A Snake’s Life Ch 104

Chapter 104

After meeting Zerpell, I’ve been spending my days as I always have. Right now, I’m lazily rolling around on a spacious bed.

Though life is peaceful, there is one thing that constantly bothers me—the object that keeps snagging whenever I scratch my neck with my tail.

It’s the collar Zerpell fastened around my neck, out of his excessive worry.

Master really… he worries far too much.

Well, calling it a “collar” might be a stretch—it looked like a normal necklace. One that Zerpell, who knew my tastes well, had chosen with great care.

At first, I didn’t pay it much attention, but every time I rolled around on the bed, the clinking sound of it started to annoy me.

This necklace was designed to always let Zerpell know where I was. The leash attached to the collar was firmly in Zerpell’s grasp.

I could understand.

To Zerpell, I had been missing for an entire year—it was no different from being lost.

That much was clear from the way Cedric, who was following behind us, welled up with tears and said how fortunate it was that everything turned out well, and from the way Ian’s jaw nearly dropped when Zerpell returned holding me in his arms.

Ian had even thought he was hallucinating when he saw me wagging my tail—he grabbed it tightly, and only when Zerpell smacked his hand away did the pain make him realize it was real.

Everyone had had intense reactions.

And apparently, Casa, who remained unseen, was still wandering far and wide in search of me. Though I had returned and the message was sent, it seemed he’d gone so far in search of me that he hadn’t yet come back.

And now, I was living in the palace—once home to the emperor—where Zerpell now resided.

At first, I felt some discomfort knowing this was the former emperor’s residence. But traces of Zerpell were all over the place, and that made it feel pleasant.

There were absolutely no signs of the previous emperor. It looked like Zerpell had renovated everything; the rooms looked almost the same as before.

He slowly explained to me everything that had happened while I was gone. Apparently, all of the previous emperor’s misdeeds had been exposed after my disappearance.

And just like that, the emperor was dethroned, and Zerpell became the new emperor. The explanation felt too simplified, so I tilted my head and asked:

[That’s it?]

“Yes. That’s the end of it.”

I wanted to ask what had happened to the emperor—but I didn’t. There must have been a reason Zerpell chose not to say. And anyway, I trusted he had handled it well.

After that, Zerpell practically kept me in his arms all the time. Since I liked being close to him too, I sometimes took the initiative to cuddle up to him.

Wherever he went, he carried me in his arms. The passing attendants would shudder seeing him smile, but to the outside eye, it seemed peaceful. Still, as someone always at his side, I knew it wasn’t entirely true.

Whenever I hid under the covers, pretending to play hide-and-seek, he would panic and desperately search for me. If he couldn’t see me, he’d light up like fire and go on a frantic hunt.

He would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and gently stroke me. He even murmured in his sleep not to leave, asking where I was going.

Maybe that’s why, when the collar suddenly appeared one day, I simply accepted it.

Having seen him like that, I couldn’t complain. If anything, I felt sorry for him.

Here’s how I ended up wearing the collar.

Zerpell usually didn’t bother me when I was asleep. But one night, I felt an odd sensation—like he was fiddling around my neck. It was a time when he should’ve been reviewing documents, and he hadn’t had a nightmare.

The ticklish feeling and rustling sounds kept me from sleeping, so I opened my eyes.

Normally, I would’ve just ignored it and gone back to sleep. But something felt off that night. I snapped awake—and there was Zerpell, smiling brightly.

But right before that, I clearly saw a guilty look flash across his face. I looked him up and down. He looked like a child caught red-handed doing something mischievous.

In my sleepy daze, I asked,

[Uhh… huh? Master…? What are you doing?]

“Mm…”

Zerpell hesitated for a moment, then cheerfully said,

“I’m putting on a collar.”

[A collar…? Oh, I see…]

Still half-asleep, my foggy brain didn’t really register the word “collar.” Besides, I instinctively trusted that Zerpell would never do anything to harm me.

“You’re tired, right? Go back to sleep.”

[…Mm…]

I drooped my body like it was no big deal, signaling he could do as he pleased. Zerpell chuckled quietly. He said it would only take a moment and gently stroked my body.

His warm touch felt so nice that I nuzzled into it and drifted back into sleep.

Then the sunlight hitting me square in the face disturbed my sweet slumber. I squirmed and finally got up. I raised my head and looked around.

Zerpell was always nearby when I woke up—but this time, I didn’t see him.

Someone was sitting casually in a chair, and two knights were standing in the corner of the room. I tilted my head.

[Where did Master go…?]

Then a familiar voice spoke from beside me.

“Awake now?”

I slowly turned my head, and there stood someone familiar yet unfamiliar. I opened my eyes wide—it was Kir. He sat in the chair in his human form, which I had only seen once before.

I’d assumed Kir had been among those taken back and reborn by the Water God. The shock jolted me fully awake. I called his name loudly in surprise.

[Kir?!]

“That’s right. You really do take your time, don’t you? Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through?”

Kir’s face was twisted into a scowl. I had no idea what kind of trouble he meant, but I was happy to see him and wagged my tail. I crawled over to him.

[Old man! Have you been well? But why are you in human form? Didn’t you say you hated it?]

He scratched his head and lightly flicked my forehead. I rubbed the spot with my tail, wincing.

“Who else’s fault do you think it is?”

I had no idea what I’d done.

Even though he was the one who hit me, he blamed me for it.

I was dumbfounded, but I let go of my grumbling. We’d finally met again—there was no need to fight.

“More importantly, are you alright?”

I tilted my head again and again at Kir’s question.

He let out a deep sigh and pointed at my neck.

[My neck…? Why?]

Then I saw it—the small necklace, looking just like a dog collar. My eyes widened as I looked at Kir. The red string attached to my collar extended all the way past the door.

[W-what is this…?]

I stuttered in confusion.

“What do you mean, ‘what is this’? Who else but your so-called master would do this to you? Do you think anyone else would collar you?”

Deep inside, I’d feared as much.

As Kir said, there was only one person in the world who would do something like this to me…

“Apparently, you even nodded your head like you were okay with it. I thought, ‘No way…’ but never imagined you’d actually agree. I did my best to stop him.”

But I just looked down, crestfallen. I had thought we were happily reunited and doing well—but now I realized how deep Zerpell’s anxiety must’ve run. I felt sorry for not understanding him sooner.

After all, a lover had been forcibly torn away for an entire year before finally being reunited. It was natural for him to feel the way he did. The collar had simply expressed Zerpell’s emotions to me.

[Master must’ve been very lonely… He seemed fine, though…]

“Ha…”

Kir scoffed at my sympathy for Zerpell and gave me a look that said “like attracts like.”

“…What a completely pointless worry.”

He shook his head and looked at me like someone who’d seen it all, then let out a small sigh.

“As long as you’re not uncomfortable, that’s what matters.”

I was about to snap at his condescending tone but something else piqued my curiosity. I looked toward the door where the leash extended. I could see the string through the crack, but not what lay beyond.

[How long is this thing, anyway? It’s connected to Master, right? What if someone trips over it…]

If Zerpell had attached this leash to me, then 100% he was holding the other end. But seeing the string lying on the floor made me worry someone might stumble over it.

“There’s no need to worry. It’ll disappear on its own later.”

[Well, that’s a relief.]

I’d feel terrible if someone got hurt because of us.

“That’s all?”

[That’s all.]

Was there something more? Kir let out a baffled chuckle.

Then I suddenly wondered why Kir was even here—in human form, no less. Judging from the situation, it seemed like he’d been staying here all along.

[Kir, didn’t you go back? The Water God said all the children were reborn…]

“Well, I was worried about you, and I figured going later wouldn’t make a difference.”

I looked at Kir with eyes full of emotion. Maybe embarrassed by my gaze, he rubbed the back of his neck and then plopped down beside me. In a small voice, I heard him mutter something about a human he was worried about.

For someone who hated humans, if Kir was concerned about one, it could only mean one person.

Kir looked me straight in the eye and said,

“He’s fine. His body’s just reverted to how it was before—frail again.”

His expression was filled with concern. The person Kir referred to as “that kid” could only be Aiden. I suspected the real reason Kir stayed behind was because he couldn’t get Aiden off his mind.

[That’s a relief.]

“How carefree you are.”

[Why?]

Is it wrong to be carefree? Kir stared at me silently for a while. Then he reached out, patted my head, and stood up.

“No… I just realized how significant your existence really is.”

Kir’s cryptic words left me puzzled. He stood from the chair. I tilted my head at his vague comment, but he simply waved a hand and left.

I had wanted to talk to him more, but he firmly declined, saying he was busy. I felt a little hurt—but seeing him in such a rush made me feel proud, as if he had adapted well to the lives of humans.