A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 74

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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 74
Heuk cried out in distress.
“What if that brat grows up and marries her?!”
“Ho, marriage? With Sister and the beggar?”
Nam Goong Baek cast a contemptuous glance at his troubled younger brothers.
“How foolish. Our parents would never allow the beggar and Seol to marry.”
“But still, who knows? If the brat gets smitten and keeps saying how wonderful she is!”
Imagining the two of them sitting on a straw mat with grimy faces, begging side by side, the three brothers felt their blood boil.
“Argh!”
“I can’t stand this anymore!”
“Sigh….”
A small crease formed on Nam Goong Baek’s fair brow.
“We need to come up with something, Elder Brothers!”
At Nam Goong Jeok’s words, Nam Goong Baek’s eyes grew distant.
“That’s precisely why I’ve summoned you today.”
“Do you have a solution? The brat adores them so.”
“There must be a reason for it, wouldn’t you say?”
“What reason?”
“They possess amusements we cannot provide.”
“What could that possibly be?”
“There’s no girl among us!”
At those words, both Baek and Heuk’s eyes turned simultaneously toward Jeok’s face.
Jeok spoke softly, gauging his brothers’ reactions.
“Earlier, I saw Sister braiding Deng Xiao Xiao’s hair.”
“Is that so?”
“She tried new hairpins, tied it with ribbons… it looked quite fun.”
“…That’s rather compelling.”
“Eh, eh?”
Suddenly, the shadows of his brothers fell over Jeok. Then Nam Goong Heuk’s crooked teeth gleamed brilliantly.
“I think you’ll need to put in some effort for us, Jeok.”
* * *
Crunch, crunch.
Hong Seol was eating sliced cucumber as an afternoon snack.
She swung her feet idly while sitting in a chair.
“Bitter… cucumbers are bitter.”
A group of Young Rats ate cucumber alongside her with gloomy expressions.
Because Hong Seol had been forbidden from eating sweets and confections, the Young Rats found themselves eating healthily as well.
“Come on, let’s go inside!”
“Sigh… Sister.”
Just then, the outside grew unusually noisy. Few people could cause such a commotion in front of Chang Cheon Pavilion, where Hong Seol’s quarters were located.
‘It seems my older brothers and Jeok have arrived.’
“You lot.”
At Hong Seol’s gesture, a pack of Young Rats who had been gnawing on cucumbers turned and scurried away to hide.
Thump, thump, thump!
Shortly after, a child’s foot—as if shoved from behind—stepped into Hong Seol’s Quarters.
“S-Sister….”
“Hey! That’s not it!”
When Heuk glared, a mosquito-soft sound escaped from Jeok’s delicately clasped hands.
“U-Um, Sister….”
Hong Seol, seated in a chair, looked at Jeok. The cucumber slice she’d been bringing to her mouth and her legs, which had been swinging carelessly, both stilled.
“…Jeok?”
Hong Seol’s eyes widened as she hopped down from the chair and scurried over.
“Who on earth did this!”
Hong Seol’s small hands seized Jeok’s hair, which had been braided into two sections and tied up on both sides.
“It… it turned out this way, Sister.”
“Hey!”
At Heuk’s rebuke, Jeok hastily corrected his form of address.
“Um, Sister.”
“What is all this?”
Nam Goong Heuk, whose eyes met Hong Seol’s, laughed awkwardly.
“Jeok is going to be a girl from now on!”
“What?”
“So we can braid Jeok’s hair, try out hairpins, dress him in girls’ clothes as much as we want!”
Hong Seol, unable to comprehend, stared intently at Heuk.
“Jeok, is this really true?”
“Yes! S-… I mean, Sister.”
Hong Seol bit her lip, looking troubled.
“Why did you think of such a thing, older brother?”
Hong Seol turned and pointed at Nam Goong Baek.
Nam Goong Baek, who had been leaning against the doorframe observing the situation, withdrew his gaze.
“…It wasn’t me.”
“But you are my older brother….”
“….”
Heuk suddenly burst out.
“It’s because you haven’t been playing with us lately, you little brat!”
“Huh?”
“You only play with Pal Shin Woo or whatever, and you even matched bracelets with them!”
At Heuk’s ringing voice, Hong Seol’s eyes widened as she looked at Nam Goong Heuk.
Then she understood why Jeok had come to her like this, and why Heuk was angry.
‘Ah, he’s jealous.’
Hearing those words, Hong Seol felt inexplicably pleased.
‘So my older brothers are jealous that I play with other friends….’
A mischievous impulse suddenly bubbled up inside me.
“Hehe.”
At my sudden laughter, Heuk’s face grew anxious.
“Why, what is it!”
“Now that I think about it, I seem to enjoy playing with girls more.”
“What!”
“…!”
“I knew it!”
Jeok nodded with a smug expression, as if he’d expected this all along.
Hong Seol turned to Nam Goong Baek and spoke brightly.
“Instead of a younger sister, I’d like to have an older sister… would that be possible?”
Gasp.
That crossed a line.
Heuk and Jeok froze with their mouths hanging open.
Seeing their reaction, even Hong Seol, who had let the teasing slip out, felt her face go cold.
‘Oh no, did I really just say that?’
In that moment of acute embarrassment.
An unbelievable answer fell from Nam Goong Baek’s lips as he seemed to consider it briefly.
“Why not.”
Heuk and Jeok were so shocked their jaws nearly dropped.
“Brother!”
“Brother!”
Nam Goong Baek gave Heuk a light chin gesture.
“…Of course, that one.”
“Ah, brother!”
Unable to contain himself, Nam Goong Heuk spun around and shouted loudly.
‘If this keeps up, they’re going to fight!’
Worry surged in my chest.
I was happiest when all of us got along together.
“I was joking, joking!”
I waved my hands and stepped between Baek and Heuk.
“I like my older brothers just the way you are!”
Heuk’s energy deflated as he placed the back of his hand against his forehead.
“Ah, you little brat!”
Nam Goong Heuk wrinkled his nose, saying, “The little one made friends and picked up bad habits.”
Though he himself was the one who had taught me the most bad habits.
“Sigh.”
Though he didn’t show it outwardly, Nam Goong Baek seemed to let out a small sigh as well.
“Hehe. I’m sorry, older brothers.”
Beside her, Jeok sniffled and wiped beneath his nose with the back of his hand.
“That’s really too much, Sister.”
“I’m sorry, Jeok.”
“Sniff. So you’ll play with us more often from now on?”
“Yes! I promise!”
Hong Seol linked her pinky finger with Jeok’s.
“Hehe.”
It was when Jeok laughed carelessly, tears still glistening at the corners of his eyes.
“You lot. Why are you gathered here again?”
The family patriarch Nam Goong Ho appeared suddenly. He regarded Nam Goong Jeok with a puzzled expression.
“Jeok, what’s with that look on your face?”
“Ah, well…”
As Jeok awkwardly scratched the back of his head, Heuk quickly interjected.
“Hong Seol wanted to practice braiding hair!”
“Oh, is that so?”
Nam Goong Ho, who became infinitely indulgent only toward Hong Seol, broke into a broad grin.
“But we must stop the hair-braiding practice now and come with me.”
“Yes? Where to?”
“Wan Li Yi Xian has finally agreed to examine your body.”
“Really?”
Hong Seol’s face brightened.
Until now, I had been waiting indefinitely for the day of examination.
Wan Li Yi Xian had said he could only determine the possibility of treating the Yin-Yang Severed Meridians once my body was completely healed.
That day had finally arrived.
“Then I’ll be going!”
Hong Seol waved to the three brothers and trotted after Nam Goong Ho, who led the way.
Heuk and Jeok wore bright expressions, but only Nam Goong Baek watched their departing figures with an unreadable look.
* * *
In the Tea Room, Wan Li Yi Xian, Nam Goong On, Bing Yu Hua, and Nam Goong Ui Gyeol had all gathered.
“Have you been playing diligently all this time?”
“Yes!”
“And you haven’t eaten any sweets?”
“No! Ah…”
Hong Seol, who had answered confidently, found her words trailing off without meaning to.
She had remembered the candied fruits that older brother Nam Goong Baek had given her. Of course, she had immediately been made to brush her teeth afterward.
Wan Li Yi Xian swept a stern gaze around all the adults present.
In response, the adults exchanged looks of mutual distrust.
“Really, even Father is being cunning…”
“I also wanted to win Hong Seol’s affection with sweets, but I refrained for the sake of her health…”
“Honestly, it wasn’t me!”
Nam Goong Ho, the prime suspect, clenched his jaw as if utterly exasperated.
As the situation grew dire, Hong Seol cried out in panic.
“I-I’m not in pain anywhere! My teeth are strong and my meridians are….”
“We’ll have to examine you to know for certain.”
Wan Li Yi Xian pressed his fingers to Hong Seol’s wrist with a grave expression, taking her pulse.
The room fell into a silence as heavy as death.
“Hmm.”
After probing Hong Seol’s meridians for a long while, Wan Li Yi Xian exhaled deeply and opened his eyes.

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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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