The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 24

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

“I wonder just how much you all know about that Imperial Princess.”
It was Ju Jeokseo, unsurprisingly, who finally broke the prolonged silence.
“Do you even know her age?”
“I heard she is seven years old…”
“Are you all telling me to kill a seven-year-old child right now?”
“Divine Lord! It is not like that at all!”
The one who lifted his head this time was the Jang Clan Head. The Jang Clan had long been a loyal vassal family serving the Vermilion Bird Family.
“We are speaking of the bloodline of our sworn enemy, so how can you bring up her age? Whether she is seven or seventeen, as long as she carries the Emperor’s blood, she will grow up to bring great calamity upon this land!”
“Then would your hearts be at peace if I cast her out to die this very instant?”
Ju Jeokseo’s voice sank with an absolute, freezing chill.
“She is an innocent seven-year-old, a child abandoned even by her own father, the Emperor. Are you saying we must slaughter such a child?”
Silence blanketed the hall. Everyone swallowed hard, anxiously reading Ju Jeokseo’s expression.
“You haven’t forgotten the rules of Namto, have you?”
“No, Divine Lord…”
“Tae Clan Head, speak.”
At Ju Jeokseo’s command, the Tae Clan Head faltered before continuing hesitantly.
“Unless someone is exiled for committing a crime against humanity, such as murder, robbery, or assault… we accept all abandoned Beast-kin.”
“Did that seven-year-old child commit murder?”
“No, she did not.”
“Did she at least commit assault?”
“That, too, she did not.”
“Then did she participate in the tyrant’s oppression?”
“Probably, she did not…”
“Then that settles it.”
Ju Jeokseo gave a weary nod, his expression shifting as if this matter required no further discussion.
“Originally, I intended to find a new home for her. Since the Ju estate lacks a mistress, I thought a household with a proper lady would be better suited to care for a young girl.”
He swept a cold, piercing gaze across the frozen hall before speaking again.
“But seeing this reaction, I cannot entrust her to anyone. I will care for her officially within the main residence.”
“Divine Lord…!”
“Silence. I will formally announce her presence at the Divine Beast Festival in a month’s time, and I will personally bear whatever criticism and resentment follow from the Beast-kin of Namto.”
Therefore, he had no intention of killing or exiling her as they wished.
He could not punish a child for her father’s sins and throw her out—a child who smiled as if she held the entire world just because she was being taught how to read.
At the very least, such a thing would never happen here in Namto.
This was a land built by abandoned Beast-kin as their sanctuary.
How absurd would it be if a tiny, abandoned baby snake could find no place to rest her body in such a realm?
“If any trouble arises from this matter in the future, I will take full responsibility for it.”
Ju Jeokseo made his stance absolutely clear.
Ending the council meeting, he swept his sharp gaze across the ministers one last time, then rose from his seat.
“We will conclude today’s meeting here.”
His demeanor made it clear he would tolerate no further objections or questions.
As Ju Jeokseo stood to signal the end of the meeting, the others naturally had no choice but to stand as well.
He began walking briskly out of the council hall when someone suddenly hurried after him.
“Um, Divine Lord!”
It was the head of one of the noble households, the Ha Clan Head. She bowed her head deeply and spoke.
“Divine Lord, the atmosphere in the hall made it difficult to speak up, so I remained quiet, but surely not everyone agrees with the Tae Clan Head.”
She spoke without a single hint of hesitation.
“If a father’s sins inherently become the daughter’s sins, who under the heavens could ever be considered flawless? And if adults cannot protect and cherish a seven-year-old child, how can they even call themselves adults?”
She was clearly drawing a line between herself and the Tae Clan. She lowered her head further.
“There are bound to be others who share my perspective. Please do not take their words too deeply to heart, Divine Lord.”
“Thank you for considering my feelings, Ha Clan Head. Now that I think about it, your own daughter is around the same age, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she turns eight this year. Because she is close in age to my own daughter, I suppose my heart goes out to her even more.”
“It would be pleasant to arrange a time for them to meet later. I will not forget the kindness you showed me today.”
Speaking with a starkly softer tone compared to moments before, Ju Jeokseo looked past her toward the nobles slowly filtering out of the hall.
Then, flashing a faint smile as if he wished to avoid being cornered any further, he offered a parting greeting.
“Until next time. Safe travels on your way back.”
***
“Is the Divine Lord truly… planning to adopt the Emperor’s flesh and blood?”
“Does this make any sense? Registering the Emperor’s offspring as the daughter of Namto’s leading family!”
The nobles gathered in a huddle, whispering furiously among themselves. They were the very ones who had taken the Tae Clan Head’s side in the council hall just moments ago.
While every Beast-man in Namto harbored a deep-seated resentment and animosity toward the Imperial Court, these men were particularly severe.
Yet, their fury was justified to some extent.
If word spread that the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord, the ruler of Namto, was raising a child of the Imperial Royalty, he would undoubtedly lose the public’s support in an instant.
“Even if she is only a seven-year-old child, this is entirely unacceptable.”
“Her name hasn’t been officially entered into the Ju family registry yet, so isn’t there still a chance to reverse this decision?”
“But he is being so obstinate, I doubt he would even listen if we presented our concerns…”
Just then, one of the nobles let out a heavy sigh and spoke.
“This is all because Lady Myeongyeong vanished. Ever since her disappearance, the Family Head hasn’t been in his right mind.”
“I heard that Imperial Princess is also a White Vermilion Bird Beast-kin, is she not? Is that why his heart wavered?”
“If only Lady Myeongyeong would return, his heart wouldn’t be swayed by something like a snake with white scales…”
The Myeongyeong they spoke of was Ju Jeokseo’s younger sister.
Ju Myeongyeong.
She was the White Vermilion Bird of Namto, a young lady once rumored to summon misfortune with her white wings.
However, that dark reputation had been short-lived.
As Myeongyeong grew sweeter and more beautiful by the day, the Beast-kin of Namto—excluding the elders of the Vermilion Bird Family—began to regard her with deep affection.
Given that, one could only imagine how precious and beloved Myeongyeong must have been to Ju Jeokseo.
Ever since his dearly cherished younger sister vanished, Ju Jeokseo had seemed like a man fundamentally broken.
Insisting that Myeongyeong would never leave Namto without a word, he had searched for her like a madman.
Yet, after a year of apparent stillness, he had suddenly brought back that white snake Beastman.
The nobles could vaguely guess that Ju Jeokseo had simply been unable to pass by the white snake because she reminded him so intensely of his lost sister.
“Is there still no news regarding Lady Myeongyeong?”
“The Divine Lord has been searching far and wide, so if there were any news, he would have been the first to know!”
At that moment, a noble who had been staying quiet cautiously opened his mouth.
“Actually, I did hear a strange rumor recently.”
The others turned simultaneously to look at the man who had spoken. The oldest among them urged him onward with a slow drawl.
“What kind of rumor did you hear, Song Clan Head?”
“You remember that village where Lady Myeongyeong was believed to have stayed last, correct?”
“Of course. Traces suggesting she lived there were found, but we could never discover where she went after that, could we?”
It was exactly as he said.
Back when Ju Jeokseo was frantically combing the realm for any sign of her after her disappearance, they had discovered a small village where Myeongyeong had last resided.
While a few of her feathers had indeed been found there, the lady herself was long gone.
They had investigated the surrounding area several times afterward, but Myeongyeong was never located.
The Song Clan Head continued, his voice dropping to a meaningful whisper.
“Well, a widow living in that village is currently raising a seven-year-old daughter, and that daughter supposedly bears a striking resemblance to Lady Myeongyeong.”
“A daughter?”
“Yes. From what I gather, she is a young white bird Beast-kin who is still too small to be properly identified, and she is seven years old. Furthermore, the widow explicitly claimed that the child isn’t hers, but one she found abandoned on the street.”
“Are you certain of this?”
“The information is reliable, though it hasn’t been confirmed yet whether she truly is Lady Myeongyeong’s daughter.”
Seven years old meant the timing aligned almost perfectly with when Myeongyeong had vanished from Namto.
If that were the case, could it really be Myeongyeong’s child? One of the nobles spoke up, his voice trembling with excitement.
“Then we must report this to the Divine Lord immediately!”
“But since it might turn out to be false, and I didn’t want to cause the Divine Lord another heartbreak, I first ordered my men to bring the mother and daughter here. They set out the moment I heard the news, so they will likely arrive before the Divine Beast Festival.”
At the Song Clan Head’s words, the nobles exchanged glances.
If the child the widow was raising truly turned out to be Myeongyeong’s offspring, Ju Jeokseo might choose not to register Baeksa into the family.
Young as she was, a snake was still a snake. It was impossible to raise a young snake and a young bird Beast-kin together under the same roof.
Since Ju Jeokseo treasured his younger sister above all else, the arrival of her actual child would surely prompt him to find alternative parents for Baeksa, rather than raising her directly within the Ju household.
And that was precisely what the nobles desired.

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