I’m the Youngest Daughter of the Serpent Family
Chapter 35
That was the secret behind how they could defend their territory despite having far fewer numbers than other clans.
Yet Seiji still looked entirely perplexed.
“What does that have to do with my question?”
“You just asked when you would be able to reach your next growth stage.”
It had been an answer to that.
Seiji made a face of utter disbelief.
“Do you think I desire Irene?”
“Do you not?”
“I only asked because I thought becoming an adult would let me see Irene sooner.”
“Oh, is that so?!”
People don’t normally go to such lengths just to meet someone!
Muhela thought to herself.
Seiji felt subtly unsettled, as if he had somehow walked into a trap.
In truth, wanting to understand why he felt this way was the very reason he had invited Irene to the North in the first place.
He figured seeing her just one more time might give him the answer.
“I told her I would invite her to the North.”
“……You what?”
“Will it be too cold for her here?”
Did he still not understand what it meant to invite someone into his territory?
That shouldn’t be possible, should it?
Seiji was undergoing successor training; there was no way he didn’t know.
Muhela replied, dazed.
“……It might be cold for her, yes.”
“Being frail is rather troublesome.”
Seiji muttered softly under his breath. There were far too many things to take into account.
Before they knew it, the carriage had crossed into the northern border. Snow falling from the sky drifted into view.
Seiji leaned back comfortably against the familiar air.
“Once I become the head of the family, I should expand our territory first.”
“Ha.”
Muhela was left speechless. To think he was planning to expand their territory just to invite Irene to the North.
The moment he heard that tiny child might not withstand the cold, he had immediately begun scheming.
If he took even a moment to reflect on the way his thoughts were flowing, the answer would be staring him right in the face.
Was it simply because he was still young?
She felt baffled. And on the other hand, worried.
If what he desired were a mere object, that would be one thing, but when the object of desire was a person, it was entirely different.
‘This is a little dangerous. ……Is it fine for now, though?’
It might just be a passing whim.
Seiji was terribly fickle, after all.
“Do your best, Seiji.”
Though she doubted Irene’s family would ever allow her to come play in the North.
* * *
Lately, something strange had been happening.
It was the distinct sensation of being watched.
At first, I brushed it off as just my imagination, but as time passed and it kept happening, I realized it was very real.
When I felt that burning gaze again, right on cue, my hand froze mid-stroke over the drawing.
Then I shouted at the top of my lungs.
“Iweeng isn’t scawed at all!”
My clear, ringing voice echoed through the room.
I quickly whipped my head toward the window.
Reflected in the clear glass was nothing more than a bright sky and lush green leaves.
I’m sure there was something there just now!
I glared fiercely and climbed down from my chair.
Running over to the window, I stood on tiptoe.
Barely managing to peek down over the sill, all I saw was the vast, empty garden.
“No one thewe again.”
I moved super fast this time, too.
Having come up completely empty-handed, I let out a long sigh.
I went back and sat at the desk, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from drifting back toward the window.
I kicked my legs with extra vigor on purpose and squeezed the fat crayon filling my palm tightly.
“Iweeng isn’t scawed of ghosts at all.”
In truth, my heart was thumping wildly.
Muttering words completely contrary to how I felt like a protective chant, I gulped down a dry swallow.
I had completely lost interest in coloring.
All my senses had shifted elsewhere long ago.
As I sat there only half-heartedly coloring the picture book, Rosaria, having finished tidying the bathroom, stepped out and gave me a puzzled look.
“Lady Irene, did someone come by?”
“Huh? Nu-uh. No one came.”
“Then whom were you speaking to just now? And what is it you’re not scared of at all?”
I decided to confess everything I had been keeping secret to Rosaria.
“Wosawia……”
“Yes, Lady Irene?”
Sniffle.
On the verge of tears, I pressed my lips tightly together.
My hands, clenched tight in a desperate bid not to be scared, were smeared and messy with crayon wax.
The sorrow of this whole frustrating situation made the bridge of my nose sting.
My head knew there was no such thing as ghosts, but my feelings were another matter entirely.
“Iweeng is so scawed…… I think thewe’s a ghost…… *Waaah.*”
I had yelled that I wasn’t scared at all, but in truth, it was all a lie.
As I burst into full-blown wailing, Rosaria asked calmly.
She seemed unsure whether she had heard correctly.
“A ghost?”
“It’s been watching me fow a long, long time…….”
Faced with this out-of-nowhere ghost talk, Rosaria looked bewildered.
When I threw myself into her embrace, she gently patted my back.
“Please don’t cry, Lady Irene. That’s not a ghost.”
“Weally……?”
“Yes. So dry your tears now.”
“*Sniff,* okay.”
“Did it feel like someone kept watching you, Lady Irene?”
Nod, nod.
As I nestled in Rosaria’s arms and merely bobbed my head, I heard a soft chuckle.
“I’ll take care of it for you.”
“How?”
“Because I think I know who the culprit is.”
I had no idea how she knew, but Rosaria’s words brought a deep sense of relief.
I wiped away the tears trailing down my cheeks with the back of my hand.
Once I had settled down a bit, Rosaria straightened up and walked over to the window. It was the very one I had just checked.
What was she trying to do? There was nobody there.
Throwing the window wide open, Rosaria spoke smoothly into the quiet, empty air.
“If you don’t come out this instant, you will vanish from this world without a trace. One, two…….”
Though the words themselves were anything but gentle.
As Rosaria began counting down without warning, a silhouette that had been hiding heaven knows where scrambled hastily into view.
It was a man with refined features and white hair.
Having truly never expected a person to drop from the sky, I stared at him blankly.
Noticing my gaze, deep violet eyes locked onto mine.
“Hello, young lady. This is our first time meeting like this, isn’t it?”
I was so startled that I got the hiccups.
The man grumbled as he swung himself over the windowsill and stepped into the room.
“That’s harsh, Rosaria. At least tell me you’re going to count before you start. Do you think I’m Karma?”
My eyes went wide at the mention of a name I recognized.
The three of them seemed to know each other.
“Lady Irene was frightened because you were hiding and watching her. You should be grateful I even counted.”
“Ah, my mistake. I thought I was being careful, but I got caught.”
The man spoke in an utterly shameless tone.
Hearing that, Rosaria flashed a sweet smile.
“You were probably dying to be caught.”
Their banter flowed effortlessly, like two people who had known each other for ages.
I quietly crept closer to Rosaria’s side.
I was curious about who this man was, and I also wanted to ask why he had been hiding and watching me.
“Is he Wosawia’s fwiend?”
“Ah, this person’s name is Mesis.”
Rosaria introduced him.
“He was a comrade back when we were stationed at the border, and it seems he’s been assigned to be Lady Irene’s guard this time.”
“Mine?”
Is that why he was watching me in secret?
I remembered that Karma, whom I had met a few days ago, was also an escort knight.
Knowing that Mesis had been protecting me too made me feel a sudden surge of fondness and relief.
Everyone is watching from somewhere!
It felt just like playing hide-and-seek.
Where would I have to go to see them all?
There was a mountain of things I wanted to ask, but I decided to take it one question at a time.
“Did Mesis pwotect Iweeng too?”
“Of course. I rushed all the way from far away just to protect you, young lady.”
“Mesis. Mind your tone.”
Rosaria warned him.
A look of realization flashed across Mesis’s face.
“My apologies. I did practice, but I’m still not used to it.”
I didn’t really mind that sort of thing at all. I smiled to let him know it was fine.
“Um, is the bowdew weally faw away?”
Unable to truly grasp the scale of the South, I asked, prompting Mesis to fold his fingers one by one.
“It takes several full days of riding, so yes, it’s quite far. The southern edge is a very long way from here.”
“Whoaaa.”
Having recently developed an immense curiosity about the outside world, my eyes sparkled.
“I wanna go thewe too. When can I go?”