Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Traces of Power
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What would a bubble bath be like? It would probably smell wonderful, right? And my feathers would get softer, too.
I hummed a little tune, enjoying the cool breeze.
"Are you that happy?"
"Chirp!"
"Shall we hurry then?"
"Chirp!"
At my urging, Rosaria chuckled softly and quickened her pace.
Looking into the distance, I could see a vast, open forest, a view I couldn't get from the ground.
Just a moment ago, all I could see was a pebble right in front of my face.
As I turned my head to look around, I realized something.
Just as Baon had said, I couldn't sense any other living creatures.
How could that be, in a forest so wide and deep?
"This is your first time in the forest, isn't it, Young Lady?"
"Chiiirp."
"This is the private property of the Astrofel family. As you can see, there are no other living creatures here. It's strictly forbidden to prevent the possibility of Su-in infiltrating in disguise."
So that was why. This forest was more incredible than I thought.
"Since it's safe here, the young masters sometimes train in this area. I believe they were scheduled to train today as well, but…"
Rosaria tilted her head.
"It seems they aren't here today. I wonder if they went hunting."
"Chirp?"
For a moment, I thought I had misheard.
From what I'd overheard, they weren't born that much earlier than I was.
They're already out hunting?
As I gaped in surprise, Rosaria smiled sweetly.
"The young masters have already completed their humanization. You don't know what that is yet, do you, Young Lady? It's the ability to take on a human form, like me."
"…Chirp."
"You'll be able to do it soon enough, Young Lady."
"Chirp."
Not only were they hunting, but they had also mastered humanization.
Those young masters must have some ridiculously overpowered abilities.
But if I work hard, I can do it too!
I steeled my resolve, clenching my wings tightly. But then…
"Chirp?"
What's that?
"What is it, Young Lady?"
"Chiiirp."
A huge tree lay tragically fallen. And the one next to it. And the one after that.
A whole group of massive trees, each looking at least several decades old, had been knocked down.
Why would perfectly healthy trees be uprooted like that?
Rosaria glanced where I was pointing and spoke calmly, as if it were nothing.
"Ah. It seems they've finished their training and gone back."
Huh?
"It was probably the first young master."
How could a young Su-in, born not long ago, possibly shatter trees like that?
I gaped, utterly astonished.
"You'll be able to do it too once you're bigger, Young Lady. Still, that young master…"
Rosaria clicked her tongue and walked toward the center of the ruins. Up close, the scene was even more devastating.
He must have a terrible temper.
There's no other reason he would have butchered the place like this!
But why did we come all the way to where the trees were fallen?
"If you're going to make a mess, you should know how to clean it up. I suppose he hasn't thought that far ahead yet."
Rosaria placed one foot on a tree trunk.
With a light tap.
Her movement was impossibly light, as if she were just kicking a twig.
The result, however, was astonishing.
The tree, so thick it would take two or three adult men to wrap their arms around it, began to roll away.
Watching the wondrous sight of the trees being neatly stacked in a corner, I rubbed my eyes with my wings.
"Chirp, chiiirp?"
What is happening?
"There, all tidy. I'm sorry, Young Lady. Did I keep you waiting?"
"…Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp-chirp."
Not at all. I wasn't waiting.
I quietly straightened my posture.
Mom, this lady is scary.
* * *
In Kaide's hand was a doll that seemed utterly out of place.
It was the snake doll Rosaria had prepared, perfectly sized for the baby bird.
"Interesting."
The corners of Kaide's mouth lifted in amusement as he recalled the recent event.
In the Astrofel family, where no one ever gave away what was theirs, such a gift was unimaginable.
Having received an unexpected first kill from the baby bird, Kaide was lost in thought.
"So this is why everyone goes on and on about wanting a daughter."
It was a quiet murmur, but there was no way Baon, with his keenly developed hearing, could have missed it.
Baon looked at Kaide, his face surprised by the off-topic remark in the middle of their important discussion.
Soon after, Baon saw the doll in Kaide's hand and his shoulders began to tremble.
It was a completely incongruous sight.
"Pfft."
At the sound of escaping laughter, Kaide's gaze fell on Baon.
"Baon."
"Ahem. Yes."
"If you value your life, you'd better stop right there."
"Should I?"
Everyone values their life. Baon straightened his face, his expression turning serious.
"Why the sudden talk of daughters? You have two sons."
"They don't give me things like this."
Kaide held up the doll. It was colorful and quite adorable.
Baon quickly shut his eyes.
No, I can't laugh. Sad thoughts. Sad thoughts.
"Th-ahem. Isn't she brave? To think of hunting a snake, even if it was just a doll."
"It was admirable, in its own way."
Kaide recalled the baby bird thrashing the snake doll.
"She's the spitting image of you, Gaju-nim."
"Hm?"
"Isn't she quite ferocious? Her hunting style, too."
Though he meant ferocious in a different sense.
At Baon's words, Kaide's eyes narrowed. The baby bird, while hunting…
"Her eyes were certainly red."
Red eyes were a trait unique to those with the blood of the Astrofel family.
Influenced by the powerful pheromones of the first Gaju, most members of the Astrofel family shared similar features.
Black hair and red eyes.
And though it was temporary, the baby bird's eyes had clearly been that color.
"It must be because the Young Lady has accepted your pheromones, Gaju-nim."
"Yes. That's precisely the problem."
Kaide's eyes narrowed as he returned to their previous topic of conversation.
It was a mystery who had dared to infiltrate the Astrofel estate and leave an egg behind.
How was such a thing even possible?
If this was somehow related to Estella, who died giving birth to the heirs, the matter would spiral out of control.
Kaide's expression turned cold.
"Investigate. Find out who was involved when Estella gave birth. Every single person who was on guard at the mansion that day, without exception."
"Do you believe there's a spy in the family?"
"There's no reason there couldn't be."
"Then the scope of the investigation will be quite large. It will take some time."
Baon's expression also grew serious.
If there was a spy in the family, a covert investigation would be necessary to find out who it was.
"I don't care how long it takes. Find every last one of those hiding rats and bring them in."
"Understood."
Watching Kaide give an uncharacteristically patient order, Baon glanced around the office with a bitter feeling.
When Estella passed away, Kaide didn't even bat an eye.
Because of that, there were many rumors that he and Estella had not been on good terms, but traces of her still remained vividly in his office.
Kaide had cared for her enough to show a rare weakness when it came to Estella.
Knowing this, Baon's heart felt heavy.
If the newborn baby bird was connected to Estella's death… a storm of blood would surely follow.
To change the somber mood, Baon cleared his throat and spoke.
"By the way, what will you do now that the Young Lady has absorbed your pheromones? It's too late to abandon her outside the territory now."
"We'll observe her for now."
"Rosaria seems quite taken with the Young Lady, too."
"…Can you stop with that 'Young Lady' nonsense?"
"Rosaria calls her that, so I thought I'd try it. It's a cute title, isn't it?"
"It's sickening. Why call her that?"
"Because you haven't given her a name, Gaju-nim."
He had only ordered her to be abandoned outside the estate right after she hatched, so of course she didn't have a name.
And no one dared to name her in his stead.
With the Gaju's pheromones clearly on her, no one was crazy enough to have the guts to do such a thing.
'Although, Rosaria might be capable of it.'
If anyone could, it would be Rosaria. Besides, she seemed to quite enjoy taking care of the baby bird.
It seemed she was still observing the situation, but once she made her judgment, she might act on her own.
Baon's eyes sparkled.
"If you don't give her a name, Gaju-nim, someone else might seize the opportunity."
"And what of it?"
"What if the Young Lady starts following someone else and giving them gifts?"
The strangely irritating remark made Kaide grunt. It wasn't that he particularly wanted a daughter.
To be precise, he just wasn't interested.
In a family where heirs were precious, as long as a proper successor was born, that was enough.
But the thought of the baby bird following someone else and giving them a doll made his stomach twist.
"A name, you say."
"Do you have one in mind?"
"No."
The reply was immediate. For a moment, Baon was speechless.