Chapter 5
What if I took a bubble bath? It would probably smell really nice. And my feathers would get soft too.
Feeling the cool breeze, I hummed to myself.
“Are you that happy?”
“Peep!”
“Then shall we hurry?”
“Peep!”
When I urged her on, Rosaria chuckled softly and quickened her pace.
Looking into the distance, I saw a vast, open forest stretching out—something I hadn’t been able to see from the ground before.
Just a moment ago, there had been stones right in front of me.
As I turned my head and looked around, taking everything in, I realized something.
Just as Baon had said, I couldn’t sense a single living creature.
How could that be possible in such a wide and deep forest?
“This is your first time in a forest, isn’t it, little one?”
“Pii.”
“This place is the private land of the Astrophel family. As you can see, there are no living creatures here at all. Since beastfolk could disguise themselves and infiltrate, everything is fundamentally prohibited.”
So that’s why. Turns out it’s an incredible forest.
“It’s safe here, so the young masters often come to train. I believe they had training scheduled today as well…”
Rosaria tilted her head slightly.
“But they’re not here today. Perhaps they went hunting.”
“Peep?”
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.
From what I’d vaguely heard before, their birth time wasn’t that different from mine.
And they’re already going hunting?
I stared in shock, my beak hanging open, and Rosaria smiled.
“The young masters have already completed their human transformation. You don’t know what that is yet, do you? It means being able to take on a human form, like me.”
“…Peep.”
“You’ll be able to do it soon as well.”
“Peep.”
Not only were they already hunting, they had even completed human transformation.
Those young masters must have absurd abilities.
But if I work hard, I can do it too!
I steeled my resolve and clenched my wings tightly. Then—
“Peep?”
What’s that?
“What’s wrong, little one?”
“Pii.”
A massive tree had been brutally knocked down. And the next one. And the one after that.
Gigantic trees that looked decades old were all toppled over in groups.
Why were perfectly fine trees uprooted like that?
Seeing where I was pointing, Rosaria spoke calmly as if it were nothing.
“Oh. It seems they finished training and went back.”
Huh?
“It was probably the eldest young master.”
How could a beastfolk child, barely born, destroy trees like that?
I stared, dumbfounded.
“You’ll be able to do that too once you grow up. But honestly, the young master…”
Clicking her tongue, Rosaria walked toward the devastated area. Up close, the sight was even more dreadful.
He must have a terrible personality.
There’s no way someone would wreck things like this otherwise!
But why did we come all the way here?
“If you’re going to make such a mess, you should at least clean up afterward. Perhaps he doesn’t bother with that yet.”
Rosaria placed one foot on a tree.
Tap.
Her movement was as light as kicking a twig.
But the result was shocking.
A tree thick enough that two or three grown men could barely wrap their arms around it began to roll away.
Watching in awe as the trees piled neatly into a corner, I rubbed my eyes with my wings.
“Peep… peep?”
What is even happening?
“All clean now. Sorry, little one. Did you wait long?”
“…Peep peep. Peep peep peep.”
Not at all. I didn’t wait.
I quietly straightened my posture.
Mom… this lady is scary.
In Kaid’s hand was a doll that didn’t suit him at all.
It was a snake doll Rosaria had prepared at the baby bird’s eye level.
“How amusing.”
Recalling what had just happened, a hint of interest curved Kaid’s lips.
In the Astrophel family, where no one ever gave away what was theirs, such a gift was unimaginable.
Having unexpectedly received a “first hunting trophy” from the baby bird, Kaid fell into thought.
“So this is why everyone keeps wanting daughters.”
Though it was a quiet mutter, there was no way Baon—whose hearing was extremely sharp—would miss it.
In the middle of an important discussion, Baon looked at Kaid in surprise.
Soon, noticing the doll in Kaid’s hand, his shoulders began to tremble.
It was such an absurd combination.
“Pfft.”
At the escaping laugh, Kaid’s gaze turned toward Baon.
“Baon.”
“Ahem. Yes.”
“If you value your life, I suggest you stop.”
“Shall I?”
Life was precious to everyone. Baon quickly composed himself.
“Why are you suddenly talking about daughters when you already have two sons?”
“They never gave me anything like this.”
Kaid lifted the doll. It was colorful and quite cute.
Baon squeezed his eyes shut.
Don’t laugh. Think sad thoughts. Sad thoughts.
“Ahem… well, isn’t it rather brave? Even if it’s just a doll, to think of hunting a snake.”
“It was… commendable in its own way.”
Kaid recalled the baby bird violently throwing the snake doll around—something unseen anywhere else.
“She’s just like you, my lord.”
“Hmm?”
“Quite savage. Even her hunting style.”
Though it was a different kind of savagery.
At Baon’s words, Kaid narrowed his eyes. The baby bird, while hunting…
“Her eyes were definitely red.”
Only those with Astrophel blood had red eyes.
Influenced by the powerful pheromones of the founding head, most of the Astrophel family shared similar features.
Black hair. Red eyes.
And though it had been temporary, the baby bird’s eyes had clearly been that color too.
“It must be because she absorbed your pheromones, my lord.”
“Yes. That’s exactly the problem.”
Returning to their earlier topic, Kaid’s expression turned cold.
Someone had dared to infiltrate the Astrophel estate and leave behind an egg.
How had that even been possible?
If it was somehow connected to Estella—who died after giving birth to an heir—the situation could spiral out of control.
Kaid’s face hardened.
“Investigate it. Find out who was involved when Estella gave birth. And every guard who was on duty at the mansion that day—leave no one out.”
“Do you believe there is a spy within the family?”
“It’s not impossible.”
“Then the scope of the investigation will be quite large. It will take some time.”
Baon’s expression grew serious.
If there truly was a spy, a careful and discreet investigation would be necessary.
“Take as long as you need—but catch every last rat hiding in the shadows.”
“Understood.”
Seeing Kaid—who rarely allowed delays—say that time didn’t matter, Baon cast a bittersweet glance around the office.
When Estella died, Kaid hadn’t even blinked.
Rumors had spread that they hadn’t been close, but traces of her remained clearly throughout the office.
Kaid had cared for her—enough to show weakness only to her.
Knowing that, Baon felt uneasy.
If the baby bird’s birth was connected to Estella’s death…
Then blood would flow for quite some time.
Clearing his throat to change the heavy mood, Baon spoke.
“By the way, now that the baby has absorbed your pheromones, what will you do? It’s too late to throw her out of the territory now.”
“We’ll observe for now.”
“It seems Rosaria has grown quite fond of her as well.”
“…Can you stop calling her ‘little one’ already?”
“Rosaria calls her that, so I tried it too. Isn’t it cute?”
“It’s irritating. Why call her that?”
“Because you haven’t given her a name.”
Since he had only ordered the newborn to be thrown out, there was no way she had a name.
And no one would dare name her in his place.
With the head’s pheromones clearly present, no sane person would risk such a thing.
‘Though… Rosaria might.’
If anyone could, it would be Rosaria. And she seemed to quite enjoy taking care of the baby bird.
She was still observing the situation, but once she made up her mind, she might act on her own.
Baon’s eyes gleamed.
“If you don’t give her a name, someone else might take that opportunity.”
“So what?”
“She might start following someone else—and give them gifts instead.”
At those oddly irritating words, Kaid let out a low sound.
It wasn’t that he particularly wanted a daughter.
More accurately, he had no interest.
In a family where heirs were rare, it was enough for a proper successor to be born.
But imagining the baby bird following someone else and giving them gifts twisted something inside him.
“A name…”
“Do you have something in mind?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
Baon was momentarily speechless.
