The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 120

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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 120

 

“Seolyeo!”

 

Poof!

 

Soya quickly released her beast transformation and smiled brightly.

 

The boy with black hair and ash-colored eyes was none other than Seolyeo.

 

Seolyeo’s atmosphere had changed somewhat over the past two years.

 

He had never been particularly talkative, but he had become even more taciturn, and sometimes he would quietly gaze somewhere with a face that seemed to hold untold stories.

 

It wasn’t just his atmosphere that had changed.

 

His height, which had been similar to Soya’s when they were young, had grown to match Gayul’s, and his handsome features combined with his unique atmosphere had made him into a beautiful young man that anyone would turn to look at.

 

He was especially popular with the girls of the western lands, who said he had certain qualities that the White Tiger princes lacked.

 

Of course, to Soya, he was still her closest friend in the world.

 

“It seemed to be taking a long time, so I was worried, Soya.”

 

As Soya’s guard, Seolyeo had followed her all the way to the Imperial Palace and wanted to climb up the tree with her.

 

But Soya insisted that this was a secret promise with her mother and that she had to go up alone.

 

So Seolyeo had been keeping watch from below.

 

“Sorry, Seolyeo. Did you wait long?”

 

“No. I didn’t wait that long.”

 

Just moments ago he had said he was worried because it seemed to be taking a long time, so his words didn’t match up.

 

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Soya smiled brightly as she carefully held her mother’s hairpin in her hand.

 

“Let’s go back quickly, Seolyeo. Father must be waiting.”

 

Soya walked ahead, somehow in very high spirits.

 

It was when Seolyeo, relieved to confirm that she was unharmed and safe, was following behind her.

 

‘Huh…?’

 

Suddenly, Seolyeo noticed that Soya’s face was subtly flushed.

 

A light blush lingered on both her cheeks.

 

She must have had a hard time searching for something in such a high place.

 

‘It would have been better if I could have helped her.’

 

Seolyeo hid his regretful feelings and stole glances at Soya.

 

‘But why does Soya… even look pretty with her face all red.’

 

Seolyeo thought quietly as he gazed at Soya’s face.

 

It was strange.

 

He hadn’t gone to any high place or exerted himself, yet he could feel his face growing warm and flushed.

 

Just like Soya’s face.

 

But somehow he felt like he shouldn’t let his reddened face be discovered, so Seolyeo kept his mouth tightly shut and silently followed behind Soya.

 

* * *

 

After finishing dinner with her family, Soya walked around in front of the pavilion in an excited mood.

 

During the meal just now, she had given her mother’s hairpin to Saeon.

 

[Father, this. I found it today in the Imperial Palace garden. It’s something Mother prepared to give to you long ago.]

 

[…]

 

Saeon suddenly stopped eating and covered his face with one hand.

 

Below that large palm, his face, which wasn’t completely hidden, flushed red with a ‘poof!’

 

It was the first time Soya had seen her father so flustered.

 

He seemed more flustered than when he faced the centipede demon beast, or when she brought back a flock of birds from the southern lands.

 

Thinking about that made her feel good, so Soya giggled.

 

No matter how she thought about it, it seemed like Mother and Father had liked each other since they were very young, but no one agreed with Soya’s claim.

 

[But when they were children, they would fight whenever they met.]

 

[The Family Head even cried because of Lady Cheongha’s bullying.]

 

[So the Family Head also gritted his teeth, saying he would get revenge.]

 

[Their relationship only improved after they got married and had the three Young Masters.]

 

Mother bullied Father and made him cry? Why would such strange rumors spread?

 

The two of them loved each other so deeply and got along so well.

 

“Geez, it seems like I’m the only one who really knows about Mother and Father.”

 

Soya’s steps bounced lightly as she muttered to herself in a secretly proud voice.

 

Then, in her excitement, she accidentally caught her toe on a stone.

 

“Ah…!”

 

“Careful.”

 

An unfamiliar woman gently grasped Soya’s shoulders.

 

“The night path is dark. You almost fell.”

 

“Ah… Thank you. Thanks to you, I didn’t fall.”

 

Soya straightened herself and bowed politely in greeting.

 

Then she raised her head to look at the other person’s face, and Soya’s eyes widened.

 

“Huh? Could you be…?”

 

Curly blue hair. And light purple eyes that reminded her of someone she really liked.

 

“Are you the Family Head of the Azure Dragon Family?”

 

“You recognize me.”

 

“…!”

 

It was Cheong Sua, the Family Head of the Azure Dragon Family, who was Mother’s niece and therefore a cousin to her elder brothers.

 

“I, I’m Soya! Baek Soya of the White Tiger Family!”

 

“Of the White Tiger Family? Then you’re…”

 

It was when she was bending down toward Soya to speak.

 

“Stop.”

 

At that moment, Gaya appeared and embraced Soya with one arm, warning in a sharp voice.

 

“She’s my Cotton Ball.”

 

Cheong Sua slowly straightened her body and glanced at Gaya’s wary eyes.

 

Then she spoke in an indifferent voice.

 

“I won’t take anything more from you.”

 

“…”

 

“So don’t worry, Baek Gaya.”

 

Sua left those words and turned around.

 

It was when Gaya was grumbling “Tch.” and watching her retreating figure.

 

“…So cool.”

 

Soya murmured in an excited voice.

 

“What?”

 

“The Family Head of the Azure Dragon Family. I heard she only recently underwent her second growth stage, but her voice sounds so mature and she seems so cool.”

 

Gaya raised one eyebrow in displeasure.

 

“More than this elder brother?”

 

At that question, which even Gayul wouldn’t have asked, Soya burst into laughter.

 

“Gaya Elder Brother is a baby. You were the one crying and whining that you wanted to see me!”

 

“You don’t understand, Cotton Ball. Babies can be cool too.”

 

Gaya replied to Soya’s words in a deliberately serious voice, then immediately curled up the corner of his mouth and added.

 

“Like baby Cotton Ball who defeated the centipede demon beast without batting an eye.”

 

“Now that you mention it, Elder Brother is right.”

 

It was when the two were giggling and walking the night path together.

 

They heard sounds coming from the opposite direction.

 

Soya, who had casually raised her head, froze instantly.

 

‘That person is.’

 

From the moment she decided to attend the celebration at the Imperial Palace, she had thought she might encounter this person again.

 

With flame-red hair and equally red eyes…

 

‘Sanyu Elder Brother.’

 

The moment he turned his head toward this direction.

 

Startled.

 

Soya unconsciously hid behind Gaya.

 

“Young Master Gaya. Were you taking a night stroll?”

 

Sanyu, who spotted Gaya, smiled brightly and offered a greeting.

 

“I’m not telling you.”

 

Gaya crossed his arms crookedly and looked at him.

 

Though it was a sharp gaze, Sanyu didn’t mind and approached him to speak.

 

“Meeting Young Master Gaya like this in the Imperial Palace brings new feelings.”

 

“Me too.”

 

Gaya replied bluntly.

 

“I never thought I’d see the face of someone I expected to become a ghost on the battlefield while still alive. Very, very new feelings indeed.”

 

“Young Master Gaya’s wit is still entertaining. Now thinking that I won’t be able to hear Young Master Gaya’s voice anymore makes me so upset, what should I do?”

 

“Good. I’d prefer if you got so upset that you actually fell ill.”

 

Sanyu curved his eyes into crescents toward Gaya, who responded crookedly to every single word without letting anything slide.

 

Because what Baek Gaya hated most in the world was his eye-smile.

 

And sure enough.

 

An unpleasant light settled heavily over Baek Gaya’s face.

 

Sanyu, who was wearing a satisfied smile at this, suddenly noticed a little girl hiding tightly behind Gaya, clutching only the hem of his clothes.

 

Her head was lowered so her face wasn’t visible, but she was a girl with snow-white hair.

 

‘Is this the child the White Tiger Family adopted?’

 

That snow-white hair reminded him of someone.

 

That child who used to call him ‘Big brother—’ and toddle after him when they were little.

 

“Don’t look at her.”

 

Gaya fluttered his sleeve to cover Soya while speaking in a crooked voice.

 

“Pardon…?”

 

“My little sister. I said don’t look at her.”

 

At Gaya’s quarreling that started up again without fail, Sanyu let out a hollow laugh.

 

Swoosh—

 

At that moment, in the wind that blew, Baek Gaya’s white hair fluttered gently in the night air.

 

That snow-white hair that likewise reminded him of someone was also the reason why he didn’t completely hate Baek Gaya.

 

Jeok Sanyu, who had been staring quietly at that white hair, soon bent down toward Soya and spoke to her.

 

“It’s nice to meet you like this, youngest Young Lady of the White Tiger Family. You must have a hard time because of your immature elder brother.”

 

Then Soya’s small body trembled with a start.

 

“You…!”

 

Just as Gaya was about to say something at the sight of Sanyu provocatively greeting his sister.

 

“I suppose you must be quite shy. Let’s see each other again at tomorrow’s banquet.”

 

Sanyu finished his greeting with a bright smile and left.

 

Only then did the strength leave the hand that had been tightly gripping Gaya’s clothes.

 

“Phew…”

 

Soya released her tension and let out a deep sigh.

 

‘Why did I hide again?’

 

Even though I spoke so bravely to Father saying I was fine, I ended up hiding like this again.

 

I thought I’d be okay seeing that man who gave birth to me, whom I once called Father.

 

I thought I’d be okay seeing that other man who abandoned me, whom I once called Elder Brother.

 

But, Sanyu Elder Brother.

 

Only that person, whom I parted from when very young and never saw again, I didn’t know how to treat.

 

So I just ended up hiding.

 

“You did well, Somsom.”

 

At that moment, Gaya grinned and patted Soya’s head.

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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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