I’m the Youngest Daughter of the Serpent Family
Chapter 41
* * *
“Lady Irene. It is time to wake up.”
A gentle tickle stirred me awake.
Having fallen asleep right on schedule for naptime, I blearily sat up.
Wanting to sleep just a little longer, I rubbed my eyes and burrowed back into the covers, only for Rosaria’s whispering voice to reach my ears.
“You really must get up. It is already past five o’clock.”
“Uunngh.”
“The Head of the family said everyone would be having dinner together tonight.”
My eyes snapped open.
Dinner all together?
I sprang right up. I couldn’t even remember how long it had been since our last family meal.
Poking my head out from under the blanket, I looked at Rosaria.
“We’re eating dinner all together?”
“Of course. Shall we hurry and get you ready?”
“Ung, okay. I’m gonna be the very first one to the dining hall.”
“Let us tidy your hair first.”
“Ung.”
Haaam. I let out a massive yawn. The lingering drowsiness hadn’t completely faded yet.
I must have played a bit too hard in the garden today.
Sitting on the bed, I waited for Rosaria to fix my hair.
I could feel her hands gently brushing through the strands.
Fiddling with the hair framing my face, a sudden thought struck me—I wanted to try getting it braided.
“Rosaria. Can you bwaid my hair?”
“Of course. Would you like me to braid it?”
“Ung.”
Rosaria set to work braiding my hair. At the ends of the neatly plaited strands, she tied bright yellow ribbons.
“How does it look? Do you like it?”
“Ung, it’s pwetty!”
The long twin braids were comfortable, and I loved how they looked.
Fully prepared, I stepped out of the room to head down to the dining hall.
“I’m gonna go be the first one there.”
“If you go now, Lady Irene, you will certainly be the earliest to arrive.”
“Right?”
Everyone was so busy that they would probably show up right on the dot.
I turned the corner of the hallway toward the stairs leading to the floor below.
At that exact moment, I ran into Seth coming down from the upper floor.
Seth looked mildly surprised, clearly not expecting to run into me.
“Irene?”
“Oppa? Where are you going?”
“I was on my way to the dining hall.”
Already? This early? That was entirely unexpected.
Seth, who had paused on the stairs, started walking down as he spoke.
“You braided your hair, Irene.”
“Rosaria did it for me. Pretty, right?”
I took hold of the long braids with both hands and showed them off.
Quietly casting his gaze down at my hair, Seth fell into step beside me.
“Did Seth oppa not miss Ireng?”
“Who knows.”
“Hmph. Ireng missed everyone, so I came out the very first.”
“Is that so.”
Still, why had Seth come out so early? Did he have something to take care of before going to the dining hall?
When I looked up at him in wonder, the crimson eyes that had been gazing straight ahead shifted downward.
“I just had nothing else to do.”
“Oh, I see. Ah, right!”
How could I have forgotten to brag about this?
Beaming broadly, I started boasting to Seth.
“I get to take lessons in the fowest now too, you know!”
“The forest?”
“Ung. I get to take pheromone lessons in the forest now. Cool, huh?”
Hurry up and say it’s cool. As I looked up with sparkling eyes puffed full of anticipation, the corner of Seth’s mouth curled into an amused, mocking smirk.
“How impressive.”
His answer was utterly soulless. But I had already expected a reaction like that to some degree.
Seth was always awkward when it came to giving compliments.
Having gotten a general grasp of his personality by now, it didn’t hurt my feelings in the slightest.
“Soon I’ll be able to turn into a bird and fly, too. Cool, right?”
“Very cool.”
“And then…”
“By the way, Irene.”
“Ung?”
Seth’s eyes narrowed into slits. A mischievous smile spread distinctly across his lips.
“You must never lose your focus when shifting into your true form. Because if that happens…”
If that happens?
“Only part of your body will transform into your true form, and you might have to live like that for the rest of your life.”
A thunderbolt of shock struck me. Seeing me freeze in place with my mouth hanging open, Seth let out a chuckle.
Leaving me completely paralyzed with horror, Seth strolled right past me.
I stared blankly at his receding back.
If only half of me changes, what happens after that?
Snapping back to my senses, I pattered after him in a rush and grabbed tightly onto Seth’s sleeve.
At the tiny tug, Seth paused his leisurely stride. It was as if he had been waiting for me to do just that.
“What?”
“Wh-what happens if that happens?”
“Curious?”
“Ung.”
There had to be a way to change back, right?
Yet the answer I was desperately hoping for didn’t come, even after a long pause.
Looking as if he were deep in thought, Seth merely shrugged.
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had that happen to me before.”
“…”
“I succeeded on the very first try, you see.”
“Casa never told me about that!”
“Maybe she forgot?”
If it was something so important, she definitely would have told me beforehand. She really must have forgotten.
As I hung my head and glumly stared at the floor, Seth started snickering.
Why was he laughing? The moment I snapped my head up, Seth’s face returned to a blank expression, tilting his head with utter innocence.
Something smelled terribly fishy. Don’t tell me he was teasing me this whole time?
As I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, Seth walked past me once more.
“I feel like you’re going to get tricked everywhere you go.”
“Were you teasing Ireng this whole time?”
“Yes.”
It was a shockingly unbothered, shamelessly bold answer.
I froze for a moment in sheer disbelief.
A deep sense of betrayal swiftly washed over me.
All that time I had spent agonizing so seriously, truly believing every word, felt completely wasted.
Puffing my cheeks out as far as they would go, I chased after him again, and Seth’s pace slowed down once more.
“I thought you were serious and got so scared!”
“I was a little surprised you actually bought it, too.”
“I won’t fall for it anymore.”
“I thought you’d stay fooled a bit longer.”
His voice was dripping with genuine disappointment.
I swept a hand over my chest in pure relief. There was no way Casana would have left out something that important after all.
While bickering back and forth, we had arrived at the entrance of the dining hall.
Just as we were about to head inside, I spotted Arvan approaching from the opposite direction.
I waved my hand happily.
“Arvang!”
Behind Arvan, Orca was following along as well.
Thrilled to see him after so long, I acknowledged him and waved as well, and Orca offered a slight bow.
“Good evening, Young Master Seth, Lady Irene.”
“Where did Arvang and Oruca go?”
The two of them were dressed in outdoor clothes I had never seen before.
It was distinctly different from the attire they usually wore while training in the forest.
As I looked on with wide, curious eyes, Arvan slipped off his coat, the corner of his mouth curling into a spiteful smirk.
“You’ve still got a long, long way to go before you can ever visit.”
“Where did you go?”
“Outside.”
“…Outside?”
Don’t tell me—outside the estate?
When I whipped my head around to look at Orca, he looked flustered and offered an awkward smile instead of an answer.
It seemed they really had gone outside.
Didn’t they say going outside was only allowed once you became an adult?
As I tilted my head, still unable to comprehend, Seth explained it to me.
“It’s allowed if Father gives permission.”
“Daddy does?”
“Yes.”
Heavens, so that was how it worked. Was I the only one who didn’t know about this method?
Hardly daring to believe it, I turned back to Seth.
“…Has Seth oppa been outside too?”
“Yes.”
It seemed both of them had already been outside, leaving only me behind.
Then when would I ever get to go outside?
Instantly, my lower lip pouted out. An unmistakable wave of sulkiness radiated from my entire body.
Watching my expression sour in real time, Orca grew thoroughly flustered and didn’t know what to do with himself.
“…Th-the Head of the family will give his permission soon enough. Please do not be so disheartened, Lady Irene.”
“Can Ireng go out too?”
“Of course you can.”
“When?”
“That is…”
Orca’s parted lips failed to find any words.
His voice trailed off, and his eyes, cautiously gauging my reaction, subtly darted away.
At a complete loss for what to do, Orca’s hands fidgeted helplessly in the air.
Unable to give a straight answer, he even looked anxious.
“What is everyone gathered here doing?”
At that exact moment, Kaid’s voice echoed down the hall.
Simultaneously, Orca’s complexion brightened with immense relief.
He looked positively brimming with hope that he could finally escape this predicament.
Still feeling deeply miffed, I tucked my lips in and turned around.
“Daddyyy!”
“Hmm?”
And then I dashed forward and threw my arms around Kaid in a tight hug.
Clinging tightly to his leg, I looked up at him. Kaid stared down at me quietly for a moment, then lifted his head toward Orca as if demanding an explanation.
“What is the matter?”
“Well… having learned that Young Master Arvan went out, the young lady wished to go outside as well.”
“So that is why her face is so pouting.”
“She seems quite upset after hearing that all the young masters have received permission to go out.”
“Is that so?”
Kaid lowered his gaze back to me as he asked. Burying my face against him, I gave a firm nod.