The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 157

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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 157

“Since the Baek Family’s Daughter awakened the divine beast and fulfilled the oracle, shouldn’t she rightfully become the Imperial Dragon’s companion…?”

“Though rumors secretly circulate that she was originally the Jeok Family’s daughter, she is clearly registered in the Baek Family’s household records…”

“Arranging an engagement with the White Tiger Family in advance would be…”

“According to imperial law, arranging engagements at a young age is not particularly unusual…”

The imperial palace officials glanced at Irim while making their arguments.

“That matter can be discussed later.”

However, Irim cleanly cut off the ministers’ words.

“However, since the Baek Family’s Daughter Soya saved the imperial palace from great calamity last night, she shall receive fitting commendation.”

At his firm response, the ministers withdrew with disappointed hearts.

When Irim returned to his quarters, a young eunuch approached him.

“Your Majesty, allow me to help you change clothes.”

Irim nodded indifferently.

The young eunuch’s hands trembled as he helped with the change of clothes.

Swoosh—

The garments flowed smoothly downward, revealing the Emperor’s body.

Seeing the wound on his chest, the young eunuch shrank his shoulders.

Though he had seen it once this morning while helping him change, he couldn’t easily get used to that wound around the chest area.

The scar that looked as if flesh had been pierced through and then filled back in, and the black scales covering it, were quite terrifying.

“Are you afraid?”

Noticing the young eunuch’s terrified expression, Irim asked with a slight laugh.

“N-no, Your Majesty. Please kill me.”

The young eunuch immediately prostrated himself on the floor and bowed his head.

“I don’t want to kill you, so get up. I want to stop staining my hands with blood.”

“Your g-gracious…”

“Withdraw. I wish to be alone.”

“But you still… Yes, yes! I shall withdraw!”

The young eunuch quickly withdrew before the Emperor’s mood could worsen.

Left alone, Irim arranged his attire with an expressionless face.

Truly… he wanted to stop staining these hands with blood now.

But the evil had escaped once again.

Since he couldn’t close his eyes until it was destroyed, Irim chose to manipulate his body’s time for recovery.

Though the pierced flesh had filled back in because of this, the physical pain remained the same.

No, as the price for reversing time, the flesh festered again and scales fell off, so perhaps “worsened” would be more fitting than “the same.”

Just like two years ago in the Eastern Lands when he had manipulated time for the Falling Flower Staff that had gotten wet with seawater for Soya’s sake.

Suddenly recalling that time, a faint smile appeared on his somewhat weary face.

Yes, he still… couldn’t die yet.

Because there were far too many promises left unfulfilled with that child.

* * *

Last night.

Jeok Ayun, who had spent the night sobbing and rolling in the vomit he had retched up, remained stuck in the same spot for a while even after dawn broke, unable to move.

People gradually began to wake up and started coming and going to deal with the previous night’s calamity.

Jeok Ayun, who had been blankly watching that scene, staggered to his feet and walked aimlessly.

The place where his footsteps stopped was…

“Ahaha, Yul Elder Brother!”

At the cheerful laughter ringing out from beyond the wall, his expression crumpled as if he might cry.

“Hyeoni Elder Brother! Look at this. Yul Elder Brother is…!”

“W-wait, Cotton Ball! Don’t tell Elder Brother…”

“Yul. Did you act like an ill-mannered tiger again?”

It was the voices of Soya and the Baek Brothers.

Jeok Ayun climbed up a tree beside the wall and watched Soya while hiding his body among the leaves.

Soya, who had woken up late and was playing with the Baek Brothers in the front courtyard, was laughing with a purely clear face.

‘Yes. That child… was originally a child who could smile like that…’

Recalling the child’s gloomy expressions he had last seen at the Vermillion Bird Family, his throat ached as it trembled.

A moment later, when she transformed to go flying with Sanyu who had come to visit, he squeezed his eyes shut at the sight of those red feathers.

Though white down still remained, red feathers had grown on her back, wings, and tail.

Those brilliantly shining red feathers, which seemed to remind him once again that what he had seen last night was reality, not a dream, pierced his heart.

Jeok Ayun stared blankly at Soya flying up with Sanyu.

“My baby…”

A completely hoarse voice leaked out between his parched lips.

Though he had never taught her, Soya flew spiritedly high into the sky.

That sight was both admirable and lovely… yet that fluttering figure reminded him exactly of the Deceased Madam.

The child resembled the Deceased Madam.

“My daughter, Soya…”

He had failed to recognize the child, and at first resented her, saying the Madam died because of her.

That his wife died because of her, who wasn’t even his child.

Later, he resented her, saying his real daughter suffered because of her.

That while she lived comfortably in his estate, his real daughter had to live a hard life outside.

How foolish.

Not a single thing had been right.

Thanks to that child who awakened Suzaku, the Madam was able to spend a short time longer with them, and the real daughter who had lost her mother as a newborn and needed better care was Soya herself.

“My… baby… Soya…”

Jeok Ayun looked up at the sky where Soya had disappeared and endlessly muttered calls that couldn’t reach the child.

Hot tears flowed down his cheeks.

How many hours had passed?

Soya returned, carried in Sanyu’s arms.

Sanyu took Soya inside the building.

Through the half-open window, Soya’s room was visible.

When he was looking, wanting to see even the child’s sleeping face a little more, his eyes met directly with Sanyu who had approached the window.

“…”

“…”

Sanyu hardened his expression sharply and closed the window.

“Elder Brother, why…?”

“Mmm, the wind seems cold.”

“But it’s still spring?”

“The sun will set soon. Our Soya needs to sleep peacefully in a warm room.”

Sanyu’s voice, chatting warmly with Soya as if nothing had happened, could be heard through the closed window.

Hearing that conversation somehow made his chest feel tightly constricted.

Even though Soya was no longer visible, he couldn’t leave the tree.

Gradually the sun set and the sky grew dark.

Soya, who had woken from her nap, finished her dinner and then took a walk in the front courtyard holding hands with Saeon.

Jeok Ayun watched them, who looked like an affectionate father and daughter.

Baek Saeon, whom he had always thought had a cold impression, was smiling gently in front of Soya, and Soya was also bursting into bright laughter beside him.

[Fortunately, it seems the child didn’t suffer abuse or persecution there. It appears she grew up receiving love from the White Tiger Palace People.]

Suddenly Hwayu’s words came to mind.

Yes, you were truly loved and raised with so much care in this place….

The love that your foolish father couldn’t give you… you received from your new family and grew up so brightly….

Jeok Ayun stood in the same spot until the light in Soya’s room went out.

In truth, there were more times when he couldn’t see Soya than when he could in this place.

Except for when Soya opened her window or came out for a brief walk, he couldn’t see her.

Even so, he remained in the same spot, waiting for those brief moments when he could catch glimpses of the child.

Once again, the night grew deep.

Soya.

When the child was just born, it was I who gave her that name.

I used the character ‘So ‘ meaning ‘to eliminate’ and ‘Ya ‘ meaning ‘night’.

A child who would eliminate the dark night and bring bright light—how much I cherished the child that Madam left behind.

The child would usually follow her elder brothers and call me Father, but when she acted spoiled, she would run to me calling “Papa—!”

When she would run to me with her short arms and legs and embrace me, how adorable that child was.

Soya….

My baby….

My dear baby….

As he swallowed thousands upon thousands of tears that couldn’t reach the child, a new morning gradually dawned.

“Family Head.”

A person from the Suzaku Family came looking for him.

“Family Head, are you alright?”

“….”

The man looked at the Family Head with a worried expression.

The Suzaku Family had been turned upside down searching for the Family Head who had disappeared all day yesterday.

Then Elder Brother had told them to try looking in this direction, and though they came with little hope, he was indeed here.

Not only Little Young Master, but the Family Head’s condition was also quite poor.

It seemed he hadn’t eaten or slept.

“The criminal’s punishment has been decided.”

“….”

Ayun blinked his eyes blankly.

‘Criminal…?’

At first, he couldn’t understand who they were referring to.

Then very slowly, he remembered Lili.

‘Ah, right. Lili.’

Only then did Ayun realize that he hadn’t thought about Lili at all until now.

That child wasn’t his daughter. She was a cuckoo.

He remembered that child’s hair and eyes that had turned a murky gray color.

He also remembered the crying sound she made when she transformed into a cuckoo bird, going “cuckoo, cuckoo.”

After the shock had passed, what spread through his chest was an emotion quite different from what he felt 8 years ago when he learned Soya wasn’t his daughter.

To be completely honest, when he learned that Lili was a cuckoo, his mind was filled entirely with thoughts of Soya, not Lili.

Without realizing it, he had removed Lili’s hand that clutched his sleeve while she watched Soya’s reaction.

Even after returning to his quarters, he kept thinking of Soya, not Lili who had been dragged to prison.

And ridiculously, he couldn’t think of Lili even once.

Not until just a moment ago when the family member came and brought up Lili’s matter.

In stark contrast to how memories with Soya would pop up randomly and torment him, he couldn’t remember a single happy time with Lili.

Not a single one….

Instead, he even felt a sense of liberation, as if he had escaped from Lili.

At some point, being next to that child had made him feel suffocated.

“They say she won’t be executed, but sentenced to life imprisonment.”

The man spoke while glancing at Ayun’s expression.

Not immediately executing someone caught red-handed attempting to assassinate the Emperor was highly unusual.

“Perhaps His Majesty considered our family’s contributions and showed this consideration.”

“….”

“Um… Family Head?”

When Ayun gave no response at all, the man cautiously called to him once.

“Won’t you meet with the criminal?”

“…I should meet her.”

Jeok Ayun answered in a hoarse voice.

He had to meet her at least once.

Regardless of his reluctant feelings.

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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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