The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 15

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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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Children hate studying. Not only the mischievous twins, but even the calm Li-han didn’t particularly welcome studying literature.

Seo-yu would naturally just pretend to study too, or so he thought.

“Are you saying there are characters whose words and meanings resemble each other?”

“That’s right. You have good comprehension. Also, characters can combine with each other to create different meanings. For example, this character for ‘root.’ What do you see?”

“Tree! Oh, then does this character for ‘tree bark’ containing ‘tree’ also mean the characters are combined?”

Surprisingly, Seo-yu listened to the lesson earnestly. She quickly grasped the key points and asked intelligent questions.

‘This is actually enjoyable to teach.’

The Golden Dragon Family had been famous for their martial prowess for generations. Martial arts, not scholarship.

As if by agreement, they all preferred swords over brushes. Only Hwang Hyeon-ya, who for some reason had no interest in swordsmanship from childhood, was an exception.

Naturally, he lived hearing himself called an oddball, and no one understood his strange hobby.

‘Do deer beastkin have good concentration? No, from my past experience meeting them, not particularly… Then is this child special?’

Though he got the species wrong from the start, Hwang Hyeon-ya thought seriously.

When a passionate teacher and student met, the lesson quickly caught fire. Even during meals, the questions and answers never ceased.

Several hours passed this way, and the sun began to set.

“Shall we stop here for today?”

Hwang Hyeon-ya closed the book. It was the first time he had felt such joy while teaching someone something.

It must have been because Seo-yu concentrated without being distracted for even a moment.

“Um, Hwang Hyeon-ya sir.”

Seo-yu cautiously called out to Hwang Hyeon-ya. She seemed to be hesitating about something.

‘Did I go a bit overboard?’

Hwang Hyeon-ya looked at the writing that filled the blank paper and realized he had covered much more material than originally planned.

Thinking ‘just a little more, just a little more,’ that little bit had become a mountain.

No matter how good her attitude was, it would be useless if she lost interest in studying.

Just as Hwang Hyeon-ya was inwardly reflecting on this.

“By any chance, won’t you give me homework?”

Seo-yu couldn’t hide her excitement.

‘So fun! So studying can be this enjoyable!’

When the brush touched the paper, characters she had only glimpsed over shoulders were completed, and the meanings of words she had only learned the shapes of without understanding could now be read.

During the lesson, she wrote so much that the ink quickly wore down, but even the time spent grinding new ink felt precious as Seo-yu had completely fallen for studying literature.

Hwang Hyeon-ya asked as if confirming.

“You’re asking me to give you homework?”

“Oh, would that not be okay? I just thought, maybe it might be helpful…”

Nok Su-jeong always complained that she had too much homework, and whenever that happened, Madam would comfort Nok Su-jeong saying it was all for studying.

Then occasionally, when Nok Su-jeong came having done her homework, Madam would hear about it from the Writing Teacher and praise her greatly.

‘When I was young, I wondered if I would be loved too if I did something called homework…’

Before long, Seo-yu realized something. That she didn’t even have the opportunity to receive homework.

So she wanted to receive homework from Hwang Hyeon-ya at least.

‘As expected, is it not possible for me?’

Just as Seo-yu was about to shrink back out of habit, another book was placed on the desk.

“Of course it’s possible.”

Hwang Hyeon-ya’s eyes lit up.

“I happen to have a list of medicinal herbs used in the medical room. Compare this with the dictionary and find the matching words.”

It should take about seven days.

Given how thick it is, it might take even longer. Since this is her first time with writing, it would be fine to help her a little.

“Thank you so much! I’ll come tomorrow!”

“Alright.”

As Seo-yu left the medical room, two books were cradled in her arms like treasures.

* * *

It took exactly three days for Seo-yu to read and understand all the words written in the herb list.

That was also the time it took to complete the assignment Hwang Hyeon-ya had given her.

“…You finished it all?”

“Yes. It’s still lacking… but I wrote everything down. Could you take a look at it?”

Hwang Hyeon-ya was momentarily speechless as he received the stack of papers Seo-yu handed him.

Wondering if she had made some mistake, her heart pounded as she watched his reaction, but Hwang Hyeon-ya just silently looked down at the assignment.

‘She already finished all of this?’

Had there ever been a disciple with such passion?

There hadn’t been. Those who came to Hwang Hyeon-ya asking to be taken as disciples usually fell into one of two categories.

Branch family descendants who had no talent for swordsmanship but wanted to make connections with the Golden Dragon Family, or cowards who came because the physician profession seemed safe.

The former had no intention of learning medical arts from the start, and the latter gave up quickly at the slightest difficulty.

Knowing this, he treated them even more harshly, and those who couldn’t endure it fell away.

However, Seo-yu didn’t fit either category, yet worked harder than anyone else.

“Um, did I get that many things wrong?”

Misunderstanding his silence, Seo-yu asked with anxious eyes. Hwang Hyeon-ya shook his head.

“No. It’s excellent. I can tell you searched diligently.”

She had even marked the confusing parts separately and written down her reasoning. Such dedication!

For the first time, Hwang Hyeon-ya understood why people wanted to take on disciples.

He lifted his glasses once and put them back down to hide the emotion spreading in his chest, then spoke briefly.

“Well done.”

It was truly a blunt compliment, but Seo-yu was tremendously happy with just that.

“Then Hwang Hyeon-ya, could I have the next assignment too…”

“I’ll bring it right away.”

Hwang Hyeon-ya jumped up from his seat and went outside to head to the study.

Left alone, Seo-yu reviewed the words she had learned today.

‘Dragon Palace.’

Among the countless words she had learned over the past few days, it was the one that captivated Seo-yu’s heart the most.

‘Madam definitely said she was from the Dragon Palace.’

The twins had mentioned it not long ago.

Their mother was a blue dragon living in the Dragon Palace, and she was incredibly strong.

‘Huh? Then the youngest has never been to the Dragon Palace?’

‘No, I haven’t.’

‘We’ll take you there! We’ll show you our mother too!’

‘Good! Let’s introduce the youngest to mother. She’ll be so happy.’

Remembering the twins’ words naturally brought a smile to her face.

In truth, there hadn’t been a single day lately when she didn’t smile. Each day was so enjoyable that she would start laughing the moment she opened her eyes.

‘Now I just need to speak with the Family Head.’

Though she hadn’t yet conveyed her intention to remain in the Eastern Lands since Hyeon-rang was away, she now felt somewhat confident that she could stay without being a burden.

Ga-ram had said the Family Head would return soon, so it wouldn’t be much longer.

‘First, I’ll tell him that I’ve become Young Master Hyeon-ya’s disciple.’

For that, I need to study even harder!

Seo-yu sprang to her feet and headed toward the medicine drawer by the wall.

She pointed at each character written on the drawer and read them silently to herself.

‘This is Fever-Reducing Herb, this is Cough-Stopping Flower… Am I right?’

Seo-yu’s expression brightened as she opened the drawer to check the medicinal herbs.

‘I got both right!’

The herb names she used to memorize only by location while stealing glances over shoulders, she could now read directly.

Click.

Just as Seo-yu was about to close the drawer with a proud and happy expression, she heard the sound of a door opening.

“You’re back already…”

Seo-yu turned her head cheerfully but froze in place.

Before her stood not Hyeon-ya, but an unfamiliar boy.

His golden hair and sharp, distinct features beneath it seemed familiar somehow, but his ice-cold blue eyes were a color she had never seen since coming to the Golden Dragon Family.

“Who are you?”

A gaze as cold as his blue eyes turned toward Seo-yu, who had her hand on the drawer.

That look was so chilling that Seo-yu unconsciously swallowed dry saliva before finally managing to speak.

“I-I’m Seo-yu, Young Master Hyeon-ya’s disciple.”

“Disciple? You?”

The boy’s eyes swept over the book Seo-yu was holding.

[Beginner’s Vocabulary Book]

His eyes immediately narrowed.

“You’re lying. Uncle Hyeon-ya would never take someone who can’t even read as his disciple.”

Uncle, he said…

Only then did Seo-yu realize who the boy was.

‘That must be Young Master Li-han.’

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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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