Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Immune to Venom
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"I have a use for it."
"And why did you tell me to burn the letter?"
"There's a reason."
"…Sigh. I brought it because you said you needed it, but it's not easy for me to get this every time. You know that, right?"
At Kaide’s unhelpful explanations, Dante gritted his teeth.
I stared at the cloth. It was a little thick, as if something was inside. I wondered what was inside the thin wooden box wrapped in the fabric.
"Curious what this is?"
Kaide asked, looking at me. I nodded.
"Yes. What is it?"
"…It's nothing, Aileen. Don't look at it, and don't try to know what it is. Got it?"
Dante scowled. His glare clearly said, *Are you really going to tell her just because she asked?*
*What's in there that's making him react so strongly?*
"Dad, what is it?"
"Your medicine."
In that instant, Dante shot to his feet, horrified.
He shouted.
"Are you insane?!"
"I'm serious."
"You, you… Do you even know what that is? Have you forgotten what you asked me to bring?"
"I remember perfectly. I asked you to bring Cold Poison Herb."
Cold Poison Herb? Just from the name, I could tell it was a poisonous herb. But to think it would be my medicine?
I could understand Dante's reaction. He seemed flustered at the idea of a poisonous herb being used as medicine.
I felt the same way.
He'd said my body might not withstand the intermediate growth stage, but this was far more serious than I'd expected. To think he'd have to resort to a poisonous herb.
*Is it even edible?*
Dante spoke, his voice agitated.
"If anyone ingests this, even the strongest Su-in would stop breathing within minutes. You're not ignorant of that, are you?"
"…For now, it's just a contingency."
"A contingency? For what? I'm not handing this over until you tell me."
Dante took the Cold Poison Herb back. Kaide said nothing.
"This is why I told Baon to leave."
"What in the world happened? And what's going on with Aileen? I've never seen a member of the Bird Clan, who aren't even raptors, grow this fast."
Dante pressed him to tell the truth. Kaide sighed. He seemed to be hesitating, unsure how to begin.
I gasped as a thought suddenly struck me.
I had a feeling there was a secret Kaide hadn't told me all this time.
*And it's something that even Baon can't know.*
I slowly looked at Kaide.
Kaide met my gaze without looking away.
"...Is there a secret about me that even Baon can't know?"
"Yes."
"...What is it?"
*What kind of secret could Baon not know, but Dante could?*
*No.*
*There was no way a secret unknown to Baon, Kaide's closest aide, would be something Dante was allowed to know.*
*Then what on earth… is it?*
I was confused.
Dante was still staring at Kaide with a hardened expression.
A frighteningly heavy atmosphere enveloped the office. Kaide began to speak.
"I'm well aware that the Cold Poison Herb is strictly managed by the Iselode family. I also know it's a poison that not even the Gaju can touch carelessly."
"Good that you know. I can use my authority to let this slide for now, but if word gets out that I'm continuously supplying Cold Poison Herb to an outsider, my position will become difficult."
"Aileen is going through an intermediate growth stage."
"...Intermediate growth? I've never heard of such a thing."
Dante, who had been somewhat agitated, answered hesitantly. He looked at me, sitting beside him.
Though the term 'intermediate growth' was unfamiliar, he seemed to accept it after seeing how much I'd grown in a short time, and he gestured for Kaide to continue.
"As you can see, Aileen's growth rate is different from that of a typical member of the Bird Clan. ...It's because she absorbed my pheromones. As a result, our pheromones are clashing."
"...Are you saying she has two sets of pheromones?"
"Yes. But because the two pheromones have different properties, a medium is needed to neutralize them."
"Hah."
Dante's jaw dropped, a dumbfounded look on his face. His mouth hung open, showing no signs of closing.
After a long moment, as if realizing how ridiculous he looked, he quickly covered his mouth and cleared his throat.
"I think I get the gist of it. So? What does that have to do with the Cold Poison Herb?"
"The reason Aileen was able to be born is because she withstood my pheromones."
"I suppose so. You're stating the obvi—"
Dante, who had been answering nonchalantly, widened his eyes.
Straightening up from his leaning posture on the sofa, Dante stared at Kaide in disbelief.
"Don't tell me that means… What are you saying to me right now, Kaide Astrofel?"
"Exactly what you heard."
"Ha… haha. You're insane. You must be. If you were in your right mind, you wouldn't be saying something like that."
Kaide offered no reply. It was a silent affirmation. Dante's face crumpled in an instant.
"Do you have any idea what you just said to me?!"
"I know perfectly well."
"…!"
"Perhaps I should be more direct."
Kaide turned his gaze toward me, as if he intended to tell me himself.
My body tensed with nervousness before I even realized it.
His lips parted. In that moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
"Aileen is immune to the Black Mamba's venom."
At his words, I shook my head.
"...That's impossible. You're lying."
"Didn't she consume all of Kasana's poison? And Mesis's venom had no effect on her either."
"...No."
Though I denied it, the memory of smelling Mesis's toxic scent resurfaced.
"Being immune to the Black Mamba's deadly venom is the same as being immune to most poisons."
"No!"
I covered my ears and shouted.
*Impossible. Immune to the Black Mamba's venom?*
*That means my very existence is a threat to the Astrofel family.*
*Then, could it be that the Artban Gaju knows this and is targeting me for that reason?*
Now I understood why he'd sent Baon away.
If he learned of this, even Baon would surely find my existence unsettling.
Dante buried his face in his hands.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
"You're going to pretend you didn't hear it after you heard everything?"
"Yes. And I understand how much you want to protect Aileen."
Dante's expression was complicated. Looking at Kaide, he ran a hand messily through his hair.
"Sometimes, I just don't get it."
"What?"
"How you can care for her this much."
There was no object, but I understood what he meant.
He was asking why Kaide would go to such lengths for me.
*When I'm not even his biological daughter.*
*How could he so readily reveal a fact that could endanger his family just to ask Dante for help?*
Kaide let out a short laugh.
"I don't know either."
"...What?"
Dante asked back, dumbfounded. Kaide watched me, his posture relaxed and slightly askew.
"At first, her red eyes caught my attention. Now, I don't feel the need to justify it."
"..."
"She was born from my pheromones, so of course she's my daughter."
Dante looked stunned, as if he'd just been struck. No words were exchanged between them.
I lowered my head. I knew Kaide had accepted me as his daughter, but the meaning of his words...
It meant he thought of me as no different from his own flesh and blood.
*How can he, when we look so different?*
Kaide said.
"A Su-in's nature follows their pheromones, so who knows, she might even turn into a snake later."
"...Can you really make jokes in a situation like this?"
"Well, that's how little is known about it."
I desperately held back the tears that threatened to spill. My vision blurred, and my eyes grew hot.
As I kept my head down for a long time, I could feel Kaide's gaze on me.
"Aileen."
"...Yes."
"You should come sit next to me."
"...Yes."
I nodded and got up from my seat.
As I walked around the table and sat next to Kaide, a tear fell. The color of the carpet beneath darkened.
"Such a crybaby."
"I'm not a crybaby."
"Then what's this?"
Kaide lifted my face.
He wiped away the tears welling in my eyes before they could fall.
Gazing at me, the corners of Kaide's mouth lifted playfully.
"So you're crying because of Dante?"
"...Huh?"
*I'm crying because of Dante? No. I was crying because I was moved by what Kaide said.*
Dante looked wronged at the sudden accusation that he was the reason for my tears.
"Why is Aileen crying because of me?"
"You made her cry. Why would you say something like that and upset a child?"
"Ha!"
Dante slapped his forehead, dumbfounded.
Still, the words he'd said earlier seemed to weigh on his conscience, as he furtively glanced my way.
Soon, he spoke in a low voice.
"I'm sorry, Aileen. ...I shouldn't have said that."
"N-no, it's okay."
I wiped my eyes. Thanks to this, I was able to hear Kaide's true feelings.
*The fact that I'm immune to the Black Mamba's venom means I'm a threat to the family.*
Kaide must have agonized over it before deciding to tell Dante the truth.
*But he revealed the secret for my sake.*
Dante let out a series of heavy sighs.
"So, what do you need me to do? Should I just keep procuring the Cold Poison Herb for you?"
"Yes. The Cold Poison Herb doesn't grow in the south. There's a limit to how much we can bring in from the outside. It would be a problem if rumors started to spread."
"Right. If word got out that the Astrofel family was continuously buying up Cold Poison Herb, it would draw a lot of attention. ...Hoo."
Dante's lips must have been dry, as he poured and drank tea several times.
"I feel like I've crossed a river of no return."
"An accurate expression."
Kaide smiled brightly. Dante, who was gulping down his tea, looked puzzled.
Kaide made a throat-slitting gesture and said,
"The safety of the West rests entirely on your lips, Dante."
"...You don't have to threaten me like this. I'll keep my mouth shut, so don't worry."
"That's a relief."
"After all, I'm your friend, and I'm also Aileen's uncle."
*So, will I have to start taking the Cold Poison Herb now?*
I looked at the cloth containing the Cold Poison Herb that lay in front of Dante.