The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 41

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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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Chapter 41
‘What was Mother like?’
Ju Jeokseo had told her that his mother was a very warm and gentle person.
He’d added that if she were here now, she would surely dote on Baeksa with love.
Hearing such stories, it was only natural that curiosity about her mother took root.
Was Mother still alive? Or had she already passed away, as the Imperial Palace rumors claimed?
Perhaps the Spiritual Treasure had responded to her precisely because Mother was gone.
Then, a face suddenly surfaced in Baeksa’s mind.
‘The woman with the beautiful hands…….’
The one her past self had abandoned after failing to fully absorb the Contamination—the very person she’d left behind.
Whenever the child held those warm hands, she felt her Supernatural Ability wear away, her life draining, yet somehow comforted.
Back then, there was nowhere else to find such warmth.
And sometimes, on days when the small snake felt too sad and lonely, she would deliberately seek out the Owner of the Hand.
Gently grasping those warm fingers, she’d wonder: if I had a mother, would she have hands like these?
‘I wonder if she’s doing well?’
My disappearance—could it have made her condition worse?
But His Majesty must be protecting her well, surely?
It was strange that thinking of Mother led her to remember the Owner of the Hand.
The girl carefully made the bead float above her palm.
By now it had grown quite similar to the Cintamanis she’d glimpsed on her brothers’ shoulders.
But unlike theirs, it showed no sign of summoning rain or commanding wind.
Of course, she was a Snake Beastman, not a dragon—so that was only to be expected, yet it stung a little.
‘No, don’t think like that.’
This bead was her good friend.
She didn’t want to diminish or belittle its power by comparing it to another’s.
‘I’m sorry for thinking that way.’
The bead gleamed as if to reassure her. The girl tapped it lightly.
‘Will my body turn dark again this time?’
Thanks to the bead’s power, even as she absorbed Contamination, her body no longer stained black as it once did.
But it might only be because she’d only recently begun absorbing—
Before, she’d spent a full year at it.
Yet somehow, this time, the small snake felt unafraid even if she did turn dark.
Even if she became that grotesque, the kind new birds of the Vermilion Bird Family wouldn’t abandon her.
Baeksa was amazed at the thought itself.
That others wouldn’t cast her aside—she could actually believe that now.
It was all thanks to how the Vermilion Bird Family’s Beast-kin cared for her so tenderly, so lovingly.
Baeksa gazed at her reflection in the mirror and slowly raised her hand toward it.
Her image seemed somehow taller than before.
***
After the incident at Jeokryusan.
All of Namto was buzzing with talk of Baeksa. Everyone present had witnessed her small Cintamani absorbing the Contamination across the entire region.
Some called it the return of a dragon come to save Namto; others believed her to be a legendary Beast-kin.
Either way, such attention was too much for a seven-year-old child to bear.
‘I wanted to keep Yeong’s Supernatural Ability hidden.’
It would have been better to conceal it.
But what’s done is done, and the past cannot be unmade.
He was still pondering how best to manage the situation when—
“Family Head, it’s said that Young Master Hwanya is returning!”
Jo Yeong tumbled in with a loud clatter.
Ju Jeokseo shot to his feet.
“Hwanya? What’s that boy doing back so soon?”
“He finished his business early! He’ll reach the main gate any moment now. One, two, three and he’ll be through!”
At Jo Yeong’s words, Ju Jeokseo let out a short laugh.
Of course, there was no problem with Hwanya returning now.
The reason he’d kept Hwanya away until now was that the boy, spending so much time patrolling the borders, harbored deep hostility toward the Imperial Royalty.
But now that Hwanya knew Baeksa was Ju Myeongyeong’s daughter, he would no longer strongly oppose the child.
‘Hwanya did follow Myeongyeong well.’
When Hwanya was born, Ju Myeongyeong had been beside herself with affection for her first nephew.
She’d adored him like her own son, and when she vanished, Hwanya had wept and searched for her.
That had been ten years ago.
“Still, it’s good he returned early, isn’t it? With Hwanya’s Supernatural Ability, getting a confession from the Songra Family Head should be simple.”
“True enough. How far away is he?”
Then.
A sudden commotion erupted outside.
Ju Jeokseo instinctively knew his son had arrived.
Since Hwanya so rarely came home, the servants always made a great fuss whenever he did.
Which meant—
“He’s here it seems. I should go greet him.”
He rose calmly and passed Jo Yeong, stepping out of the Office.
He was heading toward Hwanya’s Residence when—
On the path to Hwanya’s quarters, Ju Jeokseo came upon an astonishing sight.
Standing in the distance was his grown son.
His crimson hair tied high in a single knot, still armored from his travels, blocking the way.
But that wasn’t all.
“Who are you? You look like Auntie…….”
Hwanya was casually holding Baeksa aloft, turning her this way and that to examine her.
In the hands of a boy twice her peers’ size, the girl—who was half theirs—dangled helplessly.
Baeksa was sweating profusely, staring at Hwanya.
“Well, you see…….”
“Did Auntie have a child? Then where’s Auntie? Where’s your mother? Has Auntie come back?”
At Hwanya’s barrage of questions, Baeksa was at a loss, simply staring at him.
Ju Jeokseo rushed forward and snatched Baeksa from his son’s grasp.
“What are you doing? You’re scaring the child.”
“Oh, Father. You’re well? I found this strange little snake wandering the house.”
Hwanya spoke casually.
“Is she Auntie’s daughter? She looks exactly like Aunt Myeongyeong.”
“She is.”
“Pardon?”
“She’s Myeongyeong’s daughter. How did you know? Who told you?”
Ju Jeokseo turned to look at the servant girls nearby.
They shook their heads firmly, signaling they’d said nothing.
Hwanya looked baffled as he answered.
“How did I know? She looks exactly like Auntie. I thought a younger version of her was walking around.”
At Hwanya’s words, Ju Jeokseo felt momentarily foolish.
Here he’d spent two months simply suspecting, never once making the obvious connection that she was Myeongyeong’s daughter.
Now Hwanya was interrogating him as though he should have known immediately.
“Your auntie isn’t here—that’s a long story. For now, stop pestering your cousin and go change out of your armor first.”
“Understood. See you later.”
Hwanya lightly touched the back of Baeksa’s hand. Baeksa, bewildered, simply nodded.
After Hwanya disappeared to his quarters, Ju Jeokseo, still holding Baeksa, asked.
“How did you end up out here and run into that one?”
“I was looking for Hwaryeong. He promised to teach me how to make a Flower Ring.”
So she’d been searching for Hwaryeong when she’d instead encountered his older brother Hwanya.
Ju Jeokseo nodded in understanding.
“You probably figured it out, but that boy is my son. My firstborn—Hwanya.”
“Yes, he looks just like Hwaryeong, so I recognized him right away.”
Baeksa nodded enthusiastically.
“I’m so happy to meet new family.”
“He’ll be glad too. Come, I’ll make the Flower Ring for you myself.”
Ju Jeokseo set off toward the Rear Garden, carrying Baeksa. There were plenty of flowers there for making rings.
After he’d woven stems into rings and bracelets and necklaces for her, word came that Hwanya had arrived—exciting Hwaryeong so much he fluttered into the garden in a panic.
“Father! Brother’s here! He didn’t bully Yeong, did he?”
“What do you take your brother for? You speak of him as though he’s worse than a brute.”
“But he is like a brute! Whenever something displeases him, he breaks it first! Whenever he dislikes someone, he throws a punch first!”
Hwaryeong fired back without yielding. Doeui nodded beside him.
Since both Hwaryeong and Doeui had been struck by Hwanya more than once, Ju Jeokseo couldn’t bring himself to insist that Hwanya was actually decent.
Yet part of him felt wronged.
“You were hit because you deserved it, weren’t you? Hwanya doesn’t beat people for no reason.”
“That’s not true! Brother’s just a thug…….”
Then Ju Jeokseo’s expression shifted subtly.
Doeui, who’d been nodding along in agreement, pressed his lips shut.
“……He just beats anyone who rubs him the wrong way first. Um, Father—is there someone behind me?”
Ju Jeokseo nodded with a rueful expression.
Hwaryeong turned slowly.
Behind him stood Hwanya, now changed out of his armor.
He walked over and gave Hwaryeong’s head a sharp rap.
“Ow!”
Then he glanced at Ju Jeokseo, who was plucking flowers while Baeksa sat cradled in his arms.
He spoke as though witnessing something unforgivable.
“Father, what are you doing?”
Ju Jeokseo answered sheepishly.
“Making a Flower Ring.”

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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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