Home/The very suspicious chick of the Blue Dragon clan/ch 50

Chapter 50

"E-excuse me—when did I become your 'older sister'?!"

Joo Hong-bi recoiled in disgust, but the inspector seemed quite pleased with Aran's polite attitude.

She smoothly moved on to the next assignment.

"Next, Hyeon Taeo and Baek Sa-heum—the eastern pavilion."

Sa-heum looked terrified, while Taeo appeared indifferent.

"The remaining three—Joo Hong-woo, Cheong Min, and Cheong Yeon—will share the western pavilion."

"Aww, I wanted to try a different room from Yeon for once."

Min muttered quietly, and Yeon's face flushed red.

"Wh-who said I wanted to share a room with you from the start?!"

Joo Hong-woo, three years older than the twins, stood upright, apparently intent on playing the older brother role.

"The remaining southern pavilion will be used by the guardians who accompanied the heirs from each palace."

The attendants from each pavilion began carrying the luggage and guiding the guests.

"This way, young ladies."

Aran waved to So-rim and quickly followed the attendant.

She didn't forget to urge Hong-bi along in front of the inspector, saying, "Hurry up, older sister!"

---

Following the attendant to the northern pavilion, only one large room had bedding prepared.

"The two of you must use this room."

As the attendant guided them, Joo Hong-bi threw another fit.

"Why? This pavilion has more than one room, doesn't it?"

"Forgive me, but those are the assembly guidelines…"

Joo Hong-bi threw down her small bundle and shouted.

"If my grandfather finds out you're making me share sleeping quarters with that kind of person, do you think he'll stay quiet?!"

Do you think you're the only one with a grandfather?

Aran was about to ask, but stopped.

Because in reality, Aran didn't have a grandfather. Tch.

She certainly couldn't think of that Joo Sang-ryun as her grandfather.

Instead, she was about to draw a snake visible only to Hong-bi's eyes when—

"Kyaaaaaah!"

Hong-bi screamed and clung to Aran, whom she'd been despising all along.

"Wh-what…"

Aran was so flustered she couldn't even ask properly, but Hong-bi pointed under the veranda and panicked.

"S-snake…! There's a snake over there! How am I supposed to sleep here without a guardian?!"

Aran narrowed her eyes and peered into the dim space under the veranda—there, flicking its tongue, was a black snake that looked familiar.

It resembled the snake that had once brought a leaf-letter…

Of course, only a bird beastman's sharp eyesight could spot it; the imperial attendants couldn't see the snake hidden in the darkness.

Aran widened her eyes as if she saw nothing and asked.

"Older sister, where is there a snake? I don't see anything."

"What? That's because you're not a proper beastman! There's clearly a snake there…!"

But the black snake had already accomplished its purpose and retreated into the deep shadows. Hong-bi awkwardly cleared her throat and pulled away from Aran.

"Th-there really was a snake. What if a snake comes out while we're sleeping?"

Embarrassed, Hong-bi raised her voice even more.

"I—I have a firecracker gun, so I can scare snakes away with fire—but what will you do?!"

A firecracker gun for a mere snake—how excessive.

The black snake had likely been sent by either the Black Tortoise god or Taeo.

That snake would sooner bring her a wild ginseng than harm her, but Hong-bi couldn't know that.

Aran pretended to be scared.

"Then I'll have to rely on you, older sister. I'm just an adopted daughter, so I don't have any of the Blue Dragon clan's abilities, after all."

Only the Blue Dragon clan's abilities, that is.

But perhaps because she said she'd trust her, Hong-bi's eyes reddened slightly as she cleared her throat.

"Hmph! Well, I am six years old and a real Vermilion Bird—so I suppose I am reliable from your perspective."

Oh?

"But don't think that means I'll give you the inner spot!"

Better to die than let her give up the spot, Aran thought.

But she smiled and replied.

"I can sleep anywhere anyway."

At least, while the attendant was still watching.

---

"Well then, young ladies, call if you need anything."

After the attendant bowed and closed the door, Aran scurried to the inner side and flopped down onto the bedding.

Joo Hong-bi, startled, ran over with wide eyes.

"Hey, you said you'd sleep on the outside! You said you can sleep anywhere!"

"Me? When?"

As Aran asked while lying down, Hong-bi's red eyes blinked frantically.

She seemed to be trying to recall whether she'd misheard.

"What? You clearly said…"

Finally coming to her senses, Hong-bi questioned again.

"And why are you suddenly speaking informally to me? Did you forget I'm older than you?"

"Huh? I speak informally to my eighteen-year-old big brother at home. You're only six, right?"

"What? Hey, get up anyway! I can't sleep there! What if a snake comes in?!"

"What do you mean, 'what if'? You said you'd chase it away with your firecracker gun or whatever, didn't you?"

"You just said 'you'!"

"If you chase the snake away with the firecracker gun, I'll call you 'older sister' from then on. Deal?"

"What? What do you mean, deal? Hey, get up!"

"La la la—can't hear you, can't hear you."

As Aran lay sprawled out, tapping her back with both hands, Hong-bi, thoroughly irritated, reached for her hair.

Just then, the door slid open with a clatter, and a cold wind suddenly blew in.

"C-cold…!"

In truth, both were young Vermilion Birds, so they naturally felt the cold—but Joo Hong-bi, who had lived warmly in the southern lands, was even more vulnerable to it.

Just as Hong-bi realized it was colder by the door and grabbed Aran's hair—

A chilly voice came from outside the open door.

"Let go of that hand."

Startled, Hong-bi flinched and let go, turning toward the voice.

Outside stood Taeo and Sa-heum—and it was Sa-heum who rushed into the room first.

He angrily demanded.

"What do you think you're doing? Is this how the Vermilion clan treats friends?"

Oh, good job, my child.

Aran was so moved she nearly teared up, then asked.

"Sa-heum, you're here? Did you finish unpacking?"

She was still sprawled out, of course.

An old body(?) got tired after a long carriage ride.

"I—I left my stuff in a heap and came. Aran, are you okay…?"

As Sa-heum struggled to suppress his formal speech, Hong-bi made excuses.

"I-it's not like that—there's a snake living in this pavilion! That's why neither of us wanted to sleep by the door…"

Sa-heum, a tiger beastman, was younger than Hong-bi but much larger in stature.

He looked down at Hong-bi with cold eyes.

"If neither of you wants to sleep by the door, then the elder should naturally yield to the younger, right?"

At that, Hong-bi brightened and agreed.

"Yes, exactly!"

"Right. So you should yield."

"Me? I'm six years old! She's four!"

"Ah, Aran is four…?"

Sa-heum asked in surprise, then quickly corrected himself.

"Then shouldn't you, as the older one, yield to the weaker? Poor little Aran must be exhausted from the long journey!"

"What…? Just now you said the elder should yield—why are you changing your story all of a sudden?"

Just then, Taeo slowly entered the room.

At the same time, Hong-bi screamed again and clung to Sa-heum this time.

"Kyaaaaah! Snake! Snake! Look over there—a snake!"

Aran covered her ears and turned—a black snake was following at Taeo's feet.

Seeing it so often, she was starting to get attached—it looked rather cute.

Taeo asked Hong-bi coolly.

"Is that snake so scary?"

"Wh-what? That snake—is it yours?"

Hong-bi asked in a voice no louder than an ant's from behind Sa-heum, and Taeo answered indifferently.

"It's not mine. It just happens to follow me."

"Follows… you?"

Hyeon Taeo, youngest of the Black Tortoise Palace.

Hong-bi recalled the rampant rumors about him and hesitated slightly.

Taeo warned Hong-bi in an ordinary tone.

"It would be best to do as Ran-ie wishes. If Ran-ie's mood is bad, my mood is bad. If my mood is bad, the snake's mood is bad too."

"What? Are you threatening me now?"

Her tongue really has grown sharp, Aran marveled.

Taeo tilted his head.

"I was just stating a fact, but seeing you talk back like that is putting me in a bad mood."

Just then, the snake chimed in with a timely hiss.

"Kyah…!"

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