The Dragon Family’s Beloved Baby Cat - Chapter 23

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

Chapter 23

***

“Miss! Where are you going?”

Sehui rushed over with the ferocity of a tiger and blocked Moa, who was about to toddle away.

“Huh? To Madam…”

Moa answered readily while recalling Jaseonghwa’s beautiful face.

She no longer thought of her as a pretty older sister, but since she was as beautiful as a princess, she was Madam.

“Oh my, that won’t do. Today is very busy.”

“Why?”

When Moa tilted her head, Sehui lifted Moa up with a determined expression.

“Today’s lunch will be shared with the guest from Cheongbindang. It will be an official gathering with the Master, Madam, and all the young masters present.”

“Cheongbindang? Me?”

Remembering how people used to call her the young miss of Cheongbindang, Moa poked her own cheek with her finger.

“Our miss is now the young miss of Naedan.”

“Mm-hmm…”

Moa’s heart brightened at the words “our miss,” and she nodded her head coquettishly while giggling sweetly.

“Isn’t it just eating a meal?”

“No. We need to show the guest from Cheongbindang how adorable our miss is!”

Sehui took Moa to the bath.

After soaking in warm water and washing until she squeaked clean, Moa was soon dressed in pure white silk clothes.

With a peach-colored vest and fluffy fur decorations in her hair, she looked exactly like a snow fairy.

“Mm, perfect.”

Sehui nodded with satisfaction.

Moa looked at herself in the mirror and grinned widely.

“So sparkly!”

“Of course. These are clothes that Madam sent.”

“Madam did! Wow!”

“Now, don’t run around.”

Sehui took the hand of Moa, who was bouncing with joy, and carefully led her while making sure the child didn’t get too excited.

However, it wasn’t easy.

This was fascinating, and that was interesting.

Moa, who was usually well-behaved, was looking around here and there even more than usual today.

“Ah, we’re almost there! That must be it!”

“That’s right, miss. You’ll get hurt if you run… oh my.”

Contrary to Sehui’s worry, the excited Moa quickly ran into the banquet hall, which was today’s venue.

Jin Saheon and Jaseonghwa sat at the head of the banquet hall, with Dowoon and Yeongang seated below them.

And across from them was the seat for today’s protagonist, Bukgung Yeohi.

Somehow, Moa had ended up arriving last.

“Hello, Madam!”

Moa ran cheerfully to Jaseonghwa across the tense atmosphere of Naedan, completely shattering the tension.

“Child, you’ll get hurt if you run!”

While the startled Jaseonghwa tried to stop her, Moa had already arrived and thrust out what she was holding in her hand.

“A gift… it’s a present!”

Sehui watched from a distance and couldn’t help but suppress her laughter at what Moa was holding.

She realized that Moa, who liked Jaseonghwa’s clothes, had been looking around here and there to choose a return gift.

“Thank you for the gift, child.”

Jaseonghwa smiled warmly and corrected the word so Moa wouldn’t be embarrassed, accepting the round stone.

It wasn’t a pretty flower or a jewel, but it was very round, and it must have looked like treasure to a young child’s eyes.

“That’s your seat over there.”

“Okay.”

Moa’s seat was next to the two brothers.

Although they weren’t blood-related family, Jaseonghwa didn’t like the idea of seating her next to the guest Bukgung Yeohi, so she deliberately gave her a seat next to the brothers.

Moa approached the prepared seat with bouncing, cheerful steps as if musical notes would pop out, and sat down.

“Mm, now everything is settled.”

Although she hadn’t greeted him, Jin Saheon spoke in a pleased voice after seeing the delightful scene between his beloved wife and Moa.

Moa sat in her seat and looked across.

There sat a pretty older sister she was seeing for the first time.

It was an older sister with long, fine hair that was half-braided and let down.

‘A fairy! Definitely! It’s a fairy!’

The new guest who had settled in Cheongbindang after Moa left was definitely the fairy from the fairy and woodcutter tale.

“Oh, our little one is all sparkly.”

“Mm…”

While Moa was excited, Yeongang also whispered in admiration at Moa’s dressed-up appearance.

Dowoon also nodded gently with a soft smile as if agreeing.

“Pretty, right! Madam gave it to me!”

Moa was observing the guest when she smiled brightly at her brothers’ words.

‘Huh?’

And suddenly, the moment she looked at Yeohi again, Moa flinched in surprise.

Yeohi’s gaze was strange.

She was staring intently at Moa, and her gaze was as cold as if she were looking at something terrible.

However, while Moa shuddered briefly, such a look in Yeohi’s eyes disappeared.

“Oh my, how cute…”

Yeohi curved her cold eyes like crescents and showed the most gentle smile in the world.

Saying to herself that Moa was cute was a bonus.

It was such a perfect change that the previous expression seemed like it might have been a hallucination.

While Moa tilted her head, Jin Saheon turned his gaze to Yeohi.

“Miss Bukgung, you must have had a hard time coming such a long way. I hope you’ll stay comfortably.”

“Thank you, Master. I will never forget the grace of the Master and Madam for warmly receiving an uninvited guest from afar.”

Yeohi stood up and bowed gracefully.

Moa stared up at her blankly at the hem of her skirt that fluttered down like butterfly wings.

Her neatly combed and braided hair, her jade-colored skirt that seemed simple but elegant, and even her sorrowfully downcast eyes.

Anyone could see she was the very image of a noble family’s daughter who had risen above tragedy.

“You must have had a hard time coming such a long way. Please stay comfortably.”

“Thank you, Madam.”

And after sitting down, Yeohi participated appropriately in conversation without disrupting the gentle atmosphere while eating properly.

[That woman, there’s something about her.]

Somi, who noticed that Moa was concerned, whispered quietly from beside her.

[Her heartbeat is too unstable. Her outside and inside are completely different.]

***

After the meal ended, while the adults were drinking tea, Moa came out to the garden with Sehui.

“Oh my, it’s getting cold. Miss Moa, you might catch a cold, so I’ll bring you an outer garment.”

“Okay!”

Since it was just the inner courtyard of the house and there would be no danger, Sehui told Moa to wait a moment and quickly disappeared.

“Five ants, six… where are they going?”

Until Sehui returned, Moa decided to play in the dirt while watching the line of ants marching over the flower bed.

She was concentrating on watching the ants move busily when suddenly a shadow fell over her head.

“Tsk tsk.”

Moa looked up at the sound of tongue-clicking from above her head.

She saw the face of sister Yeohi, who was so pretty she could be mistaken for a fairy.

“Hey. Don’t you know how to understand your place?”

Yehui crossed her arms and spoke to Moa.

“Hmm?”

Moa tilted her head, not understanding what she meant.

“This isn’t the time to be leisurely watching ants. Just look at the state of your clothes. Covered in dirt, and your hair tie is all undone too.”

Yehui shook her head disapprovingly.

Moa quickly touched her hair.

Her hair tie really was undone.

“You seem to be getting complacent just because the Master allowed you to stay in Naedan temporarily, but what do you think you are? You’ll be kicked out in an instant at this rate. There’s no such thing as a free meal in this world.”

Her cold tone was filled with arrogance and frustration.

Moa gaped in bewilderment.

To think someone with such a pretty face could only say such mean things!

[What kind of person is that?! How ridiculous! Moa, you don’t need to listen to her. Look at all the great things you’ve done!]

Somi was fuming on behalf of the dazed Moa.

“You should be like me—getting up early in the morning, doing your makeup, learning etiquette, and trying to be helpful to the family. If you keep lounging around like that, you’ll be disposed of.”

“…”

“Are you listening to me? I’m giving you this advice as a senior in life, all for your own good.”

Makeup?

‘Gasp, the Green Star Troop leader?!’

What would be good about becoming a leader, learning etiquette, and being helpful to the family? What gets disposed of?

Moa, who recalled the title of kindergarten Girl Scout leader, blinked for a moment before answering.

“You’re such a nag, sister.”

Even as she shot back like that, Moa wasn’t really that angry.

‘Something feels different.’

Even though it was similar talk, it felt somehow different from when Chunsim would speak maliciously.

Why?

[You should give her a good smack right now!]

Somi was fuming angrily, but Moa wasn’t quite that upset.

It was just that something kept trying to come to mind, making her head feel itchy.

“Sigh, don’t my words sound reasonable to you?”

“It’s strange, but somehow familiar.”

At Moa’s words, Yehui’s eyes wavered.

Moa pondered hard about why her attitude felt familiar.

Finally finding the reason, her face brightened.

“Ah, I know. You’re a know-it-all!”

Moa, who had recalled the ‘know-it-all boss’ from a drama, pointed her finger and exclaimed.

Then she started giggling.

“Sister, I think you’re right too. So this morning I gave the brothers an extra side dish.”

Moa felt proud, saying she had helped out for the day, and rubbed under her nose smugly.

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