Bluebird Lady and The White Lion Family - Chapter 22

The letters were engraved on our wrist like a peculiar ancient script, then faded away.

 

A feeling of a strange object hit my chest.

 

When Sophina unintentionally looked at the back of her hand, there was a small seal of the contract drawn on it.

 

A round white pearl mark.

 

It was shaped like Jane’s Thanato.

 

The second heart, Thanato, which was originally embedded in the right chest, was unusually in the form of a jewel.

 

It’s also different types of jewel shapes depending on the person.

 

‘The book also mentioned that when the contract ends, each other’s Thanato images would be engraved in white.’

 

Sophina carefully swept down the pearl-shaped mark that symbolized Jane.

 

Then, inevitably, a question arose.

 

‘Does Jane also have my Thanato on her too?’

 

Sophina told Jane with sparkling eyes.

 

“Give me your hand, Jane!” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ

 

“Yes. Little Madam.” ᴶᵃⁿᵉ

 

Jane seemed puzzled, and with a slightly sluggish movement, she stretched out the back of her hand and showed it.

 

‘Where is it?’

 

Sophina carefully observed Jane’s hand.

 

Just looking at it, Jane also had a white and strangely colored pattern on her.

 

‘So it’s all done?’

 

She smiled awkwardly and spoke to Jane.

 

“I guess it’s over. It’s a lot simpler than I thought.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ

 

Suddenly, it felt familiar.

 

Just as if I’ve signed a contract with someone before.

 

Well, there was no limit to the number of contracts, so I’ll be able to conclude with other people in the future.

 

‘But, what kind of jewel shape was my Thanato? I just saw it, but I don’t know what it was.’

 

Sophina tilted her head as she glanced at the pattern engraved on Jane.

 

As she was about to get lost in thought for a moment, Jane nodded to accept.

 

“Little Madame’s Thanato seems to be an opal. It’s really fascinating.” ᴶᵃⁿᵉ

 

Opal?

 

Sophina’s eyes widened and asked back.

 

“So this… it’s an opal?” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ

 

“Yes, I think so.”

 

Jane affirmed in a slightly unconfident tone.

 

-Oh, it’s my first time witnessing someone swear with the second heart!

 

As the situation seemed to have ended, Canus crawled back to Sophina.

 

At that moment.

 

A moment so short that no one noticed.

 

The white mark faded and then returned to its normal state.

 

-Huh? That’s a little weird just now.

 

The little snake, who sensed the subtle change the fastest, naively questioned it.

 

Then, hesitantly, he climbed onto Sophina’s arm and sniffed her.

 

–Sniff-sniff… I heard that if you sign a contract, the Talite will remain for a while.

 

Canus observed the pattern on Sophina’s hand curiously.

 

It’s been 15 minutes already.

 

Sophina, who couldn’t see it, gave him a warning unevenly.

 

“Are you a dog? Stop beating around the bush.”

 

-No. Only the scent that came from my older sister vibrated. I wonder if something went wrong…

 

Are you a gecko or what?

 

‘If you see that the sign is intact, it means that the contract has been established. It’ll be fine.’

 

Or maybe Canus was mistaken.

 

Sophina shook her head nervously and spoke to Jane.

 

“Now you’re my real maid, Jane.”

 

Sophina asked for a handshake with a more relaxed heart.

 

“Let’s be good friends.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ

 

“Please take good care of me too, little madam.” ᴶᵃⁿᵉ

 

Jane also bowed, reaching out with trembling hands.

 

Only then did Sophina gently relax her expression and smiled brightly.

 

‘The first button was a little messed up, but it’ll be different now.’

 

Sophia also reached out to Canus as well.

 

“Anyway, thanks for your help, Canus.”

 

-Huh? What did I…

 

Canus felt embarrassed to say the least.

 

The little snake gently covered it’s face with its tail and continued.

 

-I’ll give you a handshake.

 

Eventually, Canus banged his tail instead of his palm to high-five Sophina.

 

‘What? There’s something cute about you too.’

 

Sophina, who giggled and laughed, pulled something.

 

It was a Calypse bark powder that was supposed to be given to Canus.

 

She hung the bag of powder on the little snake’s body like a necklace.

 

“Now I’ll give all of this to you.”

 

-I love it! It smells so good!

 

Canus was overjoyed. Of course, Canus was seven years old.

 

Sophina smiled along Canus.

 

The situation that had been quite tumultuous has come to an end.

 

As neatly as the scenario Sophina wanted.

 

 

✿

 

Meanwhile, Ricardo, who came out of the room, sat on a zelkova tree and laid down.

 

Swoosh~ The leaves collided against each…

 

He slowly looked away and covered his face.

 

Through the half-open glass window, into Sophina’s room, where he could see clearly.

 

“Oh, this sunlight.”

 

Ricardo frowned, slightly covering his eyes with the back of his hand.

 

The bright sunlight shone through the gaps in his hand.

 

A smooth and fine forehead, a straight nose, and a slightly raised corner of lips.

 

Ricardo’s face that seemed carved out perfectly had picturesque contrast.

 

At that moment, Ricardo’s ears flinched at the voice leaking out of the window.

 

-You two are fired.

 

Sophina’s words towards the arrogant maids.

 

Hearing those decisive words, Ricardo exclaimed quietly as if the situation turned interesting.

 

A smile spread across his red lips.

 

“What are you going to do now?”

 

In those blue eyes, the figure of Sophina, biting her lip, was reflected.

 

I wanted to spread the rumor about this for Sophina, so I purposely left…

 

“I hope it’s not boring.”

 

Ricardo wiped away his laughter and shuddered. He squinted like a cat chasing a ball of yarn.

 

The sun shone again in those eyes.

 

Ricardo grunted, covering the sky with his palm again.

 

A cool shade followed the shape of a hand larger than that of his peers.

 

“I hate this sunlight.”

 

In disappointment, Ricardo bit his lip.

 

“Should I have brought it back?”

 

Silver fountain pen.

 

A creature that could read the memories of objects and people, and could bring out the discovered memories.

 

The original form of the fountain pen was a mask.

 

The same thing Ricardo used when he first encountered Sophina at the mansion.

 

‘It was perfect to cover from sunlight.’

 

Well, thanks to you, I paid off some of my debt.

 

Ricardo smiled satisfactorily.

 

I didn’t know the scene I accidentally witnessed on the tree would be used like this.

 

Ricardo knew from the beginning. The same tricks of the maids.

 

“Are you going to let that slide?”

 

He looked slowly through the room again and yawned languidly.

 

In his view contains Sophina who was talking to Jane.

 

‘Are you being nice or simply naive?’

 

Do you believe in promises made with words?

 

“That’s lame.”

 

Ricardo rested his chin on his hand, groaning in boredom.

 

Losing interest, he lowered his eyelashes to take a nap, and Sophina from the window spoke to the maid.

 

-Just that promise, could you swear with your second heart?

 

A tight and clever net placed by Sophina.

 

It was a different proposal from his expectation that she would gently forgive the maid like a soft animal.

 

Ricardo’s day, which had even been boring at first glance, quickly became mysterious.

 

‘Second heart?’

 

Ricardo frowned because of what he heard.

 

“It’s a contract mediated by Thanato… My wife sure does interesting things.”

 

Then, in an awkward way, he blinked and smiled refreshingly.

 

On the contrary, the blue eyes hidden under the long eyelashes were lukewarm.

 

Ricardo watched Sophina and Jane sign the contract.

 

Everything… Leaving nothing behind.

 

After the mysterious contract process. Ricardo’s gaze stayed on Sophina’s hand.

 

Exactly on the white pearl-shaped mark engraved on it.

 

On the white mark, Jane’s Talite remained faintly.

 

Ricardo’s eyes widened as if he had only realized it.

 

“This is what the contract was like.”

 

It was the first time I had actually seen the contract scene.

 

Thanks to you, I was sure.

 

‘After all, it was a contract with that bluebird.’

 

Sophina’s Thanato is Opal. The shape of the pattern that Ricardo had is also opal.

 

And today, I instinctively noticed it.

 

That the mark on Sophina’s forearm was in the shape of a moonstone, the Thanato of Ricardo.

 

The fact that they both have each other’s Thanato patterns.

 

That meant, for sure, a contract was made.

 

Because I’ve never heard or seen a mark in other cases.

 

However, there’s one thing that’s…

 

Ricardo looked back at the opal-shaped mark on the palm of his right hand.

 

‘This is the pattern that I have had since childhood.’

 

Have I ever met Sophina in an unthinkable past?

 

Or there’s another variable?

 

Ricardo’s eyes gleamed like a beast that caught his target.