The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 133

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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 133

 

Lili’s eyes widened into perfect circles.

 

“Did you sleep well last night?”

 

“Yes? Oh, yes…”

 

Sanyu approached Lili with a gentle smile.

 

“Why do you look so awkward and tense? Your elder brother must still seem unfamiliar to you.”

 

His appearance as he drooped his eyebrows sadly was quite pure, causing Lili’s face to gradually turn red.

 

“That can’t be. Not at all.”

 

Lili, who had been staring at him blankly, belatedly snapped to her senses and quickly waved both hands.

 

“Were you taking a morning walk? Let’s go together with your elder brother.”

 

Sanyu spoke warmly as he walked beside Lili, carefully matching his stride to hers.

 

He spoke about things like whether she had slept well last night, and whether she wasn’t too shocked by yesterday’s incident.

 

‘I guess my worry that Elder Brother disliked Lili was unfounded.’

 

Lili gradually realized that she had been misunderstanding him all this time.

 

‘Sanyu also likes Lili.’

 

That fact somehow made her feel proud.

 

Before long, Lili began chattering away just as she did in front of Father or Hwayu.

 

“You don’t know how much Lili waited for Elder Brother. After hearing the news of victory, Lili was only waiting for the day to meet Elder Brother like this.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Lili didn’t know Elder Brother would be such a wonderful and cool person.”

 

“Haha, thank you.”

 

The conversation that started with morning greetings gradually turned into gossip about Soya.

 

“So, you don’t know how upset Lili was then. Because of that fake.”

 

“Oh my, such things happened.”

 

“Yesterday too. Everyone must have been so surprised when that child who we thought was dead suddenly appeared. Her life is really tenacious.”

 

When Sanyu played along, Lili became very excited.

 

So she couldn’t see it. That Sanyu’s eyes, which held a gentle smile toward her, contained a subtly cold light…

 

[There is someone within the Suzaku Family who tried to harm Soya.]

 

Sanyu recalled the conversation he had just yesterday with the second prince of the White Tiger Family.

 

[Yes, I also know about that. Our family members persecuted that child…]

 

[No, I’m not referring to simply treating that child coldly. The Suzaku Family’s Three-Legged Crow moved. To eliminate Soya.]

 

[The Three-Legged Crow… moved?]

 

When asked why he had allowed him to meet Soya, Ga Hyeon explained.

 

That the Suzaku Family’s Three-Legged Crow had tried to eliminate Soya.

 

That perhaps the one who had instigated harm against Soya five years ago might be here, in this Imperial Palace, right now.

 

Toward Sanyu, whose eyes only trembled finely with an expression of disbelief, Ga Hyeon requested in a firm voice.

 

[If you truly feel sorry toward Soya, if your feelings of caring for Soya are sincere, please find out who tried to harm Soya. I beg you, Prince Sanyu.]

 

[…]

 

The people who could command the Three-Legged Crow in his absence were only three.

 

Father, Hwayu, and Lili.

 

Sanyu suspected all three people. He couldn’t exclude any of them from suspicion.

 

He would definitely find out.

 

And make them pay the appropriate price for their crimes.

 

Even if that person was the head of the Jeok Family…

 

‘How could they do such a thing…’

 

Sanyu secretly clenched his fist tightly.

 

Five years ago, Soya was only nine years old.

 

At such a young age, after being treated coldly by her family, did she also have to endure such a terrible thing?

 

Why, exactly.

 

Just because they weren’t blood-related, just because she didn’t have red feathers…

 

Sanyu repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist inside his sleeve, barely managing to control his surging emotions.

 

‘Red hair and red eyes…’

 

He glanced at Lili’s red hair and red eyes.

 

Unlike Soya, who was as white as the first snow of winter, Lili had the perfect appearance of Suzaku’s direct lineage.

 

Above all, this child was said to have crossed the threshold of the Suzaku Mansion carrying red feathers that sparkled like flames.

 

Since Father and Hwayu had confirmed even the child’s beast transformation, it would be pointless to doubt the child’s birth any further.

 

Yet the reason he kept feeling uneasy about this child was…

 

‘Is it because of that temperament?’

 

Unlike Soya, who was gentle like Mother, Lili had a selfish and arrogant personality that knew no manners.

 

“It would have been better if she hadn’t appeared and just died back then. What if that child tries to steal Lili’s things again?”

 

Look at her now. Saying it would have been better if she had just died back then. It was a terrible thing that Soya would never say.

 

Sanyu was indeed uncomfortable with Lili saying such frightening words without any hesitation…

 

‘Wait.’

 

Sanyu, who had been silently listening to Lili’s words, suddenly hardened his expression.

 

All the other household members he had encountered here had called Soya ‘the child who suddenly disappeared,’ but Lili had been referring to Soya as ‘the child we thought was dead’ since earlier.

 

‘…’

 

It was when Sanyu’s eyes narrowed thinly as he watched the chattering Lili.

 

Hwayu, who appeared from the opposite direction, spotted Lili and Sanyu beside her and hardened his expression.

 

“Lili!”

 

He strode toward Lili and shot a wary look at his elder brother.

 

“What were you doing with Lili?”

 

“I was just keeping our sister company in conversation.”

 

Sanyu answered with an elegant smile.

 

“Did you perhaps say something strange to Lili…”

 

“Oh my, Elder Brothers!”

 

At this moment, Lili stepped between the two.

 

Then she let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

 

“You can’t fight because of Lili. Lili understands that you both like Lili, but still, this makes Lili very troubled.”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

For a moment, both brothers’ mouths closed.

 

Seeing Lili’s reaction, Hwayu was relieved that his elder brother hadn’t said anything that would hurt his sister.

 

On the other hand, Sanyu had to force strength into his brow that was about to furrow unconsciously.

 

Setting aside that self-centered attitude, he couldn’t understand why she used such a strange way of speaking, attaching her own name to every sentence.

 

Sanyu left Lili and approached Hwayu, speaking in a low voice.

 

“I happen to have something to ask you. Follow me.”

 

Then he brushed past him toward a secluded place.

 

When no people could be seen around, Sanyu stopped walking and slowly turned to look at his younger brother.

 

“Something to ask, what is it?”

 

Hwayu, who had obediently followed, asked while sensing his elder brother’s somehow subtly different atmosphere.

 

“Did you also tell Lili that Soya had died?”

 

At the unexpected question, Hwayu’s brow furrowed.

 

“No. Lili was too young at the time. I didn’t tell her to avoid giving her unnecessary shock.”

 

“Then who knows that fact?”

 

“The Three-Legged Crow that collected her belongings knew… and I reported it separately only to Father. Later I sent news to you by letter. No one else knows about it.”

 

“…I see.”

 

Sanyu murmured quietly with a face that seemed lost in thought.

 

Then he suddenly turned around without even saying goodbye and left.

 

“Why did he suddenly ask about that?”

 

Watching his retreating figure, Hwayu muttered alone in confusion when a certain conversation suddenly flashed through his mind.

 

[It’s all because of that child. Lili was so shocked too. A child she thought was dead came back alive…]

 

He paused.

 

‘Come to think of it…’

 

Hwayu suddenly frowned.

 

‘He only said that child went far away, but why did Lili…’

 

A look of doubt settled over Hwayu’s face.

 

* * *

 

“Sigh. I’m really too soft, aren’t I? Why did I give That Man a chance to be forgiven?”

 

After Ayun left, Soya let out a deep sigh.

 

If he had agreed to my proposal just now to return the ornament that Lili had taken…

 

If he had sincerely apologized to me like Elder Brother Sanyu had done…

 

“Did I want to forgive That Man?”

 

Soya muttered in a voice drained of energy.

 

Her tone was filled with self-reproach.

 

She felt so foolish for giving That Man a chance to be forgiven, even knowing it would end up like this.

 

Swoosh—

 

At that moment, Sanho placed a pretty flower branch blooming with bright yellow blossoms near dejected Soya’s ear and smiled brightly.

 

“That’s because Young Lady is a kind person.”

 

“Sanho?”

 

Soya’s eyes widened at Sanho’s words.

 

“That’s right! Soya is kind.”

 

Seolyeo, who had been following behind, quickly nodded and chimed in agreement with Sanho’s words.

 

“Huh?”

 

Sanho chuckled softly as she spoke to the blinking Soya.

 

“Our Young Lady has always been kind since she was little. Kind enough to open her heart even to small mountain beasts she’d never seen before. And That Man raised Young Lady with love until she was six years old, didn’t he? So it’s natural that you’d be concerned about him.”

 

“It’s… natural?”

 

“Of course. Besides, cutting ties with the parents who gave birth to you and raised you is very difficult even for adults. It’s the natural order of things.”

 

Sanho smiled and nodded.

 

“And you know what? If you hadn’t done that, wouldn’t our kind Young Lady have kept worrying about it? Like, ‘Ah, should I have just accepted that damn bastard’s apology? Should I have listened to what nonsense that bird-brain would spout from his beak?'”

 

As she spoke, Sanho’s true feelings toward the Vermillion Bird Family were subtly revealed.

 

“If you were going to worry about it anyway, might as well be magnanimous and give him one chance to be forgiven. Think of it not as something for That Man, but as something for Young Lady herself—wouldn’t that make you feel a bit more at ease?”

 

“For myself?”

 

“Yes. Just like how That Man came to apologize to our Young Lady to ease his own conscience, let’s say Young Lady specially gave That Man one chance to be forgiven to ease her own heart.”

 

“But that’s…”

 

“It might sound a bit selfish to our kind Young Lady, but so what? Where in the world can you find such gentle selfishness?”

 

“…”

 

Soya stared at Sanho with her mouth agape.

 

She had never thought of it that way before.

 

She had thought her actions just now were too soft and foolish.

 

But it wasn’t that.

 

Not soft, but kind.

 

Not foolish, but for herself.

 

“And how perfect is this? The kindest and most wonderful Young Lady in the world gave that bir— that bird one more chance and felt more at ease. But that stupid bird with nothing but feathers foolishly couldn’t even grasp the opportunity.”

 

“Sanho, you just used a bad word.”

 

“Hohoho, no way.”

 

“I heard it…”

 

“I heard it too!”

 

“Ohohohoh, anyway!”

 

Though Soya and Seolyeo pointed it out simultaneously, Sanho raised her laughter and deliberately pretended not to know while changing the subject.

 

“From now on, the one feeling uncomfortable will be him, right? Let him regret it every single night starting tonight. ‘Ah, why did I miss that opportunity back then?'”

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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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