Bluebird Lady and The White Lion Family

 

🐾

 

Ricardo had just heard that Sophina was recruiting people from the mansion to do strange things.

 

Crossing his arms with his head tilted, Ricardo asked, “What are you trying to do?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Sophina waved her hand innocently, the little snake also shook its head and worked hard to help.

 

Unfortunately, it was not convincing.

 

— Come on, brother. The bad beasts… No, we’re not suspicious at all.

 

Hey, it’s weirder to say that.

 Sigh

—, Sophina added more plausible reasons to deal with him.

 

“Umm… I was thinking about how to effectively use the Roneache flowers!”

 

At the same time, Sophina recommended Ricardo drink the extra Roneache flower iced tea.

 

Because the more people there are to taste, the better.

 

“It’s made from petals, would you like to try it?”

 

Ricardo scrutinized the pale pink drink filled with ice and brought the glass to his lips.

 

Sophina glanced subtly at him, thinking,

‘Is this my chance?’

 

Just in time, a good idea came to mind.

 

“But you know…”

 

Sophina spoke, blurting out the ends of her words, waiting until the cold drink drenched Ricardo’s lips.

 

Then, with an ambiguous smile, she threw the bomb, saying, “If we drink this, we’ll be friends.”

 “Pfft—” 

Hearing Sophina’s proposal, Ricardo suddenly coughed, and spit the tea on her. He felt choked as he heard her words.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Surprised, Sophina patted Ricardo’s back…

 

It wasn’t intentional… Probably.

 

Ricardo pushed her away, wiping his lips with a handkerchief.

 

“Just a cough… that’s all.”

 

Disturbed by the unexpected situation, he soon regained composure. Sophina squinted and observed Ricardo.

 

“But there’s something else.”

 

Little Sophina’s lips were sinisterly sweet. As a result, Ricardo’s blue eyes fluttered like a rippling lake.

 

As such a subtle confrontation continued, Sophina asked innocently, “You wouldn’t drink that if you choked on it, won’t you?”

 

“No.”

 

A firm denial returned at once.

 

However, Sophina didn’t want to lose and said, “It looks like you drank a little.”

 

“Not really.”

 

“Your throat obviously twitched.”

 

“No, not at all.”

 

Each time, Ricardo shook his head coldly, but his earlobes were slightly red.

 

‘Are you embarrassed?’

 

“Well, okay, let’s just say that then.”

 

Sophina smiled mischievously and gladly turned a blind eye to his lies.

 

Ricardo had always been skeptical, but he seems to have softened up a bit these days.

 

It feels good to know that…

 

‘It seems we’re really getting close.’

 

Sophina’s lips unknowingly turned to a smile.

 

Ricardo glanced at Sophina’s face with a bashful smile and contemplated for a while,

‘Am I being teased right now?’

 

And why was my wife so happy?

 

She’s just smiling, but why?

 

However, Sophina’s bright expression was strangely cheeky or hateful.

 

Suddenly, Ricardo seemed to turn pale. In fact, the nape of Ricardo’s neck was burning hot.

 

He covered his face with the back of his hand, pretending to be okay.

 

After a while, Ricardo, who regained his composure, brought up his purpose for seeing Sophina hastily and changed the subject.

 

“By the way, the reply to the banquet invitation has arrived.”

 

What Ricardo handed over was a confirmed list of banquet attendees.

 

In the meantime, Sophina had been preparing for the banquet in her spare time.

 

Things such as selecting the basic theme of the banquet, reviewing the goods to be bought, or conducting field simulations.

 

Sending out invitations was one of those preparations.

 

And that’s also what Sophina put her heart and soul into.

 

‘This is the only invitation in the world that’s enclosed with dried purified Roneache flowers!’

 

Doesn’t an invitation play the same role as the face of the event? I wanted to instill in people the idea that something special might happen at this banquet.

 

To arouse their curiosity…

 

‘So I did a bit of the work on the following.’

 

Firstly, I ordered Jane to spread the story about the Roneache flowers among the mansion servants.

 

Rumors of the nuance that the small territorial problem was solved thanks to the purchase of all the Roneache flowers, the unique smell of the flowers completely disappeared and turned white, and that it has a mysterious effect.

 

Of course, it was only possible because Jane had a wider connection than I thought.

 

Thanks to this, servants have been asking questions.

 

“I heard that the flower merchant had a hard time. You did a good job!”

 

“It really turned completely white. Wasn’t it bright purple when I first saw it?”

 

“Little Madam, do these flowers really have mysterious power?”

 

Well, these were the questions… Each time, I just smiled and fanned myself in such a way as to spread the word more.

 

‘Yes, I hope this myth spreads outside the mansion soon.’

 

Although I was having a bit of trouble, I laughed to myself as things were going according to plan.

 

Then I came to my senses and looked through the list Ricardo gave.

 ‘Huh?’ 

In the end, the name of an unexpected person was written.

 —Ririela Chadwick. 

The so-called hunter does not shed blood or tears, a lion made of ice, the cruelest woman when she smiles. 

 

Ririella Chadwick, a beast with such a dazzling title… It was Ricardo’s older sister.

 

‘Ricardo’s sister is also going to attend this banquet?’

 

I wasn’t able to meet her at the wedding, so I thought it would be the same again this time.

 

Sophina’s eyes widened at the thought.

 

🐾

 At that time. 

A place somewhat far from where Chadwick Estate was located.

 

There was a time difference, so it was evening in this place.

 

Ririela wrote down something in the notebook as she walked along the dark street.

 

Since then, she has been carrying out inspection missions in other territories.

 

Suha, who was following Ririela around, yawned a little bit, and spoke, “Lady Ririella, did you know that the Bluebird is in charge of this banquet?”

 

“I expected it.”

 

In her hand was an invitation decorated with white dried flowers.

 

‘Ririela is a blunt person, but seeing that she’s holding it, it seems she really liked the invitation.’

Suha thought.

 

Suha, who had been glancing sideways, hinted at Ririela, “The flowers are so pretty. I remember seeing it originally purple in a book. Isn’t it amazing?”

 

“Yes,” Ririela answered calmly.

 

Such short answers were familiar, so Suha continued to talk. The solitary chatter eventually shifted to another topic about Sophina.

 

“It’s really late. A bluebird married to a lion family…”

 

At that moment, Ririela’s golden eyes thinned like a beast and flashed violently.

 

Suha rubbed his hands together like begging at a bitter life that seemed to numb.

 

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I will rectify this insolent mouth as soon as possible!”

 

Thus, there was silence between them. The two focused on inspecting the streets.

 

Suha, who hesitated next to Ririella, who at first glance seemed uncomfortable, opened up a conversation again.

 

“Anyway, I’m glad to have returned in time for the start of the banquet.”

 

Then, Suha cheerfully continued, “It’s your birthday right after the banquet, so what are you going to do this time?”

 

“Well…”

 

“If possible, I wanted to spend it at the mansion. I’m sure she’s worried about it now.”

 

Ririela’s expression became serious, perhaps because she was agonizing over her birthday.

 

Until now, didn’t I leave the mansion before my birthday approached after preparing for the banquet quickly?

 

‘Maybe it’s okay to spend my birthday with my family this time.’

 

She has definitely improved thanks to listening, seeing, and learning various things while traveling around many places.

 

Ririela spoke to herself surprisingly calmly, “And I’ll be able to see that bluebird…”

 

The cheeks of Ririela, following those words, were subtly tinted.

 ‘Her portrait was cute.’ 

In the meantime, it was no wonder that the crocodile guy from the neighborhood was bragging about his friend, a bird.

 

‘Now I have it, a new friend…’

 

Ririela clasped her hands and painted a pink future.

 

The future before Ririela, colored with anticipation, was distorted as a reaper came for the neck of the deceased.

 

“Please! Let me live…!”

 

Suha, who was next to her, freaked out and stepped back.

 

However, Ririela agonized more seriously,

‘What if the bluebird avoids me because my smile is scary?’

 

If so, I don’t have to show my human form.

 

Ririela, who clearly concluded, turned to her animal form. Then, taking the form of a lion, she grinned.

 

But the irony of it was that she still looked like a scary beast in the eyes of others.

 

Sure enough, holding back his trembling, Suha said, “Master Ririela? Why are you suddenly animalizing? Where are you going?”

 

Ririela didn’t care and ran forward smiling, feeling better.

 

For a moment, Ririela stopped in place abruptly. Then she lifted her soles and looked down at her chocolate-colored paws.

 

‘Wait, what if she doesn’t like my paws because it’s not pink?’

 

I suddenly became worried about everything.

 

The brave lion’s ears drooped helplessly. The ferocious-looking Ririela was actually a cowardly lion, overpowered by her worries.