The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 18

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

“We are the great Golden Dragons and that thing isn’t even a dragon. It’s not right to call something that isn’t even family our youngest.”

Yi-ryeong, completely unaware of his feelings, innocently tilted her head in confusion.

“She’s not a dragon, but she has horns. I haven’t seen her Beast Transformation yet, but she probably has fur too?”

“Her fur would be the same color as her hair, so it’d be the same golden color as ours! Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Seo-yu’s Beast Transformation yet. It would probably be super cute…”

“How dare you compare some mutant deer to us.”

Li-han coldly cut off his chattering siblings, unable to listen any longer. Yi-ryeong’s eyes widened.

“Brother! Why are you saying such mean things? That’s wrong!”

“That’s right, Li-han hyung. Seo-yu would be hurt if she heard that. Seo-yu is a pretty flower deer.”

Li-gon also chimed in while reading the mood. That only fueled Li-han’s anger further.

“Are you two out of your minds? Even after what happened before, you’re trying to take an outsider’s side again?”

When Li-han mentioned “what happened before,” the twins flinched. But Yi-ryeong clenched her fists and argued back.

“But we decided Seo-yu would be our youngest! So she’s not an outsider!”

“Who decided she’d be the youngest!”

Li-han, who had been suppressing his anger in front of his siblings, finally exploded.

“Why can’t Mother wake up and why is she just lying in the Dragon Palace! It’s because Father uselessly brought back things like that from the battlefield! And what? Youngest?”

At his raised voice, Ga-ram, who had been waiting outside under orders, came in startled.

“Young Master, Young Master. Please calm down. The Master didn’t bring Miss Seo-yu from the battlefield…”

“Ga-ram, I don’t want to hear from you either. It’s because you call that thing ‘Miss’ that these kids can’t come to their senses.”

Li-han coldly snapped at Ga-ram who was trying to stop him, then spoke to the frozen twins like a warning.

“If you don’t want to be humiliated by outsiders again, you two better come to your senses too.”

Swoosh.

His cold gaze immediately turned toward Seo-yu.

“I don’t know what trick you used to catch Uncle Hyeon-ya’s eye, but I have no intention of letting any more parasites into our family, so you’d better remember that well.”

Li-han turned around roughly, his sleeves fluttering.

All he could think about was meeting his father immediately and telling him to kick that thing out.

Then he heard the sound of someone chasing after him from behind. The soft-hearted Li-gon wouldn’t even think of following, so it must be Yi-ryeong.

‘Is she reflecting? If I said that much, she should have understood.’

Li-han stopped walking, thinking he should accept his siblings’ apology if they asked for forgiveness.

“L-Li-han nim!”

When Li-han turned around, what was before his eyes wasn’t Yi-ryeong, but Seo-yu gasping for breath.

‘Why is it this thing and not Yi-ryeong?’

Li-han’s expression twisted with displeasure.

“Why did you follow me?”

Seo-yu, who had barely caught her breath after hurriedly chasing Li-han, opened her mouth.

“Um, Yi-ryeong nim and Li-gon nim did nothing wrong. They just… they just helped me out of pity.”

Yi-ryeong nim and Li-gon nim got scolded because of me.

Feeling sorry, Seo-yu bowed her head deeply.

“I also know that I could never dare become the youngest of the Golden Dragon Family. I really never… n-not even in my dreams did I think such a thing.”

“I’m sure you didn’t.”

Seo-yu’s face turned pale.

The cold response was full of mockery and disbelief. It was a tone as if he was certain she was lying.

Those stinging words pierced Seo-yu. Seo-yu’s lips trembled.

“I, I did think about it for a moment… but that was only because you two were so kind to me. I liked you both so much that without realizing it…!”

“Stop.”

Li-han cut her off mid-sentence and sneered in a flat voice.

“Just say you enjoyed living comfortably. You must have loved having food, clothes, and a place to sleep all provided for you. With Yi-ryeong and Li-gon endlessly treating you well, you must have grown even greedier.”

“…”

“Did being called the youngest make you think you’d really become a Golden Dragon?”

That wasn’t it. It really wasn’t like that.

Seo-yu truly liked Yi-ryeong and Li-gon. Just having them call her the youngest made every day feel like a dream.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say those words.

Because Li-han’s cold eyes that met hers were saying ‘I don’t believe you.’

“Don’t think I’m seeing someone like you for the first time.”

Li-han shot out those final words and turned away. Seo-yu could no longer follow Li-han.

* * *

The next morning, Seo-yu came to the medical room with red, swollen eyes. In her arms was an armful of homework that Hyeon-ya had assigned yesterday.

It was homework she had worked hard to complete while staying up all night with sleepless eyes.

‘Even if I get kicked out, I don’t want to disappoint Master Hyeon-ya.’

Seo-yu, clutching the books tightly, picked up the broom placed in front of the medical room door.

Hyeon-ya had said there was no need to clean, but since it was something she always did at the Great Antlered Deer Family, she did it out of habit.

Swish, swish.

Moving her body actually made her feel more at ease. It was when Seo-yu was working her hands more diligently to clear her complicated mind.

“Good grief, I told you that you don’t need to do that.”

When she turned around at the now familiar voice, Hyeon-ya was standing there.

“Master, you’re here?”

Hyeon-ya silently gazed at his disciple. She was smiling as if nothing was wrong, but her eyes were tinged red.

‘Something must have happened last night. Did that Li-han go find her separately?’

He thought Li-han would at least wait until Hyeon-rang returned, but Seo-yu’s existence seemed to have provoked Li-han more than expected.

“Let’s go inside. I have a story to tell you.”

Given the situation, it was necessary to tell the child about Li-han as well.

Hyeon-ya led Seo-yu into the medical room. In many ways, it wasn’t the atmosphere for a lesson.

Seo-yu sat in front of the desk, and Hyeon-ya took a seat across from her.

“What did he say?”

Hyeon-ya crossed his arms and asked abruptly.

“That Li-han fellow, I mean. From what I can see, it seems like he came to you and said something.”

Seo-yu was startled but soon shook her head back and forth. She didn’t want to complain to her master about hearing harsh words from Li-han.

However, Hyeon-ya asked again with an expression that didn’t believe her at all.

“Did he tell you to leave immediately? Or did he say something about you using the twins?”

“…!”

Her already large eyes widened into perfect circles. Hyeon-ya clicked his tongue.

“Did you really do that? Honestly, there’s nothing you won’t say.”

“How did you…”

“How did I know? It’s written all over your forehead.”

“Hup.”

At those words, Seo-yu quickly covered her forehead with both hands. Hyeon-ya swallowed a hollow laugh at her unexpected reaction.

‘If it had been the twins, they would have started jeering at me not to lie.’

Even though they were the same age, his disciple was truly innocent and pure. Seeing her like this, he could understand why the twin brats kept calling Seo-yu the youngest.

‘She doesn’t look like she’s the same age either.’

Even considering that dragon beastfolk naturally had large builds, Seo-yu was particularly small and thin.

It was no wonder the twins were making such a fuss wanting to take care of her even more.

Though that behavior seemed to provoke Li-han even further.

“Seo-yu, have you heard anything about the Madam of the Golden Dragon Family?”

“Ah, yes. Yi-ryeong and Li-gon told me about her.”

Seo-yu, who had been watching Hyeon-ya’s expression, quietly lowered her hands from her forehead.

“They said the Madam is a very strong and wonderful blue dragon. When they were babies, she even carried both of them on her back and swam across the vast ocean!”

Yi-ryeong and Li-gon had looked so happy as they spread their arms wide, mimicking wings.

As she recalled the twins, some color returned to Seo-yu’s face, which had been pale with tension.

“That’s not wrong. Sister Bi-yeon was counted among the greatest warriors alongside my older brother.”

“So that’s why she’s protecting the Dragon Palace now!”

At Seo-yu’s admiration, Hyeon-ya’s expression darkened for a moment.

“Protecting… is that what the children said.”

“Ah, isn’t that right?”

“No, that’s correct. Sister actually did protect the Eastern Region. I told you, didn’t I? That she was one of the greatest warriors.”

When Hyeon-ya smiled, Seo-yu smiled along with him. However, the smile didn’t last long.

“Then have you heard this story? That demonic beasts appear in the Eastern Lands.”

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