The Beloved Baby Deer of the Hwangryong Family - Chapter 72

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

Crown Prince?

 

Su-jeong, who had hesitated for a moment, frowned again.

 

“I said I like Tae-eon!”

 

“Even though the Imperial Palace is easily ten times larger than this Qilin Family?”

 

“So what!”

 

Su-jeong snorted dismissively.

 

“There’s no law saying His Highness the Crown Prince will become the next emperor.”

 

In Jusang Kingdom, the Crown Prince was merely a child of the current emperor. Though his title was Crown Prince, his actual status was only that of the Phoenix Family’s Young Family Head.

 

Since all heirs of the Four Spirit Families had the right to inherit the throne, even being the Crown Prince meant nothing if he couldn’t pass the Four Spirits Trial.

 

In that case, marrying Tae-eon, whom she’d fallen for at first sight, would be much better.

 

However, Nok Sa-pyeong lowered his voice with a meaningful expression.

 

“What if the Crown Prince were to inherit the throne?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Was such a thing possible?

 

Su-jeong couldn’t understand why her father was bringing up something unprecedented, but Nok Sa-pyeong continued whispering.

 

“Are you going to throw away the chance to have ‘Empress’ attached before your name just because of some Young Family Head?”

 

“But…”

 

Su-jeong felt confused by the tone mixed with strange certainty. Nok Sa-pyeong patted his daughter’s shoulder.

 

“Besides, what if it becomes known that you’re the Qilin Family Head’s benefactor? Everyone at the Medical Academy will look up to you.”

 

Su-jeong, who usually enjoyed being the center of attention, was tempted by those words.

 

“…Even if things don’t work out with His Highness the Crown Prince, I can still marry Tae-eon, right?”

 

“Of course. Think about it. If you were the Qilin Family Head, would you want information about Heavenly Medicine Forest leaking outside? You’d want to reduce the number of mouths that could talk, even by one.”

 

It certainly made sense. Political marriage was the best move to bind two different households into one.

 

‘Not bad, right?’

 

Tae-eon’s fiancée, or Empress of Jusang Kingdom.

 

Either choice wouldn’t be a loss.

 

Though her heart had already leaned toward one side long ago, Su-jeong couldn’t easily make a decision.

 

Su-jeong, who had been pondering, pouted her lips.

 

“But if I go to the Medical Academy, I’ll have to take exams. I can’t do that kind of thing.”

 

Even at home, whenever bothersome tasks like copying books or herb gathering came up, she always dumped them on Seo-yu.

 

Su-jeong didn’t want to live like the physicians at the Medicine Hall who worked busily all day.

 

She wasn’t a worker ant, so why should she live like that!

 

‘If I’d known this would happen, I should have used Nok Seo-yu more.’

 

Anyway, that was because she’d done something unnecessarily foolish.

 

Su-jeong clicked her tongue.

 

“Father will take care of such things, so don’t worry about it. You, Su-jeong, just focus on getting close to either the Crown Prince or the Qilin Young Family Head.”

 

“I’m definitely confident about that!”

 

Su-jeong brightened at Nok Sa-pyeong’s words.

 

Come to think of it, Nok Seo-yu had really wanted to go to the Medical Academy.

 

‘How dare she, not knowing her place.’

 

Nok Seo-yu could never go to a place where Su-jeong would confidently enter.

 

Thinking about it that way didn’t feel too bad, so Su-jeong hummed a tune.

 

* * *

 

The night before departing for the Medical Academy.

 

Seo-yu was diligently packing her belongings.

 

“I must pack the ink stone box and brush that Brother Li-han gave me.”

 

Perhaps because they had similar hobbies, Li-han knew very well what Seo-yu needed.

 

The two gifts she received from Li-han on her birthday were the items Seo-yu had been using most usefully recently.

 

“Let me also pack the whistle Sister Yi-ryeong gave me and the medicine pouch Brother Li-gon gave me.”

 

Yi-ryeong had given her the whistle saying, “Youngest, if something scary happens, blow this! I’ll come running!” and Li-gon had given her a medicine pouch for carrying simple medicinal materials.

 

The gifts perfectly matched their personalities, so she felt like she would think of them every time she saw them.

 

“Hmm, and what Ga-ram made for me…”

 

Seo-yu pondered repeatedly. Even selecting only the essential items, her luggage was quite substantial.

 

She didn’t want to burden Hyeon-rang, who would escort her to the Western Region, but each item was precious and she was reluctant to leave any behind.

 

‘I have so many belongings!’

 

Seo-yu was newly surprised as she looked at her neatly organized luggage.

 

When she was with the Great Antlered Deer Family, she had nothing she could call her own. Perhaps just the old herb pouch she received from the Medicine Hall.

 

But now Seo-yu had so much that no matter how much she packed, more kept appearing. To Seo-yu, all of it seemed like treasures.

 

“Oh right! I should also pack the book case Madam Bi-yeon gave me.”

 

Seo-yu quickly got up and brought out the book case she had been carefully preserving.

 

The beautiful book case decorated with mother-of-pearl was a small box for storing books, and when opened, a subtle fragrance would emerge.

 

It was a perfect gift for Seo-yu who enjoyed reading, but she hadn’t actually put any books in it. It felt too precious to use.

 

Thanks to carefully maintaining it by wiping it daily with a soft cloth, the book case still sparkled like new.

 

Seo-yu gazed quietly at the jade-colored flower pot and mother-of-pearl book case placed side by side on the desk.

 

They were precious gifts from Hyeon-rang and Bi-yeon.

 

After hesitating for a moment, Seo-yu muttered to herself in a barely audible voice.

 

“…Mother, Dad.”

 

Although two months had already passed since the first snow fell, Seo-yu still couldn’t call Hyeon-rang and Bi-yeon that way.

 

It wasn’t because she didn’t want to. Rather, she desperately wanted to try calling them that.

 

‘I can’t do it.’

 

But when she actually stood before the two of them, her mouth wouldn’t open easily. As if her lips were glued shut with paste.

 

Suddenly, an old memory came to mind.

 

When she was young, she had seen Su-jeong running toward Madam calling “Mother!” and embracing her.

 

At that time, Madam smiled with an expression she had never seen before and hugged Su-jeong, which made her quite envious.

 

‘She must be happy when called Mother.’

 

Seo-yu was still young and didn’t understand her situation well.

 

So she was simply excited, thinking she had found a way to please Madam, who was always cold to her.

 

Therefore, one day when Madam was walking alone in the garden, she carefully approached and spoke.

 

‘Mother?’

 

Would she smile at me too?

 

With that thought, a bright smile bloomed on her face, but the moment Seo-yu met eyes with Madam, she snapped out of her delusion.

 

‘What? Mother? Who’s your mother? Ha! This is ridiculous!’

 

Remembering that day made her shins ache.

 

‘I was wrong.’

 

She had been so upset at the time, but looking back, it was her fault. Madam must have felt worse hearing a complete stranger call her mother.

 

Of course, her inability to call Hyeon-rang and Bi-yeon Mother and Dad wasn’t really related to that incident.

 

Seo-yu simply lacked confidence.

 

She still couldn’t believe that such wonderful people were her parents, afraid that if she spoke the words aloud, they might disappear like a mirage.

 

“Mother, Dad…”

 

Murmuring again the words she desperately wanted to say someday, Seo-yu prepared to leave for the Medical Academy once more.

 

After diligently packing her belongings, only the flower pot remained on her desk.

 

‘The flower pot would be hard to take, wouldn’t it?’

 

Not only was it quite large, but it would be terrible if someone recognized the precious spirit herbs.

 

It was the moment she regretfully poked the soil in the flower pot once.

 

Flash!

 

The jade-colored flower pot was suddenly enveloped in light.

 

“Why, why is this happening?”

 

While a flustered Seo-yu watched with wide eyes, something amazing happened.

 

[Don’t worry about that, Seo-yu! I’m going with you!]

 

Snow Scale Flower, who had been a beautiful flower just moments before, had transformed into the form of a small, adorable bird.

 

It was a very cute bird with multicolored feathers and round eyes.

 

The Dragon Spirit Herb beside it was no longer an herb either.

 

[This one will follow as well.]

 

Dragon Spirit had transformed into the form of a small dragon the size of a palm. Its golden scales sparkled like jewels, making it look like an exquisite toy.

 

“Amazing!”

 

When Seo-yu exclaimed in admiration, Seollin’s small eyes sparkled brilliantly as she fluttered over to Seo-yu.

 

[How is it? This way no one will recognize us, right?]

 

“Yes, really!”

 

Seo-yu clapped her hands in admiration.

 

“I’m so happy we can go together! But Seollin, how did you do it? It’s really amazing.”

 

[Thanks to Seo-yu taking such good care of us, we gained strength. So we were able to regain at least a bit of our original forms! Others can’t see us, so don’t worry.]

 

So that’s the power of spirits!

 

‘Huh? But…’

 

Seo-yu, who had been marveling, tilted her head.

 

“But Seollin, why can I see you two?”

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