Bluebird Lady and The White Lion Family

   After hearing the firm notice, the faces of the maids turned pale. The two maids stood up and grabbed Sophina’s sleeves. Then they shook their heads vigorously, denying reality and shouted. “You can’t do that! No matter how you married the Lord, throwing us awayㅡ ” “I’ve been given permission from my mother.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ Without hesitation, Sophina slapped the maids’ hands and glared at them. ‘I didn’t want to be pushed back.’ ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ The situation in which a lion, a beast, bit the hem of her clothes and protested was terribly threatening. ‘I’m also a person who knows how to get angry.’ ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ Sophina didn’t want to lose and distorted her expression as horribly as possible. If she was in her animal form, her tail feathers would have been stiff. The maids asked back as if they were embarrassed by Sophina’s determined attitude. “What? Pe-permission?” “I have the right over you. Now I am also the little lady of this house.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ Sophina nailed firmly with a slightly dry voice. The focus disappeared from the eyes of the maids. They talked to themselves in the air, perhaps out of mind. “Then, how could we…” “So pack up and leave right away.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ Sophina quickly pulled the rope and called another servant. ‘I don’t think I have anything more to say.’ ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ With a knocking sound, the lions came in. They were the ones who were ordered to call the maids and waited for them in advance. Sophina sat on the sofa and nodded at the two maids, who had devastated expressions. “Take them out.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ At that word, the maids shook their heads violently as if they had come to their senses. “Madam, little madam!” While being dragged, they raised their voices and stretched out. It was as if they made no mistakes in the past. In the end, it was only after the door was closed that the surroundings became quiet. Canus, who was watching the scene on the sofa, clapped his tail and grumbled sharply. ㅡAre they lions? People would believe it even if it was a leech. Sophina smiled and agreed with Canus’s grumbling. Then, after carefully deviating, turning her gaze away from the closed door, she sighed deeply. ‘You did a good job Sophina! You shouldn’t back down to those who don’t even know the meaning of reflection.’ ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ (N: Sophina talking to herself.)

 I didn’t know what else or what kind of trick they would plan if I left them in the mansion like this. However, not all were completely expelled. Sophina talked to Jane, the brown-haired maid who was left alone with her in the room. “And Jane, I have a question for you.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ She took out the note under the cocoa glass that she had kept the other day. “This note. Did you write it?” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ Jane stared at the note and couldn’t say anything and just bowed her head. As expected of Jane. Sophina’s slightly softened voice turned to Jane. “What did you mean by leaving this note?” “Well, that’s… I couldn’t even say anything even if I had ten mouths. I’ll leave this mansion on my own.” Jane bowed again, trying to say her final goodbyes with a sullen look on her face. Unlike the other maids, she was docile and admitted her own sins. One of Sophina’s eyebrows rose upward. “Really?” “I disobeyed the heavenly order of the lord to serve the little madam, and I took a mean move that was not like a lion.” Jane, who was talking calmly, expressed her sincerity with a sharp low voice. “I’m so ashamed.” Jane’s cheeks were red because of embarrassment. Sophina didn’t say anything and fell silently in thought. ‘It sure seems like you’re sincerely sorry for me.’ ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ She took a deep breath in and made a decision. “Then promise me. You’ll work hard with all your heart without such incidents in the future.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ If she abandoned Jane, new maids would come. ‘Then there’s no guarantee that this wouldn’t happen again.’ ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ It was better for her to convince Jane, who seemed to be reflecting on herself. To make her a reliable ally. “Yes?” Jane asked, her lips trembling in surprise. “I mean, I’m going to give you a special chance.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ Sophina smiled and responded kindly. Even so, I didn’t plan to move on easily. Just in case, there was a secret trick I prepared. ‘If that’s the case, it’ll be okay if I keep Jane next to me.’ Sophina calmly stared at Jane. Jane was still bowing deeply at her. “Well, I’m really sorry and thank you. I’ll do my best!” Jane’s tightly clasped hands trembled softly. Sophina looked down at her figure and asked with a serious expression. “Just that promise, could you swear with your second heart?” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ What Sophina had in mind was a contract. The promise made with the second heart, ‘Thanato,’ had to be kept somehow. Thanato… A second heart that was called a vessel containing the souls of the beasts. Even if the heart stops, if only the Thanato was intact, it was theoretically possible to revive life. It was that important. ‘You have to fulfill your promise.’ Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. The will of a person who made a wrong choice while being swept away by other people’s claims. ‘It must be true that Jane feels guilty about me.’ But emotions tend to open up over time. In other words, it means that she may do these kinds of things at any time. So, even if it was selfish, there’s no other choice but to set up a minimum safety device through a definite contract. Sophina got up from the sofa casually. Then, she walked a few steps and talked, sweeping down the books piled up in the next bookshelf with her fingertips. “If you don’t like it, it’s okay to refuse. Instead, I would write a letter of introduction so that you could work elsewhere.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ It was a bit of kindness. They won’t accept Jane and the other maids anywhere else because they’ve seen Chadwick’s countenance. “…No, I’ll do it.” Jane, who had hesitated, clenched her fist as if she had made a firm decision. “Okay, good. Then follow me.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ Sophina picked one of the books she was looking at and unfolded it. It was a book written about Thanato. ‘Actually, I don’t really know either.’ In the first place, such contracts were rare, so few people knew them properly. So it was a measure to follow after reading the book beforehand. The thick book was full of dizzying letters. Sophina flipped through the pages listed on how to sign a contract. She then traced the letters in the book, reciting the explanation slowly. “Place your hand over your right chest where Thanato is and close your eyes. And feel the power in your heart, the Talite.” ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ Talite was the intangible energy concentrated in the second heart, Thanato. Just as Thanato was a vessel for the soul, Talite was also a power related to the soul. It was the vitality of a living beast. It was something that all beasts could instinctively feel. The higher the purity of Talite, the stronger the power of this ability, and the superiority of the body. Anyway, it was important. Because if I don’t, I’ll die. Sophina lowered her gaze as she explained and focused on the sound inside her body. ‘Growl.’ My stomach was growling. Oh, not this! After a strong whistle, she went back to meditation. Concentrating on the sensations in her body, the surroundings were strangely quiet. Sophina’s ears perked up. ‘It feels like something’s flowing.’ ˢᵒᵖʰᶦⁿᵃ The strange sensation gradually took shape. The book was right as it was written that you would be able to recognize it quickly. Da-dum-da-dumㅡ A relaxed, fluffy cloud-like energy that runs through the blood vessels. It was Talite. I couldn’t see it, but I could tell that the color of this Talite was white. ‘Now is the time to hold hands and share each other’s energy.’ Sophina opened her eyes carefully, trying to maintain her current state. The scenery inside the room was the same as before. And a Canus with a curious expression and Jane with her eyes closed. It felt weird. It felt like my heart was pounding as if something was different from usual. ‘Did Jane not feel the Talite yet?’ Sophina glanced at Jane. Just then, Jane opened her eyes. Sophina and Jane naturally exchanged glances. ‘I told you that the contract should be written before sharing the Talite with each other.’ Sophina took out a long piece of parchment and fountain pen from the bookshelf and wrote. Exactly as promised. Then she held Jane’s hand. As if waiting, a mysterious feeling rose from her fingertips. It felt as if her feathers were tickling her skin softly. Along with that, there was a sweet smell like the perfume Jane usually used. Sophina realized it intuitively. This! It’s Jane’s Talite! ‘A soft cotton candy-like energy. It’s a different feeling from mine.’ The moment I noticed someone else’s Talite, something very surprising happened. Sophina raised her head as if possessed, and then blurted the tip of her words. “The letters…” Letters written in dry black ink fell from the parchment and wandered around in the air. The spell, which was sparkling in a mysterious color, was suddenly sucked in their clasped hands. Exclamation leaked from her lips. “Oh…!”