TLBVBF 07

A large blanket completely covered the child’s body.

She was so small that a single blanket was more than enough.

Ju Jeok-seo carefully wrapped the child to block out the cold wind, then stood up from his seat.

“L–Lord of the House.”

Jo Yeong looked at the small, pale girl and asked in a dazed voice.

“Are you taking that child with you?”

At his question, the man’s gaze turned to the small child.

After a brief moment, he lifted his chin and answered.

“Yes.”

“But… she’s wearing imperial palace clothes…”

Jo Yeong trailed off awkwardly.

He also knew what Jo Yeong was trying to say.

Rumors were already spreading that the emperor was going mad because his favored concubine had not woken up, and now taking away a girl wearing imperial garments…

‘This could become a future source of trouble in the southern lands.’

But still.

How could he pretend not to see her?

I want to live…

A child desperately begging to live.

She looked no older than five.

Her hands and feet were frozen stiff, and her thin, bony limbs looked like they would snap at any moment.

She had likely been abandoned here for quite some time; if they delayed any longer, she would surely die.

Fortunately, her small heart was still beating—but even that could stop at any moment.

And then—

“White hair…”

Ju Jeok-seo gently touched the child’s snow-white hair.

As his thick fingers brushed through it, strands fell like snowflakes.

And that hair somehow—

“Brother!”

Reminded him of someone.

Ju Jeok-seo could not bring himself to leave the child here.

If she had already been dead, it would have been different—but he could not ignore a living child and let her die.

Besides, hadn’t he seen it when their eyes met?

That flickering flame of life in those round eyes.

That small hand clutching his sleeve as if begging to say, I’m still alive.

“I understand what you want to say.”

“Lord…”

“But that mad emperor abandoned her on my land. So now she is mine.”

As he spoke in a whisper, Ju Jeok-seo took a warm stone from his possession and gently placed it into the child’s arms.

“I merely picked up what was abandoned on my land.”

No one could claim ownership over something that had been discarded.

Especially if it was thrown away in someone else’s territory.

Even the foolish emperor should understand such a simple law of the world.

The warming stone he gave her was made from the feather of a Vermilion Bird; as long as one carried it, it felt as if one were sitting by a fire anywhere.

A faint red glow spread across the child’s chest where the stone rested.

Seeing the careful gesture, Jo Yeong realized Ju Jeok-seo had made his decision and nodded.

“That’s true. Surely no one will complain about something that was thrown away.”

He hurriedly added,

“Besides, the Emperor probably doesn’t even think the child is still alive.”

Jo Yeong threw a Vermilion Bird feather onto the snow. Instantly, a massive flame erupted.

Whoooosh!

The fire melted away all traces of where the child had lain, then quickly died down.

“Hah, it’s cold. Let’s go, Lord. Goodness, with snow falling like this, I wonder how cold that little one must have been.”

He flailed around like a bird with its tail feathers pulled out as he prepared to leave.

“That child is lucky.”

“Indeed. She is lucky.”

But whether the lucky one was the child… or themselves… was uncertain.

Unable to be sure, Ju Jeok-seo gave a simple reply and mounted his horse while holding the child.

Neigh!

The horse let out a loud cry and galloped back the way it came across the snow.

On the horse’s back, racing like the wind—

Flinch.

For the first time in her life, the child who had found warmth stirred slightly.

White Snake’s Dream

Baek Sa was dreaming.

“You stole it! You took it!”

In the dream, Yeoryun glared at Baek Sa with a vicious expression and shouted.

She was shaking an empty silk pouch violently.

Baek Sa immediately understood what this was about.

When Baek Sa was five years old—

Yeoryun’s favorite hair ornament had gone missing. It was a beautiful piece decorated with pink jewels.

Baek Sa had indeed thought it was pretty, but she swore she had never touched it.

Yet Yeoryun had accused her simply because she had called Baek Sa to her room the day before.

“That was a gift from Father to me! Someone like you could never have it!”

Under Yeoryun’s fury, Baek Sa’s eyes trembled helplessly.

“N–no…”

She shook her head, trembling.

“No, sister… I really didn’t take it…”

“Liar! You worthless thing! A snake like you would steal others’ belongings?”

But Yeoryun only grew more furious.

Then she transformed Baek Sa into her small snake form and began kicking and hitting her mercilessly.

Baek Sa could not even run away—she could only curl up tightly.

That was the only defense she had.

It had been the same then, and the same now.

There was still nothing Baek Sa could do.

Even when the hair ornament was later found in Yeoryun’s bedchamber.

Even when her bruised body ached and tears fell.

There was nothing she could do.

She had returned to the past—but nothing had changed.

She would still curl up tightly if someone hit her.

And she would pray desperately for it to pass.

As Baek Sa curled up and shut her eyes tightly, Yeoryun’s voice slowly faded into the distance.

If it continued like this, it would disappear completely.

Then… would she finally feel at peace?

Just like she once wished.

No pain. No sadness.

Baek Sa trembled as she thought this.

And finally, when Yeoryun’s voice completely disappeared—

“Hah!”

Baek Sa woke up, drenched in a cold sweat.

It was… a dream…

She had dreamed of Yeoryun.

But her whole body ached as if she had truly been beaten.

“It hurts…”

She couldn’t tell whether it was her body or her heart that hurt.

Instinctively curling up, Baek Sa suddenly realized the place she was in was unfamiliar and trembled.

“W–where… is this…?”

Where am I?

She carefully searched her memories.

And then everything came rushing back.

Being abandoned in the southern lands.

Being forced through the snow with blades pressing at her.

The carriage that left her behind.

And collapsing alone in the snow.

And then—

“I met someone… ah!”

She had met someone from the Vermilion Bird Clan.

At the last moment, she remembered red eyes looking down at her.

And something warm and round being placed into her arms.

At the time, she had thought it was a dream.

It made sense—no one would come to such a desolate place.

And no one would have saved her.

But—

Baek Sa gently touched the thick, warm blanket covering her.

It was soft and full of cotton, comforting just to touch.

It was different from the blankets in the imperial palace—no worn-out patches, no dirt or stains.

Did that person… save me?

Did they cover her with this blanket and place her in a warm room?

Baek Sa clutched the blanket tightly, looking confused and unsure.

She didn’t even know if she deserved to be under something so clean and warm.

As she thought this, she suddenly felt embarrassed just sitting there under it.

Flustered, she pushed the blanket away and tried to sit on the floor instead.

At that moment—

Click. Creak.

The wooden door opened.

A stranger entered.

Seeing Baek Sa already awake, the woman’s eyes widened slightly—and then she smiled brightly.

“Oh my, you’re awake?”