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Chapter 46
“…Why are you here?”
Hwanya narrowed his eyes.
“Didn’t you go with Father?”
“I heard hyungnim was staying here alone with Yeon, so I got worried and came.”
Hwayeong whispered as he shuffled over on his knees and sat beside Hwanya.
He looked at Baek Yeon, who was sleeping soundly, then lifted his gaze to Hwanya.
“How is she? She’s tiny and cute, right? I originally wanted to make her my little sister, but now she became my cousin instead.”
“She didn’t become your cousin. She was your cousin from the beginning.”
“Tch, but I wanted her to be my little sister. A sibling feels like closer family. A cousin feels a bit distant…”
As Hwayeong grumbled, a faint smile appeared on Hwanya’s lips while he watched his younger cousin.
But he quickly erased it, so no one saw it.
In his usual calm voice, Hwanya answered,
“She is small and cute.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“What else am I supposed to say?”
Hwanya asked as though genuinely baffled.
Hwayeong shrugged.
“I don’t know, maybe say you’re happy to have met your cousin or something…”
“The only thing I’m interested in is Aunt Myeongyeong’s whereabouts.”
Hwanya replied coldly and stiffly.
He continued,
“If this baby snake lived in the Imperial Palace as a princess, then Aunt must also have been somewhere inside the palace.”
“What if she isn’t?”
Hwayeong asked again.
“What if she’s already dead?”
“Then I’ll recover her body and give her a proper burial.”
Hwanya answered without hesitation.
His gaze shifted toward the sleeping Yeon.
“I hope she’s alive somewhere… but I know the chances are extremely low.”
“…”
“If Aunt were alive, she never would have silently allowed her own daughter to be abandoned in the Southern Lands.”
Hwanya had already heard roughly how Baek Yeon had lived before arriving here.
Throughout all those horrifying and hopeless circumstances, her mother had not appeared even once.
That alone made it seem almost impossible that Myeongyeong was still alive.
And yet, Myeongyeong’s existence was incredibly important to Hwanya.
If he had to choose between Myeongyeong and Baek Yeon, he would naturally choose Myeongyeong…
But then, Hwanya’s eyes fell upon the little white snake’s soft, round cheeks.
Her tiny hands.
Her white hair glowing beneath the moonlight.
“…”
He frowned.
Hwanya had always believed this child meant nothing to him.
He didn’t know how Aunt Myeongyeong had ended up having a child, but the person who mattered to him was Myeongyeong, not her daughter.
Even if this child possessed the special ability to absorb corruption, he had thought it would ultimately provide no real help to the Southern Lands.
That was what he had believed.
Yet…
Strange.
He blinked.
Looking at the peacefully sleeping baby snake, he suddenly felt as though the one who had thought such things was an unbelievable fool.
The child was too young for anyone to compare her with Myeongyeong.
Too tiny to judge whether she would be useful to the Southern Lands or not.
Had he really thought something so heartless about a child like this?
And besides…
Whenever I look at this child… I feel strange.
What exactly was this feeling?
Ever since that incident, Hwanya had never once experienced any particularly strong emotions.
Whether something sad happened or something joyful happened, his feelings always remained the same.
His emotions never stirred.
But now, the instant he looked at the baby snake’s face, it felt as though someone had thrown a stone into the still surface of his heart, sending ripples spreading outward.
The two brothers quietly watched the sleeping baby snake without making a sound.
Her tiny breaths echoed softly.
“Hm… I know. I’ll sleep with Yeon too.”
Hwayeong transformed into a tiny bird and nestled beside the baby snake’s soft cheek, pressing his fluffy wings against her before closing his little eyes.
Hwanya silently watched him.
Then he carefully reached out and gently stroked his two sleeping younger siblings.
The sensation beneath his fingertips felt so faint and fragile that it seemed as though it might disappear at any moment.
When Baek Yeon woke up, her cheeks were damp.
It seemed she had cried a little in her sleep after having a dream.
She raised her sleeve to wipe away the tears, when something suddenly rolled off the bed.
“Hm?”
Looking closer, it was Hwayeong, sleeping so deeply that he looked unconscious.
Apparently he had been sleeping on her pillow and simply rolled off.
Yet he remained fast asleep.
“Big Brother must have been very tired.”
Looking out the window, she realized it was already night.
She couldn’t remember eating dinner or anything else after collapsing, so she must have been carried here immediately afterward.
“It’s hot…”
Had they built up the fire too much?
For some reason, the room felt warmer than usual today.
After thinking for a moment, Baek Yeon carefully placed Hwayeong onto her pillow before quietly slipping out of the room.
As she moved, the bead resting beside her head floated up and faithfully followed behind her.
The night breeze was cool.
Someone wearing such thin clothes should have felt cold.
Yet she still felt unbearably warm.
Why is it so hot…?
Just as she quietly stepped outside—
“Where are you going?”
An unfamiliar voice came from behind her.
“Ah!”
Startled, Baek Yeon jumped and spun around.
The floating bead beside her trembled along with her.
“…Why are you so startled?”
Standing there was Hwanya.
His dark crimson hair shimmered faintly in the darkness.
Only then did Baek Yeon relax.
She timidly walked back toward him and looked up.
“Ah… um… I got startled because someone suddenly spoke.”
“That happens. Why did you come out after sleeping? Is Hwayeong bothering you?”
“N-no! I just woke up feeling a little hot…”
“Hot?”
Hwanya tilted his head.
Then he strode over and suddenly scooped Baek Yeon into his arms.
“Ah!”
“Aren’t you running a fever?”
His large hand came to rest against her forehead.
His palm felt pleasantly cool.
Baek Yeon blinked.
“I’m… not sure…”
“I think you have a fever. I’d better wake Physician Son.”
So that was why she had felt so hot?
Hwanya’s hand felt wonderfully cool.
Baek Yeon smiled brightly at him.
“Lord Hwanya… your hand is really cool…”
Then suddenly, something caught her eye.
“Hm? Your fingertips…”
Hwanya’s fingertips had turned slightly black.
As soon as she noticed, he clenched his fist tightly, hiding them.
“They’re ugly. Don’t look.”
“They’re not ugly…”
She firmly shook her head.
She herself had experienced something like this before.
Mine turned black too.
Wasn’t that why she had been abandoned?
Even the body that had once been considered auspicious had become black and ominous.
But seeing these marks…
The little snake widened her eyes and looked up at Hwanya.
He let out a deep sigh.
“I’ve been contaminated by corruption. I frequently go to the border, so I often come into contact with it.”
Once someone had been tainted by corruption even once, the corruption spread through them more quickly afterward.
Most of the Southern Land beastfolk gathered in places where corruption was relatively weak, but those who still lived close to corrupted regions often experienced this.
Eventually, when corruption consumed their entire bodies, they died.
Most beastfolk of the Southern Lands met that fate.
So this was not considered unusual there.
What was strange was—
Big Brother Hwanya’s power is extremely strong.
Which meant he should also have strong resistance against corruption.
Then why had he become so contaminated that it was visibly apparent?
Only then did Baek Yeon remember Hwayeong’s earlier complaint.
“Anyway, hyungnim is the one who’s going to inherit the family head position.”
Still nestled in Hwanya’s arms, absentmindedly touching his blackened fingers, Yeon quietly opened her mouth.
Could it be…
Has he actually been contaminated far more than he appears?
Maybe that was why he pushed Hwayeong so mercilessly.
If Hwanya died, then Hwayeong would have to inherit the family.
The little girl wondered whether she could absorb this with her own ability.
Baek Yeon’s power absorbed anything indiscriminately.
It seemed possible.
Besides…
For some reason… it feels the same as the owner of that hand.
Just like back then.
She had a feeling she could somehow do something about it.
“For now, let’s go call the physician. You really seem to have a fever…”
“Lord Hwanya, just a moment.”
Baek Yeon gently grasped Hwanya’s fingertips and carefully activated her ability.
At once, her greedy power opened its maw toward Hwanya’s fingers, surging forth as black energy.
“You…!”
But before Hwanya could stop her—
In the next instant, the black orb floating in the air responded to Baek Yeon’s will and flashed brilliantly.
