The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 169

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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 169

Saeon and Cheongha walked together along the night path under the moonlight.

The rustling sound of footsteps and the chirping of insects filled the cool night air.

As they took steps feeling the quiet atmosphere of the night, Saeon’s voice suddenly came through.

“I’m sorry for arbitrarily adding your name to the family register.”

Cheongha slowly stopped walking and turned her head.

“I know I should have asked for your permission first…”

Saeon continued speaking with a voice that seemed somehow choked up.

“When you came back, my heart became impatient.”

“What’s there to be impatient about. I’m going to stay here continuously now.”

Cheongha replied with a gentle laugh.

However, Saeon did not laugh along with her.

No, he couldn’t laugh.

“Saeon?”

“The ‘here’ you’re talking about, where is it?”

“Where, you ask. Obviously…”

“I keep becoming greedy.”

Saeon said while quietly looking at her.

“I should be happy just with you returning like this. But I keep having the greedy thought that the ‘here’ you’re talking about wouldn’t be White Tiger Palace, but by my side…”

Having revealed his true feelings that he had kept deeply hidden, he smiled bitterly and asked.

“Does saying this make you feel burdened?”

“…”

Cheongha closed her mouth for a moment and stared intently at his face.

Swoosh—

At that moment, the night breeze that blew scattered his hair.

His white hair fluttering in the wind shone brilliantly white in the moonlight.

Cheongha, who had been quietly watching that scene, glanced at the metal ornament that held up half of his white hair.

Since I came here, he had been wearing that silver hairpin the entire time.

“…”

Cheongha silently took a big step toward him.

Startled.

At the suddenly shortened distance, Saeon unconsciously held his breath.

Slowly—

Cheongha’s hand reached up and touched the hairpin stuck in his hair.

“You know, Saeon? The tiger carved on this hairpin. It was crafted after the most handsome tiger among all the tigers I know.”

“…”

Cheongha’s hand, which had been touching the handsome tiger carved on the hairpin, slowly came down and cupped Saeon’s cheek.

Cheongha looked into Saeon’s face and smiled broadly.

“It finally went to its owner.”

“…”

At that gentle touch caressing his face, Saeon twitched his fingertips like someone holding something back, groped through the air, then clenched his hands into tight fists.

At that moment, thick veins bulged on the back of his hands.

“I will always be here now… by your side.”

Cheongha spoke in a gentle voice as if to reassure him.

“Just like the gift I had prepared for you took such a long time to reach you…”

However, Cheongha’s words could not continue.

Because Saeon finally couldn’t hold back and pulled her into his arms.

“Saeon…?”

“…”

Cheongha carefully called his name, but Saeon couldn’t say anything while holding Cheongha tightly.

He dropped his head onto Cheongha’s shoulder.

The sound of his pounding heartbeat reached Cheongha’s ears.

At his attitude that was quite different from usual, heat spread across Cheongha’s face for no reason.

There was one voice that came to mind along with overlapping memories.

[I haven’t been able to say these words to you once during all these years.]

Five years ago, here.

[I love you, Madam. I’m conveying these words too late.]

His confession as he pulled me into his embrace and whispered playfully.

The Saeon of that day had whispered to me like that with a gentle smile.

I remember how my heart fluttered at that clear laughter.

And unlike him who seemed somehow relaxed, I also remember feeling somewhat embarrassed because it seemed like only I was getting excited.

However, the current Saeon seemed to lack the composure he had that day.

As he said, he even seemed somewhat impatient.

Well, that makes sense.

Because that was already five years ago.

It had been such a long, long time that Baby Cotton Ball, who was nine years old, had become fourteen.

Tightly—

Cheongha gripped Saeon’s clothes.

Saeon felt his clothes being crumpled in her hands and carefully looked into her face.

In their meeting gazes, the passion that had been suppressed for many years rose up.

Eventually, the two shadows overlapped, and once again only the sound of insects surrounded the two people.

* * *

The next morning.

‘I wonder if Mother and Father had a good time last night.’

Soya, who woke up rubbing her eyes, arrived at the breakfast table with hopeful feelings.

She wanted to see Father’s happy expression after spending time with Mother, just like she had.

But Saeon and Cheongha were nowhere to be seen.

“The Family Head and Madam haven’t woken up yet.”

“Father is sleeping in?”

Soya tilted her head at the news Jeoka delivered.

It was the first time this had happened in the several years she had lived at White Tiger Palace.

“Father and Mother too, really. Adults sleeping in.”

She could hear Gayul grumbling beside her.

“Yul, Father has been busy continuously since returning from the Imperial Palace. So he’s tired.”

“Right, youngest tiger. Abandon the prejudice that adults don’t sleep in.”

Unlike Soya who was tilting her head and Gayul who was grumbling, Gaya and Ga Hyeon quietly ate their meal while making comments.

‘Well, I also sleep in when I’m tired from playing a lot.’

Soya nodded in understanding at her Elder Brothers’ words, and Ga Hyeon affectionately placed deboned fish on Soya’s rice bowl as usual.

“Try this, Soya. The fish meat is very tender.”

“Wow, it really is.”

Soya immediately turned her attention there and ate deliciously.

And that afternoon, when Soya met Cheongha again.

In Cheongha’s hair, who somehow had more smiles than usual, was a golden hairpin with a blue dragon carved on it.

* * *

Summer was gradually approaching.

The Cheonshang Gotaek Vermillion Bird Garden Palace, which could be reached by climbing the Three Thousand Stone Steps located in the heart of the southern continent where red soil stretched endlessly.

This southern estate, renowned for its simple and tranquil charm, was in the midst of reconstruction after being destroyed by fire last spring.

The Family Head was severely injured in that incident, and a gloomy, desolate atmosphere lingered throughout the estate.

It wasn’t just because of the fire.

The karma accumulated by the family over the years weighed heavily upon the estate.

There had never been any switched child from the beginning.

There had only been a pitiful Baby Bird waiting for her father in the cold Cold Palace of the Vermillion Bird Mansion.

Family Head Jeok Ayun, upon learning the truth, finally went mad, and the second young master Jeok Hwayu entered the sunless Cold Palace and imprisoned himself.

And the first young master Jeok Sanyu, who had returned after fighting a long war.

He was shouldering all of the family’s karma and searching for a way to rise again.

He planned to complete the succession of the Family Head position before this summer ended.

Someone had to bear this karma and move forward.

“…Yes, I must move forward. If only for Soya’s sake.”

Sanyu’s heart still ached whenever he thought of Soya.

After returning to the estate, the child’s absence felt even more profound.

In his memories, before he left the estate, that child had always been with him.

[Elder Brother Sanyu!]

[Ahaha, look at this, Elder Brother! Soya made this…]

Everywhere he stepped, the sound of the child’s cheerful laughter seemed to linger.

[War? Do you really have to go?]

[You must return healthy and safe. You understand, right?]

A lonely smile crossed Sanyu’s face as he recalled six-year-old Soya hooking her tiny finger around his pinky and earnestly pleading with him.

He paused.

Sanyu’s steps stopped as he sensed the familiar presence of someone approaching from afar.

“A guest has arrived.”

Sanyu looked up at the western sky and smiled brightly.

The guest who had come to the Vermillion Bird Garden Palace was none other than Gaya.

“It’s been a long time, Prince Gaya.”

Sanyu greeted him with a welcoming voice.

“Hand it over.”

However, Gaya immediately extended his hand with an indifferent expression.

At that unchanged sulky attitude, Sanyu chuckled and asked.

“What are you trying to extort this time?”

“A gift for Somsomi.”

Gaya pulled out an invitation from his robes with a thoroughly displeased expression.

“Somsomi is having a birthday party soon.”

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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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