The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 128

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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 128

 

Soya, who had unconsciously lifted her head, immediately froze.

 

‘That person is…’

 

The man across from her also spotted Soya and stopped with a short sigh, then walked toward her with a pained expression.

 

It was when Soya was blankly staring at the man approaching her.

 

With shuffling footsteps, the man who stood before Soya slowly placed his knees on the ground and knelt down.

 

“…!”

 

At the sight of Sanyu bowing his large frame, Soya’s eyes widened in an instant.

 

“Soya…”

 

“D-don’t do this, I am…!”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Soya, who had been startled and trying to stop him, suddenly stiffened at the earnest voice that flowed from between his lips.

 

“I promised you that I would return soon… but I ended up being this late.”

 

“…”

 

She remembered it was when Soya was six years old.

 

It was already spring eight years ago now.

 

She had followed him all the way to the Imperial Palace to see him off as he departed for war.

 

[Elder Brother, you must return healthy. You understand?]

 

And here at the Imperial Palace, she had tearfully exchanged final farewells with him.

 

[Yes, Soya. Elder Brother will return soon to see our Soya, so our Soya must also stay healthy and well.]

 

Soya at that time was too young and too small.

 

She didn’t know how long ‘soon’ meant.

 

So she waited vaguely.

 

For him to return again.

 

However, tragedy that came faster than waiting ultimately made it impossible for her to wait for him any longer.

 

“Because I came too late, not knowing that you suffered alone for such a long time, because I was this late.”

 

“…”

 

“You grew up so wonderfully like this, but I couldn’t even keep the one promise to return soon.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m sorry, Soya.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m sorry. Elder Brother is truly sorry.”

 

“…”

 

“So… so sorry…”

 

“…”

 

Between his voice that kept muttering apologies, painful sobs were embedded in every syllable.

 

To young Soya, he had been the biggest person in the world after Father.

 

Seeing such a big person curled up and crying in front of her felt so strange to Soya.

 

“I am…”

 

Soya gulped down her faintly trembling breath and slowly opened her mouth.

 

She had intended to say that she didn’t mind and tell him to get up quickly. But the moment she actually opened her mouth…

 

Drop, drop. Sniffle—

 

“Huh…?”

 

Soya blinked in confusion.

 

Tears were falling drop by drop.

 

“Huh, huh? This is strange. Why is this happening.”

 

Soya was surprised and tried to wipe her eyes with the end of her sleeve.

 

And at the same time she rubbed her eyes.

 

Trickle—

 

More tears flowed down both cheeks.

 

“Ah… The tears, why, won’t they stop…”

 

Her vision became blurry.

 

No matter how much she wiped, the tears just wouldn’t stop.

 

“Why, *sob*, why do they keep, *sniff*, the tears…”

 

Hiccup hiccup. Her words kept breaking with the sounds of swallowing sobs.

 

Her chest ached sharply.

 

The moment she realized she was crying because her heart hurt.

 

Only then could Soya understand.

 

[So please don’t really worry about me because of past events.]

 

Those words hadn’t come from understanding and forgiving them out of kindness.

 

It was simply because she was no longer that nine-year-old child who had waited for them to come find her again.

 

Because even without them, she now had truly precious real family who were the most important in the world.

 

Because she thought that childhood wounds could no longer leave even the slightest trace on her.

 

So she had calmly and maturely drawn that line with That Person, but apparently she wasn’t actually okay.

 

On the day she awakened from the past that Suzaku had shown her and underwent First Growth, she thought she had cried out all her sorrows in Father’s embrace, but apparently that wasn’t the case either.

 

She apparently wasn’t okay at all.

 

She apparently hadn’t forgotten that wound for even a moment.

 

Perhaps she had wanted to hear those words of apology all along.

 

Separate from cutting them out of her heart, she apparently wanted her childhood stained with sadness to be comforted somehow.

 

“*Sob*, *sniff*, *wail*…”

 

At the sorrowful crying sound, Sanyu’s expression twisted painfully.

 

Meanwhile, his face was also dampened just like Soya’s.

 

Even while looking at Soya with sad eyes, Sanyu couldn’t dare reach his hand toward her eyes.

 

He dared not, because he had no right to comfort her…

 

“…Soya. The wounds you received won’t disappear with just these words.”

 

He struggled to squeeze out his painfully choked voice.

 

“That day, when I saw you in the Northern Lands. You were the prettiest and most lovable among all the Baby Birds I knew.”

 

“…!”

 

At those words, Soya bit her lower lip hard and looked at him.

 

“You are absolutely not unsightly or shabby. Just let all those mean words flow away. If you can’t do that, I’ll go scold all those bad birds who spouted such lies.”

 

Beyond her blurred vision, she could see the face of a man crying sorrowfully with a devastatingly wet face.

 

“My sister, whom I longed to meet again for countless days, is the most beautiful Baby Bird in the world.”

 

The most beautiful Baby Bird in the world…

 

Perhaps the words that six-year-old me most wanted to hear from family…

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you those words sooner.”

 

The man who had once been her Elder Brother, even though his throat was completely blocked by endless tears and his voice kept cracking, said so with sad, wide eyes.

 

“I’m sorry for saying it so late. Really, really sorry. Soya…”

 

“*Sob*, *sniff*, why, so, late, *sniff*, *sob*… Why, did you come late, why… How much, *sob*, I waited… *waaah*.”

 

Soya ended up crying out loud.

 

Just like a six-year-old child.

 

* * *

 

Gaya hummed as he walked.

 

His steps were very light.

 

Behind him, Seolyeo and Su Ri were following with quick steps.

 

An hour ago, Gaya had returned to his quarters and immediately said he had somewhere to go, specifically ordering Seolyeo and Su Ri to escort him, and was now on his way back from outside the palace.

 

“But are you really going to make Young Lady’s accessories with that precious thing?”

 

Su Ri, who had been following behind, asked casually.

 

He had wondered what this First Young Master was trying to do, and it turned out he was entrusting the jewel bestowed by the Emperor to a craftsman outside the palace.

 

“Yes. I’m going to give Somsomi a surprise gift. She’ll definitely like it. Somsomi likes me.”

 

Gaya smiled broadly, thinking of the jewel he had arranged to pick up again in three days.

 

Su Ri was greatly surprised by Gaya’s choice, considering his usual strong material desires.

 

“But that jewel belongs to you, Young Master?”

 

“Hmph, how stupid. That’s not mine, it’s Somsomi’s.”

 

Gaya snorted and replied as if he was being asked something completely obvious.

 

“The ones who led the war to victory weren’t those stupid fools sitting there with proud faces in front of His Majesty just now, but our Somsom.”

 

Though it was a truth no one knew, it was all Soya’s achievement that defeated Hyeonra Baek and caused the demon beasts to lose their power.

 

If it hadn’t been for Soya, the war would still be ongoing and dragging on endlessly.

 

Though Gaya, who loved being the center of attention, couldn’t understand why Father and his sister kept that matter secret, in any case, the Emperor’s bestowed gifts rightfully belonged to Soya.

 

“What? The Young Lady?”

 

“I’m right, aren’t I, just Seolyeo?”

 

When Su Ri tilted his head in confusion, Gaya turned to look at Seolyeo with a grin.

 

“What? Yes, that’s right.”

 

Seolyeo nodded vigorously.

 

“Why has Seolyeo been ‘just Seolyeo’ since earlier?”

 

“There’s a reason for that.”

 

Just as Soya’s trip to the Northern Lands was a secret, Seolyeo’s following along was also a secret.

 

Having secrets made everything feel frustrating.

 

“Ah, I see there’s a reason.”

 

Even at Gaya’s indifferent response, Su Ri had many chattering questions.

 

“But why did you tell us to follow when we have nothing to do?”

 

“When an outstanding man like me wanders the streets alone, troublesome things follow me around.”

 

Gaya explained in a languid voice as if reciting an extremely obvious fact.

 

Having arrived at the pavilion, Gaya caught a scent in the air.

 

Soya’s fragrance was carried on the breeze blowing from the pavilion’s backyard.

 

His brow furrowed for a moment as he was about to immediately go find his sister.

 

The salty tang mixed in with it was definitely the scent of tears…

 

However, if that had been all, his face wouldn’t have contorted so menacingly.

 

Mixed in the blowing air was the scent of someone he didn’t particularly like.

 

Jeok Sanyu. That damned bird bastard had made his sister cry.

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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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