I’m Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 222

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Side Story Episode 7
* * *
One would be hard-pressed to find a serpent in this world with a taste for strawberry jam, yet Eun-ji was the exception.
While she primarily preferred consuming Mana, Margaret Rose Flone’s reserves were finite.
Moreover, with all Mana in this world depleted, Eun-ji now had to discover alternative means to satiate her hunger.
Eun-ji, wiping the strawberry jam smeared around her mouth with the back of her hand, regarded the unconscious Maid A with an expression of distress.
Moments later, Maid B, passing through the Corridor, rushed over in alarm, only to freeze upon spotting Eun-ji.
“Eun-ji merely asked where Margaret was.”
Eun-ji clutched at her skirt hem, gauging Maid B’s reaction, then wrung her maple-leaf-shaped hands together anxiously.
“Sister is avoiding Eun-ji.”
Her plump cheeks quivered, and her lips drooped into a pitiful pout.
Her eyes glistened with tears so pitifully that Maid B nearly blurted out that she had glimpsed Miss Margaret in the Garden through the window moments ago.
“I, I haven’t seen her either. I don’t know.”
Yet she had no choice but to follow the protocol the Head Maid had instructed.
At Maid B’s response, the child’s shoulders visibly sagged.
“Sister only knows Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. Eun-ji must be invisible.”
Then,
Poof—
The child vanished, and a pristine white serpent abruptly dropped onto the Floor.
Maid A, who had just regained consciousness and was being helped to her feet, witnessed this and let out another scream.
“Kyaaaaaaah—!”
That very day, Maid A packed her Luggage and fled homeward as though escaping.
And Eun-ji, now even more despondent, barricaded herself in her Room and refused to emerge.
* * *
“Such work regulations actually existed.”
I sat on the sofa in my Room with Rosemary, reading the staff conduct manual the Head Maid had brought, my expression one of utter bewilderment.
Eun-ji, in serpent form, was napping on her dedicated cushion.
Only now did I understand why Eun-ji had withdrawn into her Room in such low spirits.
The servants had been treating her as though she were a ghost.
Furthermore, the Flower Bouquets that Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid, the Prince of Asdal, and Archbishop Luzef sent to me each morning in competitive fervor (I had no idea why they engaged in such pointless rivalry—they must have had far too much time on their hands) were also documented as though they were ghost stories.
“The long-serving staff all adore Eun-ji. However, the newly hired servants are unfamiliar with her.”
The fact that Eun-ji could assume human form was classified as highly confidential.
There was no benefit to revealing that Eun-ji, already renowned throughout society as a divine beast, could even humanize herself in a world where Mana had vanished.
‘It’s not a secret that absolutely must be kept hidden, but it’s best to avoid unnecessary complications.’
Additionally, I was teaching Eun-ji, an omnivore who consumed far more than just Mana, how to satisfy her hunger through conventional food.
Thus, she sometimes took humanized form and dined with the family, during which the number of servants permitted to enter the Dining Hall was restricted.
The precautionary notice appeared to be the first work regulation, designed to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
The work regulations had been devised jointly by Innis and the Head Maid, it seemed.
‘But wouldn’t this approach only fuel curiosity further…?’
For the newly hired servants, rather than explaining Eun-ji’s humanization explicitly, it appeared they were conveying the work regulations in this roundabout manner.
Moreover, work rule number one is… well, let’s overlook that.
3. Should a boy in one-piece dress approach and ask about Miss Margaret Rose Flone’s whereabouts, you must unconditionally claim ignorance.
There are no children at the Flone Estate.
The problem is rule number three.
This world no longer held any magic power—save for three exceptions.
Eun-ji, myself, and Kaiden, who had transcended into something beyond.
Maintaining magic power intact in a world where not a single trace remained was far from simple.
More troubling still, the magic power dwelling within my own body was slowly fading away.
Because of this, whenever my condition deteriorated, Eun-ji would suffer side effects—becoming semi-transparent or manifesting only partial humanization.
Eun-ji’s humanization depended entirely upon my magic power as its foundation.
That’s why recently, she had been reducing the frequency of her transformations.
The problem was that without humanization, I couldn’t enjoy the pleasure of conversing with Eun-ji. We could communicate adequately in her serpent form, but true conversation was impossible.
That was far too sorrowful.
‘If only I could find a way to communicate with Eun-ji even when she wears her serpent form, there would be no need for concern.’
Then Eun-ji wouldn’t need to force herself into humanization, nor would I need to impose these ghost-story-like work rules upon the servants.
While I was lost in such contemplation, Rosemary, who had been reading the work rules alongside me, voiced her question.
“But Eun-ji is originally a serpent, so she doesn’t really need to humanize herself, does she? Does she transform because it’s more convenient for activities?”
Listening to her words, I pondered carefully.
“Can you return to being a serpent? Have you become entirely human?”
“Can return! Eun-ji get strong from ugly stone! But if Eun-ji stay human form long, Eun-ji lose strength again.”
Recalling what Eun-ji had said when she first humanized, I shook my head.
“No. It seemed Eun-ji preferred her serpent form more. She said humanization for extended periods was exhausting.”
“Then why does she bother humanizing at all?”
“That’s because…”
I didn’t know either.
Resting my chin in my palm, I searched my thoughts again. Why indeed?
“Because Eun-ji want talk with big sister!”
“Aaah! You startled me!”
At the voice that suddenly rang out, Rosemary let out a scream.
The Head Maid, equally startled by Eun-ji’s sudden emergence from behind the sofa, placed a hand over her heart and took a deep breath.
Meanwhile, Eun-ji crawled toward the front of the sofa, then spread both arms wide and flopped her upper body across my lap.
“Eun-ji like talking with big sister. Because Eun-ji love big sister.”
Eun-ji gazed up at me with sparkling eyes and an adorable expression.
How could she be so endearing?
Rosemary beside me made quite a fuss about how cute it was, creating quite the commotion.
Then Eun-ji, as if offering gratitude in return, formed flower petals with both hands and even threw in a wink.
“Where did you learn to do that?”
“Prince of Asdal teach Eun-ji.”
So the Prince of Asdal had taught her. Come to think of it, he was the only person around me who would casually throw around gestures like winking.
“Eun-ji. Are you feeling better now?”
Eun-ji’s eyes widened in surprise. Her expression showed she’d forgotten all about her foul mood.
Then, suddenly turning away with a petulant face, she wouldn’t even look at me.
I glanced at Rosemary and the Head Maid with some bewilderment. Both wore equally troubled expressions.
“Eun-ji, what’s wrong? Is it because people treat you like you don’t exist—or rather, like you’re not even a snake?”
“That’s not it!”
Eun-ji kept her back turned to me, her gaze averted as she answered. Then suddenly she raised her hand to her face, rubbing it frantically. She was wiping away tears.
Startled, I climbed down from the sofa and knelt before Eun-ji.
Eun-ji was shedding tears as large as bird droppings, streaming down her cheeks.
Wait—our Eun-ji was crying…?!
My heart sank.
“Eun-ji, what’s wrong? Come to your sister.”
I spread my arms wide, but Eun-ji still shook her head and turned away from me.
“You’re not my sister anymore.”
“What?”
“When you get married, Eun-ji has nowhere to go. You’re going to abandon Eun-ji.”
“What are you saying? I would never abandon you.”
“You keep avoiding Eun-ji.”
That was because of those ridiculous work rules the servants had imposed, creating all this confusion!
An unprecedented fury rose toward the servants. How dare they hurt my child’s feelings!
“I would never abandon you. That will never happen.”
Eun-ji flinched at my words, still wiping her tears.
“You’re going to marry Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid.”
“…What?”
“When you marry him, you’re leaving.”
I stared at Eun-ji in shock, watching her rub her tears away with her small fists as she spoke.
No. Of course I would leave the Flone Estate when I married, but I’d never once considered leaving Eun-ji behind alone.
“Don’t abandon me, sister.”
Sniff, sniff.
“Wherever you go, I wanted to ask you to let me stay by your side forever. When Eun-ji says things like that, it makes you sad.”
Eun-ji’s head snapped up. Her eyes were red and puffy from tears, wide with hurt.
“Huh?”
“You don’t want to be by my side?”
“No! No!”
Eun-ji flailed her short arms frantically to emphasize her denial.
“I wasn’t avoiding you. I’m so sorry. Will you come to your sister?”
I opened my arms to Eun-ji once more. Her eyes glistened with fresh tears as she looked at me.
“Really? You weren’t avoiding Eun-ji?”
“Why would I avoid you?”
Eun-ji leaped into my arms with a cry, and I held her close, patting her back to comfort her.
“Oh my. You were so hurt. You were so upset, my dear Eun-ji.”
Sob, sob.
After crying in my arms for a while, Eun-ji’s tears began to subside, and she blinked her eyes as she assessed the situation.
Beside us, Rosemary and the Head Maid pulled out handkerchiefs with moved expressions, wiping away their own tears.
Looking down at Eun-ji, I suddenly furrowed the space between my eyebrows at a thought that had just occurred to me.
“Eun-ji, could it be that….”
Eun-ji’s eyes were glistening with tears, appearing slightly more translucent than before.
This must be because of the instability of the Magic Power within me.
“You transformed into human form because you wanted to talk with me—was it because you were afraid I might abandon you?”
Eun-ji didn’t answer. It was a silence that affirmed everything.
Goodness. How could I not have understood how desperately she was trying all this time? My heart felt as though it were tearing apart. It was all my fault.
I held Eun-ji tightly in my arms and spoke.
“Eun-ji. Even if you take the form of a serpent, it’s alright. Your sister loves you no matter what shape you take. Let’s learn to write together. We’ll also find ways to communicate using Magic Power.”
When I pressed my cheek against hers and nuzzled her gently, Eun-ji finally laughed with delight, giggling sweetly.
Perhaps because she was still so young, her mood shifted quickly from sadness to joy.
Even when Eun-ji took the form of a serpent, I could discern her intentions more clearly than anyone else. It was because I resonated with her emotions.
So wouldn’t we be able to find ways to share feelings and communicate even while she remained in serpent form?
Teaching her to write might not be difficult either.
“Sister, will you teach me to write too?”
Then, at something Eun-ji said, I paused.
‘Too…?’
I pulled Eun-ji away from my arms and looked directly at her face, asking.
“Who said they would teach you to write?”
“Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid.”
“When?”
At my question, Eun-ji covered her mouth with her maple-leaf-shaped hand. Then she rolled her eyes nervously, gauging my reaction.
“Oops. He told me not to say anything.”
What? I haven’t even seen Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s face for a month now.
How on earth did Eun-ji manage to contact him?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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