TLBSV 09

Chapter 9

“Enter.”

At Joo Jeok-seo’s command, Sirang carefully stepped into the corridor.

Bowing deeply, she delivered her report in a soft, even voice.

“The young lady has awakened. Since the surroundings are completely unfamiliar to her, she seemed a bit bewildered.”

“She woke up after two days.”

“The physician mentioned that the young snake lady has awakened much earlier than expected. However, as her body has not yet fully recovered, he strongly advised that she needs to rest comfortably in a warm place for at least a week.”

“I see. Tell the staff to leave her be so she can rest deeply for the time being, and instruct the kitchens to prepare nourishing meals to help her regain her strength. She might be frightened by the new environment, so ensure that aside from yourself, all other servants are strictly forbidden from entering her quarters.”

“Yes, My Lord. But… Patriarch, are you not going to go and see her?”

“There’s no reason to needlessly agitate a child who is already likely to be unstable.”

Joo Jeok-seo paused mid-sentence and raised an eyebrow.

Sirang was standing before him with a deeply troubled smile, looking exactly as if she had something she desperately wanted to say.

“If you have something to say, spit it out.”

“Well, the truth is, the young snake lady said she wishes to meet you, Patriarch.”

“Me?”

“Yes. It seems she’s feeling quite anxious since she is in such an unfamiliar place.”

At Sirang’s words, Joo Jeok-seo fell deep into thought.

He had intended not to meet the baby snake for a while.

It wasn’t because of some grandiose political reason regarding the Imperial Palace, but simply because he genuinely believed that meeting him would only worsen the baby snake’s condition.

Because Joo Jeok-seo was born with an inherently overwhelming, roaring flame, the weak-hearted and young children were absolutely terrified of him. Some would even faint just from standing in his presence.

Given the baby snake’s frail, precarious condition, she might not be able to endure being near him even for a single second.

As he frowned in contemplation, Sirang looked at Joo Jeok-seo with pleading, sparkling eyes. It was an expression that practically begged him to go see the baby snake right this instant.

Eventually, he let out a long, heavy sigh.

“What did the physician say? Did he think it would be alright for her to meet me?”

If that tiny young snake was actively asking to see him, he couldn’t exactly just ignore her request.

Just how terrified and lonely must that incredibly small, frail child be, waking up in a completely foreign place? If even the very person who brought her here refused to see her, she might become even more paralyzed by fear.

Regardless of the circumstances, he had absolutely no intention of treating a young guest who had entered his home in such a cold manner.

At Joo Jeok-seo’s response, Sirang’s face immediately brightened.

“The physician said a brief visit should be perfectly fine! Though he did emphasize it shouldn’t be for too long.”

“That is enough, then. I will go see her.”

Without hesitating any longer, Joo Jeok-seo began to walk.

Since the physician had given his approval, there shouldn’t be any major issues. If the child’s condition seemed to worsen, he simply had to step away quickly.

Besides.

I was actually wanting to take a closer look at her face anyway…

That tiny, snow-white face that faintly resembled his sister.

Ever since bringing the baby snake here, that thought had been endlessly circling Joo Jeok-seo’s mind.

Those round eyes, soft round eyebrows, delicate little features, and that hair as pure and white as freshly fallen snow. Whenever he pictured that white hair, he was completely overwhelmed by the bizarre sensation that his sister had somehow returned.

Of course, since that baby snake belonged to the Imperial Family, she couldn’t possibly have any relation to his sister. The Imperial Family and the Dragon Clan had violently ostracized the Bird Clan ages ago.

Therefore, she was simply a child who coincidentally happened to be born with white features, having absolutely no connection to the Vermilion Bird Clan or the White Vermilion Bird.

Yet, whenever he thought of the baby snake, he couldn’t shake an inexplicable, strange feeling.

So it seemed like a good idea to go meet her, listen to what she had to say, and ask the questions that had been burning in his mind. He had already ordered his subordinates to investigate the child, but hearing it directly from the person involved would undoubtedly be the fastest and most accurate method.

Baeksa was staying in the Southern Annex.

It was the warmest room in the entire Vermilion Bird estate, bathed in the most abundant sunlight. It was not a room originally designated for guests, but when Joo Jeok-seo heard how dire the baby snake’s condition was, he had impulsively ordered she be placed there.

Because of that, he didn’t need anyone to guide him to where the baby snake was.

Joo Jeok-seo’s steps headed toward the warmest, coziest room in the South without the slightest hesitation. Behind him, Sirang hurriedly followed with a deeply pleased expression.

Baeksa carefully slipped out from under the blanket and neatly folded it perfectly.

Then, she sat down demurely on her knees right beside it.

She had chosen to sit on the floor because she was completely used to freezing, hard floors, but perhaps because the brazier was burning brightly, the floor wasn’t cold in the slightest.

This is a truly wonderful room.

It was far too wonderful and extravagant to be given to someone like her.

The room wasn’t exceptionally massive, but it was incredibly obvious that it had been meticulously and lovingly maintained.

It looks just like Sister Yeoryun’s quarters.

As Baeksa looked around the room in absolute awe, she gently clenched her tiny fists, which were resting neatly on her knees.

Sitting all alone in this deeply quiet room, the reality of her situation finally began to sink in.

What if… what if they kick me out?

If I get kicked out of here too, will I be sent right back to the snowy fields?

Sitting inside this incredibly warm room, the memory of lying alone in that freezing snow felt like a distant, hazy nightmare. But it wasn’t a nightmare.

It was the absolute reality she had just experienced.

The sharp, stinging pain of frostbite throbbing in the soles of her feet was undeniable proof of that fact.

The child absolutely did not want to be cast out to that place a second time.

To avoid that…

Baeksa carefully brought her two small hands together and tried to manifest her ability.

The terrifying ability of Baeksa’s, capable of greedily devouring absolutely anything, faintly wavered to life above her palms.

The young girl knew.

This ability looked incredibly faint and insignificant right now, but in reality, it was a terrifyingly gluttonous, monstrous power.

Over the past year, there was absolutely nothing Baeksa couldn’t absorb.

Even Song-ra’s revered ‘Blessing’ had been sucked dry by Baeksa’s ability until it lost its brilliant light, and no matter how precious or magnificent something was, once it was absorbed, it was instantly twisted into something utterly useless.

There was absolutely no one in the world who would welcome such a horrific ability.

Even the Emperor had only been pleased with this ability in the very beginning, and hadn’t he eventually thrown her away in the end?

Furthermore, Baeksa’s ability wasn’t even a power that allowed her to use what she absorbed from others. Once something was absorbed, that was the absolute end of it.

It could truly be called a monstrous, absolute worst-case ability.

I have to… tell them about this too…

She couldn’t possibly beg them for a favor while deceiving them with lies. They had a right to know exactly what kind of horrifying ability the child they had saved possessed.

It was right at the moment Baeksa made her firm resolve.

Swoosh.

A sudden, gentle breeze blew from nowhere, softly brushing past the child’s cheek.

And a moment later, a tiny white feather appeared, floating gracefully in the empty air.

There was absolutely no warning or prior indication.

“Huh…?”

Startled by the sudden appearance of the feather, Baeksa’s eyes went completely round.

Which beastman did this feather belong to? If it was a white feather, it certainly couldn’t be a Vermilion Bird’s feather.

Just as she was wondering this, the feather slowly and gently drifted down directly toward Baeksa.

As the child tentatively reached out her hands, the feather landed perfectly in her two tiny palms.

The feather was large and incredibly soft.

Thoroughly bewildered, Baeksa stood up from her spot, still clutching the feather.

From what she knew, the Bird Clan considered their feathers to be incredibly important and precious.

The feathers of the Vermilion Bird Clan were used to create Warming Stones, and the feathers of other bird beastmen each possessed their own unique, powerful abilities. Therefore, this feather might also hold a very precious and important power.

I shouldn’t… touch this!

Because her ability ruined absolutely everything it touched. If this was something important, she absolutely must not lay a finger on it.

Realizing this far too late, Baeksa frantically tried to set the feather down.

Flash!

Suddenly, brilliant, five-colored light erupted from the feather Baeksa was holding, warmly enveloping the tiny baby snake.

And at that exact same moment.

N-No!

Baeksa’s ability wildly shot out from her hands completely on its own.

The pitch-black light extending from her palms aggressively wrapped around the radiantly glowing, five-colored feather.

And shortly after, Baeksa felt the pure energy of the feather violently rushing into her body.

Before the panicked child even had a second to show her distress, the color of the feather slowly began to change.

The pristine white feather was slowly, agonizingly fading to pitch black. Baeksa’s face drained of all color, turning deathly pale.

“E-Even now…!”

I have to stop this immediately!

But the gluttonous ability showed absolutely no signs of stopping.

As Baeksa’s ability ravenously sucked the power out of the feather, the brilliant five-colored light vanished entirely, and the feather was swiftly stained a deep, ominous black.

Completely panicked and not knowing what to do, Baeksa gripped the ruined feather tightly.

Once the color had completely changed, her ability finally stopped acting on its own.

But the damage was already permanently done.

The pale child’s fingertips grew stiff with absolute terror.

What if this was a very important item?

What if I ruined it the very moment I arrived?

A cold sweat poured down her face like rain.

Just as the child was desperately, frantically trying to figure out a way to return the feather to its original state.

Knock, knock.

“Young Lady, it’s Sirang. The Patriarch has come to see you.”

At the sound of the voice from outside the door, Baeksa’s face turned even whiter.

She needed to tell them to wait just a moment, but it felt as if someone was strangling her; absolutely no voice would come out.

W-What do I do.

What should I do.

But her mind was completely blank. Her throat felt tight, and tears instinctively began to well up in her eyes.

Meanwhile, finding the absolute silence from inside strange, Sirang slid the door open.

Slide.

The door opened, and Joo Jeok-seo’s towering figure appeared right behind Sirang.

With a completely terrified, tear-streaked face, still tightly clutching the blackened feather, Baeksa looked up at the Patriarch of the Vermilion Bird Clan.

And for a long moment, an absolute, heavy silence fell over the room.

The gazes of Sirang and Joo Jeok-seo moved from Baeksa’s terrified face down to the feather the child was desperately clutching in her hands.

And immediately after, both of them stared at the feather with expressions of absolute, unadulterated shock.

Looking exactly as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, Joo Jeok-seo’s eyes went incredibly wide as he stared intently at Baeksa.

“This is…”