Chapter 8. Defeated the Big Snake?
“Baby, you’ve woken up? Are you alright?”1They suddenly changed the way they address her entirely 😂. However although they call her ‘아기’ which means baby, they still use ‘님’ as a horrific, so that’s not considered disrespectful.
“Uuuh…”
I took a deep breath as I answered. My head throbbed, and my body felt a little heavy, but it was bearable.
“I’m so glad you’re awake, baby.”
Lisa looked at me with a worried expression before stepping back.
“Baby, were you crying? Your eyes look damp.”
I cried?
I reached up to wipe around my eyes. Feeling the moisture, I realized I must have shed tears without noticing.
Roella’s final moments had been so vivid, as if I had become one with her. Even after waking from the dream, the emotions lingered.
Why did I dream of Prince Ramel? Or… was it even a dream?
It felt more like I had peered into Roella’s past.
I’m supposed to live as someone else now, but it’s as if Roella was showing herself to me.
Maybe I should wring Ramel’s neck when I see him.
How dare he use a woman and discard her like that? I clenched my teeth in anger.
By the way, what happened to the snake?
“Lisa, what happened to the snake?”
“It ran away when His Grace caught you as you were falling, but it’s probably dead. They said it was nearly cut in half, so it would be hard for it to survive.”
So they hadn’t confirmed the body. That meant we couldn’t be certain it was dead.
I preferred certainty in these matters.
Wow. But still, as expected of the Northern Grand Duke. If things had gone wrong, I could have been hurt, but he took it down in one blow.
Wait… did it not matter to him if I died?
A sudden wave of disappointment washed over me. No, actually, there was nothing to be disappointed about. Who was I to expect him to care about me?
“His Grace was very worried about you. I must inform him right away.”
Huh? The Grand Duke was worried about me?
“Really? His Grace was worried about me?”
“Of course! He was constantly pressing the physician to wake you up as soon as possible.”
“I see….”
So, he did worry after all. The disappointment I had felt earlier faded slightly.
As I struggled to sit up, I suddenly felt thirsty. I asked Lisa for water and gulped it down hurriedly.
“This is medicine from the physician. He said to give it to you as soon as you woke up….”
Just then, Casey burst in with an excited voice.
“Oh my! You’ve woken up? Baby, are you hurt anywhere? Do you feel any pain?”
“I’m fine.”
“Oh, thank goodness! I have to inform His Grace right away. Everyone has been waiting for you to wake up. I didn’t see it myself, but I heard people say our baby was incredibly brave! Even the knights were shocked.”
Clasping her hands together in admiration, Casey rushed out of the room.
I stared blankly after her.
Until now, all I had felt was the cold wind, but today, there was a warmth in the air.
I shouldn’t change just because of a sudden shift in attitude, but…
Still, what did they mean by brave? If I were truly brave, I would have taken that snake down myself.
Ah! I should have caught that thing and thrown it at Rikael’s face. What a shame.
Well, since the snake ran away, I guess I won at least half the battle.
Shortly after Casey left, the Grand Duke entered. Behind him were knights and Rikael, but not my father-in-law, the Duke.
Seeing the Grand Duke approach my bedside, I bowed my head in greeting.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Nothing hurts.”
Though my head still throbbed, I answered as calmly as possible.
Hearing my response, the Grand Duke’s expression remained dark.
Well, considering his sword aura had struck the snake directly, he must have known that the impact wasn’t small for a child like me.
I had nearly died. Wasn’t that a bit much?
Just as resentment started to creep in, he suddenly asked,
“How did you know that someone with a split tongue is from the snake tribe?”
“Ah, that…”
It was natural for him to find it odd that a five-year-old child knew something no one else did.
Since I couldn’t tell the truth, I had to play the innocent card.
“I read it in a book! It said that when snakes take human form, their tongues remain split. So when I saw it, I was really shocked!”
“You can read? Already?”
The Grand Duke seemed very surprised that I could read.
To be honest, even I found it strange that I could read a completely new language without any difficulty.
It made me realize that young Roella must have been quite smart.
“I learned bit by bit from picture books. I had nothing else to do, so I just kept reading.”
I wasn’t sure if this answer would work, but it was the best I could give.
The Grand Duke’s expression didn’t change much.
He seemed unsure whether to believe me or not.
I glanced past him at Rikael and the knights standing behind him.
Still, the knights seemed to be looking at me with admiration.
They looked somewhat moved.
But Rikael’s expression was similar to the Grand Duke’s, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
“I see. How commendable. You must have been afraid of the snake, so where did you find such courage?”
There was no need to think about that.
I had lived a life where facing fear and danger was routine.
Regardless, this was an opportunity. If I could make a good impression on the Grand Duke, it would be beneficial for me.
To do that, I needed to give an answer that a war fanatic like him would appreciate.
What would be a good response?
A famous quote flashed through my mind.
In South Korea, it would be the perfect answer, but would it work here too?
Well, might as well give it a shot.
“I read in a book that a great general once said, ‘If you seek to live, you will die. If you seek to die, you will live.’ So I followed those words and found my courage.”
I spoke each word boldly and confidently.
As soon as I finished, the room fell silent.
I thought it would be moving, but everyone just stared at me with blank expressions.
Did I go too far?
“I… I see? I don’t know which general said that, but… quite remarkable.”
The Grand Duke’s lips twitched slightly before he pressed them into a thin line.
“I don’t remember which general it was either.”
Of course, I did remember.
But I had to pretend I didn’t.
If they asked me who said it, I’d be in trouble.
I feigned innocence, tilting my head as if I truly couldn’t recall.
The Grand Duke, who had been looking down at me, opened his mouth slightly before pressing his lips together again.
After a brief silence, he spoke again.
“I see. It’s possible to forget. Ahem. Are you comfortable staying here?”
“Yes, I have no problems.”
“That’s good, then. But you’ve only been here a short time, and something like this has already happened. If Count Mares finds out, he’ll be very worried. If you’re uncomfortable, you can return home to rest for a while.”
Go back?
Was he subtly trying to send me away?
Absolutely not.
I couldn’t afford to show any weakness.
From the Grand Duke to Rikael, it seemed to be a family trait to despise weakness.
“No, I like it here. Ludia is strong, so even if snakes keep coming, I’ll just keep catching them. That’s why I’ll live here until Your Grace’s black hair turns all white.”
With this, they should all see how brave and fearless I was, right?
Feeling triumphant, I looked up at the Grand Duke—only to find him making a strange expression.
It was as if he had just bitten into something bitter.
“Bla…ck… whi…te…?”
“Until your black hair turns white.”
“Hmm.”
The Grand Duke pressed his lips together again. That’s been happening a lot today.
The knights didn’t look much different from him, and Casey even covered her mouth as if trying to hide her expression.
What? What is it?
They know what white hair is, don’t they?
At that moment, an eerie silence filled the air, making even the flow of the atmosphere feel still.
Then, piercing through the strange stillness, came Casey’s laughter.
It was an odd, suppressed chuckle, breaking apart like black mist.
“Ughhuhuhu.”
Are you a ghost?
But at that signal, the knights also started covering their mouths.
Some wrinkled their brows, some turned away entirely.
Were they holding back laughter?
Or were they pitying me?
I didn’t know enough about this world to read the situation accurately, but I had a feeling that if I did it one more time, I could take them all down in one blow.
Was it just my imagination?
There’s a saying, ‘Go big or go home.’
I raised my small, dumpling-like fist into the air and shouted with all my might.
“Ludia doesn’t cry easily! Ludia can keep catching snakes, keep fighting—Ludia can do anything!!!”
That was my final, decisive strike.
The Grand Duke, who had been frozen with his lips pursed, twitched at the corners of his mouth.
The knights, still covering their mouths, now seemed to be holding their breath.
Breathe. You’re going to suffocate.
“Let’s see who dares to wreak hav’oc in my house!!!”
One more hit.
At this point, Casey burst into full-blown laughter, clutching her stomach.
“Ohohoho! Baby, you’re too adorable!”
“Uhhuhuhu.”
A deep male laugh followed soon after.
Judging by how everyone was laughing, they weren’t pitying me—they found me cute.
So this world likes things like this, huh?
Alright. Noted!
