The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 129

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 129

 

Six-year-old Soya, who had been banished to the Cold Palace, waited there the entire time.

 

Just one person would be enough, if only someone would come looking for her.

 

And tell her.

 

That you’re not worthless. That you’re not terrible either.

 

That you’re a brave and wonderful baby bird.

 

That even though you must have been trembling and nervous in front of all those people, you’re a truly, truly courageous and amazing baby bird.

 

That they congratulate you on your first beast transformation.

 

So let’s go see the summer festival together.

 

There we’ll watch fun puppet shows, eat cool watermelon and delicious plums…

 

Let’s celebrate your first beast transformation and spend the happiest day in the world.

 

Because in the world of beastmen, the day of one’s first beast transformation is as meaningful as one’s birthday.

 

Because it’s the day that little you had been eagerly waiting and waiting for such a long time…

 

“Just a little, *sob*, just a little sooner. If only you had come when I was waiting alone and told me. *Sob*, *hic*, *sniff*…”

 

Soya’s tears wouldn’t stop easily, so she bit down hard on her lower lip and cried with hiccupping sounds.

 

“Soya…”

 

Sanyu looked at his sister with sad eyes.

 

Since the child’s first beast transformation was 8 years ago, this must be the grief that had been building and building inside the child for 8 years.

 

A wound of a size I dare not fathom came crashing over me like a great tsunami.

 

*Sniff*, *sniff*, *sob*…

 

Gradually, Soya’s crying sounds began to subside.

 

Finally, after the sniffling sounds stopped, an awkward atmosphere flowed between the two.

 

This was the first time Soya had cried like this since the day she cried in Father’s arms while experiencing growth pains at age twelve.

 

She hadn’t just shed tears, but had cried out loud quite loudly.

 

‘I’m already fourteen, but I cried like a child.’

 

She felt a bit embarrassed belatedly.

 

Soya glanced at Sanyu’s face, who had been crying just as sorrowfully as her, but the moment their eyes met, she hurriedly lowered her gaze.

 

Somehow she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

 

“…I didn’t come here shamelessly asking for your forgiveness, Soya.”

 

It was none other than Sanyu who first broke that awkward atmosphere.

 

“It’s okay if you continue to hate me. However, I wanted to tell you.”

 

“…”

 

“Even though all the family members turned their backs on you, at least one person loved you very much.”

 

“…”

 

At those words, Soya’s tears burst forth again.

 

None of the people who had actually treated her badly had apologized, yet the one person who wasn’t even there was apologizing to her.

 

What a strange thing.

 

But what was even stranger was that she wanted to believe his words just like this.

 

Ever since learning the truth, Soya had been constantly thinking that someday she might face the Vermillion Bird Family members again.

 

And she had resolved.

 

If she met them again, she absolutely must not look at them.

 

Even if they cried and clung to her saying they were sorry, she must not forgive them.

 

No, she must ignore them so they couldn’t even say they were sorry.

 

Because she didn’t welcome those people’s apologies at all.

 

And yet. Even though she had clearly resolved that.

 

‘Still, I want to believe.’

 

Though it was a painful past she only wanted to cut away, even so…

 

‘I want to think that at least one person was on my side.’

 

*Squeeze*—

 

Strength entered both fists that gripped her skirt.

 

Soon Soya, having made up her mind, turned to look at him and opened her mouth.

 

“Sanyu Elder Broth…”

 

She stopped.

 

Soya was confused. He wasn’t visible in the place where he should have been.

 

“Huh…?”

 

Just a moment ago they had clearly been talking together in front of her, so what was going on?

 

It was when Soya was blinking in confusion.

 

*CRASH*—!

 

A loud noise came from behind her.

 

Startled, Soya turned around and a look of shock appeared on her face.

 

“…!”

 

A pure white tiger was mounted on top of Sanyu’s body that had been thrown against a tree trunk, pressing down on him.

 

Sanyu let out a pained groan under the weight pressing on his chest.

 

Though it was a tiger she was seeing for the first time, Soya seemed to know who that particularly glittering tiger was.

 

“G-Gaya Elder Brother?”

 

When beastmen undergo beast transformation, the clothes and jewels they wore in human form disappear through illusion magic, then return when they cancel the transformation.

 

Of course, some beastmen who like to accessorize leave their ornaments on by their own will, but most beastmen find this cumbersome.

 

But that pure white tiger had jewels—one, two, three, four…

 

It was definitely Gaya.

 

The white tiger with jewels hanging all over his body raised his large front paw to attack Sanyu.

 

Each time, the jewels on his body jingled and swayed together.

 

However, Sanyu neither defended nor pushed back.

 

He simply endured the attacks with his human body without transforming into beast form.

 

“Gaya Elder Brother, don’t!”

 

At Soya’s cry, Gaya’s thick front paw that was striking toward Sanyu’s face stopped mid-air.

 

“Calm down, Elder Brother!”

 

“That bastard made you cry.”

 

Gaya muttered coldly while still keeping his gaze fixed on Sanyu.

 

“It’s not like that! That person is…!”

 

Thinking this would really become a big problem, Soya shouted out loud.

 

“That person is my elder brother!”

 

“What…?”

 

It wasn’t only Gaya who was surprised by those words.

 

Sanyu, who was pinned under Gaya, also looked at Soya with a dumbfounded expression.

 

He hadn’t expected Soya to call him elder brother again.

 

*Poof*!

 

Gaya’s body, having canceled his beast transformation, returned to human form again.

 

“…What do you mean by that, Cotton Ball.”

 

Gaya asked with a gloomy expression he was showing for the first time in front of Soya.

 

“I’m your elder brother, so why has that guy become your elder brother?”

 

“Well…”

 

“Don’t tell me you like that bastard better than me?”

 

“No, it’s not that…”

 

“Is it because he has feathers like you, so you like that bastard? So you decided to make him your elder brother instead of me?”

 

Soya tried to explain something more, but Gaya kept interrupting her words and only said what he wanted to say.

 

In a very sad and resentful voice.

 

“But I have round pointy ears, and a long tail, and soft paw pads too. Plus we both have white fur and even our names have two syllables in common. But just because I don’t have feathers, you think I’m inferior to that bastard…”

 

“Oh my, that’s not it!”

 

At this, Soya ended up raising her voice.

 

“Sanyu Elder Brother is the elder brother from the place where I lived before I met Father and came to White Tiger Palace!”

“….”

 

At that outcry, Gaya’s mouth shut for a moment and a brief silence flowed.

 

At some point, White Tiger Family members who had heard Gaya’s commotion and rushed over surrounded him.

 

“…So you’re saying that guy was Somsomi’s former elder brother.”

 

Gaya asked the White Tiger Family members in a voice that sounded almost accusatory.

 

“Why didn’t anyone tell me such an important fact?”

 

“We tried to tell you last night.”

 

Ga Hyeon answered with a cold expression.

 

“But wasn’t it you, elder brother, who just walked out saying ‘I’m going to find Somsomi’?”

 

“That’s….”

 

Only then did Gaya furrow his brow as if belatedly remembering.

 

Right. Something like that definitely happened.

 

Yesterday evening after dinner, while Soya went out for a walk, Father called me.

 

He said there was something I should know too.

 

But Gaya was worried about Soya going out for a walk alone, so he said he’d listen next time and just left.

 

And today, from morning on, he had to move separately from his family, so there was no time for separate conversation….

 

“Still, you could have told me in advance!”

 

“Seeing you petty blame others, you seem like a tiger even more lacking than Yul.”

 

Ga Hyeon answered with a cool smile.

 

His face had lost all the respectful look he once had toward his elder brother.

 

“…I’m fine, Young Master Ga Hyeon.”

 

Sanyu, who had been pinned under Gaya until now, spoke with difficulty.

 

“As Young Master Gaya said, it’s my fault for making Soya cry. I’ll take whatever beating comes. Please hit me until you feel better, Young Master Gaya.”

 

As he blinked while avoiding eye contact like a sinner, his tear-soaked eyelashes trembling looked quite pure.

 

Gaya suddenly lost all desire to hit him.

 

“So what’s your reason for making Somsom cry?”

 

And a little later.

 

When Gaya learned what the Suzaku Family had done to Soya, his eyes turned bright red as he kicked his chair and shot up.

 

“Everyone stop him!”

 

At Ga Hyeon’s shout, the White Tiger Family members all rushed at Gaya at once.

 

Su Ri and Seolyeo joined forces to grab Gaya’s torso, and meanwhile Ga Hyeon in beast transformation pounced on Gaya.

 

Soya also ran over and grabbed Gaya’s hem while squeezing her eyes shut.

 

Only when Soya held on did Gaya’s movements, which had been struggling violently to break free, become somewhat gentler.

 

Of course, that didn’t mean he had become docile at all.

 

At the sight of Gaya screaming and thrashing about, Ga Hyeon shouted to Gayul.

 

“Yul, you hurry and bring Father!”

 

“Y-yes!”

 

Gayul quickly ran out to find Father.

 

“Damn it, this is why Father….”

 

Saeon had said.

 

That if Gaya learned the truth somewhere I wasn’t present, something very dangerous could happen.

 

Ga Hyeon now seemed to understand why Father had said that.

 

Even with over ten White Tiger Palace people clinging to him, they couldn’t stop Gaya alone and were struggling desperately.

 

* * *

 

“Your Majesty. The third son of the White Tiger Family has come.”

 

Saeon and Irim’s peaceful tea time was interrupted by Gayul who came running breathlessly.

 

Gayul’s face had turned pale.

 

“Yul?”

 

“Father, eldest brother is…!”

 

Pause.

 

From just those words alone, Saeon could understand what situation had occurred.

 

A look of dismay appeared on his face.

 

Saeon, who had hastily risen, asked Irim’s understanding.

 

“Your Majesty, there’s a problem within the family so I think I need to leave first.”

 

“Shall I lend you the Imperial Palace troops?”

 

Irim asked calmly while sipping his tea cup.

 

“No. This time I really need to go handle it quickly before the Central officials rise up.”

 

“I see. I’d appreciate it if you could try not to damage the trees in the rear garden of the pavilion.”

 

Irim added with a slight smile.

 

Soon Saeon left urgently, and Irim, left alone in the room, put down his tea cup and looked out the window.

 

“If it’s the eldest brother… that would be Baek Gaya.”

 

Though they might not know, Irim quite liked the men of the White Family.

 

The first young master of the White Family had an especially strong possessiveness.

 

He never gives up anything he once recognizes as ‘his’ to others.

 

Not only that, but he had a nature that couldn’t bear even the slightest harm coming to what was ‘his’.

 

The scope of what he considered ‘his’ could be people, animals, or objects.

 

Therefore, Irim was so pleased that the child fell within the scope of Baek Gaya’s ‘possessions’.

 

As long as she had that man as a fence—a man as strong as his father, and sometimes even more ruthless than his father—the child’s safety would become even more perfect.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————