The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 124

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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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“Ah…”

Seo-yu moved her small lips slightly. She couldn’t grasp at all what words would be comforting.

‘So that’s why no news has been coming.’

There must have been reasons for not speaking of it first, but she felt sorry for casually bringing it up under the guise of asking after someone’s well-being. Seo-yu hung her head.

“I’m sorry, Family Head. You must be feeling bad, and I unnecessarily…”

Gi Tae-ha, who had been following her deeply bowed head with his eyes, unconsciously reached out his hand as if to stroke the child, then withdrew it.

It wasn’t the first or second time he had comforted those who worried about his wife’s condition, but it was the first time his actions preceded his words. For someone as extremely rational as him, this was an unfamiliar occurrence.

“No. It’s true that her condition has improved.”

Gi Tae-ha, who had been watching Seo-yu for a moment with an unreadable expression, slowly added.

“…Would you perhaps like to meet her once?”

“Would that be alright for me to do?”

Seo-yu asked cautiously as she carefully raised her head.

Master had said that since he wasn’t a family member, he couldn’t hear proper news, so she was surprised to receive an offer to meet the Family Matriarch directly.

“If you want to… I think that would be fine.”

A faint tension appeared in his gaze as he stared into Seo-yu’s eyes as if gauging her intentions.

“If it’s alright, I would like to meet her once.”

Seo-yu, lost in thought and not noticing that gaze, nodded her head.

Gi Tae-ha, who had been hesitating, extended his hand. This time he didn’t withdraw it.

“Let’s go.”

Was he telling her to take it?

Seo-yu rolled her eyes and grasped Gi Tae-ha’s hand. The hand that had been rigid and stiff for a moment soon gently led Seo-yu.

“Yes, Family Head.”

The Qilin Family Head really is a kind person.

The warm touch was unfamiliar but felt affectionate. Seo-yu followed Gi Tae-ha with a much more comfortable heart.

* * *

Gi Tae-ha took an oil lamp and went outside. Seo-yu walked alongside him, taking in the signboards visible beyond the gentle light.

Medical Hall and Pharmacy Hall.

The Qilin Family, befitting a family that had reached the pinnacle of medical arts, had the two separated distinctly.

Seo-yu was amazed by the large pavilion scale, as if an entire Medical Academy had been relocated.

‘It’s really huge! It’s so amazing that Qilin Grandfather was the highest person in a place like this.’

She had heard from Master before. That Elder Qilin was actually someone who had served as the Medical Hall director in the Qilin Family.

‘Come to think of it, I came without even greeting him.’

When vacation ends, I must definitely visit him separately.

Seo-yu passed through the main gate of the Medical Hall while holding Gi Tae-ha’s hand. But even after passing through the entrance to the pavilion, Gi Tae-ha didn’t stop walking.

‘Where is he going?’

The place he headed wasn’t the front door but the side door. Even though it was a side gate, it had delicate decorations carved into it. Just like an important place that not just anyone could enter.

Gi Tae-ha naturally led Seo-yu to that door. Then when Seo-yu looked at it with curiosity, he stopped for a moment.

“If you ever want to visit this place again, you can use this path.”

She even traced the path they had taken with her hand, as if to help her remember the route.

“This is a path that allows you to enter directly inside without encountering the physicians.”

“Yes.”

Though she doubted she would have occasion to come here alone again, Seo-yu obediently nodded her head.

Upon entering inside, a long corridor with walls on both sides stretched ahead. It felt like a place specially constructed to severely restrict outsider access.

Walking along the corridor where only footsteps echoed quietly, a door appeared at the end.

Gi Tae-ha quietly opened the door, and Seo-yu carefully followed behind, stepping inside.

An elegantly decorated space came into view. It was a room that seemed to combine a bedroom and medical room.

As Seo-yu took in one side equipped with various medicines and needle cases, she suddenly blinked and looked around.

‘Huh?’

The room was as bright as daylight. It was a brightness that couldn’t be produced by the crimson light of oil lamps.

Seeing Seo-yu’s puzzlement, Gi Tae-ha pointed to the ceiling. Unusually, pouch-like lamps hung there. Bright light was seeping out from them.

A gentle yet brilliant light, and a strangely refreshing scent.

“Family Head, could that possibly be Night Light Grass?”

“That’s right. It’s a plant that now only grows in the Heavenly Medicine Forest.”

Gi Tae-ha nodded and answered.

Seo-yu was amazed. She had read in books about medicinal herbs that emit brighter light in darker places, but she never expected to actually see it.

‘There really seems to be no medicinal herb that doesn’t exist in the Heavenly Medicine Forest.’

Turning her gaze, Seo-yu discovered a bed at the innermost part, where thick curtains hung long as if blocking the light.

‘Madam must be there.’

Noticing Seo-yu’s gaze, Gi Tae-ha approached the wall.

“I thought the light might be bothersome, so I put up curtains during sleeping hours. I’ll remove them now.”

Seo-yu felt her heart grow a little heavy. She had heard that the Qilin Family Mother had fallen into a comatose state.

The thoughtfulness of even caring about light for a patient who couldn’t regain consciousness revealed the Qilin Family Head’s tender feelings.

‘He must love the Family Mother very much.’

Gi Tae-ha carefully drew back the thick curtains. Inside, there was another layer of thin silk curtains draped.

Through the curtains, the figure of a person lying on the bed could be faintly seen.

After drawing back even the silk curtains, Gi Tae-ha stepped aside slightly as if to indicate it was fine to come closer. Seo-yu slowly approached the bed.

‘This person is the Family Mother…’

The woman lying with her eyes peacefully closed had very beautiful and delicate features.

If Bi-yeon had a vibrant feeling like crashing waves, the Qilin Family Mother was like a tender sprout.

Her peaceful expression as she lay there made her seem as if she had fallen into a deep sleep.

“Family Head, the Family Mother has been for ten years… huh?”

It was then that a tear dropped.

“Huh? Huh? Why is this happening?”

Seo-yu was flustered. She had merely looked at the Family Mother once, yet tears kept flowing as if her tear ducts had malfunctioned.

Drip, drip drop.

Large tears fell continuously without pause. She couldn’t stop the tears that flowed drop by drop.

‘Why… why am I so sad?’

It was at that moment when she was confused by emotions she couldn’t understand.

The forms before her eyes suddenly melted away into light and disappeared, then her vision was dyed white.

Her consciousness drifting far away came next.

* * *

Seo-yu heard someone’s voice in her unconsciousness.

“P-please don’t do this.”

The pleading voice was clearly one she was hearing for the first time, yet it strangely felt nostalgic.

Seo-yu reflexively looked toward where the sound came from and her eyes widened.

‘Family Matriarch?’

The Qilin Family Mother, who had been lying on the bed just moments ago, was standing perfectly fine. But somehow her face was filled with terror.

The Family Matriarch, trembling like an aspen leaf, spoke with difficulty.

“Please, at least spare the child… just spare this child, and I’ll do anything…”

The child?

Seo-yu lowered her gaze and tilted her head in confusion. She could see the baby’s first clothes, but no child was visible.

Looking closely, inside the baby’s first clothes embroidered with vine patterns, there was a round golden orb glowing softly.

‘What on earth is that?’

Just as she was trying to examine it more closely.

A black shadow fell over the Family Matriarch.

Only then did Seo-yu realize that the Family Matriarch wasn’t the only one in this space.

“Pitifully, you’ve harbored power beyond your station – how could something like you handle it? Hand it over to me immediately.”

When she quickly turned her head, she saw a black figure. The form surrounded by mysterious black energy was so strange she couldn’t even tell if it was human.

The shadow stretched its body threateningly as if it would devour the Family Matriarch at any moment, but somehow that appearance seemed familiar.

‘A dragon? No, that’s not a dragon…’

At first, seeing only the head with its mouth wide open, she thought it was a dragon. But the flickering tongue wasn’t that of a dragon.

Moreover, she could see a massive shell behind its neck. Below that were multiple tails…

‘A turtle!’

The moment realization struck, the shadow lunged at the Family Matriarch.

“Didn’t I tell you to hand it over!”

“My baby!”

The Family Matriarch hid the baby’s first clothes in her small embrace and squeezed her eyes shut. At the same time, Seo-yu shouted.

“No!”

But something amazing happened.

Flash—!

The golden orb that had been cradled in the Family Matriarch’s arms emitted brilliant light and collided directly with the black shadow!

“Argh!”

She could feel The Man’s panic as he poured out his power. The black energy fiercely pushed against the golden light. But the golden light was no pushover either.

The two energies clashed violently, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Crackle, crackle!

Like lightning splitting apart, the golden light and black light became entangled.

“How dare you…!”

The Man shouted with a voice filled with rage.

“Did you think such a trivial thing could stop me!”

Along with his angry voice, flames erupted around the Black Shadow. As the fire surged forward riding the wind, the golden light began to be pushed back.

“No! Please don’t!”

Seo-yu screamed, but her voice seemed unheard. Family Matriarch was still crouched down, clutching the Baby’s First Clothes tightly to her chest.

“My baby, our baby… I haven’t even given you a name yet, this can’t be…”

The swirling flames should have been scorching hot, but Family Matriarch kept The Child completely hidden.

“How bothersome!”

Just as the Black Shadow filled with searing heat was about to strike Family Matriarch directly.

Whoooosh!

The Golden Orb once again emitted an intense light and drove back the shadow.

“Graaah!”

The black form let out an agonized groan and retreated.

Seo-yu suddenly noticed that his shadow had disappeared. Just moments before, she had seen a Giant Turtle-like Shadow, but it was no longer visible.

Instead, in its place…

Something fluttering down caught her eye, but her vision was too blurred to make it out clearly.

“Persistent.”

The Man who had lost his shadow muttered.

“This will have to do for now.”

The Man clicked his tongue and his gaze fell upon the Baby’s First Clothes. Seo-yu’s eyes widened as she followed his gaze.

‘Huh? The light disappeared?’

The orb that had been glowing golden was no longer emitting light.

What remained now was the Pure White Orb. An incomplete form like a mirage swayed precariously within the Baby’s First Clothes.

“No, this can’t be…!”

Family Matriarch collapsed as if crumbling. The Black Shadow had already vanished.

“My baby, our baby… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you…”

Family Matriarch looked so heartbreakingly sorrowful as she wailed that Seo-yu felt a tearing pain in her chest watching her.

But her body wouldn’t move. She could only watch.

How long had she been watching like that?

Family Matriarch, who had been crying for a while, embraced the Baby’s First Clothes tightly with a face full of resolve.

“Baby, Mother will make sure you see the light. When you go Outside, the bright sun will be waiting for our baby.”

“…”

“Baby, remember. You are Qilin. When you grow up, you will sprout green life on This Land, growing into a very, very good Qilin.”

Family Matriarch kissed the Pure White Orb. To Seo-yu’s eyes, it looked exactly like she was breathing life into it.

The Pure White Orb that floated gently into the Sky soon transformed into light.

“Even though you may not appear as Qilin, you will always be…”

With those tender words as the end, brilliant light filled everything in all directions.

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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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