“Hello, Miss Irene! I heard the news.”

In Hestia’s hand was a basket adorned with flowers and had many little chocolates inside.

“Congratulations on your shapeshifting. You’re so amazing…. but why do you look so down?”

“Miss Irene doesn’t seem to like it.”

“……Really?”

Hestia looked at me with eyes that couldn’t understand.

“She’s sad that she was not able to completely succeed in one try.”

“Ah! That’s what happened. It’s rare to succeed right away.”

“…Rare?”

But both Seth and Arban were able to do it in one try.

Hestia tilted her head.

“The Young masters were successful in a much more mature state, so they should be marked as exceptions. When they are that big, if you have trouble controlling pheromones, the problem gets worst. Black mambas grow in the blink of an eye so it’s also difficult if we miss the right timing.”

“…Is that so? Then it’s not that I’m slow?”

“Miss Irene is on the fast side. Your pheromones just started to stabilize, right? Everyone is talking about it…”

“Miss Irene is shy. She said she wanted to be successful in a cool way.”

Rosaria explained in my instead and I nodded my head making a positive.

However, it was comforting to hear that it was rare to succeed immediately. But I didn’t know it was also dangerous to miss the time because they grow so fast.

“I think the young lady wants to grow up quickly. I think the head will be sad, right?”

Hestia said, familiarly sitting on the sofa.

“I know.”

Rosalia agreed and came over to serve tea infused with tea leaves.

“I heard you went on a business trip, Hestia.”

“Oh, that’s right. I went with Sir Durias.”

With Durias? I thought he went alone but seems like they went together.

“What did you go out for?”

“Hmm… just an outside mission.”

Hestia smiled softly and muffled her words evasively. She looked uncomfortable because it was difficult to answer.

I walked towards the sofa where they were sitting. Then, enough chocolates to fill up both hands were laid out on the table.

“Do you like my present?”

“Yes. I’m feeling better now. Thank you, Hestia.”

“You’re welcome. By the way, I really liked the paw prints… but the tail is also a favorite.”

Gulp. What?

I hid my tail. Hestia’s eyes were twinkling.

The tail! The tail is in danger! 

As I hid behind Rosaria, Hestia averted her gaze with regret. She sat down and chatted for quite some time. Then she looked at her watch and got up from her seat.

“I’m afraid it’s time to go. I have work to do.”

“You can come again, Hestia.”

“Then I won’t hesitate to come back again. Miss Irene, see you next time.” 

“Yes. Goodbye, Hestia.”

Tak.

Hestia went back. Whew. I think I can have some alone time now, right?

I already put the fifth chocolate in my mouth. Normally, Rosaria would have told me to stop eating but it didn’t happen today.

It seemed that she let it go thinking about my feelings. Seems like there’s at least one good thing to having a tail right, right?

I laughed my head off. It felt like I was slowly returning to my normal mood.

It was then.

Knock. Knock.

A third knock was heard. Who else is it this time? I puffed up my cheeks. It’s because the visit of other people right now was not pleasant. Rosaria got up but I shook my head.

“I’ll see them out.”

Then I got off the sofa and burst open the door. 

“Who is it? Irene is resting now! Thank you for coming, see you next time!”

“You want me to come next time?”

……Ah?

“I mean, what did you do to take a break? You probably haven’t even taken the class yet.”

The person in front of the door was Cade. He sternly looked at me, as if offended by my unwelcome greeting.

“……Huh. Daddy?”

I hardened as it was. Cade, who was still standing crookedly in front of the door, grinned and a cool breeze passed by.

I flinched at the feeling of a chill in my spine.

I can’t believe it was Cade who came to see me. 

When I was speechless and couldn’t say anything, Cade opened his mouth as if he wanted to hear it. 

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been door-bullied in my house.”

“……”

“It’s fun.”

It was the so-called ‘You’re the first one to be rude like this to me.’

As I stealthily avoided eye contact, I could see Cade’s lips drawing a deeper arc from my angle of view.

No, I didn’t see anything. Shall I just pretend I don’t know and close the door like this?

I clutched the doorknob, thinking about the future that I couldn’t handle if I did so.

Fortunately, Rosaria changed the mood before I did anything else. Thanks to this, the crisis flowed in a different direction.

“Huh? What are you doing here at this hour, my Lord? It’s time for the morning meeting.”

“It’s over.”

“…So fast?”

Rosaria curiously looked at her watch, because it was the time when he would normally still be in a meeting.

“It wasn’t very important.”

“I see.” 

“On the way back, I thought I wanted to see someone’s face for a while, so I came and…”

Flinch.

I hid behind the door. After a second, I grasped the doorknob tightly and looked up.

Cade, who came into the room before I knew it, was looking at me as if he was full of complaints. 

I laughed awkwardly, feeling shy.

My lips were trembling and cold sweat was dripping down my cheeks.

“I wanted to see Daddy too.”

“Is it me or is this what it feels like to have others lay flat down before me?”

“It must be only you Daddy.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! It’s like that!”

I shouted loudly and Cade, who had a slightly surprised face, smiled.

He seemed to have loosened up, but it didn’t seem like he was offended at first, though. Daddy seems to enjoy making fun of me more and more as time passes.

“Did the Lord come after hearing the news?”

“Durias was excited and talking about it with everyone he ran into.”

…I had to be caught by Durias from all things!

If Cade said that, all other Black Mambas in the mansion also knew by now. I sighed with grief while Cade looked around and sat down on the sofa, crossing his legs.

“Looking at it, it seems that guests have already visited.”

He moved his eyes at the basket on the other side of the table.

“Yes, Young Master Seth and Hestia paid a visit earlier.”

“That’s right! Hestia and Brother Seth both came and went back.”

When I couldn’t hide my joy and smiled, Cade laughed too.

“Is it such a good thing to have Seth come over?”

“Of course. I thought he came to make fun of me, but did you know he came to compliment me?”

“Huh?”

“And he taught me how to make my tail disappear.” 

I gave explanations as If I was bragging.

“That’s a little surprising.”

“Right?”

Maybe I’m the only one who feels that way, but these days, I seem to have gotten closer to Seth.

I think his way of speaking and attitude had gotten a little softer. Besides, the sharp mood he had when we first met was hardly seen anymore.

There was still a bit of irony, but I don’t think it was because he really didn’t like me.

Cade stared at me like that, then opened his mouth again.

“Irene.”

“Huh?”

“I heard that two escorts helped hide your tail.”

“Ah…….”

“Do you hate your tail?”

“No.”

I shook my head, saying no.

“Then it’s because you’re worried about the difference between your appearance and the Clan’s.”

It was a calm tone, but it was a piercing remark that hit the head of the nail.

I looked up at him in great surprise. In response to my reaction, Cade made a face that looked like he knew it.

I felt strange because I didn’t know that Cade, and no one else, would bring it up. It was hard to believe that he was paying attention to things that Rosaria, who was attached to me every day, couldn’t even guess.

I blankly looked at him.

He seemed to be thinking about something and opened his mouth after a while.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you look different?” 

“No. No one ever said that.”

“Then?”

I hesitated to bring it up. 

Rosaria, watching the atmosphere, quietly left the room. She seemed to have decided that there was a need for a conversation between only the two of us.

Cade did not rush for an answer. He was just waiting for me to speak.

Can I really be honest with everything?

I crumpled up the hem of my innocent dress and finally opened my mouth.

“…I think I’m the only one that’s different. There are no other birds.”

“But?”

“What am I?”

It was a very certain fact that I was a bird. Even if I was living in the Astrophel family, that doesn’t mean I’m a Black Mamba.

There was nothing more disturbing than that. What should I do if I can’t blend in anywhere I go?

Cade answered my question. 

“You are Irene Astrophel.”

“I know that.”

“Then what’s the matter?”

Cade narrowed his brow. I kept my mouth shut and a long silence continued. Only the clock’s second hand could be heard after a long time and then he opened his mouth.

“You said you knew who you were with your own mouth, so I thought this won’t happen, but don’t tell me.”

Hmm?

“You are not thinking about what kind of clan you really belong to, are you?”