CH 45

“That’s my granddaughter. She turned eight years old this year.”

After saying those words, Tristan left one more congratulation and left. Then I glanced at Arsene, who had kept his mouth shut the whole time.

“Arsene, are you tired?”

“Yeah… I want to go and rest.”

Arsene answered slowly and with a voice that sounded like it had been sucked. Considering Arsene’s physical strength, who couldn’t even walk around the garden until he met me—.

‘It’s a miracle you’ve endured so far.’

I glanced around.

Tristan cleaned it up once, but the nobles kept appearing out of nowhere and asking Arsene to say hello. Of course, it was only natural because we were the main characters of the banquet, but—.

I could see Arsene’s face suddenly darkening with each greeting he received.

We can’t. 

I held Arsene’s hand tightly.

“You can go and rest first. As Kendrick-nim said, you can go if you’re tired.”

“How about you?” Arsene asked. 

I swallowed my saliva and looked around. 

“I… I’ll stay a little longer.”

Still, the nobles of the wolf clan didn’t like me. That was clear from a series of things that just happened. 

‘Ah, so you hate me!

A person may react bluntly to feelings of liking one. However—it’s easy to notice when people hate them. 

I could tell for sure. Even though the main characters of the banquet were ‘me and Arsene’, I was clearly treated as a stranger.

To be honest, I wanted to go with Arsene and rest.

‘But…’

They are people who only have bad feelings for me.

If I, the main character of the banquet, disappeared so quickly—it was clear that worse words would come out. I couldn’t even use the excuse of being sick like Arsene.

A bird clan, Raniero’s daughter.

Of course, I can’t heal myself with this ability, but if a clan with the ability to heal were sick, it would seem ridiculous for some reason.  I strode to Ethan while holding Arsene’s hand. Ethan, who had been standing in the corner the whole time overseeing the banquet, looked at Arsene and me and raised his glasses. 

“Is there a problem?”

“Arsene says he’s having a hard time, I think he should go and rest.”

I handed Arsene’s hand over to Ethan.

Ethan examined Arsene’s complexion and held the child in his arms.

“Then you should go rest, Young Master. You don’t have to overdo it. What about Lady?”

Ethan asked, patting Arsene on the back, who was exhausted and drooping. 

“I… I’ll stay a little longer.”

I haven’t even said hello to Tristan’s granddaughter yet.

Then Ethan smiled and nodded slowly.

“If Lady wants to rest, please tell me anytime. You don’t have to overdo it.”

Ethan left with Arsene in his arms.

I was left alone in the banquet hall and blinked. When Arsene left, no one really approached me. 

‘It’s okay.’

I’m from a bird clan, so naturally, the wolf clan doesn’t like me. So there was no need to be discouraged for no reason.

I picked up the orange juice on the table and drank it. I was going to spend some time and go back. 

Then. 

“…Excuse me…”

Someone tapped me on the shoulder.

Startled, I put the cup down and looked back. 

A familiar girl stood behind me, blushing.

“H, huh? You are…!”

Tristan’s face flashed across the girl’s face for an instant.  

“My granddaughter also attended today’s banquet. How much she wanted to see you…. I would appreciate it if you could say hello to her once. Maybe you will become good friends.”

“I’m Ancia Tristan! Lady Linsy… is that right?”

Ancia shyly blushed and greeted me.

I nodded in bewilderment.

“Yes, I’m Linsy Raniero.”

“I, I’ve actually been wanting to meet you for a long time. I’ve heard a lot from my grandfather.”

Ancia’s eyes sparkled. 

“Let’s play with us, over here.”

I obediently went where Ancia led me.

I could feel the other wolves staring at me with eyes full of suspicion and hostility.

‘…Ugh. I don’t want to.’

I’m used to being invisible, however just because I’m used to it doesn’t mean I like being treated as an invisible person.

I clenched the hem of my dress as I followed her. Sweat formed on my palms.

When I arrived, children of my age gathered and chatted. Most of them looked my age, but most of them were much taller than me. 

‘Is it because they’re a wolf clan?’

It’s certainly different in size from the children of the bird clan.

The children were all wearing pretty dresses and tuxedos, drinking snacks, juice and enjoying their own party.

“Look, I brought you the Lady!”

Ancia shouted to her friends with excitement. Then, the eyes of the other kids who were talking and playing with each other turned to me.

“H, hello…”

I say hello awkwardly.

But—.

Some of the children scattered me up and down first, then turned their heads. And they laughed again, talking about funny things. 

‘…Uhm.’

I was embarrassed and just clasped my palms for nothing. Should I go? It is probably not an illusion that the eyes of the children who saw me went cold. 

Because the parents of the children would have taught them not to be friendly with me. So I couldn’t even understand why Ancia was welcoming me.

“Well, have fun. I have something to do, so I will go…”

“Yes? Already?”

As if she was disappointed, she drooped her eyebrows and held my hand tightly. 

“Yes, I have something to do.”

“Hmph, what is it? She just doesn’t like us.”

“Evelyn!”

Ancia screamed as if to be quiet. A girl named Evelyn quietly turned her eyes away. It was a child who was much taller than me, looking about ten years old. An impressive child with curly black hair and yellow eyes. 

She glanced Ancia up and down and even spoke.

“Did I say something wrong? My mom said that the bird clan is all bad guys. How can such a bird clan become a member of the wolf clan?”

Evelyn didn’t even bother to hide her hostility toward me. 

I listened to the story quietly and turned to leave.

‘I’ll just go to Arsene.’

Anyway, I was the main character of the banquet, so I stayed because I was wondering if I would hear that it would be rude if I left immediately. 

However, I thought it would be better to be remembered as a spoiled child than to be treated like this.

‘I’ll leave when I become an adult anyway.’

Yeah, so it’s fine.

Then. 

“Hmm, look at her running away. So the bird clan—”

Evelyn snorted.

I heard other children laughing behind my back. Only Ancia, who was next to me, was restless.

I turned around with a puzzled look. 

‘No, the main characters of this banquet are me and Arsene…?’

No matter what it is. 

Is it okay to insult the main character of the banquet like this?

It was my first time at a banquet, so I had a lot of things I didn’t understand. When I looked at Evelyn with an absurd expression, Evelyn snorted.

Then, Ancia said cautiously in an apologetic voice.

“I’m sorry… They’re not always like this…But Evelyn has a little bit of a bad temper.”

“Hey! I can hear you!”

Evelyn screamed sharply.

However, Ancia didn’t care and continued. 

“That group has a bit of a bad temper. Please understand, Lady.”

“Ha, Ancia. Do you think there’s anything that helps you to get closer to the bird clan? Wake up, you fool. She’ll go back to her own territory right after she treats Young Master Arsene.”

Evelyn, who shot back at her, looked back at the other children and said.

“Don’t you think so? It’s the bird clan, well. That’s why things with wings….”

The other children nodded sympathetically.

Only Ancia was looking at the children with a look of absurdity.

“You guys are so weird. I knew you were originally weird kids, but… what are you doing rudely?”

“Wake up from your dream, Ancia. Even if you flatter her, nothing will fall on you.”

Evelyn’s words were very ferocious for a ten-year-old child.

“We’re going over there. All right, you guys play amongst yourself. Evelyn, there’s a lot of cookie powder on the hem of your dress. You fool.” 

Ancia, who grabbed me, led me to the corner of the banquet hall. 

I just wanted to go back to Arsene, but— I followed the lead of Ancia again and again. Finally, arriving in the corner, Ancia said, pounding her chest.

“They’re all idiots. The other kids are still young and don’t know…and Evelyn is just a bad kid..”

“That, you don’t have to comfort me. I’m really fine.”

“You’re fine? To hear something like that—”

“Yes, really.”

The word “fine” was real.

I was only seven years old now, but I was twelve years old in spirit. It was enough not to be hurt by what a ten-year-old child said.

Of course, I’m a little upset, but—.

Ancia suddenly brought her face right in front of my face.