A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 31
* * *
Hong Seol had been sitting in the Record Hall for days now, her head buried in dusty tomes that sent clouds of powder into the air with every page turn.
The Combat Records that Nam Goong On had mentioned contained numerous illustrations, making them easy enough for Hong Seol to comprehend despite her recent start in learning to read.
“Hmm, there must be a way to win this… somewhere.”
“Sister!”
A familiar voice broke through her concentration.
Hong Seol glanced toward the source of the call.
The youngest brother Jeok’s face appeared at the high window, his shaggy bangs still tied back with a blue silk ribbon.
“Huh?”
The way he swayed left and right suggested he was standing on the shoulders of his older brother Heuk.
Ever since Hong Seol had opened her heart upon receiving the mouse doll, she had been busy playing with Nam Goong Heuk and Nam Goong Jeok whenever time allowed.
So when she suddenly locked herself away in the Record Hall, the two young masters came searching for her.
“Ow, this is heavy! Hurry up and say it!”
Nam Goong Heuk, crushed beneath Jeok’s feet, urged him on.
“Sister! Won’t you come get rice cakes from the kitchen?”
Hmm…
Hong Seol looked at the open Combat Records, hesitating for a moment before nodding vigorously.
“Yes!”
Her stomach had been growling anyway, and a change of pace would do her good.
‘I can always come back this afternoon to study the records more…’
Hong Seol sprang up from her chair with a bounce.
The youngest brother Jeok’s face brightened immediately at the sight.
* * *
All the children except Nam Goong Baek had gathered near the kitchen attached to Chang Cheon Pavilion.
Hong Seol was, for some reason, dressed as a cat.
“Hong Seol, you can do this, right?”
Nam Goong Heuk’s voice was quite serious. Hong Seol answered with solemn determination.
“Meow!”
In truth, I was trembling with fear, but I couldn’t very well say that.
If I did, they’d never let me join in on fun like this again!
Hong Seol held her fluffy chin high, feigning composure.
“Good. Today, we’re counting on you alone, Hong Seol.”
Just then, Yi Hwa, a maid belonging to Chang Cheon Pavilion’s kitchen, passed by and spoke with a puzzled expression.
“Young masters, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, a stray cat wandered in, so we were just playing with it.”
Nam Goong Heuk answered brazenly. Yi Hwa regarded them with suspicion.
The second young master of the Nam Goong Family was known for his mischievous nature—second to none in that regard.
“The young master was playing with a stray cat, you say?”
Yi Hwa’s gaze fell upon the pink kitten sitting neatly beside Nam Goong Heuk.
Fortunately, there were no signs of mistreatment, but something felt distinctly off. The cat had tensed completely, its pink fur standing on end across its entire body.
“In the first place, it doesn’t make sense for a stray cat to have entered the Nam Goong Family Estate. You’re definitely up to some mischief, aren’t you? I think I should report this to the Patriarch.”
This was bad. Nam Goong Heuk’s anxiety sharpened as he looked toward Hong Seol.
‘Hong Seol!’
Hong Seol nodded immediately upon catching Nam Goong Heuk’s urgent gaze.
‘Leave it to me!’
In the next instant, Hong Seol rolled onto her back, exposing her belly completely.
“Meow.”
The moment Yi Hwa saw the pink belly and soft paw pads, her eyes naturally softened with delight.
“My goodness, I’ve never seen such a beautiful cat in all my life!”
Captivated by Hong Seol, Yi Hwa reached out to touch the belly. But Nam Goong Jeok hastily waved his hand in protest.
“Cats don’t like having their bellies touched, you know.”
“Oh, I see.”
Yi Hwa withdrew her hand with an embarrassed expression.
She had no way of knowing when the mischievous young masters of the wolf clan had become cat experts.
Not missing the opportunity, Nam Goong Heuk spoke up.
“Is it alright for you to spend time here? It seemed like the old woman was looking for you a moment ago.”
The old woman Nam Goong Heuk referred to was Lady Lee, who oversaw all the kitchen work at Chang Cheon Pavilion. In other words, she was essentially Yi Hwa’s direct superior.
At those words, Yi Hwa’s face went pale.
“Oh my heavens! I should get going right away.”
“Take care.”
Once Yi Hwa disappeared, the youngest Nam Goong Jeok, who had been tense, let out a relieved sigh.
“Wow, I thought for sure we’d be summoned to Father for this, hyung.”
“For someone who’s the youngest young master of the Nam Goong Family, you certainly have a coward’s heart. Hong Seol, you’re alright, aren’t you?”
Hong Seol, who had been lying flat on the ground like a sticky rice cake as the tension eased, suddenly lifted her head sharply at those words.
“Meow!”
“Good, you truly have what it takes to be my sworn sibling, Hong Seol.”
“Meow!”
Hong Seol answered vigorously.
I loved the young masters of the Nam Goong Family.
“I wish I could go on a mission with Sister Hong Seol too.”
The clumsy youngest Nam Goong Jeok was endearing the more I saw him.
“No way. If you go, Jeok, you’ll ruin the whole plan. Then we can forget about those rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves that we steamed today.”
With the second eldest, Nam Goong Heuk, something fun always happened.
We could play with those intricate toys that the Je Gal Family had made, and today, with our timing perfectly synchronized, we’d managed to fool the servant without a hitch.
“Hyung, can’t we just ask Lady Lee for the rice cakes instead?”
“That wouldn’t be any fun. Besides, you’ve already eaten three cakes today, so she’d say no anyway.”
“Whine.”
“You confirmed that the eldest hyung isn’t nearby, right?”
“Yes, hyung!”
At those words, Hong Seol instinctively withdrew her head and glanced around.
As far as Hong Seol knew, Nam Goong Baek should be at the Training Ground at this hour. But she couldn’t relax. He often skipped his training sessions.
“Good thinking. If my older brother saw this, he’d definitely have something to say.”
Despite their similar ages, Nam Goong Baek rarely seemed to fit in with his younger siblings.
He always carried himself as though trapped alone within a blizzard.
He’d take only a few bites of delicious food before abandoning it, read only the beginning of books, and never listened to the musicians’ performances to the end—he’d simply rise abruptly mid-performance and retreat to his Quarters, pulling his blankets over his head and locking himself away.
Perhaps because of this, Hong Seol still hadn’t grown close to Nam Goong Baek.
Yet she got along so well with Heuk and Jeok.
At first, she had desperately wanted to grow closer to him. But not anymore.
‘Strangely, I find Nam Goong Baek uncomfortable.’
Hong Seol attributed her inability to speak to him—despite having walked to his Quarters’ entrance several times—to this discomfort. So for the past few days, she had decided to treat Nam Goong Baek as though he didn’t exist.
Hong Seol didn’t yet realize that this uncomfortable feeling was actually pity.
“Alright then, we’ll proceed with the original plan.”
At Nam Goong Heuk’s final confirmation, Hong Seol snapped to attention.
“Hong Seol, you’re ready?”
“Meow!”
The three of them crept toward the kitchen’s back door.
“Right, Hong Seol! If you happen to get caught by the servants…”
Nam Goong Heuk whispered something into the small cat’s ear. It was a contingency plan. Hong Seol answered enthusiastically.
“Meow!”
Soon, Nam Goong Heuk peered through the crack in the back door, surveyed the kitchen interior, and nodded vigorously.
It was the signal that they could enter.
“Huff!”
To calm her racing heart, Hong Seol took a deep breath.
‘I… I can do this!’
The next moment, Hong Seol sprang up like a flying squirrel and slipped through the window.
“Wow! I’m telling you, for infiltration, a cat beats a wolf any day.”
* * *
Sniff, sniff.
Hong Seol’s small nose twitched in the air.
‘Let me see. That savory aroma means it has to be somewhere around here.’
Hong Seol crouched atop a high shelf, quietly observing the situation.
The Chang Cheon Pavilion’s kitchen was unusually bustling today.
A stern-looking elderly woman leaned on a cane, barking orders relentlessly at the cooks and servants.
“Is the tea ready?”
“We’ve prepared the White Peony Silver Needle that the Grand Patriarch enjoys!”
“Have you been to the liquor storage? The Branch Family’s patriarch will surely ask for Hundred Flowers Dew again.”
“Goodness, that expensive thing every time he visits.”
“Mind your tongue! Have you forgotten that even the smallest word could reflect poorly on the Grand Patriarch?”
‘She’s absolutely terrifying.’
There was no doubt that this old woman was Lady Lee, who oversaw the kitchens of Chang Cheon Pavilion.
“Oh, and make sure to set aside some rice cakes for Nam Goong Do from the Branch Family Residence!”
Rice cakes?
At those words, my ears perked up instantly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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