Chapter 4
A few days later.
Aran woke to a pair of warm, but rather rough hands kneading her gently.
“Peep…?”
(Mom, why do you keep bothering me while I’m sleeping…?)
For the past few days, someone had been constantly poking and fussing over her, so she naturally assumed it was Cheongun.
But when she cracked open her sleepy eyes, a face as round and bright as the full moon hovered above her.
The unfamiliar intruder bowed politely while looking down at her. The morning sunlight, hidden behind the woman’s broad frame, finally reached Aran’s eyes.
Then came a voice so loud it made Aran flinch.
“Good morning, Young Miss!”
“Peep—! Peep!!”
(Agh! Did you swallow a trumpet or something? Why are you so loud?!)
“Oh! Was my voice too loud? I suppose shouting all day at the training grounds has become second nature to me. Hahaha!”
Unfortunately, even her hearty laughter was deafening.
Aran instinctively stretched out her tiny, featherless wings, trying to cover her ears.
That only made things worse.
“My goodness!”
Jolt!
The woman’s loud exclamation made Aran tremble.
Oddly enough, the woman herself was trembling too.
“Y-you’re… so adorable…!”
“Peep…”
(Could you please lower your voice? My ears are going to burst…!)
At last, the stranger seemed to understand Aran’s dissatisfied chirping and took a step back.
“Ah… am I still speaking too loudly?”
Finally lowering her voice, she introduced herself.
“Allow me to introduce myself! I am the Right Drill Instructor of the Azure Dragon Palace—Seong So-rim!“
It was still plenty loud by Aran’s standards.
“Peep?”
(A drill instructor? Like a training captain? What business would someone like you have with me…?)
Though she couldn’t understand a single word from the baby bird, So-rim somehow answered Aran’s question immediately.
“I’ve heard that baby birds have to be taught everything—walking, running, even flying. But dragons walk on their own the moment they’re born, so the Azure Dragon Palace has never needed a nanny!”
“…Peep?”
(…So?)
“So that’s why I’m here!”
“Peep?”
(Why you?)
“Because no one in this palace is better at teaching than I am! Muahahaha!”
Watching her carefully, Aran realized that the more embarrassed So-rim became, the louder she spoke.
She’s so noisy…
I don’t need a nanny. Didn’t Hui tell them that?
Just what is Cheongun thinking, making such unnecessary arrangements?
I hate nannies!
Determined to prove she didn’t need one, Aran struggled to her feet.
She steadied her tiny ankles on her little toes.
“Peeeep!”
(Behold my magnificent posture!)
Earlier that morning, she’d woken up feeling unusually energetic and had secretly practiced taking her very first steps in this new life.
She had probably been born about two weeks ago now.
That meant she’d started walking a full week earlier than she had in her previous life.
See? If you just take good care of me, I can do it myself…!
“My heavens!”
For some reason, however, Aran’s accomplishment only led to an even greater misunderstanding.
So-rim’s eyes shimmered with tears as her fingertips trembled.
“Does… does this mean that I, Seong So-rim—the greatest drill instructor of all—made Young Miss take her very first steps the moment we met?”
“Peep? Peep?”
(What? Of course not! What did you even do?!)
Where had the woman who seemed halfway capable of understanding her gone?
Completely oblivious to Aran’s exasperation, So-rim continued speaking emotionally.
“To tell the truth, when the Family Head entrusted someone as young as you to me, I refused several times because I lacked confidence. But His Lordship, who is like the reincarnation of the Azure Dragon himself, encouraged me, saying I was the finest teacher in the palace…”
Sniff.
“Peep?”
(Huh? Are you crying?)
With a hand big enough to cover a cooking pot, So-rim wiped at the corners of her eyes before slowly patting her chest to calm herself.
Then she cupped both hands together and placed them before Aran.
“Young Miss, shall we go take a tour of the Azure Dragon Palace together?”
Looking at those sturdy palms, Aran tilted her head.
“Peep?”
(Hmm…? Am I actually allowed to leave this room?)
She’d assumed she was being kept here temporarily until they figured out exactly what she was—and what to do with her.
The warm garden of early summer.
“One, two! One, two! That’s it, our little chirpy Young Miss! You’re doing wonderfully!”
Aran waddled along in time with So-rim’s booming encouragement, but her cheeks burned scarlet with embarrassment.
Good thing she at least had fluffy down to hide it.
“Little Chirpy”?
That nickname was unbearably embarrassing.
She’d have to find a chance to tell them her real name someday.
“Peep…”
(Please, keep it down, Instructor. It’s only walking. Why make such a spectacle of it…?)
With all this commotion, it was only natural that people began gathering.
Palace attendants gradually surrounded them, clapping as they watched Aran’s first walking lesson.
“Oh my! Is that the rumored youngest young miss? She’s adorable! But hasn’t she already been hatched for quite a while?”
One of the younger attendants asked curiously.
An older servant answered.
“I’ve heard birds naturally learn to walk rather slowly.”
“Eek! So she’s been lying down this whole time? She must’ve been so bored!”
Aran stared at them in disbelief.
“Peep! Peep!”
(Bored? I was busy sleeping!)
Still, she couldn’t stay in a cradle forever.
Walking practice really was necessary.
Aran decided to steel herself.
So-rim wasn’t even a Vermilion Bird, so she probably wouldn’t be much help.
Still…
It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, having someone fuss over her for a change.
She’d spent years living alone before the world ended.
So-rim crouched in front of Aran, shuffling backward on her haunches while clapping enthusiastically like a festival gong.
“Two, two! Three, four! Excellent! Young Miss, you’re doing great!”
Aran had never once received such wholehearted encouragement in either of her lives.
She had no idea how to respond.
Just then, a familiar voice called out.
“Huh? Little Chirpy, you’re walking?”
It was Hui.
Her one and only interpreter.
Startled, Aran lost her balance.
“Peep!”
Because she had to be especially careful about what she said in front of that young master.
“Ah! Little Chirpy!”
Hui hurried over and scooped her up before even So-rim could react.
Flustered, So-rim bowed apologetically.
“M-my apologies, Young Master! Young Miss was walking perfectly well just a moment ago…”
Ignoring her, Hui carefully moved each of Aran’s tiny legs one by one, inspecting them.
“You have to be careful, Instructor. Just look at these little legs. One wrong step and they could snap.”
What?! What’s wrong with my legs?!
That was what Aran wanted to say.
What came out instead was a gentle little chirp.
“Peep, peep.”
(I’m not hurt. Sorry for making you worry.)
“Are you really okay?”
Looking at the deep furrow between Hui’s handsome brows, Aran felt a tiny pang of guilt.
She nodded earnestly.
Hui looked toward So-rim, who was standing there like a condemned criminal.
“Instructor, Little Chirpy says she’s fine. She says she’s sorry for worrying us. Isn’t she the sweetest? Even though she’s still just a baby.”
“Really?”
So-rim let out a relieved sigh.
“I wish I could understand sign language too. Young Miss says so many things even back in her room…”
No.
Not even close.
Aran barely resisted the urge to shake her head.
“I couldn’t understand a single thing! Even so, Young Miss understood me perfectly and took her very first steps!”
Amazingly, Hui accepted So-rim’s ridiculous conclusion without the slightest doubt.
“As expected of Instructor!”
Grinning proudly, he gently set Aran back on the ground.
Aran decided not to correct So-rim’s misunderstanding.
Compared to a dragon who thought he was her mother, this was nothing.
Just then—
Crash! Bang!
A loud commotion echoed from somewhere nearby.
Moments later, an unfamiliar cry approached.
“Kiiiii-woo!”
Huh?
What on earth was that?
It was a strange sound Aran had never once heard in her hundred years of life.
She tilted her head in confusion.
Then—
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—BAM!
A tremendous impact sent her tiny body flying.
Stars flashed before her eyes.
Darkness swallowed her almost instantly.
As her consciousness faded, one thought crossed her mind.
Ah… is this it?
Lord Black Tortoise…
Are you finally coming to take me away?
