The Beloved Baby Priestess of the Twelve Zodiac Gods - Chapter 70

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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 70
“Your Highness pretended to be a lizard and ignored Arin even when she was nearby. Since then, I’ve been aware of you frequenting Zodiac Village while pretending it was fitting for you to do so.”
“What? Seol Yi was Your Highness? Arin knows about it too?”
Do Young staggered backward in shock, and Do Hun shook his head.
“Arin doesn’t know. You’ve been pretending not to know as well.”
“No. What is this!”
Do Young clutched at his hair, his face contorted with confusion.
He’d believed so firmly all this time that Seol Yi was a lizard.
Even so, Do Hun pressed Do Gyeong further.
“How is it that Arin can move freely in and out of Zodiac Village? It would be absolutely impossible without the Priestess’s permission.”
“You knew all along, yet you’ve been pretending otherwise.”
Do Gyeong released a short sigh and pressed his palm to his brow.
From the look in his eyes, it seemed he’d already pieced together the rough outline of the entire picture himself.
“I believed you would tell us yourself when the time came.”
“Ah.”
“We need to understand the reason in order to respond properly.”
As Do Hun pressed his case again, Do Gyeong found himself at a loss.
He couldn’t break his promise with the Priestess, no matter how much his children meant to him.
“It seems this will require the Priestess’s permission.”
Do Gyeong had just begun to rise from his seat.
“There’s no need to stand.”
Yeo Ryeong entered the room.
From the displeasure written across her face, she’d already heard the rumors.
The atmosphere grew even more solemn with Yeo Ryeong’s arrival.
She settled into her seat and continued.
“It’s admirable that you wish to know so much. But the timing and place are not suitable. There are far too many ears listening and eyes watching. Once we return to Geumho Village, I will explain everything. Can you wait until then?”
At her request for understanding, Do Hun responded.
“Of course. I believe protecting Arin must come first.”
He had pressed the matter only because Do Gyeong had responded so passively.
Once Do Hun relented, Yeo Ryeong smiled faintly.
“Thank you. Then we should discuss how to contain this rumor first.”
At Yeo Ryeong’s gesture, Woo Hyeon and Geumgeum entered the room.
Do Hun recognized Woo Hyeon and spoke up.
“That child is…”
It was the boy he’d encountered on the street before. Baek Mu Je must have informed the Priestess, for they’d apparently secured him earlier.
Woo Hyeon stared back defiantly at the eyes fixed upon him.
His defiant attitude made Do Hun furrow his brow.
Yeo Ryeong spoke.
“This child is one of the Twelve Zodiac Animals who fled from the Black Horse Clan.”
At the mention of the Black Horse Clan, the atmosphere grew heavier. Do Hun fixed his gaze on Woo Hyeon and spoke.
“So the Black Horse Clan’s kidnapping of the child was to find him.”
“Yes. Fortunately, we discovered him first and have been protecting him in Zodiac Village.”
“Then why have you brought this child here? It would be better to keep him confined in Zodiac Village.”
At the word “confined,” Woo Hyeon flinched.
He’d already heard from Yeo Ryeong what kind of household the Black Horse Clan was.
That being of their bloodline alone could warrant execution.
Now he understood that Do Hun’s remark was actually a relatively lenient response.
‘To live freely, you’ll need the testimony of the clan elders at this Year-End Festival.’
‘What do I need to do?’
‘You must reveal that you’re a target of the Black Horse Clan. If you prove your necessity at this Year-End Festival, they’ll agree to protect your safety.’
‘So you’re telling me to be bait?’
Woo Hyeon, recalling his earlier conversation with Yeo Ryeong before coming here, opened his mouth.
“I hate the Black Horse Clan.”
At words that amounted to a rejection of himself, Do Hun gazed at him with puzzlement.
“They killed my grandmother. I’m going to have my revenge. So use me however you need.”
The fierce gleam in his eyes betrayed no falsehood.
His resolve had already been confirmed before he came here.
Do Gyeong, grasping Yeo Ryeong’s intention, spoke.
“You’re planning to counter the rumor with a rumor of your own.”
“I’ve already spoken with Baek Yong Gung about it.”
“What did you say?”
“That I’ll be watching.”
Baek Hyeon Je seemed pleased at the prospect of finding a clue to treat his son.
In a situation where they could barely even catch the tail of the Black Horse Clan, Woo Hyeon was an invaluable lead.
“Soon they’ll make their move, and once word spreads that the Black Horse Clan has resurfaced, all the attention on Arin will fade away naturally.”
It had been a decade since the Great War ended, and now they lived in an age of peace.
The mere reappearance of the Black Horse Clan at such a time would send shockwaves through everything.
For now, only the Gold Tiger Clan and Baek Yong Gung knew the Black Horse Clan was moving again.
They had already scattered enough bait on the way here.
Of course, it was a gamble, pure and simple.
They couldn’t yet be certain whether Woo Hyeon was valuable enough to warrant infiltration into the very heart of the Capital.
If nothing came to pass, convincing the clan elders might prove difficult.
“For now, we should lie low and wait for the right moment.”
Yeo Ryeong narrowed her eyes and stared at the calendar.
The grandest event of the Year-End Festival would begin soon.
“To accomplish something great, sometimes you must let small disturbances pass by deliberately.”
“Easy enough to say when you’re not the one experiencing the disturbance.”
Do Gyeong responded tersely, and Yeo Ryeong chuckled softly.
“The fact that you don’t act on every impulse means you’ve grown up after all.”
“That sounds like an insult.”
“It’s a compliment.”
She glanced at Do Hun and Do Young, then continued.
“It may appear now that we’re simply enduring, but when all the truth comes to light, everything will look different.”
“I just hope Arin doesn’t get hurt.”
Do Hun bit his lower lip hard.
“She deserves to be happy.”
“That’s right! Our little one is so precious! What does a Phantom Beast matter compared to that!”
As Do Young joined in, Yeo Ryeong’s smile grew warm.
They were kindhearted children with a strong sense of righteousness, much like Do Gyeong and Jin Gyeong.
With such people beside her, Arin had found her laughter again—she would surely overcome this as well.
“Remember, living as you always have is itself a form of revenge against them.”
With those words, Yeo Ryeong quietly took her leave.
* * *
Meanwhile, Arin was boating with Baek Mu Je on the Pond in the Main Palace.
Lately, he came every day under the pretense of showing her around the palace.
Thanks to this, she’d been able to see every corner, and her family had begun to permit their outings.
A stark contrast to how they’d once scrutinized her spending time alone with him.
In truth, Arin had already guessed why they’d changed.
‘He was cast out from the Hong Sa Family.’
Arin knew the rumors already.
Idle gossip always finds its way to those involved eventually.
She’d heard it on her way to see him, and her heart had grown heavy.
‘My family is taking abuse because of me.’
What grieved Arin more than her own weakness being exposed was the stigma now attached to the Gold Tiger Clan—that they were a family shameless enough to shelter a flawed girl cast out by the Hong Sa Family.
So, thinking of her family’s warm consideration in wanting her not to know, she simply played along.
Arin gazed quietly at the lotus flowers blooming on the Pond.
Flowers that bloomed on water had roots that were remarkably thick and deep.
Plants had tiny holes throughout their roots so they could breathe.
It seemed exactly like her own circumstances.
On the surface, dressed up in respectable station and beauty, but inside riddled with weakness, needing her family’s protection.
When Baek Mu Je noticed something amiss in her expression, he opened his mouth.
“Tired of the boat ride?”
“No. The lotus flowers are just so pretty.”
Arin smiled awkwardly and lied, but Baek Mu Je’s gaze lingered on her.
Unable to bear that persistent stare, Arin let out a deep sigh.
“Fine. I already know everything anyway.”
“Know?”
“Mm.”
Baek Mu Je was startled that she’d already learned the rumors.

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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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