A Snake’s Life Ch 23

Chapter 23

 

Under the warm sun, golden hair fluttered in the breeze, and golden eyes sparkled brightly as a child came running. Aiden was smiling brightly. Casa, who had probably already recognized who was approaching, was politely showing her respect. The pallor from his previous illness had disappeared, and there stood a lively, bright child. Behind him was the nanny who had previously insulted our master, now hastily following Aiden. Since this was a place frequented by members of the imperial family, it wasn’t all that surprising.

Aiden’s cheeks were flushed red from running through the wind from afar. His eyes sparkled excessively. The nanny, who had come chasing after him in a fluster, clasped her hands together and bowed politely upon seeing me. She looked very flustered by my unexpected presence. I stood up, brushing the dirt from my backside.

Just as Casa had said, this place was a popular picnic spot, and it seemed Aiden had come for a change of scenery. From the attendants behind him carrying food and blankets, it was easy to guess the purpose of their visit.

“Sir Shuiren, what brings you here…?”

The nanny cautiously asked me, her tone implying that I shouldn’t be here. Her eyes were subtly furrowed. Since this was a place said to be reserved for the imperial family, it was clear she found my presence unwelcome. Considering I was the one who contributed most to the success of the rain ritual and someone hoping to bring down Zerpell and make Aiden emperor, it was only natural. I snorted inwardly at her expression, which contrasted sharply with Aiden’s bright smile.

You’re not the only one who dislikes me. I dislike you too. I clearly remembered the things she said and did to me before. Aiden, still smiling, spoke to me.

“Sir Shuiren, right?”

“Uh…”

“I saw the image orb! I’ve never seen anything like that before!!”

Apparently, Aiden had seen the image orb that recorded the rain ritual and was now sharing his thoughts on every detail of the process. Noticing that I was listening in a daze compared to his excitement, he stopped talking. Thinking he had gotten carried away, Aiden looked dispirited.

“Did I talk too much…?”

He hesitantly watched my reaction. I glanced at the nanny behind him and then kindly spoke to Aiden. I had no intention of missing the chance to annoy her. Since she tried to keep Zerpell and Aiden apart, she would surely hate to see me grow close to him.

“No, it’s fine. Thanks for your kind words.”

“Yes! Um…”

Aiden cautiously spoke again.

“May I call you Mr. Shuiren…? I don’t know if you remember, but we met when you were in your snake form. I took you to my brother.”

“Of course I remember. Just call me hyung. You’re the master’s younger brother.”

Little one, let’s get the facts straight. That day, you snatched me up while I was out for a stroll.

Someone visibly reacted to my words. The nanny couldn’t hide the tremble in her eyes. Was she remembering her misdeeds toward me? That’s why people should live kindly. I looked at her, then at Aiden, who had his head bowed. I didn’t like the nanny, but I couldn’t treat Aiden harshly, thinking of him as my master’s little brother. The image of a weak child suffering from a power struggle was stuck in my mind.

“Your, your master…?”

“Ah… uh, I mean Zerpell. That’s what I used to call him when I was a snake. I got used to it.”

It was a term of endearment that had become firmly established.

“Then… may I call you Hyung Shuiren? Please just call me Aiden!!”

“Sure, that’s fine.”

Aiden seemed momentarily confused by how I referred to Zerpell but soon smiled brightly. He didn’t seem to care much about titles, so he readily accepted. His excitement was clear from his bouncing body. Finding him adorable, I grabbed one of the snacks Casa was holding and handed it to Aiden. It was a gesture of pure goodwill. After all, why wouldn’t you give kids a treat?

“Are you hungry? I received a lot and didn’t want to waste it. Want a cookie?”

Aiden looked at the cookie I gave him. His eyes lit up as if saying, “You gave this to me!” He grinned and accepted it with thanks. I watched him warmly. As Aiden tried to eat the cookie, the nanny suddenly jumped forward, snatched it from his hand, and spoke.

“Your Highness! You mustn’t carelessly eat unverified food. Of course, I don’t mean to suspect Sir Shuiren, but there are countless cases where ill-intentioned people poison food. Sir Shuiren should also refrain from eating food offered by low-ranking servants.”

She called over a maid and had her bring a basket, which was filled with delicious snacks prepared for Aiden. Then, glancing at me, she picked one cookie from the many inside and handed it to me.

“Will Sir Shuiren have some as well?”

The nanny offered it like she was doing me a favor, but I had no desire to eat it since I already had my own. I especially didn’t want to eat it seeing her smug face. Her actions continued to annoy me. In the basket were not only cookies, but also pudding, macarons, sandwiches, and many other treats. Handing me the most trivial cookie wasn’t exactly a friendly gesture.

Seriously? As if I wouldn’t notice that attitude. But I couldn’t very well throw cold water on her offer when she was smiling so kindly.

“No thanks. I already have mine.”

I made a show of eating the cookie I had. Aiden wanted to eat the one she took from him, but faced with her stern expression, he sadly ate his own portion.

Before I knew it, we had formed a picnic group.

The attendants behind us laid out a blanket, and at Aiden’s urging, I reluctantly joined them. As we silently looked out at the lake and snacked, Aiden spoke beside me about Zerpell.

“Hyung is amazing. He knew from the beginning that Hyung Shuiren was the snake, right?”

“Who knows?”

“What was your first meeting like?”

“Hmm… the master saved my life.”

Just when I thought I’d drown in a liquor barrel, he saved me from a fate of being cut down by a sword.

Crunching on my cookie, I reminisced. It felt like ages ago, even though it had only been three months. As we started talking more and more about Zerpell, the conversation heated up. The more I listened to Aiden, the clearer it became that he adored Zerpell. When he praised him, I felt proud.

“The master is wonderful. He gets everything done smoothly, listens to me well, is kind, and his touch is no joke. When he pets you, your body melts. That’s a professional’s touch. Oh, and I recently learned he’s very generous with money too.”

“His touch?”

Aiden, not quite grasping what I meant, asked with a puzzled look. I gently patted his golden hair. His hair swayed with my touch.

“Like this. You should ask the master to pet you too.”

“Do you think he would…?”

Aiden asked in a small, uncertain voice. His family situation was indeed complicated, but knowing Zerpell’s personality, I didn’t think he would treat Aiden coldly.

“Of course. You’re his brother, right? And you’re so cute.”

Aiden hugged his head with both hands and curled his body, his cheeks turning bright red. The innocence of a ten-year-old was on full display. He smiled shyly and asked,

“Hyung is good at swordsmanship, right? Have you seen it?”

Come to think of it, he’d never drawn his sword in front of me. I’d seen the sword at his side, but never witnessed his skills firsthand.

“Not yet.”

“I’ve only heard stories. They say…”

The story that followed had no end. Wherever he heard them, the tales were exaggerated and embellished. That he could cut down ten people with a single swing, or that he could read all the enemy’s tactics and win without a single casualty. This wasn’t some sword martial arts fantasy—there’s no way a battle could end without casualties.

As I listened and nodded along, I realized: to this child, Zerpell was a hero. He sounded like the protagonist of some epic tale. Listening to so many stories about Zerpell made me suddenly want to see him.

Should I go find him? He never told me not to come. In the past, visiting Zerpell’s office had practically been part of my daily routine.

And seeing Aiden talk about him with such an excited expression made me want to let them meet. From the beginning, it was obvious that Aiden had wanted to get close to Zerpell. Back then, I couldn’t speak as a snake, but now it was different. Sibling relationships are better the closer they are.

The master didn’t seem close with any of his family…

Zerpell didn’t seem to have good relationships with any of his relatives, and it bothered me. He didn’t even seem to get along with his mother, whom I’d met once before.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

When I suddenly stood up while listening to Aiden, everyone looked at me in surprise. I held out my hand to Aiden and said,

“Let’s go see the master.”

“Huh? Uh… I’m fine…”

His words suggested refusal, but his eyes kept glancing at my hand. At my urging, he slowly placed his hand over mine, and just as we were about to clasp hands—

“Aiden!”

Everyone’s attention turned to her. She seemed startled by the loudness of her own voice, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. Then, lowering her hand, she spoke to Aiden.

“You have lessons soon. And His Highness is very busy right now. Dropping by unexpectedly could be a nuisance.”

There we go. I was wondering when you’d finally butt in.