The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 116

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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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“As you can see…”

Su-jeong, who had been intoxicated with complete victory, looked down with contempt but then froze in place.

“This is impossible!”

Su-jeong cried out in shock, her voice like a scream.

The Snow Scale Flower that should have withered away by now was far too intact.

No, it wasn’t just intact. It even looked more vibrant than when Seo-yu had first brought it.

She might understand if it were grass that had just begun to wilt, but she had never heard of dried, brittle grass coming back to life.

And how much time had passed in between! The seasons had changed several times – this was impossible.

‘…Nok Seo-yu didn’t find just two Snow Scale Flowers.’

A lightning-like realization struck Su-jeong.

‘There were three. She found three from the beginning.’

If she had been hiding one of them, everything would make sense.

“You cunning little bitch!”

Su-jeong shouted, overcome with rage.

“You found one more back then, didn’t you? You hid it and didn’t tell me, didn’t you? Just to show off like this, to act like you’re the only amazing one!”

Nok Seo-yu was always like that. Pretending to be gentle, pretending to be innocent, making people look like fools.

‘Did you hear? Miss Seo-yu revived the flower bed that Miss Su-jeong ruined.’

‘I guess even plants can recognize who’s kind.’

Since childhood, Su-jeong had felt insulted by the very fact of being compared to Seo-yu, who was several years younger.

But in the end, it was like this until the very end. Making her look like a fool and mocking her until the last moment.

“Hand it over right now!”

A brown horn sprouted from Su-jeong’s forehead. It was larger and sharper than usual.

The horn tip, gleaming in the sunlight, charged toward Seo-yu. With her expression twisted like a demon, all reason had vanished.

Seo-yu instinctively hesitated and stepped backward. It seemed like she would be gored by the horn at any moment.

But the large horn stopped abruptly without reaching her.

“You just said my younger brother stole your belongings and ran away, didn’t you? But now you’re saying she found them and hid them without telling you.”

Li-han was lightly pushing away Su-jeong’s horn with one hand.

It was a light motion, as if brushing away a tree branch. But due to the overwhelming difference in strength, Su-jeong couldn’t budge an inch.

Just as Seo-yu had never been able to defeat Su-jeong with strength, Su-jeong became utterly powerless before Li-han’s might.

“Then how does that make it yours?”

Li-han’s gaze turned coldly sharp.

Hwang Hyeon-rang, who had been standing at a distance where he could restrain Su-jeong at any time, quietly added his words.

“Let me tell you something you’re mistaken about. Seo-yu never handed us the Snow Scale Flower.”

At those words, Su-jeong snorted and growled.

“Lies! A patient who’s been lying down all this time suddenly gets up, and you expect me to believe that…”

“Don’t speak so rudely about Mother!”

Seo-yu, who had been standing beside her family, shouted with an angry face.

And she walked toward Su-jeong on her own feet. Though her steps were small, each one was resolute. She didn’t stop.

Soon, Seo-yu faced Su-jeong directly.

“This is…!”

Su-jeong, who was dumbfounded, started to glare but then hesitated and stopped.

Seo-yu’s golden eyes were looking straight at her.

The uncomfortably clear and straightforward gaze was the same as always, but the determination contained within was something that had never been seen in the old Seo-yu.

“I have never told a lie even once.”

Seo-yu spoke clearly and distinctly. Her gentle voice didn’t tremble at all.

“The reason Young Miss cannot trust me is because Young Miss has never spoken the truth.”

Seo-yu actually had no intention of bringing out the Snow Scale Flower.

To do so, she would have to explain how the withered Snow Scale Flower came back to life, and in doing so, her life at the Great Antlered Deer Family would naturally be revealed.

Those days of being abused, starving, and trembling in fear every night.

Memories she never wanted to bring up again.

She was afraid that her family would be sad if they heard that story. She was worried they would be heartbroken because of her.

So she endured Su-jeong belittling and slandering her. She tried to resolve it through conversation somehow.

But she couldn’t tolerate insulting her family.

[Seo-yu just needs to act as she thinks is right. I’m always on Seo-yu’s side!]

Seollin’s words echoing in her ears also gave her great strength.

So Seo-yu did what she thought was right.

“Su-jeong.”

Then, Gi Tae-ha called Su-jeong with his characteristically calm voice.

“Yes! Yes, Family Head!”

Su-jeong hurriedly turned her gaze away from Seo-yu and looked at Gi Tae-ha as if grabbing a lifeline.

Then her heart sank with a thud.

‘What is this…?’

The golden eyes she had just tried to avoid were looking at her in exactly the same way.

The same color as Seo-yu’s. The same clear and straightforward gaze. A look that seemed to see right through her.

“I understand you have an elder brother.”

Gi Tae-ha asked slowly.

“What do you call him?”

“Of course I call him Elder Brother…”

The answer popped out as if she were under a spell. Su-jeong couldn’t understand why he was asking such a thing.

Gi Tae-ha’s head tilted slightly.

“But how is it that you listen so nonchalantly when a child you claimed was like a real younger sister addresses you siblings as Young Miss and Young Master?”

She was struck speechless. Her lips began to tremble violently.

“Is that really the Snow Scale Flower you found?”

“…”

“Did you truly not cause any harm to that child?”

Su-jeong couldn’t look into Gi Tae-ha’s eyes and turned her head away. But this time, she met eyes with Seo-yu.

Su-jeong’s eyes, trembling with anxiety, reflected Gi Tae-ha and Seo-yu alternately.

The two people’s golden eyes seemed to surround Su-jeong.

“I’m asking if you can swear to me that there isn’t a single lie in your words.”

“Ugh….”

Su-jeong, who had been trembling violently, finally lost her grip on reason.

“What did I do wrong!”

A sharp scream echoed through the reception room.

“I just told her to give back what’s mine! We found it at our house! She was a worker at our house!”

It was tantamount to a confession. Su-jeong breathed roughly, not even realizing what she was saying.

“White Jade Mountain is not your land. You’re merely taking care of what belongs to the Qilin.”

Gi Tae-ha, who had pointed out the facts, withdrew his gaze from Su-jeong without hesitation and spoke toward the outside.

“Summon the warriors.”

* * *

“What? What are you saying right now!”

Nok Sa-pyeong shot up from his seat. The chair slid backward with a creaking sound.

“Su-jeong was dragged to the palace, why!”

He glared at the messenger with eyes that seemed ready to pop out. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

“Th-that is, Miss Su-jeong allegedly slandered and threatened the daughter of the Golden Dragon Family.”

“The Golden Dragon Family?!”

The color drained from Nok Sa-pyeong’s face.

“Y-yes. Not only that….”

The messenger swallowed hard and continued.

“She tried to kill that child in the past, and combined with the crime of lying about the Qilin Family’s belongings….”

“This is insane!”

Bang!

Nok Sa-pyeong struck the desk with his tightly clenched fist. The heavy wooden desk shook, and the paperweight on top rattled.

‘Su-jeong has finally caused trouble!’

He had thought she would cause an accident someday due to her selfish nature, but he never imagined she would make things this big.

However, it was Su-jeong who had controlled Seo-yu since childhood to prevent her from wandering outside and had managed her conduct.

So he had trusted and left matters related to Seo-yu to her!

‘Foolish thing!’

Nok Sa-pyeong gritted his teeth and commanded while composing his voice.

“Send a communication tube to the Qilin Family immediately. Tell them I wish to meet right now!”

“Yes, Family Head!”

The messenger hurriedly bowed his head and went outside. The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Left alone, Nok Sa-pyeong held his head. His temples throbbed.

‘How much have they found out?’

Cold sweat trickled down his spine.

‘Surely she didn’t go as far as to say that child isn’t our bloodline? No, Su-jeong doesn’t know that much….’

That’s when it happened.

Thud.

“Who dares to enter without permission…!”

Nok Sa-pyeong, who was about to shout angrily at the sudden sound of footsteps, quickly drew in his breath.

A figure wrapped entirely in black cloth with a black mask covering his face stood at the door.

Though he didn’t know his name and had never seen his face, Nok Sa-pyeong could recognize who he was at once.

“It’s been a while.”

A low, calm voice filled the room.

The Man slowly approached Nok Sa-pyeong. The black cloth rustled as it brushed against the floor.

“Have you been well?”

Ten years ago. The person who had given him the mission to take care of an infant.

The mysterious figure who had elevated him from being a lowly minor official to the position of Four Spirits Territory lord.

“H-h-how did you come all the way here….”

Nok Sa-pyeong’s voice trembled severely. His lips went completely dry.

“Did I come somewhere I shouldn’t have?”

The Man leisurely looked around the room. The gaze felt from behind the mask was sharp.

“How disappointing. If it weren’t for me, you never could have dreamed of such a magnificent manor.”

Though his tone sounded light at first glance, the meaning contained within was clear.

Who do you think created your current position?

The Man was saying exactly that.

“No, that’s not it… wh-what brings you here….”

“I’ve come to retrieve the child I entrusted to you.”

The Man’s voice dropped even lower as he replied as if asking what was so obvious about that.

“Where is the child now?”

“Th-that is, the child is currently….”

Nok Sa-pyeong’s entire body trembled as he trailed off.

He had to come up with some excuse somehow, but his mouth wouldn’t open.

“Surely you won’t tell me some ridiculous story about how you lost her and she became another house’s adopted daughter.”

He already knows everything and came here!

Nok Sa-pyeong could no longer endure it. Unable to bear the fear, he prostrated himself flat on the floor.

“I’m sorry, My Lord! I’ve committed a mortal sin!”

His forehead touched the cold floor. His entire body lowered as if sticking to the ground.

“So you do know.”

The Man’s voice sank cold as ice.

“Then you must be prepared to take responsibility.”

“Kheuk!”

Suddenly something hot poured down over his head.

‘F-fire!’

Invisible flames wrapped around his entire body. It felt like his skin was burning away. Every breath felt like his lungs were on fire.

At the same time, fierce winds swept in from all directions. A storm whirled through the room, crushing down on Nok Sa-pyeong.

His chest was crushed. It felt like his ribs would shatter. He couldn’t breathe.

‘I’m dying, I’m going to die!’

Every pore on his body opened as cold sweat poured out like a waterfall. His vision went dark and his ears rang.

Then finally.

The pressure gradually subsided.

“Haa, haa, haa…”

Released, Nok Sa-pyeong gasped desperately for breath. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

“My, My Lord!”

Nok Sa-pyeong began pleading desperately.

“Anything! I’ll do anything, just spare me, just spare my life, please…”

The Man looked down at Nok Sa-pyeong writhing pathetically and spoke as if tossing out the words.

“That child you raised is of Qilin Family bloodline.”

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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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