Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: The First Lesson
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Huh? I ran away because I didn't want to go to class, so why is that commendable?
Arban gasped, surprised by the unexpected compliment. He seemed confused.
"How long can you hide from Kasana?"
"...Not for very long."
"Though it seems you've become quite skilled at concealing your presence."
"..."
"If you keep skipping your lessons, Aileen will catch up to you, Arban."
"Like I'd ever let a pipsqueak like her catch up to me."
Arban's lips twisted into a pout.
Even so, the thought of me catching up to him seemed to bother him, as his expression subtly hardened.
Soon, whatever he was imagining made his face scrunch up in a frown that wouldn't smooth out.
"Did you imagine Aileen catching up to Oppa?"
"No, I didn't. Don't even dream of it, pipsqueak."
"Hmph. Aileen's not a pipsqueak. I've grown this much more."
I spread my thumb and forefinger to show him.
There was a saying that children grow differently every day. And I really was growing day by day.
Though it wasn't that noticeable.
Arban stared blankly at the two-centimeter gap between my fingers before letting out a scoff.
"You can't call that growing."
"Aileen even got new shoes!"
"Oh, did you now?"
Arban shrugged and continued eating his grape tart.
I puffed out my cheeks and put on a tearful face.
"I'm gonna eat a lot and grow up fast!"
"Don't push yourself when you can't even eat that much."
"Huh?"
"It doesn't seem like you'll grow much anyway."
Set said with a bright smile. It was an undeniably vexing remark.
With my fork, I cut a large piece of cake piled high with cream and put it in my mouth.
The sweet food seemed to lift my spirits a little.
Kaide, who had been watching our somewhat noisy bickering with interest, suddenly turned his gaze to me.
"Aileen, how have you been?"
"Huh?"
"You're the only one who hasn't said anything."
This time, all eyes were on me, just like before. I started folding my fingers one by one. There were so many things, it would take a long time to tell them everything.
"It's alright if it takes a while, so go on."
"Um. I played on the swings, and I studied... and I also met the people who are guarding Aileen."
"Guards?... Ah. Are you talking about the man who appeared at the banquet?"
Set asked. I nodded, confirming he was right.
"Yeah, that was Karma. And they said there are more, but I haven't seen them all yet."
"I see. So they've already shown themselves. They must have been quite impatient."
Kaide let out a dry laugh, his tone suggesting he understood completely.
"I met Mesis and Paymon, too."
"Oh? Those two?"
"Yep. They said I could only see them after they finished their reflection papers, so Aileen wrote them a letter."
I hope I can meet the rest of them soon.
Since they said they finished their papers, I might be able to meet them all within a few days.
Hearing my words, Kaide paused and asked again.
"A letter?"
"Yep. Rosaria helped me make a letter and I sent it to them. Mesis delivered it."
"So that's why they submitted a proper one right away."
Kaide muttered as if a question had finally been answered.
"So, was it a pleasant meeting?"
"Yep. I wanna meet the others soon, too."
"It won't be boring, then."
That was the fun of it. Not knowing who would show up next made the waiting exciting.
Although it would be so sudden that it might be startling.
The flow of conversation was gradually coming to an end.
Outside the window, it had grown so dark that objects were no longer clearly distinguishable.
Yawn.
A long yawn escaped me.
I blinked my eyes open, feeling drowsy. Dinnertime wasn't over yet...
Once the sleepiness hit, there was no end to it.
As I widened my eyes and slapped my cheek to wake up, Set, who was sitting across from me, looked dumbfounded.
"If you're sleepy, you can go to bed."
"Nuh-uh. But we're not done talking yet."
"It's not exactly a conversation worth dragging out, is it?"
"Yes, it is. It's super important!"
I didn't know when we'd have another chance to sit down and talk like this.
I wanted to hear more, and it felt like a waste to end it here.
A chance to grow closer had presented itself, and I didn't want to let it slip away.
Set looked at me with a peculiar expression.
"For someone who thinks that, you look like you're about to slam your head on the table, Aileen."
Oops.
I jerked my head up, which had been nodding off.
"It seems we should call it a night."
Kaide, who had been watching me, announced the end of the meal.
He rose from his seat and lifted me into his arms.
Nestled in his large, sturdy embrace, a deep wave of slumber washed over me in an instant.
* * *
I was now leaving my room alone.
Today was the first day of my pheromone lessons.
"Hee hee hee. Hum hum."
I hummed a tune, my steps light as I headed toward the entrance of the forest.
We had agreed to meet at the entrance and go in together, so Kasana was probably already waiting for me.
Just as I expected. A familiar figure came into view.
"Kasana! Have you been waiting long?"
"No. I have not been waiting long."
"Let's go in quickly."
"Shall we head in, then?"
"Yep. I prepared a whole lot before coming here."
Although, my preparations consisted entirely of mental readiness.
But having the right mindset is what's important!
I took one step after another, heading inside.
As I stepped from the sun-drenched garden onto the ground beyond the line of giant trees, a strange feeling washed over me.
I had experienced the quiet stillness once before, but it felt like it would take a long time to get used to this atmosphere.
I stuck close behind Kasana.
"Kasana, how far are we going?"
"We must go a little deeper."
"Okay."
The path, which had started as a small trail, gradually disappeared, leaving nothing but the forest floor.
How deep had we come?
Kasana stopped walking.
"This should be a suitable place for our lesson."
"Here?"
"Yes. Is it not to your liking?"
When I looked back, the entrance was no longer visible.
We were surrounded by trees on all sides, making the paths look like a maze.
The thought of getting lost here and not being able to find my way out alone was vaguely chilling.
"For pheromone lessons, it is best to be as isolated from the outside as possible."
"I see. What if I get lost?"
"You need not worry about that. I will be the first to come and find you, Lady Aileen."
"Okay."
Kasana's dependable words put my mind at ease.
I decided to put on the cardigan Rosaria had packed for me before I left my room.
She had said the forest would be chilly because of all the shade, and she was right.
I untied the cardigan from around my neck and clumsily slipped my arms into the sleeves. Kasana waited patiently for me to finish.
"I'm all dressed now."
"Shall we begin the lesson, then?"
"Yep."
"First, I will give you a brief explanation of pheromones. All Su-in are born with an aura called a pheromone. You are aware of that much, correct?"
"Yep."
"Pheromones differ slightly in characteristics from clan to clan. This is because they have developed in various ways according to their methods of survival. The Bird Clan, in particular..."
The Bird Clan? Why did she stop talking?
Waiting for her to continue, I looked at Kasana with curiosity.
She was frowning, as if something displeased her.
It was such a rare sight that I was inwardly surprised.
Kasana, who almost never showed any change in expression, was actually frowning! What could possibly be the problem?
"...I must say this beforehand. Lady Aileen, you bear the Astrofel name. Please do not forget that you are one of us, the Black Mamba clan."
What was this all of a sudden? I stared blankly at Kasana.
She looked more serious and earnest than ever, creating an atmosphere where I felt I had no choice but to agree.
I nodded my head.
"Okay. I get it."
"This explanation is merely an example to help you understand your own characteristics, Lady Aileen."
"Okay."
It seemed Kasana was worried that I would become confused upon hearing about the Bird Clan.
Because I looked different from the other Black Mambas around me.
To be honest, I was curious about how I ended up being born into the Astrofel family.
But I wasn't particularly curious about who my real guardians were.
The people who had raised and cared for me all this time were none other than the people of the Astrofel family.
"The Bird Clan has historically excelled in information warfare. They specialize in flying over enemy lines to gather intelligence and report back to their allies."
"I see. That's so cool!"
"...Indeed. They secured the future of their clan by obtaining information quickly. They often operate in groups, and those who travel alone are typically birds of prey."
"Yep."
But I wasn't a bird of prey, and living in a group was an impossible situation for me.
Still, she was explaining the basic characteristics of the Bird Clan, so I figured I should probably know them.
"However, that is simply how they have lived in accordance with their clan's traits. From now on, Lady Aileen, you will learn how to live among the Black Mamba clan."