A Snake’s Life Ch 105

Chapter 105

[A year really is a long time.]

The people I saw a year ago now feel unfamiliar. Yet in all that time, I haven’t changed at all…

I still haven’t escaped my snake life.

And now, here I am.

Meeting Kir—someone I never expected to see again—and leisurely enjoying this snake life.

“Hm… Still, should I try asking…?”

Who knows? Maybe if I say I’m uncomfortable, he’ll let me go?

Basking in the sunlight, I lazily lifted the leash wrapped around my neck with my tail. Just then, I heard the door open.

I lifted my head with a start. I knew I was acting like a dog, but what could I do?

Maybe it was because of his well-dressed appearance, but his presence was utterly overwhelming.

“Shuiren.”

[Master!]

Delighted, I sprang up and crawled over to him, stretching my body out long to reach him.

Zerpel gently picked me up and adjusted me so I could coil around his arm comfortably. I balanced myself skillfully, wound my body around his arm, and smiled with satisfaction.

Having slept for a year, I’d lost much of my grip strength, so I was clinging to him to regain it. I thought maybe that would help me turn back into a human sooner.

And on Zerpel’s hand, the red ring gleamed. It was the ring connected to the collar around my neck.

It was impossible not to notice, now worn on a finger that had previously been bare.

“Shuiren. Have you been well behaved?”

[Yeah. I’ve been good. So… can’t you take this off now?]

I grumbled.

“Why the sudden change?”

His pupils trembled slightly, clearly anxious when I—who had never said anything—suddenly asked for the leash to be removed. I mumbled uncertainly.

[Well… it’s a little uncomfortable… it chokes me a bit, and it gets in the way whenever I roll around on the bed.]

I pouted as I grumbled, gesturing at the collar. He looked at me with the most pitiful expression, his eyes drooping tragically.

‘…Look at him.’

He gently touched the collar and asked,

“Is it uncomfortable?”

[No… it’s not uncomfortable, but…]

“I just worry you’ll go back up there again. You know?”

[I mean, I get it, but…]

I knew exactly what he was afraid of. Zerpel had confessed it himself.

He had apologized in the beginning, saying he’d often have to leave me alone due to work. Of course, we’d spent a lot of time together, and I had figured Ian would start nagging him soon.

It had seemed odd, how Zerpel had been glued to me lately… If he’d become emperor, surely he’d be busier than when he was crown prince.

Still, I didn’t understand what that had to do with the collar. Zerpel’s face darkened, and he cast me a pleading look.

“If you run away… back to the sky, I couldn’t bear it.”

[Ru-run away?! No way!]

I flailed, indignant at Zerpel’s misunderstanding. Run away? I’d never even considered it.

But he really did think so, using the fact that I’d once returned to the sky as justification. Even though a hundred retorts hovered in my throat, I swallowed them, because it was true.

“I’m sorry. I’m not strong enough…”

[No, it’s not that! Thinking about it… it’s really not a big deal. Yeah. I’ll just keep lying around.]

Throwing it off just because the necklace was annoying? That didn’t feel right. Yeah, exactly. I rationalized myself into compliance.

[So smile already. Why do you look so gloomy?]

Only then did Zerpel break into a bright smile. His childlike innocence in that grin made me laugh involuntarily. Oddly enough, he seemed younger now than he had a year ago, rather than more mature. His smiling face, the occasional cuteness he showed… or was it all part of some elaborate plan…?

But I shook the thought off. When he looked like he was about to cry and begged so sincerely, I couldn’t resist. His pleading tone instantly softened my heart.

With sympathy, I chose to understand him with generosity.

I reassured Zerpel that I wasn’t going anywhere and wrapped my body tightly around his neck. He responded by gently pressing his lips to my scales.

Seeing how happy he looked made me feel happy too.

I pushed the topic of the collar far, far away.

But at the same time, my patience was wearing thin.

I didn’t mind when we were together. But when I was alone, I was bored out of my mind. I’d begged to see him sitting in the audience hall, handling state affairs with solemn dignity, but he never brought me along.

With a sly smile, he firmly refused to let me come. His decisiveness made me flinch and back off.

“You’d see a lot of unpleasant things.”

[…Okay.]

He never told me what those “unpleasant things” were and didn’t take me with him.

Back in the day, if I threw a tantrum, he’d always listen to me. But now it was different.

In the past year, Zerpel had grown even more sly. Whenever I protested, he just smiled brightly. I had no immunity to his now-transformed face, so I was defenseless.

Tch. I accept his babying, but he doesn’t accept mine…

And he wouldn’t even let me out of the room. Since the collar meant he could find me anytime, I thought he’d allow me more freedom, but that wasn’t the case either.

“You’ll get hurt.”

That was all he said. On top of that, he kept going out for work. He looked genuinely happy, so whatever it was must have been something good for him.

Meanwhile, I was stuck inside, unable to move an inch. Other than that, I didn’t have much to complain about. To be honest, I didn’t go out much even before this.

And the watchful eyes that followed me everywhere… A knight now stood firmly by my side.

Before, they’d wait outside. Now, they guarded me like stone statues. Their steady, following gaze made me sweat.

Maybe being emperor came with even greater threats? The plausible thought made me lift my head suddenly. But I quickly slumped.

So what? He’s not going to tell me anything. I pouted for no reason.

[Master, are you working again today?]

Having watched him constantly head out, I asked as if I already knew the answer. But Zerpel, seeming to realize I was bored, furrowed his brows in thought.

Then—

“Ian. Cancel today’s audience.”

Ian, who had been reading a list of nobles scheduled for today’s audience, looked like he had a lot to say but gave a resigned smile.

I glanced aside awkwardly. Truthfully, I was bored, just as Zerpel had guessed. I’d been with him for so long—wasn’t it time he made some concessions for me? With that thought, my guilt evaporated.

Then an image came to mind: Zerpel sitting in the audience hall.

He would look so cool, sitting there in all his majesty. Then, suddenly, I realized—I hadn’t even attended his coronation!

Now that I thought about it… I hadn’t witnessed my master’s ascension to emperor with my own eyes!

Not being able to see the moment he became emperor—a moment I’d worked so hard for—was a lifelong regret. A sigh tinged with deep lament escaped me before I knew it.

“What’s wrong?”

[It’s just… I wanted to see the coronation too…]

In my mind, I imagined Zerpel dressed in splendid garments, sitting on the emperor’s throne, and me beside him crying tears of joy to congratulate him.

Everything I’d suffered had been for this—for him to become emperor.

That’s what I had worked toward all this time…

[Such a shame… My efforts…]

As I kept mumbling to myself, Zerpel, who had been absentminded, suddenly smiled faintly. He murmured softly, “Well… I suppose that’s true…”

Not understanding what he meant, I tilted my head in confusion. Noticing my puzzled gaze, he flashed a bright smile.

His eyes gleamed strangely, as though he had just seized an opportunity, but the smile itself seemed harmless.

“I was just about to say—if you want to see the ceremony, we can do it.”

[How??]

My eyes sparkled. I didn’t care at all about the ominous tone in his earlier words.

But Zerpel didn’t elaborate. He only smiled faintly. Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. Even though my scaly body had no body hair, it felt like all my hairs were standing on end.

To shake the tremble from my body, I shook my head vigorously.

Then I hesitantly spoke again.

[Is… is there a big event coming up?]

That was the best guess I could manage.

“Hm… There might be.”

It was a cryptic answer. Then Zerpel smiled and said,

“If you want it, we can do it anytime.”

His languid tone carried some hidden emotion.

When I looked into his eyes, they curved gently in delight. Either he was truly happy—or he looked just like a hunter who had just caught their prey.

My brow furrowed slightly, and I tilted my head.

[If I want it, we can do it?]

I pondered deeply. Surely he wasn’t going to repeat the coronation just for that… But since it was approaching the one-year mark, maybe there was going to be a commemorative event?

Like how couples celebrate 30 or 100 days together, maybe a year without incident as emperor deserved a ceremony too.

[Well… as long as it doesn’t tire you out, I’m okay with it…]

I wasn’t the one doing the hard work, after all. Just then, Zerpel chuckled quietly. Then, out of the blue, he said,

“You told me once—that you wanted to stay with me.”

[Uh… y-yeah, I did?]

“Then you must spend the rest of your life with me.”

Zerpel smiled, and I, caught off guard by his sudden words, shyly lowered my head. His continuing laughter from above left me bewildered as I tilted my head in confusion.

My heart pounded for no reason, and I tried to ignore it.

As he lazily rubbed his chin, Zerpel spoke.

“Shuiren.”

[Yeah?]

“I don’t just want you to know. I want everyone to know.”

Know what?

“The vow you made. I want others to hear it loud and clear, so no one else can covet you. Not even that damned deity.”