The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 29

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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 29
***
“Master, I have brought the mother and daughter.”
Song Hyun reacted slowly.
“Bring them in.”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than his subordinates led the mother and daughter inside.
A little girl with hair as white as fresh snow stood there, tightly holding her mother’s hand.
Song Hyun glanced at the mother once, then dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
“You, wait outside.”
“Yes, of course.”
The widow bowed her head repeatedly.
As she scurried out of the room with a sycophantic grin, the young child was left entirely alone.
She was a girl who looked exactly like Ju Myeongyeong.
It was not merely because of her snow-white hair; even her facial features were the spitting image of Ju Myeongyeong.
Song Hyun gazed at the girl with a deeply satisfied look on his face.
“You haven’t forgotten what I told you before, have you?”
The young girl nodded, her face tightly strained with tension.
“Yes.”
“Good. For all intents and purposes, you are their family now. There is no possible way for them to tell the difference.”
Song Hyun said, gripping the girl’s shoulders firmly.
“So from this moment on, you must listen to me carefully. Do you understand?”
His hands tightened around the child’s shoulders, squeezing with sudden force.
“Because of this, your destiny will change completely.”
Song Hyun let out a sinister, fishy laugh.
“You could live a life of luxury forever, or your head could be chopped off in a single stroke. You had better behave yourself perfectly.”
At those words, the girl gave a tense nod.
However, she did not look entirely overwhelmed by panic, as if this wasn’t the first time she was hearing such things.
***
Following Ju Jeokseo’s orders, his retainers searched far and wide for any information regarding Baeksa’s mother, but their efforts yielded no results.
It was only natural, given that even within the Imperial Palace, Baeksa’s origins remained entirely shrouded in mystery.
Furthermore, it wasn’t as if they had uncovered anything new about that mysterious bead, either.
Yo Nyeong had scoured all kinds of ancient texts to gather information on Snake Beastmen and the Dragon Tribe, but she found absolutely no record suggesting that Snake Beastmen could produce beads.
It felt as though the true identity of the baby snake was sinking deeper and deeper into a labyrinth.
Of course, Ju Jeokseo did not particularly mind.
No matter what the child’s birth story was, the fact that Ju Jeokseo had decided to accept her into his family would never change.
Meanwhile, time flew by swiftly, and the day of the Divine Beast Festival was just around the corner.
“Come here, little one. Look at this.”
Ju Jeokseo lifted Baeksa high into the air, stroking his way over to a corner of the room to show her a garment hanging there.
Catching sight of the beautiful clothing while nestled in Ju Jeokseo’s arms, Baeksa’s eyes went wide with wonder.
Fashioned from sky-blue silk, the garment was so breathtakingly lovely that it looked like something a celestial maiden would wear.
Moreover, it came with a beautiful silk hair ornament, looking incredibly expensive and precious at a single glance.
“It’s yours. The tailors worked tirelessly to make this just for you.”
“For me…? But… the clothes I’m wearing right now are already pretty enough.”
“But you must wear even more beautiful clothes for the Divine Beast Festival. After all, this is the very first time you will be introduced to all of Namto.”
“This is so pretty! It looks like a little fairy outfit! Hey kiddo, try it on right now!”
Hwaryeong chimed in, bouncing up and down with excitement.
“He’s right. It would be wonderful to see you try it on now. The Family Head will certainly feel rewarded for his gift.”
Doeui added a quiet word of agreement.
Ju Jeokseo also seemed eager to see her in it, gently lowering Baeksa from his embrace.
At that moment, Sirang, who had been waiting patiently in the background, stepped forward to gather the garment and softly took hold of Baeksa’s hand.
“I will help you change into it just back there.”
Familiar with the routine, Sirang led her into the changing area and began to undress her.
Since Sirang was the one who usually changed the child’s clothes multiple times a day, her hands were exceptionally deft at undressing and dressing her.
Sirang let out a quiet sigh of relief when she noticed that the wounds and bruises on the girl’s body had faded considerably.
A young child’s skin is tender and bruises easily, but it also regenerates just as quickly.
She couldn’t be more thankful for that.
The wounds were healing just as fast as the child was learning to smile.
Sirang silently wished for Baeksa’s injuries to vanish completely.
Pushing her stray thoughts aside, she quickly finished dressing the girl.
She guided her arms through the silk sleeves and tied the skirt knots securely from behind.
Next, she neatly combed through her fine hair and adorned it with the beautiful hair ornament.
Baeksa stole a quick glance at the full-length mirror standing in the corner.
The face reflecting back at her looked like an entirely different person.
‘She looks just like sister Yeoryun.’
The girl in the mirror was remarkably adorable and pretty.
Her shabby appearance was nowhere to be found; instead, a plump, healthy-looking little fairy stood in its place.
As Baeksa nervously fidgeted with her fingers, caught off guard by the unfamiliar sight, Sirang clapped her hands together joyfully.
“Oh my goodness! You look absolutely like a celestial maiden, my lady!”
“Me? A celestial maiden is…”
Just as she was about to say that such a title didn’t suit her at all—
“Is she ready?”
Ju Jeokseo’s deep voice echoed from outside the room. Sirang rose from her spot and called back.
“Yes, she is all finished!”
With that, the door burst open, and three impatient males walked right inside.
Suddenly overwhelmed by shyness, Baeksa lightly grasped the hem of her skirt and looked up at Ju Jeokseo.
“Um, Family Head… does it look okay…?”
“Does it look okay?”
Ju Jeokseo closed the distance with long strides and swept the child up into his arms.
“You are so beautiful and lovely that no beast-kin in all of Namto could possibly compare to you. The clothes are blessed to have such a wearer.”
Blushing furiously at Ju Jeokseo’s praise, Baeksa squirmed slightly and giggled happily.
During her time staying here, she had grown somewhat accustomed to this kind of kindness and unreserved affection, yet she still found herself getting shy.
Furthermore, because it was her very first time wearing such fine clothes, a sudden wave of anxiety hit her, making her terrified that she might ruin them.
“You look like a fairy descending from the clouds.”
As if trying to ease Baeksa’s worries, Doeui tossed out the remark quite casually.
“It suits you so well, it’s as if it belonged to you from the start. When you show up wearing that, everyone will be staring only at you.”
“No way! They can’t stare too much! They’ll wear my little sister out!”
Hwaryeong clung tightly to Ju Jeokseo’s arm, trying to wrap his own arms around Baeksa.
Ju Jeokseo watched the display quietly before scooping up Hwaryeong with his other arm.
“Wow, Father is the best!”
He then turned his gaze toward Doeui, his eyes clearly asking, ‘Do you want a turn too?’
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Doeui recoiled with a look of sheer disgust and took a step back.
Seeing that, Baeksa burst into a bright peal of laughter and buried her face deeply into Ju Jeokseo’s chest.
Fidgeting with her tiny fingers, she whispered softly.
“Family Head, thank you so much for the beautiful clothes. I will wear them very carefully so they don’t get ruined.”
“It doesn’t matter if they get ruined. I will just have new clothes made for you.”
“But if they get ruined, I think I would be terribly heartbroken.”
Baeksa replied shyly, stroking the edge of her silk sleeve.
In the young girl’s heart, this single outfit was already more precious than everything else she owned combined.
Baeksa resolved to wear this treasured garment with absolute care throughout the entire Divine Beast Festival to keep it safe from harm.
“You’re just so pretty, what if the other beast-kin spend the whole festival staring only at you?”
Hwaryeong said, knitting his brows tightly together as if he were genuinely distressed by the prospect.
“Even if some beast-kin you don’t know tells you to follow them, you must absolutely never go with them.”
“Why would a total stranger ask her to follow them in the first place, young master? I will be right by her side anyway.”
Doeui countered flatly.
Hwaryeong simply shrugged his shoulders and stuck out his tongue.
“Enough, you two. Stop bickering.”
Ju Jeokseo stopped Hwaryeong and Doeui before focusing his attention back on Baeksa.
Gazing at the child with affectionate eyes, he gently bumped his forehead against hers.
“Hwaryeong is right, though. There will be many other beast-kin present on the day of the Divine Beast Festival, so you must be exceptionally careful.”
“Yes, Family Head.”
Baeksa beamed brightly, leaning forward to gently bump her tiny forehead back against Ju Jeokseo’s.
“Please don’t worry.”
***
Held once every five years, the Divine Beast Festival was a grand event dedicated to offering prayers to the Divine Vermilion Bird.
The festival took place on Jeokryusan, the tallest mountain in all of Namto.
It was a joyous occasion where all the beast-kin of Namto gathered to enjoy delicious food and express their gratitude for the blessings of the Divine Vermilion Bird.
It could safely be considered the greatest celebration in all of Namto.
With the Divine Beast Festival looming, it was only natural that everyone in the Vermilion Bird Family was bursting with excitement.
Since Baeksa’s formal adoption was scheduled to take place during this upcoming festival, everyone was deeply preoccupied with the agonizing task of choosing a proper name for her.
Amidst all this bustling commotion, an unexpected guest arrived at the Vermilion Bird Family Estate.
“Did you hear? They say she is Lady Myeongyeong’s daughter!”
“Her daughter? Then where in the world is Lady Myeongyeong?”
To some, this was a guest they had been waiting for their entire lives,
While to others, it was a guest they wished had never come.
The Song Clan Head, Song Hyun, had appeared, leading a young child who looked exactly like Ju Myeongyeong.
“Vermilion Bird Divine Beast, I request an audience regarding an urgent matter.”
Song Hyun spoke firmly, keeping a tight, unyielding grip on the young girl’s hand.
“Your humble servant has found the daughter of Lady Myeongyeong.”

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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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