The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 186

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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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Side Story Episode 9

While Ga Hyeon was pondering his father’s riddle, they had already arrived at the mountain slope.

The wild beasts that had been wandering leisurely along the nighttime forest path lowered their bodies at Saeon’s appearance.

Then, as if submitting, they pressed their bellies to the ground and lowered their tails.

Ga Hyeon’s eyes widened as he watched this wondrous sight from his father’s arms.

Unlike his surprised self, his father had a calm expression as if the scene before them was natural.

He had heard since childhood that the White Tiger Family, guardians of the Western Region, were the masters of Horim Mountain, but…

‘So this is what being the master of the mountain means.’

Ga Hyeon was inwardly amazed.

At that moment, a large bear approached Saeon.

Ga Hyeon couldn’t hide his startled expression and froze stiffly.

He had only seen bears in books; this was his first time seeing one in real life.

Though there was a bear family among the White Tiger Family’s retainers, there were no bear beastkin in the White Tiger Palace.

The bear rubbed its head against Saeon’s feet as if acting cute.

Ga Hyeon’s eyes grew even wider than before.

“Hyeona. Would you like to greet the wild beasts? They’ll all like it.”

Saeon said as he set the frozen Ga Hyeon down.

“They’ll like it…?”

“That’s right.”

At this, Ga Hyeon carefully reached out his hand and tried petting the bear’s head.

The bear happily growled with pleasure.

Ga Hyeon’s face brightened cheerfully.

At that appearance befitting an ordinary eight-year-old child, a smile naturally appeared on Saeon’s face as he watched from behind.

“Hyeona, Papa needs to step away for a moment. Can you wait here for me?”

“Yes!”

Ga Hyeon quickly nodded as if he had been waiting for this.

Saeon told the wild beasts to watch over Ga Hyeon well before leaving.

Left alone with the wild beasts, Ga Hyeon looked around briefly.

Then he soon spoke briefly to the wild beasts.

“You all, turn around for a moment.”

The wild beasts nodded and turned their bodies.

“Don’t look back. Absolutely don’t.”

“Grrowl, growl.”

Relief spread across Ga Hyeon’s face at the growling sounds that seemed to say they understood.

Ga Hyeon glanced at them cautiously before approaching the tree across from him.

Thump, thump.

His heart pounded.

He carefully stood on his tiptoes and plucked off a leaf.

It was a leaf larger than two palms put together.

He placed the leaf on a wide rock and carefully wrote down his wish using the moonlight as a lamp.

‘I hope this letter reaches the Dragon God this year.’

Actually, last year too, after telling Gayul in a sharp voice that ‘believing in the Dragon God is something only foolish tigers like you do,’ he had secretly sent a leaf letter to the Dragon God by himself.

Of course, it was a secret he could never tell anyone, especially Gayul.

“Dragon God. Please grant my wish.”

Ga Hyeon muttered this as he floated his wish onto the stream.

The leaf carrying the young tiger’s hope drifted slowly down the dark waters that sparkled in the moonlight.

Meanwhile, at a short distance away.

Saeon, hidden in the dark shadows, quietly watched the leaf letter floating down from above.

He felt proud of his son’s neat and tidy handwriting, but also a bit wistful that he seemed to have matured at too young an age.

Saeon watched for a while to ensure his son’s leaf wouldn’t lose its way before returning to Ga Hyeon.

“Hyeona.”

Ga Hyeon, who had been chatting warmly with the wild beasts, turned to him with a bright smile.

“Father!”

“Shall we go back down now?”

Pretending not to notice the ink stains on his son’s fingertips, Saeon asked.

“Yes!”

At Ga Hyeon’s slightly excited mood, unusual for his normally calm self, a warm smile bloomed on Saeon’s face too.

Unlike when they came up, Saeon and Ga Hyeon slowly descended the mountain path while being seen off by the wild beasts.

Their tightly clasped hands swayed together with each step they took.

1-3. Before Baby Bird built her nest, Gaya’s story. And Sanyu’s story

The day for Gaya to depart for the battlefield had drawn near.

Unlike the worried Saeon, Gaya maintained an attitude as if there was nothing to worry about.

And finally, the departure ceremony arrived.

Gaya arrived at the Imperial Palace accompanied by his father and younger brothers who insisted on seeing him off.

After the departure ceremony ended, Gaya was resting in his assigned pavilion when he raised his head at a rumbling sound.

There was Gayul, fast asleep in his baby tiger form, snoring peacefully.

‘Hmm. I heard the Vermillion Bird Family’s youngest followed along and cried and wailed about not wanting to be separated from his elder brother…’

His youngest brother, far from worrying about his elder brother going to battle, had just gobbled up the Imperial Palace’s delicious food and was taking a nap while patting his plump belly.

Gaya slightly furrowed his brow and put on a deliberately serious expression as he thought about his two younger brothers.

‘Well, they’re both cute in their own way…’

Ga Hyeon, who had become even more convinced he was an adult since turning eight this year.

And Gayul, who despite turning seven, was still a spoiled child.

Both younger brothers had their own cute aspects, but he couldn’t quite imagine Ga Hyeon and Gayul crying for his sake.

Baby tigers clinging to his pant legs and crying for him not to go.

That seemed like it would be a bit disgusting…

‘Little sisters are a bit different, I suppose.’

Gaya, who had been lost in thought while poking the sleeping baby tiger’s belly, soon got up.

‘It’s not like I want them to cry for me anyway. It would just be noisy.’

Gaya organized his thoughts with a bored expression and headed to the rear garden for a walk.

Walking alone, he spotted a red-haired boy of similar height to himself under a tree across the way.

He could tell instinctively. That this was the heir of the Vermillion Bird Family.

The Vermillion Bird Family’s boy was holding and comforting a tiny girl who was less than half his size.

‘I suppose I should greet his little sister.’

Gaya thought with an indifferent expression.

The child was wrapped so preciously and tightly in his arms that her body couldn’t be seen properly.

Gaya once again thought of his own younger brothers.

He also couldn’t imagine Ga Hyeon or Gayul snuggling into his arms like that.

If it were Ga Hyeon, he would sit quietly while being held but openly display a thoroughly displeased expression, and if it were Gayul, he would obviously struggle to escape from his arms and end up tearing his sleeves.

‘Little sisters really are… different, I suppose.’

It was when he was thinking this indifferently.

Sanyu, who had been comforting the sniffling and crying Soya, raised his head at the presence he felt from across the way.

For a moment, their eyes met.

However, Gaya snorted lightly and passed by.

That was Gaya and Sanyu’s first encounter.

Their second encounter was right after the departure.

It was when Gaya, having arrived at the border after the march, was resting in his assigned barracks.

At the sound of someone entering, he raised his head thinking ‘this must be the guy who’ll share this barracks with me.’

“Ah….”

The red-haired boy stopped when he spotted me, then soon narrowed his eyes drowsily and offered a greeting.

“You must be Young Master Gaya of the White Tiger Family, correct? I’m pleased to meet you like this. I am Sanyu of the Namyang Jeok Clan.”

“….”

Instead of answering, Gaya looked at him with a sullen expression.

At Gaya’s lack of response, Sanyu tilted his head, then spoke with an expression as if he had gained some understanding.

“Ah. Young Master Gaya must be quite shy….”

However, before he could even finish speaking, Gaya got up and walked right past him without a word.

Setting aside his natural disposition of not taking interest in others, Gaya simply didn’t like Sanyu.

There was no particular reason.

He just disliked this guy.

Unlike himself, he didn’t like that kind-looking face either.

He didn’t like how the boy kept trying to talk to him even when he was being ignored.

And….

“Ah, this is something my little sister sent me.”

As if mocking him with ‘your family doesn’t have a little sister, does it?’, he didn’t like how the boy constantly bragged about his sister at every opportunity.

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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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