My Brother’s an Angel—Know What I Bean? - Chapter 1

While looking in the mirror that morning,

I discovered I had grown a tail.

It was blackish purple, covered in scales, with a sharp, scissor-shaped tip.

A demon’s tail.

I spent half an hour circling the mirror and studying it from every angle.

In the end, I had no choice but to admit

that it really had grown out of my body.

Ha. Ha.

No wonder my butt had itched so badly in my sleep last night.

It turned out I’d been growing a tail.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

Snow-white hair, snow-white lashes—everything about me was perfectly holy.

Except for that garishly colored, hideously shaped tail.

It swished back and forth with what almost looked like delight.

The more I looked at it, the more it annoyed me.

Should I cut it off?

The instant the thought occurred to me,

the tail coiled around my calf of its own accord.

Oh, this was bad. Now I had even more reason to cut it off. It actually had enough sense to understand an angel.

I gripped the knife and raised it high.

The tail began trembling violently.

I gritted my teeth. “Begging won’t save you.”

Just as the blade was about to fall,

someone knocked on the door.

The archangel’s voice came from outside.

“Are you ready, little sister? I’m coming in to help you comb your hair.”

I turned to look at my tail, which was now wagging wildly with excitement.

Oh, no. Coming in was absolutely out of the question.

“No need, Brother. I combed it myself today.”

Silence lingered beyond the door before the archangel said mildly, “All right. My little sister is all grown up.”

After another pause, he asked, “Do you only not need your brother today, or will you never need him again?”

Why was he still here?

I was combing my hair with one hand, disciplining my tail with another, and searching for suitable clothes with a third.

I was very busy.

So I answered absently, “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I won’t need you anymore.”

Amid all the commotion, I thought I heard Jialan murmur softly,

“…Won’t need me?”

I truly had no time to worry about him. At last, I managed to get everything perfectly under control.

I smacked my tail and threatened it fiercely.

“I’ll deal with you later.”

Then I put on a pure-white dress and concealed the tail completely.

I headed for the Temple of Angels.

Holy light suffused the entire temple.

The high priest in white recited the prayer with reverent devotion.

The archangel stood beside me.

Together, we prayed before the enormous statue.

Halfway through, the archangel’s voice sounded in my mind.

“Little sister, why are your hands shaking?”

Sob.

What demon wouldn’t tremble while praying in a place like this?

The fact that only my hands were shaking meant I was already being incredibly brave, okay?

I kept my eyes shut and forced myself to remain calm.

“I didn’t sleep well last night.”

The archangel had the ability to tell whether someone was lying.

Fortunately, I was telling the truth.

As for why I hadn’t slept well, never mind that for now.

The archangel asked no more questions.

As soon as the prayer ended,

I slipped away at top speed.

The archangel Jialan called after me.

“Little sister, wait.”

Who knew which little sister he meant?

I kept running without looking back.

“Jiali Weiya, wait…”

Why did he have to use my full name?

I pretended not to hear and ran even faster.

All I wanted was to hide in my chambers and figure out how to cut off this tail.

My fingers had barely touched the door handle

when something cool suddenly closed around my wrist. Jialan had caught it in a gentle grip.

“Little sister, why were you running so fast? Your brother almost couldn’t catch up.”

Jialan’s face filled my vision.

Snow-white hair, snow-white lashes, a spotless white cloak—his entire being radiated holiness and nobility.

His deep azure eyes watched me.

Jialan—the archangel of light and ice, who hated demons to the bone.

I jolted in fright.

The shock sent my tail peeking out from beneath my skirt.

I spun around at once to adjust my position.

“Ha. Ha.” I laughed dryly.

“I didn’t sleep well. I’m in a hurry to catch up on my sleep.”

Jialan rubbed my head.

“Rest well. If you have any trouble, tell me. Your brother will help you, little sister.”

I nodded so hard my head bobbed like a pecking chicken.

Then I darted inside and gently closed the door, making every movement look perfectly normal.

An instant before the doors met,

a large hand with well-defined knuckles braced itself against the frame.

My heart leaped into my throat. “What is it, Brother?”

Jialan reached out and lifted a strand of my hair.

“What is this?”

I lowered my eyes.

A strand of black hair was wound around his snow-white finger.

It stood out terribly.

My mind went blank, and I blurted,

“I-I got this little thing called hair dye a while ago. Maybe it only just took effect. Ha… ha-ha.”

Jialan bent down.

His inhumanly beautiful face, dazzling enough to make me dizzy, drew close to mine.

“You haven’t looked your brother in the eyes once today.”

I jerked my head up. “I’m looking now. You should go, Brother. I really need to rest.”

“Jiali Weiya, how could you lie to your brother?”

Hurt flashed through Jialan’s eyes.

The moment he used my full name, every hair on my body stood on end.

“This is the first time you’ve ever lied to me. Has something happened?”

My heart pounded like a drum.

After a long silence, I could no longer bear his clear gaze, which seemed capable of seeing through everything.

My voice trembled slightly as I ventured, “Angels all have white or golden hair. Does that mean… I’m not actually an angel at all?”

Jialan answered without hesitation. “It’s your brother’s fault.”

My heart lurched. “Do you regret finding me and raising me?”

Raising a demon with his own hands was indeed a monstrous crime.

At best, he would be suspended and placed under observation. At worst, he would be tried, stripped of his wings and divinity, and cast into the mortal realm to suffer through cycles of reincarnation.

“Little sister, I have never regretted bringing you home.”

“I’m sorry. I simply never noticed before that there were angels with black-and-white hair. I’ll add that detail to the holy scripture. Don’t worry.”

My eyes widened in disbelief.

“Really? So black-haired angels do exist, and I’m not a demon?”

Jialan smiled. “You’re the successor I chose myself. How could you possibly be a demon?”

He released my hair and soothed me.

“Don’t worry, little sister. Rest well.”

“If you prefer white hair, your brother can help you.”

Black hair was terribly ugly. I didn’t like it.

I nodded hastily. “Help me, Brother. I want white hair.”

Holy light flared at Jialan’s fingertips and sank into my hair in shimmering motes.

I became white-haired again.

I breathed a sigh of relief, so delighted I wanted to jump on the spot.

My tail was clearly just as delighted.

Jialan tilted his head and looked behind me.

“What is this?”