Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

Translator: Nox

Chapter 1

Soya was on her way back, carrying one of her few meager piles of laundry balanced on her head.

She had refrained from leaving her room as much as possible over the past month, doing her utmost to avoid notice, but today there had been no choice.

No one else would wash her clothes if she didn’t do it herself.

It had already been a full month without laundry, and a sharp stench was rising from her already ragged garments.

Hurry back home.

She yearned to quickly lay out the freshly washed clothes in the sunlight until they were bone-dry and fluffy, then change into them right away.

It was then, as she hurried along on her short legs, that it happened.

A burst of delightful, silvery laughter rang out from not far away, causing Soya to halt unconsciously.

“Really, brother?”

“Yes, Riri. Anything you want.”

There were the Zhuque Clan’s young master and young lady.

The clan’s “real” young lady, who had returned just recently, by all accounts.

Lately, she was the biggest topic of gossip among all the household servants.

Yet Soya’s gaze was not fixed on the endearing Lady Riri, but on the young master beside her—the one kindly showing her around the estate.

His soft, gentle face, gazing at the young lady with a smile as warm as a spring breeze. Soya stared at it, utterly entranced.

It was the face she was seeing again after a full three years.

Then, all of a sudden, the young master’s eyes met hers.

“…….”

In an instant, the smile vanished from his face.

It turned frigid, as though the warmth she had just witnessed had been nothing but a mirage. Soya flinched, hunching her shoulders, and hastily set the laundry basket atop her head down onto the ground.

She flattened herself prone on the floor and bowed her head low. Like a criminal.

“S-sorry, Young Master…….”

She could feel a razor-sharp gaze lingering above her head.

[Don’t ever let yourself be seen by me again.]

The cold voice reverberated in her mind, and Soya’s small frame shivered violently.

Jeok Soya had originally been the Zhuque Clan’s precious youngest daughter, doted on beyond measure.

That is, right up until the moment before she succeeded in her first beast transformation at the age of six.

* * *

The Taehwa Kingdom, land of the beastkin.

In the Taehwa Kingdom were four great clans that bore the blood of ancient divine beasts. They protected the imperial family and defended the empire.

The Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermilion Bird of the South, and the Black Tortoise of the North.

Having awakened abilities passed down from antiquity, they ruled over the four directional lands—east, west, south, and north—and the beastkin who dwelled there.

Among them, the Zhuque Clan, Southern Divine Beast guardians of the empire’s southern territories, were the chieftains of 360 avian beastkin species and masters of flame.

The Zhuque Clan estate was abuzz from early morning.

Today marked the sixth birthday of their precious baby youngest lady, Soya—and the day of her first beast transformation.

No one could hide their eager anticipation when the patriarch, Jeok Ayun, appeared cradling Soya in his arms.

“Oh my, the patriarch himself…….”

“They say he cherishes the youngest lady so dearly that he won’t let her out of his arms for even a moment. It must be true.”

The retainers murmured as they gazed at Jeok Ayun and Soya.

Unlike Jeok Ayun, whose hair burned like crimson flames, Soya’s was pure white, clean as snow.

The late madam had possessed auburn locks tinged with vermilion in life, so when Soya was born, many had gossiped about her origins.

Whispering that perhaps the madam, who had succumbed to postpartum fever, had been unfaithful with another man.

But Jeok Ayun had swiftly silenced such doubts.

His departed wife had been a woman pure as snow—no one was to dare question her chastity.

Any who spread such disloyal words would face his personal judgment.

In any case, the child’s first beast transformation would plainly prove she carried the Vermilion Bird’s bloodline.

Direct descendants of the Zhuque Clan would take on the form of a magnificent firebird cloaked in brilliantly blazing red feathers.

It was an immutable law, handed down since time immemorial.

No matter the rumors, Jeok Ayun’s faith in his late wife remained unshakable.

His love for Soya, the final remnant she had left behind, was no different.

Above all, if she were not truly his daughter, there was no way this tiny child could be so utterly lovable.

“Soya, are you ready?”

Jeok Ayun gently set her down, asking in a tender voice.

“Yes, Father!”

Soya clenched her tiny fists tight as she replied.

Her hands brimmed with tension.

“Don’t be nervous, Soya. You can do this.”

From beside her came a whisper from her brother, the Zhuque Clan’s second young master, Jeok Hwayu.

“Yeah, Soya will do great, brother!”

Soya beamed with a hee-hee giggle.

Buoyed by the encouragement from her father and Hwayu brother, some of her tension seemed to ease.

It would have been even better if Sanyu brother—who had departed on an imperial expedition at His Majesty’s summons—could have been there too.

Surrounded by cheers from her family and retainers, Soya walked toward the altar placed before her.

A massive tapestry of the Vermilion Bird hung upon it, depicting a crimson bird wreathed gloriously in sunlike flames, exuding majestic power.

Kneeling before it, Soya clasped her hands neatly to commence the rite of her first beast transformation.

She recalled all that her father and brothers had taught her, visualizing her transformed self in her mind.

The image of a splendid baby bird, brilliant as the sun and blazing like flames—cool and magnificent.

Hee-hee.

The thought alone made her want to grin uncontrollably, forgetting the solemnity of the moment.

Soya pressed her lips firmly together to stifle the smile, then focused intently on her spirit core with earnest prayer.

Please let me become a magnificent baby bird.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for Soya’s first beast transformation.

Pop!

“Peep!”

At last, accompanied by the adorable cry of a baby bird, Soya succeeded!

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

A chill silence descended over the hall in that instant.

Shock painted every face.

The color drained from Patriarch Jeok Ayun’s features until he looked on the verge of collapse.

Where Soya had transformed…

Instead of the brilliantly blazing red feathers befitting a divine beast of Vermilion Bird blood, there stood only a pitiful baby bird clad in shabby white down.

“Chirp?”

Unable to see her own body, Soya cocked her head curiously before toddling toward her rigid father.

“Peeep!”

It was the moment she reached out with a bright smile to grasp Jeok Ayun’s hand.

Swat!

Jeok Ayun struck her hand away.

The force sent Soya’s little body teetering before she tumbled flat onto the floor.

“Eep…?”

Having landed hard on her bottom, Soya stared up at her father in stunned surprise, pain forgotten.

A flicker of dismay crossed Jeok Ayun’s face—but only for a heartbeat.

“Extract the child’s spirit core and confine her to the Cold Palace.”

“……!”

He stared down at Soya with icy eyes as he issued the order.

“No one who speaks of today’s events will be forgiven.”

With that, Jeok Ayun turned and departed the hall.

“Peeep…?”

Soya blinked her wide eyes, watching her father’s retreating back.

Father’s angry.

The coldness in his gaze toward her had frozen her heart solid.

Why is he looking at Soya like that?

Just then, tiny dandelion fluff caught her eye, scattered at her feet.

No. That’s not dandelion fluff…

It was her own down feathers, shed in the fall moments ago.

Soya’s eyes trembled wide.

Something was wrong.

As a direct descendant of the Vermilion Bird, she should have glorious red feathers like her father and brothers. Why…?

I failed my beast transformation.

Staring at her pathetic, scattered white down, realization dawned on Soya.

Soya failed the beast transformation. That’s why Father’s disappointed.

Confusion swirled within her.

At that moment, a shadow slightly smaller than her father’s drew near.

It was Hwayu brother.

Surely he would clear up this confusion.

“Peeep…!”

Amid the frightening tension, Soya rushed toward her brother to hug him, just as always.

But the instant she touched him—

Shunk!

A jolt like a blow to her very soul ripped something from her body.

Atop her brother’s palm hovered a small orb, glowing stark white.

Soya’s spirit core.

The beast transformation unraveled the moment it was taken.

“Gasp….”

Returned to human form, Soya collapsed to the floor, gulping ragged breaths.

“Brother, why….”

“Drag it out at once.”

She flinched.

Soya’s body quaked at the frigid command.

Contempt gleamed in the face of the brother who had always cherished her.

“Brother…?”

“What are you waiting for? Drag it away.”

Two clan soldiers seized Soya’s trembling arms.

“Brother, why, why are you doing this? I-I’m Soya.”

“Brother?”

Jeok Hwayu’s face twisted as he glared down at her.

“Who’s your brother?”

“Is it because Soya failed her beast transformation? That’s why you’re mad and disappointed, right? I-I’m sorry. I-I’ll do it again. This time I’ll succeed for sure….”

Huge teardrops welled from Soya’s eyes and plopped down.

“D-don’t. It’s too scary.”

Yet even as she trembled head to toe, stammering pitifully, Jeok Hwayu’s expression remained utterly heartless.

He bent slowly toward her, matching her eye level.

For a fleeting moment, as he lowered himself, hope flickered across Soya’s face.

“You repulsive thing—you’ve been deceiving us all this time.”

Jeok Hwayu spat the cold warning, as though gnashing his rage between his teeth.

“Don’t ever let yourself be seen by me again.”

“…….”

“The day this hideous face crosses my sight once more, I might just sever those pathetic little wings.”

“……!”

At the bloodthirsty threat, Soya clamped both hands over her mouth, swallowing her sobs.

The clan soldiers dragged her away.

Afterward, Jeok Soya—the Zhuque Clan’s once-beloved precious youngest daughter, adored by all—was imprisoned in the Cold Palace.

At first, she hadn’t understood.

Why her father and Hwayu brother were so furious.

Maybe it was because she’d failed her beast transformation.

Because she had shabby white down instead of magnificent fiery feathers.

If she could just succeed at beast transformation, Father and brother would calm down and smile at Soya again.

Yes, surely.

Left utterly alone, Soya attempted beast transformation once more—but without her spirit core, it was impossible.

Even knowing that, she forced it anyway. Her internals ruptured, and she finally collapsed vomiting blood.

Naturally, no one came to tend to Soya as she lay there spewing blood.

No physician ever arrived to examine her.

Yet her frail, tiny body endured tenaciously—vomiting blood, writhing in agony, refusing to die.

As a result, those serving the Cold Palace assumed Soya was faking illness to gain the patriarch’s attention.

She would faint dead away, regain consciousness, force another beast transformation, vomit blood anew, and faint again—repeating the cycle.

Only after more time passed, overhearing the maids’ whispers, did she finally learn the truth.

Her very existence was proof of her mother’s infidelity.

I wasn’t Father’s real daughter after all.

Only then was Soya able to stop her attempts at beast transformation.

That had been three years ago already.

Everyone had forgotten Soya—forgotten that the Zhuque Clan had once cherished a lovely youngest young lady.

Her father. Hwayu brother……

.

.

And then, one month ago.

The Zhuque Clan’s true young lady had returned.