I’m the Youngest Daughter of the Serpent Family
Chapter 56
“Gasp.”
How did he know? As I froze in surprise, Kaid’s expression twisted.
“And here you answered so confidently just a moment ago. I almost fell for it.”
“…I didn’t twick anyone, though.”
I had only said I knew it because it was my own name, so being accused of trickery felt entirely unfair.
“What is my name?”
“Kaid Astrophel.”
“Then who am I?”
What was he doing all of a sudden? I wondered what his intention was behind these questions, but decided to answer dutifully for now.
“Daddy is the Head of the Family here.”
“The Head of which clan?”
“The Black Mambas.”
“Then you, having taken my family name—what clan are you?”
Ah.
It felt as though I had been struck soundly on the back of the head. Unable to utter a word, I blinked slowly.
Does that mean I’m part of the Black Mamba clan too? Even though I’m a bird?
If someone asks what clan I belong to from now on, is it really okay for me to say Black Mamba?
“Is Irene still a Black Mamba even if I weave here?”
“…What is that supposed to mean now?”
Kaid’s face hardened terrifyingly. His red eyes flashed as if demanding an immediate answer.
“I have to weave watew anyway.”
“Are you declaring right in front of me that you’re going to run away from home? How bold.”
That wasn’t it at all. It seemed Kaid had completely forgotten his own words about taking me in as his daughter ‘for the time being.’
Kaid looked down at me with an intricate, unreadable expression.
“I have no idea what goes on in that head of yours, but never forget that wherever you go, you are an Astrophel, Irene.”
“Mm.”
Though my worries hadn’t vanished completely, hearing Kaid put it that way brought a measure of relief to my heart.
Just as our conversation drew to a close, a faint commotion sounded from outside.
It seemed Casana had arrived, and Rosaria was currently explaining the situation to her.
Thinking this was my chance, I quickly raised my hand.
“Daddy!”
“What is it?”
“Irene wants to have cwass in the fowest today.”
I couldn’t go around with this tail until tomorrow. When I looked up at him pleadingly, Kaid let out a scoffing chuckle, his face saying it was out of the question.
Ah… I guess he won’t let me. Then I suppose I’ll just have to walk around like this until tomorrow.
Kaid rose from his seat and opened the door. I didn’t know how long they had been waiting, but Casana and Rosaria stood right outside the room.
At that moment, unbelievable words fell from his lips.
“Replace today’s lesson with pheromone training, Casana.”
“…Pardon?”
“She can’t remain in this state forever.”
“Yes, I will do so.”
Wow. What just happened? He acted like he would never grant my wish at first.
I shouted toward Kaid, who was already striding away down the hall.
“Daddy’s the best!”
Right after the morning meeting concluded.
While checking the letters that had arrived from various families, Baon’s expression hardened upon discovering a rather unwelcome seal.
A seal stamped with a pure white feather.
It belonged to the Roisar Family.
“Good grief… A family I had no wish to see has made an appearance.”
Baon frowned as he looked at the letter.
Exchanging correspondence with the Roisar Family was something that happened barely once a year, if at all.
There was no reason for them to reach out first.
No, there was actually one possibility that came to mind.
And that was precisely what Baon dreaded the most.
Something truly wonderful happened.
During this lesson, not only did I manage to retract my tail, but I even succeeded in transforming my hands, even if only for a brief moment.
I even succeeded in returning them to their original state.
What in the world?!
Did I really achieve all this today?
Once I succeeded in making the tail vanish, everything that followed went smoothly.
After getting the hang of moving my pheromones once, doing it again required only a little concentration.
She told me that once I grew accustomed to it, it would become second nature in no time.
“I’m gonna go bwag to Daddy.”
It was all thanks to Kaid telling her to change the lesson that I was able to make this much progress, after all.
“The Head of the Family will be very pleased.”
“Wight? He’ll praise me and say I did a good job, won’t he?”
“Of course he will.”
Though my pheromones were almost completely depleted, I didn’t feel tired in the slightest.
Walking with light, buoyant steps as if I were about to fly, I spotted Arvan walking toward us from the opposite direction.
“Huh? Arvan!”
“…What. Did you have class today?”
“Mm. Owca is hewe too?”
“I was in charge of Young Master Arvan’s lesson today.”
Did Orca teach classes too? I thought Casana handled all of them.
“I cannot oversee every single lesson alone, so we divided the duties. The young masters have begun martial arts training now, after all.”
“I see. So coow. Can you thwow twee leaves at twees now?”
“Why would I throw leaves at trees?”
“Isn’t that the kind of thing you learn in martial arts training?”
It had looked incredibly cool when I saw it before. Did Arvan not learn things like that?
Orca seemed to understand what I meant, offering a faint smile as he explained.
“The young master is currently taking lessons focused primarily on physical combat techniques. It seems the young lady is focusing intensively on pheromone control.”
“That is correct. Since the young lady’s body is not yet suited for physical combat, we decided to advance straight to pheromone control.”
So that’s how it was. It must be too early for my current body to learn physical combat.
Will I be able to learn it once I grow as big as Arvan?
“You were taking quite a difficult lesson, Young Lady.”
Orca showed a hint of surprise.
Controlling pheromones must have been harder than I thought. I assumed I was just learning the easiest basics.
Seeing Arvan glancing over with interest, it seemed he hadn’t learned pheromone control yet either.
“Then I shall take my leave now. Please return safely, everyone.”
At the fork in the forest path, Orca stopped and bowed in farewell. It seemed he and Arvan always parted ways around here.
I waved to Casana first, bidding her goodbye.
Normally, she would have accompanied me all the way to the entrance, but having visited the forest several times now, I knew the path from here. Besides, Arvan was with me, so it was fine.
“Mm. Casa can go fwom hewe today too! Arvan oppa is hewe.”
“…Then I shall take my leave.”
Casana gave a polite nod and disappeared down the path with Orca.
Taking the left fork led to the annex granted to the clan members who lived and worked within the estate, while the right fork led to the main building.
I walked side by side with Arvan toward the right.
“Oppa. Irene succeeded with hew wings today too.”
“…Really?”
“Mm. She said if I can do the wings, I’ve done almost evewything!”
Since I had become able to change one of the most central parts of my body, transforming other parts would take no time at all, she had said.
My mood soared again, and as I bounced along with every step, Arvan let out a quiet snort of amusement.
We soon stepped into the mansion.
However, the moment we crossed the threshold, an unusual tension hung in the air.
…What was this?
Today’s meeting should have already ended, so why was everyone gathered in front of the conference room?
“Why is everyone gathered there?”
“Something urgent must have come up. They’re like that sometimes.”
Unlike me, who was full of curiosity, Arvan showed little interest.
Did something happen that required another meeting so soon?
I stepped into the lobby alongside Arvan.
It was at that exact moment. The noisy lobby fell deathly quiet in an instant.
It felt as though everyone had shut their mouths the second they saw us walk in.
An uneasy feeling crept over me.
Arvan, who had seemed indifferent just moments ago, must have felt the same strange vibe, as he was scanning our surroundings.
Just before we cleared the lobby entirely, Arvan called out to me in a low whisper.
“Hey.”
“Mm?”
“From now on, don’t make a sound and follow me. Don’t act suspicious either. Got it?”
“Mm. Got it.”
I answered with utmost gravity.
Once we were completely out of the lobby, Arvan cast a subtle glance around.
Then, grabbing my hand tightly, he began leading me somewhere.
The place we arrived at was a planter framed by towering marble pillars right in front of the lobby.
It was an ideal spot for a small child to hide.
Realizing what Arvan was trying to do, I hid myself deep inside the planter alongside him.
As if by silent agreement, we pressed close together and peeked through the bushes at the lobby.
“If you stay here, you can overhear pretty much anything.”
“Wow. How did you find out about this pwace?”
“Just happened to stumble upon it. People don’t really pay attention to this spot.”
I see. But what kind of things had Arvan hidden here to eavesdrop on before?
When I stared at him intently, Arvan furrowed his brows and mouthed, What?
Just as I was about to shake my head to say it was nothing, vassals appeared, walking past the front of the pillars.
I gasped, covering my mouth, and lowered my body even further.
“Is it true that a letter requesting her return arrived from the Roisar Family?”
“The entire mansion is in an uproar because of it.”
“If the Roisar Family made an official request, what will happen? …Surely the young lady won’t have to go to the East, will she?”
“By the rules, she would have to.”
The conversation they were having was about me.
As expected, the suspicious atmosphere I had felt in the lobby wasn’t my imagination.
But what was the Roisar Family, and what did they mean by me having to go to the East?
What in the world did they mean by requesting a return…?
At that moment, a sudden realization struck me, and my entire body froze.