I’m the Youngest Daughter of the Serpent Family
Chapter 26
It contained the yarn and bubbles I used to play with as a baby bird, as well as my most treasured star candies.
I glanced at Casana with a hint of unease.
Oh no. Casana looks interested in my treasure box. This is Irene’s.
I hurriedly shoved the treasure box into the drawer and came back to sit down.
“Shall we begin our lesson, then?”
“Yay! Iring study!”
“Since today is our first day, I will simply teach you how to write your name, Lady Irene.”
Pulling out a notebook, Casana wrote down letters in neat, large strokes.
The script felt a little stiff.
Watching the stroke order closely, I gripped my pen and traced what I saw.
“Now, curve it to the side right there.”
“Ung. It’s hawd.”
“That is only because you are not used to it yet. Shall we try one more time?”
“Otay. Iring can do it.”
I traced my name over and over several times. So this is my name.
I finished copying the long, squiggly letters. The longer part at the end was probably my family name.
Having poured all my focus into my name, I suddenly snapped my head up.
“Casa!”
“Yes?”
“Daddy, Seth, and Arvang too! Wodalia and Casa too.”
I flipped to the next page of the notebook, asking her to teach me their names.
“Iring wants to know evewyone’s names. All of dem.”
“Understood. Shall I write them here for you?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Once I memorized them all, I was going to surprise everyone.
Now I can write my family’s names too!
I worked my little hands diligently.
“Pewfect!”
I finally memorized all of their names.
All that was left was to go and show them, so a proud smile spread across my face.
I was eager to hurry over and show them off.
Pen in hand, I stepped out of my room. The very first person I went to see was Seth.
While hesitating several times before his door, I shut my eyes tight and blurted out his name.
“Seth oppa!”
“……What is it? Irene, why are you here?”
I had worried he might not be there, but fortunately, Seth was inside his room.
Seeing Seth open the door and come out, I beamed brightly.
“Can I come in?”
“What is it?”
“I came to see Seth oppa……”
I rolled my eyes around, anxious that he might turn me away at the door and tell me to leave.
A brief silence fell.
Staring down at me, Seth let out a sigh. His voice sounded somewhat annoyed.
“You came to see me?”
At the same time, his suspicious gaze did not waver.
His red eyes narrowed as he scrutinized me, trying to figure out what scheme I was up to.
I nodded quickly.
“Ung!”
“Why me?”
“Because I wanted to see oppa.”
“Hah?”
Seth let out a dry, dumbfounded scoff.
Frowning as he blinked slowly, his face clearly showed he still could not understand.
With a bashful grin, I slipped into the room.
Seeing Seth’s room for the first time, it was exceptionally neat.
So this is where he lives. It had a completely different atmosphere from my room.
Unlike my room, which was filled with snacks and toys scattered all over, Seth’s room contained only the bare essentials.
One thing that caught my eye was that potted plants were placed throughout the room.
Does he like plants?
Following me into the room, Seth spoke in a voice rife with discontent.
“If all you’re going to do is gawk, why don’t you go back, Irene?”
“Ah! No! Iring has something to show oppa!”
Remembering why I had come, I spoke up quickly before getting kicked out.
“Then show me quickly and leave.”
“Iring learned how to write names and memowized oppa’s name! I came to show you dat.”
I had brought a pen, so all I needed was paper.
Looking around, I spotted a blank sheet of paper resting on the table and clumsily wrote out the name I had memorized so diligently.
As I pressed down hard, writing stroke by stroke, Seth’s eyes—which had held not a single shred of expectation—widened slightly.
“Ta-da! Look at dis!”
Surprised, aren’t you? Shocked that I already know how to write names, right?
“You know how to write my name.”
“Ung. Iring memowized it really hard.”
Tracing his finger over the crooked yet meticulously written name, the corner of Seth’s mouth curled up meaningfully.
Soon, a sharp, scathing remark spilled from his lips.
“Your handwriting is so awful that if you hadn’t told me it was my name, I wouldn’t have recognized it.”
“……Nuh-uh. I got pwaise for writing well!”
“Is that so? Whoever told you that, you’d better not trust them too much.”
Having expected praise here too, my shoulders slumped dejectedly.
Pouting with puffed cheeks, I was getting ready to leave when Seth lightly lifted the paper with his name on it.
“Has anyone else received this besides me?”
“I’m going to show dem now.”
“……I’m the first?”
“Ung. I like Seth oppa. ……But oppa said my handwiting was awful.”
As I whimpered with a teary face and wriggled my ink-stained fingers, Seth looked subtly surprised, then wore an uncharacteristic smile.
“Ah. I just changed my mind.”
“Ung?”
“You write quite well, Irene.”
The next place I headed was where Arvan was.
Arvan was lying listlessly in a hammock set up in the garden. Don’t tell me he’s skipping his lessons today too?
“Arvang!”
“What?”
When I called out, Arvan got up and stepped down from the swaying hammock.
“Iring has something to show you!”
“Something to show me?”
“Ung.”
But there was nothing suitable to write on in the garden.
Arvan, intrigued by the mention of showing him something, glanced at me while pretending not to care.
“What is it?”
“Arvang, do you have papew?”
“There’s no way I’d have that here.”
“Den what do I do? Iring wants to show dat I can write Arvang’s name.”
“My name?”
It could not be helped. I would have to show him next time if I had the chance, since there was nothing proper to write on right now.
Left with no choice, I turned to leave, but Arvan caught hold of me.
“Hey, you said you came to show me, so why are you just leaving?”
“Iring doesn’t have papew.”
“You can write it here.”
Arvan opened his palm. My eyes widened round.
If I write on his palm, it won’t wash off easily. Is it really okay to write on it?
“Really write here?”
“Yeah.”
“Otay. Den watch closely. Iring memowized Arvang’s name the fastest!”
Because our names shared similar parts, I had been able to memorize Arvan’s name most easily.
As I ducked my head low and wrote stroke by stroke, his palm twitched.
Hesitating, Arvan asked casually,
“Did you really memorize my name the fastest? Not Father’s or brother’s?”
“Ung. Arvang is number one! All done!”
“I’m number one……”
Grinning broadly at having written the name perfectly without forgetting, I looked up.
My eyes met Arvan’s as he, too, looked down and smiled at the name written on his palm.
At that exact moment, the smile on Arvan’s lips flattened into a tight, straight line.
Arvan seemed flustered.
“Arvang smiled!”
“W-Who smiled because they were happy?!”
His face bright red, Arvan bolted across the garden.
I headed toward my final destination.
The last person I had to see was Kaid.
Going down to the first floor, I cautiously opened the door to the office.
Peeking my head through the crack of the door, I met eyes with Kaid, who was reviewing documents.
Next to him, Baon gave a welcoming wave to acknowledge me.
Having already known I was loitering outside, Kaid looked at me with an amused expression and asked,
“What were you doing in front of the door all this time? You’re only coming in now.”
“Daddy, busy?”
When I hesitated and asked, two completely contradictory answers came from them.
“No, I’m not busy.”
“Yes, he is extremely busy.”
“……Iring only needs a wittle bit of time.”
“Come here.”
Kaid set down his documents and reached out his hand.
I quickly pushed the door open and stepped inside. Documents were piled high on the desk. He still seemed very busy.
As I stood on tiptoes in front of the desk that was taller than me, Kaid pressed down firmly on my forehead.
The heels I had lifted immediately slapped flat against the floor.
“Ouchie!”
“Stop pretending it hurts.”
“It hurted Iring!”
As I covered my forehead and puffed out my cheeks, the corners of Kaid’s lips curled up faintly.
Seeing him reach out as if to tease me further, I promptly hid behind Baon.
“Lady Irene.”
“Ung.”
“By any chance, was your goal to have my head severed?”
Taking the brunt of Kaid’s murderous glare with his whole body, Baon asked in a reluctant, uneasy voice.
“Iring was gonna show something amazing. Not gonna show Daddy now.”
“Something amazing?”
“Uh-huh. Amazing.”
“Come here and show me. I won’t touch your forehead.”
“Weally?”
Although I was deeply suspicious about whether he would keep his word, I decided to trust him for now.
I approached the desk again.
Kaid seated me on his lap and gestured with his chin for me to show him this amazing thing.
Wondering inwardly what I was about to do, Baon slyly edged closer to the side as well.
I raised the pen I had brought with me.