The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 27

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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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“If you stay too long in a place with contamination, it might ruin your health.”
Speaking quite clearly, Baeksa held onto Doeui’s and Hwaryeong’s sleeves as she padded out the door.
“Father barred anyone from entering here, but he gave you permission?”
“Yes, but I can only stay for two hours a day.”
Baeksa nodded.
Doeui knit his brows at her words.
“But doesn’t that mean your health will be ruined just the same?”
“I have to enter anyway to use my abnormal ability.”
So, she intended to go back inside once Hwaryeong and Doeui left.
“Still, it can’t be good for a little kid.”
Just then, Hwaryeong pulled Baeksa closer and poked her soft cheek.
“Hey kiddo, sorry for tricking you.”
At Hwaryeong’s words, Baeksa let out a delayed, small “Oh,” parting her lips slightly.
Hwaryeong was apologizing for hanging around her all this time while pretending to be a spiritual beast.
In truth, if not for Doeui, Baeksa never would have dreamed in a million years that her friend was actually Hwaryeong.
“I didn’t mean to keep it from you for so long, I just missed the right time to tell you.”
“By any chance, why did you say Sirang mustn’t find out?”
Recalling how desperately he had begged her to hide him when they first met, Baeksa asked.
“Well, obviously, because Sirang knows what I really look like! Back then, Father had put a restraining order on me.”
“Not anymore, though.”
“Right, not anymore.”
Hwaryeong and Doeui added a word each like two peas in a pod.
“I was just curious about you. Father suddenly brought home a baby snake, after all.”
Hwaryeong held out his hand.
Without realizing it, Baeksa reflexively placed her tiny hand on top of his.
Hwaryeong’s hand was large enough to fit two of hers.
“So I wanted to see your face, but since he kept telling me to stay away, I sneaked over to take a look.”
The moment Baeksa placed her small hand down, Hwaryeong smiled brightly and squeezed it tight.
Dimples dug deep into Hwaryeong’s cheeks.
“I’m sorry. Are you really disappointed?”
“No, not at all! Thanks to you coming to see me as a bird, Hwaryeong, I was truly happy because it felt like I had made a friend.”
And that fact did not change just because the bird’s true identity turned out to be Hwaryeong.
Shaking her head side to side, Baeksa looked up at Hwaryeong and smiled radiantly.
“I was so glad you became my friend, Hwaryeong. Thank you.”
“Ugh, ugghhh… Kiddo, you’re too cute! What am I supposed to do when you’re this adorable?”
Hwaryeong wrapped the baby snake in a tight hug.
Baeksa’s eyes grew wide.
It was her very first time being held in the embrace of someone her own age.
Yeoryun and Songra used to hug each other tightly like affectionate siblings.
But as had always been the case, that warmth never extended to her.
Feeling this warmth for the first time, along with the faint pressure from the arms holding her tight, Baeksa wiggled her toes.
Ever since coming to the Vermilion Bird Family, she had experienced so many unfamiliar emotions.
Yet, she did not think a single one of them was bad.
From start to finish, every single thing was precious and wonderful.
“I hope you get adopted quickly, then you’ll be my younger sister!”
“A younger sister…?”
“Yeah! Didn’t you say Father promised to give you a name?”
Hwaryeong’s eyes sparkled.
He reached out and shot a flame into the air, which expanded into the shape of a large jar.
“Our Bird Clan has a ritual for welcoming family. When a new member joins, the clan gathers together to craft a name for them.”
Hwaryeong tilted his finger, and the large jar of fire leaned over.
“We bless their future, write down names to put into the jar, and the person receiving the name picks one. Once chosen, they officially become family.”
Hwaryeong explained.
“I’m going to think of a name for you too!”
“Me too, I’m already brainstorming.”
Doeui chimed in, nodding in agreement.
Baeksa gazed at the fiery jar with wide eyes.
Though there were no slips of paper with names inside it yet, her heart was already pounding.
‘Family.’
She had never thought of it in such grand terms.
She had only assumed they were giving her a temporary place to stay since she had nowhere else to go.
That was what she had thought.
‘Can I really become family?’
Did she dare wish for such a thing?
‘For someone like me…’
“Once your name is set, you’ll be introduced to the beast-kin of Namto.”
Doeui gently brushed Baeksa’s bangs aside.
“After that, you’ll officially be a beast-kin of this land.”
Hwaryeong quickly interjected.
“You haven’t met any other beast-kin yet, right?”
“Yes.”
Baeksa gave a shy nod.
Thanks to Ju Jeokseo’s consideration, Baeksa rarely encountered any other servants within the estate, aside from Sirang and the Physician.
‘Will it be alright?’
Even if she met other people, would she be able to keep from trembling?
As if sensing Baeksa’s anxiety, Hwaryeong grinned, pulling up the corners of his mouth.
“Don’t worry! I’ll protect you.”
When Hwaryeong thumped his chest, Baeksa’s eyes crinkled into a smile.
Watching her quietly, Doeui asked.
“By the way, what were you trying to show us earlier?”
“Ah…!”
Baeksa parted her lips, bringing her hands together.
She then drew her bead out from the silk pouch tied to her waist.
The bead, which had grown slightly larger than when she first saw it, gleamed as though it had been polished with oil.
“I think the bead grows a little bigger whenever I use my abnormal ability, so I wanted to show you this.”
“Can’t you show us now?”
“I’ll show you, please wait right here…!”
Trotting into the rear garden, Baeksa gently placed the bead right in the center.
Taking two steps back, she carefully activated her abnormal ability.
A thin streak of light, like a single serpent, coiled around the bead before the contaminated energy was swept inside it.
Consequently, the dark grass paled slightly in color.
Someone else might have called it a subtle change.
However.
“Kiddo… that’s amazing.”
Hwaryeong and Doeui knew.
Even if it was just a tiny fraction of contamination, absorbing it was no easy feat.
Furthermore, the amount of contamination Baeksa had just absorbed was by no means small.
Clutching the slightly enlarged bead preciously, Baeksa trotted right back to Hwaryeong and Doeui.
“Hehe… I wanted to show you this. Because the little bird is my friend.”
“That’s seriously cool, kiddo! Can you keep showing me from now on? I want to watch you use your abnormal ability.”
“O-Only if you promise not to cross the threshold.”
Baeksa spoke with a quite determined expression, keeping her mouth firmly set.
She did not mind them watching, but she absolutely could not tolerate anything bad happening to them if they accidentally stepped into the contaminated zone.
Hwaryeong and Doeui possessed powerful abnormal abilities and were more resilient against contamination than other beast-kin, but the two decided against mentioning that.
It was because Baeksa looked entirely too cute standing there demanding a promise.
“Alright, I promise!”
“I promise too, I’ll only watch from right here.”
“Hehe, then you may watch… I’m usually here every day around the Hour of the Sheep.”
Baeksa smiled brightly, gripping the bead tightly with both hands.
“Can you come during the Hour of the Sheep? It would be nice to meet here…”
“Of—!”
“Of course, I’ll be here waiting.”
Doeui beat him to the punch before Hwaryeong could answer.
Having missed his chance to reply, Hwaryeong glared at Doeui, but Doeui remained completely unbothered.
“Instead, let’s keep it a secret, because the Family Head might scold us if he finds out we’re loitering around here.”
“Mum, yes, a secret.”
Baeksa closed her mouth tightly and nodded.
“I’ll definitely keep it a secret! So you won’t get scolded!”
When Doeui extended his pinky finger, Baeksa stared at it blankly.
Noticing this, the quick-witted Hwaryeong gently took Baeksa’s hand and hooked her pinky around Doeui’s finger.
“This means it’s a promise.”
He then looked down at Baeksa with a grin.
“It means we won’t forget the promise we made here.”
“Wow…”
Locking pinkies for the very first time, a smile bloomed like a flower across Baeksa’s face.
Watching the scene from afar, Sirang smiled softly and took a step back into the shadows.
***
“Where are the children?”
“If you are referring to Young Master Hwaryeong and Lord Doeui, they are currently with the young lady snake.”
“I am glad they are getting along. Since they will be living under the same roof from now on, it is good for them to be as close as siblings.”
Having finished his sentence, Ju Jeokseo’s hand halted.
The word ‘siblings’ had naturally dragged a certain thought along with it.
‘Myeongyeong.’
Where on earth did that child go?

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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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