The Morning Star Baby Wants a Family - Chapter 29
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 29
Hae-na watched Chung-su coughing so violently that he seemed to struggle for breath, her eyes wide with alarm.
Without hesitation, she rushed to his side and gently patted his back with her small hands.
“Are you alright? I’m sorry—I asked so abruptly….”
Her youthful voice was filled with genuine concern.
Chung-su paused, doubting his own ears. Had I heard that correctly?
“*Cough*, *cough*. I’m fine, Miss.”
Chung-su cleared his throat with effort.
“…Pardon me, but what did you just ask me?”
Chung-su turned to Hae-na, whose face was etched with worry, and asked carefully.
Hae-na answered brightly.
“Oh, I asked if you dislike me.”
“*Cough*, *cough*!”
Chung-su erupted into another violent fit of coughing. Alarmed, Hae-na resumed patting his back.
Even as he struggled through the coughing fit, Chung-su regarded her with an expression of utter bewilderment.
‘She looks like she wouldn’t make a sound even if bullied.’
The way she asked so casually whether he disliked her was far from ordinary.
‘Blood truly runs deep, doesn’t it?’
Chung-su recalled his master, who appeared utterly devoid of blood and tears.
As his coughing finally subsided, Hae-na stared at him intently, waiting for an answer to her question.
Chung-su, regarding her with an uncomfortable gaze, slowly began to speak.
“First, I am Chung-su. From today onward, I shall teach you proper etiquette.”
“Yes, Chung-su.”
“Simply call me Chung-su.”
At those words, Hae-na’s eyes widened, and she broke into a bright smile.
Chung-su gazed down at her radiant face with a complicated expression.
“Do you wish for an honest answer, or one that sounds pleasant?”
“An honest answer.”
The reply came without hesitation. Chung-su faltered for a moment.
If he made Hae-na cry, neither Seowan nor Chung-yeon would let him off easily.
Yet this child didn’t seem the type to burst into tears at being told she was disliked.
“If I must choose between liking and disliking, then yes. I dislike you.”
In the end, Chung-su answered honestly, as Hae-na had wished.
At his cold words, the corners of Hae-na’s eyes drooped slightly. The child lowered her head a little.
‘Oh no?’
Chung-su watched the child anxiously, wondering if he should take back his words, when Hae-na suddenly lifted her head with a gleam.
“I see!”
Her voice carried not a trace of tears—if anything, it sounded somewhat spirited.
“Could you tell me why? If it’s something I can fix, I will.”
With her fists clenched firmly, Hae-na spoke with clear, unwavering determination.
I could tell from the moment I first saw Chung-su that he didn’t approve of me.
It wasn’t the overt hostility of the Second Prince or some of the Yul Household servants.
But whenever I encountered Chung-su, he would regard me with a subtle, disapproving gaze.
Unable to judge on my own, I asked him directly—and sure enough, he admitted he disliked me.
It stung a little, but I accepted it. I’d never expected everyone in the Residence to like me anyway.
Still, now that I was staying at the Yul Household, I didn’t want to invite unnecessary animosity.
If he disliked me for no reason, there was nothing I could do about it—but Chung-su didn’t strike me as that sort of person.
“If I’ve upset you, I apologize. Just tell me once what I’ve done wrong, and I won’t do it again.”
In Hae-na’s eyes as she spoke lay a pure sincerity.
‘Just a cute and kind child, they said.’
Chung-su recalled his sister’s assessment.
At the time, he’d dismissed it without thought, but now he found himself unable to deny her words.
She was a good child. So much so that he felt a twinge of regret for having said he disliked her.
And she was, admittedly, rather endearing. Those flushed, plump cheeks made him want to poke them.
But Chung-su steeled himself.
I was not some fool who would be swayed by appearances like my sister.
“I serve as the steward of the Yul Household. Therefore, I cannot welcome a young lady who jeopardizes the Yul Family.”
Having spoken firmly, Chung-su felt an unexpected discomfort. He hesitated, then added quietly:
“…It is not because you have done anything wrong, Miss.”
“….”
“By my conscience, I will not cause you harm. So please, do not worry yourself.”
The longer Chung-su spoke, the more grave Hae-na’s expression became.
After a moment of thought, the girl opened her mouth.
“Have I been eating too much rice?”
“Pardon?”
At this sudden question, Chung-su’s face went blank.
But Hae-na was perfectly serious.
“Or perhaps it’s my clothes? Actually, I heard just recently that my sister bought me new garments again….”
Hae-na nodded as though she understood, then looked at Chung-su with a dejected expression.
“I’m sorry. I’ll dispose of them all. I wear plain cloth just fine. And I don’t need much food either. Just give me half of what I eat now…no, a third would be enough.”
As Chung-su slowly comprehended what Hae-na was saying, his face grew bewildered.
So this little one believed that I was being excessively extravagant and endangering the Yul Family.
For Chung-su, who was well aware of the clan’s financial situation, it was almost laughable.
Though Hae-na’s stay at the Residence had increased expenses, it had barely made a dent in the Yul Family’s abundant wealth.
And rice, no less. According to Chung-yeon, Hae-na ate no more than a bird.
It was literally just one more spoon at the table.
“No, that’s not it at all.”
Chung-su couldn’t let this ridiculous misunderstanding stand.
If the already-frugal child reduced her meals further, he would have to face his sister, who had become as fierce as a demon.
“Then what is it?”
Pure curiosity sparkled in Hae-na’s round eyes. Chung-su deliberated.
It was partly the reason he disliked Hae-na, but now that she would be staying at the Yul Residence, it was a story she would eventually need to know.
‘The master seems intent on registering her permanently….’
However, the matter was far too complex for a child to comprehend easily.
Chung-su opened his mouth with the intention of explaining everything from the very beginning, step by step.
“Miss. Did you know that stars can fall?”
Hae-na shook her head, her eyes widening.
It was understandable—this fact was a secret that families blessed with Celestial Beings had kept tightly hidden.
“It is not common, but there are times when those with Celestial Beings lose their power. This occurs because the star their family once served has fallen.”
The existence of a Celestial Being was proof of legitimacy to the upper echelons of society.
Therefore, the Celestial Being and the power passed down through each family had to be flawless and eternal.
If legitimacy could be lost at any moment, why would the people revere and serve them as nobility?
“There are two reasons this occurs. Either when the Celestial Being of that generation desired more than the power granted to them, or when they could not bear the weight of that power.”
Chung-su continued, extending two fingers.
Hae-na nodded quietly.
“The master’s current situation is not favorable. He is desperately suppressing an overwhelmingly powerful force that surges within him.”
“….”
“His formidable spiritual power is a double-edged sword. Thanks to that strength, he has risen to his current position, yet simultaneously, there is a high risk that it could rampage at any moment, causing him to lose his power.”
“….”
“And amid all this, he maintains political neutrality.”
Chung-su’s previously measured voice grew slightly irritated. After exhaling a sigh, he spoke again.
“That means he is bearing both the temptation of those trying to draw him to their side and the danger of those seeking to eliminate him as a threat.”
At the explanation that followed, Hae-na nodded.
Two scenes had come to mind.
The mountain of gifts that accumulated when I shed my identity as the family of a traitor, and Hyun-o, who openly despised me as a child of the Yul Clan.
“For now, he manages to wield his spiritual power safely, but should he clash significantly with forces targeting Seowan and the Yul Clan, he may lose control of his strength.”
At those words, Hae-na’s expression grew sorrowful. As if to comfort such a child, Chung-su spoke.
“Therefore, to prevent such misfortune, I proposed a strategy to Seowan.”
“….”
“To select one man from the Seven Star Families, marry him, and bear a child.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————