The Dragon Family’s Beloved Baby Cat - Chapter 103
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 103
Moa tilted her head and opened the envelope.
When she put her finger inside, she felt a slightly rustling texture.
As she shook it into her palm, a single pressed flower slid out from between the papers.
“…A flower?”
The tiny petals, only about two finger joints long, were curled up small.
In the center of the long, delicate blue petals was a yellow pattern like an iris.
“…What is this?”
Moa turned the envelope upside down and shook it.
She wondered if there might be a separate letter, but there was nothing else—just the flower.
“What does it say?”
Yeongang asked from beside her.
“…There’s only a flower.”
“What about a letter?”
“There isn’t one.”
Yeongang snatched the envelope and peered inside. There really was only a flower.
“Huh? What’s this supposed to be?”
“That’s what I want to know!”
Moa puffed out her cheeks.
She had been waiting for weeks. Every single day since Danhwi left, she had waited for news.
‘Leaving without even saying goodbye.’
This time, she could have sent him off bravely without crying.
The fact that he just left on his own, as if he didn’t trust her, really made her cry on the first day she heard the news.
For several days after that, she was upset.
After that, she worried about whether he was doing well, whether he was hurt, whether he was eating properly.
Her worries were mountainous.
She felt strangely lethargic and had been living in a dejected state all this time.
And now, the first news that finally came was a single flower.
“…Stupid oppa.”
Moa muttered.
“I guess he forgot how to write.”
“Hahaha! His Highness is really funny! Come on, what kind of flower did he send?”
Yeongang laughed, holding his stomach, and examined the flower in Moa’s hand.
“This is, um… Ah! That’s it! An iris! Are there such tiny irises?”
Yeongang tilted his head slightly, but Moa puffed her cheeks and didn’t pay attention.
However, she stood up to take the flower to her room and keep it safe rather than throw it away.
“Give me the envelope!”
“But there’s nothing in it?”
“What do you mean nothing! There’s a seal stamped on it!”
Even though she had said there was nothing in it first, Moa stamped her feet and snatched the envelope away.
“Hey. Little one, let’s go have some tea with oppa.”
“No! I’m going to take this to my room. It can’t get damaged.”
As Moa shook her head and moved, Yeongang grumbled and followed behind her.
And from a distance, Haesoo was watching them.
‘…’
Haesoo had been observing Moa for several days.
The day after returning from the Imperial Palace, Moa cried her eyes out.
It was because Jin Saheon had informed her of Danhwi’s decision after finishing their meal.
When Moa was crying then, it was useless no matter what Haesoo said to her.
He’s the Crown Prince, so even if he went to the battlefield, he’ll be safe. It’s okay. He’ll be back soon.
No matter how many comforting words he said, she only responded with ‘Yeah.’
She answered, but her eyes kept looking only out the window.
As if she couldn’t hear his words.
Then today, when she heard that a letter had come, Moa’s eyes sparkled for the first time.
Even though it only contained a flower, even though there wasn’t a single written character, Moa carefully carried that flower to her room.
“This wasn’t what she needed.”
Haesoo put the precious toy he had brought into Hongboki’s mouth as the pig followed behind.
He gently pressed his chest.
For some reason, he felt bitter.
‘I’ve been by her side every day too.’
When Moa cried, when she wouldn’t eat, when she was bored—he was there beside her.
But.
‘Would she act like this if I left?’
Would she cry for him, feel sad, and wait for letters?
Haesoo didn’t know exactly what this emotion was yet.
He just felt strangely unpleasant.
‘…This is strange.’
Haesoo shook his head.
He had wanted to stay by Moa’s side, wanting to hold onto her tightly because she had healed him.
However, watching Moa think about Danhwi, he realized that this approach wouldn’t work.
Even now, wasn’t she caring more about Danhwi, whom she only saw occasionally, than about himself, who had been by her side constantly?
At this rate, he could become a friendly third oppa, but he had an instinctive realization that he wouldn’t be able to get any closer to Moa.
‘Haejeoryeong, this won’t work, will it?’
The bloodline of the Haejeo Family, strong in exploration.
They never failed to find what they sought, what they wanted to possess.
It was the moment when Haesoo, who had been stopped for so long since being cursed, was triggered into action.
***
A few days later.
Haesoo came to find Jin Saheon.
“I… want to go back home.”
“Go back?”
Jin Saheon blinked.
His arrival had been sudden like a midnight escape, and now his announcement about going home was just as unexpected.
“Why so suddenly?”
“…Just because.”
Haesoo lowered his head.
“I’ve imposed on you here for too long. I think I should go home now.”
“It’s not because something upset you, is it?”
“Nothing like that.”
Jin Saheon looked at Haesoo.
The child’s expression seemed complicated.
‘He’s going to grow up quickly at this rate.’
With the intuition of a parent raising children of similar age, Jin Saheon nodded.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll send word to the Haejeo Family.”
“Thank you. I’ve been in your debt for a long time.”
Haesoo bowed his head in gratitude.
After leaving Jin Saheon’s office, the place he headed to was the backyard where Moa was playing.
After receiving the letter, Moa had started to regain her vitality and began tending to the garden.
After getting a very small flower bed in front of her room, she planted flower seedlings there.
They were red azaleas, red like rubies.
The reason for planting them was simple. Seeing the flowers somehow made her want to grow them.
Among them, she chose the red ones simply because they seemed pretty for some reason.
Even now, Moa was humming a melody she’d never heard before while standing in front of the azaleas, going “Hmm~”
“Oh! Su oppa!”
For the first time in a while, Moa spotted Haesoo first.
Until now, Moa had been trapped in sadness and lethargy, strangely unable to notice her surroundings, but she finally had some peace of mind.
‘This should be a good thing…’
Yet somehow he felt bad about it. Haesoo thought this as he approached.
“Moa. I have something to tell you.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“I’m going back home now.”
At Haesoo’s words, Moa blinked several times, then shot up from where she was sitting.
“What?! You’re leaving?”
Moa shouted and came running over quickly.
“Yeah.”
Haesoo nodded.
‘If I leave, will you plant purple flowers that resemble me too?’
Haesoo knew because he had seen what happened the day Danhwi left Jinryong Clan.
Danhwi had eyes like Moa’s, and Moa had chosen flowers the color of Danhwi’s eyes.
Moa didn’t seem to realize that the flowers she received resembled her, and the flowers she decided to grow seemed to be chosen unconsciously, but…
“Did Father tell you to go home?”
As if she would go scold him, Moa put her hands on her hips and huffed.
Haesoo smiled and shook his head.
“No, I’ve been imposing for too long. I have things to do at home too.”
“Oppa, you’re also a Master like older brother…”
Moa pouted.
“Are you really going?”
“Yeah.”
“Ugh…”
Moa’s eyes turned slightly red.
Everyone was leaving her side. Danhwi, and now Haesoo too…
“Do you hate me now? Is that why?”
“No!”
Haesoo frantically waved his hands.
“It’s not like that! It’s just…”
Haesoo stopped speaking.
‘If I stay here… I feel like I’ll stop moving forward.’
He didn’t say those words.
“I need to do what I have to do too. I can’t stay here forever using being hurt as an excuse.”
“Oppa…”
“What, do I look cool? Next time we meet, I’ll be even cooler.”
Moa stared intently at Haesoo.
“…Okay.”
Then she nodded.
“But promise me.”
“What?”
“You have to come see Rin unni’s inauguration as Head of the Manor.”
“Saryeom House?”
“Yeah. The invitation will come soon. Let’s meet there.”
Haesoo’s eyes widened. Somehow the burden felt lighter.
They wouldn’t be under the same roof, but they could meet anytime.
“…Alright!”
Haesoo smiled brightly.
“It’s a promise!”
“Yeah, a promise!”
Moa smiled too.
But Haesoo knew.
There was definitely something different between when Moa smiled at him and when her eyes sparkled upon receiving Danhwi’s letters.
‘…It’s okay.’
Haesoo muttered to himself.
‘I just need to work hard too.’
He didn’t know yet what he needed to work hard at, but he felt like getting stronger would be a good start.
***
“Moa, are you ready?”
“Mother, just a moment!”
“Shh, Miss. Please stay still for a moment.”
Sehui moved busily behind Moa.
Sitting in the center with a mirror in front of her, Moa’s hair was being braided more and more elaborately.
Wearing the blue formal attire that was Jinryong Clan’s symbolic color, with blue flowers adorning her hair, she looked both cute and dignified.
“…Is this enough?”
“Mm, hmm… Yes, it’s perfect!”
Sehui, who had been carefully checking if there was anything more she could do, finally nodded and finished the styling.
“Oh my, our daughter looks so beautiful!”
Jaseonghwa, who had come in and been watching, smiled brightly as she praised her.
“Hehe.”
Moa ran over quickly, took Jaseonghwa’s hand, and smiled.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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