A Snake’s Life Ch 106

Chapter 106

I burst out laughing with my mouth wide open. I knew Sushin was grinding his teeth after taking me away, but I didn’t expect him to say it so openly.

Hey… that’s blasphemy, you know.

But doesn’t that just mean he really likes me?

I was being generous.

[I’ll tell you as many times as you want.]

At that, Zerpell’s eyes sparkled. Smiling brightly, he lifted me up and kissed me on the lips. With all the smacking kisses he kept planting on me, my face turned red.

Does he really like it that much…?

I turned my head abruptly and buried it into the bed. But the bed was so soft that, even though I thought I’d slept enough, my eyelids felt heavy.

Especially the ticklish sensation in my heart made me scrunch my eyes shut, which only brought on more sleepiness.

It wasn’t for nothing that I slept for an entire year—my body was still demanding rest for recovery. And on top of that, Zerpell’s gentle caresses made me feel even more drowsy.

“Then…”

Zerpell’s words drifted faintly into my ears, but I told him I didn’t care and he could do whatever he wanted. If he could say such embarrassing things in front of others, what difference would anything else make…?

Unable to fight off the drowsiness, I yawned widely and snuggled into his embrace, quickly falling asleep.

“Look forward to it. I’ll silence anyone who gets in the way.”

I thought I heard something dangerous in my sleep, but I brushed it off as a dream.

And then, Zerpell started acting oddly. He had always clung to me before, but now he was clinging even more?

It wasn’t the first time I saw Ian’s expression twisting with disgust. Then out of nowhere, he said something bizarre.

“Sir Shuiren. Is it true what His Majesty said? That he would make a declaration… in front of others…”

Ah… he must mean that vow he mentioned before. I glanced at Zerpell, who was lazily smiling behind me.

[Yeah.]

I replied nonchalantly. Ian’s expression twisted in shock, and the corners of his mouth trembled as they rose. Then, with a resigned mutter, he grumbled that it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Afterward, he asked when exactly Zerpell would be able to transform into his human form.

[Huh? Well… I did sleep in this form for a whole year… Maybe my body’s stiff. I feel strong enough, but transformation isn’t working too well. I guess it’ll happen soon.]

I figured there was still plenty of time, so there was no need to rush. But Zerpell’s expression darkened in an instant.

“…That’s a problem. Should I postpone the schedule… or just go ahead…”

[Just do it. Why postpone it?]

I knew Zerpell was referring to that event he’d mentioned before.

For some reason, he seemed to be the one looking forward to it more than I was. It was obvious how much effort he was putting into preparations.

Recalling what happened at the festival a year ago, he said he’d prepare lots of delicious food.

Wait… that might be a problem. Maybe I need to transform into a human soon. In snake form, I can’t eat much… Even now, I can’t enjoy all the tasty-looking food on the table, which is a shame.

But it’s not worth postponing the event over.

“…You want to do it soon?”

[Yeah. You have to do it when you feel like it, not delay it.]

Then Zerpell’s eyes curved gently as he smiled warmly.

“You must be looking forward to it a lot.”

[Of course. It’s what I wanted.]

“Heh, right. You wanted this too. I’m looking forward to it as well.”

[Hmm? Really…?]

We already had the ceremony once, so why is he looking forward to it so much again? Wasn’t the enthronement a year ago already grand enough?

Is it because he enjoys spending time with me?

Zerpell seemed so happy at my words that he suddenly picked me up and kissed my scales. So tenderly… I couldn’t help but side-eye him in disbelief, but he just smiled sweetly, his eyes curving like crescent moons.

If spending time with me makes him this happy, then I’ll just go along with it. And if he’s happy, how could I not be?

“Then, shall we proceed as planned?”

[Yeah, I told you it’s fine.]

“Truly… meeting you was the greatest fortune of my life.”

Well… I guess? But weren’t we talking about the event?

I nodded halfheartedly. Then Zerpell murmured something in passing.

“I should have asked sooner, like Camilla said.”

Huh? Camilla? That was a name I hadn’t heard in a while. So they’re still in contact…

I hadn’t contacted anyone in the past year. Dead or alive, I hadn’t let anyone know. If someone wanted to cut ties, this was enough time to do it… I found myself zoning out.

Shaking my head quickly to dismiss the swirling thoughts.

‘No way, my master wouldn’t do that!’

But he keeps locking me in this room… Could it be he’s hiding something from me??

My teeth started chattering, and I grew restless. Then Zerpell spoke.

“…Shuiren. Are you alright?”

[Huh? Uh… yeah…]

I’d been zoning out so much my mind wandered off. What ridiculous thoughts I’d been having.

Feeling guilty for suspecting Zerpell, I rubbed my face against his palm. Then we returned to discussing the event.

He asked me how I wanted it to go—flower colors, number of dishes, venue, the overall vibe.

Although Zerpell was the main figure, he kept centering the discussion on me, which I didn’t quite understand, but I answered sincerely. It’s better when even I can enjoy it too.

Finally, he asked who I’d like to invite. I answered casually.

[Isn’t this a national affair? Everyone should come.]

Wasn’t it like a coronation? Since Zerpell was the emperor, everyone should attend.

If it’s a state event, everyone should come and see how magnificent he is.

Then Zerpell’s lips parted slightly, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.

“I see… I didn’t think of that. I’m sorry.”

[No… it’s fine…]

“Then, let’s make sure everyone can see. Showing a kind side to all isn’t a bad thing. After all, you’re mine.”

He reached out and gently patted my head. Seeing Zerpell so excited, like a child, made me smile too.

But what was that last line for?

[But… doesn’t this mean more work for you because of me…?]

“That will never happen.”

Zerpell looked so happy at my response that his smile didn’t fade. Feeling good myself, my tail wagged softly.

And a few days later, I finally transformed into a human.

“I’m back!”

Was it because I’d stayed in snake form so long? My body felt stiff…

I stretched with a long yawn. A necklace dangling around my neck caught my eye. Even though I’d transformed into a human, it adjusted to fit me. I tried to remove it, just in case…

“Nope.”

It wouldn’t come off, like it was blocked by a barrier. I quickly gave up on removing it.

Then I grabbed the doorknob to go meet Zerpell. I glanced back naturally, but the guards didn’t seem intent on stopping me.

I tilted my head slightly.

‘Back then, they always tried to stop me from leaving… Maybe it was because being in snake form was too dangerous? Feels like it started after that conversation the other day… Well, no complaints!’

I flung the door open. The refreshing breeze felt so good I started humming.

It was nice to step out confidently, but the place I walked into wasn’t the office I remembered. I was supposed to head to the audience chamber.

“Ah right… this is the imperial palace, huh?”

But I’d never actually been to the imperial palace, and I’d never seen the audience chamber either.

I tilted my head. A knight was following behind me.

“Um… excuse me?”

“Yes, Sir Shuiren.”

“I’d like to go see my master—would that be alright?”

The knights exchanged glances.

“Of course.”

I followed the knights. Along the way, I spotted a silhouette that looked familiar. I also heard someone say “Duke.” That person… no, she was Camilla.

Looks like the generational shift happened quickly.

‘Moments like this really make me feel that time has passed. She really became a duke.’

I remembered how she had confidently said she would become a duke.

When I stared at Camilla, she seemed to sense my gaze and turned her head. Our eyes met, and her widened eyes curved into a smile.

She walked toward me.

“It’s been a while, Sir Shuiren.”

“Yeah.”

“Have you been well?”

“Well…”

I just slept a lot. I scratched my cheek awkwardly. Camilla laughed brightly.

I felt a little awkward seeing her again after so long, but she approached me like there had been no gap at all.

“Are you on your way to see His Majesty?”

“Yep.”

“His Majesty has been a bit irritable lately. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”

“Huh? Why’s he in a bad mood?”

“It’s related to you, so I suppose it’s fine to say. There are people opposing the ceremony. That would put anyone in a foul mood.”

Foul mood… I gave an awkward smile at her sharp words.

“His Majesty is very resolute, so you don’t need to worry, Sir Shuiren.”

Then, with a hearty laugh, Camilla said something meaningful.

“But I’m glad things worked out. You’ve always been precious, but now you’ll officially become someone treasured by the Empire. I’ll serve you with all my heart from now on.”

Why does she say she’s going to serve me? Her determined tone and resolute gaze made me nod unconsciously. Camilla smiled in satisfaction.

As if heading toward the future she had dreamed of a year ago.

Her meaningful words made me tilt my head.

“It was a pleasure seeing you again. Let’s have a proper chat next time.”

Whether she saw my puzzled expression or not, Camilla bid farewell with a look of regret. She probably had a lot of duties now that she was a duke. I waved and apologized for holding her up.

“Still, why are people trying to stop the ceremony? Is it because it’s expensive?”

Now that I think about it, we did hold a big event a year ago—doing it again might seem inefficient.

Nodding in agreement with myself, I continued walking. The audience chamber the knights led me to was incomparable in size to the doors I had seen in Zerpell’s palace.

The height of the door seemed three times my own, and the massive dragon motif etched into it made me gasp in awe.

The guard standing at the door was someone I hadn’t seen before. His posture was rigid and full of tension, and when I approached, he immediately blocked my way.

But when he saw my eyes, he flinched and stepped back in surprise.

“Silver hair… bright red eyes… could it be!!”