I’m the Youngest Daughter of the Serpent Family
Chapter 28
Seth was looking around with an impeccable posture, while Arvan leaned against the wall with a bored expression that showed he had no interest in anything.
I quickly called out to the two of them.
“Seth! Arban!”
Their gazes turned toward me at the same time.
As I held Kaid’s hand and hopped over excitedly, Seth approached with a warm smile.
“Welcome, Irene. Your outfit looks lovely today.”
“Ung. I wuv the dwess so much. I look like a pwincess.”
“Princess, my foot.”
Arvan walked over to stand beside me, wearing a look of utter disbelief. With that, Seth and Arvan were flanking me on either side.
Feeling completely reassured, I beamed at him, to which Arvan grumbled begrudgingly.
“Well, at least it’s not completely unwatchable.”
“Iwing feels so weassured.”
“……What are you even saying? Just don’t make a mess of things.”
“Ung!”
A moment later, a servant whispered something to Kaid before stepping away.
Kaid called to us.
“Irene, Seth, Arvan.”
“Ung?”
“Yes, Father.”
Pausing our bickering, we looked at Kaid.
“It is time to enter, so get ready.”
With those words, the doors to the brilliantly glittering banquet hall swung open. A vast crowd had gathered in one place, murmuring in conversation.
As the music gradually quieted, the guests took notice and glanced toward the entrance.
Soon, our entrance was announced.
“Announcing the entrance of the Head of the Family, Lord Kaid Astrophel, and his heirs!”
The hall fell silent. Kaid stepped inside first, and I followed behind him.
Once we stepped up to the head table, Kaid spoke.
“Thank you all for attending the banquet. I hope everyone enjoys themselves before departing.”
He seemed quite different from the Kaid I was used to.
Speaking so calmly and naturally before the watching crowd made him look remarkably cool.
I should do a great job too. I managed it earlier, so I can do it now.
As I straightened my back properly, Kaid introduced me before concluding his remarks.
“And I would like to take this opportunity to introduce someone. The youngest child of my family, Irene Astrophel.”
Taking a deep breath, I smiled brightly. With everyone by my side, there was nothing to fear.
“Hewwo, evewyone! I am Iwing Astwophew!”
When I finished my confident little introduction, Kaid signaled the orchestra with a glance.
“Now then, please enjoy the rest of the evening to your heart’s content.”
The soft, ambient melody swelled once more into a lively tune.
I looked around the banquet hall in wonder. It felt on an entirely different level compared to when Arvan and I had come to look around earlier.
The once-empty space now sparkled brilliantly, with food laid out on every table and guests bustling everywhere.
Holding Kaid’s hand, I walked down from the dais and sat at our family’s designated table.
They said tables were assigned separately for each family. To make identification easy, the family crest was embroidered onto each tablecloth.
Having never seen so many different beastmen gathered in one place, I was busy looking around.
Most of the crests were straightforward designs that clearly reflected the traits of each clan.
When I began to walk while distracted, Kaid immediately cautioned me.
“Watch where you’re going.”
“Ung.”
“I suppose it is fascinating to see so many different clans.”
“Did evewyone come fwom faw away?”
“To some extent.”
“……Did people come fwom the East too?”
I asked hesitantly. Tension tightened across my whole body. The people living in the East were terrifying.
To be precise, I was referring to the powerful beastmen occupying the East.
Whenever they appeared, the entire surrounding area was utterly devastated without fail. Memories of pushing off the ground with all my might to flee from that place still lingered within me.
Though memories of my past life were gradually fading and hard to recall now, the emotions tied to them remained vivid.
If beastmen like that showed up, would I have to run away again?
As I looked around nervously and asked, Kaid stared at me for a long moment.
“……Why the sudden curiosity? Did someone tell you about the East?”
“…No! Dat’s not it.”
I shook my head vigorously. Those memories were being overwritten by life here, making them hard to bring to mind.
“Some did come from the East.”
“Lots?”
“Not many. From about two places.”
“I see.”
From two whole places. I gripped his hand tightly.
With Kaid sitting in the middle and Seth, Arvan, and me seated in a row beside him, an unfamiliar man who had been loitering nearby approached and spoke to him.
I popped a piece of fruit into my mouth and opened my eyes wide.
“Greetings, Head of the Family. Do you remember me?”
“Ah. Who were you again?”
It was an exceedingly frank and blunt response.
When Kaid asked back with an expression that genuinely showed he had no idea, the man’s face momentarily contorted.
I was inwardly astonished.
Kaid was the first person I had ever seen who would openly pull off a “Who were you again?” to someone’s face.
Kaid did not seem the least bit apologetic for failing to recognize him.
“I am the head of the Letra Family from the West.”
“Ah, right. What is it?”
“There is an urgent matter I would like to discuss privately… It is regarding this upcoming trade.”
“I will step away for a moment.”
Sensing the conversation would drag on, Kaid rose from his seat.
Taking that as their cue, people wishing to converse began gathering around one after another.
It seemed he had anticipated this situation and deliberately set up a separate spot for discussions.
Holding my glass with both hands, I sipped orange juice while glancing around nonstop.
I saw a few children already mingling and playing together.
What if everyone becomes friends without me?
I fidgeted with my glass.
“Iwing wants to pway too.”
Still, I was a baby bird who knew how to wait for her papa.
“When is Papa coming? Is it stiww going to take wong?”
“You want to go play, don’t you?”
“Uh-huh. No. I’ll go when Papa comes back.”
“You can go play with the other children, Irene.”
“I can weawwy do dat?”
“It looks like Father will take quite a while.”
I looked at Kaid’s back off in the distance.
It truly seemed like the conversation would take quite a long time to finish.
Arvan, already accustomed to such situations, was yawning and nodding off.
“Den Iwing will go just fow a widdle bit.”
“Go ahead.”
I sprang up from my seat at once.
Now I can go see the other kids too!
Excited, my steps were light. Not far off, I saw children gathered in small groups of three and five.
I should join in and play with them!
I wove deftly between the tables, walking with spirited steps.
Just then.
“……Ung?”
I spotted a blonde boy sitting alone.
The boy was staring blankly at the gathered children.
At that sight, I put on a rather grave expression.
I tried thinking through the reasons why he might be alone, but only bad thoughts kept coming to mind.
Could he be getting bullied?
Yet his expression was far too calm for that, so being ostracized didn’t seem to be the case.
Or did he want to be friends with everyone, but was just too shy?
That seemed much more likely.
As I paused and watched him, blue eyes slowly shifted to lock onto me, as though sensing my gaze.
Feeling caught peeking, I flinched, but quickly greeted him as if nothing had happened.
“Hello!”
“Hello.”
Fortunately, the boy didn’t seem displeased, so I decided to muster my courage.
“I’m Iwing. What’s youw name?”
“Sage.”
“Why awe you awone? If you’we bowd, do you want to pway with Iwing?”
Sage seemed to ponder my question for a moment, then let out a smirk.
“With you?”
Scanning me from head to toe, Sage muttered softly.
“Looks like one hit would send you flying. ……I suppose I just need to be careful.”
“Ung? What did you say?”
“Sure, let’s play.”
Sage readily nodded.
My very first friend!
Anticipation swelled inside me at the thought of having made my first friend.
“Iwing wives hewe. Whewe did Sage come fwom?”
“The North.”
“Weawwy?!”
Sage’s home must be in the North.
Since it was the complete opposite region from the South, there would surely be plenty of stories to hear.
I was so excited! Was it true that it snowed all day in the North?
I’d heard that everything was white there.
Thrilled at the prospect of the time I would spend with Sage, my excitement reached its peak.