I’m the Youngest Daughter of the Serpent Family
Chapter 22
Until not long ago, word had it that there were two successors, both male.
“So there were three of them all along?”
“Looks that way. Rosaria is back at the estate looking after the young lady, after all.”
“Ha. No wonder I haven’t seen her for nearly two months.”
Rosaria, renowned as an exceptional gatekeeper at the border, was babysitting?
And the kid was still in one piece?
The more he heard, the less sense it made, but Karma kept his composure.
“Some of the others have already decided to go. The border is boring right now anyway. They figured this banquet would be far more entertaining. Besides, everyone’s curious to see what the youngest lady is like. You’re coming too, right?”
“It’ll just be another tedious, formal gathering. Count me out.”
“Is that so?”
Paymon nodded with a look of regret.
He didn’t ask a second time, however.
Once a refusal was given, not pressing further was their way of conversing.
This communication style sometimes drew tears of blood from those who gave polite refusals when clan bonding was on the line.
“All right. I’ll let them know everyone is going except you.”
“Everyone?”
“Yeah. They’re curious.”
“About what?”
The banquet? Or the youngest lady?
Neither seemed particularly special to Karma. Children of the clan could be seen near the border as well. Yet the reason that came out of Paymon’s mouth was something Karma could never have anticipated.
“Word is our young lady recently completed her humanization, and she’s only five handspans tall.”
“Five whats?”
“Five handspans. Hestia told me herself, so it’s certain.”
Karma was utterly shocked. How could someone be only five handspans tall?
He quietly opened his own palm to measure. Did that mean she was barely over a meter?
“I hear she doesn’t even reach a meter. That’s measured by Hestia’s hands, after all.”
“…Is there something wrong with the successor? Is that why they only announced two?”
“Pwahaha! You really don’t know anything, do you?! Pay some attention to what’s going on around you!”
Paymon slammed the wall in laughter.
Tham! Thud!
The wall caved in mercilessly under the blows. Dirt and dust cascaded down as cracks splintered across the surface.
It was a familiar sight.
“The young lady is a bird. You haven’t even looked at the letter Rosaria sent, have you? It was packed with photos of the young lady. That’s why everyone’s lining up to go.”
Paymon pulled a photograph from inside his coat.
In it, a tiny child clutching a doll was looking up toward Rosaria with a bright, innocent smile.
Karma’s eyes widened.
Knowing full well how weak Karma was for cute creatures, Paymon flashed a triumphant grin.
Just as expected.
He would probably be even more shocked if he found out there was already a fan club for the young lady among the clan members.
Paymon snatched the photo back.
“I’ll ask one last time. You’re really not going?”
Karma answered faster than he ever had before.
“Put my name on the list.”
“Got it.”
Paymon wrote down Karma’s name on the spot.
With that, the return of every single member was confirmed.
My eyes popped open early in the morning. Clasping the baby snake plushie I had been cuddling in my sleep, I sat right up.
“How many mowe sweeps weft?”
I began the routine I had been repeating every morning for the past few days.
One, two, three.
I opened all ten fingers and folded them down one by one.
“Seben sweeps weft.”
Only a week remained until the day I was so eagerly waiting for.
Burying my face in the plushie, I sighed at the thought that there was still so much time left.
“Wish it would come fast.”
Soon realizing how quiet the room was, I climbed down from the bed.
Holding the snake plushie trailing along the floor in one hand, I stepped forward barefoot just as Rosaria opened the door and walked in.
“Wosawia!”
“Oh my, when did you wake up? I thought you would sleep a little longer.”
“Jus’ now! Seben sweeps weft!”
Without missing a beat, I held up seven fingers for her to see. Every day, I made sure to let Rosaria know how many nights were left.
“Our Lady Irene must be looking forward to the day of the banquet very much. Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah! Gonna make wots and wots of fwiends. Lots!”
I stretched out my arms and drew a giant circle in the air.
I had thought only grown-ups attended the banquet, but they said that wasn’t the case. Rosaria told me there would be friends my age there too.
I was so excited! I’d get to meet new friends!
What should we play when we meet? I hope we can have lots of fun together.
As I puffed up with anticipation, Rosaria stroked my hair gently.
“You’ll be able to make plenty of them, I’m sure.”
“Uh-huh!”
“Then shall we hurry and eat breakfast and wash up for the banquet?”
“Why?”
Was there something we had to do early in the morning?
Since I hadn’t heard anything about it, I tilted my head in question, prompting Rosaria to smile brightly.
“Madame Seri has arrived. She is the one who will make lovely clothes just for you, Lady Irene.”
“For Iween?”
“Yes. You must wear pretty clothes to the banquet, after all.”
Pretty clothes!
I had to look nice to make new friends, so I was definitely going to wear something pretty!
I scurried back to the bed and set the snake plushie down. As I bustled about, Rosaria prepared breakfast on the table.
Breakfast was delivered right to the door every morning, allowing us to get everything ready quickly.
While I sometimes ate in the dining hall, there were more days where I would have had to eat alone, so I usually preferred dining in my room.
Kaid, Seth, and Arvan were all busy with their own schedules.
Although we gathered to eat together once a week, Kaid had been absent every single time lately due to preparations for the upcoming banquet.
I blew gently on the still-steaming food.
“It’s hot!”
“You must be very careful when you eat.”
“Where’s Wosawia’s?”
When I poked a quail egg with my fork and asked, Rosaria, who was cutting my meat into bite-sized pieces, beamed softly.
“I have already eaten.”
“When?”
“Earlier, while Lady Irene was still fast asleep.”
I guess she ate first because I woke up late.
The clock hands were already pointing past ten.
“Wanna eat wit Wosawia, though.”
“Then shall we have dinner together tonight?”
“Yeah!”
I chewed the meat in small bites. A rich, savory flavor filled my mouth.
As my cheeks puffed out full of food, Rosaria poured some water for me.
“You must eat slowly, milady. You’ll get an upset stomach at this rate.”
“Mm. I’ll chew weal good.”
“Chew ten times before swallowing, all right?”
“Okay!”
Gulp. I chewed ten times with every bite and emptied the rest of the plate clean.
“Iween ate all of it.”
“Then off to the bathroom we go.”
“Yeah.”
Pitter-patter. Climbing down from the chair and stepping into the bathroom, I saw a set of plastic steps beneath the sink.
As I climbed them one by one, a white head of hair popped up in the mirror hanging on the wall.
Stepping onto the very top stair, I saw a pair of bright crimson eyes blinking back at me.
As I stood on tiptoe, wanting to see my whole reflection in the mirror, Rosaria stepped in.
“Lady Irene, let’s brush your teeth now. Say ah.”
“Ah.”
“Now rinse.”
“Ptooey!”
“And close your eyes tight.”
“Mm.”
Brushing and washing up were finished in no time. She dabbed lotion onto my face, and I rubbed my cheeks.
Pat, pat.
“All done.”
“Good job! Oh, aren’t you precious?”
“Is Iween pwetty?”
“You are the prettiest in the entire world.”
Hearing that I was pretty brought a bashful giggle to my lips.
Rosaria, who had brought out an outfit from the closet, announced with great energy:
“Now it is time to get changed!”
“Yeah!”
“What do we do when changing clothes?”
“Awwms up!”
I stretched my hands straight into the air. After changing into a green dress and slipping on my newly bought yellow sandals, I was completely ready.
“All done?”
“Please wait just a moment, Lady Irene. I will go bring Madame Seri right away.”
“Okay.”
“Such a good girl.”
Worrying that I might get bored while waiting, Rosaria brought out some toy building blocks from the toy box.
On top of that, she brought out five pieces of chocolate—something she usually strictly regulated!
My eyes were glued to the table.
“Iween is so good at waiting.”
My target was the chocolate.
