Chapter 44
“Brother Hwayeong…!”
The child put down the brush and hurried out of the room.
Hwayeong, who had been waiting, spread both his arms wide toward Baekyeon.
“Come here!”
After hesitating for a moment, Baekyeon finally threw himself into Hwayeong’s embrace. His soft cheek squished against him.
“Hehe… you’re here.”
“Aww, so cute. What were you doing, little one?”
“I was studying letters. I want to try reading books by myself too…”
Baekyeon answered shyly, fidgeting with his fingers. Watching him quietly, Doui spoke as if casually tossing the words out.
“You’ll be able to do it soon.”
“Really?”
“Unless you’re an exceptional idiot, anyone can learn to read and write. Just look at Young Master Hwayeong. Somehow, even with that brain of his, he manages to read and write.”
“Hey! Are you done talking?”
“Not yet.”
“If you say any more, you’re dead!”
Hwayeong and Doui glared at each other.
Sweating nervously, Baekyeon hurriedly tried to separate them.
“P-Please don’t fight…”
Even though he knew they were not truly fighting, whenever Hwayeong and Doui looked at each other like this, he never knew what to do.
Perhaps it was because Baekyeon still wasn’t used to understanding other people’s emotions.
As the little snake worked desperately to keep the two boys apart, Doui gently brushed Baekyeon’s bangs aside.
“Your bangs have grown. You should trim them.”
“Hehe, Sirang said she’d cut them for me soon.”
“Tell her to cut them short. It’ll feel cooler.”
“Okay!”
When Baekyeon answered energetically, Doui let out a small chuckle.
Now, Baekyeon had learned how to talk about himself.
He had learned to answer a little more loudly.
He was no longer the child who constantly watched others’ expressions, endlessly wondering whether he was truly allowed to stay here.
Only now was he growing at his own pace, slowly changing.
Everyone in the Jujak family could feel those gradual changes.
“Ah, today I’ll practice my ability beside you while you’re training. I have to go see Hyung later.”
Hwayeong spoke as he walked toward the detached residence alongside Baekyeon.
Yeon gently held Hwayeong’s hand.
“Um… can I watch from the side?”
“Of course! Though there’s probably nothing interesting to see!”
Chatting happily, the three children arrived at the rear garden.
The detached residence, once covered in contamination, had slowly begun regaining its original appearance thanks to Baekyeon steadily absorbing the pollution.
After stepping just past the entrance, Baekyeon suddenly turned around to look at Hwayeong and Doui.
“…”
“Ahem…”
Naturally, Hwayeong and Doui had been about to follow him inside.
But they stopped in place.
Baekyeon firmly shook his head.
“No.”
“Can’t we at least come in as far as the parts that have been cleaned up?”
“Not even that…”
Whenever it concerned Hwayeong’s and Doui’s health, Baekyeon became unyieldingly firm.
When the little snake shook his head decisively once more, the two boys finally gave up entering and plopped down outside.
Baekyeon also sat down softly on the patchy grass where traces of contamination still remained, separated from them by that invisible boundary.
Hwayeong snapped his fingers while sitting.
“Alright, watch carefully. I’ll try again.”
Whoosh!
A massive blaze engulfed Hwayeong’s body.
It was completely different from before, when smoke had appeared during his transformations.
Baekyeon widened his eyes and stared intently into the flames.
Then—
Pop.
“Ppiyuu!”
A tiny bird popped out from within the fire.
Just like before, it wasn’t covered in flames at all.
Instead, it was wrapped in fluffy feathers.
“Ppii…” (I failed again.)
The little bird collapsed onto the grass.
Disappointment was written all over its tiny face.
“N-No, Brother Hwayeong! You’ll definitely succeed next time!”
“Ppiyu…” (Really?)
“Of course! I saw it! The flames just now were really amazing. So next time, it’ll definitely work!”
As Baekyeon’s eyes sparkled, the little bird immediately sprang to its feet.
“Ppiyak!”
It chirped happily.
Then, fluttering its wings, it tried to fly over to where Baekyeon was.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Just before crossing the boundary, Doui swiftly grabbed the little bird.
Having failed in his sneaky attempt to reach Baekyeon, Hwayeong whipped his head around.
“Tch.”
“You just clicked your tongue, didn’t you?”
“Ppii?”
Shaking his head, Doui placed Hwayeong back onto the ground.
“You don’t have to push yourself so hard. Honestly, even this much is impressive.”
He lightly nudged Hwayeong.
“Just because your father and your older brother are both geniuses doesn’t mean you have to be one too. It’s called balance.”
“W-What Doui-nim said is right. And Brother Hwayeong is already plenty strong.”
“Ppiyu…” (But…)
Hwayeong let out a long sigh, making his tiny wings droop.
“Ppiii.” (Why is Hyung being so impatient?)
At Hwayeong’s question, Doui and Baekyeon exchanged glances.
Then both shook their heads.
Baekyeon had not known Hwanya for very long, so there was no way he could understand Hwanya’s feelings.
Doui, too, found it difficult to guess Hwanya’s true intentions.
The position of family head would undoubtedly be inherited by Hwanya himself.
And Hwanya was the perfect successor in every way.
So one would think he could ease up a little on Hwayeong, the second son.
Yet Hwanya refused to do so.
“When I watch Hwanya-hyung, it almost feels like he’s conducting successor training.”
“Ppiii!” (Exactly! That’s what I don’t understand!)
Hwayeong bounced up and down.
“Ppiyu, ppiyu!” (Hyung’s the successor, so why is he training me like this?!)
“He probably has his reasons.”
Since there was no way to even begin guessing Hwanya’s intentions, Doui brushed the matter aside as if it weren’t important.
Poof!
After flapping his wings a few times, the tiny bird vanished.
In its place sat the red-haired boy once again.
Hwayeong dropped down heavily where he stood and shook his head.
“That’s enough. I’m done practicing. Like this, how am I supposed to produce flames? Whatever. I’ll just go get scolded later.”
“I hope he doesn’t scold you too much…”
“Yeon, you’ve never seen Hyung angry before, have you? He’s a complete monster. A monster.”
Hwayeong clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Then his eyes suddenly lit up.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen your beast form before. Can you show us?”
“Yeah. Bet it’d be cute.”
Doui nodded.
Baekyeon looked back and forth between the two with a flustered expression before speaking hesitantly.
“I-I… um… I think my snake form is kind of scary…”
“Who said it’s scary? It’ll definitely be adorable. Can’t you show us just once?”
At Hwayeong’s request, Baekyeon’s resolve wavered slightly.
No one had ever asked to see his snake form without malice before.
People only demanded that he transform in order to mock and torment him.
“Th-Then just once…!”
After hesitating for a moment, Baekyeon nodded bravely and closed his eyes to attempt his transformation.
Poof!
A faint white mist appeared.
Then a tiny white snake emerged.
It was small enough for its entire body to fit in the palms of Hwayeong and Doui.
The little snake cautiously observed Hwayeong’s reaction.
Baekyeon squeezed his eyes shut.
‘If they say it’s scary, I’ll transform back right away!’
People’s feelings could change after seeing something for themselves.
He had no intention of blaming anyone for that.
Dragons were considered auspicious creatures.
Snakes were not.
Insignificant.
Pathetic.
And frightening beastkin.
That was all.
So no matter what reaction they had, he thought he would understand.
Just as he was thinking that—
“Wow!”
Hwayeong’s eyes sparkled as he leaned closer to the little snake.
Careful not to cross the boundary separating the detached residence from the outside, the boy stared in amazement.
“You’re so tiny and adorable! Your scales are sparkling too. They look like incredibly precious jewels.”
“Why did you think we’d find you scary? You’re just small and cute.”
Doui and Hwayeong each added their own thoughts as they looked at the tiny snake.
Feeling shy, Yeon blinked and smiled softly.
‘Hehe…’
These two were the first people to ever say such things after seeing his snake form.
Yeon could feel that they genuinely liked him exactly as he was.
The realization filled him with happiness, making him feel as though he could spin around in circles right where he stood.
Smiling brightly, the little snake happily wriggled toward them.
Then—
Flash!
‘Huh?’
Something behind the tiny snake sparkled.
Baekyeon carefully turned to look deeper inside the detached residence.
Looking more closely, something within was glimmering with light.
‘What could that be?’
