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Chapter 2

作者: Verde Ivy
Philip made a deafening sound inside the room.

Mom stood outside with her hands on her hips and shouted, "You useless woman, hurry up and give our family a grandchild, or I'll make you suffer!"

I felt sorry for Julia.

I couldn't sleep, so I wandered aimlessly around the village and ended up at Lara Clay's front door.

Lara was a widow. A few years back, her daughter had been taken by wolves in the hills. She was deeply unfortunate. Even though she had a fiery personality, she had always been decent to me.

When I washed the entire family's clothes in the freezing river during winter, Lara helped me wash a few items and complained about how heartless Mom was.

Sometimes, she would slip me a few fruit candies I had never tasted before. One Christmas, she quietly pulled me into her home and let me try dishes that smelled amazing.

Yet the villagers were a little afraid of Lara because she was a medium with second sight, someone who could perceive things most people couldn't see or understand. They whispered behind her back that she brought bad luck to her husband and child.

To my surprise, the lights in Lara's home were still on at that late hour.

It was as if Lara knew I was coming. She opened the door and pulled me into the living room. She looked conflicted and said, "Kate, I need to tell you something. Don't breathe a word of it to anyone."

"What is it, Lara?" I asked.

"I suspect… your sister-in-law isn't human," she replied.

What? Julia was so beautiful and kind. How could she not be human? Besides, if she wasn't, why would she put up with Philip hitting her and Mom screaming at her every day?

Seeing the disbelief on my face, Lara sighed. "Kate, I know you're a good girl, so I don't want anything to happen to you. Do you know what's hovering over your house every night when Julia takes in clients?"

As if afraid I wouldn't believe her, Lara patted my hand firmly. "It's surrounded by thick clouds of dark energy."

"Why have I never seen it?" I asked.

"I can see things others can't. I'm more experienced with the supernatural than you are," she answered.

"Then what is Julia?"

"I think Julia is a… snake demon."

My eyes widened.

"I heard that your mom found Julia in the hills and that she was injured when she was brought back. Kate, think about it. How could a grown woman be found in those hills where wild animals are everywhere?

"Julia is a snake demon in disguise. Their kind is naturally lustful. Your mom putting her to work only played into that. Just you wait. It won't be long before she reveals her true nature. When that happens, things are going to get very ugly."

"Lara, it's not that I don't believe you, but… how can you prove Julia is a snake demon?"

"Sneak a look while Julia is with a man. If she's a weak snake demon, her shadow will give away her true form. Furthermore, anyone who sleeps with a snake will grow scales on their body within a few days. After a while, they'll rot away and die. Even angels can't save them."

After Lara finished speaking, she grabbed my hand tightly. "Kate, remember—if anything seems off with Julia, run immediately. Now go home. If you stay out any longer, your mom will yell at you again."

I nodded gratefully at Lara.

Because I kept thinking about what she said, I spent the whole day in a daze and even burned dinner. Mom beat me for it.

That night, Mom did something unexpected. Instead of putting the red light out, she pushed Philip toward Julia's room right after dinner. "Get moving. I've done the math on the timing. Give our family a child as soon as possible!"

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  • My Brother's Bride Is a Serpent   Chapter 9

    Our village used to be called Snake Village.The hills behind the village were full of snakes, and every family made a living by catching them. But snakes were believed to have spirits, so many villagers were swarmed and bitten to death while hunting them. To avoid retribution, the villagers built a shrine to honor the Snake Goddess.Later, an occult specialist named Walter Maxwell came to the village. He claimed that the accumulated rage and spiritual energy of every snake the village had ever killed had gathered at the Snake Goddess shrine and taken the form of a golden snake.The golden snake carried two golden cores inside it. Whoever consumed them would gain immortality and tremendous power. For this reason, Mr. Maxwell set his sights on them.He went to Mr. Franklin and proposed that they work together to take the golden snake's cores.That very day, the golden snake was giving birth and was at her weakest. Mr. Maxwell took advantage of the situation and stole one of its cor

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    Mr. Maxwell pulled a bell from his pocket and shook it frantically. It let out a sharp, clear sound. The moment the golden snake heard it, its body thrashed violently. But no matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't break free of the rope.A howling cold wind poured into the shrine. Several of the girls had already fainted from fright. I kept my eyes fixed on the golden snake as the glow across its body slowly dimmed.Just then, a familiar fragrance drifted from behind me. I turned around to see Philip—no, it was Julia in his body—walking in.Mr. Maxwell glanced at Julia without stopping his hand from jingling the bell. He let out a mocking laugh. "You really are cunning. You slipped right through my trap and even hid yourself inside someone else. I suppose you agreed to be his wife just to wait for a moment like this."Julia gave a cold laugh. "It was the village men who couldn't help themselves. They even let me drain their energy on the night of the vigil, greatly boosting my p

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    I nodded. No one in the village had hunted snakes for years, so the Snake Goddess shrine was probably in ruin.Just as Philip was about to continue, Faye walked toward us with her swollen belly. "Philip, Kate, you need to go home right now. Your mom is dead!"I froze in shock, but Philip's expression remained unchanged. There was even a hint of coldness in his gaze.By the time we reached home, a crowd had already gathered around the house. Mr. Franklin and Mr. Maxwell were there too.Mom lay on the bed. She had died the same way as Felix, with tiny snakes crawling out of her stomach and mouth.When the pregnant women in the village saw this, they began to vomit, though it was unclear whether it was from shock or their condition. As they threw up, their stomachs suddenly began to ache. They collapsed to the ground one by one, crying out in pain.Mr. Maxwell's face fell when he saw that I was still alive. He muttered that something had gone wrong, then took out a stack of charms f

  • My Brother's Bride Is a Serpent   Chapter 6

    Before I even got home, Lara pulled me aside. She looked at me with a troubled expression. "Kate, I only figured out last night that you've been set up. That so-called specialist is out to harm you.""What? Mr. Maxwell wants to harm me?""That's right. He used your blood to seal away Julia so she would only remember you. A snake demon's resentment doesn't fade that easily. He's planning to sacrifice you to save the rest of the village."Kate, remember—if Julia comes looking for you tonight, you must not answer her. If you don't respond, she won't be able to find you."I drifted home in a daze after hearing what Lara said. For some reason, Mom and Philip had both gone to bed unusually early.I buried myself under the covers, too afraid to close my eyes, on edge at the slightest sound. As I drifted in and out of sleep, I felt a cold draft against my neck.When I opened my eyes, I saw a figure lingering by my bed, a long tail trailing behind it like a snake's."Kate, it's me, Julia

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  • My Brother's Bride Is a Serpent   Chapter 4

    Mom glared at me. "Stop talking nonsense. This is my precious grandson. Look at how soft and fair he is. He's so handsome."Mom must have lost her mind. She was actually treating an egg laid by a snake demon as her grandchild.The egg hadn't hatched yet, but once it did, our whole family would be doomed.Mom shoved the egg into my arms and told me to find Julia and have her nurse it. The egg was warm. I could almost feel the little snake moving against my skin.I had to get rid of it. Without another thought, I bolted out the front door and ran toward the hills out back. If Julia had come from those hills, then that must be where she belonged.As I ran, I bumped into Philip and his crew.Philip kicked me to the ground, and the egg rolled over to him. "You useless trash, what are you doing running around at this hour?"Felix spotted the egg and picked it up. "Hey, what's this?""Looks like a snake egg," one of the others said."Don't mention eggs at night. You're making me hung

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