I’m the Youngest Daughter of the Serpent Family
Chapter 15
The Astrophel family held an elders’ meeting every week.
Looking around at the elders, who were once again arguing over uniformly tedious agendas, Kaid lowered his gaze.
What would she be doing right about now? Probably toddling around somewhere in the mansion, playing.
Receiving regular reports about Irene, Kaid let out a soft chuckle.
In a mansion swarming with Black Mambas, the sight of such a tiny creature fearlessly wandering this way and that was terribly adorable.
Since there was no one in the family who didn’t know Irene was growing up as the youngest, it didn’t matter where she roamed, but it still weighed on his mind.
What if that little thing said she wanted to go see outside the territory?
Should he take this chance to preemptively wipe out any place she might want to visit?
Kaid stroked his chin with a thoughtful hum.
Where were the famous travel destinations again?
He thought it best to have Baon draw up a list as soon as possible.
With Kaid so openly distracted, the arguing elders shut their mouths.
Their gazes turned toward the head of the family all at once.
‘Just who are we passionately giving speeches to right now?’
Exchanging glances in unison, the vassals wore disgruntled expressions.
“My Lord.”
In the end, Zeras, who sat closest to Kaid, cleared his throat softly and spoke.
Pulled from his thoughts, Kaid looked at Zeras.
“What is it?”
“We are in the middle of an important meeting.”
“Do you think I wouldn’t know that?”
“Then would you mind focusing on the meeting?”
“I’m listening, so carry on with what you were doing.”
Kaid gestured for them to continue the meeting. Watching the scene unfold, Baon shook his head.
Some vassals seemed surprised by this unfamiliar side of Kaid, but Baon, who had already witnessed it multiple times in the office, was used to it.
If they ever found out that a colorful stuffed snake was coiled on one side of the office sofa, they might faint.
‘To be fair, Lady Irene is exceedingly cute.’
Seeing how she had softened Kaid, a man who was utterly cold in every matter, it was truly a remarkable talent.
Aside from simply being cute, there was something inexplicable about Irene.
Should one say she had the adults wrapped around her little finger, appearing sharp and perceptive at times, yet at other times showing the carefree innocence of a child her age?
Baon let out a faint smile, but when his eyes met Zeras’s head-on, he quickly straightened his face.
Then, brazenly pretending it wasn’t him, he bantered.
“We are discussing a very important matter right now, My Lord. Please stop thinking about Lady Irene and focus.”
“I know. Small fry swarming around the territorial borders, was it?”
Like hyenas. Kaid clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Because the personnel dispatched to the territorial borders were reorganized every quarter, there were often small fry sniffing around to exploit the gaps.
In particular, the East was never quiet, making it all the more of a headache.
Timewise, it was around the time news of friction would arrive again.
“Wouldn’t it be fine to just leave them be? They are cowards anyway.”
“If we turn a blind eye, they’ll keep crossing the line.”
“Let’s make an example out of them this time. It’ll also serve to quell the complaints of the clans living nearby.”
The elders representing each region chimed in one by one, voicing their opinions.
Kaid turned his head toward the window with an indifferent air.
“Handle it as you see fit.”
This was undoubtedly the answer the elders had been waiting for.
If anything, the Black Mambas were a clan that welcomed the battlefield rather than avoided it.
All this time, they had stayed quiet to maintain good relations with neighboring clans, but there was no need to extend such courtesy to those running wild without knowing their place.
With Kaid’s permission to run wild to their hearts’ content, the corners of the vassals’ mouths twitched.
“Then would it be all right if we expanded our territory as an example?”
“Sure. As long as you’re doing it, expand into a place with good water and clean air.”
“……Pardon?”
The vassal asked back with a puzzled look, wondering if he had heard correctly.
“The West sounds nice.”
Come to think of it, he seemed to recall receiving a letter offering an island in exchange for a mine producing raw pheromone ore. He remembered hearing that the beach there was beautiful. Where had he placed that letter?
Mines were plentiful anyway; losing a couple wouldn’t even be noticeable.
Kaid began to ponder seriously.
If not an island, should he look into a suitable area?
It wouldn’t be bad to go somewhere warm in the winter.
Building a few vacation villas would be quite nice as well.
Kaid stood up from his seat.
“If we’re done talking, let’s wrap up the meeting here.”
One by one, the elders followed suit and prepared to leave.
Amidst the dispersing crowd, Kaid felt an unstable aura drawing closer and stopped in his tracks as he was leaving the conference room.
“Hmm? This seems to be Rosaria’s aura.”
Baon, who was beside him, muttered in confusion.
Some of the elders seemed to have sensed the aura as well.
Soon, Rosaria appeared.
She wore an uncharacteristically anxious expression. Because that was so far removed from Rosaria’s usual relaxed demeanor, everyone’s attention locked onto her.
“My Lord!”
“What is the matter, Rosaria?”
“Right now, Lady Irene is……!”
Kaid’s eyes widened.
* * *
When they arrived in front of Irene’s room, pheromones were leaking heavily into the hallway.
It was sweet and fluffy like cotton candy.
Because the luscious fragrance filled the air, everyone in the vicinity had already been cleared away.
A faint presence could be felt inside the room. Baon was the first to react.
“It seems she has completed her transformation into human form.”
“It seems so.”
Feigning composure, Kaid gripped the doorknob and turned it.
The moment he stepped inside, he drew in a deep breath.
“Wosaria……?”
“Lady Irene!”
The child was tiny.
The child, who had looked anxious at the sudden change, smiled brightly with relief upon spotting Rosaria.
With glistening silver hair, the child was clutching a pillow tightly, hiding beneath the blanket.
Even if she tried to hide it, she must have been scared deep down.
“Are you not cold?”
“Uh-uh. Not cold.”
“Let’s get you dressed right away.”
Taking a sky-blue dress from the wardrobe, Rosaria hurried to dress the child.
Emerging from beneath the blanket, the child was entirely pure white—save for her lively, flushed rosy cheeks and soft, pale red eyes.
Kaid could not tear his gaze away from Irene.
He cautiously walked over to the child. Kaid’s closed lips finally parted.
“Irene.”
“Yeah…….”
“Irene Astrophel.”
Even though it was a common awakening, emotion welled up inside him. It was an unfamiliar feeling.
Was it because the child, whose life was thought to have ended inside the egg, had ultimately survived and safely completed her human transformation?
This moment felt special. Kaid bent his knees.
“My Lord?!”
Baon called out in surprise.
When he brought himself to the child’s eye level, her soft red eyes went wide and round.
The soft curve of Kaid’s mouth suddenly lifted into a playful smirk.
“You’re still short.”
“…….”
“At this rate, you won’t even be able to hunt on your own.”
Good grief, My Lord.
Baon pressed a hand to his forehead. Irene’s face had instantly crumpled into a tearful pout.
Clinging tightly to Rosaria’s leg and hiding behind her, Irene mumbled with her tiny lips.
“Not twue.”
“What do you mean, it’s not?”
“It’s not!”
With tears brimming in her eyes, she was clearly terribly upset.
“I can hunt good too!”
“Of course. You’ll be able to catch plenty of prey, Lady Irene!”
Rosaria tried to soothe her, flustered. She was just as bewildered.
She had heard about it from Hestia beforehand, but knowing it and experiencing it firsthand were two completely different things.
She had expected Irene to be small, but this was…….
“She looks to be about three or four years old.”
“Don’t they usually take human form looking around ten?”
“……Uwoo.”
The child sniffled, on the verge of tears. Shaking off her shock belatedly, Rosaria hurriedly cut into the conversation.
“No, it’s not! Starting out at ten is the unusual case. You aren’t small at all, Lady Irene. Isn’t that right?”
Everyone, agree with me. Rosaria’s purple eyes glinted fiercely. Overwhelmed by her fierce aura, Baon subtly turned his head away.
For they had never once seen anyone spend their childhood looking as young as Irene.
Especially not an apex predator. Which was why…….
‘Fascinating.’
A tiny little thing was moving. Three pairs of eyes were fixed on Irene, unable to look away.
Kaid looked discontentedly at the child still hiding behind Rosaria.
“Irene.”
“Uwoo…….”
“Come here.”
“No! You said I was small.”
Having already sulked, her chubby cheeks were puffed full of air.
Even at her thoroughly pouting appearance, Kaid had to struggle to keep the corners of his mouth from curling up.
He knew that if he failed to hold back his laughter here, there would be no smoothing things over.
Kaid decided to try soothing Irene. It was the first time in his life he had ever attempted such a thing, to the point that it felt awkward even to those watching.
“You’re not small.”
“……Weally?”
“Yes.”
With just that single word, Irene let go of her sulky pout.
Only then did Irene’s expression brighten, and she stepped forward with a radiant smile.
Her gait was unsteady, as if walking on two legs was not yet easy for her, but Kaid waited until the child reached him.
When she finally reached out her hands, Kaid lifted her up lightly.
The tiny hands and petite little body clinging tightly to him felt entirely unfamiliar.
She was so light she seemed as if she might blow away with a breath.
Small and light. And fragile.
Gradually relaxing his tense arms, Kaid poked her cheek just as he always had.
Her mochi-soft cheek squished tenderly.
Her eyes rolled playfully in his embrace, and quite a bit of strength gathered in the little hands clutching his collar.
“So this is how it feels.”
“It is a bit of a strange feeling, though.”
Rosaria wore a face full of deep emotion at Irene’s long-awaited transformation into human form.
Baon had a peculiar expression as well.
Having cared for the egg for three months, it seemed the feeling was distinct for him.
Was it because everyone was simply watching in silence?
Irene leaned into him as if hiding. The corners of Kaid’s lips lifted handsomely.
“Congratulations on safely completing your transformation, Irene.”
