The Beloved Baby Priestess of the Twelve Zodiac Gods - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 16
Meanwhile, Eun Baek had never seen Do Gyeong smile with his guard so thoroughly lowered, and he was deeply taken aback.
He’d been intensely curious about Arin’s true identity from the moment she arrived.
Eun Baek asked carefully.
“But whose household does this young lady belong to, exactly……?”
Judging by the overwhelming spiritual presence and golden eyes, it was clear she came from the Sipiji Clan Family.
Do Gyeong gazed at Arin with tender affection before answering lightly.
“She was too cute, so I picked her up.”
“……I beg your pardon?”
“I’m going to raise her here now.”
Eun Baek blinked hard at this explanation that left out all the details.
A moment later, Eun Baek recovered enough to press further, bewilderment written across his face.
“Surely you didn’t… kidnap her, did you?”
He’d known Do Gyeong had a fondness for children, but to actually abduct a precious son or daughter from another household——
Unaware of Eun Baek’s concern, Do Gyeong shot back playfully.
“She followed me here of her own accord.”
“B-but, Head of the Clan!”
Eun Baek drew in a breath, unsure where to even begin setting this straight.
He needed to find out which Sipiji child had been brought here and remedy the situation at once.
Just then, Arin, who had been watching the exchange, stepped forward.
“It’s true! I followed him here on my own! Don’t be angry with him!”
She moved in front of Do Gyeong and spread both arms wide in his defense.
At her brave response, the corners of Do Gyeong’s mouth twitched slightly.
It struck him as amusing—this tiny creature thinking she could protect him.
Eun Baek’s stern demeanor softened somewhat at Arin’s words. At least it seemed the child had been consulted, even if her parents’ consent remained uncertain.
“Is that truly the case?”
“Yes. So please, let me stay here. If you just let me eat and sleep, I’ll work very hard! I’m good at laundry, and I’m good at cleaning too!”
It was meant as her own form of persuasion.
But at Arin’s bright declaration, both Do Gyeong’s and Eun Baek’s expressions darkened at once.
Unable to bear it any longer, Do Gyeong pinched Arin’s cheek gently and scolded her.
“Rather than wait for work done by those tiny fern-frond hands, I’d sooner give you another medicinal tonic.”
“Ow! It hurts.”
“It should hurt—you spoke foolish words with your mouth. Do you think I’d allow a single drop of water to touch these hands of yours?”
“Ngh.”
Arin grimaced and nursed her pinched cheek.
In truth, during the entire journey to this place, Arin had been thinking about how to repay Do Gyeong for his kindness.
And the conclusion she’d reached was to become his servant.
“I’m very good at work!”
“The Geumho Clan is not so destitute that we must put children to labor.”
“Then…… if I eat a little less……”
“Enough.”
Do Gyeong, scolding her stubbornness, grasped both her shoulders and met her eyes.
“Listen well. Your only task here is to eat well, sleep well, take care of your needs well, and laugh well. You’re a child—be a child and accept the care of your elders.”
He was exasperated that this tiny thing kept trying to act grown.
At that, Eun Baek chimed in.
“Quite right. I had no intention whatsoever of putting Miss Arin to work. This is entirely due to the Head of the Clan’s lack of eloquence.”
‘Then what am I supposed to do?’
After all, she had followed Do Gyeong to the Geumho Clan in the first place to repay his kindness.
‘Can I really stay here and do nothing?’
No matter how good Do Gyeong was, an extra mouth to feed would gradually become a burden.
She’d been abandoned by her own kin for being worthless; wouldn’t he, a complete stranger, feel the same way far more keenly?
If she were abandoned a second time, Arin didn’t think she could bear it.
Unaware of Arin’s inner turmoil, the adults finished their conversation between themselves.
“You’ve got teeth in your words, don’t you, Eun Baek.”
“Since the young lady has consented, I’ll let the matter rest for now. I trust you’ll explain the circumstances to me in due course, Head of the Clan.”
Despite his seemingly disrespectful tone, Do Gyeong showed no sign of displeasure.
Though he appeared fierce on the surface, he seemed infinitely magnanimous toward those who belonged to him.
With Hong I Jin, such a thing would have been unimaginable.
Do Gyeong waved his hand dismissively as he issued his command.
“Never mind that. Prepare a nourishing decoction—something to restore her body. The child can hardly stomach even rice porridge; she’s withered to skin and bones.”
“Yes. I shall prepare a nourishing decoction suited to her constitution.”
Eun Baek departed, and Do Gyeong summoned a servant.
“Take Arin to Maehwa Hall and assign Cho Ryeong to attend her.”
“Yes, my lord.”
At this, Arin seized Do Gyeong’s sleeve.
“Where are you going?”
In this unfamiliar place, he was the only one she knew—her eyes betrayed her anxiety.
Do Gyeong ruffled her hair gently, his expression playful as he spoke.
“I’ll be back before you know it. Go ahead and explore the rooms to your heart’s content.”
* * *
After Do Gyeong left, Arin followed the servant toward Maehwa Hall.
The garden was ablaze with plum blossoms.
On the pond beside it, a family of ducks played in the water.
It was a space so beautifully maintained it seemed fit for a princess.
“Are you sure this is the right place?”
“This is Maehwa Hall, miss.”
“But they said I’d be staying in my room.”
“Yes, miss. You’ll be staying here from now on.”
“I’m really staying here?”
Arin started in surprise and surveyed the room carefully.
It was far more ornate than the chamber she’d occupied at the Hongsa Clan.
Even each individual decoration on the pillars was delicate and elaborate.
This was far too fine a room for her to inhabit.
In a moment, she recalled when So So had taken her room, and her expression darkened.
“Was there a child who lived here before?”
Such a room could not exist without an owner—worry crept in that perhaps she had taken someone else’s place.
“No, miss. This room has had no owner for a long time.”
Cho Ryeong appeared at just that moment and answered in the servant’s stead.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Arin. I’m Cho Ryeong, and I’ll be attending to you from now on. Please tell me if there’s anything you need.”
Having many younger siblings, Cho Ryeong quickly understood why Arin had asked such a question.
Children who had eaten many a humble meal were invariably cautious like this.
It was precisely because Do Gyeong knew Cho Ryeong was skilled at caring for younger siblings that he had assigned her to Arin.
“Hello. I’m Arin.”
As Arin bowed in greeting, Cho Ryeong trembled.
‘She’s too adorable!’
The Geumho Clan had only Do Hoon and Do Young as children.
Both had inherited the Golden Tiger Spirit Energy and were larger than their peers as a result.
Small, precious, and endearing as Arin was, her very existence seized the heart.
Especially a child Do Gyeong had specifically asked for.
Cho Ryeong crouched to meet Arin’s eyes and spoke.
“How old are you, Arin?”
“I’m six years old.”
“Oh my.”
Cho Ryeong blinked in surprise. By her estimation, Arin looked no more than four or five.
Having gone without adequate food for so long, Arin was considerably smaller than children her age.
Understanding the reason for Cho Ryeong’s astonishment, Arin fidgeted with her hands.
“I’ll grow soon. Really.”
She had already heard a lecture about it from Do Gyeong the entire way here, so her tone carried a hint of petulance.
Her full cheeks trembled slightly with a touch of stubbornness.
Witnessing this, Cho Ryeong swallowed a silent scream.
‘What am I supposed to do! She’s too precious!’
After being surrounded by spirited younger siblings, encountering a child as small as this left Cho Ryeong completely smitten.
* * *
Meanwhile, Do Gyeong made his way to the Spirit Hall where Yeo Ryeong stayed.
He still had many questions about Arin that he wished to ask her.
Yeo Ryeong, who had suggested adopting Arin as her daughter, had kept apart from the girl throughout their journey.
It seemed that Geum Geum, having returned from a covert investigation, had told her something.
Moreover, based on what he knew of Yeo Ryeong’s nature, it didn’t seem likely she had proposed adoption merely out of a desire to help an abused child.
‘What exactly is she thinking?’
Since she had offered no explanation, Do Gyeong had no choice but to seek her out.
What puzzled him most was what she sought to confirm, going so far as to don the Concealment Robe
that shrouded one’s Spiritual Power—
what could be so important as to warrant such precaution?
The air near the Spirit Hall brimmed with strangeness, far more than usual.
There was a guest staying here in secret.
It was Yeo Ryeong’s Daoist Magic, woven to conceal them.
Even Do Gyeong, who already knew the visitor’s identity, found the Spiritual Power so profound that he could barely sense a trace.
It was then that Yeo Ryeong, noticing Do Gyeong’s approach first, opened the door and spoke.
“Still as impatient as ever, I see.”

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