TLBVBF 08

chapter 08

A Strange Face, a Strange Voice

Because she had spent her entire life inside the palace, Bai Sa’s body instinctively shrank back at the sight of an unfamiliar beast-person.

However, the woman smiled warmly and approached her, then gently pulled up the blanket Bai Sa had pushed aside.

“The physician said you need to rest a little more. Please stay lying down.”

Before she knew it, Bai Sa was wrapped in a soft, padded quilt, hesitating as she opened her mouth.

“W-where… is this place?”

The ceiling was as high as the imperial palace. Beaded curtains embroidered with dazzling thread hung elegantly. Candle stands burned beautifully in every corner of the room.

The entire room was filled with red tones—so much so that Bai Sa, the only pale presence lying there, felt like the sole outsider in this space.

That was why, even though she had a vague idea, she had to ask again.

The maidservant smiled gently once more.

“This is the residence of the Zhuque Clan.”

She carefully adjusted Bai Sa’s position, then touched her forehead with the back of her hand to check her temperature.

“Our master brought you here after finding you collapsed alone in the snowfield. He ordered that you be taken care of properly until you woke up.”

“Your… master?”

“The head of the Zhuque Clan.”

At those words, Bai Sa opened her mouth slightly, then nodded.

So that’s it.

The man she had seen before she lost consciousness.

He truly was from the Zhuque Clan.

And not just anyone—he was the clan head.

But then another question arose in her mind.

Why did he save her?

The Zhuque Clan and the imperial palace were not on good terms. The Emperor had abandoned the southern lands.

So why had he taken in someone wearing imperial clothing?

Could it be he didn’t know?

If he hadn’t realized her clothes were imperial garments, then it would make sense.

While Bai Sa hesitated, the maid finished tidying the place where she had lain and smiled softly.

“The master told us about you. You must have been very cold in that snowfield. It’s warm here, so don’t worry. The Flame of Zhuque keeps the room at a comfortable temperature.”

So that’s why it was warm.

The child nodded cautiously.

Only now did Bai Sa realize that even the clothes she was wearing were not the ones she had worn when leaving the palace.

The maid must have changed her into fresh clothing.

New clothes.

Gentle hands.

Words like “it’s okay.”

Everything was unfamiliar to Bai Sa. She swallowed hard.

She didn’t know what to say.

The room was warm, and her clothes were soft.

But did she deserve such comfort?

Maybe…

Maybe once she woke up, they would tell her to leave.

Maybe she would be sent back to that snowfield again.

Her small heart sank.

I don’t want that.

Being abandoned twice was already unbearable. If it happened a third time, it would be horrific.

And now that she had confirmed she couldn’t manifest a bead anymore, she couldn’t return there.

As Bai Sa blinked helplessly, she finally looked up at the maid.

“Um…”

Her voice trembled faintly.

“You said… the clan head brought me here, right?”

The maid nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then… could I possibly meet him?”

Her voice shook as she spoke. Her small hands tightly gripped the blanket.

She intended to ask the master of the house to let her stay.

It might be an utterly shameless request. He might even regret his kindness and become furious.

But—

If it isn’t here, I have nowhere else to go.

She had only two choices left.

Stay here—or be abandoned again.

The cold of that frozen snowfield still lingered in her bones.

If she were sent back there again, she would surely die this time.

Bai Sa recalled the man’s red eyes just before she collapsed.

At that moment, she had thought: this person might save me a little longer.

Those eyes had seemed burning hot yet strangely gentle. Somehow, they also felt a little nostalgic.

That feeling remained unchanged even now.

So Bai Sa wanted to meet the Zhuque Clan head again.

Of course, I’ll tell him everything honestly if we meet.

About her ominous ability. About her origin.

She couldn’t lie to her savior.

But that thought made her chest ache.

Because if she told everything, no one would want her anymore.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

After watching her quietly for a moment, the maid smiled brightly.

“Of course, young lady. I was just about to report that you’ve awakened.”

She bent down slightly and whispered,

“I’ll go inform the master. Please rest in the meantime.”

“Th-thank you…”

“Oh, it’s nothing. My name is Sirang.”

Her voice was clear and gentle.

“While you stay in this residence, I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

She was nothing like the palace attendants who always frowned whenever they looked at Bai Sa.

Without realizing it, Bai Sa gave a faint smile.

It was still a nervous expression—but it was the first smile she had shown since leaving the imperial palace.

Meanwhile

Zhu Jise stood in the corridor leading to his inner quarters, staring blankly at a painting.

Long corridors in his residence were lined with paintings by skilled artists.

One depicted two young Zhuque birds playing together. The red pigments used made them seem like they were burning with flame even at night.

But what Zhu Jise was looking at was not the red-feathered Zhuque.

It was the white bird painted beside it—a delicately yet vividly depicted White Zhuque.

He stood silently, gazing at it, then reached out to touch the white feathers in the painting.

All he felt was the rough texture of dried paper.

He had hoped, perhaps foolishly, to feel the softness of memory.

But of course, nothing came.

He lowered his hand with a bitter smile.

A beautiful White Zhuque covered entirely in pale feathers.

Twenty-seven years ago, born alongside a prophecy that she would extinguish the flame of Zhuque—a white-feathered bird of omen.

The only young lady of the southern lands’ Zhuque lineage.

And the ill omen of the clan, as well as Zhu Jise’s beloved younger sister.

She disappeared ten years ago.

Just before her coming-of-age ritual, she vanished without a letter—leaving as though she had never existed.

Years passed. Flowers bloomed and withered countless times, yet Zhu Jise never saw her again.

Was she alive? Was she well?

He searched everywhere—not only in the southern lands, but across the entire Haese Kingdom.

Because the Zhuque Clan could not cross beyond the south, he even sought help from the White Tiger and Azure Dragon clans.

She was not the kind of child who would disappear without reason.

Not the kind who would leave without even saying goodbye.

Zhu Jise was certain something had happened to her.

“Brother, look at this! I can use my ability now!”

“I can’t make heat stones from my feathers, but I’m happy I can decorate your clothes beautifully.”

But ten years.

Ten years had passed, and he had found not even a single feather.

If she truly had left because she hated the south, he would at least have heard news that she was living well somewhere.

But not a single word had reached him.

Perhaps that was why.

“Please… save me…”

He could not ignore the child who had reached out, begging to be saved.

White hair…

In the empire, white hair was considered auspicious—but not in the case of a snake.

Snake beastfolk were generally regarded as ill omens.

Abandoned alone in a freezing snowfield, it was obvious what kind of life that child had lived before arriving here.

“……”

He recalled the moment he first found the baby snake in the snowfield.

At that moment, he had unconsciously mistaken her for his younger sister.

As if the sister who had vanished ten years ago had returned in the form of a child, lying there in the snow.

Of course, it had only been his illusion. He knew such a thing could not happen.

But even so…

Why, in that instant, had the child and his sister overlapped in his mind?

Was it simply because their hair color was similar? Or had he gone mad from longing to see her again?

Just then, footsteps approached from afar.

“Master, I have something to report.”

A maid’s clear voice came from outside the corridor.

“It’s about the baby snake girl you brought back last night.”

Only then did Zhu Jise’s gaze finally leave the painting of the Zhuque on the wall.