The Dragon Family’s Beloved Baby Cat - Chapter 81

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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 81

“Oh my, what’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Jaseonghwa asked in surprise.

Danhwi shook his head.

He couldn’t understand why he was crying either.

This was the first time he couldn’t put a name tag on his emotions like this.

His chest just felt hot, and the tears wouldn’t stop.

“I’m not hurt. It’s just…”

“Just?”

“It’s been so long since I’ve experienced something like this.”

Danhwi’s voice trembled.

Warm porridge.

Worried eyes.

Gentle touch.

These were things he had once felt too, but after losing his parents at such a young age, he thought he would never experience again.

It would have been better if he had never known them from the beginning.

If that were the case, he wouldn’t have spent nights calling for parents who would never come whenever he had a fever in the abandoned palace that was no different from imprisonment.

He wouldn’t have resented his innocent parents, asking why they had given birth to him as the Emperor’s brother only to leave without being able to endure.

On such days, self-loathing colder than the chill in his bones would visit him.

“…”

Jaseonghwa looked at Danhwi silently for a moment.

Then she gently stroked Danhwi’s head.

“It’s okay. You can cry here.”

“…”

“You should cry when you want to cry so your heart can feel better.”

At those words, Danhwi’s tears poured out even more.

Even when he tried to hold them back, he couldn’t.

Perhaps it was because the tension from that hellish place had completely released.

Danhwi covered his mouth tightly, not wanting to be caught sobbing.

“Brother, I can’t hear anything. My ears are blocked.”

Moa tightly covered her ears with both hands and squeezed her eyes shut.

However, her credibility was questionable due to the tears dripping down.

Danhwi felt even more emotional at Jaseonghwa’s loving attitude and Moa’s overflowing consideration, but he forcibly swallowed his tears.

“…You can take your hands off now. It’ll hurt if you press that hard.”

Danhwi pulled Moa’s hands down.

“Thank you.”

Then he thanked Moa.

“Don’t mention it. Brother protected me.”

Moa said while sniffling.

“So I’ll protect brother too.”

At that moment.

Grumble.

A loud sound came from Moa’s stomach.

“…”

An awkward silence flowed for a moment.

Moa’s face turned bright red.

“M-Mother. I’m hungry too…”

Moa muttered quietly.

Jaseonghwa burst into laughter.

“Yes, our Moa needs to eat too.”

The atmosphere became much softer.

Jaseonghwa stood up and said.

“Do you want to eat here together? I’ll bring up a meal.”

“Yes! Mother, I want braised ribs!”

Moa answered energetically.

Danhwi’s eyes were still wet, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

A little later, a small table was set up in the room.

There were tender braised ribs always made for Moa, white rice, and carefully prepared vegetable side dishes.

Danhwi’s porridge was also reheated and brought.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

Jaseonghwa placed spoons in front of the two children.

Moa first picked up the largest piece of ribs.

The appetizing piece of ribs, glistening with moisture and fat, tempted Moa’s eyes.

As it looked the most delicious, she would definitely make Danhwi eat it.

The love that Moa knew best was actions like giving up chicken drumsticks.

“Brother, this is delicious. It’s my favorite.”

“Ahaha, Moa. Young Master Hwi needs to get better before eating that.”

Jaseonghwa stopped Moa.

Since he needed to keep lying down, he had to reduce the burden on his stomach.

The porridge already contained various medicinal herbs for nourishment anyway.

“Hmph. Then what about this?”

Moa pointed to the softly boiled vegetables.

When Jaseonghwa nodded to indicate that much was okay, she hummed and placed the vegetables in front of Danhwi.

Danhwi stared at the scene blankly.

“Why? Don’t you like this?”

“N-no.”

Danhwi hurriedly shook his head.

“It’s just…”

“Hmm?”

“It’s the first time I’m eating at the same table with someone.”

Danhwi’s voice became small.

In the Imperial Palace, he always ate alone.

When his situation worsened, it was cold food, then soon changed to stale or poisoned food.

There was never anyone beside him picking up side dishes for him or asking about his preferences.

“Really?”

Moa’s eyes widened.

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s eat together every day from now on!”

Moa smiled brightly.

“I’ll teach you lots of delicious things.”

“…Yeah.”

Danhwi nodded.

Moa glanced at her mother and whispered very quietly, bringing her mouth close to Danhwi’s ear.

“When you get better, let’s raid the kitchen too. Brother Gang taught me how.”

Danhwi was momentarily surprised by the mischievous suggestion.

However, he seemed to understand Moa’s feelings, so he just nodded once more.

Actually, he couldn’t really tell what he was eating.

He just liked that Moa was chattering beside him, trying to pick up this and that for him.

Jaseonghwa watched the scene and smiled quietly.

***

Right after the meal ended, the door opened.

Jin Saheon and Jin Wonbaek entered.

“Have you eaten?”

Jin Wonbaek asked.

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Moa answered.

Jin Saheon’s gaze turned toward Danhwi.

“Your Highness, how is your condition?”

At those words, his mind that seemed to be immersed in sweet dreams was instantly pulled back to reality.

Danhwi hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a small voice.

“Here… I am Young Master Hwi…”

Then Jin Saheon also fell silent for a moment before answering.

“…It must hurt a lot. It’s fine to lie down comfortably while we talk.”

“…I’m fine.”

Danhwi also answered carefully.

Then Jin Wonbaek sat down and spoke heartily.

“You don’t need to be nervous. I just want to hear what happened yesterday.”

“That is…”

Danhwi’s expression darkened.

Then Moa spoke up first.

“Me! I’ll tell you!”

Moa raised one hand high like giving a presentation, then lowered it and continued speaking.

“A strange monster suddenly appeared at Dahoe!”

“Monster?”

Jin Wonbaek narrowed his eyes.

“Yes. A monster made of shadows. It was huge and scary…”

Moa trembled all over.

The terror from yesterday seemed to come back to life.

“Danhwi oppa protected me. That’s how oppa’s back got hurt.”

“…Hmm.”

“Our baby, you must have been very scared.”

Jin Saheon and Jin Wonbaek’s expressions hardened.

Danhwi carefully added to the explanation.

“I don’t know much since it appeared suddenly. However…”

Danhwi paused for a moment.

“Black shadows rose from Moa’s hand, and that demon only targeted Moa. It ignored me and focused solely on Moa.”

“…I see.”

The adults’ gazes sharpened.

‘It wasn’t a demon that appeared by chance.’

Someone had deliberately targeted Moa.

Just then, at the mention of her hand, Moa let out a short scream of “Ah!”

“Come to think of it! When I held hands with oppa, it stung! As time passed, it got more and more stinging until it hurt enough to make me go ‘Ow!'”

At those words, Jin Saheon’s face slightly crumpled.

Every sentence Moa spoke bothered him.

First of all, why was she holding hands with the Crown Prince at Dahoe, and what exactly had happened for her hand to hurt that much?

Unaware of her father’s worsening mood, Moa made a tearful face.

“Waaah, what should I do. I left the letters I wrote behind…!”

She had been in such a hurry that she left behind all the letters she had written for her family.

Since it would be difficult to go back and retrieve them, Moa was dejected.

‘Those were my favorite handwriting samples.’

Seeing Moa looking downcast, Danhwi explained the situation instead.

“Moa said she wanted to send letters to her family… and asked me to help her with writing.”

“Going all the way to Dahoe to play… and thinking of this old man…!”

Moved, Jin Wonbaek vigorously patted Moa’s head.

“Father. For now, we need to find the culprit. Please maintain your dignity.”

“Culprit? If it’s forbidden arts that summon demons, what else could it be besides the Emper… or.”

Jin Wonbaek, who had snorted and was speaking, suddenly ended his words awkwardly.

Come to think of it, the Emperor was the older brother of this young boy who had a shadowed face.

No matter how true his words might be, he felt uncomfortable speaking ill of the child’s family in front of him.

“…It’s fine. My older brother and I have a very different relationship from what you know.”

Danhwi noticed Jin Wonbaek’s feelings and smiled bitterly.

A relationship where they wished for each other’s death couldn’t be called brotherhood, could it?

Jin Wonbaek, who read much between the lines, looked at the boy who had become an adult too early with pitying eyes.

“Forbidden arts… bad uncle… Oh, that’s right!”

Moa, who remembered something, rummaged through her clothes.

“This! Sister Rin told me to take it as evidence.”

An object where black ash had clumped together in the shape of a seed.

Jin Wonbaek received and examined the abnormally dark seed that seemed to absorb all light.

“Goseol killed the monster, and this is what the monster left behind when it died!”

Jin Wonbaek’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s a remnant of forbidden arts, so it will certainly serve as evidence. We owe a debt to Saryeom House.”

Jin Wonbaek’s eyebrows tilted slightly at an angle, displeased with that fact.

“You did well telling us.”

Jin Saheon somewhat awkwardly patted Danhwi’s head.

“Now rest well.”

Danhwi’s body stiffened slightly at that touch.

Every touch, gaze, and even breath he felt since entering this house was all foreign to him.

He felt like he might go crazy because he liked that foreignness.

“…Thank you.”

Danhwi answered quietly.

Jin Wonbaek and Jin Saheon soon left the room, and when the door closed, Moa approached Danhwi.

“Oppa, let’s play with me. I’ll make sure you’re not bored.”

Moa lay down sideways next to the lying Danhwi and chattered about this and that.

Favorite foods, favorite seasons, favorite games.

They were trivial stories, but Danhwi listened to each one carefully.

“What does oppa like?”

“…Me?”

Danhwi thought for a moment.

Things he liked.

He had never thought about such things in the Imperial Palace.

Just surviving had been overwhelming enough.

“…I don’t know.”

“Then let’s find out!”

Moa’s eyes sparkled.

“If you stay here, you’ll find lots of things you like. I’ll help you find them.”

At those words, Danhwi’s heart beat strangely.

If you stay here.

Those words kept echoing in his ears.

If you stay here.

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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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