The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 140

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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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“They just threw what they had to deliver to me in front of the door and left? The household discipline is absolutely disgraceful.”

Quite bewildered, Nok Su-gyu clicked his tongue and picked up the letter. It was only then that he noticed the sentence written at the bottom.

【One who bears the future of the Nok Family, behold】

Nok Su-gyu narrowed his eyes.

‘One who bears the future of the Nok Family?’

The future of the Great Antlered Deer Family undoubtedly rested on him, the Young Family Head, so it must be referring to him.

‘Behold? Are they giving me orders right now?’

To write in such an insolent tone while knowing how important he was – this person was surely arrogant beyond measure. Or perhaps their liver had popped out of their belly.

Nok Su-gyu let out a hollow laugh and soon unfolded the letter.

【I know what your father did ten years ago.】

It didn’t take long for his face to harden as he slowly read through the text.

* * *

“This is a nightmare! My vacation disappeared so meaninglessly!”

Summer ended and the Medical Academy welcomed a new semester.

Mae-hwa made an exasperated expression watching Dan-eum wail as soon as he sat down in his chair.

“Li Dan-eum is starting that again. Anyone watching would think he was the only one who didn’t have a vacation.”

“Mae-hwa, please understand. Dan-eum spent all summer digging earth.”

“What earth? Why would he suddenly dig earth?”

“It rained so much that the log house he was living in started rotting, so he had to do major earth digging.”

“We’re a tree-dwelling species, so why on earth would we need to dig ground…!”

Dan-eum even made crying sounds as he expressed his sorrow, but Mae-hwa and Wi Un no longer paid attention to his words.

Instead, they greeted a student who happened to be entering the Academic Hall.

“Oh, Seo-yu’s here!”

“That’s right. You must have had a hard time carrying the sloth around today too.”

“Hi, everyone! Did you have a good vacation?”

“Probably everyone except Li Dan-eum?”

“Huh? Why not Dan-eum?”

“Dan-eum did major construction work digging tunnels to find a new home.”

Seo-yu, who had set Bi-neung down in the seat next to her, chuckled as she looked at Dan-eum holding his head.

While she missed being away from her family, there was still a different kind of fun in seeing these noisy friends.

It was when they were busily asking about each other’s well-being and having conversations.

“What? Su-jeong is in prison?”

At someone’s surprised exclamation, all eyes turned in one direction. It was the Choksae Beastkin who had raised their voice from among the students sitting in a circle.

“I’m telling you it’s true. My Cousin Brother works as a Prison Guard at the Imperial Prison, and he said the Daughter of the Commander was brought in and caused a riot.”

“Why on earth? What happened?”

“I don’t know that much either. But seeing that she’s locked up in the underground prison, she must have committed a serious crime, don’t you think?”

“The underground prison! That’s a place only for criminals who’ve committed grave offenses.”

The murmuring grew louder at this unexpected news.

Stories spread that Su-jeong had actually stolen imperial property, or that she had tried to poison Tae-eon’s longtime friend out of jealousy…

All sorts of speculation instantly filled the Academic Hall, creating a noisy commotion.

“But somehow I’m not surprised. Honestly, I found Young Miss Su-jeong uncomfortable. She treated the maid she brought too harshly…”

“Don’t even mention it. There isn’t a single student who hasn’t heard the sounds of someone being beaten near Yeonshim-jae where that young lady stayed.”

Meanwhile, there were also students discussing Su-jeong’s usual conduct.

‘Everything really does come back to oneself.’

Watching this scene, Seo-yu realized that Hyeon-ya’s words had been right.

Hyeon-ya had once said this before. That both good and bad deeds would eventually come back around.

Su-jeong had always tried to manipulate and harm people with her words.

Because of this, Seo-yu had often become the target of false accusations, but now it was Su-jeong, not Seo-yu, who was suffering from rumors.

Since Su-jeong had never once spoken kind words for others, it was inevitable that no kind words would reach her now.

“Did everyone have a good vacation? From today, let’s focus on our studies with renewed dedication!”

Soon after, the Physician entered and began the lesson.

Seo-yu forgot about Su-jeong, who could no longer affect her life, and concentrated on the class.

* * *

Imperial Underground Prison.

“Meal time.”

The old bowl pushed through the iron bars contained porridge with a sour smell.

Nok Su-jeong looked at it and then sharply turned her head away.

“How am I supposed to eat this garbage!”

To Su-jeong, who had once enjoyed wealth that no one could envy, the porridge looked not like food but like trash.

“If you don’t want to eat, then starve.”

However, despite her sharp outcry, the Prison Guard paid no attention to Su-jeong at all. He replied indifferently and simply turned away.

Su-jeong was extremely angry, but she lacked the energy to vent her anger as she pleased due to not eating properly.

In the end, Su-jeong could only grumble without coming up with any clever solution, and leaned her back against the cold wall while hugging her knees.

The damp floor, air vibrating with moldy smells, the sound of rats crying in the darkness.

Sleep might have been better, but in this truly nightmarish environment, sleep wouldn’t come.

The most terrible thing was the fact that no matter how many times she closed and opened her eyes, she wouldn’t wake up from this dream.

‘I should have confirmed it properly at the cliff that day!’

Hwang Seo-yu.

No, Nok Seo-yu.

Su-jeong ground her teeth while thinking of her enemy’s name, who was living an undeserved life.

If that child had died at the cliff that day, this would never have happened.

Everyone would have looked up to her, she would have been treated with all sorts of precious things, and she would have lived a life enjoying wealth and honor. Just as she had before.

‘What did I do so wrong?’

Nok Seo-yu was a servant who worked for her. It had been that way since childhood.

Where in this world is there a law that punishes the master for taking medicinal herbs gathered by a servant!

She had merely punished a servant who didn’t know her place and dared to defy her master, yet Su-jeong couldn’t understand at all why she had to be locked up in prison.

‘Why won’t Father get me out of here.’

And what drove Su-jeong even more mad than that was her family who hadn’t come to visit even once.

It had been quite some time since her father Nok Sa-pyeong had visited, but since then, the household hadn’t sent a single letter. There was no news either.

It was as if she had never existed in this world from the beginning.

‘That can’t be. Why would my family abandon me.’

Even Nok Seo-yu, who shared no blood relation, received such love from the Golden Dragon Family, so she who had monopolized all the love in the household since childhood couldn’t be ignored like this.

It was when Su-jeong was denying reality while gnawing on her innocent fingernails.

“Su-jeong.”

A low voice came from not far away.

Su-jeong jerked her head up. She could vaguely see someone’s figure beyond the bars.

“Wh-who is it?”

“It’s me.”

“Elder Brother Su-gyu!”

Su-jeong hurriedly ran to the iron bars. Nok Su-gyu’s face was revealed in the darkness. He was looking around as if keeping watch of his surroundings.

“Elder Brother, you came to rescue me, right? You came to get me out of here, right?”

At her urgent words, Su-gyu frowned sharply and brought his index finger to his lips.

“Be quiet! Are you planning to announce to everyone that an intruder has entered the solitary cell!”

“Ah, okay. Sorry.”

Su-jeong didn’t like that her elder brother got angry right upon meeting, but given the situation, she suppressed her temper. Then she carefully read the mood and asked.

“So, how did you come here, Elder Brother? Father sent you, right? He told you to secretly take me away?”

Su-jeong sent him an expectant gaze.

Su-gyu was no different from Father’s right hand, so he must have definitely come after receiving some order from Father.

However, Su-gyu’s reaction was completely different from her expectations.

“Foolish thing. Don’t you understand yet? Father has no intention of saving you.”

At the cold words, Su-jeong’s eyes widened greatly.

“What?! What do you mean? Then he’s going to leave me buried in this kind of prison forever?!”

“What use would you be when even the Qilin Family has abandoned you. Father has also judged that it would be better to just discard you.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

Su-jeong’s face turned pale as she screamed. She had read the sincerity in Su-gyu’s eyes as he looked down at her indifferently.

Su-jeong became desperate.

“E-Elder Brother. You won’t do that, right? You won’t abandon me, right? I’m your younger sister. We’re family, right?”

Su-gyu looked down at his servile younger sister and recalled the contents written in the letter.

【Hwang Seo-yu is Qilin’s child. Your father is a sinner who tried to harm Qilin’s child, so he will pay the appropriate price for his crimes.】

At first, he thought it was ridiculous nonsense.

That dim-witted deer being a qilin, Father having brought and raised Qilin’s child who was known to be dead.

How could that even make sense?

However, strangely enough, Nok Su-gyu couldn’t simply dismiss those words as nonsense.

If Hwang Seo-yu really was the Qilin’s child, then it would explain why Nok Sa-pyeong had shown such an attitude.

【Follow my words and I shall open a path for your survival. But if you do not listen, the Great Antlered Deer Family will never rise again for eternity.】

The moment he thought those words might be true, the text written in the letter pierced into Su-gyu’s eyes.

It was a strange sensation, as if the command was being carved into his mind, making him feel he absolutely had to follow the letter’s will no matter what.

The anxiety caused by Father’s incomprehensible attitude lately also played a part.

‘If this fact becomes known to the outside, our family won’t be able to hold our heads up and live.’

Nok Su-gyu had grown up believing without doubt that he would naturally succeed Father and become the next Command Position.

The future that had been like a smooth path absolutely could not be ruined.

‘To prevent that, I must set all of this right.’

Nok Su-gyu became entranced and followed the letter’s words. That was precisely why he had come to visit Younger Brother imprisoned in jail.

“Soon our household will hold a funeral. When that time comes, you’ll be able to leave the prison, even if briefly.”

Su-gyu took out a pouch from his belongings and handed it to Su-jeong.

“Before you return to prison again, swallow that.”

“Wh-what is it?”

Su-jeong gulped down dry saliva and looked inside the pouch, then turned pale.

“Ugh! What is this!”

Inside the pouch was a strange shell she had never seen before in her life. The thing that looked like turtle scales was pitch black in color.

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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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