NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18
The little black snake was laying down in the middle of the new room, gushing out at Sophina sullenly.
“Ah… uhm, hello?”
Sophina squatted on the floor and waved awkwardly to greet the little snake first.
-Hey! (Canus)
The little snake, Canus, turned his head sulking.
Not surprisingly, because he was a viper, his mouth was muzzled and glared at Sophina.
She sweated profusely from the reaction of the snake, which wasn’t smooth from the start.
Canus swung his tail and slammed the marble floor.
And then he shot a disgruntled voice into Sophina’s mind.
-What should I do with this stuffy muzzle? It’s too inhumane!
Sophina pouted and refused.
“There’s no guarantee that you won’t bite me.”
Moreover, doesn’t that snake and I have a history?
Proper conversation wouldn’t be possible even in this state.
The snake poked Sophina’s soles with its tail and struck back with a pathetic nuance.
-How would I do that in a lion’s den? You said you’re the daughter-in-law of the Lord.
I was a little worried about what sensible thing to answer him.
If we scuffle like this, it would only lead to an argument, let alone a friendly conversation.
Perhaps he noticed it, but Canus shuddered with sparkling eyes and gave a sly look.
-Huhu… I’m still seven, so this… it’s too harsh…
“…”
It was an act too cute that seemed too volatile even for the sympathy of a thousand years.
Sophina looked down at Canus with cold eyes without realizing it.
Sophina’s brown eyes, grimacing like a Tibetan fox, met Canus’ round black eyes.
Unspoken signals come and go as their gaze crosses each other.
Canus laughed, then spoke seriously.
-Okay. I swear on the honor of my family.
Sophina frowned, trying to confirm the authenticity of his words.
-Or you could use that strange power from last time. Wasn’t that your thing?
Telekinesis wasn’t an ability that was clearly visible with the eyes, so I’m not sure.
‘Then I’ll have to move on roughly.’
Because I didn’t mean to brag about this ability.
Sophina pretended not to understand what he’s saying and reached her hand out to Canus.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’ll let you go first.”
-Alright, it sounds like you’re pretending, but I’ll keep it a secret, so release me quickly!
‘Has anyone ever seen such a clever baby snake?’
Sophina frowned anxiously, but still managed to pull the string on his muzzle.
Canus wags his tail as if he was finally alive.
The slippery and flexible little snake’s body was wriggling.
It was a dance of joy.
Sophina shook her head when she covered her eyes with her hands and spoke.
I think I need to introduce myself.
“I’m Sophina.”
-Whatever… Well, let’s introduce ourselves between a predator and the prey, hahaha!
Canus was as sensitively sarcastic as an adolescent boy.
Sophia slowly lifted the muzzle back she had left in the corner.
“I’m going to put this back on.”
Actually, he’s speaking in a way that conveys thoughts in my head, so it wouldn’t didn’t get quiet even if I put the muzzle back again.
-I’m Canus Black, Sophina sister!
(N: Canus calls her noona which means older sister in Korean.)
Canus changed his stance faster than anyone else with a much clearer voice.
It was a clever snake-like trick.
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
Sophina also smiled softly at him.
Canus, as a wild beast, babbled in confusion, then soon politely asked for a handshake.
-Sigh… I don’t know how I ended up with emergency food… Let’s just greet each other!
Anyway, Sophina and Canus sat in a somewhat different place and greeted each other.
After one greeting session, Sophina went straight to the point.
“I have a question. Could you answer honestly?”
However, Canus did not show any reaction upon hearing Sophina’s words.
Only strange silence filled the room.
Breaking the tranquility, the little snake smacked its lips with its red and thin tongue.
-What? Do you need me?
The eyes of the baby snake, who’s not yet familiar with the world, flashed brilliantly.
As if a beast would always be a beast.
Canus deliberately stretched his tail and showed a lot of condescension.
-Uhm, I’m a little bit expensive…
Snakes were a fast-growing race.
Moreover, in the original work, Canus was far from a bubbly personality.
He was the heroine’s assistant, but didn’t he deceived the heroine until they became close?
Sophina spoke in a coy voice as casually as possible.
“Really? Then there’s nothing we could do. Well, if there’s another way.”
At Sophina’s attitude, Canus blinked his eyes in disbelief.
The little snake’s eyes narrowed as if he was trying to make the situation around as possible.
-Tell me about it first, I’ll listen to it.
At first glance, the little snake spoke arrogantly and fell on the marble floor.
If I enticed him well, he would have come over even if I didn’t pay a big price.
‘First, let’s scoop up some bait.’
Like Canus a while ago, Sophina looked elsewhere and gave him a rough time.
“Well, that’s… Come to think of it, I don’t need your help!”
At that, Canus showed signs of hesitation and rolled up as if he was trying to twist her legs.
Sophina simply glanced at the scene, and then got up.
She then rummaged through the desk next to her and found something.
A slim leather pocket from the maid yesterday.
According to Ricardo, it contains calypso bark powder.
She opened the pockets, pretending to be indifferent with a subtle tone.
“But do you know what this is?”
A fine, auburn-colored powder with fine particles spontaneously floated in the air by itself. A slightly bitter scent permeated through the room.
Canus’ tail fluttered like an excited puppy.
-Sniff, it smells so good…!
The little snake liked it like a child and rushed to Sophina.
She slipped it behind her back and hid the pocket, and naturally threw the bait.
“Was this the delicious scent you smelled from my feet yesterday? Calypso bark powder.”
-Yes! It’s my favorite in the world!!
Hmm…
It’s really calypso bark powder.
‘So this powder was like catnip for snakes.’
Sophina thought while gently tapping on her chin.
Canus just fiercely chased after her movements.
-Sister, where did you get this?
Canus asked very earnestly.
‘I caught you!’ (Sophina)
Sophina smiled proudly.
The little snake whined like a child who found a toy he liked.
If he stumbled, he would climb to my leg and steal it.
-Give me this!
“Nope, I don’t want to.”
-I’m going to bite you! My venom’s really poisonous…!
The little snake, who was crying at the resolute refusal, terrified him like a bad boy.
The snake’s unique sharp fangs flashed fiercely in its gaping mouth.
‘This… It’s a little dangerous.’
Even a young snake was a natural enemy of a small bird.
It was an instinctive fear.
‘I shouldn’t have loosen his muzzle earlier.”
Spena faltered slightly back and struggled to respond.
“You said you wouldn’t bite me. You even bet your family’s name on it, but now you’re saying that you’d bite me?”
-Oh, that’s right.
It was then that Canus nodded as if he had come to his senses.
His gaping mouth with his sharp fangs, which was very threatening, also quietly closed.
‘I thought I was in trouble.’
Phew
, Sophina sighed inwardly.
At that time, the little snake made an adult-like suggestion.
-Then I’ll answer that question without a single lie. Instead, give me this powder.
Sophina reached out to Canus.
Then the little snake climbed up on her arm tactfully.
She put the Canus down on the desk and pulled the chair out.
Soon after, Sophina transferred half of the powder into a small bowl.
“It’s a partial payment.”
Sophina continued the story with a sharp gaze to make her look charismatic.
“Based on your answer, I’ll decide whether to give you the rest or not.”
I was planning to check if the maids really were the culprits through this little snake.
If it was true, I would set him up as a witness.
Unknowing Sophina’s plan, Canus clicked his tongue.
-Tsk… What do you mean?
“Who helped you break into the wedding hall?”
Sophina didn’t care and asked him questions.
The little snake went into the plate and turned his back on her.
-I don’t know…
“What?”
Sophina’s eyes widened and bit her lips in dissatisfaction.
Canus explained the situation as if he couldn’t help it.
-I mean, when I was trapped in a big room, I only slept.
He wiped away his tears and made a chronicle of his own hardships.
-I ate five meals a day, but they only give me three meals a day. I don’t know if my stomach has shrunk thanks to you, but I’m fine now!
As such, it was mainly about being bored and hungry.
Canus, who was in the midst of rambling, belatedly brought up a decisive story.
-When I woke up later, some beasts came, but I didn’t know them because they wore a mask and put me in the bag right away.
Upon hearing these words, Sophina pondered hard.
‘They seem to have acted quite meticulously.’
Canus glanced sideways at Sophina while playing with the powder.
And then added briefly.
-It’s true! It felt like they seemed to be paying attention.
“Really?” Sophina responded soullessly.
How the reaction was interpreted, Canus hurriedly suggested an alternative.
-No, but there’s a way to know. So, you’re going to give me that, right?
He tilted his head with a tempting look.
“How?”
-Voice, and smell. I have better hearing than other snakes.
‘Oh right, he was a snake.’
A beast with a developed sense of smell and vibration sensing.
Sophina hit her forehead at the fact that she had remembered one step later.
Meanwhile, Canus began a quick briefing.
-It was definitely the smell of a female lion in her early 20’s. Listening to what she said, it felt like she was working in this mansion.
Upon hearing that, Sophina nodded and lost in thought.
‘As expected, I think those maids were the real culprits. Other than them, there was no one to point out.’
There were many lions who disapproved of Sophina, but she hasn’t done anything so hateful like in the original.
While tapping on the desk, she reached a conclusion.
“Then, if I take those people who I suspect to be the beasts in front of you, who might have been behind this, could you get it right?”