noticed. The room where the eggs of the heirs were located must have been thoroughly managed. Seeing that I was also being protected between Seth and Arban, it seems that neither Cade nor Baon knew about it. ¡°I¡¯m also curious. When Durias come back, tell me quickly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As I calmly nodded, Cade suddenly narrowed his brow. ¡°¡­Is that why you asked me if people from the East attended the last banquet?¡± Hmm? ¡°Did you ever ask about the East?¡± Baon also looked at me with a surprised face. The reason I asked about the East was simply because it was where I used to live. Ah. Come to think of it, did the Bird Clan live there? They both had very serious faces. They seemed shocked as if they had overlooked an important fact. After a long silence, Cade opened his mouth. ¡°The Loisard Clan had sent their intention to not attend. Do you want to know who your kindred is?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± ¡°You¡¯d like to meet a family that looks the same. That¡¯s why you asked me about the east.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± No. It¡¯s not like that. I didn¡¯t really want to see them. In fact, it seemed strange to me. ¡°You were born in the South.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if you know, but the South is much more comfortable than the East.¡± ¡°Yes. I know that too.¡± At my answer, Cade¡¯s expression hardened even more. ¡°I think you already know what the situation in the East is like.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then who told you?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that.¡± The misunderstanding was growing. He seemed to think that I had researched the East because I wanted to see my kindred. I shook my head and stamped the seal. * * * Dawn was clearing. Durias walked slowly. At the edge of a cliff, quiet from all sides, only the sound of stepping on the grass, covered with morning dew, was softly heard. Crumble. At that sound, the body of the target, which was driven into a dead-end, stiffened. At a glance, he could tell that his opponent was terrified. Durias looked at her, straightening his tie, which had been cluttered in pursuit of his opponent. A bit of annoyance passed through his dark black eyes. ¡°Are you done running now?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you doing this to me?¡± The woman who was being chased finally opened her mouth. As she frantically ran away, her body was covered with scars and scratches all over. She carefully looked behind her, barely holding her breath that reached the tip of her chin. The strong wind was blowing down the cliff. A huge river was flowing, but she was not sure that she would survive falling from this height. But¡­¡­. Being caught by the man in front of her would not be a pleasant result either. She looked at Durias with anxious eyes, unable to do anything. ¡°Why are you chasing me?¡± Durias, who had stopped a few steps at a certain distance, let out a dry laugh at her question. ¡°Haha. Did you run away without knowing the reason you were being chased?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡± Ella chewed her lips and didn¡¯t reply. At that figure, Durias lips, which had closed in a straight line, drew a thick arc. It was the moment when assumption turned into a certainty. The woman became nervous at the sudden change in Durias¡¯ atmosphere. She felt as if her eyes were darkening in a situation where she couldn¡¯t do anything. Because her front and back were blocked off. ¡°¡­What are you going to do with me?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, how do you know what I¡¯m going to do with you?¡± Durias muttered quietly. At the sound of his clear voice, Ella¡¯s complexion gradually turned white. This was the deepest end of the Eastern territory. She didn¡¯t know how he got here. In the first place, there was no need for such a big shot to personally come to such a remote place. Judging from his appearance, it didn¡¯t seem like he had come by illegitimate methods. Ella had a hunch that the situation was turning out to be unusual. ¡°Did you come inside the territory after talking with the head of our clan?¡± ¡°Well?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, why don¡¯t you come after going through the procedure first¡­¡­ It¡¯s possible that things will go wrong with the South.¡± The end of Ella¡¯s voice, full of tension, trembled. She wondered if there was any use in saying this, but she had to do everything she could. Durias, who was leisurely listening to what she was saying, widened his eyes as if in surprise. ¡°Are you concerned about my position now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, but you don¡¯t have to. Because¡­¡­¡± Looking around the quiet surroundings, Durias nodded proudly, and recognizing the meaning, Ella took a deep breath. ¡°There is only us here, and you will disappear without no one knowing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°So why not stop wasting each other¡¯s time?¡± Looking at the sky where the sun was slowly rising, Durias frowned. There was no more time to delay here. As Ella had said, Durias had crossed the border without telling the East in advance. Knowing this, if any issue was taken with the East, it could spread out of control and turn into a big problem. ¡°I¡¯m not that free either.¡± Since he didn¡¯t want things to get complicated, Durias wanted to warp the situation slowly. He sighed, lamenting his situation. At this level of rank, he thought that at least he wouldn¡¯t have to go on business trips in person¡­ He couldn¡¯t help it. If the above tells you to roll around, you roll around. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss Ella. I¡¯m also in a position to listen to the instructions of my superior¡­. If we are late, I will be scolded.¡± ¡°¡­Oh my. Who is going to scold the great Sir Durias?¡± Then someone with a black hood appeared behind Durias. Ella suppressed the scream that was about to burst out at the appearance of another Black Mamba. The two started talking to each other in a relaxed manner. ¡°There¡¯s two more above my head. I really don¡¯t want to imagine being scolded by them.¡± ¡°Then this mission must be successful, no matter what.¡± Two people. At those words, Ella got goosebumps even on her scalp. Because she knew very well who was above him. It must have been Cade Astrophel and his assistant, Baon. The fact that they were looking for her turned Ella¡¯s head white. She didn¡¯t even notice that the Black Mamba, wearing the hoodie, was slowly coming closer. Ella, who belatedly noticed it, stiffened her body with a flinch. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t come any closer. Do you have to take me with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°If you come any further, I¡¯ll jump from here.¡± ¡°Oh my?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something you don¡¯t want either. If you want to take me with you, make a formal request to the head of my Clan!¡± Ella said strongly, as she gave her last warning. At the same time, she bit her lips in fear of being attacked. What if the Astrophel family came here knowing what she had done¡­..? Then can I survive? That was no positive answer. From the moment they started looking for her, the end was set in stone. The moment she was caught, she would not be safe. ¡®I can¡¯t depend on my clan.¡¯ If it was known that the tail had been caught, her clan would be the first to deal with her. Ella burst into unbearable resentment for a moment. ¡®Why do I have to go through this? I am also a victim!¡¯ I won¡¯t have it. Ella¡¯s golden eyes filled with poison, she somehow had to survive. At her threatening cry not to come any closer, the hooded Black Mamba halted the steps. Soon a soft voice was heard. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I beg your pardon?¡± Ella questioned, doubting her ears. ¡°I told you, to go ahead.¡± This time even Durias looked back at the hooded figure with a look of absurdity. ¡°Wait a minute. Is that something you can handle?¡± ¡°He said she doesn¡¯t have to be in perfect condition, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, but.¡± ¡°As long we take her alive, it doesn¡¯t matter if she is a little broke, does it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly more convenient to take her like that.¡± Durias nodded his head at the convincing remark. Chapter 49 ?? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ ?? It was a moment when an unbelievable conversation was pouring out in real-time right in front of the concerned party. It made Ella think that there was really no other place to fall back on. If someone else saw this, they might laugh at the absurd situation, but she couldn¡¯t do it at all. Because the words of the hooded Black Mamba and Durias were very sincere. It was like they were truly waiting for the moment she jumped off the cliff. ¡®¡­¡­Crazy. These people are crazy. Are you going to even jump into the cliff together with me?¡¯ Ella swallowed dry saliva. As she took one step back at a time, Durias reached out his hand with an exclamation. It felt like he was flustered that she really choose to jump. Rather, the one with the hood was the relaxed one. Ella felt suspicious. With what confidence do these people stand by? She clenched her fists as she felt her feet float into the air. ¡®If I¡¯m lucky, I might be swept away by the river and survive.¡¯ Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t a very weak beast, so she had enough confidence to gamble and somehow come out alive. ¡®No matter how crazy they are, they won¡¯t jump off the cliff together.¡¯ For her, it was a matter of life and death. For the opponents, no matter how important the order was, it would not be more important than their lives. When she had finished her thoughts, Ella, who was relieved, raised the corner of her mouth. ¡°You will never catch me, I¡¯m really going to jump.¡± Soon her body began to fall down quickly. At that moment, a strong wind blew and the hood which had been covered the Black Mamba face came off. A soft, bobbed hair flowed down and the hidden face was revealed. Durias glanced at the opponent and asked. ¡°Can you bring her back alive? ¡­Hestia.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Sir Durias.¡± Hestia spoke kindly as usual, but she looked down the cliff with cold eyes while leisurely walking forward. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely bring her back alive.¡± There was no hesitation in Hestia¡¯s actions. Durias marveled at the sight of Hestia kicking off the ground and rushing down the cliff. She was so fast that it was hard to keep up with, even with a black mamba¡¯s fuselage eyesight. Hestia¡¯s expression as she climbed down the cliff was colder than ever. She had to live. This mission was the first step in correcting her mistakes. * * * ¡°¡­Are you saying that from now on, you want me to tell you things from the outside, one by one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fayman couldn¡¯t speak at the sudden condition that fell on him, early in the morning. ¡°From now on, if you want to see me you have to do that.¡± ¡°May I ask why?¡± The reason was simple. No matter how much I thought about it, there were so many things I didn¡¯t know. I realized for sure that growing up slowly in my actual situation was not a very good plan. ¡°I want to know more things.¡± ¡°I see.¡± From now on, I thought that I should not neglect anything and work hard to learn. Even now, I was learning various theories indicated for my development, but the progress was rather slow because I was learning every other day. Moreover, the most important thing was practice rather than theory. While I was thinking about who could best teach me about things, Fayman showed up. ¡°Okay? You have to tell everyone.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Fayman, who was silently looking down at the floor, nodded his head. I didn¡¯t feel like it was in hurry, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to be a good decision. Since they were the people who, most recently, stayed outside for a long time, wouldn¡¯t there be a lot of stories to tell? ¡°What are you curious about?¡± ¡°Just, anything. Well¡­ Something related to the South!¡± I secretly slipped something I was hoping to know. First of all, I thought it would be good to know what the situation in the South was like. Fayman seemed to be wondering why I was making such a request. At that lukewarm reaction, I grabbed his arm. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Fayman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Fayman!¡± Fayman sighed and took a deep breath as I hurriedly waved his arm. His dark green eyes began to wander in embarrassment. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll pass it on to the others.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± I hurriedly grabbed Fayman as he was about to go back and stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s a secret from others that you are telling me stories, okay?¡± It didn¡¯t matter if I was found out, but for some reason, seeing Cade and Baon¡¯s reaction yesterday, it seems like a headache was about to burst. Fayman nodded his head in agreement. That¡¯s how I got four new teachers. * * * ¡°Look closely. This is the south, the right is the east. The top is the north. The left is the west.¡± ¡°Wow. Is this the North? We are really close.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if it seems the furthest, it¡¯s actually the closest.¡± Messi was the first to teach me something. Surprisingly, he seemed to have a knack for explaining. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a good relationship with the North in the past. It¡¯s been a while since we formed an alliance.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There was an area where our domains overlapped. Now, we are managing it by exactly dividing it in half. But there are still mixed families living there.¡± I thought it was peaceful until now, but I didn¡¯t know there would be such a situation. ¡°Then, we are not close to the North now?¡± ¡°Not very friendly.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± What do you mean you¡¯re not on good terms with the North? When Sage came to mind, my mood went down. What if the Clans relationship breaks out again? I don¡¯t want that to happen. I don¡¯t think he will ask us to break the friendship we finally made, right? As my expression darkened, Messi looked at me instead of explaining. ¡°Why are you suddenly looking like this?¡± ¡°I made a friend last time, and Sage lives in the North.¡± ¡°Oh, that little boy?¡± Messi¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡°You know Sage?¡± ¡°I knew, of course. So he¡¯s name is Sage.¡± ¡°Yes. I and Sage are going to play again later.¡± ¡°Well¡­ It won¡¯t be that easy to get along, but the Clans relations are not that bad.¡± That¡¯s a relief. Messi started again to draw maps on the other side. I paid attention to him as the story progressed without interruption. It was very clever to sit down on the ground covered with dirt and scribble with twigs. In addition, the map was quite detailed, so it was easy to recognize. This time Messi started the story by starring the South. ¡°The southern part is much more active when compared with other areas. Because of that, the Lord is very concerned and more than twice the manpower is dispatched to the border if compared to other regions.¡± ¡°Why send more than twice the people to the border?¡± ¡°To enter the South, you have to pass through the Terra Forest in here, and there are really tough guys living in there.¡± ¡°I see. Is it that dangerous?¡± I asked, looking at the circled area near the border. It must have been the Terra Forest. ¡°The security in the south is good, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can feel safe everywhere. That¡¯s why we¡¯re guiding guests from the border so that Clans coming from outside can interact more easily.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s expensive, but everyone prefers the South because it¡¯s safe. What do you think? The more you hear, the better, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Very much.¡± I thought Cade wouldn¡¯t care much about that. But he was surprisingly attentive. It really felt like he was the head of the South. I thought he was living in a way of completely following the Law of the Jungle, but it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case. When I think about it, it was amazing that the southern part, filled with wild black mambas, was so peaceful. Also, if everyone prefers the South as an exchange area, it means that the administration of the South is systematic. Messi pinned the most central part of the South with a branch. ¡°This is where we are now. It¡¯s called the heart of the South.¡± ¡°Then are we here too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Head¡¯s residence is usually hidden in the deepest part of the realm, but the Astrophel Clan stays in the middle.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be best to stay deep inside? I think it would be most advantageous to be in the depths of the realm when you are attacked by other clans. ¡°When there is a war, it is the family rule that the head of state is the first to take the lead. To do that, it is difficult if they live too far in front or too far at the back, so we settled in the center.¡± ¡°Then, if something happens, Daddy is the first to go?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why no one is picking a fight. Who wants to see the Lord¡¯s face right from the beginning?¡± ¡­I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing. Does that mean that Cade is so strong that people don¡¯t want to mess with him? I had never seen the people of the family fight with all their hearts, but I knew how powerful the Black Mamba were. Each one of them has amazing destructive power, but I can¡¯t guess how strong Cade, who is at the top, really was. ¡°I see. How strong is Daddy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that either.¡± ¡°Why you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the Lord fight with all his might, and I don¡¯t really want to see it, because it means the South is in danger.¡± That¡¯s true. I nodded at the explanation that made sense. Chapter 50 Messi told me other things besides this. I also learned that the South is so rich in resources that there is little that can¡¯t be found and that it has an unusually large number of allied clans. However, because of the lack of spices, they are trying to maintain a friendly relationship with the West. Wow. Messi is like a genius. As I blinked my eyes, he shrugged and avoided my gaze out of embarrassment. ¡°What is it? That expression of surprise.¡± ¡°I thought that you didn¡¯t know about those things. How do you know everything?¡± ¡°¡­First of all, I¡¯m from a collateral family too. I¡¯ve had all the basic classes so I know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°Collateral?¡± ¡°They have the same roots as the Astrophel family.¡± The roots are the same? Doesn¡¯t that mean they have the same ancestors? I was shocked. ¡°Then you are a distant relative of Daddy?!¡± It was the strangest and most shocking thing I had ever heard. When I asked back in amazement, Messi shook his head, saying it wasn¡¯t. ¡°It may have been in the past, but not now. Nowadays, even non-collateral members of the clan who have contributed to the family are recognized as collateral.¡± ¡°It was like that.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t any real collateral members.¡± ¡°Is that person Baon?¡± I remembered Baon that also had black hair. I was told that black hair and red eyes are only innate to people of the Astrophel family. This is because when you go around the house, sometimes you see people with those characteristics here and there. Not only Baon, but Rosaria also had red eyes. Messi nodded a yes to my words. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s complicated, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. But is good to know.¡± It was a little complicated, but it seemed to be vaguely understandable. To put it simply, it meant that both the clan members with blood ties and members without them would be recognized as collateral if they made a contribution to the family. I¡¯ve been feeling it for a long time, but the South was very open-minded. If it was somewhere else, I don¡¯t think they would recognize someone as collateral simply because they made a contribution. I asked softly, pointing north of the map. ¡°By the way, Messi. How cold is it in the North?¡± ¡°Why are you asking that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I have to go play later. Sage lives there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± Messi had a complex, subtle expression on his face. He was hesitant to ask how to explain. ¡°¡­Do you know what it means to invite another beast to your realm?¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± Is there such a thing? I blinked slowly. I don¡¯t know what it means. Come to think of it, I remember that Rosaria¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t very good when I told her that Sage had invited me over. What the hell does that mean? When I shook my head that I didn¡¯t know, Messi sighed deeply¡­ ¡°I knew it. You don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Then please listen to what it means from someone else. First of all, what I can tell you is¡­¡± What can you tell me? ¡°It¡¯s very cold in the north¡­ and you¡¯re not going to go there.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the Lord will never allow it.¡± So give up. Messi patted my shoulder. Why won¡¯t Cade ever allow it? I tilted my head. Without a word, Messi wiped away the picture drawn on the floor with his feet. * * * The weekend was back. I didn¡¯t have any plans today, so I was going to borrow a book from the library. To brag for a moment, I could now read an easy book without Rosaria¡¯s help. It was a great development. By the way, this expression was also found in a book! I opened the library door and went inside. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here again, Miss Irene. Have you read all the books you borrowed last time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I handed the borrowed book to Media, who was managing the library. Recently, I was mainly reading books that were popular with young beasts. What should I read this time? After finishing my return record, Media smiled happily and pointed to the books stacked next to her. ¡°Do you see this?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°These are the books I ordered for you last time. What would you like to read first?¡± Hmm. What should I read first? There was more text in this book than what I normally read. It seemed a little difficult, but I thought it would be ok. I read most of the fairy tale books in the library, so there¡¯s nothing to read. Let¡¯s read the thinnest one first. ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick this one.¡± ¡°Oh, would you? They said it was a popular book in the West.¡± ¡°West?¡± Are there different popular books in each area? Come to think of it, it felt a little different from the book I¡¯ve read so far. ¡°Yes. The recommended books for each clan are slightly different. Since each person has different personalities, there are differences in what they learn when they are young.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So far, all that Miss Irene has read were recommended popular books for young beasts in the South.¡± It felt a little strange. So what I¡¯ve read so far is the preferred direction of growth in the South? There are a lot of stories that usually say you have to look around and live together in cooperation. ¡­But it seemed to me that people were acting as they please without paying any attention to their surroundings. For reference, the next most important thing is ironic, ¡®I¡¯m good on my own.¡¯ I don¡¯t know which side of the rhythm to match, but I think people might probably want to find the middle point and match it appropriately. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go now.¡± ¡°Yes. Have fun reading and come again.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I left the library and headed to my room. I was going to stay in the room without going out today. I raised the straps of the suspenders that were drooping down from my shoulders and diligently headed for the room. Now that I have developed stamina, I was able to go back and forth between floors without difficulty. Before that, I was tired too easily to even think about that. ¡°Rodaria, I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°You came early, Miss Irene. Have you decided on a book to read today?¡± ¡°Yes. This one. Media recommended. It¡¯s popular in the West.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare snacks for you.¡± ¡°Un. Thank you.¡± I sat on the sofa and laid on a cushion. I was slowly reading the book, page by page when I suddenly heard the sound of the door opening. It was Arban. Rosaria who prepared the snacks distributed them on the table and welcomed Arban. ¡°Welcome, Young Master Arban.¡± Arban nodded roughly and walked straight to where I was. I put down the book and curiously looked back at him. ¡°Brother Arban?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His red eyes were staring at me with a burdensome look, and they narrowed even more. Why are you looking at me like this? As he leaned back, Arban folded his arms and sat down on the sofa opposite me. ¡°Did you take a pheromone class last time?¡± ¡°I did. Did you remember about that?¡± ¡°Who remembered¡­! So, was it successful?¡± ¡°No. I haven¡¯t felt my pheromones yet.¡± ¡°Yet? Then when can we go on a trip?¡± Aha. That¡¯s why he came to the room. Seeing him come to me on the weekend and ask questions, it seemed like he was quite upset. Arban coughed and quietly brought out the main point. ¡°¡­When do you think you¡¯ll be able to succeed?¡± ¡°Maybe I can succeed in a few days?¡± Arban let out a deep breath. He seemed frustrated because I didn¡¯t answer an exact date. He stood silently, immersed in thought for a long time, and opened his eyes to call me again. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°If you want to be good at shapeshifting, you have to think that pheromones are evenly distributed throughout the body.¡± In an instant, laughter erupted. I was wondering why he didn¡¯t say anything¡­.. ¡°Hehe. I see.¡± ¡°¡­What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°Brother Arban, have you been thinking about it so far to tell me that?¡± I guess he must have been sitting without going back because he wanted to tell me how to easily succeed in shapeshifting. Arban, who coughed and avoided my gaze, murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± Rosaria, who was watching from the side, was seen smiling happily. ¡°Since the Young Master taught her directly, Miss Irene will be able to do it soon.¡± (Rosaria) ¡°¡­Anyway. So when are you going to class?¡± ¡°Not today because it¡¯s the weekend.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stay in my room.¡± I pointed to the book I was holding. I was originally going to read this, but I think it¡¯s more fun to play with Arban, so I¡¯ll put it off for a while. But what should I play with? As I was looking around the room for something to play with, I suddenly remembered what Messi said yesterday. ¡°Ah, right. Brother Arban.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Brother, do you know what it means to invite someone to your house?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Arban paused at my question and asked. ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°Sage.¡± ¡°¡­Who is he?¡± ¡°Huh? A friend.¡± But why are you reacting so sensitively? Arban¡¯s expression slowly began to wrinkle at my words that he was a friend and suddenly he got up from his seat. ¡°That means he wants to marry you!¡± Chapter 51 ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m still young to go to get married.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why. Don¡¯t be friends with that guy. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­But it¡¯s my first friend.¡± Perhaps Sage didn¡¯t even know that before inviting me over? Because I just found out myself. If he had known what that really meant, he wouldn¡¯t have told me. As expected, it should be something like that. Whew. I feel at ease. ¡°I guess Sage didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°He was ignorant enough to not know that!¡± But he was still angry so I handed Arban the chocolate cookies on the plate to calm him down. ¡°Eat this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, right?¡± Arban closed his mouth and took the cookie with one hand. A strangely unpleasant gaze came toward me. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a kid like you? If you give me something to eat, do you think I¡¯ll be quiet?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re not going to eat?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to eat it.¡± Arban snatched the cookies away. It seemed that he still had a lot to say, but he seemed to be softened by the snack offensive. Humph. After all, Arban is also a kid but he goes around treating me like a baby every day. I bit the cookie while watching him eat. ¡°By the way, Brother Arban.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°You came to see me to talk about the shapeshifting, right? You said you were worried.¡± ¡°¡­No, I didn¡¯t?¡± Then why did you come? There¡¯s no reason to come to me other than that. When I stared at him, Arban panicked and got up quickly. His slightly reddish ears could be seen through his curly black hair. ¡°Hey, I just stopped while passing by! I came just in case you were bored?¡± Arban quickly left the room. Bang! The door slammed shut. Seeing that, Rosaria gave a small laugh. ¡°Young Master Arban is not honest.¡± ¡°Right?¡± He came pretending to be a fool that knew nothing. He could be honest and just say straight out he wanted to go on a family trip as soon as possible, instead of teaching me how to succeed in shapeshifting. * * * Her head was throbbing. Ella opened her eyes, feeling her senses slowly returning. She couldn¡¯t remember anything since the time she had fallen from the cliff. Seeing that she safely opened her eyes, she had fortunately survived the fall. Breathing a sigh of relief, she tried to get her body up. When she realized that her limbs were bound, her eyes widened. Not even a handful of pheromone could be felt in her body. Her mind flashed, and she quickly looked around her. All she could see was a dark, windowless dungeon. ¡°Looks like you just woke up. Did you sleep well, Miss Ella?¡± ¡°¡­Huck!¡± Ella caught her breath at the sound of the voice coming from behind her. Her body stiffened with fear. Because of the rope studded with pheromone control stones, she didn¡¯t even notice Durias was nearby. She slowly turned her head in the direction of the voice. Durias sat cross-legged in a chair looking down at her. And behind him, she saw Hestia standing silently, guarding her seat. ¡°Thanks to Miss Ella sleeping, I was able to quickly return without being caught.¡± ¡°Ugh! Unhg!¡± ¡°Ah. Just in case, I gagged you a bit. Please bear with it even if it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Hung¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If you wait a minute, someone who wants to see you will arrive.¡± Someone who would like to meet you. At that, Ella held her breath. Even without telling who the opponent was, she knew right away. Her body began to tremble. Ella could hear someone coming through the quiet cellar door. Soon, the basement door opened and Ella¡¯s eyes fluttered aimlessly as she looked at her opponent. ¡°It¡¯s a face I haven¡¯t seen in a long time.¡± It was Cade Astrophel. * * * As Cade entered the basement, Durias and Hestia politely bowed their heads and stepped back. ¡°Are you here, my lord?¡± ¡°Greetings, my lord.¡± Cade looked at the two for a moment, then turned his head towards the prison where Ella was held. ¡°¡­¡­Ungh!¡± In the dark, his red eyes were clearly visible. Ella hurriedly plunged her head to the floor because of the creepy eyes staring at her. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a nostalgic face. I remember you helped deliver Estella¡¯s children.¡± Estella. Ella¡¯s complexion grew pale at the mention of a name she couldn¡¯t forget even in her dreams. Cade expressionlessly looked at her and calmly continued his words. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard it, but in my family, a child not of my clan was born.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I think you know why.¡± As Cade continued to speak, Ella¡¯s body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her eyes shook aimlessly enough to make the viewer feel pity as she looked very anxious. Cade opened the locked prison door and entered, stopping right in front of Ella. Ella had her head lowered but Cade slowly lowered his body, grabbed her chin, and lifted her head up, raising his lips and smiling. A cold gaze meant for an enemy was watching her piercingly. ¡°Huck¡­!¡± ¡°I heard that as soon as Estella died, you headed East.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange. From what I¡¯ve heard from Estella, you were abandoned by your clan.¡± Cade was right. Ella was a beast abandoned by the clan. The East where she was born was very conservative, so there was a strong culture that did not tolerate mixed races. In particular, the higher the status, the more often it was. Estella felt sorry for that fact and took Ella in. She actively helped Ella make a living in the South, and even brought her into the family at the time she married Cade, staying with her. So, she was not doubted in the least. When Ella handed in her resignation, saying she would leave the family shortly after Estella died, he was willing to let her go. The Astrophel family without Estella would be terrible. People thought that if she stayed here, she would keep thinking of Estella and suffer. When she left, he had paid her severance pay as well. That was the remaining of Cade¡¯s consideration. But now Ella was in front of him¡­¡­ Cade¡¯s pheromone vibrated terribly. It was such a vicious energy that it seemed to twist Ella¡¯s neck at any moment. Ella was sobbing, unable to breathe properly because of the pain that felt like her jaw was going to crumble. ¡°¡­I looked at where you went and seems like the East accepted you. There must be a reason why they took you back.¡± Durias and Hestia quickly covered their noses. It was because the poisonous incense vibrated inside the basement. It was a power that could poison not only Ella, but both of them as well, even though they were Cade¡¯s comrades. Ella was already turning her eyes upside down, on the verge of blacking out. As he let go of the chin he was holding on to, Ella¡¯s body fell to the floor and the gag in her mouth was released. Cade¡¯s gaze turned to Hestia. Faced with his eerie, vertically stretched pupils, Hestia flinched and swallowed dry saliva. ¡°Heal her, Hestia.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, sir.¡± She approached Ella, who had completely lost her mind, and cast her healing skills. Once the poison had somewhat neutralized, Ella opened her eyes and exhaled a pained breath. Soon, after spotting Cade again, her golden eyes fluttered in despair. She cried out in fright. ¡°I, I didn¡¯t do anything. Really. I really didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯ll find out when you talk to my subordinates from now on. I hope you can hold out well.¡± ¡°Master Cade! Master Cade!¡± Ella screamed when she saw Cade leave the basement. When the situation somewhat settled, Durias sighed and looked down at Ella, who frowned and shouted loudly. From now on, something really important was about to begin. Durias took off his gloves one by one. ¡°Then let¡¯s talk now, Miss Ella.¡± ¡°¡­¡­! I¡¯m really upset. Sir Durias, you know me. How much I followed after Lady Estella!¡± Ella eagerly looked at him with tears in her eyes, but Durias replied with a smile. ¡°Of course, I know how much you followed Lady Estella.¡± ¡°Re-really? Then, you trust me right, Sir Durias? I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m really glad¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then let me ask you straight up, Miss Ella.¡± Ella, who was expressing relief with her smile, stopped breathing. Durias, who sat in the chair, stared at her with expressionless eyes. ¡°Is it true that Lady Estella really died after giving birth to the heirs?¡± * * * ¡°Ella is gone?¡± ¡°Yes, I checked where she was staying this morning and she was gone without a trace.¡± In a large room decorated with gold on all sides, there was a silhouette that seemed to be visible over the long threaded blinds made of jade. The man reclining on the throne mumbled as he drank tea. ¡°This is really annoying. Did she run away?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think so?¡± A cold voice echoed in the room. The man seemed to be offended by the unclear content of the report. Elvin held his breath and bowed his head at the sudden chill of the atmosphere. Because he knew very well that he could not survive the moment he went against this man¡¯s mood. ¡°Elvin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to take care of it earlier.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°If you are presuming she didn¡¯t run away, then who kidnapped her?¡± ¡°Based on the circumstances, it is presumed to be the Astrophel family.¡± Pause. The movement of the man who was waving the teacup and bringing it to his mouth stopped. ¡°There is no direct evidence that we are involved yet, so it should be fine.¡± Chapter 52 Elvin¡¯s mouth was dry. As soon as the head became an adult, he drove out his predecessor and took the throne, he had such an outstanding ability that he completely changed the game of territorial disputes, which had been grouped with disadvantages, at once¡­ But at the same time, he had a very brutal temper. Elvin opened his mouth with difficulty, worried that he might offend his nerves. ¡°¡­I dare say, but why don¡¯t you just step aside now?¡± ¡°Why? Are you afraid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°I know, but isn¡¯t this a lot of fun?¡± He asked with an amused voice and got up from his seat. Soon the blinds moved, revealing a man with silver hair and dark purple eyes. Elvin was nervous about the distance that was narrowing down. The man who came right in front of him opened his mouth with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think Ella completely failed her mission. It seems that she was half successful.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°They say the egg hatched in the Astrophel family. I¡¯ve heard that they cherish it terribly.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t check it with his own eyes because he wasn¡¯t the Head at the time. Is that all? He made time to introduce the child at the banquet and even bestowed the Astrophel surname. Interest flickered in the man¡¯s eyes for a moment and then disappeared. At the sight of the Head, Elvin was astonished and hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous to touch the Astrophel family.¡± ¡°Who said I would come out and touch it myself? There is someone else who can do that for me.¡± The Head¡¯s brow furrowed as if his excitement had cooled. Elvin, desperately wanting to go away, closed his mouth. The man, who seemed to have been lost in thought for a moment, grinned and muttered as he went back to his seat. ¡°Isn¡¯t it polite to use a card if you have any left?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Loisar family?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they want to get their heir back safely, so I think they¡¯ll follow faithfully.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Did you understand what I¡¯m talking about without having to explain it?¡± Of course, he knew it very well. The first thing the man did after becoming the Head of his clan was to take all heirs of the neighboring families as hostages. As a result, the whole area was devastated and most of the families fell under the man¡¯s feet. The family, exhausted by the long struggle for territory, cheered for the Head¡¯s outspoken move, but¡­ Elvin just couldn¡¯t like it. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way, Head Diel.¡± ¡°You may do so.¡± Elvin walked backward and soon after, a large door opened on both sides. Shhh. Tuck. Elvin let out a long-held sigh filled with despondency after finishing the report. Is it really okay to be like this? Walking along the dead, silent corridor, he closed his eyes gently. It would be nice if someone could stop the Head from moving. He thought it didn¡¯t matter who would do such a feat, as long as they could succeed. ¡°¡­Where was the Heir of Loisar staying again?¡± By now, Loisar¡¯s heir would have been feeling humiliated while trapped in a cage. All of these were instructions given by the Head. As Elvin moved his steps to fulfill the order, he could not hide his mixed feelings. * * * Shunng. Shunng. It was the second day of class in the forest. I was concentrating on moving the immobile pheromones with all my might. ¡°You¡¯re doing well. Focus a little bit more.¡± It¡¯s hard! As Arban told me, I tried to spread the pheromone all over my body, but it was not as easy as it sounds. When I tried, it didn¡¯t even budge. The pheromones, which were not properly controlled, were leaking out of my body with a pop. I felt like I couldn¡¯t do it anymore because my heart was impatient. I can¡¯t do more. First of all, I need to rest for a while. ¡°Kasa. Can I rest for a bit?¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s take a break for a while.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I took the water bottle out of my bag and drank it. It was cool because all the ice had yet to melt. Leaning under the tree for a moment, Kasana watched with concern. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s hard, why don¡¯t we stop for today?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not difficult. I can go on.¡± I couldn¡¯t give up just yet. I¡¯m only taking my first steps as a beast and I didn¡¯t want to give up like a crybaby. I jumped up. Great. Since I¡¯m all rested, I¡¯m going to start over. As Kasana just explained, it feels like the pheromone was slowly roaming my body¡­ I think it¡¯s slowly changing one place at a time. Shunng. I clenched my fist. First of all, I had a great desire to change at least one place, anywhere was fine. This is because it is said that if you transform a part of the body first, you will get the hang of it after that. While I was seriously moving the pheromones in my body little by little, Kasana¡¯s eyes suddenly opened wide when she saw something. ¡°¡­Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You have succeeded in transforming a part of your body.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?! Where? Where?¡± That¡¯s why Kasana had a surprised expression on her face! I jumped out of my seat with joy. But where did it change? No matter how much I looked, I couldn¡¯t see where it had changed. When I touched my face, it didn¡¯t seem to have changed. My arms and legs that could be seen with the naked eye were the same as before. Don¡¯t tell me Kasana lied because I looked like I was overdoing it I suspiciously glanced at her. ¡°Where¡¯s the change? I haven¡¯t changed anywhere?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you sure I changed?¡± ¡°You have a tail.¡± Kasana pointed to my back. ¡­¡­Tail? Why a tail of all parts? I looked back with dissatisfaction. The shape of the tail sticking out was clearly visible. I wish I had wings if possible. Still, it wasn¡¯t bad since I changed a part of my body. ¡°By the way Kasa.¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± ¡°How do I get rid of this?¡± ¡°You can get rid of it with the feeling that you are collecting pheromones.¡± Collecting? Like taking it back? Shunng. I tightened my tail and I could feel it twitching and moving. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m walking around in this state, so I want it to disappear before class was over. How long did I fight with my tail? I flopped down on the floor with a tearful look, crying at the pheromones I couldn¡¯t squeeze anymore. ¡°Uh, how¡­¡± The tail did not disappear until the end. The words that Seth had said suddenly flashed through my mind. ¡®You must not lose concentration when you change your body. If that happens¡­ only a part of your body will turn into a beast¡¯s, so you might have to walk around like that for the rest of your life.¡¯ Oh my god. What he said was about to become a reality! Anxiety surged and I hurriedly grabbed Kasana¡¯s arm. ¡°Kasa!¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°How can¡­ Do I have to live like this for the rest of my life?¡± When I worriedly asked, Kasana gave me a soft smile and reassured me. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Miss. This kind of situation is very common. It will get better over time.¡± ¡°But, Brother Seth said he succeeded at once.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then Brother Arban did too?¡± Kasana was silent. Arban also seemed to have succeeded at once. If it happens so often, it¡¯s not uncommon at all. I decided to go back after covering my tail with my bag. It seemed like it could be covered up somehow if I put it on my shoulder with the intention of hanging it with my arms. ¡°Miss Irene. Don¡¯t be so heartbroken, because you¡¯ve done the basics of shapeshifting.¡± ¡°Kasa is right.¡± That¡¯s right¡­ but it didn¡¯t make me feel any better. Besides, it was somewhat embarrassing because only the tail was strangely sticking out. I came out of the woods with my bag hanging down on my back. I¡¯ll never get caught by anyone, I will hide it, especially from Arban. ¡°I can go alone from here.¡± ¡°I see. Then, I hope you go home safely without being caught, Miss Irene.¡± With Kasana¡¯s support, I nodded my head and walked towards the entrance to the garden. However, my resolution was short-lived. I ran into a huge problem, and that was¡­¡­ ¡°Hello, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°¡­Fa-Fayman?¡± ¡°I brought some snacks in advance in case you were hungry. But why is your bag drooping like that?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re doing it because it¡¯s heavy, please give it to me. I¡¯ll carry it for you.¡± It was because I ran into Fayman who was waiting for me at the entrance. Seeing Fayman reaching out for my bag, I hesitated and backed away. ¡°No. It¡¯s not heavy at all. I can carry it by myself.¡± ¡°Then you have to put it on your shoulder properly. If you carry it like that, your arm will hurt, right?¡± Fayman nodded his head saying he understood but made a puzzled expression on his face. Whew. I¡¯m in trouble. How can I get back to my room without being caught? I stopped in place and looked around and suddenly felt a huge presence next to me. A man with a terrifying appearance of enormous size was staring at me. ¡°She seems to like the bag.¡± (Fayman) ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like that.¡± (?) ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Rather than that, I think she¡¯s trying to hide something.¡± Chapter 53 The two looked at me and exchanged words. I was startled by the content of the conversation coming in, without warning, that hit the nail on the head. Fayman introduced the man with a gentle smile. ¡°He¡¯s called Bassad. He looks a little rough, but he¡¯s not that bad.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m Bassad.¡± ¡°I-I see!¡± I don¡¯t know why he had to appear at such a moment! I leaned back and began to move one step to the side. It was a so-called crab walk. Then two pairs of eyes followed. Their eyes were telling me that they could not understand why I was walking like that. ¡°Are you uncomfortable? Why are you walking like that?¡± ¡°Just because!¡± I awkwardly smiled and looked at Bassad. Fayman even introduced us, and I couldn¡¯t help but say hello. Because it¡¯s not polite to meet for the first time and say nothing back. All right. Let¡¯s wave up quickly and lower it quickly. I earnestly looked at Bassad. Then quickly waved my hand and brought it back down. However, the two looked full of surprise to see a white object between the bag and my back. Bassad, who was looking at where the bag would be covered, muttered quietly. ¡°¡­¡­Tail?¡± ¡°¡­I thought I was a mistake. Bassad, you saw it too, right?¡± Fayman answered blankly and then covered his face. A giggling voice could be heard very clearly. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ku ku Kuk-Hip. Kuh¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, all right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Miss¡¯ order, right? I will never tell anyone.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Bassad too?¡± Can I really trust these two? Still, they were my escorts, so they won¡¯t easily spread information about me in other places, will they? When I opened my eyes and looked up with sharp eyes, Bassad did not readily answer and was silent. ¡°Why don¡¯t you answer?¡± ¡°¡­I won¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Good. I trust you.¡± Now, first, I¡¯ll have to think about how to get into the mansion without being caught. There were not many people in the garden, but as soon as I enter the mansion, a lot of gazes will stick on me. I quickly walked to the mat where the parasol was installed. First of all, my legs hurt, so I¡¯ll have to sit over there and think about it. ¡°You¡¯re not going in right away?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well. There are many eyes in the mansion, so we must be careful.¡± Fayman seemed to be subtly enjoying the situation. I took off my sneakers, laid out my bag, and sat down. Contemplating a way to go unnoticed by others, Fayman raised his hand to say. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give her a hug and go together? I think Bassad can hide it well.¡± ¡°Hmm? I think it¡¯s going to stand out too much.¡± Bassad looked as big as Dante. It seemed like it would only attract more attention if I went back in his arms. Even now, people passing by the garden were already glancing at him. ¡°How about going through the window?¡± Bassad said, pointing to the window of the mansion. It was a pretty daring method. But Fayman immediately shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Bassad.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Do you think you can go through the window with your body?¡± ¡­¡­. There was only silence. ¡°Then, Fayman can do it, right?¡± If Bassad couldn¡¯t do it work, Fayman had to do it. Then he spoke out as if he was waiting for this chance. ¡°I¡¯ll let you in through the window, so can I touch your tail a few times?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Forget it. I don¡¯t need it.¡± I mean, not just everyone can touch my tail!! I quickly turned my head. In the end, going through the window failed. ¡°I think it would be best to go in through the window. Think a little more about it while you eat a snack, I just need to touch the tail a little bit.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m not eating.¡± Fayman had yet to give up on my tail, so he was trying to get attention using snacks. Who would fall for something like that? I turned my head not to look. ¡°She¡¯s sulking hard.¡± Fayman muttered and tapped Bassad. Bassad, who silently watched the situation, sighed. As if this was not the first time this happened, he had an attitude of giving up halfway. Just by looking at Fayman¡¯s behavior, it was already evident that he was in charge of cleaning up his mess. ¡­Bassad, you must have suffered a lot while being caught in the middle. I thought of Karma, Messi, and Fayman I had met so far. It was easy to see that everyone had different personalities without having to look closely. It was a pity to imagine Bassad, who would have silently endured this situation while squeezed among such colleagues. ¡°Have you ever seen anything like this?¡± He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a necklace made of wood. The round wooden surface was flat and smooth. It was carved with colored sculptural drawings, which looked like some kind of pattern. ¡°It¡¯s a superstition, but it is said that if you make a wish here, it will come true.¡± ¡°Are you giving me this?¡± ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t made a wish yet, so I¡¯ll give it to Miss Irene.¡± When he put it in my hands, I saw two tightly twisted strings tied into a short knot. I¡¯m going to have to pray for the success in shapeshifting here. I quickly hung it around my neck and then paused. ¡­But, if he had this, wouldn¡¯t Bassad also have a wish? I actually received it because I liked it, but it bothered me a bit. Bassad puzzledly looked at me as I was only thinking and fiddling with the necklace without putting it on my neck. ¡°Bassad. If you give me this, how will your wish come true?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you make this because you wanted to make a wish?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He shook his head saying it was not it. ¡°I made it for you this time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Then it was a relief. I lightly hung the necklace. Seeing the swaying wood, it seemed like my wish would come true soon. Shu. My mood soon improved and my tail went up. Fayman, who felt the slightest movement and looked at my tail, had twinkling eyes. ¡°Does your tail move according to your mood?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then would you like a snack?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m only eating it because Fayman told me to.¡± When Fayman encouraged me to eat snacks again, I pretended I couldn¡¯t win and got rid of the jelly in one gulp. ¡­The pheromones will return only when energy is replenished. In fact, even if pheromones returned, nothing could be solved right away. Because Kasana said that it was absolutely forbidden to try shapeshifting when she was not there. I had to wait until the next class. ¡°I¡¯ll go to my room first. If I stay here for too long, Rodaria will be worried.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve been here for over an hour already. Have you figured out a way to get in without getting caught?¡± ¡°Yes. You two need to help.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Please hide me.¡± Hiding between the two of them seemed like it would somehow work. If the change had been in a different area, I wouldn¡¯t have been so concerned. My ears heated up at the thought that everyone was watching my tail move freely according to my mood. I lowered my bag in the same way as before. ¡°If I do this, you can¡¯t see it right?¡± ¡°¡­I think this is going to stand out more.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± There was no other way. This is the best I can do. I don¡¯t know if things will go as planned. Sneaky. I cautiously walked towards the mansion. The two participated in the plan, but they looked confused. Fayman asked me several times if I was really going to use this method, and each time I naturally nodded my head. Two tall black mambas followed behind me for a long time. The two of them looked around with a very suspicious attitude, probably more nervous than me. Naturally, attention was focused on Fayman and Bassad. Good! Success! I laughed happily. I mean, I knew the eyes would be on the two of them. ¡°¡­You were aiming for this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly smart, Miss.¡± ¡°I get that a lot!¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of fun.¡± Fayman seemed to be enjoying the situation. I managed to get through the mansion¡¯s central lobby without showing anyone my tail. I took a deep breath after feeling relieved. Now, all I had to do was climb the hallways and stairs, and I was done. The problem was that there were more people in the hallways than in the central lobby. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I can do it.¡± I glued myself to the wall and examined the corridor before turning the corner. Fayman and Bassad hid their bodies behind me, and their heads poked out above me. A little funny picture was drawn. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people in the hallway. I don¡¯t feel much of a presence.¡± ¡°I think now is the best time to pass, Miss.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. But this is really thrilling. It feels like the most difficult mission I¡¯ve ever been on.¡± Fayman muttered happily and Bassad nodded in agreement. ¡°The difficulty is slightly higher because the people we have to deceive are from the same clan.¡± ¡­You don¡¯t have to take it so seriously. Is this something that should be done while detecting the presence of other people? Still, it was reassuring to see the two of them doing this with a serious approach. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 54 To go up from this floor, you had to go through this hallway. Still, I entered the hallway feeling relieved because this was the last hurdle. Occasionally, there were people who greeted me and pretended to know of my presence, but fortunately, they did not hold onto me to talk. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because Bassad gave me a wish necklace. Things are going well, aren¡¯t they? Don¡¯t you think this will work out?¡± ¡°Is that so? I suddenly want one. Make one for me, Bassad.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Bassad shook his head resolutely. ¡°Just one.¡± ¡°I said no.¡± ¡°How many years have we been together?¡± ¡°Disgusting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so mean.¡± Fayman clung to Bassad, pretending to wipe his tears away. Bassad, who looked startled and genuinely disgusted, stepped back. Their bickering behind my back did not stop and I made a sharp stop. Bassad, who was pushing Fayman¡¯s head with one hand, and Fayman, who had his arms outstretched to hug him, looked at me at the same time. ¡°You two are too loud.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Bassad lowered the arm, pushing Fayman¡¯s face away. Fayman wiped his messy hair with a closed mouth. The situation was settled and I laughed bashfully. ¡°When we get to my room, I will give you a present, so don¡¯t fight. Got it?¡± ¡°A gift?¡± ¡°Yes. The two of you helped me.¡± You can¡¯t just ask people for help with empty hands. Instead, I put conditions. ¡°Instead, no one can find out.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Not much left to my room now. This is because the stairs started immediately after passing the entrance that goes down to the basement. Actually, from then on, it was okay not to cover my tail with a bag. It is a fact that I recently learned, but from this floor onwards, entry and exit were strictly controlled. Only those who had permission from Cade can enter. I felt my arms tingling, and I walked faster. It seemed that the bag strap was hanging on my arm for too long, and it seemed to be straining it. I¡¯m in trouble! Noticing my condition, Bassad asked. ¡°Is your arm numb?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a little numb. But it¡¯s okay.¡± Because we are arriving soon! It¡¯s right there¡­! ¡°Isn¡¯t that Miss Irene?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As I was about to pass by the basement entrance someone called me, and I quickly turned my head. There was Durias coming up from underground with gloves on¡­ Argh¡­. Durias?! My tension automatically went up. I backed away with an awkward smile. ¡°Are you on your way to the room?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But why are you stepping backward?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Oh. Is that so?¡± Durias¡¯s eyes narrowed at my immediate answer that came out after I flinched. He laughed as he carefully looked at the bag, which looked suspicious at first glance. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I wish you the best of luck.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you have a long tail, you¡¯ll be stepped on.¡± Wh-what? I stiffened up, and the bag fell to the floor followed with a tuk sound. The arm that had been holding it back was numb. I stared blankly at Durias. No, how did you know I had a tail without even looking?! ¡°Hmm? I gave you advice wishing you success, but the response was a little lackluster¡­¡± Chuwook. The tail went down. Durias¡¯ white eyes fluttered in surprise and turned towards my tail. I couldn¡¯t say anything in vain. Isn¡¯t this the same as being stabbed and caught red-handed by yourself? ¡°It¡¯s a tail.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell anyone, Durias.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Are you going to promise?¡± I eagerly looked up at Durias, but he did not answer and just smiled. I see. You won¡¯t make compromises. And the next day. Rumors that I had a tail spread throughout the mansion. * * * I have been in the covers since morning in a dried state. Rosalia was sitting next to me and comforting me. ¡°Miss Irene. Don¡¯t be sad anymore and let¡¯s get up. This is really nothing.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°But?¡± I jumped up. The blanket fluttered and fell to the floor. It was hidden inside a white one-piece pajama but I still had a tail. It had grown much softer and prettier than before. It was a very happy thing, but¡­ ¡°I also wanted to get it right on my first try!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool but I¡¯m sad! Rodaria, the tail moves by itself, I feel ashamed! And¡­¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± Everyone looks different from me. All of them are snakes, but I felt like a foreigner looking from outside a fence because I¡¯m a bird. I didn¡¯t feel that way from the beginning. But as I got to know my surroundings little by little, I felt strange that I was the only bird here. Every time I found a different part in me that was not like everyone else, I felt a sense of disparity and didn¡¯t like it. So I was terrified. We are living together now, but can we be together in the future? I am so different from everyone else. At this rate, we may not understand each other¡¯s point of view and end up becoming distant. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been here for a long time. When I become an adult, I have to be independent.¡± ¡°What? Our Miss Irene, were you worried about that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°However, just because you succeed in shapeshifting doesn¡¯t mean that you have to leave the mansion.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m¡­¡± I am a temporary daughter. I swallowed those words because I had no courage to spit them out. That¡¯s something only Cade and I know. Other than us, no one knew. ¨C Come to think of it, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a daughter. For the time being. Until now, Cade had not said that he would completely accept me as his daughter. I was living such a luxurious life that I didn¡¯t have to worry about it right away, but those words kept running through my mind. But I was afraid to bring it up first. I forgot about it and only remembered it now. What if he tells me to leave if I bring it up? I am in a position where I have no choice but to wait for a decision to be made. As I became depressed, Rosaria¡¯s expression darkened as well. ¡°Rodaria.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Irene.¡± ¡°What I am going to do if I have to go out of here?¡± I don¡¯t want to be alone again. I love this house and the people are so nice. Am I being too greedy? I¡¯d be grateful if Cade would at least protect me until I became an adult, but¡­ If I have to get out, I will have to cut off the ties with the people I meet here. ¡°Miss Irene, don¡¯t worry about that. If you don¡¯t like independence, you can stay.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I¡¯m not going out.¡± I will stay here. I hugged the pillow tightly. Then Rosaria looked at me for a while. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Miss Irene is in a sad mood, so I¡¯m upset.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡± It¡¯s only a part of it, but it made me feel a little more comfortable when I said some inner feelings out loud. I shouldn¡¯t go out of the room today. Durias is an idiot. My mouth closed in a pout. I¡¯ll just roll around in bed and get up when it¡¯s time for Kasana to come because today is a day to study theory. To be honest, I¡¯d like to ask her to only teach me how to shove my tail back in. But that would be hard, right? I was in trouble when I heard a knock on the door. Knock, knock. ¡°Who is it?¡± Rosaria, who was sitting next to me, walked to the door. ¡­Who¡¯s here? ¡°Oh, Young Master Seth?¡± Startled, I got up and pulled the blanket. What do you mean Seth is here? ¡°Hello, Irene.¡± ¡°¡­Brother Seth.¡± ¡°I heard you got a tail?¡± It already got in Seth¡¯s ears? I had a tearful face. Seth who came into the room clicked his tongue when he saw me under the blanket. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that you wouldn¡¯t be able to return to your original form.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the trip will take longer to happen.¡± ¡°We can go soon.¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± You are so cold-hearted! I bowed my head sullenly, and I could feel my tail going down together. Seth, who was staring at me, suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Imagine that when you humanize, you are wrapping something around your original body.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Then it will be a little easier to get things back to normal.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It was like that for me.¡± But why are you telling me this? I thought Seth wouldn¡¯t be interested in my situation. I was very surprised because I thought that he would just pass me by even if he knew it. ¡°I heard the news and came to see what you were doing, so why are you down?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Half the tail came out, so it¡¯s a half success.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± I was so surprised that I looked back at Seth. Are you saying this to cheer me up? Seth rose from his seat. ¡°I have a class in the morning, so I¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay. Goodbye, Brother Seth!¡± I sent him off in a dazed mood. I felt like I was dreaming. ¡°I think the Young Master came to congratulate Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Does Rodaria think so too?¡± I¡¯m not the only one who got it wrong or misunderstood it, right? Rosaria smiled saying I wasn¡¯t mistaken. I thought he was going to say that I wasn¡¯t of the same clan and that I grew up slowly, but that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better now. I¡¯m going to change my clothes.¡± ¡°Shall we? It would be better to wear a dress today.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rosaria pulled out a purple dress from the closet. After changing my pajamas, I seemed to be in a good mood. Knock. Knock. ¡°There are a lot of guests coming over today, aren¡¯t there?¡± Not long before Seth went his way. A second guest came. Don¡¯t tell me people are going to come over all day long, are they? The second visitor was Hestia. Chapter 55 ¡°Hello, Miss Irene! I heard the news.¡± In Hestia¡¯s hand was a basket adorned with flowers and had many little chocolates inside. ¡°Congratulations on your shapeshifting. You¡¯re so amazing¡­. but why do you look so down?¡± ¡°Miss Irene doesn¡¯t seem to like it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± Hestia looked at me with eyes that couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°She¡¯s sad that she was not able to completely succeed in one try.¡± ¡°Ah! That¡¯s what happened. It¡¯s rare to succeed right away.¡± ¡°¡­Rare?¡± But both Seth and Arban were able to do it in one try. Hestia tilted her head. ¡°The Young masters were successful in a much more mature state, so they should be marked as exceptions. When they are that big, if you have trouble controlling pheromones, the problem gets worst. Black mambas grow in the blink of an eye so it¡¯s also difficult if we miss the right timing.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? Then it¡¯s not that I¡¯m slow?¡± ¡°Miss Irene is on the fast side. Your pheromones just started to stabilize, right? Everyone is talking about it¡­¡± ¡°Miss Irene is shy. She said she wanted to be successful in a cool way.¡± Rosaria explained in my instead and I nodded my head making a positive. However, it was comforting to hear that it was rare to succeed immediately. But I didn¡¯t know it was also dangerous to miss the time because they grow so fast. ¡°I think the young lady wants to grow up quickly. I think the head will be sad, right?¡± Hestia said, familiarly sitting on the sofa. ¡°I know.¡± Rosalia agreed and came over to serve tea infused with tea leaves. ¡°I heard you went on a business trip, Hestia.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I went with Sir Durias.¡± With Durias? I thought he went alone but seems like they went together. ¡°What did you go out for?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ just an outside mission.¡± Hestia smiled softly and muffled her words evasively. She looked uncomfortable because it was difficult to answer. I walked towards the sofa where they were sitting. Then, enough chocolates to fill up both hands were laid out on the table. ¡°Do you like my present?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m feeling better now. Thank you, Hestia.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. By the way, I really liked the paw prints¡­ but the tail is also a favorite.¡± Gulp. What? I hid my tail. Hestia¡¯s eyes were twinkling. The tail! The tail is in danger! As I hid behind Rosaria, Hestia averted her gaze with regret. She sat down and chatted for quite some time. Then she looked at her watch and got up from her seat. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s time to go. I have work to do.¡± ¡°You can come again, Hestia.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t hesitate to come back again. Miss Irene, see you next time.¡± ¡°Yes. Goodbye, Hestia.¡± Tak. Hestia went back. Whew. I think I can have some alone time now, right? I already put the fifth chocolate in my mouth. Normally, Rosaria would have told me to stop eating but it didn¡¯t happen today. It seemed that she let it go thinking about my feelings. Seems like there¡¯s at least one good thing to having a tail right, right? I laughed my head off. It felt like I was slowly returning to my normal mood. It was then. Knock. Knock. A third knock was heard. Who else is it this time? I puffed up my cheeks. It¡¯s because the visit of other people right now was not pleasant. Rosaria got up but I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll see them out.¡± Then I got off the sofa and burst open the door. ¡°Who is it? Irene is resting now! Thank you for coming, see you next time!¡± ¡°You want me to come next time?¡± ¡­¡­Ah? ¡°I mean, what did you do to take a break? You probably haven¡¯t even taken the class yet.¡± The person in front of the door was Cade. He sternly looked at me, as if offended by my unwelcome greeting. ¡°¡­¡­Huh. Daddy?¡± I hardened as it was. Cade, who was still standing crookedly in front of the door, grinned and a cool breeze passed by. I flinched at the feeling of a chill in my spine. I can¡¯t believe it was Cade who came to see me. When I was speechless and couldn¡¯t say anything, Cade opened his mouth as if he wanted to hear it. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever been door-bullied in my house.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡± It was the so-called ¡®You¡¯re the first one to be rude like this to me.¡¯ As I stealthily avoided eye contact, I could see Cade¡¯s lips drawing a deeper arc from my angle of view. No, I didn¡¯t see anything. Shall I just pretend I don¡¯t know and close the door like this? I clutched the doorknob, thinking about the future that I couldn¡¯t handle if I did so. Fortunately, Rosaria changed the mood before I did anything else. Thanks to this, the crisis flowed in a different direction. ¡°Huh? What are you doing here at this hour, my Lord? It¡¯s time for the morning meeting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°¡­So fast?¡± Rosaria curiously looked at her watch, because it was the time when he would normally still be in a meeting. ¡°It wasn¡¯t very important.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°On the way back, I thought I wanted to see someone¡¯s face for a while, so I came and¡­¡± Flinch. I hid behind the door. After a second, I grasped the doorknob tightly and looked up. Cade, who came into the room before I knew it, was looking at me as if he was full of complaints. I laughed awkwardly, feeling shy. My lips were trembling and cold sweat was dripping down my cheeks. ¡°I wanted to see Daddy too.¡± ¡°Is it me or is this what it feels like to have others lay flat down before me?¡± ¡°It must be only you Daddy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s like that!¡± I shouted loudly and Cade, who had a slightly surprised face, smiled. He seemed to have loosened up, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was offended at first, though. Daddy seems to enjoy making fun of me more and more as time passes. ¡°Did the Lord come after hearing the news?¡± ¡°Durias was excited and talking about it with everyone he ran into.¡± ¡­I had to be caught by Durias from all things! If Cade said that, all other Black Mambas in the mansion also knew by now. I sighed with grief while Cade looked around and sat down on the sofa, crossing his legs. ¡°Looking at it, it seems that guests have already visited.¡± He moved his eyes at the basket on the other side of the table. ¡°Yes, Young Master Seth and Hestia paid a visit earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Hestia and Brother Seth both came and went back.¡± When I couldn¡¯t hide my joy and smiled, Cade laughed too. ¡°Is it such a good thing to have Seth come over?¡± ¡°Of course. I thought he came to make fun of me, but did you know he came to compliment me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°And he taught me how to make my tail disappear.¡± I gave explanations as If I was bragging. ¡°That¡¯s a little surprising.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Maybe I¡¯m the only one who feels that way, but these days, I seem to have gotten closer to Seth. I think his way of speaking and attitude had gotten a little softer. Besides, the sharp mood he had when we first met was hardly seen anymore. There was still a bit of irony, but I don¡¯t think it was because he really didn¡¯t like me. Cade stared at me like that, then opened his mouth again. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I heard that two escorts helped hide your tail.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do you hate your tail?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, saying no. ¡°Then it¡¯s because you¡¯re worried about the difference between your appearance and the Clan¡¯s.¡± It was a calm tone, but it was a piercing remark that hit the head of the nail. I looked up at him in great surprise. In response to my reaction, Cade made a face that looked like he knew it. I felt strange because I didn¡¯t know that Cade, and no one else, would bring it up. It was hard to believe that he was paying attention to things that Rosaria, who was attached to me every day, couldn¡¯t even guess. I blankly looked at him. He seemed to be thinking about something and opened his mouth after a while. ¡°Did anyone ever tell you that you look different?¡± ¡°No. No one ever said that.¡± ¡°Then?¡± I hesitated to bring it up. Rosaria, watching the atmosphere, quietly left the room. She seemed to have decided that there was a need for a conversation between only the two of us. Cade did not rush for an answer. He was just waiting for me to speak. Can I really be honest with everything? I crumpled up the hem of my innocent dress and finally opened my mouth. ¡°¡­I think I¡¯m the only one that¡¯s different. There are no other birds.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°What am I?¡± It was a very certain fact that I was a bird. Even if I was living in the Astrophel family, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a Black Mamba. There was nothing more disturbing than that. What should I do if I can¡¯t blend in anywhere I go? Cade answered my question. ¡°You are Irene Astrophel.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the matter?¡± Cade narrowed his brow. I kept my mouth shut and a long silence continued. Only the clock¡¯s second hand could be heard after a long time and then he opened his mouth. ¡°You said you knew who you were with your own mouth, so I thought this won¡¯t happen, but don¡¯t tell me.¡± Hmm? ¡°You are not thinking about what kind of clan you really belong to, are you?¡± Chapter 56 ¡°Gulp.¡± How did you know? I was surprised and hardened my body. Cade¡¯s expression distorted at my reaction. ¡°And you answered very proudly just now. I almost fell for it.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t lie.¡± I was just saying that I knew my own name, what do you mean I tricked you? That is unfair. ¡°What¡¯s my name?¡± ¡°Cade Astrophel.¡± ¡°Then who am I?¡± What are you doing all of a sudden? I was curious about what he meant to ask these questions, but I decided to answer them steadily. ¡°Daddy is the Head in here.¡± ¡°What kind of clan am I the Head of?¡± ¡°Black Mamba.¡± ¡°Then what kind of clan do you, who received my last name, come from?¡± Ah. I felt like I had been hit hard in the back of the head. I couldn¡¯t say a word and slowly blinked my eyes. So am I also a member of the Black Mamba clan? Even if I am a bird, that is how things work? If people ask me what kind of clan I belong to from now on, is it okay to say Black Mamba? ¡°If I have to go out, am I still a Black Mamba?¡± ¡°¡­What else does that mean?¡± Cade¡¯s face hardened terribly. His red eyes flashed, telling me to speak immediately. ¡°I have to get out in the future.¡± ¡°Are you declaring that you¡¯re going to run away from home in front of me right now? You have big guts.¡± That¡¯s not it. It seemed that Cade had completely forgotten the words, ¡®I will accept you as my daughter for the time being.¡¯ Cade looked at me with a complex and subtle expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. But, wherever you go, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re an Astrophel, Irene.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I haven¡¯t completely solved my worries yet, but I was somewhat relieved when Cade said this. Towards the end of the conversation, a small noise was heard outside. Kasana came, and it seemed that Rosaria was explaining the situation. I thought this was the right time, so I quickly raised my hand. ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I want to have classes in the forest today.¡± I couldn¡¯t stay with this tail until tomorrow. When I eagerly looked at him with a desperate face, Cade grinned with a hopeless expression. Oh¡­ he won¡¯t listen. Then I¡¯ll have to walk like this until tomorrow. Cade got up from his seat and opened the door. I don¡¯t know when they came, but Kasana and Rosaria were waiting in front of my room. At that moment, I heard something unbelievable. ¡°Let¡¯s replace today¡¯s class with a pheromone class, Kasana.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t stay like this forever.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Wow. What¡¯s happening? At first, he reacted as if he wouldn¡¯t listen. I shouted at Cade, who has already gone far away. ¡°Daddy is the best!¡± * * * Right after the morning meeting. While checking the correspondence from each family, Baon hardened his expression when he found a seal from an unwelcomed family. A seal with pure white feathers. It belonged to the Loisard Clan. ¡°Oh my¡­¡­ A family I don¡¯t want to see has appeared.¡± Baon frowned as he looked at the letter. Correspondence to and from the Loisar family was a matter of about once a year and there was never a letter contacting from their side first. No. There was one thing he could guess. And that was what Baon was most concerned about. * * * A very nice thing happened. In this class, not only my tail was put in, but my hands were also changed for a while. I even succeeded in returning them to their original state. What is going on?! Is all of this what I did today? Once I succeeded in removing my tail, it went smoothly from then on. After I got the hang of moving my pheromones, I could easily do it again with a little focus. He said that as soon as I get used to it, it becomes easier. ¡°When I get back, I¡¯m bragging to Daddy.¡± Thanks to Cade¡¯s request to replace the class, I was able to make progress. ¡°The Lord must be very pleased.¡± ¡°Right? Will he praise me for doing a good job?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The pheromones were almost done for, but I was never tired. I was walking hard with the feeling that I was about to fly away, but I saw Arban walking out from the other side. ¡°Huh? Arban!¡± ¡°¡­What? Are you in class today?¡± ¡°Yes. Oh, Orka is here too?¡± ¡°Today I am the one in charge of Young Master Arban¡¯s class.¡± Orka is also in charge of giving classes? I thought Kasana was in charge of everything. ¡°Now that the masters have started martial arts training, I couldn¡¯t give all the classes by myself, so we shared the work.¡± (Kasana) ¡°Really? Awesome. Can you blow leaves on trees now?¡± ¡°Why am I blowing leaves on trees?¡± (Arban) ¡°Isn¡¯t martial arts training something like that?¡± It was awesome when Kasa did it. Arban doesn¡¯t learn such things? Orka explained with a faint smile whether he understood what I meant. ¡°The Young Master is taking classes mainly on physical skills. It seems that the young lady is intensively learning how to use pheromone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Miss¡¯ current body is not suitable for physical skills, so I¡¯ve decided to move on to pheromone control.¡± (Kasana) I see. I guess it¡¯s not yet time for me to learn physical skills with my body. Can I learn something when I grow up to the size of Arban? ¡°You¡¯ve been taking a difficult class, miss.¡± Orka was slightly surprised. It seems that the pheromone control class was more difficult than I guessed. I thought it was learning the easy part of the basics. Seeing that Arban was also glancing at me with interest, it seemed that he had not yet learned how to use pheromones. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way. Get back safely, everyone.¡± At a crossroads in the forest, Orka stopped his steps and gave a farewell first. He always seemed to break up with Arban at this point. I waved my hand saying goodbye to Kasana first. Usually, we would have gone to the entrance together, but now that we have been to the forest several times, I knew the way from here and it was okay because I was together with Arban. ¡°Hmmm. Today I¡¯m also saying goodbye to Kasa now! Brother Arban is here.¡± ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll go back.¡± Kasana nodded and disappeared with Orka. If you turn left at the fork in the road, there is an annex that was given to the people who live and work in the Clan, and if you turn to the right, you will find the main building. I headed to the right alongside Arban. ¡°Brother. I succeeded in getting wings today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. After wings, it¡¯s almost done!¡± Since I was able to change one of the most central parts of the body, the other places would follow soon. I felt better again, and as I walked skipping around, Arban smiled. We went straight into the mansion. However, as soon as we went inside, an unusual atmosphere hit us. ¡­¡­What is it? Today¡¯s meeting must have already ended, but why is everyone gathered in front of the conference room? ¡°Why is everyone there?¡± ¡°I guess something urgent happened. It¡¯s like that sometimes.¡± Unlike me, who was curious, Arban didn¡¯t show much interest. Did they happen to have another meeting again so soon? I walked into the lobby with Arban. That was the moment. The noisy lobby became quiet in an instant. It was as if everyone was silent when they saw us come in. I had a strange feeling. I looked around to see if I was the only one and saw that Arban seemed uninterested. Just before I left the lobby completely, Arban called me in a whisper. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°From now on, stop talking and follow me. Don¡¯t act so obvious. All right?¡± ¡°Yes. I got it.¡± I replied with an eager voice. After completely leaving the office, Arban glanced around. Then he grabbed my hand and started dragging me somewhere. We arrived at a flowerbed with high marble columns, a place right in front of the lobby. It was a perfect place for a small child to hide. I realized what Arban was doing and hid inside the flowerbed together with him. We snuggled together as if we had promised and peered into the lobby through a visible crack between the bushes. ¡°If you stay here, you can hear most things they say.¡± ¡°Wow. How do you know about this place?¡± ¡°I just happened to find out. No one really cares about this place.¡± I see. But what did Arban hear secretly while hiding here? As I stared, Arban frowned and said, ¡®What?¡¯ only using his mouth. Just as I was about to shake my head saying it was nothing, vassals who tried to pass in front of the pillar appeared. I covered my mouth and slightly lowered myself. ¡°Is it true that a letter requesting the return came from the Loisard family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the mansion is upside down now.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s an official request from the Loisard family, what will happen? ¡­Isn¡¯t the young lady supposed to go East?¡± ¡°In principle, yes.¡± In the conversation they were having, I was being mentioned. The dubious atmosphere I felt in the lobby was not wrong. But what is the Loisard family and what do they mean I have to go east? What the hell are they asking for a return¡­? At that moment, I stiffened at the sudden thought that flashed by. Chapter 57 There was a Bird Clan in the East. Maybe the Loisard is that Bird Clan? Did they write a letter asking for my return? Why all of a sudden? ¡°What decision will the Lord make?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll send her back.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to do something like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like him to want to keep the young lady in the midst of having a broken relationship with the East.¡± At those words, my mind went blank and I felt my heart going down with a thump. What if he really sends me back? Anxiety crept in. Will Cade try to protect me while risking having a bad relationship with the East? As I had just heard, there was no reason to try so hard to keep me here. I¡¯m not even a real daughter. But¡­. Obviously, I belong to the Black Mamba Clan, that¡¯s why he told me not to forget that I¡¯m an Astrophel wherever I go. That might be useless now, because it was said before this happened. Arban, who had been silent, called me. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about that. Why would father let you go over there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe that, do you?¡± This time, they may be right. At times, he did give me a strangely excessive amount of attention and affection, but this time, it might not be the case. Because Cade is the head of the family. He¡¯s a man who lives for the family and his decision was the official position of the South. Is there a possibility that he would make a decision to ruin relations with the East just because of one little person? There was little chance of that. Maybe it¡¯s time to say goodbye soon. * * * ¡°You can see why we¡¯re all here.¡± An early afternoon. A meeting was hastily held in the Astrophel family. It was because of a letter from the Loisards. The impact of the short letter was big, and as a result, the elders of the family gathered one after another. ¡°¡­Why did the Loisard Clan suddenly send such a letter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯ve been quiet all this time, and now they suddenly want to take her back?¡± A heavy silence fell. Cade looked at the letter with cold eyes. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m curious about that too.¡± ¡°What exactly is written on it?¡± Geras asked with a grave face. ¡°They¡¯re coming to the South to pick up Irene.¡± ¡°You mean all the way to here?¡± The atmosphere in the conference room became noisy. Seeing that they were going to come in person, the Loisards seemed to be determined. ¡°Things aren¡¯t going very well. At this rate, I think they could even ask for a trial.¡± ¡°I think the same. If that happens, it¡¯s a disadvantage for the South.¡± In order for a Clan to bring other young beasts and raise them, it was only possible if the existing guardian entrusted them. Otherwise, the consent of the head of the Clan was required. Currently, the Astrophel family has Irene, but their position belongs to neither, so it was a big problem. If the Loisards file a lawsuit, they had to let Irene go without resistance. It wasn¡¯t just that. Things would only get bigger once they asked how Irene came to be in the South. One of the elders, who had been looking around, opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Lord is thinking, but at this rate, our family may be at a disadvantage.¡± ¡°The protection of young beasts is a matter that overtakes the whole clan.¡± ¡°Once such a matter gets used as fuel, the problem will grow out of control.¡± It was a serious matter that could lead to a confrontation between the South and the East. Baon, who was quietly listening, frowned as each person brought out their opinions. ¡°Are you saying that Miss Irene should be sent back to the East?¡± ¡°¡­Well, I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± There was silence again. Everyone knew how much Cade cared for Irene, so they couldn¡¯t express their opinions hastily. ¡°But it¡¯s a little strange.¡± Durias, who had been observing the situation without commenting until now, tilted his head. ¡°No matter how much you think about it, I don¡¯t understand why the Loisard Clan made such a demand. Isn¡¯t this more of a gamble to them?¡± No matter how legitimate the request was, there was a significant difference in power between the families. They knew that there could be friction with the South, but it was quite difficult to comprehend why they had made such a request. It was the same everywhere that the young beasts of the Clan were important, but it was not enough to trade this cause for the family¡¯s interests. Geras nodded his head in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m thinking the same thing. Something¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°For sure.¡± It was an unreasonable recklessness. It was impossible to do without believing in something. Cade laughed. The request for Irene¡¯s return came right after abducting Ella from the East. The situation was moving strangely. Perhaps the peaceful South might become deeply embroiled in the East through this incident. Cade laughed as if he was having fun looking at the pure white feather pattern engraved in the letter. ¡°Things are getting complicated.¡± ¡°¡­What would you like to do?¡± Baon asked softly. Everyone was waiting for Cade¡¯s decision. He opened his eyes, which had been closed for a while, and opened his mouth with a cold face. ¡°Durias.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Reply to the Loisard Clan. They can visit the South if they want.¡± * * * Sack. Sash. Back in my room, the first thing I did was pack my things. All the way here, Arban said it was nonsense and tried to comfort me, but it was not comforting. ¡°Miss Irene. Why is your expression like that?¡± Rosaria, who was in the room, asked in surprise when she saw my face about to burst into tears at any moment. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± When I shook my head and did not answer anything, Rosaria saw Arban coming in after me. Arban sighed. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that father won¡¯t let you go back?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Sending Miss Irene back?¡± Rosaria didn¡¯t seem to have heard yet. I clenched my lips. I didn¡¯t want to tell her with my own mouth, because it seems like it will become true. As I stubbornly looked down at my bag, Arban spoke instead. ¡°I think the East asked us to send Irene back.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why father called the elders and they¡¯re having a meeting now.¡± ¡°Then, because of that¡­¡± Just as expected. Rosaria was greatly astonished upon hearing the explanation. Then she hurriedly took the bag I was packing. ¡°There is no way the Lord would send Miss Irene there.¡± ¡°Sniff.¡± Tears spurted out. It was the first time I¡¯d seen Rosaria get angry like this. Her lips trembled as if she was about to cry right away. I looked up at Rosaria with sad eyes. Looking at me like that, she said in a determined tone. ¡°If he gets to know what Miss Irene did today, the Lord will be very upset.¡± ¡°¡­Will daddy be upset?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Rosaria put the bag on a shelf out of my reach. I wiped the corners of my eyes. Will Cade really send me back? No, I wanted to believe he won¡¯t, but I was not sure because I was anxious. ¡°Everyone says that if I keep living here, things will get bigger, Rodaria.¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°They said Daddy would be troubled.¡± ¡°Who in the world would give up a daughter when it gets tough?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, so you can relax. Okay, hm?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hm.¡± Those words eased my mind a little, but the situation was still the same, though. What if he remembers that, in the past, Cade had decided to let me stay in here only for the time being? And what if everyone knows it? Everyone¡¯s attitude toward me might change. Arban, who was looking at me like that, frowned as my expression hardly brightened up. ¡°If you¡¯re that worried, you can go and tell father.¡± ¡°Go and tell Daddy?¡± ¡°Just say that you don¡¯t want to go to the East.¡± ¡°If I say that, will Daddy listen?¡± Regardless of the outcome of the meeting? ¡°Did father ever turn down your request? Last time, you even told him that you wanted to go out, right?¡± That was right. Cade never turned down my requests. Even if it was cumbersome and troublesome, he always did what I asked for, even if conditions were sometimes attached to it. I jumped up. ¡°Now that Brother Arban has said it, then I will go and tell him.¡± ¡°You have to eat a snack before you go, right?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Rosaria showed up with a snack. On the plate were savory pancakes topped with honey. ¡°You have to fill your stomach first before doing big tasks.¡± That¡¯s true. If you don¡¯t have the power, you can¡¯t do anything! Then let¡¯s have a snack before meeting him. I desperately grabbed the fork and took a bite out of the pancake. ¡°By the way, what should I say?¡± Recklessly visiting and talking could have the opposite effect, because Cade hates that kind of thing. ¡°How do I do a good job?¡± ¡°They usually pay a bribe when making a request.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Bribe?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to give father?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have anything like that.¡± As Arban was deeply troubled while thinking hard, Rosaria smiled and said. ¡°Then how about doing this?¡± ¡°What?¡± We both looked at Rosaria at the same time. Did you come up with a good way? I waited for Rosaria to speak with a look of anticipation. ¡°How about making some refreshments for him to eat together while talking.¡± ¡°Huh? Refreshments with tea?¡± ¡°Yes. After the meeting, Baharn always gives new refreshments to the Lord.¡± I see! That was very good news. Arban nodded his head, thinking that the method was not bad. I jumped up from my seat in a hurry, it seemed like I had to go quickly before Baharn did it all by himself. ¡°You can meet Mr. Baharn if you go to the dining room¡¯s kitchen.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be back later.¡± But will Cade like it? As I was about to start to feel a little worried, Rosaria said. ¡°The Lord will be pleased with anything Miss Irene offers.¡± Chapter 58 ¡°Bahaln!¡± ¡°¡­Miss Irene?¡± As soon as I entered the dining room, I immediately started looking for him. Baharn, who was in the kitchen, heard me calling for him and appeared outside. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? I haven¡¯t heard there was dinner today, but¡­¡± ¡°I want to tell something to Bahaln, so I came.¡± ¡°To me?¡± ¡°Hm. To you.¡± ¡°I see. Please, go ahead.¡± He looked puzzled when I procrastinated and didn¡¯t readily bring up the main topic. I slowly pointed to the kitchen. ¡°I also want to make snacks over there, like Bahaln.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± As expected, Baharn had a confused expression on his face. I appeared out of nowhere and said I wanted to make food, so of course he would not understand why. Baharn, who was silent for a moment, let out a small laugh. ¡°Is there any food you want to eat? If so, I can make it for you.¡± ¡°Ah. No. No, not like that!¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°I also want to make Daddy¡¯s sweets together. Can¡¯t I?¡± At my words, Baharn¡¯s expression hardened at first glance. ¡­You are not going to say no, are you? As I eagerly looked up at him, Baharn shook his head with a troubled smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think it¡¯s going to be difficult.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There are a lot of dangerous tools in the kitchen. If you get a slight cut, my neck will be blown away. I want to live long, miss.¡± But this time, I couldn¡¯t back down. I grabbed his arm as he was about to enter the kitchen again and fired a very desperate eyes attack. Startled. Baharn opened his mouth slowly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Miss, but this really can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t touch anything dangerous.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Please? Bahaln.¡± Pah. As I reached out and clung tightly to his strong arm, which was trained in kitchen work, Baharn closed his eyes with a resigned face. I grinned. It worked. ¡°Who can beat Miss Irene?¡± Baharn opened the kitchen door while shaking his head, beckoning me to come in. Yet he spoke sternly. ¡°Never touch anything dangerous. I¡¯ll do all that.¡± ¡°Yes. Promise.¡± ¡°And it seems like you should dress properly first.¡± ¡°Dress?¡± Come to think of it, Baharn looked very neat. He had a hat on his head and a mask around his mouth. He went inside the cooking room, rummaged around looking for something I could wear, and finally pulled out an apron with puffy frills. I stared at it. ¡°Bahaln.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is¡­ this yours?¡± As I asked with questionable eyes, he coughed in vain. The silence seemed to fit the apron. I guess that¡¯s his taste. Everyone¡¯s tastes should be respected. I nodded my head saying I understood. ¡°Thanks for your understanding, miss.¡± He hung the apron around my neck, folded the hem that dragged to the floor several times, and secured it. Then, after tying a ribbon tightly around my waist, he tied the headband with a yellow cloth to keep my hair from running down. ¡°Now we are ready.¡± ¡°What are were making?¡± ¡°Today is¡­. something simple¡­¡± Baharn smiled ??and started changing the ingredients on the counter one by one. ¡­No matter how well I listened and behaved, he didn¡¯t seem to be relieved in his heart. It¡¯s understandable because he said if I got hurt even a little bit, his neck would fly off. Unlike before, Baharn stood blankly looking at the simple ingredients, and said. ¡°We¡¯re going to make jam cookies from now on, miss.¡± ¡°¡­Cookies? Daddy likes it?¡± ¡°If the lady gives it to the Lord, he will enjoy it, no matter what it is.¡± Rosaria said the same thing before. Why is everyone so confident to say something like that? ¡°Then let¡¯s start kneading the dough.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I rolled up my sleeves with resolution. Baharn¡¯s skills were truly remarkable. At least that¡¯s how it seemed to me. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re great Bahaln!¡± Seeing him demonstrate first, I greatly admired his skill, and Baharn laughed as if embarrassed. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s the first time Miss Irene has ever seen cooking, so it might look like that.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°As you can see, proportions are important for dough ingredients.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll try too.¡± I can do it! I put the ingredients one by one in a large bowl. First, pour in an appropriate amount of flour, and then put eggs, sugar, and melted butter together, and then, as I carefully scrambled the flour with my small hands, Baharn laughed happily. ¡°You¡¯re doing very well.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Just keep kneading the dough until it doesn¡¯t stick to your hands.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Until it doesn¡¯t stick to your hands. I muttered only that as I vigorously moved my arms. Chumoung. Chumoung. Baharn also started kneading the dough together. For reference, my portion was very small and Baharn kneaded a huge chunk. How much did I hit it? I straightened my back and exhaled. Now the dough wasn¡¯t sticking to my hands. ¡°You seem to have done a good job.¡± ¡°Now what do I do?¡± ¡°Take off a little piece of the dough and give it the shape you want.¡± Baharn took a part of the dough and made a star shape to show me. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Press a little in the middle, because you have to put jam in it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What should I do? Stars have already been made by Baharn¡­ I thought it would be easy and pretty to make a shape with hearts. I rounded the dough and pressed it flat with the palm of my hand. Then, pressed the center to make a dent, then made a heart shape. Seeing what I had made, Baharn burst into laughter. ¡°The cookie is very small.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because your hands are small.¡± I saw what Baharn made. And I saw what I made. Oh. Is it too small? I thought I could have two or three bites of what Baharn made, but mine was small enough to be gone in one bite. I thought it would look a lot smaller in Cade¡¯s eyes. ¡°The Lord will be able to recognize immediately what you have made.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too small¡­¡± ¡°You can just mix it with what I make. Now let¡¯s apply the jam.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Here, I¡¯ll give you a spoon.¡± Baharn pulled out a variety of fruit jams and a sweet scent pierced my nose. ¡°A variety of different jams for each will look pretty when you look at it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I picked up the spoon and scooped out plenty of apple jam first. After repeating it several times and putting it on the dough, it was all over. ¡°Now we just need to bake. We have to wait for a little now.¡± ¡°Wow! I did it!¡± Laughter came out of joy. I hope Cade likes it. I went to the chair in the corner and sat down. After standing for a long time, my legs hurt and my back and arms also throbbed. Baharn came and untied the headband and apron. ¡°You got something on your face.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wipe it off for you.¡± He came with a wet towel and wiped my face. It looked like I was covered in flour. I quietly received Baharn¡¯s touch. And after a long time. Ding. The clock¡¯s alarm rang softly. It looked like all the cookies were baked. I followed Baharn¡¯s footsteps. Cookies placed on a wide plate were baked to a golden color. ¡°Would you like to try one?¡± Baharn, with a large glove in his hand, pulled out a plate and handed me a cookie cut in half. I took it for a test taste. It was full of sweet and savory flavors, especially the part with jam that was very soft. ¡°It¡¯s good!¡± I widened my eyes. I really made this? I can¡¯t believe it. ¡°The Lord will be very pleased to receive it.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­.¡± Baharn quickly finished wrapping the cookies and a long blue ribbon hung over the transparent box. I accepted it. ¡°Thank you, Bahaln.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Will Daddy like to have this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go! See you next time!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Baharn took me outside the dining hall. After a brief goodbye, I went straight to Daddy¡¯s office. The packaging can¡¯t be messy! So I walked carefully, and around the time I arrived in front of the office. ¡°Why did you allow the Loisard Clan to visit?¡± Chapter 59 Baon¡¯s voice came through the crack in the slightly open office door. I stopped walking. What does this mean? ¡°Are you planning on letting the lady go?¡± I was standing absent-minded as if an accident had stopped me in my tracks. Have you already decided to send me to the East? Crumple. The corner of the box I was holding was slightly wrinkled. I didn¡¯t want to be alone again, just thinking about that made me so lonely and sad. ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± I swung the door open. Baon, who was sitting in the front, looked at me with a surprised expression. ¡°Miss Irene?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going! I¡¯m going to stay here!¡± Whik! I threw the cookie box I was holding with all my might. Tuk. The box was thrown helplessly to the floor and rolled. ¡°I-I hate you Daddy!¡± My voice echoed through the hallway. Huck! The sound of Baon taking a deep breath was heard and in the frighteningly quiet office, no one spoke first. Why don¡¯t you say anything? The sudden subdued mood was a little scary, but I had no intention of canceling what I said. I even baked cookies to give as a gift, but Cade was thinking of sending me back. Boiling emotions soared, my eyes got hot and tears welled up. I let out a deep breath in my intense emotions. I opened my tightly closed eyes a little, to peep, and dazzling red eyes were staring at me without shaking an inch. Startled. As I stepped backward with tears in my eyes, Cade gave out a crooked smile. ¡°I thought I heard it wrong, but I guess that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°¡­¡­M-My Lord. Calm down for now¡­¡± ¡°What did you throw on the floor?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check.¡± Baon got up at once and checked the box I had thrown on the floor. Soon, surprise spread through the blue eyes behind the glasses. ¡°It¡¯s a cookie.¡± ¡°Cookie?¡± ¡°Did you bake it yourself?¡± Both eyes turned to me. I held back the tears that were about to burst, bit my lips, and nodded. Cade showed interest in the box and held out his hand. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so mean. I¡¯d like to see it for a second.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°¡­Where is such a thing. Miss Irene threw it on the floor, so the person who picked it up is the owner.¡± ¡°This house belongs to me.¡± Baon delivered the box to Cade with an expression of disapproval. He checked the inside of the transparent box and immediately looked at me with a happy face. It felt completely different from the previous atmosphere. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± I was in a position where I did something wrong, so I answered in a small voice. My throat was locked in intense emotions, and no sound came out. Throwing objects is not allowed, I¡¯m going to get in trouble. ¡°Did you bake this yourself?¡± ¡°I baked it with Bahaln.¡± ¡°I can tell at a glance.¡± Cade, who opened the box, said so while holding a small heart-shaped cookie. Baon nodded his head as he looked at me, gloomily standing in my place. ¡°I think the lady probably heard what we were talking about.¡± ¡°I see. Is that why you misunderstood?¡± Misunderstanding? I raised my head, which was hanging down. Cade smiled and got up from his seat, getting close with a grin on his face. Soon he put his arm between my armpits and lifted me up. ¡°From where to where did you hear the story?¡± ¡°¡­From when you allowed them to visit.¡± ¡°Baon is at fault.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Baon was stunned for a moment, then sighed and bit his mouth. Unjust feelings were clearly visible on his face, but he did not dare to object because his words were indeed somewhat misleading. ¡°I had no intention of letting you go.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Why are they coming? ¡°But things got a little complicated.¡± ¡°¡­Because of me?¡± Maybe it¡¯s because you didn¡¯t want to let me go, that things got complicated, right? Looking at my sad, weeping eyes changing to worry, Cade shook his head and said. ¡°No. Maybe that¡¯s a good thing.¡± It¡¯s complicated, but is it good? What else does that mean? As I frowned at the incomprehensible feast of words, Cade raised his thumb and rubbed my forehead. ¡°Now is the time to untie the tangled strings.¡± ¡°¡­Do you think it¡¯s related to Lady Estella?¡± Baon asked with a firm expression on his face. ¡°Yes. So, first of all, we should check the Loisard Clan.¡± Cade hugged me and sat down on the sofa. Being held in a facing position, I looked up at him and his red eyes turned to me. ¡°And I¡¯ll have to nail it down, once and for all. Irene Astrophel will always be my daughter.¡± * * * The mansion¡¯s dungeon. Ella hadn¡¯t been able to take a sip of water for several days. Her silence, which everyone thought would not last long, continued to be quite vigorous. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open your mouth now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Soon an envoy will come from the East.¡± Ella¡¯s golden eyes, which had been blurry, shook slightly at the mention of East. Her eyes fixed on the floor turned to Durias. A glimpse of hope and anticipation flashed in her eyes. Perhaps it was a vain hope and expectation that she might be able to get out of this place alive. It was a brief moment, but Durias saw it and threw his arsenic reply. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be able to get out alive?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Quite amazing, you must be very thirsty at this point and you can still think like that.¡± Durias¡¯ patience was slowly approaching the limit. Ella¡¯s mouth did not open as easily as expected. It felt like they were playing a tug-of-war that no one knew how long it would last. With her pheromones completely under control, Ella did not lose the light in her eyes, despite the fact that she was in a state inferior to a normal herbivore. It continued to stir up Durias¡¯ spirits. ¡°If the delegation comes, you¡¯ll have less chance of surviving.¡± Ella scoffed at his words. She already knew it well. That she¡¯d rather keep her mouth shut. The moment she told the truth, it was the end. ¡°I hate pointless waste of time. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to talk like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s no way to open your mouth at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Ella, who implicitly thought that if she endured here, they would get tired and give up, took a small breath. This is because the atmosphere of Durias that she has seen so far turned quite different. ¡°The leeway I had given you is now over.¡± ¡°Hunm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I did some research around Miss Ella. His name was¡­ Is it Merrill?¡± As soon as the name Merrill appeared, Ella¡¯s expression turned pale. ¡°Now I¡¯m getting something. I should have done this sooner.¡± Touching the surroundings of prisoners was not his preferred method, but he had no choice but to do it. It was because he was not able to push torture through to the end because of the instruction to deal with it in moderation before she opened her mouth. However, now that the visit of the delegation was confirmed, there was no more time. At least before the day of the visit, he had to report the results to his master. ¡°If you don¡¯t open your mouth, Merrill will suffer.¡± ¡°Ugh! Uhhhhhhh¡­!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so fussy. You¡¯ll be seeing each other soon.¡± ¡°Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!¡± Bingo. The corners of Durias¡¯ mouth flickered. He was a little doubtful, but he seemed to have properly hit the target. As he was about to get up from his chair to leave the basement, he sat down on the chair again as if he wanted to look at what she would do. Because Ella started crawling to the front of the cell, leading her messed up body to where he was sitting. It was a distinctly different reaction. ¡°¡­¡­Hup! Yup!¡± ¡°To think people like you dare to cherish someone.¡± Tuk. Durias pulled out Ella¡¯s gag. ¡°Cough, cof!¡± A harsh cough filled the basement. Ella¡¯s body, exhausted with only a few coughs because of a lack of strength in her body, fell to the floor. Her dry lips, where wounds had already scarred, began to tremble and barely opened. ¡°Merrill¡­ not Merrill.¡± ¡°It depends on Miss Ella¡¯s actions.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, no. I¡¯ll tell you everything. I¡¯ll tell you everything¡­. All¡­¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s listen and judge.¡± Her face was tearfully distorted but Durias only nodded, telling her to start quickly. Soon, a voice crawled out of Ella¡¯s mouth, who had her head bowed. ¡°I really¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­I really, really wanted to go back.¡± Ella, who was kneeling on her knees, began to cry as if giving a confession. Durias¡¯ eyebrows were raised. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Home.¡± Hometown. At that word, Durias burst out laughing. Chapter 60 Did you want to go back to a Clan that abandoned you? So, what about Estella, who took care of you? Durias did not hide his scornful look. Although nothing had been properly revealed yet, it must have been Ella who ran away after messing with Irene¡¯s egg. The death of Estella would also be very closely related to her. Knowing how much Estella trusted Ella, Durias felt so much disgust his stomach was sick enough to churn. Ella trembled inside the cellar at the violent mood. Her golden eyes were restless and moved around. The way she rolled her brain while choosing what to say was clear in Durias¡¯ eyes. Even in the midst of this, she seems to be thinking about how she can keep her life even a little longer. Durias managed to take back his hand, which was about to twist her neck. Ella, who flinched back, gasped. ¡°As far as I know, you were abandoned in the East. How did you think you¡¯d ever be able to go back?¡± Durias, who had barely regained his sanity, asked while maintaining his characteristic smile. Ella crept back into the corner. ¡°Th-they said they¡¯d give me a chance.¡± ¡°Chance?¡± ¡°¡­They said that if I listen carefully¡­ they¡¯ll let me go back to my hometown.¡± ¡°So, it means that you betrayed your master.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± Ella jumped and shook her head, saying she never did. Had she been stuck in the dungeon for so long that her head had gone bad? It was funny to see her crying while denying the fact she said with her own mouth about her act of treachery. Do I have to keep seeing that face? Durias, whose stomach was upset, frowned. Ella murmured as she crouched down while looking at his countenance. ¡°Well, that¡¯s. I didn¡¯t expect the Madam to die.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± ¡°M-Madam Estella¡­ I didn¡¯t want her to become like that! Until that point, I¡­!¡± Ella, who continued to talk with vigor, shut her mouth in surprise. Her terrified eyes hurriedly examined Durias¡¯ mood. ¡°I¡¯m going to die of disgust.¡± Durias¡¯ face, which had been smiling, had turned cold. Seeing her whining and looking around as if the corners of the prison were a lifeline was ridiculous. He rose from his seat and went inside, he bent over and made eye contact with Ella. She flinched and tried to step back, but he strongly held her chin and pulled her forward. ¡°So. Madam Estella, who helped you to live safely until you reached adulthood, was betrayed by you, but the man you saw a few times when you were a child was so precious that you are now finally opening your mouth?¡± ¡°¡­Pl, pl, please have mercy.¡± ¡°Which one do you mean? On Merrill? Or on you?¡± Ella was not willing to open her mouth. She was worried. Is she thinking about which one will she choose? She just begged me not to touch Merrill but now she¡¯s hesitant when herself is added to the options. Her heart was only that much. Even though she betrayed Estella because she wanted so much to meet her childhood sweetheart. Durias looked at Ella as if she was a worm. Her hot tears flowed down the back of his hand. An absolutely disgusting person. Shall I just kill her like this? Durias pondered for a few seconds before letting go of her chin. It was something Cade didn¡¯t want, yet. ¡°Knowing a person but at the same time not knowing. It seems like the most difficult is to truly understand people¡¯s hearts.¡± Estella gave her a nickname of her own. She believed in Ella and loved her like a member of the same Clan. But in fact, that same person had been in contact with the Clan that abandoned her while preparing for a triumphal return after betraying the Madam who cared for her. That alone would make anyone¡¯s head go white, but there were still more stories to be heard. First of all, he had to hear what the Clan she was in contact with had ordered. It was time for the missing parts of the puzzle to be collected for a perfect picture to be completed. ¡°Now, let¡¯s have a more in-depth conversation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not try to hide anything, unless you don¡¯t want to see Merrill, whom Miss Ella loves so much, down here.¡± * * * A quiet southern rural village. A man and a woman were sitting in the middle of a cute garden basking in the warm sunlight. The dark red-haired woman who was enjoying a leisure time while sipping tea, put down her teacup. ¡°You still can¡¯t eat sweets, Ian.¡± ¡°You¡¯re picking too much every day.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like sweets, you will be punished by the heavens.¡± The woman held out a fork made of silver and decorated with sapphire jewels. Then she elegantly pierced a cake filled with chocolate mousse and put it into the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ah-¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Honey?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡± The desperate man opened his mouth. The man had black hair and red eyes that were quite familiar. His brow wrinkled as the terrible sweetness spread in his mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t it tastier when I give it to you?¡± ¡°Helena.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± But the man who did something wrong could only shut his mouth. ¡°Then why did you hide the letter from our son?¡± ¡°Because you were going to ask me to go to the capital.¡± ¡°Oh, seems like you knew it well, didn¡¯t you?¡± Helena rolled her eyes. Her pretty purple eyes gently drew a half-moon shape. Ian, who was weakened by that smile every time, knew that he had lost this time as well. The black envelope sandwiched between her index and middle fingers boasted a stiff figure. A snake pattern was clearly engraved in the center. It was the seal of the Astrophel family. ¡°My only son contacted me to go see my grandchildren.¡± Swhip. The fork that took another scoop of the cake went up. Ian¡¯s anxious red eyes shook. Fortunately, the second scoop went into Helena¡¯s mouth. Reassured, Ian exhaled slowly. ¡°When shall we go?¡± (Helena) Helena smiled happily making Ian chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll go the day you want.¡± (Ian) The intimate conversation between the Astrophel family predecessors continued. ¡°No way¡­ Are you mad because Cade called you late?¡± (Helena) ¡°What do you think of me?¡± (Ian) Ian replied no and shook his head, but Helena could not cast aside her suspecting eyes. She covered her husband¡¯s cheek. ¡°Everyone in this house is not honest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been honest with you.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then it¡¯s fine.¡± Helena let go of the face she was holding. It¡¯s been over three years now since the two of them stepped down. Except for Estella¡¯s funeral and the birth of her two grandchildren, no visits were made to the main mansion. That was the consideration of the ancestors for Cade. They were waiting for their son to rise to the throne and take full control of the Clan. It wouldn¡¯t be very welcome for Cade if the former Head and Hostess suddenly appeared out of nowhere. ¡°I¡¯m really curious.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Helena¡¯s face was full of worry. After getting married, she thought her son would give birth to successors and solidify his position¡­¡­ ¡°Suddenly, a daughter from a different Clan. I think something happened to the family.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°You sound like it¡¯s none of your business¡± ¡°He¡¯ll figure it out.¡± Wriggle. Helena¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. No matter how much he resigned from his position, she thought that this was too indifferent. ¡°You, is that all you have to say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Everything in the Astrophel family was now in Cade¡¯s hands. Until he asked for advice, it was right for the predecessor to remain silent. However, it was true that Ian was also not happy. He was equally frustrated since he was also not told what was going on. ¡°Still, having a granddaughter. It¡¯s not that bad. I also wanted to have a daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But someone was against it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absolutely not possible. He absorbed too much of your pheromones when he was born.¡± Ian covered his eyes as he remembered a memory he didn¡¯t want to recall. Just thinking about it, his eyes were still dizzy. That time, he really thought that Helena would die. She already gave birth to a son, but she wants a daughter? Knowing Ian¡¯s heart, Helena laughed softly. ¡°What can I do? I guess I¡¯ll have to be content with a granddaughter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good enough that he didn¡¯t throw it away because of his temper.¡± ¡°He would have told you to take it away. Would you like to bet?¡± Whether he would ask us to take charge of her or not? Helena¡¯s purple eyes twinkled at the fun that came after a long time. At her confident attitude, Ian decided to step back once. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you betting?¡± ¡°Because I think you¡¯ll win.¡± ¡°This boring man.¡± After drinking her tea, Helena got up from her seat. Ian¡¯s teacup still had nearly half of the sweet black tea left. I don¡¯t know why he always insists on a tea that doesn¡¯t suit his palate, but it wasn¡¯t such a bad feeling to drink the same tea. ¡°I need to contact the family that we are stopping by. I want to see my granddaughter soon.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t acknowledged her as a granddaughter yet, Helena.¡± Ian raised an objection with discontent. Then Helena tilted her head. ¡°Cade already gave her our surname, right? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be so cute to call her Rena?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I think it would be nice to bring her here and stay together for a few days. You¡¯re so quiet.¡± Even when we were together, sometimes it feels like I¡¯m alone. Helena said with a smile. It was full of teasing and this time again, Ian was nicely dragged around. Chapter 61 ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± (Ian) He doesn¡¯t know about anything else but that was something he couldn¡¯t concede. Ian followed his wife as she entered the mansion. Helena had already enjoyed relaxation for three years, so she was telling stories of boredom, but it was not the same for Ian. How much he wanted this alone time for the two? That¡¯s why he deliberately settled in a remote rural area far from the family. He could not yield such precious time to a granddaughter. Helena didn¡¯t know, but Ian had even threatened Cade not to come down to the rural area to disturb the alone time between them. -It¡¯s a very tear-jerking love. Hurry up and be on your way. -I was going to do that anyway. That was the last conversation with their frosty cold son. And the news of the successors came soon after. I was a little worried, but just as I was finally relieved that he was running the family well, I unexpectedly got a granddaughter. It didn¡¯t matter until then. The problem was¡­¡­. ¡°There you go again. Get ready to go out soon.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ll be meeting, so I should give her a present, right? What would a girl like¡­ I¡¯ve never raised a child other than a son, so what do I need to know?¡± Helena was already preparing to leave while thinking about all sorts of things. Ian let out a sigh. She was already having so much fun that he couldn¡¯t bear to stop it. Now he¡¯s going to have to share her interest and time with this new grandchild. Ian couldn¡¯t even get it out of his mouth because Helena will surely make fun of him. However, Helena, who recognized Ian¡¯s feelings like a ghost, smiled slyly. ¡°Still, I love you the most, you know?¡± ¡°I know.¡± After getting ready, the two left the mansion. They both looked very young, though they could never be called young. Helena, who was walking while holding Ian¡¯s hand, opened her mouth. ¡°Is the child adjusting well?¡± She seemed a little worried. No matter where you go, if you look different, there will always be someone who will reject you. ¡°There have been mixed races among the previous generations. I don¡¯t know about other regions, but you don¡¯t have to worry much about such a thing in the South.¡± ¡°Still, there is such a thing as if.¡± ¡°Then we can deal with it in front of everyone. Who dares reject a successor?¡± At Ian¡¯s words, Helena smiled as her worries disappeared. ¡°That¡¯ll do! But what would be a good present, Ian.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Would it be better to go to the arms dealer and procure something?¡± ¡­Arms dealer? For a moment, Ian thought he had heard it wrong. But it soon became clear that wasn¡¯t the case. Because Helena was thinking very seriously about it. Is it appropriate to visit an arms dealer to buy gifts for children? As far as he knew, it wasn¡¯t something common. Ian was confused. What kind of childhood did Helena have? ¡°When I was young, I used to play with things like halberds or maces. Because I was a girl¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was easily able to play with things like that. My family also gave me permission.¡± It was possible because the female body was born much stronger. In the case of werebeasts, the number of individuals decreased as you went up the food chain, and in the case of females, it became extremely rare. (Note: The more powerful the lineage, the less likely are females to be born, but when they are born, they are like mini-hulks. That¡¯s why Hestia could run on the wall of a cliff and the reason many people are afraid of Rosaria.) Although the exact reason has not been revealed, they were born with strength that far exceeds the average in spite of the small number of individuals. Even so, no matter how strong a young girl is, you don¡¯t give weapons as children¡¯s toys. Helena grinned. ¡°She should be able to protect herself. I want to teach my granddaughter, but she already must have had a good teacher, right?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think the child will ever play with the mace.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± In the first place, Cade would not even tolerate that. It was not a matter of possible or impossible. ¡°How about a dagger then? She needs to get used to the weapons.¡± (Ian) She wouldn¡¯t even have touched a weapon yet. I could tell just by reading the letter that she was being raised with gold and jade. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that affection for Irene was dripping down in the sentences. But could Cade even put a weapon in her tiny hand? Ian could confidently say he would absolutely not do it. Helena had a dissatisfied expression on her face. ¡°Anyway, Cade doesn¡¯t know how to raise children. Then, as you said, let¡¯s go with a dagger.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯d better do that.¡± ¡°What are you going to give as a gift?¡± To Helena who has been excited, Ian decided to bring up what he had been thinking about whether to say or not. ¡°Helena.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°By the way, does she know that we exist?¡± Obviously, Cade would not have properly explained the existence of the two. Even if he has contacted his parents to come to see their granddaughter¡­ That Cade would not have kindly told her, ¡®You have a grandmother and a grandfather.¡¯ It was good for mental health not to have any such expectations. And sure enough. Helena¡¯s expression slowly hardened as she understood Ian¡¯s meaning. It¡¯s her own son¡¯s personality, as his mother, she knew best, so he didn¡¯t have to add other explanations. Helena stopped walking and slowly looked at Ian. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know?¡± I don¡¯t think she knows. It was natural not to know because we never showed our faces after the child was born. But Ian didn¡¯t dare say it out loud. Because Helena was pretty shocked right now, and he didn¡¯t want to shock her anymore. The aftermath is¡­. ¡®He¡¯ll figure it out.¡¯ It¡¯s been a long time since they went on a date, but he didn¡¯t want to ruin the mood. Ian took Helena¡¯s hand and gently led her. ¡°No way. He would at least have talked about us at the bare minimum.¡± ¡°Right? If it were you, you would have told the child that much, right?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you always comparing us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of fact. Cade looks like you no matter who looks at you two.¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s also your son.¡± Ian, who was stabbed in the stomach for nothing, coughed in vain. * * * Preparations for welcoming the eastern delegation have begun. It is said that for the time being, there was an instruction to thoroughly prepare so that guests would not feel uncomfortable while staying in the mansion. Today I sat on the swing as if stamping my daily attendance. Shake it. Shake it. While I was stamping my feet hard, a large shadow fell to my side. ¡°Uh?¡± When I turned my head toward the shadow, Messi, who was snooping around, stood up. ¡°What? When did Messi came?¡± ¡°Just now. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Playing on the swing.¡± He awkwardly swiped his face as I moved the swing as hard as I could. Messi, who had not spoken for a long time, opened his mouth again. ¡°Then¡­ What are you doing on the swing?¡± What are you doing on the swing? Can you do anything else on the swing? Today¡¯s Messi was very strange. I thought for a moment I¡¯d ignore the lame comment, but Messi looked more serious than ever, so I couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking while playing on the swing?¡± Looking back, there were a few things to think about. Of course, I wasn¡¯t worried about Cade sending me back. I didn¡¯t care anymore because I already knew for sure that he didn¡¯t want to send me back. Because he said I should say with confidence that I¡¯m from the family and his daughter. I no longer had to worry about leaving the Astrophel family. However, it was a bit questionable because welcoming the delegation stayed the same. It was obvious that it had to do with the person named ¡®Estella¡¯ that I overheard in front of the office. Since Baon called her with honorifics, she seems to be a pretty high-ranked person. But I have never even heard of her name in the mansion. I glanced at Messi, who was still standing next to me while groaning. ¡°Messi.¡± ¡°Yes, what it is?¡± ¡°Who is Estella?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Do you know who is she?¡± Messi looked embarrassed at my question. He seemed to know for sure who Estella was. However, it seemed that he was at odds with whether or not to give me an answer. I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Do you know who she is?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Young Lady. From whom did you hear the Lady¡¯s name?¡± Lady? Seeing that even Messi speaks very formally, she must be a very high-ranked person. He messed up his straight gray hair with a puzzled face and immediately bowed his head. ¡°Can¡¯t you ask the Head?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t think Daddy will tell me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sigh. Then I¡¯m not sure I can tell you either.¡± Mess looked around, then came closer and whispered in my ear. ¡°That name refers to the Madam.¡± ¡°Madam¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. The hostess of the Astrophel family.¡± Hostess¡­¡­! I gasped and looked at Messi. Chapter 62 A person named Estella was the hostess of the family. I didn¡¯t feel the emptiness of her place because I thought Cade was enough. Of course, there must have been a hostess in this house as well. So¡­ she was Cade¡¯s wife and the mother who gave birth to Seth and Arban. No one mentioned her in front of me, so I just assumed she wasn¡¯t here. I asked after shutting my wide-open mouth. ¡°¡­Then where is she now?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± In an instant, Messi¡¯s complexion turned dark. ¡°Madam is dead.¡± ¡°¡­..Why?¡± ¡°Because she died while giving birth to the masters. It¡¯s rare, but it¡¯s not uncommon.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. It¡¯s something you should know, too.¡± Messi didn¡¯t seem to care much, but I didn¡¯t feel good. I decided not to ask any more questions about Estella. But one question arose. Why was the Loisard family allowed to visit when she was mentioned? What¡¯s the connection between me and Estella, who died before I was even born? She wanted to ask Cade directly, but now that I know who she is, I don¡¯t have the courage to ask easily. I stepped onto the ground and looked at the lawn, Messi called me. ¡°Well, miss.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­By any chance, now that you found out who Lady Estella was¡­ you¡¯re not curious, are you?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± What is he talking about now? I blinked slowly. I didn¡¯t really understand what he wanted to hear when he asked such a question. Messi was waiting for my answer with a very tense look on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. What do you mean?¡± ¡°So, I mean¡­ maybe the young lady¡¯s mother is¡­¡± Messi, who had restlessly stuttered his words, sighed and shut his mouth, and then I could feel him paying attention to my mood. Why are you doing this? ¡°Why did you stop? You have to tell me until the end.¡± ¡°No. I was wrong. Let¡¯s just skip this one.¡± ¡°What it is?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Messi hurriedly waved his hands. Watching his back disappear as if running away, I tilted my head. What were you trying to say? I didn¡¯t realize the intent of his question even after he went far into the distance and disappeared completely. * * * In fact, there was a reason for Messi¡¯s question. The tired heart of the Black Mambas, that only Irene didn¡¯t know, caused it. Everyone was feeling anxious about the visit of the Loisard family. The cause¡­¡­ ¡®What if the lady meets a member of the Loisard family and wants to go East?¡¯ ¡­.started out of a pointless worry like such. Because of this, the Black Mambas were reacting very sensitively to things related to the East. ¡°Who¡¯s going to pick them up at the Terra Forest?¡± ¡°Do we have such a thing on our schedule? Aren¡¯t they supposed to cross the Terra Forest on their own?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an order from above.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± They wouldn¡¯t disobey, but it was frustrating to have to give such consideration to a group of evil people trying to steal their young lady. Arya, who became the middleman in charge of this task, slammed the papers with dissatisfaction. ¡°Say we¡¯re understaffed.¡± ¡°They will take your word for it.¡± A long silence followed. Arya let out a sigh full of concern. If there is someone similar to you, you will be eventually drawn to them. Because of that, Arya and the other Black Mambas did not stop worrying about it every day. Irene had never met her kind since she was born. Right now, she might run into the Head¡¯s office and insist that she won¡¯t go, but when the time comes, there¡¯s no telling what will happen. If the moment comes and she says that she wants to be with her kind¡­ ¡°We were told to prepare meals containing mainly food that the Loisard family prefers.¡± ¡°How long are they going to be here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either.¡± With a shrug, the black mamba snapped the papers down. There were too many things to worry about in the East. Arya clenched her pen. Woodduck. The pen in her hand split in two. But no one cared, because this was a fairly common phenomenon. ¡®I don¡¯t know what the Lord is thinking.¡¯ Arya naturally threw the pen in the trash can. She then took a new pen out of the drawer. ¡°Whoa. I want to go home.¡± I¡¯ve been working overtime for several days already. Arya glanced at Judith, who was working next to her. His pale complexion didn¡¯t look very good either. ¡°Hey, Judith.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­What should I report to Sir Durias today?¡± Twitch. Judith¡¯s shoulders shrank to the point of pity. It¡¯s not a very good situation over there either. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll put off the report for another day.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could.¡± Durias must be still smiling. Arya made a ¡°no report today¡± motion to the colleagues next to her. ¡°What do we do if this report gets too delayed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s better to get scolded when he¡¯s in a good mood. Just brace thyself.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m really scared to death.¡± Recently, that was a common thought of the Black Mambas working under Durias. It was a sign of ominousness when Durias was smiling. Therefore, everyone prayed earnestly for him to remain with an expressionless face. However, recently, Durias has been seen frequently smiling as if their prayers did not reach heaven. Arya felt her eyes moisten. And that anger was heading straight to the East. Bang! If they try some wicked trick to drag our young lady to the East. At that time¡­.. ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you alone. Whoa. We¡¯ll have to hold onto the young lady¡¯s heart first. Let¡¯s all gather together.¡± Arya decided to make a small plan. The name of the plan was, the grand operation to capture the heart of the young lady. * * * ¡°Miss Irene! Hello, my name is Arya!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± ¡­¡­Who is this? I stopped walking and looked up at my opponent. I was walking alone to go back to my room when a woman suddenly appeared and approached with a little scary spark in her eyes. The woman who introduced herself as Arya took a deep breath in and smiled. ¡°You must be going somewhere.¡± ¡°To my room.¡± ¡°I see! Do you want me to take you there?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I can go alone.¡± Why are you suddenly offering to take me? It¡¯s very suspicious. I remained vigilant and looked suspiciously at Arya. Actually, a strange thing has been happening around me since a few days ago. Like now, black mambas that I had never seen before, spoke more often while pretending to know me. Despite my bold refusal, Arya smiled and showed no sign of backing down. ¡°Isn¡¯t the weather really sunny today?¡± ¡­I think this one is a little stronger? I decided to answer Arya¡¯s words first. ¡°Yes. The weather today is very good.¡± And I rolled my brain without a break. The result is that Arya is a bit suspicious, but not a strange person. Since we¡¯re in the mansion, she must be someone who works here, right? ¡°By the way, why did you call me?¡± ¡°I was so happy to see the young lady on the way, so I called you out!¡± ¡°Really?¡± I checked that there was no one in the hallway. The suspiciousness of Arya increased by +1. Arya, who was not aware of that fact, still spoke her words with a wide smile. ¡°You know what? The southern seasons are famous for being very distinct.¡± Again. Listing the advantages of the South for no reason. I nodded very naturally. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t find any other place with four distinct seasons like this. In the southern part of the country, there are festivals every season!¡± ¡°I see.¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising, because I already knew it. It was something I had already heard several times from the Black Mambas who passed by. Arya¡¯s expression was distorted by my calm reaction to the point of being embarrassed. She had an expression of, ¡®This isn¡¯t it,¡¯ on her face. I looked up at Arya with a sullen look. ¡°Are you done?¡± I didn¡¯t have time to stay here anymore because I had to go back to my room quickly. ¡°Now, I have to go to class.¡± ¡°I, I¡­ Not only this, but the South is also the best for security in all areas. Did you know?¡± ¡°Yes. Is it over?¡± At my second question, Arya bit her lip. It seems like there was something more she wanted to say to hold onto me, but she didn¡¯t seem to remember. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Ah, Miss Irene!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± I really don¡¯t have time now. Why are you calling me again? As I looked back with my feet rolling in impatience, Arya, who was crying, desperately grasped my hand. ¡°Do you still prefer the South?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± ¡°The South is much more beautiful than the East. There are many tourist spots and it¡¯s peaceful¡­!¡± For some reason, a subtle atmosphere made me unable to nod my head. There was even a scene of people, that came out of god¡¯s know where snooping around while cheering Arya from behind her. What the hell is this? It seems like everyone is on the same side except for me! Chapter 63 I couldn¡¯t adapt to this situation that has been going on for days. At first, I kindly answered and greeted the Black Mambas who spoke to me, but¡­ It was very uncomfortable to have the same pattern of conversations over and over again. This is because they would sneak up to my side every day, list the advantages of the South one by one, and then disappear. I couldn¡¯t figure out why they were doing it all of a sudden, but I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they wanted to look good to me. But why do they always miss the most important thing in the South? ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­?¡± I opened my mouth with a very serious look on my face. ¡°There¡¯s one. The most important thing is missing.¡± ¡°What? The most important thing? ¡­What is missing? Please let me know.¡± ¡°Jeez. There¡¯s my Daddy here! That¡¯s the best thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t tell you again. Alright?¡± Arya, who was blankly listening to me, nodded her head. She looked shocked as if she had not thought that far. ¡°¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s right. The biggest pride of the South is, of course, the Lord.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Arya¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t agree at all, but I was sincere. It didn¡¯t matter what the South was like as long as I could be with my loved ones. It didn¡¯t matter if the seasons weren¡¯t good or if there was nothing to promote. ¡°Ah! We really need to break up now. I have to go in early.¡± It took too much time. I waved my hand to Arya, who was still stiff and hurried my steps again. Hum Hum Hum. A hum came out of nowhere. Because today was the day I collected all the stickers that Kasana gave me. What kind of gift is she going to give me? My heart was pounding with anticipation. Since Kasana gives meaningful gifts, it will be the same this time, right? I arrived in the room on time and opened the door. ¡°Rodaria!¡± ¡°Miss Irene, are you here already? Now you¡¯re coming on time even if I don¡¯t have to pick you up.¡± ¡°Yes. I should do it.¡± Now, even alone if I¡¯m alone, I can keep the promised time well. As I proudly opened my chest, Rosaria¡¯s gaze turned to the pockets on both sides of my dress. ¡°Miss Irene. What is that?¡± ¡°Ah, this?¡± I touched the bulging pockets. They were small snacks that I received one by one while walking around the mansion. Rosaria let out a small laugh as I poured a fistful of each onto the table. ¡°Everyone gave me one.¡± ¡°Somehow everyone¡¯s acting so obvious.¡± Rosalia shook her head as she couldn¡¯t stop it from happening and put the snacks that I had received into a snack bin instead. Meanwhile, I went into the bathroom and washed my hands thoroughly. I¡¯ve been around a lot today, so I have to double the foam and rinse. After I turned off the faucet and wiped the water off, Kasana was there. I walked swiftly forward and sat down. ¡°Kasa! I¡¯ve collected all the grape stickers.¡± Rosalia, who was neatly arranging the cushions next to her, smiled warmly. ¡°Of course, I remember. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve already collected everything, thank you for taking the class very well.¡± ¡°Are you going to give me a present?¡± I held out my hand, flapping the sticker paper I had taken out beforehand. Kasana, who looked at me, frowned for a moment, then pulled something out of her bag. ¡°¡­First of all, I think I should tell you something first.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± What Kasana took out was a thickly folded paper book. ¡°¡­¡­Sigh I¡¯m ashamed to tell you this.¡± She had an uncharacteristic blush, unable to meet my eyes. What in the world is she going to tell me? Why is she reacting like that?? One by one, I quickly turned over the pages of the paper book that was prepared by hand, it was a book that lists a hundred reasons why the South is better than the East. As a matter of fact, I was about to ask her if this kind of thing will continue in the future. Why is everyone so anxious to tell me the same things every time they see me? As I let out a deep sigh, Kasana quickly added. ¡°Everyone is worried that you will change your mind.¡± ¡°They think I will go to the East?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rather, I was worried that I would be sent back, but the people around me were worried that my heart would be carried away. Knowing the reason, I burst out laughing for nothing. I held the paper book dearly in my arms. As of today, one more treasure was to be added to my chest. ¡°Tell them that I like here more.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°You should also let them know that I¡¯m going to keep this.¡± ¡°I will. And¡­¡± A rustling sound was heard. ¡°This is a present for Miss Irene, who collected all the stickers.¡± I opened my eyes and spread my hands wide. Inside the wrapping paper was something square. ¡°Can I open it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome to do so.¡± Carefully unwrapping the wrapping paper, a silver frame with rounded corners was revealed. ¡°Photo frame?¡± Holding an empty picture frame with no contents inside, I asked Kasana. ¡°The young lady has never taken a picture with her family yet, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The two Young Masters don¡¯t seem to be interested in family photos, but I thought the young lady might be different.¡± Family photo. The word came so unfamiliarly. Rosalia had taken pictures of me, but I had never taken pictures with anyone. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell the Lord?¡± ¡°¡­Daddy?¡± ¡°Yes. You can just tell him that you want to take a family photo.¡± It was hard to imagine. What would it feel like to frame a picture taken together? I swiped through the middle of the frame. But this might really bother him. How do you convince him? I really want a family photo. ¡°I will definitely take a family photo and put it here.¡± I¡¯ll have to somehow convince him. I grabbed the frame. ¡°So, shall we start the class now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The frame was set aside so as not to disturb the class. What Kasana brought today wasn¡¯t the usual letter study book. It was a book with a black cover with the Astrophel family pattern drawn in the center. ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to learn something different.¡± ¡°Something different from studying letters?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to tell you about the history of the Astrophel family.¡± ¡°Then is this a history book?¡± ¡°It¡¯s similar. It¡¯s a short record of the first Head and what kind of relationship they maintained with other regions during their reign.¡± I opened the first page as if possessed by something. A page appeared with the name of the first Head of State who first proclaimed the beginning of the family. Tamur Astrophel (508-623) He was a handsome man with a unique atmosphere. Tamur had long black hair that reached down to his waist and sharp eyes. He had blazing red eyes staring straight ahead as if our eyes had met. ¡°This is Tamur Astrophel, the first head of the family. He has led the family for about 30 years.¡± ¡°¡­Tamur Astrophel.¡± I awkwardly called him after his name. He seemed to have founded the Clan at a very young age. It is because his appearance depicted in the picture looked similar to the current Cade. ¡°Tracking back to just five hundred years ago, the continent was still not divided into realms. It was an age of disorder.¡± ¡°Then how does everyone live?!¡± ¡°No one thought it was a problem because it was a natural thing to take and to lose.¡± It was a shock. There were no specific territories for the werebeast? It meant that anyone could be evicted overnight after being deprived of their territory by another person. It was a time when life could be threatened at any time. ¡°That¡¯s why the weak clans of that time preferred to live in groups. On the contrary, the strong clans did not like the pack life because they could hunt alone.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it good to go around together?¡± ¡°In a pack, there is always a boss. There¡¯s no need to artificially make a group to create such a situation.¡± It could be. I¡¯m sure everyone had a lot of power. If they were not uncomfortable living alone, they would not have felt the need to form a group. ¡°At that time, the concept of a family did not even exist. There were signs that families were about to emerge one by one, but none of them had only one leader that would be called the Head of the State like now.¡± ¡°Huh? Why is it like that?¡± ¡°Most of the hierarchy-sensitive families were born late, because they didn¡¯t want to cause any friction between their kin.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°However, the Astrophel family was a little peculiar. There was no internal friction and it was the fastest established family among the chieftains.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡± Isn¡¯t that a completely different result from the elaborate explanations you have given so far? Chapter 64 The Black Mamba was one of the three most powerful Clans on the continent. Of course, if we are ranking Clans in order in which they were created, I expected the family to be at the bottom of the list. But¡­ it was the fastest to be built? Besides, there were no problems internally? It was an unbelievable story. ¡°Actually, there was one incident around that time.¡± ¡°Incident?¡± ¡°¡­The oppression of the clan had begun.¡± ¡°Was the family¡­oppressed¡­?¡± Even though I only heard the first sentence, my body hardened. Who the hell did that? Maybe that¡¯s why they started flocking to the South? To escape from the oppression of other Clans. But at the same time, a question came to mind. ¡­But how was the oppression done? Is that even possible? ¡°Who could do such a thing?¡± I frowned. I felt somewhat reluctant because the Clan¡¯s beginning was caused by the oppression and rejection of those around them. But Kasana was indifferent as if there was nothing to be upset about. Rather, it was a natural reaction. ¡°All incidents started with our family first.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The Lady knows that Black Mamba is born with poison, right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± The degree of poison varies from person to person, but it was said that everyone is born with poison. In addition, I heard that some of them are born with a constitution specialized in poison. ¡°It depends on our constitution, but our Clan can poison others by spreading pheromones up to several meters in radius. The stronger the individual, the wider the range.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It reminded me of the pheromone stone piercing that Messi used to wear. I thought he was simply using it for exploding pheromones, but that wasn¡¯t the only reason. Messi can deal with the enemy more comfortably as the range of pheromones changes at his will. ¡°But what does that have to do with the incidents?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ Sir Tamur, the first head of the family, had such an ability.¡± Kasana sighed. ¡°Sir Tamur was extremely reluctant to share territory with others.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And it just so happened that his power was unmatched.¡± Don¡¯t tell me¡­ It¡¯s not what I think it is, is it? He didn¡¯t turn the whole area into a toxic jar of pheromones just because he didn¡¯t like to share the same land with other people, did he? I hopefully waited for Kasana¡¯s next words. And her mouth opened. ¡°It¡¯s just as you expected.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Gasp.¡± ¡°Because of this, other clans began to complain, and the Black Mambas who sensed that the situation was getting serious, quickly established a Clan.¡± Kasana pointed to the map of the continent drawn in her book. A star sign was engraved in the center of the south, where the Astrophel family first established its base. ¡°That¡¯s why the Astrophel family first appeared on the continent.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± ¡°The Black Mambas declared that they would coil themselves up in the South before the entire tribe was oppressed.¡± ¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe there was such a reason. To be honest, the first time the word oppression came out, I thought it would be a heroic tale. Like a common story of saving the members of the family from a villain and setting up a splendid Clan. But, nothing can be easily predicted in this Clan. I glanced at the portrait of Tamur Astrophel with trembling eyes. Somehow, seems like he could care less about the opinion of others even when he was a child. I immediately settled his stereotype in my mind and gave a partial judgment for Tamur Astrophel. ¡°¡­There are no more stories like this, are there?¡± The story of the first head of state has only just begun, so why am I already feeling exhausted? ¡°I mean¡­ Grandpa Tamur was chosen as the head of the family, right?¡± It was a kind of shackle so that he could no longer wander elsewhere. Maybe he was forced to take the position of the Head that everyone else would consider an honor? The more I thought about it, the more I was at a loss for words while listening to the story behind this amazing and eccentric family. Kasana coughed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean Sir Tamur left the family unattended. Thanks to him, we can live in the South now.¡± ¡°Right. That much is true.¡± On second thought, I thought it was a very black mamba-like start. I let out a faint chuckle. It was a lot of fun to listen to the story. It felt like learning oral fairy tales that have been handed down since ancient times. I thought history class would be boring but seems like that was a pointless worry. ¡°But there were problems with establishing a family. Everyone was worried if Sir Tamur would be able to lead the family properly.¡± It was a very natural concern to have. It was actually strange to expect that the person who was forced to take on such duties would do it properly. More than that, I thought that Tamur would have straight-up rejected the position of Head. Noticing my curiosity, Kasana turned over the pages in the book. The words ¡®Grace Astrophel (510-609)¡¯ was written in elegant cursive. ¡°This is Grace Astrophel, the first hostess.¡± ¡°Wow¡­. she looks so pretty.¡± Now I understand. Why do the people here look so beautiful. It must be a racial trait. Usually, portraits are meant to be glorified¡­ But I think they were not able to capture all of her beauty in the picture. Kasana laughed as I watched Grace¡¯s portrait in a daze. ¡°According to the records, she was the only one who could tie Sir Tamur down.¡± The Hostess gracefully sat in her chair, holding a long pole that went to the ground. She was smiling beautifully, but there was a tint of strength in that smile. ¡°It is unusual, but it¡¯s said that Lady Grace used to lead the family meeting.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what the Head does?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but it was an age of disorder and wars broke out frequently.¡± Territorial disputes seem to have occurred frequently. So, was Tamur often absent? To protect the family¡¯s territory? I frowned at the unsolved answer while thinking. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± ¡°Then, Grandma did not participate in the war?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Gra-Grandma¡­¡­¡± Kasana regained her composure after stuttering a little. And she even praised me for the excellent question. ¡°Of course, Lady Grace was also at war every day.¡± ¡°Then, she went to fight together with Grandpa Tamur, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kasana shook her head resolutely and said. ¡°Lady Grace played a role in controlling the temper of her kindred black mamba.¡± ¡­.Ah¡­ I had a hunch that Grace¡¯s story was also quite formidable. ¡°As Miss Irene knows, female werebeasts have a relatively stronger body.¡± Nod, nod. Instead of answering, I nodded to indicate that I knew. Because of that, the numbers of female were tiny. It was to the extent that the female population became extremely rare towards the top of the food chain. However, it was quite common to see them in the mansion. A strong werebeast is a very good asset for the family. Rosaria, Hestia, Kasana, and Surpia all occupied important positions in the family. Kasana smiled faintly. ¡°And as you know, the Black Mamba is one of the strongest clans.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Lady Grace was very devoted to the family¡¯s internal affairs.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°It is also the role of the hostess to control the clan in times of chaos.¡± So, in a nutshell, the roles were divided. Each of them had to take on one task because warfare and control of their own people were quite similar duties. I wondered how managing the people of the family could compare to actual war, but¡­ If we are thinking about the Astrophel family, not another clan, then it was a very agreeable fact. That¡¯s how hard it is to lead a family. Once again, Cade felt great. Because he¡¯s in charge of such a large family. ¡°How strong was Grandpa Tamur?¡± Kasana flinched again, as if surprised, but she seemed to have developed immunity from the previous events. She opened her mouth as she quickly organized her expression. ¡°He¡¯s the most powerful Head of all times.¡± ¡°Stronger than Daddy?¡± ¡°Currently, he is evaluated to have similar strength to that of Sir Tamur.¡± So how strong is Cade? I have never seen him use his powers before, so I couldn¡¯t even take a guess. Will there ever be a day I will see him use his real strength? ¡°Then what ability does Daddy has? Is it similar to Grandpa Tamur?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ve never seen him use his abilities.¡± ¡°I heard that Messi has a similar ability.¡± I remembered the aroma of Messi¡¯s pheromone that I smelled last time. ¡°Black Mamba¡¯s pheromones have the characteristic of being fragrant when they contain poison. To lower the opponent¡¯s boundaries.¡± ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why it was sweet.¡± It was on a very subtle level, but I wanted to smell it more to know what kind of scent it was. Agreeing with that, I nodded my head. Then, as she was tidying the books up to finish the class, Kasana¡¯s hand stopped. ¡°¡­What did you say now?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Why are you suddenly making such a serious expression? I curiously looked at Kasana. ¡°Miss, by any chance¡­ have you ever taken on Sir Messi¡¯s pheromone?¡± ¡°Yes. Very little.¡± They said it was not enough to cause problems with the body, right? Rosaria and Messi, who were together at that time, weren¡¯t too concerned. But Kasana had a stiff expression and looked at me. ¡°¡­You were not poisoned?¡± ¡°Because Rodaria blocked it.¡± Messi also quickly retreated and the poisoning was prevented. ¡°I see. That¡¯s a relief.¡± Contrary to her answer, Kasana had a stern expression on her face. Chapter 65 ¡°Rodaria! I¡¯m going out for a bit!¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To Daddy!¡± After class, I went straight to the office with the photo frame I received from Kasana. I ran into Cade, who was just coming out of there. Durias was also next to him. Why are you two together? It felt a little awkward because I only saw him with Baon all the time. The two of them walked in one direction as if they had business to attend to, but they found me and stopped. ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Miss Irene.¡± Durias pretended to know and spoke to me. ¡°You don¡¯t have a tail today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmph.¡± ¡°It seems that you are still angry with me. But what brings you to the office today?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know!¡± Durias grinned as I turned my head around. I forgot, but I was offended again when he brought up the tail story once more. However, thanks to the rumors, things have worked out well, so should I stop getting angry at this point? I relaxed my expression and turned my head to Cade. ¡°Daddy.¡± ¡°Yes. What brings you here?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Instead of answering, I pulled out the photo frame that I had hidden behind my back. Cade¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly as he indifferently looked at the frame. ¡°It¡¯s a frame.¡± ¡°I collected all the stickers today and Kasa gave me this as a present.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°I also want to take a photo.¡± Now that I said everything, would he notice that I was talking about family photos? However, Cade shattered my expectations as if my efforts missed by a long shot. ¡°Photos? If that¡¯s the case, I think that Rosaria is already doing it for you.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s a picture of only me. I don¡¯t want to take one alone.¡± I want to get together and take a family photo! As I held the frame tightly and sighed as if I was frustrated, Durias smoothed his chin. ¡°I think she¡¯d like to take a photo to frame.¡± (Durias) ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± (Irene) ¡°Then, isn¡¯t it okay to just put one in?¡± (Cade) I think he will not notice it for the rest of my life unless I talk directly. I took a deep breath and shouted. ¡°I want a family photo!¡± The hallway was quiet. The two of them didn¡¯t say anything for a while as if they didn¡¯t expect that those words would come out of my mouth. Cade looked at the photo frame I was holding and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡­Family photo?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see. I haven¡¯t taken a family picture yet.¡± He muttered in a tone of utter amazement that he had only now realized that fact. I thought it was possible, so I coldly replied affirming it one more time. ¡°That¡¯s right. Can¡¯t we take one right now? I really want one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good timing. Even if we don¡¯t take one right now, your grandparents are coming over.¡± ¡­¡­What? Who is coming now? Did you say, grandparents? I was stiff. It wasn¡¯t a really surprising fact, but it was still shocking. It was because it was very unfamiliar to me that Cade was someone¡¯s son. Cade¡¯s parents would not be weak, and unless something special happened, they would have been living somewhere. ¡°When the two come, you can get together and take a picture. Has Miss Irene ever seen the two?¡± (Duria) ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never seen them.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Wh-when is Grandma and Grandpa coming?¡± Why did he keep such important facts to himself? I also need to prepare my heart. ¡°They said they¡¯d stop by soon.¡± As I gripped the frame with tension, Cade chuckled. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°Yes. Do Grandma and Grandpa know about me?¡± ¡°I sent word about you this time, so they know.¡± Did you say this time? So, you¡¯re saying they weren¡¯t aware of my existence before. I made a face ready to cry. I was even more nervous. I was also worried about how the two of them would accept me. What kind of people are Cade¡¯s parents? Since they were the family¡¯s former Head and Hostess, they must have tremendous strength. ¡°You still have unnecessary worries. It¡¯s not a very good habit.¡± As soon as he knew I was worried, Cade flicked my forehead. Then Durias opened his mouth. ¡°If you want to talk a little more with the Miss, should I go ahead?¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to.¡± Cade shook his head and said to me. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do, I¡¯ll have to go.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go back now.¡± The two seemed to have the same business. I said I was going to go, but I couldn¡¯t easily move my feet. Then Cade tilted his head. He seemed to be asking why I didn¡¯t go my way. ¡°But where are you two going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t tell you that, right, my lord?¡± (Durias) ¡°There¡¯s nothing good about finding out already.¡± (Cade) ¡°Tsk.¡± I pouted my lips. That being said, I¡¯m even more curious. It didn¡¯t seem like he was going to tell me even if I asked more. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you later, Miss.¡± Durias said goodbye. I watched the two of them moving away. Why can¡¯t you tell me where you¡¯re going? My feet, which were attached to the floor, moved on their own and started chasing the backs of the two. Just once. Really, just this one time. I decided to sneak behind them. I hid through the small gaps in the hallway so as not to be seen as much as possible. The two went down to the first floor and headed towards the dining room. ¡°Hmph. Are you two going to eat without me?¡± ¡°¡­Miss Irene. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± I squatted behind the flowerpot and lifted my head. A passer-by looked at me with a puzzled expression. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just playing, so I sat around here.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? The floor is dirty, so you shouldn¡¯t sit there for a long time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­ have fun.¡± The servant didn¡¯t seem to understand why I was playing like this, but he reluctantly accepted and walked past. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± And I missed them both. * * * For now, I decided to take a look at the area where I missed the two. ¡°That¡¯s strange. There¡¯s nothing here but the dining room.¡± Passing through the entrance of the dining room, there was no place for the two to disappear because it was the end of the hallway. I mean, it¡¯s really weird. At first, I didn¡¯t plan on following them this far. I was planning to go back after seeing where the two of them were going, but now that this happened, I was determined to find where they went. ¡°There¡¯s no one here.¡± The dining room, the first location of my search, was also empty. Have they gone outside? If that was the case, there was no reason to walk all the way here. They should have disappeared from here somewhere. I left the restaurant and looked around carefully. And suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind. That¡¯s¡­¡­. ¨C Aren¡¯t you Miss Irene? It reminded me of Durias, who came up from somewhere around here wearing his gloves and calling for me. My head seemed to clear as soon as the situation came to mind. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± It was definitely here. ¡°Looking again, it¡¯s very strange.¡± There was a space in the opposite direction to the dining room, but a wall immediately blocked it. So where was Durias coming from? There was only one answer. It was clear that there were stairs going down beyond this wall. ¡°How do I open it?¡± Toc Toc. I tapped the wall and touched it here and there. At that moment, the wall was pushed inside creating a space to go down. ¡°¡­¡­Stairs?¡± It was very dark inside without a single light. I was startled and stepped back because I felt like I shouldn¡¯t go in there. Somehow I feel like I just found a dark part of the mansion. Swallowing dry saliva, I hesitated, then took a step inside. Gulp. With only my head sticking out from the gap in the wall, I took the plunge and stepped on the stairs. It was just one step inside, but it seemed that the air had already changed. ¡°I can¡¯t see¡­¡­.¡± It was when I was slowly going down one step at a time, leaning against the wall in case I fell. Someone quickly passed by me and blocked my front. I was so startled that I tightly closed my eyes before I could scream. ¡°The Miss is still too young to enter in here.¡± ¡°¡­Wh-who are you?¡± ¡°Sorry to startle you. This is Bassad.¡± ¡°Bassad?¡± I opened my tightly closed eyes. The sight that had become accustomed to the darkness allowed me to see Bassad clearly. He was completely blocking the way so that I couldn¡¯t see behind him. ¡°Go back, please.¡± ¡°¡­Why? Daddy says it¡¯s okay to go anywhere in the mansion.¡± ¡°Not here.¡± ¡°This is our house. So I can go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Bassad was firm in his words. What the hell is behind you to make you this strict? Chapter 66 I reluctantly stepped back. I can¡¯t beat Bassad by force anyway. ¡°Where are we, Bassad?¡± ¡°The basement.¡± ¡°¡­What is this place for?¡± For a moment, Bassad¡¯s eyes flashed fiercely in the darkness. ¡°This is the place where the criminals that have sinned against the family are imprisoned.¡± Criminals against the family? ¡°¡­Then is there a criminal there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­Is Daddy in there too?¡± Bassad did not answer, but his silence was like an affirmation. Something that would make Cade go to face the sinner himself, and the reason Durias accompanies him¡­ ¡°Please go back now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Bassad helped me not to trip on the stairs. As I opened the door of the half-closed wall, I was dazzled by the intense light even though I was inside only for a short time. That¡¯s how dark it was beyond the wall. Thud. The door-like wall closed. If I hadn¡¯t approached and knocked on it in person, I probably wouldn¡¯t have known that such a place existed for the rest of my life. As my gaze was still on the wall, I couldn¡¯t step down easily so Bassad led me. ¡°The Lord doesn¡¯t want you to take any interest in the basement.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s in there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that either.¡± Bassad shook his head and replied. I glanced at the distant wall and turned my head. What is going on over there right now? As I walked out along Bassad, my eyes widened. ¡°Ah.¡± Errand. Durias had gone on an errand. ¨C Durias went to pick up someone. Are you curious? -Yes. -It¡¯s a secret. And¡­¡­. -How you were born into the Astrophel family¡­Durias is away to find it out. Even what Cade said. It was a strong indication that all my circumstances had to do with the person locked up in the basement. He said Durias went to pick up someone to find out the secret of my birth. That person had now been brought in as a sinner against the family and is jailed in the basement. Little by little, puzzles were being put together in my mind. So the person in there knows who I am and where I¡¯m from¡­? If I go inside, will I be able to hear the answer? ¡°Miss.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden? You don¡¯t look well.¡± Bassad was looking at me, who was standing in a daze. I quickly shook my head. First of all, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be any good if the people around me knew that I knew about the criminal. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Without realizing I had stopped, I moved my steps again. Still, all my nerves were directed towards my back. I have to go inside. But how do I get in? I couldn¡¯t think of a proper way. * * * The noise coming from outside became quiet. At last, Irene had taken notice of this place. Cade frowned and clicked his tongue as if he was in trouble. ¡°The lady seems to have stepped on our tails.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I see. But why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s curious.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re being too soft on the Lady.¡± Durias had an absurd look on his face to find out the reason for Cade¡¯s behavior. The two had already felt signs of a presence when Irene followed them. How can they help but not know that she¡¯s following them with her immature skills? Even Cade was smiling throughout the walk. Durias also shook his head as he enjoyed being secretly followed from behind. Irene shouldn¡¯t have known the existence of the basement yet. ¡°Won¡¯t you be in trouble if she comes across this place?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you be more careful? She¡¯ll be shocked.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t be able to come in anyway, so it¡¯s okay.¡± Cade spoke calmly and looked down at Ella, who was lying on her back in a fainted state. The body that had been bound with pheromones was very lean. She had not eaten or drunk water for several days, so she must have had a hard time holding on to her conscience. Because he gave instructions not to give anything unless she opened her mouth. ¡°Wake her up.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± No one could not even guess how much time had passed in the dark dungeon. Losing one¡¯s mind would be easy. Therefore, when not interrogated, the blood was blocked with pheromones to knock her out. Nevertheless, that would eventually also drive someone crazy. Durias entered the prison cell and placed his hand behind Ella¡¯s neck. ¡°Still, she was quite mentally strong. She still maintains her reason.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. It¡¯s a problem if she goes crazy too early.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad if she can confide before going crazy because she has some of the information we need.¡± Durias released the pheromones that were blocking the blood, one by one. Soon Ella¡¯s eyes, which had been closed, were opened with the sound of a small moan. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve woken up, Miss Ella. Do you know what day is today?¡± Ella held her breath as the sweet venom ran down the tip of her nose. ¡°Looks like you still want to live. That¡¯s a relief.¡± Durias stood up as if it was a fortunate situation. Ella saw another person behind him with her blurry vision and crouched down in terror. ¡°Lo-The Lord is here¡­ wh-what¡¯s going on¡­¡± The terrified Ella¡¯s eyes trembled pitifully. ¡°I, I told you everything. I told you everything, without exception.¡± ¡°In Durias¡¯ words that would be so.¡± (Cade) But why¡­? Ella had a look on her face that didn¡¯t know why this was happening. Durias shrugged his shoulders and explained instead. ¡°The head of the household said he would like to hear the story in person.¡± He kindly lifted Ella up and sat her down, focus was returning to her blank golden eyes. ¡°Miss Ella, I¡¯ll have you tell it again to the Lord.¡± Her lips trembled when Ella saw Cade¡¯s face filling her clear vision. Looking at her pale face filling with fear, Cade approached one step at a time. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°¡­Wh-what¡­¡± ¡°Every single thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What happened to Estella that day?¡± Cade let out an ¡°Ah.¡± And added. ¡°I know you have a bad head, so don¡¯t try to lie.¡± ¡°¡­Huk!¡± ¡°I had to trouble myself to come down here.¡± Ella¡¯s heart pounded. If she talks nonsense¡­ This time, her neck would fly away. Ella exhaled slowly and stepped back. I need to talk again¡­. Her head was blank and her throat was clogged. Her mouth twitched and she couldn¡¯t say anything, so Cade tilted his head. ¡°Why can¡¯t you talk? Are you going to say things you shouldn¡¯t be able to say in front of me?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­ I never told a lie.¡± She quickly denied it, saying she never lied. Cade¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at her trembling golden eyes filled with anxiety. He noticed at once that she was hiding something from them, but pretended not to know. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I was only telling the truth.¡± ¡°I see. Then there¡¯s nothing else to say.¡± Ella¡¯s mouth was dry. The reason Cade went directly to the basement was probably that he picked on a strange part of her story. She must never make a mistake. Her whole body stiffened, and cold sweat ran down her back. Durias clicked his tongue and said. ¡°There is nothing to be nervous about. I think you should just do what I told you.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I see.¡± Let¡¯s calm down. Just do what you did before. Durias agreed and moved on. There were no expectations that she would be able to come out intact. Nevertheless, if she¡¯s lucky, she might be able to get out even if she¡¯s half disabled. Realizing that this was her last chance, Ella took a deep breath in her. ¡°Half a year ago¡­ I got a call from the clan. They would give me a chance to come back if I take orders.¡± Ella¡¯s voice trembled anxiously. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be a long conversation,¡± said Cade as he sat in a chair. ¡°What order was it?¡± ¡°¡­It was an order to bring the Astrophel Clan¡¯s heir eggs.¡± The Astrophel clan was too strong for outside intervention. So they tried to contact Ella, who was near the family Hostess. They knew that she wanted to return to the clan and they took advantage of it. ¡°I¡­ I said of course it was impossible. I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ If it becomes known that I¡¯ve been in contact with them, I¡¯m afraid I would be kicked out of here too¡­¡± Outsiders have always been the subject of suspicion. Cade nodded his head, agreeing that it made sense. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Obviously, I said I couldn¡¯t do that¡­ But they kept coming and convincing me. So, without meaning it, I¡­¡± Cade laughed. It was indeed a foolish excuse. Ella held the hands of the family who abandoned her, leaving behind Estella¡¯s generosity that had taken her in. In the end, it was the same as saying that Ella had actively committed treason. Ella¡¯s face stiffened when Cade burst into laughter. ¡°I feel sorry for Estella, who gave her heart to someone like you.¡± Chapter 67 Ella was startled and shrugged. She knew very well what she had done wrong. But¡­¡­. Why was she being blamed so much for it? Ella felt wronged. He could only say such words because he was never in her shoes. She was abandoned on the grounds that she had mixed blood from other clans. Does he even know how desperately she wanted to return to her hometown? Ella bit her lip. ¡°¡­I never dreamed that Lady Estella would go like that. That was not my intention¡­!¡± ¡°You should watch what you say.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Ella was out of breath and gasped for it. She was bound with a pheromone stone, so she couldn¡¯t feel anything, but she knew that Cade¡¯s pheromone was choking her breath. Cade sat peacefully but was in a state of rage. His red eyes were deep and cold. Ella immediately knew what made him angry. Cade didn¡¯t want Estella¡¯s name to come out of her own mouth. Thud. Her body fell to the floor and she could breathe again. She was barely breathing, but Cade softly opened his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot to be heard from that mouth.¡± ¡°Haa-¡­Haa-¡­¡± Ella felt even more injustice. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t feel guilty. She also regretted the past. But it wasn¡¯t her fault that Estella died. ¡°I-it¡¯s not my fault that the Madam died. That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°It was an accident that happened while Estella was giving birth to our heirs?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± It was true that she was trying to change the heir¡¯s eggs, but Estella¡¯s death was truly tragic. She had exhausted too much of her pheromones while giving birth to two heirs at the time. No matter how good of a doctor came, there was no hope. But Cade didn¡¯t seem to think so, and it made Ella¡¯s heart impatient. As much as she became impatient, the fear that she might not be able to get out alive came flooding in. ¡°T-the Madam obviously died giving birth to the masters¡­ I-if not for that, how could I change the eggs in the basket?¡± Ella started making excuses that she could think of. Durias could not threaten her without permission, but Cade on the other side. If he changes his mind, everything was over. When Ella gave a plausible excuse, Cade showed interest. ¡°Certainly. If Estella were alive, she wouldn¡¯t let you do that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If the Madam was still alive, how could I have dared to touch the basket¡­!¡± Unable to finish her words, Ella, who was blown into the wall by Cade¡¯s pheromone, coughed harshly. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Ella¡¯s eyes widened in shock and looked at Cade with a bewildered look. ¡°The doctor said.¡± ¡°¡­Wh-what¡­¡± ¡°She sent her last pheromone out of her just before she died.¡± ¡°Th-that¡­. That¡­ That¡¯s what the Madam¡­¡± ¡°Worried that you might change her eggs, she summoned the Clan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ella¡¯s eyes, who had been silently listening to Cade¡¯s words, shook violently. Sitting outside the prison, Cade showed no emotion. It was even more terrifying that he still maintained his reason. Ella was shocked. He knew everything until now, but he was listening to it, pretending he didn¡¯t. Ella got goosebumps. ¡°You¡¯ve mixed the eggs, but I guess you didn¡¯t have time to change them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There were three eggs in the basket, so no one questioned her death.¡± The truth she had been hiding was being revealed one by one from Cade¡¯s mouth. Her complexion turned white. ¡°No! The Madam must have¡­ obviously died after laying the eggs!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a warning.¡± Cade cut off Ella¡¯s screams to say. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be prey to snakes while you¡¯re alive, it¡¯s good to tell the truth.¡± Thud. Her heart sank. Her eyes darkened. She had no more hope. Ella burst out crying. ¡°Wh-what did I do that was so wrong! What did I do!?¡± She hit her face on the floor, crouched down, and began to cry. At the sight of the crouched beast, Cade frowned in displeasure. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything wrong¡­ Why!¡± Ella¡¯s eyes widened as the veins popped up in her neck. She had done nothing wrong. She was sad and felt wronged. The surroundings made her feel like this. She doesn¡¯t know why the victim has to take the blame. Ella remembered that day. ¨C Ella. ¨C Yes, madam! ¨C I want you to be with me when I have my baby. It was something she was told when Estella had just discovered she was pregnant. -¡­¡­What? Me? I¡¯m not even part of the family. The Lord will not allow it. -If he doesn¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll leave the house to give birth. -What?! -I feel most at ease when I¡¯m with you. You will do that for me, right? Estella had so requested. How did she feel then? I can¡¯t remember the details now, but I think I was happy. Not long after that, Ella¡¯s Clan came to visit. -The Lord has given you a chance. It was an opportunity to return home. Ella agonized and agonized over and over again. And¡­¡­. -The doctor said I have two children. -Two? -Yes. I want to meet them soon. My children. Estella smiled brightly with a happy face. Ella, who was looking at her, held her breath at how dazzling Estella was. Is that what it looks like to have the whole world? Estella, who was not very mobile as she was nearing the due date, lay on her bed and stroked her tummy. -It would be nice if they were born healthy. If they do, I will do anything for them. You want to meet soon too, right, Ella? -¡­¡­Yes. My lady. Nothing really came into Ella¡¯s ear as she was cleaning the window. There was only one thing in her mind. Two heirs. Estella was pregnant with two children, and that one fact shook Ella¡¯s heart instantly. She began to rationalize without knowing. There can be only one heir to a family. So, even if you don¡¯t have the other¡­ -I wonder if I can be this happy these days. Estella said so, softly closing her eyes. Ella grabbed the wet towel she was holding tightly. You¡¯re happy? While I am so unhappy at this same moment? At that moment, filthy envy and jealousy for Estella, which she had suppressed, began to flood in. From birth, Estella was born into a good family and was previously treated with respect. She was loved by everyone and she lived happily every day. Ella, who had been taken in by her, had to live flat on her back like a maidservant, she felt inferior. She and Estella lived in a world completely different from each other. Although she was breathing the same air in the same room, a strict line was drawn between her and Ella, as if a gap existed. For what? How come she¡¯s loved and I¡¯m abandoned? Why do I have to be so unhappy? I just want to go back to the place where I was born, but even why is that so difficult? This is unfair. -Are you the kid that Miss Estella picked up? -Yes. That¡¯s right. May I help you? -Live with a heart of gratitude to the young lady. Who brings and raises a child of another clan in this day and age? Her pride was hurt. There seemed to be a rumor throughout the mansion that she had been abandoned on the streets and had barely been taken in by a lucky whim. I could do it too. If I had been in the same position as Estella, I could have collected an abandoned werebeast and hung them around me. That¡¯s why Estella is not especially nice and nothing special. -You. Is your name Ella? -Yes, butler. You can call me Ella from now on. -Did you know that the name given to you is a nickname for the young lady? -¡­¡­What? -So, be careful not to become too intimate with the Lady, because Miss Estella will be the hostess of the Astrophel family. -¡­¡­Yes, I¡¯ll be careful. -Even if she treats you comfortably, you should be first and foremost careful. ¡­¡­What the heck is so different between Estella and her that she has to listen to these words? Because of the family background? It is said that the family Estella was born into was a family that contributed to the early period when the Clan was established. Do I have to be treated this differently simply because of that? Ella was upset. But I can¡¯t let it show or I will be kicked out. Estella shouldn¡¯t notice this feeling. Because of this, Ella suppressed and repressed everything. Ella, clutching the wet towel, smiled as she always did. But she was at her limit. TL comment: This bish be making excuses for being a horrible person. Man, to pay good faith with treason is the one of the worst sins ever. Poor Estella, feel bad she couldn¡¯t meet her children. T-T Chapter 68 -If the Madam is happy, I¡¯m happy too. -Thank you, Ella. Look at this. From a certain moment, Estella took it for granted that she was called a Madam. It was from that day on that her feelings for Estella started to completely diverge. It felt like every single word Estella said was disgusting. It¡¯s unfair. Her true feelings, which had been hidden deep in her heart, were suddenly revealed to the surface. Ella made up her mind about accepting the clan¡¯s offer and going back. She thought that she could be that greedy. Because she has been working for Estella all the time in the South. I didn¡¯t feel guilty or sorry. She didn¡¯t have to have those feelings for Estella, because she has everything anyway. She will be sad to learn that the egg has changed and her child was gone, but Estella has to experience that much misery. That would be fair enough. She would be sad for a few days. And she can always give birth again, right? Ella went to visit her clan first. And one evening, just before Estella¡¯s due date. Ella held a white egg in her hand. It was a very fragile egg with a faint pulsing sound. There was no pheromone in the egg. It really seemed like it was saved only for exchanging eggs. -I¡¯d rather you not be born. That way Estella will be sadder. -Because when you are born, Madame will take you in too. That was also unfair. She was abandoned because she was of mixed race, but this egg would be raised as a young heir in a huge family called Astrophel just because it met Estella. -So, never be born. Ella murmured, showing ugly jealousy even towards an unborn egg. It¡¯s all because of Estella that I changed like this. It¡¯s not my fault. Ella put the egg in her arms, and a little later. The delivery day arrived. The birth of the Black Mambas did not require any special preparation. It was only about arranging the surroundings so that the hostess, Estella, could give birth in a very stable state of mind. -Madam¡­ don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m by your side. But something unexpected happened. Estella, who briefly changed into a beast in order to give birth to the heirs, had a very difficult time. She had only given birth to the first heir, and she had only half of her pheromones remaining in her body. Ella clasped her hands in a cold sweat. How could she avoid Estella¡¯s eyes and change the eggs? Estella looked so overwhelmed that everything she had thought about was useless. -Madam. The second heir is safely delivered. -¡­¡­Haa..haa¡­¡­. -I¡¯ll put it in the basket. For a moment, her hands trembled. When she was about to start the operation, her heart started pounding. I can do it. I can succeed. Ella, who had moved the eggs one by one, gulped down and grabbed the egg in her arms. But at the moment she tried to change the egg in the basket with the egg in her arms. -Ella. I want to see the children. Can you bring them here? Startle. At Estella¡¯s request, Ella stopped her movement. -¡­¡­! -Ella? The room became quiet. Estella, sensing something amiss, called in a helpless voice and turned her head. And she caught Ella trying to change her egg. Estella¡¯s expression, as she looked at the eggs in the basket and the egg Ella was holding, subsided terribly. -What are you doing now? -¡­¡­M-Madam, this¡­ -What are you going to do to my children¡­! Estella hurriedly got up from her seat, but, having exhausted all her energy, she stumbled precariously. She realized at once what Ella was about to do and had a startled face. -Where are you going to take my child? You dare not stop right now? Slip! Surprised, Ella missed the egg in her hand and the fake egg was mixed in the basket. If she had been calm as usual, she would have known which one was the fake egg, but Ella, embarrassed, could not distinguish it at once. I need to take the heir¡¯s egg quickly¡­¡­! Ella, in a hurry, reached for the egg in the basket. Tak! At that moment, Ella¡¯s hand was stopped. It was a feeble force, but Ella faltered and staggered back. -Quit it right now. Estella said firmly. Ella was terrified. At this rate if someone else catches her, she¡¯s as good as dead. She couldn¡¯t help but shove Estella away. -D-don¡¯t come any closer, Madam! Estella helplessly collapsed into the bed. Having already consumed most of her energy, she easily fell down. I can win now, I might be able to get out alive. The cornered Ella reached out to the basket to threaten the eggs. -Ella, you¡­! It was only possible because she had been watching Estella for years, Ella was expecting what Estella would do. As expected. Estella¡¯s expression rapidly changed, squeezing the last remaining pheromones and sending them out of her, her bright red eyes filled with a sense of betrayal wanted to capture Ella, but the vitality in her eyes disappeared soon after. Ella quickly withdrew her hand. Because she could feel people coming from outside. In consideration of the sensitive Estella before childbirth, the family was currently waiting outside the mansion, killing their presence as much as possible. Ella quickly laid Estella on the bed. As she put the blanket up to her neck. Her hands were trembling. Her heart sank coldly and her tears flowed nonstop. It was not because of guilt or because she was feeling sorry for Estella. These were tears of relief that she lived. Bump! The door opened and Hestia, the attending physician, came in. -What about the Madam?! -Huk. Ugh. Sniff. Sniff. Ella opened her mouth with tears in her eyes. -Th-the Madam¡­ The Madam is not breathing. -Get out of the way. Pushing Ella away, the doctor began to check on Estella¡¯s condition. She had already stopped breathing. Ella didn¡¯t mean to go this far. She just wanted to swap the eggs and go back to her hometown. But now she can¡¯t, because she did not succeed in the clan¡¯s proposal. Ella shed tears. She was terrified at the thought that she might not be able to survive either in the South or in the East. -Hestia. What is the Madam¡¯s condition? -¡­¡­The Madam died. I could feel the Black Mambas shaking. Hestia, the only one who remained calm, stood up from her seat. -The heirs? -There are three in total. -¡­She died from pheromone consumption. I thought there were only two eggs¡­ but I couldn¡¯t detect the other one. Hestia bowed her head. She blamed herself that Estella had died because of her own inexperience, having diagnosed only two heirs instead of three. Ella held her breath. She can get out alive. She can get out alive without any doubts being cast on her. Heaven was on her own side. After that, everything went smoothly. -What about the Lord? -He still has one more day to come. -Call him first. Report to him that the Madam gave birth earlier than the due date. -Then, about the death of the madam¡­? -¡­¡­I have to tell the Lord about that too. A complicated atmosphere enveloped the mansion. Everyone was so sad that they lost their hostess that they couldn¡¯t say anything. Hestia, shocked in front of the bed, was still staring blankly at Estella. No one expected this to happen, so the shock was doubled in intensity. Maybe because of that, no one showed interest in Ella. It was fortunate. Then she had one thing to do. -Sniff, sniff. huk. Lady Estella! Ella was faithful to the role of a weak servant who lost her Madam overnight. TL Note: Whoa. I¡¯m beyond disgusted. This is the type of villain I hate the most. At least psychos are true to their nature. This bish is so very much disgusting. So dirty. Yikes. Chapter 69 -Why didn¡¯t you notify the outside in advance when Madame¡¯s condition was in danger? A sharp question came in, but Ella resentfully looked at Hestia. -The doctor said there were two¡­ I thought it was the last one¡­ Surely, until then, she was all right! The room fell into silence. Hestia bowed her head like a criminal, and a few days later. Estella¡¯s funeral was held. Ella left the South as if fleeing, citing that she could no longer stand the pain of living in the Clan without her Madam. Fortunately, the Clan that abandoned her in the past, took her in. Although she did not bring the heir¡¯s egg, it was judged that she was worthy to some extent. ¡°I can¡¯t listen to you anymore.¡± (Cade) Seeing Ella howling and crouching on the floor, Cade coldly said so. ¡°Ha¡­ Who would have thought that child would live.¡± (Ella) Ella¡¯s eyes filled with poison. ¡°I told her every night not to be born.¡± Durias was startled and quickly looked at Cade. Currently, Irene is a double-edged sword. She was brought up with plenty of love inside the family, but she was deeply involved in Estella¡¯s death. However, Cade just silently looked at Ella. Maybe he had lost his affection for Irene because of this. ¡°What shall we do?¡± Durias, who was silently watching the situation, carefully asked. ¡°For now, let her live.¡± ¡°Should we give her food?¡± ¡°Can I easily kill her?¡± Cade grinned as usual. Seeing that, Durias took a step back without knowing it. He¡¯s been serving the Lord for years, but he can¡¯t even guess what he¡¯s thinking right now. Cade, who was looking at Ella with an unreadable face, devoid of any emotion, looked very dangerous. The pheromones, which should be shaken with anger, were strangely calm. How can he keep his reason like that? Cade turned his body around without any regrets. ¡°It¡¯s okay to take this opportunity to eradicate everything starting by the roots. It¡¯s going to be a lot of work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So until then, let her live, even if she asks for death herself.¡± Bang. The basement door was closed. Durias sighed and looked at Ella, who was constantly muttering something. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. I haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± It seemed like she was going crazy. Durias kicked his tongue and stepped inside. Ella staggered back and began to struggle. ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t touch my body!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to go crazy, but it¡¯s difficult if you do so now.¡± ¡°Let go! Let go!¡± A desperate scream that could tear apart the eardrum, filled the basement. Durias frowned and struck hard on Ella¡¯s neck. Ella¡¯s eyes widened as the back of her neck was hit, and she soon lost focus. Thud. After gagging Ella, who helplessly fell down, and brushing his clothes off a few times, Durias left the basement without any regrets. * * * Today was a very memorable day. Why? ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°You did a great job, Miss Irene.¡± That¡¯s because I was perfectly successful in shape-shifting. I waved my wings as if I was going to fly away. Flap, flap. It was a new feeling to turn into a bird after a long time. ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± I rolled around in the grass to enjoy the joy of success. Oh my gosh, I really succeeded. I made it! Jump. The first person I wanted to share the news with was, of course, Cade. I couldn¡¯t wait to show him this. Wouldn¡¯t he compliment me for doing a good job? ¡°Then we have to go back, how about turning back now?¡± ¡°Pii. Pii.¡± I shook my head, saying I can¡¯t do that yet. No. How did I change to the bird shape again? I might not be able to do it next time. Kasana replied in a voice full of laughter to my firm refusal. ¡°I understand what the lady is saying. Then I will finish the class as it is.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± First of all, I will show it to Cade and make sure I get permission to go out. I rolled up my wings and held them tight. As I walked proudly on the dirt road, I vigorously stomped my feet. My heart swelled with a sense of exaltation. Even so, the huge trees seemed taller when I was a bird. It sounded a little silly, but it felt like I was in the world of giants. ¡°Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Pii pii. Pii.¡± Before humanization, it was just uncomfortable, but it was okay now because I knew I could go back to human form. However, walking at this speed, it seemed that I would not be able to reach the entrance even after a long time had passed. I think my legs will hurt. I stopped walking. Kasana, who was following me from behind, looked at me in wonder. ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I stretched out my wings to ask Kasana for a hug. For a moment she had a bewildered expression on her face as she did not understand what I meant, but then soon reached out her hand to the floor. Just like Rosaria used to do to me. ¡°Pii.¡± I landed safely on the palm of her hand and sat down in a comfortable position. Oh, it¡¯s comfortable. I stretched out with drowsiness. I didn¡¯t feel it before, but I felt more mentally comfortable in my beast form than when I was humanized. I think it was because a werebeast original body is after all a beast. It was said that it is much faster to return to the original form when actually healing the injured body or restoring consumed pheromones. ¡°Are you comfortable?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± I took a deep breath, feeling the gentle breeze. Kasana was just walking, but to me, it was as if the wind was blowing. ¡°Shall I take you to the Lord like this?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± It would be nice if you did that. I nodded right away. As I came out of the forest, the sun was shining brightly. In a few days, summer would arrive. My eyes were dazzling in the bright sun so I was blocking the sunlight with my wings, but Kasana¡¯s steps suddenly stopped. ¡°Pii?¡± The moment I called Kasana, I heard the sound of a huge iron door opening. No way. Is the gate of the mansion opening now? I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. The door, which appeared to be several meters high, was slowly opening. It was the first time I had ever seen it open. This is because the gate was only opened when there were directly invited guests, the head of the household, or his immediate family came and went. All of the vassals were using another passage other than the main gate. So, it meant that the people who came in through that place were important guests invited by the family. Who could it be? I looked up at Kasana. She had slightly surprised eyes. This makes me more curious. ¡°Miss Irene.¡± ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°I think you should give your greetings.¡± Greetings? With the person coming from there? When the gate was fully opened, two people, a man and a woman, were seen. Standing side by side was a beautiful woman with long dark red hair and a strong man with black hair and red eyes. I turned my head to the looks of the two that I had seen a lot somewhere else. That¡¯s weird. It¡¯s obviously the first time I¡¯ve seen them, but why do I seem to have seen them somewhere? ¡°Nothing has changed here.¡± ¡°It reminds you of the past, doesn¡¯t it? It feels like I¡¯m back home, so I feel at ease.¡± The woman who stood in front of the gate and had been looking at the mansion for a while stepped inside. Unlike the man who didn¡¯t seem very impressed, the woman was very excited. When the two appeared, Kasana turned the direction and began to move her steps. To where the man and the woman were. I called for Kasana in confusion. ¡°Pii. Pii?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Irene. These two are people I know very well.¡± Who are these people? I tightly grabbed Kasana¡¯s hand in the narrowing distance. And¡­¡­. ¡°Oh, my?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Two pairs of eyes turned to me. At the same time, Kasana greeted the two with courtesy. ¡°Welcome. Sir Ian Astrophel, Lady Helena Astrophel.¡± Chapter 70 It was an unexpected first meeting with my grandmother and grandfather. I stiffened myself at the identity of the two strangers. We just looked at each other without saying a word. It was a moment when a second felt like an hour. Soon, Helena¡¯s eyes filled with surprise and opened wide. I hesitated and stepped back. ¡°Pii, pii.¡± Why is no one talking first? Embarrassed, I was looking at the two of them alternately, and then I met the straight gaze of a pair of red eyes. Hic. ¡°Pii¡­¡± I flinched and clasped Kasana¡¯s hand. Seeing this, Ian narrowed his brow. He glanced at me from head to toe, full of energy that he didn¡¯t like me. Then his mouth opened. ¡°Is this my granddaughter?¡± His words had a nuance that he could never accept me. But why isn¡¯t this situation unfamiliar? It was a familiarity as if I had experienced it somewhere. It was the same feeling I had after being born from an egg and meeting Cade for the first time. Blood can¡¯t lie. I straightened my shrugged body and slowly examined Ian. It¡¯s because the feeling of being terrified melted away like snow when he felt similar to Cade. Looking at it like this, not only did they look alike, but the way he spoke was identical to that of Cade. ¡°Pii!¡± I was so surprised that I covered my mouth. There was no doubt about it. He¡¯s really Cade¡¯s dad! I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of him and stared at Ian, who showed his displeasure. ¡°Your eyes feel bad.¡± ¡°What kind of eyes did the child make?¡± (Helena) ¡°I¡¯m offended. What did you think about?¡± Shake. Shake. I vigorously shook my head, saying it was nothing. Ian¡¯s eyes drooped low. ¡°You must have been thinking about something.¡± ¡°Ian. Saying that kind of thing makes the child scared. What will you do later if Irene avoids you?¡± Helena interrupted with a reproach. Then Ian looked away as if he had never done so and bit his mouth. The food chain was clear. The big shot was Helena for sure. She smiled and bent her knees and brought her eyes to me. ¡°Hello. Nice to meet you, Rina.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pii?¡± ¡­Rina? Where that name came from? Are you shortening my name to a nickname? Even Cade hasn¡¯t called me that way yet. ¡°I¡¯m your grandmother. My name is Helena.¡± ¡°Piihi.¡± ¡°Have you just succeeded in shape-shifting?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Oh, my gosh. Seems fun to raise such a little thing.¡± Flash. Helena¡¯s eyes, which were gently drawing arcs, flashed fiercely. The pupil, which had a distinctive look, became thin for a moment. ¡°Pi-Pii¡­?!¡± I¡¯m scared¡­¡­! I quickly hid in Kasana¡¯s arms. What. What now? It was confusing. Helena, whom I had expected to be the sweetest and kindest between the two, felt the most dangerous at this moment. Helena tilted her head as I curled up and shrank between Kasana¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Is the child cold? Why is she hiding?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably not. It seems like she¡¯s hiding her face because she¡¯s shy.¡± ¡°She¡¯s shy of strangers?¡± When Kasana explained the reason for her, Helena, with a blank face, burst into laughter. ¡°If you hide like that, I won¡¯t be able to give the present I had prepared for you.¡± ¡°¡­Pii pii?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first day I¡¯m meeting my granddaughter, and I can¡¯t leave out a present, can I?¡± I blinked my eyes and slipped half of my body towards her. ¡°You must be wondering what the gift is.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± Gift! ¡°Would you like to come over?¡± Helena cautiously reached out her hand. I looked at the hand in front of me with a whimper. ¡­.Well¡­ what should I do? It¡¯s still a little awkward to get on her hands. Still, she said she would give me a present and tried to get to know me, wouldn¡¯t it be a bit harsh to say I didn¡¯t like it? All right. Let¡¯s go up once. When I was slowly stepping her way. ¡°You get in the hands of someone you don¡¯t know just because you were offered a gift.¡± A familiar voice sounded in my ear. ¡°Pii?¡± I quickly turned my head. Cade and Baon were standing there. They seemed to have come out after hearing the news that Helena and Ian had arrived. Cade crossed his arms and looked over here. As if he was quietly seeing what I was going to do. I quickly put down the foot that was going to touch Helena, and she, who had been waiting for me to come onto her palm, widened her eyes. ¡°Oh, my.¡± ¡°I would have clearly told you not to follow people you don¡¯t know. There¡¯s no learning ability at all.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± But Helena isn¡¯t a stranger. It¡¯s my grandmother! I pointed to Helena and strongly insisted that I was not trying to follow someone I didn¡¯t know, but Cade shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Pii, pii!¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Cade came closer, and as if I had waited, I quickly climbed onto his big hand. Cade patted me on the head. ¡°You succeeded in shapeshifting.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± Right! I succeeded in shapeshifting! As I turned around, asking him to take a good look, he smiled. ¡°You must have studied hard.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep my promise. Well done, Irene.¡± I felt a different sense of stability than before and my tensed body slowly relaxed. Now that I look back, it seems that meeting Helena and Ian had me a little nervous. Helena, who was looking at us, muttered with a shocked expression. ¡°Oh my God. Is that my son?¡± ¡°The outward appearance seems to match.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see him like a real parent. I¡¯m a little touched.¡± Ian snorted, still not quite convinced. ¡°By the way, sir. Why don¡¯t you say hello to the two?¡± Baon, who had been far away at a certain distance, intervened and asked. I stared at such a Baon. Why are you so far away? At Baon¡¯s words, Cade, who proudly looked at me for a long time, finally said his late greetings to the two he had pushed to the back. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fast. I thought I was going to wait until the sun set down.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my father to come.¡± (Cade) Cade responded to Ian¡¯s sarcasm with a crooked attitude. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t come back, so what¡¯s up with the luggage?¡± (Cade) ¡°I didn¡¯t come to see you.¡± ¡°Is that so? The exit door is over there.¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t fixed that cocky attitude.¡± Whooshh. Between the two opposing sides, an intangible energy collided without concessions. Wh-what¡¯s happening all of a sudden? How come they are on such bad terms? As if he had already anticipated this situation, Baon was leisurely watching the situation. You knew in advance that this was going to happen! A deep sense of betrayal came over me. When I sent a stare at him, Baon cheekily shrugged his shoulders. He spoke only with the shape of his mouth. ¡®What can I do? I have to avoid it. I¡¯m afraid to get caught between the two of them. I wish you good luck.¡¯ The situation was heading towards catastrophe. No one showed any sign of backing down first. The moment when the pheromones of each other were about to collide without any concessions in a huge wave. Clap! Helena clapped lightly. ¡°Come on now. I know it¡¯s nice to see each other after a long time¡­ but you¡¯d better quit for now, Cade. You too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wise proposition.¡± Baon, who was watching from afar, answered so while Helena stopped the two of them and settled the situation. ¡°We¡¯d better go inside first. How long are you going to let us stand outside?¡± ¡°I will guide you to the parlor. Come this way.¡± ¡°Oh my. Thank you, Baon.¡± Baon took the lead and started guiding us to the mansion. I swept my chest. I¡¯m glad it ended with nothing bad happening. As expected, Helena is amazing. She was the real power of this family all right. As I looked up in wonder at Helena who was walking next to me, she sensed my gaze and smiled back. ¡°Pii?¡± Why are you smiling? She seemed to be having a lot of fun. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice to see?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pii?¡± ¡°They are still on good terms.¡± ¡­Where the hell do those two look like they are on good terms? Do you really think the two are good friends? I was speechless and looked at Helena in a daze. Chapter 71 We were ushered into the parlor on the first floor of the mansion. The parlor was located in a place with a very beautiful view. A large window that occupies one side of the wall was filled with sunlight and the beautifully decorated garden and pond could be seen at a glance. I landed on the ivory-colored Chesterfield sofa. There were several soft cushions lying on both sides of the sofa. We sat on the sofa facing each other. Tea and refreshments were already served on the table. It seemed that they were prepared in advance for Helena and Ian¡¯s arrival. Cade looked down at me, who was sitting in his hand, without dropping me off. ¡°Pii?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t have a proper conversation like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pii.¡± That¡¯s true. Because everyone understood what I was saying only as a guess. Cade called Baon. ¡°Baon.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Tell Rosaria to bring clothes for Irene to wear.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell her.¡± After finishing his guidance, Baon took a step back and curtsied. ¡°Then I hope you have a good time.¡± Click. The parlor door was closed and silence reigned. No one was opening their mouth first until Cade started the conversation. ¡°How have you been?¡± Helena¡¯s eyes widened as she stretched her back and savored the tea in a graceful posture. ¡°It¡¯s really a big deal. To think you were going to be the first one to say hello.¡± ¡°I heard that if you do something you usually don¡¯t do, it¡¯s a sign that death is near. Did the doctor give you a time-limit diagnosis?¡± At Ian¡¯s sarcastic remarks, Cade had a look of ridicule. ¡°That¡¯s the first thing to say to your son you haven¡¯t seen in a few months?¡± ¡°Then you can behave like you usually do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this.¡± ¡°I got goosebumps because I¡¯m disgusted.¡± Given the reaction, there must have been quite a lack of conversation between them. It was an understandable feedback since they got used to that kind of conversation mood. I think they are interested in each other, but they seem unfamiliar with showing it off. But when interest was shown, it was awkward and the comeback was rich. I grinned as I recalled the last family meal we had. I thought of Arban and Seth, who replied one by one when asked, even though it seemed cumbersome and unfamiliar. He had been secretly waiting for such a conversation. Cade sighed. ¡°You¡¯re dissatisfied even if I ask you first.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Then why did you come?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to come?¡± Helena gave a pleased smile at the start of the new confrontation between the two. Why are you so happy when both are grabbing each other¡¯s neck while bickering about? Do you really think they¡¯re doing that because they¡¯re on good terms? I was tilting my head and Helena whispered as if telling a secret story. ¡°It¡¯s like that every time the two meet. Don¡¯t mind it, it¡¯s a sign of intimacy.¡± ¡°Pii?!¡± ¡°Neither him nor Cade are used to loose and gentle conversations.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pii.¡± If it was for that reason, it was understandable if they are awkward with each other. I reassured myself and sat back in my seat. ¡°You must have been worried about the two of them fighting.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± As I nodded my head in agreement, Helena grinned as she took a bite of the cookie. ¡°If they fight, I¡¯ll bury them both in the ground.¡± ¡­¡­. Huk. I shuddered in surprise at the ¡®Burying them both in the ground¡¯ part. Cade, who heard our conversation from the side, looked at Helena with an astonished face. ¡°What are you saying to Irene?¡± ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± ¡°When you say it like that, I know something was said.¡± Helena, who had put the last piece of cookie in her mouth, blinked slowly with round eyes, then spoke in a gentle tone. ¡°It¡¯s only the truth, Cade.¡± Ian laughed bitterly. ¡°You don¡¯t know your mother too well, do you?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stop.¡± Cade rubbed his eyes. He seemed to feel tired even after a short conversation. I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise when I witnessed Cade being pushed by someone for the first time. Everyone was drinking tea without a word when a knock was heard. ¡°Lord, this is Rosaria.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Pii Pii Pii!¡± I jumped to my feet. I wanted to watch them talk a little more, but I¡¯ll be back anyway, so I¡¯ll see them again. Rosaria entered the parlor and bowed lightly towards Ian and Helena. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°We had a good time. Rosaria must have been taking care of Irene.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Then I have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you for saying that.¡± Rosaria who finished with a simple greeting looked at me and beckoned. Tap, tap, tap, tap. As I was sitting at the table, I quickly approached Rosaria. Every time I took a step, I could feel the gazes following me from behind, but I was already used to it, so I decided to ignore it. ¡°Miss Irene! It¡¯s true that you succeeded in shapeshifting.¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you. When did you grow up like this?¡± Rosaria looked at me with a thrilled face. Baon, who went to call her, seems to have informed her beforehand. If she had come without knowing anything, Rosaria¡¯s reaction would have been much more intense than this. I¡¯m glad she knew ahead of time. ¡°Then shall we go get a change of clothes?¡± ¡°Pii!¡± ¡°Have a safe trip, Irene.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± Looking back, I greeted everyone with my wings. I passed Cade, who folded his arms and nodded his head, and Helena, who greeted me kindly, and then I looked at Ian. Ian holding the teacup looked at me with a glaring expression. ¡°¡­P-Pii.¡± I¡¯m scared! I tugged on Rosaria¡¯s collar, urging her to go out quickly. ¡°Then shall we go?¡± ¡°Pii.¡± If possible, I want to come back very slowly. My body trembled at the different pair of bloody red eyes. * * * Tak. As the parlor door closed, Cade frowned. ¡°Why do you look at someone else¡¯s daughter like that?¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°If you look at her like that, I won¡¯t show her again in the future.¡± When Cade threatened that he will never show Irene again, for the first time, Ian revealed his trembling feelings. ¡°She¡¯s my granddaughter.¡± ¡°You seem to have forgotten, but before that, she¡¯s my daughter.¡± The second round was about to begin. Helena clicked her tongue inside. They can¡¯t be honest. Ian had a greater interest than anyone else in Irene, but when he tried to hide it, he terrified her. Before coming to the mansion, Helena held back her laughter when she saw how seriously he was choosing his gift for Irene. ¡°You¡¯ll be hated by Irene if you do that. It would be good to be a little kinder, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to hear ¡®I hate you, Granpa.¡¯?¡± Ironically, it was Cade who flinched at those words. He¡¯s already heard of it. It was worth knowing. Helena shook her head. What should I do with these two, who have a long way to go? She had a lot of worries. Again silence ensued. It was only when Irene was there that she talked about this and that to relieve the mood, but now she didn¡¯t have to. It wasn¡¯t until a long time before Ian started to talk again. ¡°So.¡± His sunken eyes turned to Cade. ¡°Why did you call us? There¡¯s no way you really called us to only come to see our granddaughter.¡± It meant to stop the small talk and get to the point. Helena found the little presence located in the room next to theirs quite cute and pleasantly opened her mouth. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t ask, I know it¡¯s because of Irene. I got a general idea of ??what you are calling us for.¡± ¡°Then the talk will be quick.¡± The rustling noise in the next room made the parlor quiet down. Soon the sound of a door opening from outside the hallway was heard. Cade chuckled at the child¡¯s gait, which was clearly different from other Black Mambas. It seemed that serious conversations should be delayed a little longer. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long story, so why not put it off for a while and get to know your granddaughter first?¡± Cade said looking at Ian. Ian snorted, pretending he didn¡¯t listen to it. Still, his gaze had already turned towards the door. Helena turned her head with a look of anticipation. ¡°I¡¯d love to do that. I don¡¯t think any issues will take precedence over that.¡± Now, a presence could be felt right in front of the door. Due to her small body, her movements were very faint. The door to the parlor silently slid open, revealing a little foot first. Ian¡¯s eyes which rarely opened wide, became round with the appearance of the little white shoe with a round nose. Irene¡¯s silver hair, who had been hesitant to come in, gently appeared through the crack in the door. Then, Irene, with plump cheeks and bright red eyes, stuck out her head. ¡°You are here.¡± (Cade) When Cade spoke to her first, Irene, who was initially nervous, smiled broadly. ¡°Oh. My. God.¡± Helena covered her mouth. ¡°You have to go inside and say hello, Miss Irene.¡± Rosaria, who was not seen by the door but had not left her seat yet, could be heard talking in a laughing voice. Irene hurried into the parlor, perhaps encouraged by her words. Rosaria, who was outside, closed the door. In an adorable purple dress with frills, Irene greeted with a blush on her cheeks. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Irene. Grandma¡­ Grandpa.¡± Chapter 72 The parlor was filled only with silence. Why is no one reacting? When the situation I feared the most became real, I wanted to burst into tears. I¡¯m sure Rosaria said they¡¯d happily greet me. I was wiggling and rolling my eyes waiting for any reaction, and I encountered red eyes. It was Ian. He was looking at me without saying anything. I-I¡¯m scared. I remembered that he was staring at me from earlier, so I looked for Cade without realizing it. ¡°Da-Daddy.¡± ¡°Yes. Come here if you¡¯re done saying hello.¡± ¡°Hn.¡± I sat close to Cade but the two people sitting across from us still showed no reaction. How long has it been? Helena, who slowly blinked, muttered in disbelief. ¡°Oh my God, such a creature is my granddaughter¡­ It¡¯s so¡­¡± So? I waited for Helena to say her next word. She took a deep breath and grabbed my hand. ¡°You¡¯re so lovely, Irene.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± ¡°Would you like to come to my house with me?¡± What? I looked at her in embarrassment. There was no sign of her letting my hand go. Helena meant it. I thought Ian would object by now, saying something like, ¡®Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡¯ Strangely, he said nothing. It was an implicit agreement. I looked at the hand that was clasped in embarrassment. I wanted to be here with everyone. At that moment, Cade snorted as he pulled out my hand that had been caught. ¡°Where are you going to take her without my permission?¡± ¡°Irene might want to come and look around, right?¡± ¡°You mean in that quiet place?¡± ¡°You never know. There are so many things to see, right?¡± Helena looked at Ian as if asking for consent. Seems like there is also a quiet area in the south. I thought that such a place would be rare because this area is such a developed place. It seemed that the two were living at the southern tip of the territory. I can¡¯t believe they came all the way to the capital from that far away. I was a little curious. Even in the same South, are the parts are a little different? ¡°Is it fun there?¡± (Irene) ¡°Of course!¡± (Helena) ¡°¡­What¡¯s interesting about such a place?¡± (Cade) Cade started his nitpicking. It was an overreaction compared to the usual behavior. My senses tingled. There¡¯s something at the southern end. ¡°Still, once famous beasts from the continent often move to live there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to study their biography. If you have any questions, you can come and ask them directly.¡± ¡­¡­What? I don¡¯t need study their biography? Do you mean, the biography of the famous beasts on the continent? If they have a written biography about them, aren¡¯t those people the ones who occupied important places in their own clans? Are you saying that people like that are all living in the same place in the southern part of the territory right now? Ian said in a blas¨¦ tone. ¡°Can¡¯t we live together with other people?¡± ¡°¡­Th-that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s boring to live by ourselves. Even if we set up a separate place to live, it¡¯s boring without friends.¡± Helena smiled brightly. ¡°We¡¯ve retired anyway, so we don¡¯t have to fight each other. The southern part of the country is suitable for old age because the scenery and weather are nice, right?¡± The quiet and warm countryside pictured in my imagination was instantly transformed into a terrifying den. It seemed to be very peaceful because no one would ever dare to think of doing anything in that area. But I don¡¯t think I can afford to go there. I shook my head saying I was fine. I was a little curious though. Helena pouted her lips with regret. ¡°Come to play later when you¡¯re older.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I didn¡¯t want to be separated from my family yet. Even if I went there, I wanted to go together. I¡¯ll definitely go visit later. Maybe he liked my answer since Cade¡¯s lips drew a line. I wriggled and glanced at Helena. In fact, it was because I had been waiting for something for a long time. ¡°What are you doing, like a dog that wants to poop?¡± ¡°¡­Ian.¡± (Helena) What do you mean like a dog that needs to poop? It was like a scene I had seen somewhere. ¡­I must be mistaken right? I muttered a little. ¡°Gift¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Give me a present, please.¡± I¡¯m sure she said she bought a present for me in the garden. I should never forget that. I reached out my little hand to ask for it. ¡°Oh, look at my scattered mind. Ian, where¡¯s the present?¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± Ian pulled out a wrapped gift box that was next to him and pushed the gift onto the table. Gift! ¡°Open it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I carefully ripped off the wrapping paper so as not to damage it. It was a little heavy but I couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of gift it was. What did they prepare? My heart was pounding with anticipation. When I unwrapped the wrapping paper, a luxurious jewelry box was revealed inside. I swallowed dry saliva at the unusual appearance of the box. It looked insanely expensive. I straightened my trembling hands and slowly opened the lid. What I finally saw in it was¡­ ¡°Dagger?¡± Cade¡¯s eyebrows rose. It was a dagger with a colorful sheath. At first glance, it might seem like a decorative item, but it¡¯s not like the two of them would present me with a simple toy. ¡°What are you giving to her?¡± ¡°At this age, you have to play with this much.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She has to be able to protect her body. Ian said this was okay, too, and you were around this age¡­ no¡­ but you used to play with it often.¡± Helena, who was about to say my age, saw Cade¡¯s rising eyebrows and quickly corrected her words. I pulled out the dagger and unsheathed it. A sharp blade flashed with an unusual sound. It was so sharp that even a slight touch could cut. ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t taught her how to use a weapon yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Irene is not allowed to touch a weapon.¡± ¡°She must have one weapon she can handle. Even now is still late to begin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not late at all.¡± Can everyone handle at least one weapon? I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve never seen them fight in real life. But in order to protect the territory, of course, they must be proficient in weapons. The reason why Kasana taught me pheromone lessons was to an end, to protect my body. I clenched my dagger, and when Helena saw it, she laughed. ¡°Look at this. Irene seems to like it too.¡± ¡°Her hands are so small I don¡¯t know if she can hold them properly.¡± ¡°She has to get used to it from now on. When she plays with it, she¡¯ll learn how to handle it on her own.¡± ¡°I understand the unusual view on children¡¯s education, but Irene¡¯s parent is me.¡± ¡°You grew up with that unusual education.¡± ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°If someone comes to annoy her later, shouldn¡¯t she at least throw a dagger to get rid of it?¡± Cade stopped. He had an unpleasant look as if he had remembered something. ¡°Ah, there was one. The one with a waving tail.¡± (Cade) ¡°Already? Which tail?¡± (Ian) Ian, who was quietly watching the two of them fight, hardened his expression. What do you mean which tail? What¡¯s wrong with the question? How do you answer a question like that? ¡°A kid who lives up there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bad. It got caught in a wrong one.¡± The conversation works. I looked at them both in bewilderment. What was even more interesting was that Helena had an expression on her face that understood the conversation. ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t stand still. I¡¯ll teach you how to throw a dagger from tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Martial arts must be learned from this grandmother.¡± Why is it suddenly like this? Suddenly, even Cade was in a sympathetic mood. After that, the three began to talk more seriously. ¡°Are you aware of their tendencies?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a kid from up there, it might become an adult soon. It feels as bad as it can be.¡± ¡°When will Irene grow up? Seth and Arban should be around the corner.¡± ¡°I had something to talk about concerning that.¡± The three of them were showing a more cooperative conversation attitude than ever before. Seeing the story of growth, I think Seth and Arban will soon be able to grow into adults. But when can I really grow up? Can I grow up to an adult without any separate steps like a carnivore beast? Munch, munch. While I was eating the cookies, Ian raised his hand. ¡°It would be better to stop talking about this soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while and it¡¯s already time for dinner.¡± The sun was already setting outside the window. I don¡¯t know how much time has passed. I straightened my body, which had been leaning deep on the sofa. Looking at the mood, it seemed like this meeting was ending. As expected, Helena looked at me and said goodbye. ¡°It was very nice to meet you today, Irene.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to pick you up tomorrow.¡± Are you really going to give me a dagger lesson? I nodded and got up from the sofa. Everyone came out of the living room together. I came out holding Helena¡¯s hand and she leaned her body down to say, ¡°Then it would be better for Irene to go back now. Can you go back alone?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Of course, I can but¡­. Where are the three of you going, leaving me behind? When I looked at Cade, Ian, and Helena standing behind me in turn, she grabbed my shoulder and spoke softly. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but from now on, we have a business talk with the adults, so we should each go our way now.¡± Chapter 73 I was left alone in the hallway and watched the three of them drift away. I don¡¯t know what kind of conversation adults have. ¡°It¡¯s a secret from me, right?¡± But I know very well that it¡¯s something I shouldn¡¯t hear, in fact, I had a rough idea of what it was. I folded my arms in dissatisfaction. ¡°Why can¡¯t I hear it?¡± It¡¯s my story, I can¡¯t believe they are leaving the involved person out. I want to know what¡¯s going on. Recently, Cade has been keeping more secrets from me. He didn¡¯t seem to want me to know the truth. I was reluctantly about to go back, but I felt the presence of someone quickly following me from behind. I checked my opponent in the long shadow hanging on the floor of the hallway. The owner of the shadow was Messi. ¡°Messi?¡± ¡°Hello, miss.¡± Messi greeted back with a smile. He was following me with his hands behind his back. When he saw me sulking, he asked me with a curious face. ¡°What made you so upset?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s all written on your face?¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t tell you.¡± I kept my mouth shut. Messi who was walking along my stride started asking questions one by one. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t happen, but have you ever been scolded by the Head?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t like the gift you got?¡± Messi pointed to the box containing the dagger. I shook my head, saying it wasn¡¯t that either. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re playing 20 questions. Messi smiled awkwardly as he saw that my cheeks were gradually swelling as the questions continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but can I help you?¡± ¡­Help me? At his very tempting offer, I looked at him. He was happy that he had finally found a way to relieve my mood. ¡°What is it? Feel free to tell me.¡± ¡°¡­If I ask for help, will you listen?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe Messi¡¯s words right away. Seeing him like this was even more suspicious. Why are you helping me all of a sudden? He sighed as he took a step away and at my suspecting look. ¡°I¡¯m sad that you don¡¯t seem to believe me. It¡¯s my first priority to follow your words.¡± ¡°¡­What I say comes first?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that for Daddy?¡± The reason why Messi and the escorts were by my side was all because of Cade¡¯s orders. But how can my words come first? It¡¯s very unreliable when I stop to think of Bassad¡¯s recent several refusals of my words, preventing me from going to the basement. ¡°For an escort, the order of protection has priority. Although independent judgment is possible depending on the situation. ¡°Then promise me.¡± I held out my little finger. Messi, who looked down at my fingers in embarrassment, asked as he came over with his little finger. ¡°Miss, why are you going this far? ¡°You know, Messi.¡± His eyes were focused on my mouth. ¡°I.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Want to go to the basement and see what¡¯s there.¡± Pik. Messi, who had lost strength in his legs, hurriedly took control of his body. I guess he didn¡¯t expect the word basement to come out of my mouth. I pulled Messi¡¯s little finger as hard as I could. ¡°¡­Ba-basement?¡± ¡°Yes. Bassad blocked me last time, so I couldn¡¯t go.¡± This time, I¡¯ll definitely have to check who¡¯s in the basement. Messi clenched his mouth several times as if to say something, and then he touched his forehead. ¡°Sigh. Please, think about it again. Not there. ¡°My words come first.¡± ¡°It is, but¡­¡± ¡°You already made a promise, right?¡± This was Messi¡¯s fault, who was confident that he could do anything I asked of him. At my triumphant attitude, he slipped and sat down. Messi, who was sitting with his knees bent and his head bowed, looked up at me. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Come to my room at dawn. I¡¯ll let you know then.¡± ¡°¡­At dawn. If I get caught by the other guys, my life will be in danger.¡± Messi patted the back of his neck. I crossed my arms crookedly and narrowed my eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why you should think before making promises too quickly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Watch out from now on.¡± Tap Tap. I tapped a couple of times as if to encourage Messi¡¯s heavy shoulders. He looked at me in a daze and muttered in a small vocie. ¡°I think Miss is starting to look more and more like the Head.¡± * * * Meanwhile at that time in the office. After hearing the details of what had happened, Ian and Helena hardened their expressions. ¡°¡­Is that true?¡± After a while, Helena opened her mouth in disbelief. It was unbelievable news even when she heard the explanation in person. Ian, who was reading the summary of the report, closed his eyes in seething anger. ¡°When did you know this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a few days.¡± ¡°Is it underground?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still breathing.¡± ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± He couldn¡¯t tolerate those who dared to commit unspeakable acts against the South. Even trying to kidnap the heir of the family was not enough, they also had to lose the hostess as well. It was a very serious matter that could not be overlooked. There was no problem with declaring a legitimate war. ¡°¡­Then Irene must have been born from an egg delivered from the East.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How did this happen¡­¡± Helena buried her face in her hands. She was flooded with indescribable emotions. Irene was only a scapegoat who got involved in this incident, but whenever she thinks of the child, she can¡¯t help but think of Estella. ¡°It¡¯s confusing. Now that you know the truth, are you going to stay still?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± He will use this opportunity to get proof that the Artban family was behind the Loisar family. ¡°It turns out that the Artban took all the successors of the Clans in their area.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± ¡°Loisar will be no exception.¡± It would be the first targeted Clan, as there¡¯s no other family that excels in information gathering like them. Assuming that their successor was held hostage, the Loisar family would somehow want to get the heir back. ¡°So are they going to take another risk and come to the South?¡± ¡°For now, that¡¯s the most likely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most likely? You¡¯re saying there¡¯s another possibility?¡± In response to Ian¡¯s question, Cade nodded as if he was asking something obvious. ¡°Everyone wriggles if the situation doesn¡¯t go the way they want it to go.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°As you already know, Irene has two pheromone properties.¡± ¡°¡­What? I haven¡¯t heard that before?¡± Ian and Helena were astonished. What do you mean by two pheromones? He talked so naturally that they almost passed on it, but Cade frowned as if he didn¡¯t understand where the problem was. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­No. Just keep talking first.¡± Ian waved his hand for him to continue. What more surprising things would pop up here? Cade spread his second finger. It would be nice to simply know that Irene has two pheromone properties, but actually, the problem was bigger¡­ ¡°We know that Black Mamba¡¯s poison doesn¡¯t work on Irene.¡± ¡°What else do you mean?¡± ¡°Literally. It¡¯s embarrassing because my daughter is so special.¡± It was a fact that he learned from Kasana¡¯s last report. Irene had no lack with her two pheromone properties, so Messi¡¯s poison would not work. In a way, it was a matter of course. Instead of Estella, it was Cade who constantly injected pheromones into her egg. It would have been a necessary ability to survive his deadly poison. Cade laughed as if it was fun. But everything he mentioned was full of serious things. Since ancient times, the Black Mamba has been at the top of the food chain by defending their territory with poison as a weapon. But to say that their pheromones don¡¯t work? Those words meant nothing but the ability to neutralize the power of the whole Clan. In other words, it meant that the family had a great weakness. Cade looked at the frozen Ian and Helena and opened his mouth leisurely. ¡°Werebeasts raised in the hands of other Clans tend to have special abilities.¡± Normally, there was a high probability that young beasts would not survive because they could not absorb the pheromone properly before opening their eyes, but that did not mean that there were no cases of young beasts growing up in the hands of different Clans. However, there was one peculiarity in this case. ¡°In order to fully receive pheromones that are not of the same type and grow up, wouldn¡¯t it be necessary to have an original stronger pheromone than that to survive?¡± ¡°¡­Does that mean that Irene¡¯s pheromone is strong enough to neutralize the Black Mamba¡¯s poison? ¡°I haven¡¯t checked yet, but I¡¯m pretty sure.¡± ¡°Hah. It was unbelievable. Ian said in a daze. ¡°You are the Head of a family.¡± ¡°I know. ¡°But are you so easygoing?¡± It was a problem that could endanger the entire family. However, even with Ian¡¯s advice, Cade only remained calm. Chapter 74 ¡°When will the Loisar family arrive?¡± ¡°They will arrive in a week.¡± ¡°Sigh. This is worrying.¡± If the Loisars know about the second piece of information about Irene, the problem has grown. That would also mean that the Artban family knows. Helena¡¯s complexion was dyed with concern. She hopes that it won¡¯t happen, but if it does, a choice will have to be made. Either way, allowing the Loisars to visit the South was a gamble. There will be a constant war of nerves to check each other¡¯s cards. ¡°The opponent will also be desperate. Have you prepared a way to react in case of an emergency?¡± To bring the successor back safely, they will try to take Irene by all means. If that doesn¡¯t work, they could even threaten war to get her back. But Cade shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t think much about it.¡± He grinned as he put the report to one side. ¡°I hate having a headache.¡± Seeing that, Ian clicked his tongue. Cade had a habit of making decisions at will when things bothered him. ¡®He¡¯s at it again.¡¯ It was also proof that he cared about Irene that much. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re going to do pretty well.¡± The serious talk was ending and Helena looked around the office to change her mood. Helena, who slowly turned her eyes past the red family¡¯s seal, desks, and sofa, had to doubt her eyes for a moment. ¡°Cade.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­What is that?¡± Helena pointed between the cushions with a trembling hand. There was a snake doll that a child could play with. Until now, they were having a serious conversation, so she didn¡¯t have time to look around. But now she was seeing a colorful snake doll curled up on the far end of the sofa opposite her. It was very cute. Ian, who turned his head in the direction Helena pointed, coughed with a shocked face. ¡°When did you get such a taste?¡± No matter how you look at it, it was a doll that didn¡¯t match Cade. ¡°Ah.¡± Cade smiled contentedly at the doll. He never got tired of looking at it every day, so it was still giving him satisfaction right at this moment. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Irene¡¯s first prey.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s her first prey?¡± Does that make sense? Ian, who raised the doll with his index finger and thumb as if he was checking something unfamiliar, frowned. The doll had a fragrant scent, it looked like it was going to the laundry regularly. ¡°The way you are doting on this makes it look like you are keeping an heirloom.¡± Ian, who had put the doll down in its original place, looked at Cade with pity. Helena began to scrutinize the office to see what else was there. And¡­¡­. ¡°¡­What else is this?¡± There was a strange font on a framed paper. Cade raised his chin and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my name written by my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°She wrote right away as soon as she learned how to write.¡± Is this what you call bragging about your children? Helena and Ian were stunned by Cade¡¯s act of showing off his daughter to his parents. ¡°You don¡¯t feel anything when you see it?¡± Ian, who couldn¡¯t wait, asked quaveringly. If he had received a gift from a child, he must have felt something when he saw it. Ian and Helena recalled Cade¡¯s childhood. Cade had never given them his prey as a gift even if he hunted an excellent game, and even after he learned how to write, until now, he had never written their names like that. Don¡¯t you usually feel happy when you get something like that as a gift and reflect on your past? The two, who had experienced their son¡¯s child bragging, felt very wronged. ¡°Enough with the no comment attitude, Cade. Is that all you have to say?¡± Helena asked with a bright smile. It¡¯s not too late, so tell us what you need to tell us right now. As she waited for the answer, Cade opened his mouth, saying, ¡®Ah,¡¯ as if he remembered something. ¡°So, how long are you two going to stay?¡± ¡°You punk.¡± Ian shot something with a sharp pheromone. It was a quill with a sharp tip. The quill was aimed precisely at Cade¡¯s vital point. Cade, who lightly hit it, smiled as if he knew it would happen. * * * It was deep in the dawn. I was lying on the bed pretending to be asleep, and I opened my eyes. The long-awaited time has finally come. Now that Rosaria went back and she was alone, it was a perfect time to start the operation. ¡°He¡¯ll be waiting for me now, right?¡± I wore pink pajamas with stars on them and fluffy slippers. Opening the door slightly, there was a dark hallway with no one in sight. It was so dark that I couldn¡¯t see the end. I quietly called Messi. ¡°Messi?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Messi appeared in the dark in a white shirt and black pants. I closed the door quietly and came out. The empty hallway felt very unfamiliar. He looked down at me with an unwilling attitude. ¡°Since I made a promise, I came as I was supposed to, but¡­ Do you have to go there, miss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Think about it again.¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I have to go there even if I think about it again. Messi sighed a little at my unchanging will. ¡°What are you going to do in the basement?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason. Messi doesn¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°You mean you want to know what kind of place it is?¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s a place where bad people are imprisoned.¡± Maybe it wasn¡¯t just being locked up. The reason Messi is nicely following along now is probably because he thinks there¡¯s no one in the basement. ¡°How did you find out about the basement?¡± ¡°I found out by chance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­By chance?¡± Maybe because my answers are unsatisfying Messi has been asking questions non-stop. If he finds out that someone is detained inside, he might really want to stop me. ¡°There are people standing guard from here, so you have to be careful.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I went down to the first floor and carefully looked around. Unlike the upper floors, I could see some people standing guard on the first floor. What should I do? To get to the dining hall, you have to go through the central lobby of the mansion. There were two men standing guard facing each other. ¡°¡­What if I get caught?¡± ¡°You should calmly go back to your room.¡± ¡°Messi, you¡¯re not helping at all.¡± He seemed to want me to get caught and go back to my room. He seemed to become more uncomfortable as we got closer to the basement. But I couldn¡¯t give up when I came this far. I tugged at Messi¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°You can avoid all of them, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± ¡°You came to my room without being caught.¡± How would you explain that? Messi washed his face dry when I sent a glare telling him to obediently say the truth. ¡°Then promise me one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If you think there¡¯s someone in the basement, close your eyes and call me right there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you so you don¡¯t get caught.¡± It was a very difficult request because I already knew there were people inside. I¡¯m doing all of this because I want to know who that person is. My conscience was stabbed for telling a lie. Still, it¡¯s more important to go first. Because there is something I want to ask. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°Then hold on tight. From now on, I¡¯ll run at full speed.¡± Messi hugged me and lifted me up. How fast are you running if you hug me this tight? More than that, you¡¯re running right in front of them and you¡¯re doing this so I can hide? I grabbed Messi¡¯s shoulder in half doubt and everything else was a fleeting moment. The afterimage passed so quickly that things around me could not even be properly distinguished. The people standing guard in the lobby were still looking forward as if they felt nothing. ¡­¡­Did this really work? ¡°We are here.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Messi nodded his head and blinked at the wall leading into the basement. I was worried if I could pass by safely, but now, I was worried that things might be too easy. His ability was so strong that I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut. ¡°If it takes too long, I¡¯ll pick you up right away.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Miss. This.¡± He took something out of his inner pocket. It was a small lantern. When he turned the switch on the handle, the wick inside the glass blazed and lit up brightly. ¡°It¡¯s dark inside. Take this with you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Messi.¡± I gripped the torch and pushed slightly against the wall that had already been opened. A space was created between the gaps, and the wall was pushed in. Gulp. I swallowed dryly and was about to go inside, but Messi hurriedly grabbed the door. ¡°Or shall I go in with you?¡± I shook my head resolutely. ¡°Messi stays here to watch if someone comes or not. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Kung. The wall closed heavily. Chapter 75 The unique cold energy of dawn permeated over my thin pajamas. The chilly atmosphere made my body stiffer. There was nothing to hold on to, so I put my hand on one wall and went down one step at a time. Another black door was firmly closed in the wall under the stairs. I took a deep breath and turned the iron ring. Squeak. The floor, which was made of marble up to the stairs, turned into cold stone as soon as the door was opened. It was a completely different space from the outside. Every breath I inhaled seemed to smell of cold iron. It was very dark inside with no windows. As I took one step forward, I felt something wriggling in the corner, and then I heard a rustling sound. ¡°Huh?¡± Astonished, I quickly looked in the direction of the sound and golden eyes flashed brightly in the darkness. Suddenly, my body stiffened in fear. Something was silently watching me. I stared at my opponent with wide-open eyes. I couldn¡¯t see clearly, but a woman was tied to a rope. I was relieved as soon as I checked it. I actually came in, but I couldn¡¯t think of what to say. Then I remembered that Messi was waiting above and came to my senses. ¡°Hi.¡± When I waved my hand thinking that I should say hello first, the woman¡¯s golden eyes fluttered, and soon, the slightly wide open eyes shook. As if she had noticed who I was. ¡°¡­¡­You.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Irene.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± As I drew closer to take a better look at her, the woman flinched and backed away. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to check on me?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know, so I came to see.¡± I shook my head. And I looked at her as closely as the woman looked at me. The blonde hair that came down to her waist was long, and although it was a little dirty, her skin was originally pale, but more importantly, her golden eyes were stained with hostility. Maybe¡­¡­ The woman who was watching me twisted her lips up. ¡°Who am I?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I was on the same side as you.¡± ¡°¡­The same side?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious, why don¡¯t you untie this rope, kid?¡± The woman softened her voice as if to soothe me. I looked at the ropes that were tying her up. The thick rope was studded with stones that shinned a luminous glow in the dark. ¡°No. That¡¯s a pheromone stone.¡± I already remember seeing that, besides, the color was close to purple. I shook my head right away because I knew that the closer it was to purple, the higher the purity. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s why she can¡¯t use pheromones right now. ¡°If I let you go, what will you do?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were curious?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid? You can¡¯t run away anyway.¡± The woman¡¯s face contorted in an instant. ¡°You¡¯ll get caught again.¡± There would be at least ten guards from the inside to the outside of the mansion. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be able to run away from their eyes. She would know that too, then there was only one reason. This woman will want to get rid of me. Why? I was confused because I had never been so hated by anyone in my life. The woman gritted her teeth and grinned. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I can¡¯t run away anyway.¡± ¡°Right? And if I let you go, I will be scolded by Daddy.¡± He might be very upset if he finds out that I had secretly snuck in here at dawn. ¡°Daddy¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ha! Ahaha. Ahahahaha!¡± In an instant, the woman began to laugh like a crazy person. The woman, who had been laughing until she was out of breath, calmed down after a while. ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything, kid.¡± The golden eyes gleaming with madness were terrifying. The moment our eyes met, I staggered back with a flinch. ¡°You have been calling that man father.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my dad that¡¯s why I call him Daddy.¡± ¡°Really? If you knew how you were born, you wouldn¡¯t have the guts to call him father.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you talking about?¡± You wouldn¡¯t be able to call him Daddy? What on earth is she talking about? The woman twisted her lips and lowered her gaze as if looking down on me with a more relaxed attitude. ¡°Such a pity. You don¡¯t even know what you were used for.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I frowned at the word that felt repulsive. Use. Isn¡¯t that what you talk about when dealing with things? Why are you looking at me and saying that? When I had a bad feeling, anxiety ran up from my toes. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know anything, so let me explain a little bit.¡± She wrinkled her eyebrows as if she was seeing something very unfortunate. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to be born. It wasn¡¯t meant to be.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Everyone is in trouble because you were born. Me, you, and the man you call your father.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I didn¡¯t want to, but my voice was trembling. It was that much of a shock. I shouldn¡¯t have been born. Did everyone get in trouble since I was born? I was short of breath and my head was pounding. Seeing my reaction, the woman giggled and laughed. ¡°Literally that. You must be shocked, but what if it¡¯s true?¡± The woman began to talk with a very happy-looking face. She was ready to explain everything I didn¡¯t even ask about. Her bright eyes filled with joy. ¡°¡­What¡­ was I used for?¡± ¡°Do you want me to tell you? It will hurt if you hear it, though?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll let you know if you¡¯re curious. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to see you unless it¡¯s today anyway.¡± My heart started beating heavily. The woman crawled on the floor with her tightly bound legs and came up to the iron fence. She seemed to want to check my expression. The woman opened her mouth, fixing her widely dilated eyes to my face. ¡°Kid, did you ask who I am?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°My name is Ella.¡± Ella spoke quickly. ¡°Do you know the name of the hostess of this family?¡± I shook my head in silence. I¡¯d heard it once, but I didn¡¯t want to show that I knew something to this unknown woman. Still, I could not erase the feeling that the names of Ella and Estella were strangely similar. It was very similar. I was a little afraid of what would come out of Ella¡¯s mouth. But now that I have finally come to know the truth, I can¡¯t run away because I¡¯m afraid. I gave strength to the feet in the slippers. ¡­Maybe Ella being captured here has something to do with Estella¡¯s death as well as me? Estella died, I was born, and Ella was caught so the place where I came from could be found. It was an oddly matched situation. Seeing my expression, Ella laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be a stupid kid, right? Then you¡¯ll understand very quickly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You were unclean even before you were born.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± When I shook my head at once and denied it, Ella quickly cut in and said. ¡°You¡¯re the egg I used to steal the successor to this Clan. Your father already knows.¡± Thump. I felt my heart sink. Is that why I was born into a family? Besides, does Cade already knows that? Since when? He¡¯s never shown anything related to that in front of me. I looked at Ella in a daze. As my expression gradually distorted into a tearful face, the expression of her joy was evident. Even in the chaotic situation, doubts arose. Why is Ella so happy that I am in pain? She was overjoyed for simply wishing I wasn¡¯t born. Like¡­¡­. ¡°So how much trouble did you bring? Estella sacrificed her life to protect her successor. One of the reasons she died is because you are still alive.¡± It¡¯s like she¡¯s jealous of me. In fact, there was no evidence that this was the case, but somehow it felt like that. Ella was now jealous and envious of me. Jealousy and envy seem to be simmering beneath those golden eyes, filled with joy. She didn¡¯t stop her mouth. ¡°Do you see now how absurd it is for you to be raised here?¡± I clenched my fist. ¡°You have no shame to call that man Daddy with that mouth, you don¡¯t even know your place. It¡¯s very funny.¡± No. It wasn¡¯t my fault. Even though I was born into this family because of that, it¡¯s not my fault. Either way, I got caught up in it. But even if I tried to think so, it didn¡¯t go as well as I wanted. It was because my head knew it wasn¡¯t my fault, but my heart was heading in the opposite direction. I bit my lips and glared at Ella in resentment for being pushed around by her. I won. That¡¯s how Ella looked. I didn¡¯t like the bright smile around her mouth. Chapter 76 At that time. Messi, who was impatiently guarding the front of the basement, frowned. Irene was still not back after quite some time. ¡°Should I go in and check it out?¡± By now, there wouldn¡¯t be much more to see inside. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing. Should I go in or not? He opened the pocket watch that was hanging on his clothes. Ten minutes had already passed. Messi, who checked the time, decided to go in without hesitation. That was then. ¡°What are you doing here, Messi?¡± Bassad was walking alone. Messi¡¯s body stiffened in surprise as he shook his shoulders. ¡°Ha, ha ha. Bassad?¡± The gigantic man was fiercely looking at him as if he was about to hit Messi at any moment. I was followed. Messi, who predicted what would soon happen to him, hurriedly raised his pheromones. Contrary to his bloated physique, Bassad was quite quick. Messi, who quickly blocked the arm coming right at his stomach, broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°We will be in trouble if you suddenly attack like this. Everyone will wake up at dawn.¡± ¡°Where did Miss Irene go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You guys.¡± Bassad¡¯s expression hardened terribly when he saw the door on the wall behind Messi. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that Miss Irene went inside.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ What are you doing still up this late? What brings you all the way over here?¡± ¡°Answer the question first.¡± Messi sighed. After lightly pushing Bassad¡¯s violent energy, he swept up his hair. ¡°What if the Miss went to the basement?¡± ¡°¡­Get out of the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t get in here. She told me to keep an eye on anyone who comes over.¡± Messi had an awkward smile. If he confronts Bassad, something would certainly break. He had to be prepared to break at least one arm or a leg. Bassad raised his eyebrows as he looked at Messi who was blocking his front. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. This side has its own instructions.¡± (Messi) Actually, he was starting to get worried, so he was going to check it out. Bassad strongly raised his pheromones as if there was nothing more to hear. Messi¡¯s cold sweat dripped down his back at the huge swirling energy. ¡°Hey, are you serious?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to deal with it, get out of the way.¡± ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t make such a fuss about her wanting to look around the basement a little. I gave her a lantern so she wouldn¡¯t fall over.¡± ¡°Do you think what you are talking about now makes sense? Look around the basement?¡± Bassad, who was usually quiet about anything, reacted very violently. Messi felt something wasn¡¯t adding up. Could it be that someone was imprisoned there? ¡°No way¡­maybe¡­¡± ¨C I want to go to the basement and look around. Bassad blocked me last time, so I couldn¡¯t go. He remember the conversation they had during the day. Irene suddenly said she wanted to go to the basement and asked him to take her. She even said that Bassad had blocked her, and asked him many times to take her there. She even knew that the basement was a place where criminals were locked up. ¨C How did you find out about the basement? ¨C I found out by chance. -¡­¡­By chance? He had a feeling of discomfort that weighed on his chest the whole time while they came here. Now he seemed to know what it was. Messi turned white and hurriedly opened the door. Endless darkness stretched out below. ¡°How long has it been since the lady has been in there?¡± ¡°¡­it hasn¡¯t been long. About fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already time to check the inside.¡± She had obviously promised that if she found someone she would immediately close her eyes and call him out loud. But Miss Irene didn¡¯t. She wanted to go to the basement for a purpose from the beginning. Messi¡¯s had trembled. ¡°Somehow it was strange that you suddenly wanted to change shifts with me out of the blue.¡± Bassad pushed Messi, who was standing in the way, to the side. ¡°A guy who never changed shifts because you liked escorting Miss Irene during the day when you can play with her asked for a shift change.¡± Not only that, he suddenly asked to take turns at dawn because he wanted to escort at that time. It was suspicious, so when Bassad went to Irene¡¯s room, he didn¡¯t feel any presence. So he came down to the basement and as expected, he found Messi. Bassad went into the basement and moved his steps. There was no more time to delay here. Messi grew whiter and paler. Given that she hadn¡¯t called for him yet, he could only think she was talking to someone inside. As the two of them were about to enter the basement, a cold voice came from behind. ¡°I wondered who roamed around like a mouse at dawn.¡± ¡°¡­My Lord?¡± It was Cade. ¡°I see, Irene is over there.¡± (Cade) He sighed at the unfavorable situation. She seemed to be curious as she followed from behind last time, and she eventually ended up getting into trouble. ¡°Your mission would have been to protect Irene.¡± Cade¡¯s red eyes turned to Messi. ¡°You didn¡¯t think that Irene¡¯s body was the only criterion in that category, did you?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my mistake. I¡¯ll take whatever punishment you impart.¡± Cade, who was looking at Messi, turned his attention. ¡°You¡¯d better give an explanation later, Messi.¡± Cade passed them and went down to the basement. * * * Ella seemed to want me to feel guilty and move away from this house. A subtle sense of triumph was spreading deeply in the gold eyes filled with jealousy. At that moment, I realized why Ella was very obedient to telling me all the facts. ¡°Are you jealous of me?¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, right? Is it because I look happy here?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Ella, who was smiling, flinched. Her expression became increasingly distorted. If you think about it, it was a good motive. Why was Ella chosen as the right person for such a job? How could she possibly have a chance to usurp the family heir? Had she been an outsider, it would not have even been attempted. That being said, it could only mean that Ella was in the family, and just by looking at the similarities between the names of Estella and Ella, you could guess what kind of relationship they had. I felt more at ease. ¡°You are the bad one.¡± ¡°I told you to shut up!¡± ¡°Everyone will be sad because of you.¡± Ella howled and shouted. ¡°Do you think it won¡¯t happen?! How would the way people look at you change if they found out? Will they still like you? What a fool!¡± Of course, there must be people whose attitudes change when the facts are known. Now that I heard the story, my heart was very heavy. Maybe there will be people who will say that I should be sent back. But one thing had to be clear. ¡°I am also a victim.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°The one who did a bad thing was not me, but you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Daddy didn¡¯t tell me.¡± Even knowing all the circumstances, Cade¡¯s attitude towards me did not change at all. Even though his emotions must have been confused. Because it¡¯s not my fault. Ella doesn¡¯t seem to like the fact that I was born here and raised as a Lady from the family. The order to change the successor¡¯s eggs was something she had to risk her life for. That must have been a reflection of her position on the Clan. An existence so small, to the extent that it doesn¡¯t matter when it disappears. That¡¯s why Ella looked at me with hateful eyes filled with envy and jealousy. Because unlike her, I¡¯m getting along very well. ¡°Don¡¯t compare me to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m different from you. I¡¯m Irene Astrophel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And you are Ella.¡± In fact, I was originally abandoned by my Clan, but here, I was recognized as Cade¡¯s daughter. And Ella, who has committed a sin, will pay her due punishment here. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m living a really happy life.¡± ¡°Shut up, shut up!¡± ¡°If you keep yelling this scary, I¡¯m going to tell my Daddy.¡± I smiled and pointed to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Grandma to bury you, too!¡± My voice echoed through the basement. Ella with a dazed look closed her mouth. This time I won. As I looked down with my chest proudly stretched out with excitement, the basement door flipped open. ¡°¡­¡­Gasp!¡± ¡°Seems like you are up to something.¡± My eyes met with Cade, who was holding the doorknob and sternly looking at me. I flinched back. What should I do? I got caught. Where did Messi go? Did Cade kill him? As I stealthily dodged his gaze, Cade spoke with a scary tone. ¡°You know you did something wrong, right?¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± ¡°I-I sneaked in here¡­¡± And¡­ and also¡­ Thinking of what I did wrong, I began to tell the truth one after another. ¡°Tricking Messi¡­ and making you worry¡­¡± ¡°You know very well.¡± I¡¯m going to get in a lot of trouble. I tightly closed my eyes in an anxious mood, but surprisingly, Cade was very quiet. Why are you so quiet? ¡°Therefore.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you want to bury that?¡± Cade pointed to Ella. I had no idea what he meant by asking that. But one thing is for sure, I still haven¡¯t gotten over my sour feelings for Ella. So I nodded as hard as I could. ¡°Yes. Bury please.¡± Chapter 77 Irene was being a bad girl without intention. ¡°I¡¯ll do that for you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It was just something she said out of anger. Unlike before, Ella remained silent. It looked like she was afraid Cade¡¯s attention might turn to her. But now he was giving me all his attention. As if she was invisible to him. Then I will stop fretting over now, because I am done with my business. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m cold.¡± I forgot for a moment, but the air here was very cool. Maybe because I was wearing only slippers without socks, my legs and my body were a little cold. When I finished my work, I felt the cold again and my body trembled. Cade clicked his tongue. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cade took the lantern I was holding and held me up. As I hugged him back in a stable position, he said as he climbed up the stairs of the basement. ¡°Your body is cold. How long have you been here?¡± ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You did a good job of twisting Messi.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hehe.¡± ¡°Did that sound like a compliment?¡± Hip! Let¡¯s shut up. If I mess up a little more, I could end the night with a painful flick on my forehead. When we completely came out of the basement, I saw Messi and Bassad waiting. ¡°Bassad?¡± Why are you here? Moreover, Messi was completely intimidated. Looking at the subdued atmosphere, it seems that something happened while I was away. I feel sorry for Messi. Obviously, I made a promise before going downstairs, but I didn¡¯t keep it. ¡°Messi.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I¡¯m sorry. I lied because I really wanted to come here¡­¡± As I went on, my voice got smaller and smaller. He looked at me and gave a bright smile. ¡°There are also days like this in my life, being deceived by the Lady I serve.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my fault, so I can¡¯t do anything about it but do my best to not get fooled next time.¡± He finished his last words with a smile. Seeing a different smile than usual, I felt a sense of crisis. From now on, I must never cheat. ¡°I won¡¯t do that next time.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Yes, I believe.¡± ¡­I don¡¯t think so. You don¡¯t seem to believe me at all. I decided to stop here. Because I was the reason why everyone gathered at this late hour. ¡°Then everyone can go back.¡± ¡°What?¡± Messi asked back in confusion. He was waiting for punishment, but he was surprised that Cade just let it go. ¡°Can we go back like this?¡± ¡°Why. Do you want to be punished?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Messi quickly shook his hand and his head. Bassad, who had been nervous about what punishment would be given, could be seen relaxing. ¡°Irene cheated on this matter, so let¡¯s move on.¡± (Cade) ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It won¡¯t happen in the future.¡± (Irene) ¡°She¡¯s also reflecting on what she did wrong, so that¡¯s enough for now.¡± (Cade) ¡°Thank you, my Lord.¡± Messi and Bassad bowed their heads to say their farewells. I was not in a good mood, because two people almost got into trouble because of me. I¡¯ll have to be careful not to let this happen in the future. I swore so in my heart. ¡°Well, let¡¯s call it a day.¡± Bassad and Messi quickly disappeared at Cade¡¯s words. In an instant, the hallway became quiet. I glanced at Daddy. He was holding me and walking somewhere. I thought he was taking me to my room, but when I looked in the direction, it wasn¡¯t. I think he¡¯s heading to the office. Do you want to give me a separate scolding? Since I was in the wrong I had a lot on my mind. As I gently looked around, Cade opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s still a long way to go before the sun rises. You must have slept less.¡± ¡°Hm. Yes.¡± It was still dark outside the window. It will be long before the sun rises. To be honest, even if I went back to my room like this, I thought it would be difficult to fall asleep again because I was restless. I rested my cheek on Cade¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Daddy. Where are you going now?¡± ¡°Bedroom.¡± ¡°My room?¡± ¡°No, my room.¡± Oh, I see ¡­no, what? I took off my cheek in surprise. Cade¡¯s bedroom was next to the office, and there was another door in the room. When he opened the large door that opened on both sides, I saw a large room. The bedroom was surprisingly decorated with many things. There were several flowerpots on the windowsill and paintings hung on the walls. In addition, small objects that showed someone¡¯s presence were found everywhere. When I looked at them curiously, Cade said. ¡°It was decorated by Estella during her lifetime.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better sleep here today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Here?¡± Cade put me on a big bed. The slippers hanging from the tip of my toes fell to the floor. The soft blanket was felt by the tip of my hand. But why he brought me here? I curiously looked up as he covered me in the blanket and said. ¡°You must know the reason better yourself. A lot happened today to sleep alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± That¡¯s true. I was actually relieved. I was worried about how to sleep in my room by myself. Cade lay down next to me. He lay on his side with one arm supporting his body and awkwardly patted me as he looked at me ¡°Don¡¯t keep what happened today in your mind.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to bury it in the ground as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that.¡± There was a big laugh coming from me. My heavy sinking heart became a little light. I gradually closed my eyes with Cade¡¯s patting. I thought I would never sleep today, but it was like magic. That¡¯s how I fell asleep. * * * Flash. When I woke up, I was alone in bed. I jumped up and looked at the empty place. It¡¯s still morning, did he already leave? ¡°Daddy¡­¡­¡± I called Cade in a small voice. No answer was heard. I shouted out loud again. ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± Then the door opened and Cade came in. He seemed to be in the office outside the bedroom. It had been a while since he had woken up. He had already washed up and changed his clothes. ¡°I thought you were gone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still a baby. How have you slept alone all this time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of Rosaria¡­¡± Come to think of it, what happened to Rosaria? She must have been really surprised to see that I was not in the room this morning. Besides, yesterday, I sent Rosaria back over and over again, saying I could sleep alone. When I stopped her words and my expression became serious, Cade asked back as if asking to continue my words. ¡°What about Rosaria?¡± (Cade) ¡°What if Rosaria doesn¡¯t find me?¡±(Irene) ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about. She¡¯s already made a fuss.¡± ¡°Al-already?¡± ¡°She came over with an ashen face early in the morning.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± I stiffened up and Cade shook his head. ¡°You¡¯d better stop worrying about Rosaria for now and wash up first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Let¡¯s wash up first and think about it later. I entered the bathroom. To my surprise, the bathroom had everything I needed for washing. It seemed that Cade had not forgotten to take care of it. I stepped up the stairs with all my might. In the past, when I climbed up like this, I could only see the top of my head, but now I can see my entire face. After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I wiped it with a towel. Where is the lotion? As I was looking around, Cade, who was waiting in front of me, held out a round barrel. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re looking for this.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Daddy is the best.¡± I dipped a lot of lotion and applied it. Chop. chop. chop. I was rubbing my cheeks with my palms, and Cade stared at me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Cade reached out and rubbed the forehead right above my nose bridge. ¡°You didn¡¯t spread everything.¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°I see you do this often.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You just said ¡®again¡¯ with your mouth.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Who said they won¡¯t lie from now on?¡± That was¡­ there was nothing to say. However, since there is no mirror, it is unavoidable that I cannot apply it meticulously. ¡°Only once in a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we call getting into trouble.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± But where are the clothes? I looked around to find a change of clothes. It¡¯s kind of weird to go out wearing pajamas. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°Daddy, where are my clothes?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s none?¡± I guessed he had prepared everything including washing up and lotion, but he forgot my clothes. Cade meekly admitted. ¡°I forgot.¡± I thought that he was organized, but he didn¡¯t seem to care too much for details. There¡¯s no helping it. I just have to go back with this. I stood in front of the mirror and straightened my slightly frizzy hair with my hands. Cade was watching it. I don¡¯t know why, but it seemed like he was amazed that I was doing this. ¡°It¡¯s all over.¡± This is not bad. Although it was too different compared to what Rosaria usually did with my hair. Growl. There was a loud fluctuation in the bedroom. I flinched. He probably heard it, right? There¡¯s only the two of us in the room, so he definitely heard it. Cade let out a windy laugh. ¡°Seems like you need to eat.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I grabbed Cade¡¯s hand at once. It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m in pajamas. It¡¯s my house anyway. As I came out of Cade¡¯s room, I could feel the passing vassals glancing over. It seemed strange that I was walking hand in hand with Cade from morning in my pajamas. As I was dragging my slippers, I saw Ian and Helena not far away. Helena found us and warmly waved her hand ¡°This is great, I was on my way to eat and was thinking to ask to have breakfast together¡­¡± Helena looked at my outfit and tilted her head in wonder. ¡°Why is Irene wearing pajamas?¡±