TLSVB 26

Chapter 26

While Baeksa stayed at the Vermilion Bird mansion and grew closer to Hwayeong and Do-ui, the little bird had not been seen.

Even while learning to read and gradually becoming more skilled at using her abilities, it remained absent.

So she was always worried.

“Did it… not like me anymore?”

Had she done something wrong the last time they met? Or had something happened to the baby bird?

She couldn’t describe how anxious she had been while the little bird stayed away.

“Where did you go and only come back now?”

Baeksa smiled brightly as she stroked the little bird, then carefully looked around.

She suddenly remembered how, when she first met it, the bird had been very cautious about not letting anyone know they were meeting.

Fortunately, this was a space that Jujakseo had created for Baeksa’s ability training, so no one else was here.

After confirming that no one was around, Baeksa finally released the baby bird.

Then, the bird that had escaped from Baeksa’s hands looked at her with sparkling eyes.

“Pii!”

“Do you know how much I missed you? I was really worried about you.”

“Piyuu.”

When Baeksa gently scratched the baby bird’s cheek with her small finger, it rubbed its face against her hand.

That adorable, affectionate action made Baeksa’s heart melt.

“Want to see this?”

The baby snake, holding the tiny bird in one hand, trotted somewhere.

Baeksa stopped walking where it led her—an isolated corner of the backyard.

It was a place permitted only to Baeksa, and the only area in the courtyard where the level of contamination was dense.

It was also a space recently given to the baby snake by Jujakseo.

After Baeksa’s Yeouiju had emitted a mysterious light, she felt her abilities gradually growing.

It was clearly different from before.

It felt as if a small snake curled inside her body had suddenly grown larger, and if she didn’t use her power, she even felt a kind of thirst.

Fearing that she might end up absorbing everything indiscriminately, the girl had confided in the Vermilion Bird family head.

“Then I will open a place where you can use your ability freely.”

And so, he had provided her with this place.

Creeeeak.

As the old wooden door opened, a courtyard completely stained in black appeared.

It was the former beloved garden of the owner of this residence, a detached annex, and at the same time, the only place within the Vermilion Bird estate filled with heavy contamination.

“Isn’t it strange? You shouldn’t come in here.”

Baeksa placed the little bird down at the entrance.

The bird resisted, hopping and chirping in protest.

But there was nothing she could do.

‘If it comes in here, something bad might happen.’

According to Sirang, the land around the Vermilion Bird estate was relatively safe from contamination.

The divine power of the Vermilion Bird protected the area, preventing outside corruption from entering.

Of course, the water rising from underground was vulnerable, so even the estate’s pond water carried traces of contamination,

‘But other places are fine.’

The land itself was relatively safe, protected by the Vermilion Bird’s power.

However, even within such a safe estate, there was one place filled with contamination.

This backyard was that place.

“I heard… this was originally where Lady Vermilion Bird was born…”

Baeksa carefully stepped inside, recalling what Jujakseo had once told her.

The original owner of her current residence.

It was said that the former madam of the Vermilion Bird family had given birth to Lady Vermilion Bird in this very place.

But right after Lady Vermilion Bird was born, this annex became contaminated, and the family considered it an ominous sign.

“In the capital, white is an auspicious color…”

Even though Baeksa herself had been born a snake beastkin with an ominous ability, she had not been abandoned until the age of seven.

Because white was always considered pure and auspicious.

But here in Namto, white was treated as an ill omen?

Why was that?

Was it because the annex became contaminated right after the lady’s birth?

Or was there another reason?

A pitiful lady whose birth alone had turned part of the estate into corruption.

Thinking about it, Baeksa felt she could somewhat understand what kind of life that Vermilion Bird lady might have lived.

Perhaps it was because she had lived a similar life herself.

Tap, tap!

As Baeksa stepped inside, the small baby bird cautiously followed, taking two steps forward as if wanting to come along.

“Oh, you can’t come in.”

Baeksa shook her head firmly as she turned back.

Contamination negatively affects beastkin bodies.

So how much worse would it be for a spirit creature?

There must be a reason why the Vermilion Bird family head had forbidden others from entering.

“Piyuu…”

“No matter how sadly you ask, no. Just wait a little.”

When Baeksa shook her head, the baby bird drooped its head sadly.

But then—

“Let it in.”

Without warning, Do-ui suddenly appeared silently, arms crossed.

He pointed at the small bird standing at the entrance.

“Huh!”

Startled by his sudden appearance, Baeksa fell back onto the ground.

“Do… Do-ui!”

“…Are you okay?”

“Yes, y-yes, I’m fine. I just got startled…”

Baeksa nodded repeatedly while holding her pounding chest.

She felt embarrassed that she had fallen just from being spoken to—he hadn’t even tried to scare her.

Just as she was about to get up—

Boom!

Smoke rose from the doorway, and someone else suddenly appeared.

The small bird, which had been nervously watching from the entrance, transformed.

What appeared was none other than Hwayeong, the second young master of the Vermilion Bird estate.

“Hey! Why are you scaring her?”

Hwayeong scolded Do-ui and rushed over the threshold to help Baeksa up.

“Hey, kid, are you okay? Can you stand?”

“Hw… Hwayeong-nim!”

“You’re not hurt, right? Can you get up?”

Hwayeong checked her condition while crouching.

After confirming she was fine, he brushed off the black leaves stuck to her clothes.

“Hwayeong-nim…? H-how did this…”

“I didn’t want to say this like this, but… Do-ui, this is your fault!”

“It’s not good to keep things hidden for too long. Baby snake, are you okay?”

Do-ui stepped forward and looked down at Baeksa.

Baeksa nodded hurriedly while half-hidden in Hwayeong’s arms.

“I-I’m okay.”

She couldn’t understand what was happening at all.

The friend she had made at the mansion—the little spirit bird—was actually Hwayeong.

‘So I’ve been… petting Hwayeong-nim all this time.’

She suddenly felt so embarrassed she wanted to hide somewhere.

It was improper enough to treat him casually, yet she had been stroking his soft feathers.

Seeing her flustered, Do-ui spoke.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I just thought the young master here was hiding it for too long.”

Do-ui’s polite apology made Baeksa nod.

It wasn’t really his fault.

She had simply been so startled that she fell.

But Hwayeong saw things differently.

“What if she had gotten hurt? You could’ve told her at another time!”

“I just thought it would be fine for her to follow after knowing the truth.”

Do-ui replied calmly.

Hwayeong grabbed Baeksa’s hand and pushed Do-ui back.

“No good. From now on, if you see this guy, push him away like this.”

“Ah, I, I can’t…”

“Young master? You shouldn’t teach things like this. Once I’m assigned as your guard after enrollment, I’ll be responsible for both of you.”

Baeksa, still half-hidden in Hwayeong’s arms, looked up at them in confusion.

Above her head, Hwayeong and Do-ui were arguing.

Feeling overwhelmed, the child nervously grabbed their sleeves.

“U-um… Hwayeong-nim, Do-ui-nim…”

When Baeksa called them, both of them turned to her at once.

“Yes, kid?”

“What is it?”

Swallowing hard, Baeksa carefully spoke.

With a determined expression, she said:

“I’m sorry, but… you can’t come in here.”

Her voice was very small and faint, but quite firm.

At her unexpected words, Hwayeong and Do-ui blinked at the same time.