The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 113

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

Seo-yu pointed to herself with a bewildered expression. The scene she had witnessed earlier flashed through her mind.

As if the seasons had suddenly rushed by, the landscape vine had grown rapidly and firmly supported Su-jeong from behind to prevent her from falling backward.

Wi Un and Ryeong-ah seemed to have missed it properly since they were secretly watching from inside the tunnel, but Seo-yu vividly remembered that moment.

“But I didn’t do anything.”

That’s why Seollin’s words felt even more puzzling.

In that moment, Seo-yu had simply hoped that Su-jeong wouldn’t get hurt. Of course, it wasn’t because she liked Su-jeong.

She just didn’t want to see someone get hurt and suffer in pain before her eyes. Especially if it was pain she had already experienced herself.

“I just hoped Miss Su-jeong wouldn’t fall down the hill…”

As she muttered in complete confusion, Seollin nodded as if that was exactly it.

[That’s right! Seo-yu wished for that. So the earth listened to what Seo-yu said.]

Did I really make the vine grow?

Come to think of it, the landscape vine had said it directly. That the berries had grown very large, all thanks to the good energy Seo-yu had given.

‘Could it be that I’ve developed special abilities too?’

For beastkin, there were two types of special abilities.

One was beast transformation. The ability to freely shift between beast and human forms, which was a special ability that all beastkin possessed.

On the other hand, ‘unique abilities’ were completely different.

Each species had different inherited abilities, and not everyone possessed even those abilities.

If one was lucky enough to be born with special abilities, they usually naturally awakened their power as they entered their growth period.

‘But the special ability of Great Antlered Deer beastkin should be detection…’

The large antlers were not only threatening to look at but also very sensitive, remembering scents in the air or minute traces mixed in body odors.

That’s how Su-jeong had been able to chase Seo-yu from the White Jade Mountain cliff.

However, Seo-yu’s horns were small, and more importantly, that ability had nothing to do with what Seo-yu had witnessed today.

And she had never heard of anyone in the Great Antlered Deer Family having the ability to make plants grow.

‘What could it have been?’

Just as she was about to become lost in thought, she saw someone waving their hands enthusiastically in the distance.

Since it was near the Herb Exhibition Hall, Seo-yu thought Hwang Hyeon-ya and Li-han had finished looking around and come out.

But the person waving wasn’t those two, but Cho-ok, Su-jeong’s maid.

“Huh? Cho…”

Seo-yu, who was about to acknowledge her, hesitated.

Cho-ok had started waving both hands with a very urgent expression. Then suddenly she opened her eyes wide and abruptly ran away.

‘Why, why is she acting like that?’

That’s when it happened.

“There, please stop for a moment.”

Seo-yu hesitantly stopped walking at the large shadow that suddenly fell over her. Large men were looking down at her.

‘These people are…!’

On the shoulders of those wearing martial uniforms, the majestic horn emblem symbolizing the Great Antlered Deer Family was clearly engraved.

They were people she had seen a few times while staying in the Western Region – the guard warriors of the Great Antlered Deer Family.

“Are you Miss Seo-yu?”

One of the men asked in a polite but firm voice. She could feel the gazes of people around wondering what was happening.

“Yes, I am Seo-yu.”

Seo-yu answered cautiously. Since they already knew who each other were, there was no point in lying.

‘Miss Su-jeong must have sent them.’

She couldn’t understand why Su-jeong had brought bodyguards to the Medical Academy Festival, but Su-jeong had always acted in ways others couldn’t comprehend without a care.

“We would like you to come with us.”

Just like now.

The bodyguard, who resembled his master, applied silent pressure as if saying, ‘Surely you understand with just this much explanation?’

Fortunately, unlike before, the current Seo-yu didn’t need to unconditionally follow Su-jeong’s words.

Seo-yu clenched her small hands tightly and straightened her shoulders that had unconsciously hunched.

“I’m sorry, but my family is waiting for me, so I need to go. I never made any separate appointment with Miss Su-jeong either.”

“You must come. The Family Head wishes to see you, Miss Seo-yu.”

The Family Head?

Nok Sa-pyeong came to mind, who always looked at her as if she were a troublesome burden whenever they met, and Seo-yu’s chest tightened for a moment.

But she soon regained her composure.

‘It must be something the young miss made up.’

Nok Sa-pyeong wasn’t affectionate enough as a father to attend a festival for his daughter.

Moreover, it wasn’t right after she entered the Medical Academy, and there was no reason for him to seek her out after all this time had passed. Su-jeong wouldn’t have failed to tell him her story either.

Seo-yu shook her head firmly and spoke even more resolutely.

“Still, I won’t go. Please convey my words to the Great Antler Deer Family Head as well. If he has something to say to me, then later separately…”

And she was about to leave just like that.

“No. It’s not our master, but the Qilin Family Head who is waiting for you, Young Miss.”

Freeze.

Seo-yu’s feet stopped right where they were.

* * *

Medical Academy Main Building, Reception Room.

Su-jeong, sitting in a chair, began to speak with a pitiful expression.

“The moment I first saw the Snow Scale Flower, I recognized at first glance that it was a precious medicinal herb. I had never seen a medicinal herb with such brilliant rainbow colors before.”

Her hands were neatly folded on her knees, and her voice was trembling faintly.

It was all a picture Su-jeong had intentionally created to appear pitiful.

“At that time, I didn’t know the proper way to care for it, so unfortunately I ended up letting the Snow Scale Flower wither.”

“Didn’t you say you figured out the preservation method as soon as you saw it?”

“That… was actually because it was the second one I discovered, so I learned from that. I’m sorry for lying.”

At the unexpected question, Su-jeong barely managed to make an excuse. It was fortunate that her flustered expression wasn’t caught since she was keeping her head deeply bowed.

‘Is that really what’s important right now?’

She briefly felt annoyed inwardly at the rigid Gi Tae-ha.

“Then the Snow Scale Flower you brought to me must have been the second Snow Scale Flower.”

Su-jeong nodded slowly and continued speaking.

“Yes, Family Head. By great fortune, I was able to discover one more. I returned home and told Seo-yu the good news. I wanted to share the joy with her.”

A moment of silence passed. Su-jeong clenched her fist tightly, then slowly opened it. Following that motion, her mouth slowly opened.

“That was my mistake. Seo-yu ran away with the Snow Scale Flower just like that.”

There was no story easier to fabricate than lies mixed with truth. Su-jeong smoothly spun her lies.

She chased after Seo-yu and tried to persuade her, but Seo-yu wouldn’t listen, and while continuing to flee, she ended up falling off the cliff. She couldn’t catch the child.

“I reached out my hand, but it didn’t reach her. Seo-yu fell straight down the cliff…”

Pretending it was too painful to even recall, Su-jeong squeezed her eyes shut. As she secretly bit her tongue to bring tears to her eyes, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

Gi Tae-ha offered her a handkerchief.

“Sniff, thank you.”

Su-jeong wiped away the barely present tears and pulled out a pouch from her belongings to show him.

The small cloth pouch was the very same one she had used to carry the Snow Scale Flower on the day she first visited the Qilin Family.

“What Seo-yu took with her was already a withered Snow Scale Flower.”

Su-jeong smiled bitterly as she fidgeted with the pouch.

“I hurried home and sent out a search party. Father also took action. But even after several days, we couldn’t find Seo-yu… We thought Seo-yu was dead.”

She didn’t forget to add that there were records of sending the search party, so he could check with the household if he wanted.

Su-jeong covered her face with the handkerchief and sniffled.

“I knew Seo-yu wasn’t satisfied with her life, but I never thought she would leave home in such a way…”

“What do you mean?”

When she deliberately trailed off, Gi Tae-ha immediately asked back. As the situation flowed according to plan, the corner of Su-jeong’s mouth hidden behind the handkerchief slightly rose.

“Well… Seo-yu isn’t actually my real younger sister, but my cousin.”

Su-jeong spoke carefully, having perfectly concealed her smile.

“Uncle and his wife passed away early. Father, feeling sorry for them, took in Seo-yu from when she was young.”

“…”

“My parents raised Seo-yu without discrimination. I also treated her like a real younger sister.”

Of course, it was all nonsense. Su-jeong had never once considered Seo-yu like a real sister. Even being associated as sisters with such a deficient deer was unpleasant.

“But Seo-yu struggled a lot knowing she wasn’t a real daughter. She often told the servants she wanted to leave home.”

Su-jeong let out a deep sigh and slowly raised her head to meet Gi Tae-ha’s eyes.

“I don’t know how that child survived falling off the cliff and even entered the Golden Dragon Family.”

Su-jeong reddened her eyes again.

“Actually, I was going to keep pretending not to know. Even though she’s not my real sister, Seo-yu is still a younger sister who grew up in the same house as me. I thought it was enough if she was living well in a new place.”

“…”

“But seeing the Family Matriarch lying in her sickbed, I gradually felt more and more guilt.”

In fact, she couldn’t even remember what the Family Matriarch looked like. But what did that matter?

Su-jeong pretended to wipe her eyes while gauging Gi Tae-ha’s reaction.

In those golden eyes that were always unwavering and sometimes even felt frightening, a clear tremor was rippling.

“If only that Snow Scale Flower had been there, if there had been two flowers instead of one, wouldn’t something have been different… Couldn’t the Family Matriarch have awakened… Thinking like that made me feel so sorry.”

Even if there were a hundred of those dried-up Snow Scale Flowers, they would have had no medicinal effect. Even though Su-jeong was ignorant about medicinal herbs, she had that much basic knowledge.

But the Qilin Family Head wouldn’t think that way. That was exactly what Su-jeong was aiming for.

“Then today at the festival, seeing Seo-yu happily laughing and walking around with her new family, I realized. That I couldn’t just keep pretending not to know like this.”

And after hesitating, she cast her final bait.

“I heard that the Golden Dragon Family’s matriarch was also unwell… but it seems she has recovered.”

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