The Youngest Daughter of the Snake 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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Chapter 29
* * *
At that moment.
Karma was observing Airen’s movements with more seriousness than usual.
Among his colleagues, he possessed the finest Concealment, making him the natural choice to dedicate himself entirely to tracking Airen.
No matter how swift an opponent might be, Karma’s exceptional Dynamic Vision allowed him to subdue them in a heartbeat.
As the Banquet Hall event began, Karma watched Airen scurrying about with restless energy and found himself thinking.
‘Lethal.’
Airen, her white hair pinned up neatly, moved her short legs about with hurried purpose.
Attending the Banquet Hall for the first time, she seemed so enchanted that she couldn’t close her mouth, and in turn, drew the undivided attention of everyone present.
“It seems the youngest miss of Astropel finds this place quite novel.”
“Understandably so.”
“But her hair is white? Isn’t the Astropel Family usually dark-haired? And besides…… she’s so small.”
“Her pheromone suggests she’s not Black Mamba. There must be some story behind it.”
“Yet her eyes are crimson. The Family Head must have made an official announcement about it.”
“In any case, she’s absolutely endearing and adorable. ……We have no child quite so tiny in our Family.”
Karma was nodding along with the final remark when his eyes met those of Mesis, who had been nodding at the same point.
Mesis was the person of greatest concern these days.
He claimed to be pleased at returning home, but it seemed his damned sense of propriety had reverted along with him.
Mesis had been marked as a key figure not long after returning to the Mansion.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
As Airen walked down the corridor, her attention drifted elsewhere for a moment, and her small legs wobbled, losing their footing.
Just as she was about to fall, she safely caught herself with her hands on the floor and laughed brightly.
“It’s fine. Airen didn’t fall. Whew.”
That moment had been terrifyingly brief.
He still couldn’t forget Mesis lunging forward toward Airen during those seconds.
The anecdote of Karma seizing Mesis by the collar at full speed and leaping straight out the adjacent window had already become legendary.
Airen might not have known, but every member of Black Mamba passing through that corridor had witnessed the incident.
“I told you not to reveal yourself unless the situation was critical.”
“How can I help it? I want to catch Airen’s eye. I knew you’d stop me, but I figured I’d give it a shot.”
Mesis brushed off his grabbed collar and flashed a broad grin.
The way he casually uttered words that turned one’s stomach inside out was unusually cheerful.
Karma cast a warning glance at Mesis, someone who had already lost his reason before.
The message was clear: under no circumstances was he to make a move first.
And just as Karma was about to turn his attention back to Airen……
“Want to play with me?”
‘When did she get there?’
Her voice came from quite nearby.
She’d said she wanted to make friends, and it seemed she was already putting that into practice.
Feeling an inexplicable warmth, Karma confirmed who the friend Airen had chosen was.
It was a boy with soft-looking deep golden hair and eyes the color of deep azure.
Unlike the young beastfolk clustered together, this boy stood apart on his own.
Had she approached him to look after him?
‘What a warm heart she has.’
Karma was moved.
It was a heartwarming sight, rare in the wild world of Black Mamba.
But there was something peculiar about it.
……Where had he seen this before?
He couldn’t shake the feeling that the boy stayed with him somehow.
Karma examined the golden-haired boy once more, slowly and carefully.
Distinct features, hair that gleamed like polished gold, and eyes that were a clear blue.
Despite his juvenile pheromone, his frame was conspicuously large.
“Wait.”
Karma recalled the special information he’d been given.
“Wasn’t it supposed to be the Tiger Clan attending as well this time?”
“They say there was a newborn recently in the clan. They brought him along to get a sense of how the world turns, or so the story goes.”
The moment he remembered that, Karma’s eyes widened considerably.
The boy before him was a tiger bearing the most striking characteristics he’d seen in recent times, exploring his surroundings during his first outing into the wider world.
As if he were cautioning against territory beyond his own.
A faint ripple of pheromone emanated from him, warning the younger beastfolk to keep their distance.
In truth, the boy was quite the opposite of what Airen had assumed—he was actually a figure of fear to the younger beast-folk.
And it seemed the two of them had just become friends.
“……How on earth am I supposed to explain this to the Family Head?”
Sure enough, Mesis stood frozen with a bewildered expression.
‘Shouldn’t we stop that?’
Mesis was mouthing the question earnestly, his posture suggesting he was ready to intervene if needed.
Karma shook his head.
He spoke softly to his waiting colleagues.
“Everyone stands by for now.”
His head had begun to ache.
Golden hair and eyes that gleamed with a faint blue luminescence.
Those were unmistakably the hallmarks of the tiger that held dominion over the Northern Region.
* * *
“Have you heard of the Hunting Game?”
“I know what kind of game it is.”
“Should we play the Hunting Game together? Over there.”
As I was thinking about what to do for fun, the Hunting Game came to mind.
It seemed like something the two of us could enjoy.
I had fond memories of playing it just the two of us with Rosaria, and it had always been entertaining.
Since the Banquet Hall didn’t have enough space, I pointed toward the Garden, and Seige broke into a smile.
“Fine, then you hide, Airen.”
“Are you going to be the seeker, Seige?”
I preferred hiding, but since Seige was a guest, I was about to defer—
When I asked again, Seige said he would do it and started walking toward the trees.
“Yeah. I prefer to be the one doing the catching.”
“I see. Then you hide, Airing!”
Seige turned his back and began counting.
“One.”
Where should I hide?
Should I slip into the undergrowth? That would conceal me well, but my clothes might get dirty.
“Two.”
Maybe behind a tree would be better?
I rose onto my toes and crept forward silently, spotting an area thick with modest shrubs and towering trees.
“Three.”
This should keep me well-hidden, surely?
A circular hollow in the trunk of a tree allowed me to tuck my body away without difficulty.
I tilted my head, listening intently to count how high Seige would go.
“Ten.”
Once Seige had finished counting to ten, he turned around slowly. I watched as he surveyed the surroundings before stepping deeper into the garden.
I let out a small giggle watching Seige search in all the wrong places.
I’m hiding here, but he can’t find me.
Then a breeze stirred. In that same moment, Seige, who had been moving, came to an abrupt stop.
“Ah. I can’t find you.”
My eyes grew wide and round.
What should I do?
If he can’t find me, should I just come out?
Lost in thought, I noticed Seige’s presence suddenly vanish.
“Huh? Where did you go?”
Had he gotten bored and left? With rising panic, I was about to stand up when—
“That was a lie.”
A deep rumble.
Crack.
“……Huh?”
“Airen.”
“……”
“I got you.”
I stared blankly at the tree that had crashed to the ground. A languid smile played across Seige’s face.
His downcast blue eyes glinted brilliantly as they fixed upon me.
“Wait, but this is the Hunting Game……”
“I know. We have a similar game in the Northern Region. It’s a game to practice hunting beforehand, isn’t it?”
That’s not it.
Somehow, the Hunting Game I knew seemed different from the one Seige knew.
“……It’s fine. Airen, you’ve seen plenty of this. Airen won’t be startled at all!”
My heart hammered against my ribs.
In. Out. In. Out.
I took a deep breath and stood from my seat. This time, it was my turn to be the seeker.
“Now Airen will be the seeker, so go hide!”
“Fine by me.”
“One!”
I covered my eyes tightly and began counting.
“Two.”
But what if Seige hid so well I couldn’t find him?
“Three.”
I wiggled my fingers and peeked slightly through them. Sunlight spilled through the crack between my hands.
No. I wasn’t going to cheat.
I pressed my fingers back together and continued counting.
“Four.”
And when I finally reached ten, I opened my eyes wide.
“Here comes Airen! Seige, are you all hidden?”
“Yeah, all hidden.”
“……Huh? No, wait! That answer doesn’t count!”
Even as I said it, I turned toward where the sound had come from. That’s about where his voice came from.
Where could he be?
I peered around the spots I’d noticed when I was hiding earlier.
“Not here either?”
Did he sink into the ground, or climb into the sky?
I put my hands on my hips and fell into thought.
……Wait. The sky?
I looked up doubtfully. And my eyes met Seige’s staring down at me.
“Seige, what are you doing up there?”
“I was hiding. Aren’t you going to catch me?”
Seige, leaning his back against the tree trunk, stretched an arm down toward me. I stared helplessly at the arm dangling far above.
“I can’t reach Airen.”
“Then you got away. I have to catch you for the game to end.”
“Seige, that’s cheating. A tie doesn’t count.”
“Then I win.”
Seige dropped lightly to the ground.
Now’s my chance!
I pounced on Seige as he landed, and he stumbled, toppling onto his back.
“You……!”
“Hehe. Airen caught you.”
I held his arm tight and broke into a delighted grin.
I caught him!
My lips kept curving upward and wouldn’t come down. Seige simply looked at me without a word and brushed off his clothes.
“Seige, are you angry?”
“No.”
“Then why aren’t you talking?”
“Next time we meet, we’ll play again. Then I won’t let you catch me.”

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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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