《The Youngest Daughter of 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!¡±