The Beloved Baby Priestess of the Twelve Zodiac Gods - Chapter 80

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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 80
“Has Arin arrived?”
Do Gyeong called out to Arin with a broad smile spreading across his face.
At that, the man standing before Do Gyeong’s shoulders tensed slightly.
Arin stood uncertainly, studying the unfamiliar back.
“Who is this……?”
The moment the question left her lips—
Do Gyeong glanced at him and spoke.
“You’ve forgotten already, after all this time?”
“Pardon?”
Arin tilted her head, stealing another glimpse of the stranger’s nape.
He stood nearly as tall as Do Young, his shoulders impressively broad.
The black hair falling slightly across those shoulders drew her eye in particular.
“Could it be……?”
As Arin’s words trailed off with widening eyes, Do Gyeong opened his mouth.
“Don’t just stand there gawking. Turn around and greet him properly. Isn’t he an old friend you’re meeting again?”
At Do Gyeong’s command, the man who had been facing away reluctantly turned.
Their eyes met.
The moment Arin recognized him, her eyes went wide as lanterns.
“Woo Hyeon? Is it really you?”
“……What. You recognized me right away.”
Woo Hyeon touched his flushed ears and grumbled.
“Well, you’re a famous Priestess now, so I suppose there’s no way you wouldn’t recognize me.”
His familiar bluntness filled Arin with warmth.
Thirteen years ago, Woo Hyeon had vanished, leaving behind only a single letter.
[Take care of yourself while I’m gone. I will never forget your kindness.]
The clumsy farewell, written in crooked characters, was so like him.
Though she felt the loss, Arin—who knew he belonged to the Black Horse Clan—respected his decision.
He needed time to hone his strength, to protect himself.
Besides, the Black Horse Clan had become enemies to all.
She understood he couldn’t walk openly through the world.
“Are you back for good now?”
As Arin took a step forward with the question, Woo Hyeon flinched and retreated.
He thought he’d shed that habit of running away.
But facing Arin, who had grown so much taller, he felt the urge to flee again.
“Yeah. I’m back.”
“Are you well?”
“Perfectly healthy. As you can see.”
Woo Hyeon’s curt reply was accompanied by constant distress signals sent toward Do Gyeong.
He’d spent so long surrounded by men that facing Arin now, he seemed utterly lost.
Do Gyeong disapproved of Woo Hyeon’s bashfulness and clicked his tongue.
“Little one.”
“I’m not a little one anymore.”
Arin, standing on the threshold of her Coming of Age Ceremony, protested, and a playful glint entered Do Gyeong’s eyes.
“In my eyes, you’re still very much one.”
Do Gyeong dismissed her words with a wave of his hand.
As Arin pouted and stepped closer, Do Gyeong spread his arms wide.
“It’s been so long. Come here, my daughter.”
At those tender words, Arin rushed into his embrace without hesitation.
Her father’s arms, after all this time, were still broad and warm.
“I missed you so much, Father!”
“I missed you too. You seem even taller than before?”
“Not at all. Are you teasing me, Father?”
As Arin shook her head in exasperation, Do Gyeong let out a hearty laugh.
When he’d first brought her here, he’d worried she might break.
These days, his worries had taken on a different shape.
Marriage proposals had begun arriving at an increasing rate.
Like any parent with a daughter, he would sooner keep her by his side than send her to wolves.
“I hear the Priestess has been seeking you out frequently lately. You’re not overexerting yourself, are you?”
“Not at all. I volunteered to help her.”
“Besides, you’ll be coming and going from the Twelve Zodiac Village soon enough anyway. Try not to worry so much.”
She had already decided that once she completed her Coming of Age Ceremony, she would formally begin assisting Yeo Ryeong at the Twelve Zodiac Academy.
But being summoned so soon left her feeling unsettled.
“Don’t worry, Father.”
At her repeated reassurances, Do Gyeong gave a small shrug.
Meanwhile, Arin was thrumming with excitement at the thought of seeing Do Young and Mu Je at the Academy soon.
‘I wonder how they’ve all been.’
It had been nearly two years since she’d last seen Mu Je.
Upon enrollment at the Twelve Zodiac Academy, students were forbidden from leaving the Eastern Village without permission.
Exceptional grades earned one the privilege of going out, but even then—
Mu Je had never once stepped outside the dormitory, always finding some excuse or another.
It was likely because of the promise he’d made before he enrolled.
‘Do you think I could trust you with this?’
‘Are you sure? This is really important to you.’
‘It’s useless for me to hold right now anyway. Just keep it safe for me instead.’
What Mu Je had entrusted to her was the remaining half of the Yeouiju.
After Baek Hyeon Je had sealed Mu Je’s half of the Yeouiju,
Mu Je had been living without the ability to use his Zodiac Animal Power at all.
There was a risk that someone might use Curse Magic against him through the Yeouiju as a medium.
Before coming of age especially, the Yeouiju would be difficult to control, so he needed to be even more cautious.
Of course, losing access to his Zodiac Animal Power didn’t make him weak.
Born with a naturally strong constitution, there were few among his peers who could defeat him with a blade.
Still, the Yeouiju was a treasure so precious it was bound to one’s life itself, and had to be treated with great care.
‘You’re the only one I can ask. You know that. You’re my only friend.’
‘I understand. Just trust me!’
‘Thank you. By the time we meet again, I’ll have worked hard to master my own strength. I don’t want to keep relying on you for everything.’
Unable to refuse someone she trusted so completely, she had kept it safe for nearly two years now.
When Do Young left, and then Mu Je after him, the void they left behind was enormous.
At least Do Hun had remained at the Geumho Clan, so she hadn’t been entirely alone.
But now, with the thought that she’d soon be able to see both of them freely, Arin found herself in high spirits.
Do Gyeong, watching all this quietly, broached a new subject.
“If you’re going to take on the Priestess’s duties, you’ll need a dedicated guard of your own.”
“Will you assign one of my brothers?”
The Geumho Clan had traditionally protected the Priestess across generations.
But Do Gyeong shook his head.
“Do Hun has other matters to attend to, and Do Young still has time before he graduates.”
“Then who will you have guard me?”
Arin’s face showed complete bewilderment, and Do Gyeong jutted his chin toward Woo Hyeon.
“For now, this one will guard you.”
“Woo Hyeon…?”
It had been over ten years since she’d last seen him, so he still felt awkward to her.
Especially since he’d grown so much taller since childhood—he felt almost like a stranger.
Though slighter in build compared to Do Gyeong, he was quite imposing next to Arin.
Woo Hyeon, meanwhile, noticed that Arin didn’t seem particularly pleased with the arrangement, and his expression soured.
“I’m not thrilled about this either, you know.”
At his gruff retort, Arin waved her hands defensively.
“That’s not what I meant! It’s just—if we’re going to be around people together, we’d have to introduce you, and I wasn’t sure if that would be all right.”
She said this because she knew Woo Hyeon was from the Black Horse Clan.
Do Gyeong, who had been monitoring Woo Hyeon all this time, spoke up reassuringly.
“There’s no chance that this boy being part of the Black Horse Clan will ever come to light. Officially, he’ll be assigned to the Geumho Clan’s guard force.”
“I see.”
“As for his abilities, I vouch for them myself, so don’t worry too much. If anything goes wrong, I’ll wring his neck for it.”
At this ominous declaration, Woo Hyeon glared at him.
The memory of how harshly Do Gyeong had drilled him over the years came flooding back, and Woo Hyeon’s body shuddered slightly.
Just then, Arin stepped forward and extended her hand toward Woo Hyeon.
“I’m looking forward to working with you, Woo Hyeon.”
Still the same awkward, guileless woman.
Woo Hyeon gazed down at her pale, delicate hand for a moment, then slowly grasped it.
It was smaller and softer than he’d expected.
As he stood there, barely holding her hand, stiffening, Arin squeezed firmly and smiled brightly.
“Hehe. It’s good to see you again.”
Her kindness remained devoid of any hidden intention, and Woo Hyeon found himself at a loss.
In his flustered state, he withdrew his hand and furrowed his brow.
“…That’s enough now.”
At his curt response, Arin showed no sign of displeasure.
She simply thought that he remained wary of others.

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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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