The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - Chapter 52

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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 52
“This won’t do! I want to go out every day! I should be outside constantly!”
“The Family Head won’t permit that.”
“Well, if he won’t allow it, I’ll just sneak out!”
“But Baeksa doesn’t have wings.”
At Doeui’s words, Hwaryeong’s eyebrows drooped. It was clear he hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Baeksa smiled sweetly.
“Going out like this from time to time should be fine.”
“But she loves going outside so much—keeping her cooped up inside would be cruel to Baeksa.”
“If Baeksa went out every single day, she’d get tired of it and stop wanting to go.”
This time Hwanya chimed in.
Hwaryeong seemed somewhat persuaded, thinking it over quietly before nodding. He appeared to find the logic sound.
Just then, Doeui recalled something and asked belatedly.
“Baeksa, where’s your Bead?”
“Oh! I have it right here.”
Baeksa pointed to the Silk Pouch tied at her waist. Beside the full pouch, a Silk Pouch that Sirang had made hung swaying gently.
“I was worried it would be too noticeable if it just floated around, so I tucked it in carefully and added a stone so it wouldn’t drift up.”
“Isn’t that too heavy?”
“It’s a light stone, so it’s fine.”
Baeksa nodded energetically. In truth, the pouch wasn’t particularly heavy.
‘Is it because of the Bead?’
Even though she’d packed two stones inside, it didn’t feel heavy at all.
Baeksa opened the pouch slightly and gazed at the Bead within.
The jet-black Bead gleamed softly, resting precious inside the Silk Pouch.
But then.
“…Huh?”
Baeksa’s eyes widened in surprise as she noticed something strange.
Inside the Black Bead, what looked like a dark shape seemed to move—just for an instant.
As Baeksa froze, Hwaryeong quickly asked.
“Baeksa, what’s wrong?”
“In my Bead, there’s…”
Baeksa hesitated, about to show him the Bead. The dark shape she’d seen had already vanished.
‘Did I imagine it?’
But still…
“Something in your Bead? Did something go wrong with it?”
“No, that’s not it… I saw something moving just now, but it disappeared right away. Did I mistake what I saw?”
Baeksa removed the Bead and placed it in her palm, examining it carefully from every angle.
But the shape she’d glimpsed moments before didn’t reappear.
“It’s possible—it’s so dark you might have seen it wrong.”
“You think so?”
Baeksa pushed down her uneasy feeling and tucked the Bead back into the Silk Pouch, securing it well.
***
The moment they arrived at the Marketplace, Baeksa’s eyes went wide.
“There are beautiful ornaments here!”
“Delicious cakes! Cakes!”
The Marketplace was crowded with Beast-kin. It seemed nearly as busy as during the Divine Beast Festival.
“Be careful not to lose her.”
Hwanya handed something to Baeksa’s hand as he spoke.
What Hwanya gave her was a white Feather. Baeksa’s eyes widened as she looked up at him.
“Hwanya, what is this…?”
“Your mother’s Feather. A Guiding Feather. I’ll be especially careful not to lose you, but just in case.”
“A Guiding Feather? Where did you get this? Even Father doesn’t have one!”
“Your mother gave it to me when I was young.”
Hwanya answered calmly.
Baeksa startled and tried to return the Feather to him. “Then it must be very precious to you. I can’t accept something like that.”
“You can keep it safe and return it to me later.”
When Hwanya shook his head firmly, Baeksa found she couldn’t refuse the Feather any longer.
She gently traced the white Feather with her fingertips, then smiled softly.
‘Mother’s Feather…’
When she first saw the Guiding Feather, she’d thought it was merely a curious object.
But now that she knew it was her mother’s Feather, simply holding it made her feel as though she were holding her mother’s hand.
“Doeui.”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
Doeui took his usual place behind Baeksa. Baeksa tilted her head, looking at him curiously.
Doeui spoke.
“There are many Wraiths outside. With your constitution, harmful things are more likely to attach themselves to you. For the most part, don’t stray far from me.”
“Yes…! I’ll stay close to you!”
“You have your Talisman, yes?”
“Yes, Sirang placed it in my inner pocket and stitched it in.”
“Good. With that, most things won’t dare approach you.”
Baeksa nodded. Quietly, she checked her Supernatural Ability.
‘Thank goodness, it’s calm.’
Perhaps because she’d absorbed so much Contamination before coming here, she wasn’t overwhelmingly hungry like before.
The Bead was safely in its pouch as well.
Just then, Hwaryeong seized Baeksa’s hand.
“Come on, let’s go! What do you want to see first? Should we eat something delicious?”
Hwaryeong’s eyes sparkled as he pulled Baeksa’s hand, drawing her toward the center of the Marketplace.
In an instant, every Beast-kin in the Marketplace turned to look. Their gaze naturally fell upon Baeksa.
Remembering the Divine Beast Festival, Baeksa gripped Hwaryeong’s hand a little tighter.
Fortunately, the Beast-kins’ gazes were not hostile, but rather warm and friendly.
Even knowing that Baeksa was the princess, their eyes weren’t particularly sharp with judgment.
It was likely due to the small form of the young snake and the white hair that resembled Ju Myeongyeong.
Ju Myeongyeong was the White Vermilion Bird that Namto held dear. When a child who looked just like her appeared—
Of course, not all Beast-kin were warm toward Baeksa.
Some turned their heads away coldly upon seeing her. They were those greatly disappointed that the White Vermilion Bird Ju Myeongyeong had borne a child with the Emperor.
Baeksa’s existence was a major topic of conversation in Namto no matter how one looked at it. So it was natural that eyes would turn toward her.
‘But still…’
Even knowing this, she couldn’t help her body shrinking in tension.
As the girl hesitantly followed Hwaryeong, Hwanya placed a hand on her shoulder.
And whispered softly to her.
“Shoulders back. No matter what anyone says, you’re a member of the Ju Clan. No one can say anything to you.”
“Yes.”
“If you hear anything unpleasant, tell me or ignore it.”
As Hwanya finished speaking and patted Baeksa’s shoulder, Hwaryeong approached a vendor’s stall with bright eyes.
“I’ll take five of these Fruit Cakes!”
“But there are only four of us—why five?”
Hwanya asked.
Hwaryeong replied.
“Huh? One for Baeksa, one for Doeui, and three for me. That’s five total. You want one too?”
“Ah, that’s how you get five.”
Hwanya looked at Hwaryeong in disbelief. Hwaryeong quickly corrected himself.
“Actually, give me six.”
“Here you are, young master!”
The vendor handed over six Fruit Cakes. Hwaryeong gave two to Baeksa first, then distributed the remaining cakes one each to Hwanya and Doeui.
Baeksa stared in wonder at the Fruit Cake filling her small hand.
“There’s fruit inside the cake…!”
“Isn’t it amazing? It’s only eaten in Namto. There’s nothing like this in the Capital. Go ahead, try it! It’s very delicious.”
Baeksa carefully took a bite of the cake. The hawthorn berries embedded inside burst on her tongue, releasing a tart sweetness.
It was a taste she’d never experienced before. As the sweetness spread across her mouth, Baeksa broke into a wide smile.
“It’s really delicious! I’ve never tasted anything like this before!”
“Right? Isn’t it good? Let’s try other things too!”
Hwaryeong’s face lit up with excitement as he pulled Baeksa’s hand along. With a Fruit Cake stuffed in her mouth, Baeksa’s cheeks puffed out as she followed him.
Boom, crack!
But in that moment, thunder crackled across the sky. Doeui looked up with a puzzled expression.
“That’s strange. It was clear just a moment ago……”
The boy tilted his head. Why would there be thunder when rain didn’t seem likely today?
And then.
Crack!
The Fortune-Telling Jewel that Doeui always carried shattered. His eyes narrowed.
It was the Jewel he used for fortune-telling, something that had never once broken before.
‘But why now….’
An inexplicable sense of dread suddenly wrapped around Doeui.
For the Jewel to shatter meant his fortune was now Great Misfortune. With Great Misfortune, there was no telling what calamity might befall—staying indoors would be safest.
Doeui glanced around.
The movements of Wraiths, the flow of Ghostly Qi—nothing seemed particularly different from usual. The same was true around Baeksa.
The Talisman was functioning properly.
So it was likely just his overthinking. Hwanya was here, he was here, and Hwaryeong was here—what could possibly go wrong?
The boy picked up the broken Jewel and slipped it into his pocket, then followed after Baeksa and Hwaryeong.

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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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