The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 2

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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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The order was none other than to gather medicinal herbs.

‘I need certain medicinal herbs, but I have to attend a banquet and don’t have time to gather them myself. So you can do that job for me instead. It’s what you always do, so it shouldn’t be difficult.’

Seo-yu, who had been extremely tense, was delighted.

For Seo-yu, who was always getting scolded, her only talent was gathering medicinal herbs.

‘What should I bring you?’

‘Snow Scale Flower. It’s a flower that shines alone even in snow fields. Have you ever seen one?’

A flower that shines in snow fields? Does such a flower even exist?

As Seo-yu pondered these puzzling words, a memory flashed through her mind.

“Ah!”

Seo-yu’s eyes rolled around before she quickly answered.

“Yes! I think I know where it is!”

And as she was busy repeating the location to herself, she failed to notice the siblings’ expressions hardening at her reaction.

“Leave right now. Don’t be lazy and end up running into the guests.”

Nok Su-jeong spoke coldly and took a hearty bite of the Honey Rice Cake in her hand. The rice cake was so full of honey that a drop splattered on the floor.

‘It looks delicious…’

Seo-yu’s gaze followed the honey as it fell down.

Noticing this, Nok Su-jeong twisted her lips into a crooked smile.

“Cho-ok, give me the basket.”

“Oh my, Miss. Are you going to share the rice cakes?”

Cho-ok handed over the basket containing the rice cakes to Nok Su-jeong with a surprised expression.

As Seo-yu just blinked at this unexpected situation, Nok Su-jeong picked up a rice cake.

“Do you want to eat this?”

The golden-brown, well-baked Honey Rice Cake glistened appetizingly just from looking at it.

“Yes, yes.”

As saliva naturally gathered and Seo-yu nodded eagerly, Nok Su-jeong held out the rice cake.

Just as the moved Seo-yu was about to quickly accept the rice cake.

Thud, roll roll—

Before her hand could even reach it, the rice cake fell on the threshold and rolled outside.

Startled, Seo-yu reached out her arm, but her hand couldn’t reach the rice cake.

Kick!

It was because Nok Su-jeong kicked the rice cake that had rolled toward her into the dirt as if it were filthy.

“Someone who does nothing but has such a big appetite.”

Nok Su-jeong looked down at Seo-yu with disdainful eyes.

The rice cake, covered in dirt and ruined, rolled pitifully on the ground. Seo-yu thought she was just like that rice cake.

“So go get what my brother asked for. Then who knows, I might throw you a few of these rice cakes.”

“Oh my, our Miss is so merciful. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to give her anything.”

Nok Su-jeong and Cho-ok giggled as they walked away.

It felt like tears would come at any moment, but her oblivious stomach let out a rumbling sound.

Seo-yu looked at the fallen rice cake and, after hesitating, picked it up.

‘It would be a waste to throw it away. If I just brush off a little dirt…’

Seo-yu glanced around unnecessarily, then puffed up her small cheeks and carefully blew on the rice cake.

“Hoo— hooo—”

Then she carefully took a bite of the honey rice cake.

Crunch.

Was it because of the dirt she hadn’t managed to brush off that got chewed first? Or was it because of the tears that had quietly flowed and mixed in?

The honey rice cake wasn’t as delicious as she had expected.

‘…Salty.’

Strangely, it only tasted salty.

Even so, unable to spit out the rice cake, she swallowed it while quietly wiping her reddened eyes.

* * *

After washing her face with cold water, Seo-yu came out through the quiet back gate and climbed the mountain.

Looking down from the Mountain Slope, she could see carriages entering the Great Antler Deer Family grounds in a long line.

‘So many guests are really coming.’

Watching the family members busily welcoming guests, Seo-yu felt as if heavy stones were piling up in one corner of her heart.

Perhaps it was because she could painfully feel the reality that there was no place for her among those bustling people.

Suddenly, a conversation she had heard a few days ago came to mind.

“I heard all the Four Spirit Families are attending this time?”

“That’s right. They say the Yellow Dragon Family people are so beautiful!”

“So what? The Eastern Lands have magical beasts. Would the madam send the young lady to marry into such lands? The heir of the Kirin Family would be best. I hear he’s a very gentle person.”

“Power is important. After all, wouldn’t the Phoenix Family, which produced an emperor in this generation, be the best?”

“Whoever it may be, if things go well, our Miss Su-jeong might marry into one of the Four Spirit Families. I hear the madam is firmly determined.”

Fifteen-year-old Nok Su-gyu had a fiancée, and twelve-year-old Nok Su-jeong didn’t have anyone decided as her match yet.

For months, fine silk had been continuously brought from the fabric shop, and it was all for today.

Though Seo-yu wasn’t interested in marriage yet, she envied Nok Su-jeong, whose parents paid attention to every big and small matter.

‘How wonderful it would have been if I had real parents too…’

If that were the case, she wouldn’t have to feel upset every single day like this. She might have been able to eat lots of delicious rice cakes too.

But no matter how much she dreamed, reality didn’t change.

‘Let’s just gather medicinal herbs.’

Seo-yu shook her head vigorously, transformed into a deer, and climbed the mountain. Fortunately, breathing in the clear mountain air soon improved her mood.

As Seo-yu busily climbed the mountain, familiar medicinal herbs came into her sight.

“Cuscuta seeds! They’re really good when brewed and drunk for blurry vision.”

The Kirin’s territory had been rich in spiritual energy since ancient times, so many high-quality medicinal herbs grew there.

In fact, the Kirin Family was also famous for their advanced Medical Arts, to the extent that there was an old saying: ‘If there is someone sick, send them to the Western Region ruled by the Kirin.’

Thanks to this, there were many people in the Western Region who worked with Medical Arts or herbs. The Great Antler Deer Family was no exception.

Even the direct descendants of the family were required to learn Medical Arts and personally gathered herbs.

Among them, Seoyu was particularly good at finding quality herbs.

‘There’s Balloon Grass too! If you boil this and drink it, it’s good for coughs, and it’s also good to apply on wounds.’

Seoyu quickly became excited at all the medicinal herbs she saw with each step. She carefully selected only the herbs that seemed like they would wither if not picked immediately and moved forward with light steps.

‘The Snow Scale Flower was at the summit, right?’

Finally, she arrived at the Mountain Peak.

“Ah! It’s full of snow today too!”

True to its name “White Jade Mountain,” which was named because the snow at the Mountain Summit never melts and looks like white jade, the surroundings were completely white.

“Now I just need to find the Snow Scale Flower…”

Just then, someone answered Seoyu’s words.

[You need to go a little higher up!]

“Higher up, you mean this way?”

Despite the sudden voice, Seoyu naturally responded.

[No. Not there, go east!]

“Ah, I see. It’s here!”

It was none other than the earth.

Anyone watching would think she was talking to herself, but Seoyu could truly communicate with the earth.

That was also why she was particularly good at finding herbs. When Seoyu was looking for something, the earth would step forward to help her.

‘Though I can’t do this in front of others…’

When she was very young, she would thoughtlessly chat with the earth, and each time, people would look at her strangely.

‘Why is she muttering to the ground like that?’

‘She’s not just missing horns, but seems to be lacking in the head too.’

Only then did Seoyu realize that her behavior wasn’t normal.

So unless she was alone, she absolutely never opened her mouth to speak to the earth.

Seoyu’s steps slowed as the gloomy memories suddenly surfaced, but it was only for a moment.

‘There it is!’

At the edge of the high, high mountain peak.

On a field covered with snow as white as sugar, there was a particularly sparkling flower.

In such a pure white snowfield, that single flower shining alone like that must definitely be the Snow Scale Flower.

Excited, Seoyu returned to human form and quickly approached the Snow Scale Flower.

Up close, she could see that the Snow Scale Flower’s petals were translucent like butterfly wings.

The petals, which had absorbed the light reflected from the piled snow, sparkled even more brilliantly.

“So you were a medicinal herb!”

Seoyu had seen this flower exactly once before.

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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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