The Blue Dragon Clan’s Very Suspicious Little Chick - Chapter 16

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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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Episode 16

She must have mistaken her for Sorim—they wore the same color robe, and their hair was twisted up in nearly identical fashion.
She needed to leave quickly, but the woman’s large hand clamped around Aran.
“Oh, how adorable! When did you come sit beside me? You smelled the rice cakes, didn’t you?”
“Chirp?”
(Rice cakes?)
Now that she mentioned it, there was indeed a toasty aroma in the air. But that wasn’t the problem right now.
“Chirr-chirr.”
(Let me go. I must return to my family.)
“Want to try some of this?”
A child, only slightly taller than Aran, hopped forward eagerly and held out a small piece of crumbled Sulggi.
Even when she shook her head vigorously, it made no difference.
In the end, trapped in the woman’s grip, Aran was forced to accept the Sulggi from the child—
“Chirp-squawk?”
(Blast it, why is this so delicious?)
Somehow it tasted even better than the rice cakes at the Blue Dragon Palace.
“It’s good, isn’t it? Our rice cake shop is the best on Blue Dragon Ridge!”
Your family runs a rice cake shop…?
The child’s boastful words rang unmistakably true, but Aran shook her head anyway.
“Chirp-squawk-squawk.”
(Listen, there are things in this world that cannot be solved by giving someone something tasty. Release me.)
The moment she fluttered her wings and struggled, fortunately, she slipped free from the rice cake vendor’s grasp.
“Goodbye, baby bird!”
Aran beat her wings diligently as she received the innocent child’s farewell.

***

“Chirp-chirp!”
(Suryeon! You’ve left me behind!)
“Chirp-squawk?”
(Aran, where have you gone?)
The trouble was that dusk had fallen and there were too many people to easily spot her family.
Moreover, Aran could still only fly very short distances.
Suddenly doubt seized her.
If the Blue Dragon Palace discovered she had vanished, would they search for her? How hard?
In her past life, at the Phoenix Palace, Okdan—who had found Aran—realized only days later, by chance, that she was the youngest of the Phoenix Family.

“Goodness, what a terrible mistake I’ve made!”

Okdan, startled, rushed the baby bird into her pocket and hurried to the Phoenix Palace.
She had planned to return Aran to her proper place without anyone knowing—
But when she reached near the nursery, she heard the servants’ voices.

“That’s strange, isn’t it? The youngest miss hasn’t been seen these past few days?”
“Oh, that useless one? She was bound to have a short life anyway. Even the wet nurse said she was relieved.”
“My, relieved? But if she has a short life, why would that be a relief?”
“Use your head, girl! A bird with no noble bloodline, no emblem—if such a thing somehow survives being called a Phoenix, what good does it bring the family?”

While Aran was hearing those heart-wrenching words, a warm hand slipped into the pocket where she lay.
Okdan quietly returned home after that.
The fact that she never brought Aran back to the Phoenix Palace meant one thing: no one ever came searching for her.
Even though she was unmistakably of Phoenix blood.
So could she reasonably expect the Blue Dragon Palace to search for her?
The Blue Dragons were kind and affectionate, but Aran could not be sure of them—not yet.
But surely she would not simply sit weeping?
Never!
The great Phoenix Aran already knew where the Blue Dragon Palace was, and she could now manage twenty wing-beats in succession.
Why not rest thirty times over and take the journey back slowly?
Once we returned, the generous Blue Dragon Family would surely take Aran back in.
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard the sharp tinkle of a bell.
“Chirp?”
(What now?)
When Aran turned around absently, a large hawk landed on the nearby branch and cried out menacingly.
“Shriek!”
Aran yelped in surprise.
“Chirp! Chirp-chirp?”
(Mother! Hey, can’t you keep quiet?)
The hawk, which was roughly thirty times her size, was just as startled.
It nearly tumbled from the branch at the shock.
Looking closely, she saw it wore a bell and identification cord on its talons—a hunting hawk.
Likely it had escaped from a falconer’s demonstration in the marketplace and come to bully a young bird for sport.
Fed up with the whole wretched situation, Aran lost her temper completely when she encountered this mischief-maker.
“Chirp-chirp? Chirp-chirp-chirp!”
(You nothing but a bully trusting in your size? Don’t you know to keep your wings folded tight and move carefully? Just let me hear one rumor that you’ve been harassing chicks in this neighborhood, and I’ll—)
The large hawk, thoroughly scolded, shrank back in shame and apologized.
“Screech…….”
(I’m s-sorry……. I-I didn’t know who you were…….)
From the way the hawk recognized her spirit, it had fairly developed Spiritual Sensitivity. Likely quite old, too.
She’d vented her frustration enough.
Aran glared at the rude hawk a moment longer, then suddenly asked:
“Chirp? Chirp-chirp.”
(You—would you carry me to the Blue Dragon Palace? It’s not that I can’t fly; I’m simply tired.)

***

Moments before, at the outdoor stage where paper flowers were drifting.
Sorim had barely managed to catch Yeon as she stumbled backward in the crush of the crowd.
Hwi, who had likewise grabbed Min, turned to look at Sorim.
“Instructor, where is Aran……?”
“What? She was on my shoulder just a moment ago!”
Both of them spun around, searching frantically.
But a small white bird in the fading twilight outdoors was not easy to spot.
Especially not with white paper flowers swirling wildly all about.
“Oh, Aran……!”
Yeon called out tearfully, frightened, when the scattering paper flowers suddenly swept in one direction and cleared—revealing Suryeon with a deeply furrowed brow.
“Brother, I told you not to bring the children somewhere this crowded.”
“W-wait, Suryeon. Yeon nearly fell……!”
When Yeon’s tears spilled over, Suryeon softened his expression and spoke to Sorim.
“Instructor, please take the twins and head back first. Hwi and I will search for the bird. She couldn’t have gone far anyway.”
He hadn’t called her “youngest” or “Aran,” yet his determination to find the young bird was unmistakable.
Hwi exhaled and nodded in agreement.
“Do as he says, Instructor. It’s my negligence. I didn’t realize the theater would expand to this scale this year. I should have watched from the back instead.”
“But… Miss Aran is my responsibility…….”
Sorim hesitated, and Hwi countered seriously.
“She’s my sister too. And I wanted to come out.”
Hwi was the only Blue Dragon who could actually communicate with Aran. Suryeon possessed the Wind Elemental Ability.
Sorim lowered his head dejectedly.
“I’m truly grateful, Young Masters.”
He felt it was the right choice—that he, the most helpless of the three, should look after the children.
If he stayed to search for Aran while risking losing the twins in this chaos, it would be a disaster.
Hwi briefly squeezed Sorim’s shoulder in encouragement, then let go.
“If you happen to meet Father on the way back, please let him know what’s happened.”
With the Elder’s hearing, he could surely find Aran easily. Aran was probably looking for them too.
“A-Aran gone?”
It was then that Min, only now grasping what had happened, began to whimper.
After Sorim hurried back with the two children, Hwi took a torch from its stand and handed it to Suryeon.

“Aran’s clever enough that even if she got separated from the group, she wouldn’t have gone far. I’ll head that way and look for her.”
“Of course. Where would she go, anyway? Who’d bother catching a useless bird like that?”
Suryeon’s retort was gruff, but Hui said nothing more—just found another torch and left.
For all his sharp words, it was Suryeon who’d helped Aran with her flying practice most recently.
When their father had praised him for it, Suryeon claimed he only wanted to avoid household discord from an injured bird, but Hui knew her brother wasn’t that cold-hearted.
He’d had no margin for kindness in those days right after their mother died, but half a year and more had passed since then—surely something in Suryeon’s heart had shifted.
She couldn’t have missed how Aran had grown to rely on him, drinking in his influence like water.
“Aran! Aran, where are you…!”
That was why Hui could turn her back without worry and leave it to her brother.
Young as she was, the girl with the Wind Elemental Ability was family worth trusting.
The Blue Dragon Family’s Curious Little Bird — Episode 16
E-book Release Date | August 5, 2026

Author | Ravioli
Publisher | Odd Eye
Submissions/Inquiries | [email protected]

UCI | G720:N+A101-20260722065.0016
List Price | 100 won

ⓒ Ravioli 2026

This e-book is protected under copyright law.
This e-book is published under contract with the author and may not be reprinted, reproduced, distributed, or shared in any form without written consent from both parties.

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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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