Looking for the Runaway Heavenly Maiden - Chapter 102

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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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102

How had things come to this? I never intended for it to happen.
Yet unable to turn away from the child’s bright, eager eyes, Cheonhaerang and Jiho found themselves being dragged all the way to the child’s home.
The child had chattered incessantly the entire way, unhesitatingly revealing her mother’s name.
Haedosol.
Perhaps it was a name the Patriarch still remembered even now.

“Mother!”

The child called out to Haedosol and pushed open the gate with radiant joy, stepping inside.
Cheonhaerang, following behind, came to an abrupt halt. Jiho, who had been following naturally, stopped as well.
Cheonhaerang and Jiho exchanged glances. Jiho’s eyes posed a silent question.

‘Is this appearance… really all right?’

Whatever the child had heard about tigers, I couldn’t say.
Though the young child had approached without fear and with curiosity rather than terror, ordinary humans dreaded tigers.
Moreover, Jiho was now in the form of Baekho—the appearance of one of the Four Guardian Deities, revered as divine by humans across all ages.
Jiho felt awkward. Cheonhaerang felt it too. Yet there was no way to transform back into human form now.

“Brother, won’t you come inside?”

The child poked her head back out through the gate. Behind her appeared a human woman.

“Oh my.”

The human woman, Haedosol, looked slightly startled upon seeing Cheonhaerang and Jiho, then smiled. Haedosol possessed a beauty striking enough to captivate the gaze of countless men.

“So there are beautiful tigers too. Would you like to come inside?”

I was well aware that I revealed my appearance through my own doing. So it was only natural that I would be captivated by that beautiful smile.
As I sauntered toward Haedosol, my body moved without my consent. With a coquettish gesture, I rubbed my face against the hem of her skirt.
A pleasant fragrance emanated from the woman. A delicate sweetness that bloomed softly.
It was the scent of spring blossoms.
Intoxicated by the fragrance, I remained unaware of what I was doing.
Baekho flipped onto her back and lay sprawled out.
A low rumble—the sound was an utter display of submission. It was also a plea to be cherished.
It was behavior from when she was a cub, yet I failed to notice this as well.

“My goodness.”

Haedosol let out a soft exclamation. The child tugged at her skirt and asked.

“Mother, mother, why is the tiger doing this?”
“Well, it means she trusts us. It also means she wants us to find her pretty.”
“Pretty? Like this?”

The child’s delicate hand gently stroked Baekho’s belly. A satisfied rumble escaped her. Baekho seemed pleased.
Haedosol’s smile deepened as she watched. Then she too joined in, stroking Baekho’s belly.

“Shall we tell our tiger that the child is good?”
“Yes. Child is good, so good.”

The child’s actions seemed learned from watching Haedosol.
Cheonhaerang felt conflicted. I was concerned about the shame I would feel later, but there was something else that weighed more heavily.

‘She’s never done anything like that for me….’

I recalled my time in Cheongyeokgyeong.
I had seen Jiho in her Baekho form a few times. The tiger cub was so adorable I wanted to bite her.
But she had never exposed her belly like that before.
I felt a twinge of disappointment. Now that I thought about it, even the way I looked at my older sister when I first saw her was enchanted.
Perhaps Jiho simply preferred beautiful women over men.

‘Then maybe I should stay as a celestial maiden….’

It was at that very moment Cheonhaerang was thinking such thoughts.

“Greetings, young master.”

At the soft voice that pierced his ears, Cheonhaerang turned his gaze. Haedosol was already looking at him.
She was a beautiful woman. The smile gracing her lips and her upright bearing suggested her origins were far from ordinary.
Cheonhaerang recalled the kingdom that once existed here.
The Korean Peninsula, divided among the Three Kingdoms and locked in fierce conflict, was ultimately unified into the Divine Kingdom.
And before that unification, the nation that had long held this territory was Eungjun.
In those times, commoners rarely bore surnames. Especially not such distinctive ones.
In Eungjun, there had once been a family that boasted great power, only to be gradually forgotten.
Perhaps this woman belonged to that family….

“Young master?”

Called upon again, Cheonhaerang ended his reverie. It would be discourteous not to answer a greeting.
Cheonhaerang bowed respectfully and returned her greeting.

“Good day to you, madam. I am Cheonhaerang. I happened to pass through this place and met the child.”

Haedosol’s expression showed no particular wariness, yet Cheonhaerang disclosed his full name honestly.
Whether Haedosol would recognize the surname upon hearing it was uncertain. The Patriarch may have used an alias.
But if she was a woman he loved so dearly, perhaps he revealed his true name to her eventually.
Cheonhaerang studied Haedosol’s face. Her smiling expression revealed nothing of her inner thoughts.

“I see. Since this is fate, please come inside.”

Her words were clear and gentle. Her origins showed all the more.
Had this place not been so isolated, rumors about her would have already spread far and wide.
Or perhaps she lived so far removed precisely because rumors had spread.
In any case, though he had been led here by the child, Cheonhaerang could not be certain this was the right thing to do.
His heart might only become more unsettled.
But….
Cheonhaerang glanced away. The White Bird, which had been lying on its back, was gone. The child was nowhere to be seen either.
The child and the White Bird had already slipped through the gate and were playing in the courtyard.
Given this turn of events, there was no choice left.

“Then I shall impose upon you for a moment, madam. Thank you for your kindness.”
“Not at all. I should be thanking you for playing so well with the child.”

Cheonhaerang carefully stepped inside.
A thousand years had passed, yet the house remained unchanged. So too did the flowers of the cornelian cherry tree standing sentinel.
Only the person dwelling in this house had changed.

“The house is a bit cramped, isn’t it?”

Haedosol asked with an embarrassed expression.
It was certainly difficult to call it spacious. Yet it was a home that radiated warmth.
Cheonhaerang shook his head.

“Not at all. It’s a house that suits those beautiful flowers perfectly.”
“Is that so?”

Following Cheonhaerang’s gaze, Haedosol’s eyes turned toward the cornelian cherry tree. The fully bloomed petals swayed gently in the breeze.

“Do you know what kind of flower that is?”

At Haedosol’s question, Cheonhaerang hesitated for a moment before answering.

“…No. What kind of flower is it?”
“It’s a cornelian cherry. The flowers bloom around this time of year, and the fruit begins to ripen around the beginning of autumn. They’re quite adorable-looking.”

In Haedosol’s voice as she spoke, there was a hint of laughter. No sense of longing or melancholy could be detected.
Did Haedosol know the flower language of this blossom? The reason the Patriarch had planted this tree here?

“May I admire the flowers a bit longer, madam?”
“Of course, by all means.”

Cheonhaerang stood beneath the tree.
The fully bloomed flowers draped overhead. Yellow petals brushed against his cheeks as they fell.

* * *

Jiho wagged her tail slowly. With her belly full, sleep was beginning to creep in.
Just as Jiho was resting her chin on her front paws and closing her eyes, she suddenly snapped them wide open. Her mind cleared instantly.

‘Insane. What have I been doing all this time?’

After meeting the child, my actions flashed through my mind like a lantern show. Mortification crashed over me.
I wanted to hide in a mouse hole somewhere.
No matter that the child knew nothing now. To have done such things in this form before Gihyeongrang.
And worse, Cheonhaerang had seen it all. The shame was unbearable.

‘…Damn it.’

I couldn’t help but curse. There was no other word adequate enough to express what I felt in this moment.
I rolled my eyes carefully to observe Cheonhaerang. He appeared lost in deep thought.
I then glanced furtively toward the door. Crimson lamplight was seeping through the paper screen.
The murmur of conversation drifted into this room as well. Unsurprisingly, the soundproofing was poor.
If that were the case.

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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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