The Dragon Family’s Beloved Baby Cat - Chapter 80
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 80
“Physician! Quickly call a physician!”
Moa shouted again.
Only then did people come to their senses and run off.
“What is this commotion!”
Jin Wonbaek appeared with a booming voice.
Behind him, Jin Saheon and Jaseonghwa also hurriedly followed.
The closer they got, the more clearly Moa’s crying could be heard.
“Grandfather!”
Moa cried out tearfully.
“Please save my brother! He got hurt because of me!”
Jin Wonbaek’s eyes moved from Moa to Danhwi, then to Goseol.
The Crown Prince covered in blood.
The massive bird that, though said to be rampaging madly, was secretly known as the Emperor’s spiritual creature.
And his weeping granddaughter.
Jin Wonbaek’s eyes flashed sharply.
“…What happened.”
“A monster suddenly appeared. My brother got hurt protecting me…”
Moa couldn’t continue her words and sobbed.
Jaseonghwa quickly approached and checked Danhwi’s condition.
“The wounds are deep. It’s dangerous if we don’t treat him immediately.”
“We already called a physician, my lady!”
At her words, a guard shouted to inform her of the situation.
Jin Saheon carefully lifted the child to avoid touching Danhwi’s wounds.
Blood soaked into his clothes as well, but he didn’t care.
‘An incident suddenly occurred while my daughter and the Crown Prince were together…’
His eyes grew menacing.
Naturally, this would be a matter to hold the Emperor accountable for.
“Let’s bring him inside first.”
“Please take care of Goseol too!”
Moa urgently shouted.
“Goseol saved my brother. He must be tired from flying all the way here!”
Jin Wonbaek looked at Goseol.
Goseol was quietly watching as Danhwi was carried away.
There was no trace of madness anywhere.
“Let him stay right in front of the window, just outside the room where His Highness the Crown Prince will be staying.”
Jin Wonbaek commanded.
Then Goseol slowly folded his wings and followed the group.
Soon Danhwi was laid down inside Cheongbindang. It was the room where Moa had been staying.
Before the physician belonging to the clan could examine Danhwi, Jin Saheon first removed the belt that could reveal his identity and took off his severely torn clothing.
The physician rushed over and examined Danhwi’s condition.
“There are several deep lacerations on his back. They didn’t reach the bone, but he’s lost a lot of blood.”
“Can he survive?”
Jin Saheon asked.
“It’s possible if we treat him immediately. Actually, his body temperature being too low is a bigger problem than the lacerations, but I’ll do my best.”
The physician nodded and took out medicinal materials.
Moa held Danhwi’s hand tightly and wouldn’t leave his side.
“Brother, I’m really sorry. Because of me…”
Moa’s shoulders trembled finely with guilt.
Then Jaseonghwa wrapped her arms around the child’s shoulders.
“Moa. It’s not your fault.”
“But…!”
“Please step aside for now so we can treat him. Okay?”
Moa nodded while sniffling.
Jaseonghwa took Moa and stepped back a little.
She quietly gestured to the physician’s apprentice and had him examine Moa.
From how tense she had been while coming here embracing Danhwi, Moa’s lips were purplish.
She had only endured this far with mental strength stronger than her peers, but it was obvious she would soon fall ill.
Meanwhile, Jin Wonbaek and Jin Saheon exchanged glances.
‘What happened at the Imperial Palace.’
‘We’ll have to hear the details later.’
The two men nodded silently.
Treatment came first for now.
The physician stayed by Danhwi’s side for a full two hours, treating him properly.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up.
“I’ve put out the immediate fire, so I’ll prepare medicinal decoction.”
“Thank you.”
Jaseonghwa expressed her gratitude.
When the physician withdrew, Moa ran back to Danhwi’s side.
Danhwi still had his eyes closed.
But there was a little more color in his face than before.
“Brother…”
Moa took Danhwi’s hand again.
She could feel a faint warmth in his previously cold hand.
“Thank goodness. Really thank goodness…”
Tears flowed from Moa’s eyes again.
This time they were tears of relief.
Beyond the window, Goseol also stretched his neck out to watch over Danhwi.
His blue eyes were filled with worry, fixed on Danhwi.
Goseol kept raising the feathers on his neck tensely whenever new people appeared beside Danhwi.
-Kuuuu…
Goseol cried softly as if comforting Danhwi and Moa.
“Moa, you need to rest too. You need to sleep first to regain your strength.”
Jaseonghwa tried to persuade Moa.
Moa refused to leave Danhwi’s side except when briefly changing her disheveled clothes and taking medicine.
She also refused to eat unless it was here, so they had to set up a simple table in the same space.
Throughout all this, she continuously looked on the verge of collapse.
Being such a caring and kind child, Moa felt a great sense of debt to Danhwi for saving her.
“I have to be next to him when my brother wakes up.”
Moa had her own solemn reason.
How surprised and sad would Danhwi be waking up in an unfamiliar, strange space.
At such times, a familiar face absolutely had to be beside him for reassurance.
‘My brother will definitely wake up soon.’
If she didn’t think this way, it was too frightening.
If Danhwi couldn’t open his eyes for days and days…
‘No! My brother will wake up soon, take medicine, and get healthy quickly!’
Moa bit her lips tightly.
Jaseonghwa realized her daughter would absolutely not change her mind and sighed.
“Sehui. Please lay out bedding here.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Sehui, who had been watching Moa with a worried expression beside Jaseonghwa, quickly brought a blanket and spread it on the floor.
“Then sleep here. You can’t catch a cold.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Moa pulled the blanket over herself and crouched down while holding Danhwi’s hand.
Goseol also didn’t move from the window.
Both of them looked like soldiers camping out in the field to guard Danhwi all night.
Jaseonghwa eventually left the child and quietly exited the room.
Jin Saheon was standing in the corridor.
“Did she fall asleep?”
“No. She’s holding out.”
Jaseonghwa smiled bitterly.
“That child is really stubborn.”
“In that regard, she takes after you perfectly.”
Jin Saheon laughed lightly.
But soon his expression grew heavy.
“Tomorrow I’ll need to hear the detailed story from Moa.”
“Yes. What happened at the Imperial Palace…”
“A messenger came from the Imperial Palace with accusations. They’re saying we summoned demons into the palace and kidnapped and are hiding the escaped Crown Prince.”
Jaseonghwa’s expression twisted upon hearing those words.
She spoke in a low, suppressed voice.
“It seems the Emperor has made his move.”
“I think so too.”
Jin Saheon’s eyes sank coldly.
“Since he touched our child, I won’t let this slide.”
Both Moa and Danhwi were still just very young children.
Seeing the Emperor’s behavior of trying to pin his own faults on young children, he now felt only contempt beyond anger.
The two people gazed at the room where soft candlelight shadows flickered.
***
The next morning.
Danhwi slowly opened his eyes.
“…Huh?”
He saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
It wasn’t his own room that had been in ruins, nor was it the cold, high ceiling of Gyeonganggung where he had suddenly been moved.
It was a bright room with a gentle woody fragrance.
“Brother!”
He heard a familiar voice.
When Danhwi turned his head, Moa came into view.
Her eyelids were puffy and swollen, with whites as red as a rabbit’s.
She had stubbornly held out until collapsing from exhaustion, then cried in her dreams all night.
“You’re awake! Thank goodness, really thank goodness…!”
Moa tightly grasped Danhwi’s hand and started crying again.
“…Don’t cry.”
Danhwi struggled to lift his hand and stroke Moa’s head.
It was hard to put strength in his arms and his whole body ached as if he’d been beaten.
Still, his desire to comfort Moa was more urgent, so he could barely manage to move his arm.
‘It seems like she keeps crying because of me…’
Originally she had smiled brightly and played pranks well, but from the moment the accident happened at the palace, Moa had continuously shown sad and fearful expressions.
“I’m okay.”
“You weren’t okay! You bled so much!”
“But I’m fine now, aren’t I?”
Danhwi smiled weakly.
Then the door opened and Jaseonghwa entered.
She was carrying a tray with porridge.
Though she could have left such things to the maids, she had brought it personally for the young child who had protected her daughter.
“…Oh my, you’re awake.”
Jaseonghwa paused for a moment, then approached with a gentle smile.
“Are you hungry? You need to eat some porridge at least.”
“…”
Danhwi looked at Jaseonghwa with a bewildered expression.
She was someone he was seeing for the first time.
But her eyes held sincere concern.
“Who, who are you…?”
“Ah, I’m late with introductions. I’m Moa’s mother.”
Jaseonghwa said as she set down the tray.
“Welcome to our home, Young Master Hwi.”
“Welcome…?”
Danhwi couldn’t understand those words.
He was the Crown Prince.
However, the woman before him spoke with a calm face as if she didn’t know his status.
It was truly an attitude like she was just treating her daughter’s friend.
“Let’s eat porridge first. You lost a lot of blood, so you need to regain your strength.”
Jaseonghwa scooped up porridge and offered it to Danhwi.
“Your arms must still hurt, so I’ll feed you.”
“No, no. I can…”
Danhwi panicked and tried to sit up.
Then pain surged from his back.
“Ugh…!”
“You mustn’t overdo it!”
Jaseonghwa and Moa made identical expressions as they quickly supported Danhwi.
“Slowly, slowly. There’s no rush.”
Her touch was gentle.
Like the warmth of his mother that he had briefly experienced when very young.
Danhwi stared blankly at Jaseonghwa.
“Do you… about me…”
Danhwi was about to ask if she didn’t know about his status.
Since he had come to a place outside the palace, he could fully anticipate how much the Emperor would rage.
The Emperor’s tyranny would come flying, so was it okay to just sit idle like this?
That’s what he wanted to ask.
“Shh. You can think about it after you recover first.”
However, seeing Jaseonghwa’s eyes, Danhwi realized he had been thinking wrongly.
Jaseonghwa knew who Danhwi was.
Nevertheless, she had decided to simply treat him as Young Master Hwi, her daughter’s friend.
“Come, let’s eat porridge. It won’t taste good if it gets cold.”
Jaseonghwa brought the spoon to his lips.
Danhwi reflexively ate the porridge.
It was warm.
Soft, sweet, and warm.
“…It’s delicious.”
Danhwi murmured quietly.
“I’m glad!”
“That’s a relief.”
Moa and Jaseonghwa smiled brightly.
The moment he saw that smile.
A tear dropped from Danhwi’s eyes.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————