Home/The very suspicious chick of the Blue Dragon clan/ch 5

Chapter 5

A short while later, in Aran's temporary quarters next to the dispensary.

The members of the Blue Dragon family stood with serious expressions, looking down at the baby bird.

Cheongun, who had rushed over in alarm at the unexpected accident, asked the physician anxiously.

"How is she?"

The physician, who had been feeling Aran's pulse, smiled gently.

"It doesn't seem to be anything to worry about, my lord. From what I can tell, she was simply startled and fell asleep after fainting."

"She's not hurt anywhere? What about this tiny head, or those slender legs…"

Cheongun's gaze as he peered down at the chick was truly uneasy.

And with good reason—to him, every part of this little one seemed as delicate as freshly spun silk thread.

He'd been so afraid that even a slight misapplied force would break her that during the first week of carrying her in the crook of his arm, he'd moved his arm muscles with extreme care.

But the physician merely shook his head lightly.

"Well, we won't know for certain until she wakes, but judging by the external signs, there doesn't seem to be any serious…"

Just then, Hwi cut in impatiently.

"Are you saying she's perfectly fine? The baby rolled around with the third one like a ball! You know how solid and stone-like dragons are, especially the third one."

The Blue Dragon father and son were certainly of one mind.

Cheongun asked his son in frustration.

"How on earth did Min get all the way out to that garden? The nursery is so far from the medicine wing!"

"Well…"

In place of the third child, Min, who had been hauled back inside, Hwi offered an excuse.

"You know how newborn dragons are, Father. Min is especially healthy and seems to have boundless energy. That's a good thing, of course, but…"

That's it—I can't take this anymore.

It was embarrassing enough that I couldn't dodge a hatchling dragon and fell over, and now that little creature is getting scolded because of me!

For a child, being healthy is the best thing there is!

Aran, who had been squeezing her eyes shut in mortification, subtly twitched her eyelids around then.

"Are you coming to, young miss?"

At the sharp-eyed physician's question, Cheongun and Hwi quickly looked down at Aran as well.

"Are you alright, little one?"

Aran opened her eyes groggily and replied softly.

"Pit…"

Hwi, who had been listening intently, quickly offered the translation.

"Peep-peep says she's fine, and she's asking how Min is doing instead."

Hwi let out a huge sigh of relief and stroked Aran's head.

Again…

Aran barely suppressed a sigh.

Every time this happened—being a hundred-year-old granny Vermilion Bird whose head was patted by a fifteen-year-old dragon—was utterly humiliating.

Still, until she could fly, she had to depend on someone for shelter…

"Peep-peep, you don't need to worry about Min."

Oblivious to Aran's inner thoughts, Hwi continued to stroke her head and explained kindly.

"Dragons are tough as rocks from the time they're little. We were just worried that you might have gotten hurt."

"Pit-pi?"

"Oh, our third one's name is Min."

Hwi glanced at his father and continued his explanation.

"Min hatched about a week earlier than Peep-peep, and dragons are usually lively from the moment they're born—they can't stay still for a moment. He can't talk properly yet, so it's difficult, but I'll make sure he apologizes to you later."

Aran seized the opportunity to bring up what she had been preparing to say.

"Pit."

At that, Hwi tilted his head.

"Huh?"

"Peep, peep?"

"Oh, well…"

This time, Hwi looked a little flustered as he turned to his father.

"Father, Peep-peep is asking if her name is Peep-peep."

"Oh, dear…"

Cheongun hesitated.

Having declared that he would make her the youngest, he felt somewhat guilty that he hadn't yet given her a name.

"Of course not. Our Peep-peep's name is…"

He did have a name in mind, but he hadn't settled on it for certain.

Above all, he was still troubled by the fact that he hadn't yet convinced Su-ryeon.

Just then, Aran spoke again.

"Pit."

At that, Hwi looked even more flustered and added.

"Um… Father, Peep-peep is asking to be called 'Aran.'"

A flicker of surprise crossed Cheongun's eyes.

"Aran? Did Peep-peep name herself?"

Hearing Cheongun's question, Aran squeezed her eyes shut.

This must have sounded too strange, right?

What baby in this world gives themselves a name?

Would she end up exposed for who she really was…? Even so, she couldn't afford to lose this name…

But somehow, Cheongun seemed delighted.

"She's already capable of such thoughts! Just as expected of a Vermilion Bird!"

Eh?

While the bewildered Vermilion Bird was flustered, he continued in admiration.

"They say Vermilion Bird chicks are slow in physical development but fast in language and intelligence! As this father and Peep-peep's mother, I studied it all in advance!"

Leaving aside the still-awkward "mother" refrain—

The truth was that Aran only had memories from her past life; normal Vermilion Bird development was never this advanced.

But to Cheongun, Aran was simply an ordinary Vermilion Bird.

"Good heavens! A prodigy has been born into our Blue Dragon clan!"

Cheongun kept marveling.

"You Blue Dragons will have to work hard too…!"

…Pardon? Suddenly?

Seeing Hwi and Aran dumbfounded, Cheongun alone grew misty-eyed.

"Dear… please promise me one thing."

The day his wife had left him came to mind again.

Her final request, as she gripped his hand with her cold fingers.

"From now on, any child that hatches in our nest—raise them all as our own. Don't favor only the outstanding ones… without discrimination… all of them as our children."

His exceptionally wise wife might have known all along.

That from the eggs she had laid in succession, weak dragons might hatch, or a baby bird resembling her beloved friend from the southern lands might be born.

Had she known all that?

"Peep-peep, my clever little one."

To Cheongun, this special bird was like a surprise gift left behind by his wife.

"From now on, your name is Cheong Aran."

He looked down at the chick with eyes faintly moist.

"White 'A' and bell 'Ran'—that suits you. Because you're a pretty baby like a white bell."

"Pit."

(Thank you.)

Aran replied sincerely to the one who had so generously given her the Cheong family name.

"Peep…"

(Thank you so much…)

She had wanted to keep this name even if it meant stretching credibility.

The name her mother had given her. The name the divine being had called beneath the heavenly gates.

Now that her body had shrunk and everyone had forgotten her, if she lost even that name, nothing would remain.

This one thing, she absolutely wanted to hold onto.

---

A one-month-old Vermilion Bird chick, no longer needing to doze all the time.

"Pii…!"

(Alright, focus…!)

Aran sharpened the tips of her short wings like the edge of a hand and pressed them to her temples.

But before she could even try anything—

"Haah!"

Training Master Seong So-rim suddenly burst into a nosebleed.

Startled, Aran lost her concentration and quickly asked.

"Pit?"

(Hey, what's wrong? Did I startle you by shouting?)

Her wings, pressed close to her eyes, were still held upright.

"Lady Aran."

So-rim pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the blood from her face, and clutched her chest as she asked.

"Would it be possible for you to give some warning before performing such lethally adorable actions? This Seong So-rim's heart is fluttering so much I think I'll soon have a heart attack…"

"Pit."

(A baby Vermilion Bird can be a little cute now and then. What a faint heart you have.)

Aran clicked her tongue in pity, but So-rim didn't give up.

"Why, why, why on earth do you hold your wings up so adorably? I truly want to know!"

"Peep."

(There's nothing to know.)

"Are you checking if your wings have grown? Or perhaps just training your joint flexibility?"

"Piiak."

(I said there's nothing for you to know.)

It couldn't be helped even if it sounded cold.

What Aran was trying to do now couldn't be explained to So-rim, nor should it be.

Though it seemed far off since she hadn't even obtained a human form yet, Aran had been trying to see if any of her abilities remained.

She had trained in swordsmanship to the level of an immortal, but Aran also possessed a great inherited ability of the Vermilion Bird clan.

The Vermilion Bird ability—Illusion.

What's so great about mere illusions, you ask?

"Pit!"

(You don't know what you're talking about!)

Illusions depend on the user.

Aran's illusions were truly magnificent.

In the midst of battle, she could suddenly plunge her opponent into hellfire or drown them in a suffocating sea.

She could turn the continent's richest man into a beggar, or give a pitiful orphan a family.

And now—

Aran squinted her eyes into triangles and cried out.

"Piiiiiiii—!"

(It's not working at alllll—!)

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