Chapter 4
At first glance, it seemed that a faint smile was drawn on her cold lips. Sophina bewildered and politely put her two wings together. I felt like I had to do this… ‘Didn’t that aunt just say, ‘daughter-in-law?’ Then maybe…’ Sophina paced around and carefully observed the gorgeous lady. Bright blonde and bright yellow golden eyes. It was a characteristic that the prospective mother-in-law had when she was in the form of a lion. “Twit?” Sophina’s tail feathers slowly crept upwards. Apparently, it was really my prospective mother-in-law. The story seems to have ended just like in the original story with my father selling me out in the form of marriage. ‘So I’m your daughter-in-law now?’ We’re gonna be a family, and there’s no way she’s gonna kill me. After completing all her calculations, Sophina flew to her mother and held out her wings. “Twit- twit twit!” It was a handshake that means ‘please take care of me.’ ‘A quick change of attitude was the only way to survive!’ However, Khan did not accept Sophina’s handshake. Instead, she squinted at Sophina, looking at her with a strange expression. ‘Was it strange for a bird to shake hands?’ Or maybe she just doesn’t understand the meaning of my wing gestures. I’ve lost all my clothes, so I couldn’t humanize… She caught her mother’s gaze without any fuss and flapped her wings eagerly. It was a gesture to explain my inability to humanize. Khan, who had been watching Sophina for a long time, opened her mouth. “Do you want me to introduce myself first?” That’s just great! Khan, who made a blunt mistake, gave a brief, general introduction. “Khan Chadwick, ruler of the lions.” “Twit! Twit!” At the fact that she already knew, Sophina cried with a hint of exhaustion. ‘I didn’t mean to introduce yourself.’ But I still have to be polite! She responded with a fluttering, more raucous movement. My wings were getting numb. At that moment, a brief word from Khan was heard. “And.” Sensing the slow movement of Sophina, Khan shoved her fingers. It was a signal to get up. Quickly, Spena stepped on Khan’s index finger, and Khan continued. “From today on, I will become your mother-in-law.” Sophina covered her beak with her right wing in surprise acting as if she didn’t know. It was such a natural gesture that she deserved to win an acting award. ‘Cause if I show to her that I already know, she might doubt it.’ At that, Khan smiled kindly and added an explanation by matching Sophina’s eye level. “Birds and lions have decided to form a marriage alliance. Do you understand?” Sophina snapped her wings to her forehead, creating a salute. Living as Sophina, it’s what I was hoping for, so I had no choice but to answer right away. “Twit!” Like a newcomer who just came in, the shout was a bonus. “That’s the most unique bird I’ve ever seen.” Khan Chadwick expressed her heart in a seemingly shaky tone. In her view, Sophina had an unusual side. Wasn’t it normal to be afraid if you’re in a situation where you’re going to be married into a beast’s family? But strangely enough, I didn’t hate the sight of her cowardice. The corners of Khan’s eyes bent slowly as no one noticed. Sophina blinked, unaware of anything. Suddenly, Khan became curious ‘Are you going to have the same reaction even if you go to the lion’s den?’ Somehow, I felt like I wanted to go back soon. “I will return to the mainland tomorrow morning.” Khan spoke in a low voice. She was talking to her assistant lion. Khan placed Sophina on top of the assistant’s head, as she did earlier, and ordered him again. “Keep her safe.” “Roar-” The assistant lion answered confidently. “I have work to do, so I’ll see you later.” “Twit!” As soon as Khan finished speaking, Sophina leaned her belly on the fluffy lion’s head. It felt like I was on a small floating island. Khan, who was watching the process, scratched her cheek without realizing it. Then, without hesitation, she turned her back and started walking away from them. Because there’s still a lot left to deal with. Sophina, who saw her mother off while looking at her back until she became small as a dot, was immersed in her thoughts. ‘You said you were leaving tomorrow morning, didn’t you?’ Then I had to hurry. Luxury items such as money and jewelry were hidden throughout the mansion. Sophina usually collected the items that had been lost by her sisters and brothers one by one. How hard it was to live in the world, but why shouldn’t I make a slush fund and start anew? However, I was unable to move hastily because there was an assistant lion guarding me. ‘If I go somewhere, he’ll surely follow me.’ The moment she glanced at the assistant, he just yawned, feeling sleepy, as if the assistant lion was bored. Sophina smiled inwardly as she looked at him who was about to fall down. ‘Yes, that’s right mister lion, get some sleep.’ She deliberately sang a lullaby, as she prepared to sneak up on him and run away. Drooling, zzz- Before I knew it, the assistant lion was already sleeping. Lions aren’t usually famous for naps. Before he woke up, I planned to come back quickly with my slush funds. Sophina flew quickly into the mansion. It wasn’t difficult to find my luxury items. The lions who occupied the mansion wandered around the hallway, but fortunately we didn’t encounter each other. Because I hid it in such a remote place. Sophina glanced around her, then groaned in an attempt to use this ability of hers. ‘How lucky I am to have awakened my ability this winter.’ Spena’s ability was telekinesis. The power to float and control objects in the air. Unlike humanization, which could transform without great restrictions, this ability consumes mental power. The more honed the mind, the better the ability to use it longer and more skillfully. So, Sophina had been practicing secretly, hiding that she had manifested her abilities. I’ve just acquired this ability, so I wasn’t good at it yet… ‘More than anything else, due to the nature of my older sisters and older brothers, if I get caught, they would surely eat me more like a dog!’ It was terrifying to even imagine. “Twit!” Sophina, who was overseeing the scene where blue bills and small gems were collected in a bag by using telekinesis, trembled. Meanwhile, my work was finished. ‘Now I just need to bring the things that I had put in my closet for the last time!’ Sophina went into her closet, glancing around to make sure no one else was there. As she was so eager to pack her things, she heard people talking outside the door. ‘Who is it?’ She hurriedly slammed her bag into the corner. The door opened and familiar faces appeared. “Twit?” “Even though you were thrown to a lion, you survived? You’re very persistent.” It was her eldest sister, whom she thought had run away, and her other older sisters and brothers. Sophina pulled up her feathers and glared at them nervously. Her first older sister snorted at her, as if she was being ridiculous. Then she went on with a whimper. It didn’t look like she was going to slap me with her hands as usual. “It’s a sudden marriage alliance. I don’t know if you’ve heard the news, but you have to work for us.” “Tweet?” It was as if she had already heard the story that her father had sold Sophina. She’s probably here to laugh and mock me. But this marriage alliance was what Spena hoped for more than anyone else. Sophina was ready to listen with one ear and let it flow through the other. Her older sister said as she crossed her arms. “Father would be working today and tomorrow. He signed a ridiculous deal because of these damn lions.” A hoarse voice trying to suppress the rising anger. On the forehead of my older sister who was talking about this and that, a mark rose like a cartoon. As expected, earlier in the office, my father seemed to have been beaten up by my mother in law. It seemed more serious than I thought if he was working today and tomorrow, so I had no idea whether I should like it or be sad about it. I thought about it a little bit, only a little bit of course. My second brother, who was standing next to my first sister staring at me, suddenly stuck out a wrinkled piece of paper. “Could you see the contract here?” It was a document with a gigantic foot stamp that appeared to belong to an Eagle head. “It’s a good thing, for my father. You too are going to be eaten by lions.” The eldest sister pointed her finger at the terms of the contract, piece by piece, and then spoke out. ‘I’m sure he’s up to something when he’s explaining like this.’ She had a familiar and ominous feeling. It was an intuition that the sense of life, which has been living in the eagle family, was telling me. And Sophina’s prediction was right. As if the second brother had waited, he took something out of the luxurious velvet case. It was a ruby necklace that looked expensive at first glance. He chimed in with a bad tone like a local idiot and spoke up. “It’s a bomb that looks like an ordinary necklace.” It’s a bomb? Sophina’s eyes widened. Because there was one thing that came to mind. ‘Was that the one from the original story?’