Chapter 9

I was shocked. It was an area that all the werebeasts wanted. In the ruined east, there were rumors that the area was paradise because of its beauty and peace.

However, I heard that it was one of the areas that couldn’t be touched easily because powerful families wanted to get it.

Don’t tell me he got his hands on that place? Is that what you’re saying now?

If I recall correctly, it was less than a week ago that the landlord came to visit me.

I blinked my eyes in disbelief.

“Hoho, I couldn’t be more confident when the Lord came forward himself.”

“…Why is the Lord suddenly interested in that land? He wasn’t before.”

“I also don’t understand.”

Even though he said he didn’t know, Geras looked at me as if he knew something.

Why are you looking at me all of a sudden?

As I tilted my head, my stomach growled.

I was getting hungry.

As I snooped around the lunch box, Rosaria came to my side.

“Shall we have lunch now, Miss Irene?”

“Pii.”

“I’ll feed you.”

“I guess you’re about to eat. I’ll get going because I have work to do. Have a good time, then if you excuse me.”

“Pii Pii.”

When Geras said his farewells and tried to leave, I waved saying goodbye.

I saw him off properly so I should eat freely now.

A thought came up while I was eating, when will I be able to humanize?

“Will I?”

“Pii.”

I hope I will grow up soon.

Then, Rosaria won’t have to bother feeding me every time and take care of everything.

I felt a little sorry and looked at her.

“What’s wrong, Miss Irene?”

“Pii Pii Pii. Pii Pii.”

I wanted to say thank you, but there was no way to convey it. That adds one more reason to speed up humanization.

Rosaria chuckled softly as she was blowing on the baby food to cool it down. I was eating deliciously when I heard a rustling of grass.

“I was wondering where you were, and here you are.”

“Pii?”

“Greetings, my lord.”

Rosaria greeted with a change of posture. Following her, I leaned forward, gathered my wings in front of my body and bowed my head.

Oh, I still can’t say hello.

As I looked at the approaching floor in embarrassment, my body suddenly went up.

“Pii?”

“You still don’t seem to know how to use your body.”

“That’s because she’s still young.”

“I think it’s been a while since she was born.”

“It’s been three weeks now.”

Yeah, it’s been only three weeks!

The landlord laughed as I shook my head up and down as if I supported Rosaria’s words.

“Yes, she must be far from growing up.”

“…Pii.”

“It’ll take a longer time to be able to go sailing.”

A boat ride?

I raised my head to make sure that I heard correctly.

Are you sure you’re asking me to go on a boat ride?

“Oh, it’s summer soon, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“That’s why you went all the way to the Venetian River! It’s certainly famous for its beautiful scenery but didn’t you say expanding the territory was troublesome?”

“There’s no harm in having one or two more areas.”

I didn’t think I heard it wrong.

To sum it up, the landlord was on his way back to the mansion after he conquered the whole area, and now, he was talking about going out to play.

Was it supposed to be that easy?

I was staring blankly at the landlord and he tapped my beak.

“I’ll give it to you.”

“…Pii?”

What are you giving me? I think I just heard something amazing.

I was dumbfounded.

Rosaria clapped with a happy face.

“That’s great! Miss Irene says she loves playing in the water.”

“Good for you.”

“Miss Irene, are you happy?”

Wait a minute, Rosaria. I also need time to embrace reality.

If what I understand is right….

“Now that you have a new playground, we can go play soon.”

Having figured it out, I opened my mouth.

Did you give that amazing place as a gift? As my playground?

“Pii Pii….”

For the first time in my life, I couldn’t calm myself down because of the immense gift.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The news that the Astrophel family had a young lady spread widely.

This news came nearly a month after rumors began to circulate that there was a problem with the third egg. It was already publicly known that the third egg was not a Black Mamba, so after the meeting, the family vassals gathered and started to gossip.

“Didn’t I tell you it was a baby bird?”

“Apparently, the eyes are red like the Lord.”

“Really?”

The vassals gathered in a circle and went silent, no one there had ever seen a baby bird either.

Where could they see the main character of the rumors?

When no one answered, they showed signs of disappointment.

“Did anyone actually see her?”

“Ho Ho. I saw the little one playing in the garden the other day. It was so cute I couldn’t put it into words.”

When an old man appeared in the conference room, everyone’s attention was focused on him. Geras smiled kindly as he remembered the baby bird that was politely greeting him.

“…Are her eyes really red, Sir Geras?”

“Yes.”

Everyone could not hide their admiration when the expression of the old man, who had made the conference hall chilly with every bit of bitterness in the air, softend.

She must be a real skillful Lady to soften the Elder Geras.

While everyone was talking noisily, someone raised a hand and asked.

“By the way, how did she get into the family when the young lady is not an egg of the clan?”

All eyes turned to the man.

The question was still unresolved. It was even more frustrating because Cade didn’t mention anything.

“Since the Lord has admitted that she is his daughter, isn’t she supposed to be the youngest lady in the Astrophels family?”

“That’s the case but… Wouldn’t it be a problem if the fact that he’s raising a young werebeast from another clan becomes known?”

Everyone’s expression hardened.

This is because it was forbidden under the Werebeast Conduct Act to bring in and raise a young werebeast from another clan without a guardian.

Since it has such a devastating effect on the growth of young werebeasts, it was usually customary to be raised by someone from the same clan. Moreover, it is rare for a youngling to leave their domain on their own, so the problem could be even bigger.

It was such a serious matter that if the clans’ families raised an objection, it had to be sent back immediately without opposition. Therefore, it was very unusual and dangerous for Cade to recognize the baby bird, Irene, as his daughter.

The news that the youngest born in the family was a girl excited everyone for a moment, but the black mambas soon had a gloomy expression on their faces.

“So does that mean that the young lady can’t stay in the family?”

“It can happen if things go badly… Actually, no one knows how she came to the family, right?”

That was the main point.

In fact, Irene herself was very suspicious of her existence.

In the first place, a race that could not be born into the family was born. Maybe Irene was caught up in adult affairs before she was even born. She didn’t know how she ended up in the family, but the reason would not be very good.

“It’s so… The lady’s position is ambiguous.”

“Nevertheless, the Lord gave her a name. What is he thinking?”

“How do we know what he wants?”

Everyone was shocked when they heard the news. They thought that the existence of the baby bird would soon disappear from the family….

It was a situation in which she even received a name, Irene Astrophels.

Besides, it is said that she even wanders around the mansion now. Rumors about Irene had grown so much that they were drawing everyone’s attention.

“Now I wonder what kind of person she is.”

Someone muttered in a low voice, and everyone’s eyes turned to one side as if they had rehearsed beforehand.

The Black Mamba who spoke shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

“You know it too, the Lord has already given her everything from Anead to Venea.”

It was a story everyone knows.v