The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 111

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

Su-jeong had never been particularly patient to begin with.

Already irritated by the tedious life at the Medical Academy and a fiancé who showed no passionate interest in her, her patience hit rock bottom when Seo-yu also refused to move according to her will.

“Ah, I get it. You’re all in this together, aren’t you? That’s it, right?”

Su-jeong glared at Seo-yu, Ryeong-ah, and Wi Un in turn as she burst into mocking laughter.

‘Right, I knew something was strange.’

For Su-jeong, who had lived her entire life doing whatever she wanted, however she wanted, this current situation was absolutely ridiculous.

That wicked little brat must have mobilized her pathetic friends to humiliate her.

“You’re all conspiring together to make a fool out of me! How dare you lowlifes think you can treat me like…!”

“You’re the one who called Seo-yu here, so what are you talking about.”

Ryeong-ah clicked her tongue and muttered.

“S-Seo-yu. We should just go. She seems to have a headache.”

Wi Un also gently tugged at Seo-yu’s sleeve and spoke carefully. Ryeong-ah nodded as well, putting her index finger to her ear and spinning it around. It meant she wasn’t worth dealing with anymore.

“Yeah, guys. Let’s go.”

Seo-yu didn’t want to stay here any longer either. Her family would be waiting, so she just wanted to hurry back.

Just as the three were about to leave, Su-jeong’s sarcastic voice flew from behind them.

“Hey, do you guys even know what her real identity is?”

Su-jeong’s words reached Seo-yu’s ears clearly as she had just started walking.

“Miss Su-jeong!”

Realizing what Su-jeong was about to say, Seo-yu turned around with startled rabbit eyes, but Su-jeong didn’t stop.

“She’s not really a Golden Dragon. She’s a deer. A mutant deer at that.”

Su-jeong snorted and continued her mockery.

“I bet you’re being nice to her thinking you’ll get something out of it, but wake up. She’s just a stupid deer who committed crimes and got kicked out of our household.”

Seo-yu, who had been acting confidently lately as if her liver had grown outside her belly, was completely frozen. Her slightly trembling shoulders were visible. Her tightly clenched fists also shook.

Su-jeong felt relieved seeing that sight.

‘Right, that’s Nok Seo-yu.’

No matter how much she pretended to be confident and superior, how could she hide her pathetic true nature in the end?

Right now they were fawning over her thinking she was a young miss of the Golden Dragon Family, but once all the facts were revealed, they would surely distance themselves from Nok Seo-yu.

Just like they had at her household before.

“Guys, that’s…”

Seo-yu was moving her lips as if trying to say something.

“Ugh! So what!”

A voice burst out from an unexpected place. It was Ryeong-ah.

“What, what?”

Even Su-jeong was flustered by the sharp retort and stammered. So what? Did she really just say that to me? It was completely unbelievable.

“He’s a hedgehog, and I’m a rabbit!”

Ryeong-ah pointed back and forth between Wi Un and herself as she shouted loudly.

“So what if she’s a deer, and what if she were a stag beetle. Right, Wi Un?”

“That’s… true.”

Strictly speaking, neither hedgehogs nor rabbits were common beastkin.

‘Since deer are very common, maybe stag beetle would be more similar…’ Wi Un thought that far before coming to his senses and chiming in agreement.

“We’re not Four Spirits either.”

“Exactly! That young miss isn’t a Four Spirit herself, so why is she acting like that?”

Ryeong-ah shrugged her shoulders and pulled on Wi Un and Seo-yu’s arms.

“Ugh, what a waste of time on such a nice day. Let’s go!”

Ryeong-ah linked arms with Seo-yu as if embracing her tightly and strode forward. Wi Un also walked alongside them, gently holding Seo-yu’s sleeve on the opposite side.

Without giving Su-jeong any chance to retort, the three of them descended the hill just like that.

Left alone on the hill, Su-jeong stood there in a daze with an expression of disbelief, then her face quickly turned bright red.

“How dare those things…!”

A hollow laugh escaped her, but anger quickly surged up. Su-jeong trembled with clenched fists, grinding her teeth.

‘Do they think I’ll just let this slide?’

Now she didn’t care about Cho-ah’s plan or Father’s wishes. Su-jeong decided to resolve this in her own way.

She still had one last weapon she hadn’t used yet!

Although Father had warned her never to tell the Qilin Family Head about it, his orders no longer mattered.

‘Father will understand if I successfully drive that thing away.’

Su-jeong glared in the direction where Seo-yu had disappeared with venomous eyes for a long while. Then she straightened her clothes and began walking.

To find the one person who would resolve her grievances.

To seek out Gi Tae-ha, the head of the Qilin Family.

* * *

“Hey guys, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier… mmph!”

On the way back, Ryeong-ah covered Seo-yu’s mouth with her small hand as she carefully began to speak.

“Seo-yu, we don’t care if you’re a stag beetle.”

“Right, Seo-yu. There are even pangolin beastkin, so…”

Actually, Seo-yu had never tried to hide her identity. She simply hadn’t had the opportunity to reveal it.

Unless it was a special case like Bi-neung, there was no need to use beast transformation at the Medical Academy.

Besides, everyone already knew that Seo-yu wasn’t a biological child of the Golden Dragon Family but an adopted daughter. There was no need to lie about the situation.

Still, she felt sorry for not telling them herself first, but she was very grateful that her friends stepped forward to say they didn’t mind.

“But you know.”

Wi Un stroked his chin with a serious expression.

“Who do you think is tougher between Dan-eum and a stag beetle?”

“If you ask Dan-eum, he’d definitely say it’s him.”

Ryeong-ah gave a simple answer.

“Hmm, that sounds just like Dan-eum.”

Wi Un and Ryeong-ah were already showing more interest in comparing Dan-eum and stag beetles than in the fact that Seo-yu was a deer rather than a golden dragon.

Seo-yu gazed at her friends who seemed truly unbothered and took a deep breath.

“A-and there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”

“Hm?”

“What is it?”

Ryeong-ah and Wi Un looked curious.

Right now, she was quite scared of how her friends, who were just puzzled, might change in the future, but Seo-yu still gathered her courage.

“I have… one horn.”

“….”

Whoosh.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by.

In the brief silence, Seo-yu swallowed her dry saliva. Her heart was pounding like crazy.

What if her friends thought she was strange after hearing this? What if they grew distant?

“Ah, really?”

“Ooh.”

However, the two’s reactions were quite far from Seo-yu’s expectations.

“I don’t have any horns at all. Un, you don’t have horns either, right?”

“I don’t. I have lots of spines though.”

Flustered by their overly nonchalant responses, Seo-yu carefully asked.

“Isn’t it… strange? Deer are supposed to have two horns originally…”

“Right, that’s true.”

Ryeong-ah, who had been lost in thought, tilted her head.

“But maybe because we’re different species? I don’t know if that’s strange. For hedgehogs, would it be like having no spines at all?”

“Gasp!”

Wi Un gasped as if Ryeong-ah’s analogy hit home. Seo-yu also grew tense.

“That would be so embarrassing. It would feel like being completely naked.”

“Ah, so for hedgehog beastkin, spines feel like clothes?”

“Not exactly like that… ugh, I can’t imagine it. But it would be dangerous. Spines protect our bodies. They keep enemies from touching us carelessly.”

“That’s really useful. I didn’t know since Dan-eum always only talks about acupuncture.”

“He says he can’t use them for acupuncture though. Are you going to do that too, Ryeong-ah?”

“I’m joking.”

The topic instantly shifted to another story.

Seo-yu, who had been blinking and watching her friends, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Why are you suddenly like that?”

“Did we say something funny?”

Looking at her two flustered friends, Seo-yu shook her head.

“No. I’m just… so happy.”

She never thought the day would come when she would bring up the topic of horns to someone else first.

For Seo-yu, her horn had always been something to hide. It was embarrassing, shameful, and something that had to be concealed.

But at this moment, it wasn’t like that.

‘It’s thanks to Sister Yi-ryeong and Brother Li-gon.’

If those two hadn’t first told her that her horn was very cool and special, she wouldn’t have had the courage to speak up first like this.

Thinking that way, Seo-yu missed her family so much.

“Ryeong-ah, Un.”

Seo-yu tightly grasped her two friends’ hands and asked.

“Would you like to go meet my family? I want to introduce you.”

“Great!”

Ryeong-ah answered with a bright smile.

“Let’s go greet them. I’ve never seen people from the Golden Dragon Family before!”

“Me neither. I’m nervous.”

Wi Un also nodded his head shyly.

The three friends linked arms together and began walking. Into the Medical Academy filled with festival atmosphere, to where their families were waiting.

* * *

Gi Tae-ha was slowly looking around the Medical Academy festival.

Since the Qilin Family operated the Medical Academy, no matter how busy he was, he attended the festival without fail every year.

Fortunately, the Western Lands had not lost their greenery this year either, and the Medical Academy filled with students and visitors was blooming with laughter.

“Family Head, the students’ skills have noticeably improved during this practical training course.”

One of the physicians walking beside him spoke respectfully.

“Is that so. That’s quite fortunate.”

Gi Tae-ha walked alongside several physicians in charge of the Medical Academy, having a conversation.

Though it was a similar conversation every year, it wasn’t bad to hear news that the students were making progress.

“In particular, there’s a student who entered as valedictorian this year, and their aptitude is exceptional. They’re achieving excellent grades in various subjects.”

“Oh.”

Gi Tae-ha’s eyebrow raised slightly.

“Who is it?”

“From the Golden Dragon Family…”

Before the physician could finish speaking.

A sharp voice interrupted.

“Family Head!”

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