The Beloved Baby Priestess of the Twelve Zodiac Gods - Chapter 89

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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 89
At the reproach, Geumgeum’s tail drooped at once.
—I’m so sorry. I was just so worried about you.
Yeo Ryeong, holding something in her hand, gently stroked Geumgeum’s chin as the little one hung her head dejectedly.
Once they slipped out of the Twelve Zodiac Village together, Yeo Ryeong asked.
“By the way, have you seen Mu Je?”
“Ah, yes.”
At the sudden mention of Mu Je, Arin’s cheeks puffed out and her face filled with petulance.
“Did you know too? That Mu Je decided to stay outside the Gold Tiger Clan?”
“I didn’t know that. But I do remember deliberating over your birthday gift.”
“Really?”
The moment the birthday gift was mentioned, Arin’s expression softened noticeably.
Then Yeo Ryeong spoke, her voice touched with wistfulness.
“I still can’t believe you’ve become an adult.”
“Thank you for protecting me all this time, Yeo Ryeong. If it weren’t for you, I’d still think myself useless.”
At the sincerity in her words, Yeo Ryeong offered a faint smile.
Today was the day Yeo Ryeong had chosen to personally bless Arin on her twentieth birthday.
It was one of the long-standing customs between the Gold Tiger Clan and the Priestess.
“I think it would be best to reveal your identity at the New Year Festival.”
“Yes. I’m ready.”
“Though you do seem to manage well enough without me these days.”
“Hehe. That’s all thanks to you being such a brilliant teacher.”
As Arin and Yeo Ryeong emerged from the Twelve Zodiac Village, they happened to encounter Do Gyeong.
“I was just heading out to escort the Priestess. How thoughtful of you to have already come and gone.”
“Hehe, I was heading this way anyway.”
“Well, I suppose even the main character needs to step away sometimes.”
Do Gyeong grinned mischievously and reached to ruffle Arin’s hair, then stopped short.
Her carefully arranged hair caught his eye too distinctly.
Had he touched it as he’d planned, Arin would certainly have scolded him soundly.
He withdrew his hand hesitantly, and Arin let out a laugh.
Do Gyeong gazed at her for a moment, then spoke with a nostalgic expression.
“When did you grow so much? When I first brought you here, you barely came up to my knee.”
“Mm. It wasn’t quite that bad.”
“Oh, it was. Every morning I’d check to see if you’d grown.”
“Well, my older brothers kept shooting up so quickly.”
“There’s still time. You’re at an age when you should still grow, so don’t be too discouraged.”
“Ugh, I’m not discouraged!”
Arin huffed indignantly at Do Gyeong’s teasing.
Watching the intimate exchange between father and daughter, Yeo Ryeong spoke up.
“We’ll be late at this rate.”
“Let’s go.”
Do Gyeong offered his arm, and Yeo Ryeong linked hers through it.
Arin followed behind them toward the Banquet Hall.
* * *
The moment she entered the Banquet Hall, all eyes turned toward her at once.
By now, receiving congratulations from so many people had become familiar.
As Arin entered, Do Hoon and Do Young rose from their seats as if they’d been waiting.
“Happy birthday, Arin.”
Do Hoon handed her flowers, and immediately after, Do Young leaned in with a grin.
“Hey there, squirt! You’re supposed to be the star of the show, and you arrive this late?”
At his immediate jab, Arin rolled her eyes.
“The protagonist is always fashionably late.”
“That may be true, but your older brother went out of his way to be here. Does that mean you didn’t want to see me?”
“Of course not! I was looking forward to seeing you.”
Arin flushed, and Do Young puffed up with pride at her response.
A moment later, he narrowed his eyes and spoke.
“Hmm. Now that I think about it, our youngest does seem a bit taller.”
“Well. I’m wearing heeled shoes.”
As Arin lifted the hem of her skirt slightly to show, Do Young burst into laughter.
“Ahahaha! Ah, that explains it. Your height seemed different. So now that you’ve come of age, you’re wearing heeled shoes too?”
“Of course.”
“I suppose I prepared your birthday gift properly after all?”
“Hmm?”
“For this birthday, I made sure to get you heeled shoes.”
“Really?”
“Try them on later. They’re Daffodil Flower Heeled Shoes—your favorites!”
“Hehe, thank you, brother.”
As Arin’s face lit up, Do Young brushed the back of his nose shyly, a gesture of embarrassment.
Compared to the Yakgwa and Hair Ornament he’d given her as a child, this was a remarkable step forward.
With the direct line of the Gold Tiger Clan gathered together for the first time in years, the atmosphere was warm and convivial.
Afterward came Yeo Ryeong’s blessing ceremony and the stream of congratulations from the guests.
Every so often, Arin glanced toward the Moon House, clearly searching for someone.
Even as the banquet drew to a close, Mu Je had not appeared.
‘He said he’d definitely come today.’
Unaware that Arin was waiting for him, Do Young spoke up.
“How like Mu Je to be late even on a day like this. He left early too, mind you.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
“Not particularly. He just seemed busy about something.”
“I see.”
“Don’t worry about it. He’ll show up on his own. That boy knows the Gold Tiger House like the back of his hand.”
At the casual remark, Arin nodded, though she had to force herself to do so.
* * *
In the end, the birthday banquet concluded without Mu Je ever appearing.
It was just as Arin arrived at Plum Blossom Hall, her mood somewhat dampened, that she sighed quietly.
Tap-tap.
A sound came from the window, and there beyond the glass stood Mu Je in his Beast Form.
“Mu Je?”
Startled, Arin opened the window, and without stepping inside, Mu Je transmitted his voice to her mind.
– There you are. I was waiting for you.
His sudden mention of waiting left Arin confused.
“Waiting for me?”
She had made no arrangement with him, so she struggled to understand.
– We always celebrated under the Chestnut Tree after the birthday banquet ended.
“Oh.”
Realization dawned on Arin, and she let out a soft exclamation.
Now that she thought of it, after each birthday banquet, she and Mu Je would meet beneath the Chestnut Tree and celebrate her birthday together.
Except for the past two years.
Because she had skipped those celebrations, she had forgotten about the tradition entirely.
“So you’ve been waiting there all this time?”
At her bewildered question, Mu Je answered matter-of-factly.
– Yes. The Banquet Hall was too crowded—I thought we wouldn’t be able to talk properly.
True enough, today’s twentieth birthday celebration had drawn even more guests than usual.
And besides, he had never been fond of crowded places.
Arin felt remorseful for having forgotten their important ritual and gestured for him to enter.
“Come inside, at least.”
But Mu Je, still standing at the window, shook his head.
– I can’t simply enter a lady’s chamber.
“Mu Je, when you say things like that, it sounds strange. You practically lived here before.”
– …Either way. Let’s go.
“Now?”
Startled by the suggestion, Arin asked again, and Mu Je nodded before disappearing below.
‘So he hadn’t forgotten me—we simply missed each other.’
She’d been about to curse herself thoroughly for that misunderstanding.
But now that Mu Je had come to find her himself, Arin’s spirits lifted, and she hurried toward the Chestnut Tree.
When she arrived, Mu Je was already waiting beneath it.
The lanterns lit for the birthday celebration kept the area from being entirely dark.
He gestured to her—he had spread out a handkerchief to mark a place for her to sit.
“Come here.”
“Have you been waiting long?”
“A little.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you’d come straight to the Banquet Hall.”
“I knew you’d end up here.”
Mu Je answered without making much of it, and naturally silence settled between them.
Arin tapped the ground with the toe of her shoe, murmuring softly.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable, staying outside?”
“It’s just a brief visit. Nothing to worry about.”
“Still.”
“Did you eat plenty of good things? It looked like quite a crowd gathered today.”
“Well, it’s my twentieth birthday, after all.”
Arin buried her face in her knees and fixed her gaze on Mu Je.
“I was disappointed you weren’t here.”
“Ah, that’s…”
Mu Je hesitated, then fiddled with his pocket.
“Happy birthday, Arin.”
“With just your words?”
At her teasing question, Mu Je wet his lips.
He had wanted to give Arin something special for her twentieth birthday.
So he’d commissioned silk dyed with flowers that only the White Dragon Clan could produce.
But the merchant who was bringing the fabric had been attacked by demons, and everything had been delayed.

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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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