Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: A Long Tail Gets Stepped On
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I had to pass through this hallway to get to the second floor.
Still, this was the last stretch, so I felt a sense of relief. I stepped into the corridor.
A few people greeted me as I passed, but thankfully, no one stopped me to chat.
"Maybe it's because of the wish necklace Basad gave her. See how well things are going? You think that thing actually works?"
"You think so? Suddenly I want one. Make one for me too, Basad."
"No."
Basad shook his head firmly.
"Just one."
"I said no."
"After all the years we've spent together?"
"Disgusting."
"That's so harsh, really."
Paymon pretended to wipe away tears as he clung to Basad.
Wincing with a look of genuine disgust, Basad backed away.
The bickering behind me didn't stop.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Basad, who was pushing Paymon's head away with one hand, and Paymon, with his arms outstretched, both looked at me at the same time.
"You two are being too woud."
"...My apologies."
Basad lowered the arm he'd been using to push Paymon's face away. Paymon straightened his messy hair and fell silent.
The situation was resolved. I gave them a small smile.
"When we get to my woom, Aileen will give you a pwesent, so no fighting. Okie?"
"A present?"
"Yup. Because you two hewped me."
I couldn't just accept their help for free. So, I added a condition.
"But I'll onwy give it to you if nobody finds out."
"Understood."
"Then wet's huwwy."
My room wasn't far now. The staircase was just past the entrance to the basement.
From that point on, I wouldn't really need to hide it with the bag.
I'd recently learned that access to this floor was strictly controlled.
Only those with Kaide's permission could enter.
Feeling a slight numbness creeping into my arm, I quickened my pace.
I'd been carrying the bag on my arm for too long, and it was starting to take its toll. This is bad!
Noticing my condition, Basad asked.
"Is your arm going numb?"
"Yup. A wittle numb. But it's okay."
It's not much further. Almost there...!
"Isn't that Lady Aileen?"
"Huh?"
Just as I was about to pass the basement entrance, someone called my name.
I whipped my head around.
There was Durias, pulling on his gloves as he came up from the basement.
Gasp. ...Durias?!
A wave of nervousness washed over me. I smiled awkwardly and took a step back.
"Are you on your way to your room?"
"Yup."
"Then why are you backing away?"
"No? Aileen didn't do that!"
"Oh? Is that so."
My flustered, immediate denial made Durias's eyes narrow.
His gaze lingered on the obviously suspicious bag before he laughed.
"I don't know what the situation is, but I wish you the best of luck."
"Yup."
"After all, a long tail eventually gets stepped on, doesn't it?"
W-what did he say?
I froze solid. Thud. The bag fell to the floor. A sharp pain shot through my arm, which had been holding on for so long.
I stared blankly at Durias. How did he know I had a tail without even seeing it?!
"Hmm? I offered you a piece of advice and wished you success, yet your reaction is rather disappointi—"
Swoop. My tail drooped downwards.
Durias's white eyes widened in surprise, his gaze fixed on the tail.
I was so dismayed I couldn't say a word. Is this what they call giving yourself away out of guilt?
"So it is a tail."
"...You can't tell anyone, Durias."
"Yes, I understand."
"Pwomise?"
I looked up at Durias pleadingly, but he just grinned without answering.
Right. He wasn't going to make any promises.
The next day.
The rumor that I had grown a tail spread like wildfire throughout the mansion.
***
I'd been sulking under the covers since morning. Rosaria sat beside me, trying to comfort me.
"Lady Aileen, it's time to shake it off and get up. This is truly nothing to worry about."
"I know."
"Then why are you upset?"
I shot up in bed. The blanket fluttered to the floor.
Though hidden by my white nightgown, the tail was still there.
The tail had grown much softer and prettier than before. I was very happy about that, but...
"I wanted to succeed on my fiwst try!"
"..."
"I wanted to do it perfectly! But my tail moves on its own, Wosaria. Aileen is so embawwassed! And..."
"And?"
Everyone looks different from me.
They're all snakes, but I'm a bird. It made me feel like an outsider, like I didn't belong.
I hadn't felt that way from the beginning.
But as I slowly got to know my surroundings, the fact that I was the only bird here felt strange.
Every time I found another way I was different, this sense of alienation made my heart ache. And that scared me.
We live together now, but will we still be together later?
I'm so different.
What if we grow apart because we can't understand each other?
"...I want to stay here together for a wong, wong time. But when I become an adult, I have to weave."
"What? My lady, is that what you've been worrying about?"
"Yup."
"But succeeding in your Su-in transformation doesn't mean you have to leave the mansion."
"But Aileen is..."
...an interim daughter. I couldn't bring myself to say the rest, swallowing the words.
It was a secret only Kaide and I knew. No one else was aware.
—Come to think of it, having a daughter isn't so bad. For the time being, that is.
Kaide had never said he would accept me as his daughter permanently.
I was living a life so luxurious that I shouldn't have had such worries, but his words lingered in a corner of my mind.
But I was too scared to bring it up first. What if he said, "I'd forgotten, but now that you mention it, it's time for you to leave"?
I was in a position where I could only wait for his decision.
As I grew gloomy, Rosaria's expression darkened as well.
"Wosaria."
"Yes, Lady Aileen."
"What if I have to weave here someday?"
I don't want to be alone again. I love this house and the people in it so much.
Am I being too greedy?
I should just be grateful that Kaide is protecting me until I become an adult, but...
I don't want that. If that happens, my connection to everyone I've met here will be severed.
"Lady Aileen, please don't worry about such things. If you don't want to leave, then you can stay."
"...Yup. Aileen isn't going to weave."
I'm going to stay here.
I hugged my pillow tightly.
Rosaria watched me for a long moment.
"Why?"
"...It's nothing. I'm just upset because you're feeling down, my lady."
"Aileen is okay now."
Voicing some of my inner thoughts made me feel a little better.
I'm not leaving my room today. Durias is a big dummy. My lips jutted out in a pout.
I'll just roll around in bed until it's time for Kasana to arrive.
Today is a theory study day.
Honestly, I want to beg Kasana to just teach me how to put my tail away.
But that's probably not possible, right?
As I was lost in thought, there was a knock on the door.
Knock, knock.
"Who is it?"
Rosaria, who had been sitting beside me, walked to the door.
...Who could it be?
"Oh, Young Master Set?"
I sat up with a start and pulled the blanket over myself. Set?
"Hello, Aileen?"
"...Set oppa."
"I heard you grew a tail?"
It's already reached Set's ears? My face fell.
Set entered the room, saw me hiding under the blanket, and clicked his tongue.
"I didn't think you'd actually be unable to change back."
"...I didn't know either."
"At this rate, it'll be a long time before we can go on that trip."
"We can still go."
"I'm sure we could."
So cold! I hung my head, dejected. I could feel my tail drooping along with my mood.
Set, who had been watching me quietly, suddenly spoke.
"When you're trying to humanize, imagine wrapping your original body in something."
"Huh?"
"It should make it a bit easier to turn back."
"Weally?"
"It worked for me."
But why was he telling me this? I thought Set wasn't interested in my affairs.
I'd expected him to ignore it even if he knew, so this was very surprising.
"I heard the news and came to see what you were up to. Why are you so down?"
"..."
"You got a tail, so you're halfway there. That's a partial success, isn't it?"
"...Huh?"
I was so surprised I just stared at Set. Was he... actually trying to cheer me up?
Set stood up from his seat.
"I have a morning class, so I have to go."
"Huh?"
"I'm leaving."
"...Okay. Bye-bye, Set oppa!"
Feeling dazed, I saw him off. It felt like I was dreaming.
"It seems the Young Master came to congratulate you, Lady Aileen."
"You think so too, Wosaria?"
So I wasn't just imagining it?
Rosaria smiled brightly, confirming it wasn't a misunderstanding.
I thought he was going to lecture me about my slow growth, especially since I wasn't even from the same clan, but that wasn't it at all.
"Aileen feels better now. I'm gonna get changed."
"Shall we? I think a dress would be best for today."
"Yup."
Rosaria took a purple dress from the wardrobe. Changing out of my nightgown seemed to lift my spirits a little.
Knock, knock.
"We have a lot of visitors today, don't we?"
Not long after Set had left, a second guest arrived.
Surely people aren't going to be visiting all day long?
The second visitor was Hestia.