Chapter 4

It was already late at night when we arrived at Espence City. The servants came out of the castle, looking relieved. "You're finally home, Miss Spencer! You scared me!"

"Where's the Kumiho? Did he protect you after you left the city with him, Miss Spencer?"

I shook my head. "I sent him back to Misty Forest."

Silence fell until someone started berating me. Rachel said angrily, "What gave you the right to send him away? Did you even ask if he wanted this? You've always been so selfish, Elsie! You never think about other people’s feelings.

"How can he adapt to the wild when he’s been living in comfort for so many years? Letting him go free in the wild is equivalent to murdering him!"

The air was suddenly filled with dust swept up from the ground. Rachel, who was busy throwing a tantrum, swallowed a mouthful of it. Once everything in the air had settled, a giant python appeared in front of everyone.

When it stood on its tail, it was as tall as two men. The python was shiny white, with silver circles imprinted all over its body. The patterns on its scales were intricate and mysterious. It spoke with a sinister tone, "Keep your mouth shut."

Rachel froze with shock, unable to say another word. She trembled under the pressure of the python, but I was not as frightened as I had seen him in snake form before. I said to Rachel, "I know that's what Taylor always wanted."

I instructed the servants to prepare a room for my new entity, whose name was Logan Sterling. I brought him into the household.

The next day, news of my getting a Naga soon spread all over the city. Many people laughed at me in disbelief.

"Doesn't she worship that Kumiho? How did she get such a powerful silver-ringed giant python? What kind of dumb luck does she have?"

"This must be fake news. I won't believe it until I see it for myself! Does anyone else want to come with me?"

"I do!"

"Me too! This must be fake news! Let's expose this story!"

…

Logan swept the group of troublemakers out of the mansion with his huge tail when they showed up, and they all fell hard on their butts. After that, they stopped making fun of me and became envious of my good luck.

I heard a hiss before a giant snake's head appeared outside my window. "You've been looking pretty upset recently."

It was true that I was not in the greatest spirits. I replied, "The Kumiho used to belong to me. He accompanied me for so long that I'm finding it a little difficult to get used to him being gone."

"Time is like the waves on a beach. It removes the grains of sand that the beach doesn’t need anymore and leaves behind those that are worthy of it.”

I had no idea a snake could have such deep insights into life. Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted as I heard Taylor calling from downstairs, "Rachel! I've managed to escape from Misty Forest!"