The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 37

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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 37
“Calm down……!”
An anxious Baeksa was about to check on Ahee when it happened. Ahee threw herself against the wall with all her might.
“Chirp-chirp!”
She shrieked loudly and flew toward the gathering crowd of Beast-kin.
Her face pale with fright, Baeksa quickly rushed after her. Her mind was entirely consumed with worry for the injured Ahee.
‘W-Why so suddenly?’
Why did she hit her own head?
Why did she pluck out her own feathers? It must have been so painful.
Ahee flitted away, arriving at a crowded clearing before collapsing heavily onto the ground.
As Ahee fell, looking completely battered, the startled Beast-kin rushed to her side.
Among them was the Song Clan Head, who had brought Ahee along. He hurriedly scooped her up in both hands.
“Lady Ahee!”
“Chirp, peep…….”
Ahee whimpered, tears streaming down her face.
Anyone looking at Ahee’s current state would have sighed in pity, so dreadful was her appearance.
Naturally, the gazes of the Beast-kin shifted toward Baeksa, who had run over in pursuit.
“……Uh?”
Baeksa looked behind her blankly.
There was no one else at the end of their gaze.
There was only her.
Only then did the child realize that something had gone terribly wrong.
The place Ahee had taken her to was considered a sanctuary where the Divine Beast slept, so it was off-limits to everyone.
Therefore, no one would have witnessed the two of them standing side by side.
And yet, despite that…….
Ahee had flown back crying, her feathers plucked and her head wounded.
And right behind her was…….
Baeksa finally understood that something was gravely amiss, but the crowd surrounding Ahee was already glaring at her, as if convinced she had done this to the girl.
“Lady Ahee, you must tell us what happened!”
At Song Hyun’s words, Ahee deactivated her Beast Transformation with a soft pop, her battered face crumpling as she burst into loud wails.
“A-Ahee just wanted to apologize, so I took Yeon with me. But she suddenly got so angry at me, turned into a snake, and bit me!”
As Ahee wailed, the Beast-kin who heard her story turned cold glares upon Baeksa.
“N-No, that’s not true.”
Baeksa shook her head frantically.
Not a single part of Ahee’s words was accurate.
The only true fact was that Ahee had taken her there.
Plucking the feathers and harming herself had all been Ahee’s own doing.
Then why…….
A sudden wave of déjà vu washed over Baeksa.
She felt as though she had experienced something like this once before.
‘She hit me, Father. Scold her.’
Ah, Baeksa realized.
Ahee was just like Yeoryun and Songra; she wanted to torment her.
She detested her so much that she couldn’t bear it without making her suffer.
Baeksa shrank back under the sharp glares and accusatory murmurs of the surrounding Beast-kin.
“It’s not true, I really didn’t do it. Lady Ahee did it……”
Lady Ahee did it to herself, alone…….
Baeksa’s murmurs lost all their strength.
The young girl slowly lowered her head.
Even if she spoke the truth, would anyone actually believe her?
Ahee was Ju Myeongyeong’s daughter.
The daughter of the White Vermilion Bird, whom these Namto Beast-folk treasured with such fierce, agonizing affection.
On the other hand, she was a child of the Imperial Family’s bloodline, who were no different from mortal enemies to the Namto Beast-folk.
It was only natural for the Beast-kin to believe Ahee’s words.
Furthermore, social perceptions regarding the Snake Beastman were still poor.
The archaic notion that snakes were devious, repulsive, and inscrutable creatures still lingered to some extent.
So when Ahee claimed that Baeksa had attacked her,
the expressions of several Beast-kin looking at Baeksa shifted to an ‘I knew it’ look.
Those gazes hurt terribly.
As sharply as a well-honed blade.
‘I really didn’t do it…….’
How could she prove her innocence?
Who here would take her word for it?
Who in the world…….
“Kiddo!”
While Baeksa stood frozen, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly in her panic, Hwaryeong rushed over and scooped Yeon protectively into his arms.
“Are you okay? Why are you standing here like this? What’s wrong with all of you bastards?”
Hwaryeong yelled, shielding Baeksa’s eyes with his hand.
Ju Jeokseo and Doeui arrived right behind him in a single breath. Ju Jeokseo looked back and forth between Baeksa and Ahee, his brow furrowing deeply.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“F-Family Head……”
Ahee sobbed, stepping toward Ju Jeokseo. However, Ju Jeokseo’s gaze remained fixed solely on Baeksa.
Baeksa could neither cry nor scream; she was shaking uncontrollably, her face deathly pale as if completely at a loss.
“Family Head, that girl pushed me, changed into a snake, and bit me. Ahee just wanted to be friends with Baeksa, but……”
“Yeon pushed you and bit you?”
While Hwaryeong held Baeksa tight and patted her back, Ju Jeokseo stared down at Ahee.
His icy demeanor caused the Beast-kin standing near Ahee to gasp in unison.
Given Ju Jeokseo’s usual nature of deeply doting on and cherishing young children, they never expected him to remain so cold in front of an injured Ahee.
“Show me where you were bitten.”
At Ju Jeokseo’s frosty command, a tense Ahee reluctantly extended her arm.
Sure enough, there were two punctures on her arm that resembled snake fangs.
Upon seeing those holes, Ju Jeokseo let out a dry chuckle.
“Yeon is still too young for her fangs to be this long. I suppose none of you have seen her Beast Transformation, so you wouldn’t know.”
“……!”
“Since this is clearly not the work of my child, who exactly bit your arm?”
Ju Jeokseo inquired icily.
At that, not only Ahee but also the Beast-kin who had been glaring at Baeksa while surrounding Ahee were struck utterly dumb.
In truth, they were all noble factions belonging to Song Hyun or the Beast-kin serving under them.
Noticing this, Ju Jeokseo questioned Ahee once more.
“Did you come up with this scheme all on your own?”
“I, I……”
“Speak the truth, and I shall grant a child mercy just this once.”
Ju Jeokseo’s gaze drifted toward Song Hyun, who was standing further back.
“However, I do not grant mercy a second time.”
“Someone made you do it, didn’t they?”
Doeui stepped forward, fixing his eyes on Ahee. The boy spoke in a clear, intelligent voice.
“I followed Yeon and saw everything. I watched you harm yourself when you were alone.”
At Doeui’s words, Ahee’s complexion drained of all color.
The place Ahee had taken Baeksa to was forbidden to the Beast-kin.
She hadn’t even considered that someone would come to such a place and watch her.
“N-No! You saw wrong! I, I didn’t…… No, in the first place, that girl!”
It was at that moment, as Ahee shrieked hysterically while pointing at Baeksa.
A sudden shudder.
Baeksa trembled violently within Hwaryeong’s embrace.
Quickly noticing that his younger sister’s condition had turned unusual, Hwaryeong spoke urgently.
“Father, something’s wrong with Yeon! She isn’t breathing properly!”
Baeksa’s face had turned completely blue.
Her eyes quivered erratically.
Clutched in Hwaryeong’s arms, Baeksa kept muttering repeatedly.
“Ah, I, that, it’s……”
Seeing this, Ju Jeokseo let out a heavy sigh.
It appeared this situation had triggered the terrible memories dormant deep within the child’s mind.
“Her traumatic memories seem to have been triggered. Let us move Yeon first.”
Just as Ju Jeokseo was about to take Baeksa from Hwaryeong to carry her away,
浮.
The silk pouch tied to Baeksa’s waist slipped open, and the bead she always carried floated up into the air.
At that sight, Ju Jeokseo, Hwaryeong, Doeui, Ahee, and even Song Hyun froze in their tracks.
The bead suspended in midair began to spin slowly, emitting a faint glow.
“A Cintamani……?”
Someone murmured.
The Beast-kin of Namto had never actually seen a Cintamani before.
However, they were well aware of the Cintamani that the Dragon Race commanded.
An object exclusive to the Dragon Clan, used to summon rain, call forth clouds, and spread blessings.
The bead floating above Baeksa looked exactly like a Cintamani.
“Yeon……?”
Hwaryeong called out to her softly, but no answer came.
And in the next instant, the bead flashed with a brilliant light.
***
For a moment, everything went dark before Baeksa’s eyes.
The second the Beast-kin looked at her with those accusatory glares, she hadn’t known what to do.
Although Hwaryeong had held her, Baeksa’s heart had already plummeted into the depths of despair.
‘I…….’
I really didn’t do anything.
She wanted to say those words so badly, but they wouldn’t form properly.
‘How foolish.’
Why couldn’t she speak up for herself?
At that moment, she felt the Supernatural Ability coiled inside her body twitch and stir.
And in the next breath, Baeksa felt that Supernatural Ability violently rush out of her body, entirely independent of her own will.
‘No!’
The Supernatural Ability shouldn’t leak out.
Baeksa’s Supernatural Ability was a power that devoured absolutely anything.
So, if it went out of control here by mistake…….
Baeksa snapped her eyes open.
Then she stared at her bead floating gently in front of her.
Before the young girl could even utter a word to the bead.
Flash!
A blinding, dazzling light erupted from the bead.
The radiance of the bead illuminated the entire world.

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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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