Bluebird Lady and The White Lion Family

   A powder that glows as fine as colored sand from the grasp of the maid. ‘Why are you burying something like that?’ Sophina’s expression naturally became puzzled. She reached out as if possessed by something and tried to touch the powder on the maid’s finger. The maid quickly hid her hand. “Then I’ll go back!” The embarrassed maids bowed down and ran away quickly. Sophina thought as she stared at her hand. It’s very uncomfortable that the maids seem to be trying to save themselves. ‘But, those three maids were walking around together. Where’s the other one?’ Sophina looked around in sudden curiosity. In the cluttered landscape, I saw the other maid who was looking in the corner crouching down. ‘What are you doing?’ It was like moving a basket full of something. Sophina’s eyes narrowed in suspiciousness. At that moment, Ricardo spoke with a soft voice. “If you ask for help, I could help.” He stared at Sophina with a dutiful look. It’s like asking what you’re going to do now. It was the same attitude as the villain that knows everything. ‘No way… Are you talking about those maids?’ I’m a little suspicious, but nothing has happened yet. ‘Even so, that’s my job to find out.’ Sophina just blinked. Then she hurriedly turned her gaze elsewhere. ‘Wh-, where did the maid go?’ After a brief conversation with Ricardo, the maid had long since disappeared. At that moment. Suddenly, a strange noise was heard faintly. “Snake?” ‘Snake‘, a small black snake that ferociously ravages through the grass as if starving for three days. A snake in a place where only lions live. Suddenly, I remembered a story I heard while drinking tea with my mother. -Snakes caught in the border area were hungry, and they went on a rampage…

 ‘Was it that snake?’ The surroundings quickly became noisy, as they received the attention of others. Of course, no one was afraid of a snake that appeared out of nowhere. It was just a curiosity. The lions, who came as guests, glanced at the snake and whispered. “What kind of snake was it? Maybe it’s a special meal?” “I heard they found a young snake in the border area this time, I guess that’s it.” The snake, which was approaching with a ferocious manner, finally stopped. Then turned around while glaring at Sophina. “AHHH!” Transparent venom spewed out of its fairly sharp fangs. ‘Crazy, are you a viper?’ Goosebumps welled up on my forearm. Aren’t snakes the natural enemy of birds? Sophina shoved and slapped her own cheek. ‘Calm down! Even if I use my ability, I wouldn’t get away with this…’ The snake, which was thumping at her, soon opened its mouth wide towards Sophina. I felt like my mind stiffened and went blank. Instinctive fear came on the tip of her toes. She couldn’t move. Reflexively, she closed her eyes tightly and barely covered her body. I rushed to think that it would be dangerous if I didn’t do anything. But…why are my hands slippery? ‘What…?’ Sophina dazedly looked down at her hand. “Ahh!” A struggling little black snake was held tightly in Sophina’s grasp. Before she knew it, even Ricardo, who pulled out his sword and aimed at it, stared at her in wonder. “It’s funny.” Sophina secretly teleported the snake with a nauseous look on her face. ‘First, I have to stop it from spitting venom.’ A transparent force wrapped around the small snake’s mouth. The snake’s mouth shut tight. The snake’s eyes widened, wondering what had happened. Sophina inadvertently pressed her thumb against the soft skin on the back of the snake’s head. Then, a strange tinnitus entered her mind. -‘Save me! Don’t do it. I’d be good. And couldn’t you ask that lion to put his sword away?’ -‘Could you tell him?’ It’s like what my mother did, only high-ranking shapeshifters could do this. Sophina’s eyes widened. The voice continued urgently. -‘I did it because my sister’s shoes smelled good. I was just trying to taste it.’ So you rushed to eat me? Sophina’s glare became fierce for an instant. The snake noticed it quickly, and his eyes shone and he pretended to be pitiful. -‘I’m sorry, I’m still a baby snake who doesn’t even know how to humanize, are you going to kill me? I’m only seven years old.’ “…” Thanks to this, even the instinctive fear for natural enemies melted away. “Yes, I’ll let you go comfortably.” Sophina smiled beautifully at the snake in her hand. -‘What, the world’s full of love! Oh my, you’re so generous!’ The little snake cried and appealed. But she didn’t care and looked around regardless. ‘I don’t think it’s a normal snake, so I’m just gonna take care of it.’ Then her eyes met with Ricardo. He gently nodded and Khan also met with her gaze. Oh, right! I have a mother! “Mother!” Sophina rejoiced and ran to Khan. The snake in her hand also rode a roller coaster in the air. -‘Hey, you’re making me cry…’ With those words, the snake drooped helplessly. “What?” Sophina pokes the snake’s body with a puzzled look and reports the situation to her mother. “He just passed out.” “Your hunting skills are pretty good, daughter-in-law.” Hoho! Khan stroked Sophina’s head, expressing an unfamiliar feeling. “I’ll take this.” “Yes!” Khan, who had been patting Sophina’s white cheeks with her hands, eventually took the snake. In response to the favorable reaction of the most powerful, the people around them began to gossip. “…weren’t snakes the natural enemies of birds?” “It’s a bluebird, but it’s more courageous than I thought.” It was an unexpected harvest to receive such a finite evaluation from fastidious lions. Sophina scratched her cheek with a bewildered expression. Then she whispered to herself. “But what the hell was that snake? And…” Was this thing supposed to be the work of the maids who conspired to ruin my wedding? ‘The snake said my shoes smell good. Why my shoes?’ Didn’t the maids target my dress and shoes under the pretext of spilled drinks? ‘I must have seen something like colored sand back then.’ It would have been enough to make a fuss. It’s definitely suspicious… However, these suspicions didn’t last any longer. “I couldn’t afford to be distracted by such things.” At one point, Ricardo approached her and politely held out his hand. “You have to dance with me.” ‘Ah, that’s right!’ Only then did it occur to me that the first dance, the highlight of the wedding, had yet to be performed. It wasn’t the time to relax yet. ‘I only learned waltz briefly, so I wouldn’t be able to do well.’ Sophina was worried and hesitated without realizing it. Ricardo, who had been waiting for her, sneakily intertwined his fingers with her. “Don’t you want to hold hands?” “No. I- I’ll Hold it.” Sophina swallowed and held Ricardo’s hand together. A strong warmth permeated. A lively dance piece was played when young men and women were toddling together. Everyone’s eyes turned to Sophina and Ricardo. Because they were the main characters of this music, both in name and reality. Sophina first lifted the hem of her dress according to the manners she learned. There was an indescribable tension in her gestures. ‘If I make a mistake in this situation, I won’t get a very friendly response.’ Sophina, who was worried as she stared at the ground, soon looked up. At a distance so close that she could even see his soft fluffy hair, their eyes met. ‘…this? Was it too close?’ Sophina, with her eyelashes quivering openly, tried not to be conscious of Ricardo. It’s my first time seeing someone this close. On the other hand, Ricardo’s eyes, which are as blue as a lake, shone. “You’ll have to hold on tight, Miss.” He whispered naturally, narrowing the distance even further. Sophina also followed Ricardo’s movements. Gradually, the two of them began to work together, and the other beasts who were watching also danced a waltz one by one with the flowers in the garden as the background. The atmosphere of the music became even more cheerful, just like the dancing of lively people. ‘I’ve always been wrong here.’ Sophina paid attention to this part, biting her lower lip in nervousness. At the faster tempo, the movements twisted uncontrollably. She unintentionally stepped on Ricardo’s foot with her shoes. ‘Even if the heel was low, it would still hurt.’ Sophina, who was deeply enamored with her shiny shoes, and apologized shortly. “I-I’m sorry!” She even looked into his eyes. ‘Are you going to say that I broke your bones again?’ I was worried about what to say because he was a self-harm blackmailer with a history. However, the return was an unexpected response. He licked his lips terribly and calmly. The calm look in his eyes didn’t even wave like a deep sea. It was such a static and playful expression. “I don’t think it’s going to break like that…” “What?” “You can step on it harder.”