The Dragon Family’s Beloved Baby Cat - Chapter 7

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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 7

Cold sweat ran down Moa’s back.

Along with her own image of chattering away just moments ago… Jin Dowoon’s face came to mind, whose expressionless look couldn’t be broken by anything.

Feeling like she wanted to catch hold of the rapidly disappearing text again, Moa called out to Jin Dowoon who had walked some distance away, stopping him in his tracks.

“Wait!”

Jin Dowoon, who heard Moa’s shout, turned around and looked in her direction.

Seeing his face that had not even a single gap, more flawless than the plastic dolls at the orphanage, her courage began to waver.

‘No, I can’t give up! I don’t even know what the reward is!’

However, Moa remembered clearly.

‘But if the reward this time is… like that one, what should I do.’

The reward that allowed her to hide her ears and tail had been quite useful.

Today’s outing was thanks to that too.

As Moa fidgeted restlessly, unable to decide what to do, Jin Dowoon tilted his head slightly and asked.

“Do you have no business with me?”

“Th-that… that’s not it, but.”

As Moa struggled, Yeongang, now completely awake, also asked with a puzzled face.

“What’s the matter? You were so bold with me earlier, why can’t you say anything to hyung-nim?”

“But still.”

Moa’s face gradually crumpled into a tearful expression.

And then finally.

“Oppa, we’re close, right?!”

Instead of saying “let’s become close,” the words came out wrong and she ended up saying something ridiculous.

Only Jin Dowoon’s eyebrows rose on his expressionless face.

It was a face that seemed to say he couldn’t understand.

“What nonsense are you talking?”

Moa’s ears turned bright red, and her fists trembled.

Sure, the words came out wrong! But did he need to use such a tone as if it was completely absurd?

“If that’s all you have to say, I’m leaving.”

Jin Dowoon spoke curtly in an extremely irritating voice and disappeared from the garden just like that.

Moa, who had been cut off with a single blow, moved her lips in a pouting motion.

“Hyung-nim is originally like that. He wasn’t like that in the old days, but…”

Yeongang spoke as if trying to subtly comfort Moa.

“Right. He’s been like that for three years now. Before that, he had a very gentle personality…”

“Really?”

At Yeongang’s words, Moa recalled the image from her dream.

If she hadn’t seen that warm expression, she would have definitely thought it was a lie.

It was an extreme temperature difference that couldn’t come from the same face.

Sehui comforted Moa with a sympathetic smile.

“It’s true. The young master originally had a very kind and caring personality.”

“But why is he like that now?”

Moa asked with a sulky face.

Then suddenly, something came to mind about the mention of three years, and she screamed “Ah!”

“Could it be that his heart ached because Yeongang oppa was sick?”

Three years ago would be when Yeongang’s insomnia first began.

At Moa’s words, Yeongang shook his head with a bitter expression.

“It was around the same time… but that’s not it. We… Ah, never mind.”

Yeongang seemed to contemplate something, then cut off his words. It looked like he couldn’t easily speak to Moa about it.

‘What could it be…?’

Naturally, Sehui, who couldn’t carelessly talk about the master’s family matters in front of the young master, was equally unable to satisfy Moa’s curiosity.

The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward.

In the end, Moa had to return to Cheongbindang, led by Sehui’s hand, without gaining any new information.

“You don’t want to go in yet, do you? I’ll bring out some snacks, so please have them in the backyard of Cheongbindang.”

Sehui comforted Moa with a bitter smile. Moa followed Sehui, feeling slightly dejected.

‘Hmph.’

Sitting on a flat rock placed in the yard, nibbling on the moon cake Sehui had given her, Moa suddenly grabbed her neatly braided twin tails.

“Uuuugh!”

Moa stuck out her already protruding lips even further.

“I’m only trying to get close because I have no choice!”

Moa’s face turned bright red with indignation.

Seeing the kindness in her dream had become more poisonous.

Because now she knew he was someone capable of being like that!

Moa was still too young to recognize that what she felt was humiliation.

“I wanted to tell him something earlier!”

Moa didn’t particularly want to become close with Jin Dowoon, whom she’d only met face-to-face once.

Having grown up in an orphanage, she already knew well that not everyone could like her.

‘Still… it would be nice if he was a good oppa like in the dream.’

She couldn’t forget the gaze that looked at her as if she was precious.

If she received such a look, she would feel like a more remarkable person.

‘Ah, don’t get your hopes up.’

Right, she was just curious about the reward, and perhaps… she was only trying to get close in case that reward might be of great help to her!

…she tried to comfort herself with that thought.

It was the second day since she had fallen alone into this strange world.

She felt proud when Yeongang woke up after sleeping, and she had met good people like Sehui and Jin Saheon.

Nevertheless, Moa felt lonely, frustrated, and sad.

“Somi, I miss you…”

Tears welled up in Moa’s eyes.

Somehow the moon cake tasted salty.

“And it’s strange. How do you know when you’ve become close?”

Could she be recognized as having become close if she said “From now on, we’re friends!”?

Moa thought the game window’s sudden demand was unreasonable.

At this rate, she might never be able to complete the mission depending on Jin Dowoon’s attitude.

“This is unfair!”

Moa clenched her fist and threw a punch toward the air.

Then.

Suddenly, a very warm breeze brushed past Moa’s nose.

‘…Somi?’

The nutty and warm, feverish scent that would come when she buried her face in Somi’s belly.

“…Somi?”

Why won’t you show yourself, why are you leaving me alone, don’t you want to cuddle with me…

Longing for Somi and inevitable resentment flashed through Moa’s mind.

However, soon, the scented breeze disappeared in an instant.

The letters of the ‘game window’ appeared before her eyes again.

-Sub Mission: Become close with Jin Dowoon

The letters before her eyes became distorted and shook wildly.

Soon the letters appeared again.

-Sub Mission: Drink tea with Jin Dowoon ten times (20 minutes or more each time)

Moa rolled her eyes around.

It was much easier to understand than abstract instructions like simply ‘becoming close.’

Whether she could drink tea with him, well, she wasn’t sure about that.

In any case, to Moa, the change that occurred after Somi’s scent appeared felt like no ordinary matter.

“…Is Somi helping me?”

Cats are agile, after all.

Maybe she’s hovering around nearby before Moa can even see her?

Whether it was real or just wishful thinking, she didn’t know—

But Moa decided to think that Somi was helping her, and resolved to faithfully complete her mission.

Because Somi would never recommend something that wouldn’t benefit her!

***

Meanwhile, at Jin Ryong Outer Hall.

“Elder Chairman. Have you heard the news that the Master brought a child of unknown identity into Cheongbindang?”

“I heard that the servants belonging to Cheongbindang are moving about….”

“Cheongbindang is right next to the Master’s Residence. It’s a reckless decision.”

Two Elders whispered quietly inside the conference room.

One had an openly displeased expression, while the other looked around with a deeply furrowed brow.

“In times like these, to place a child who could have come from anywhere so close to Naedan….”

The end of his words trailed off ominously.

The Jinryong Clan was already going through difficult times due to the illness of the family mother and heirs.

Recently, they had even detected movements of assassins targeting the Master.

In such circumstances, what if problems arose because of the Suspicious Child?

The two men lowered their voices, seemingly unwelcoming of Moa’s presence.

“Even if it’s the Master’s decision, rules are rules. The laws of the Jinryong Clan must never be taken lightly.”

“If she’s suspicious, allowing her to stay longer would itself be dangerous.”

“Let’s observe for a few more days, and if he continues to keep her, we must report to the Master.”

It was the Elders’ role to share wisdom with the family, ensuring not even a speck of threat could harm the Jinryong Clan.

They judged that they must verify Moa’s existence for the sake of the family.

They were determined to drive out the Suspicious Child so she wouldn’t harm the family.

Eventually, the Elder Chairman wrote down a document to circulate among all the Elders.

That document had a single line as its title.

‘Official Objection to the Master’s Decision’

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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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