The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 192

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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 15

“Anyway, it seems like everyone really does want to play with Cotton Ball Miss, just as Young Master said. The young lady from the Galho family said she’ll come visit in two weeks.”

At the news Su Ri delivered, Gayul pouted his lips.

“Why is she coming again when the Mountain Festival just ended not too long ago?”

“That young lady has started exchanging letters with our young lady lately. And it seems Cotton Ball Miss said she’d introduce her to a new friend.”

“A new friend… Seolyeo?”

Gayul glanced at the black-haired boy standing obediently beside Soya.

Seolyeo was a demon beast that Soya had brought from Horim Mountain, and he had recently become human.

Of course, the fact that Seolyeo was a demon beast was a secret.

So the White Tiger Palace people knew Seolyeo as a wolf beastman.

Ga Hyeon would sometimes look at Seolyeo with suspicious eyes, but unlike his elder brother, Gayul was simply excited to have more playmates.

When he was young, he used to play alone or go around playing with Su Ri, but now his playmates had increased with Soya and Seolyeo.

This meant there were now three people to play with just in the White Tiger Palace.

Especially hide-and-seek.

That was a game he couldn’t play alone, so whenever young Gayul wanted to play hide-and-seek, he would just hide somewhere by himself.

But no matter where he hid, Father and Elder Brother would find him with amazing accuracy.

When he asked how they found him, Elder Brother would always tell him that he had the ‘scent of a tiger cub’…

‘What kind of smell is that supposed to be?’

Sniff sniff.

Gayul pulled at his sleeve and smelled it.

‘I don’t think I smell like anything.’

But even now at ten years old, he still didn’t really know what that smell was supposed to be.

‘I wish I could smell fluffy like Cotton Ball instead of some tiger cub scent.’

Although he didn’t know what tiger cub scent was, he knew what the fluffy baby bird scent was.

Soya always gave off a pleasant, fluffy scent.

It was such a cozy smell that seemed like it would float and fly away on the gentle breeze.

‘Would I have had that kind of fluffy scent if I had wings too?’

A winged tiger. What a pointless thought.

Well, that wasn’t what was important.

What mattered was that now they could all play together like this.

So Gayul…

“Cotton Ball! Let’s play with Elder Brother!”

Today too, he energetically called out to Soya and ran over as usual.

* * *

Ga Hyeon was in his room receiving the day’s schedule report from Ho Jeoka.

“Soya is playing hide-and-seek?”

Ga Hyeon’s expression became very serious as he continued receiving reports that included Soya’s schedule.

He knew that the competitive Gayul and Arang had been plotting because they had never once managed to find Soya in hide-and-seek.

[Youngest Young Master… no, I played hide-and-seek with Yul Elder Brother and Arang, and it was so fun. Nobody could find me until the very end!]

He remembered Soya saying that last time.

Even though they had now become family and lived together in the White Tiger Palace, Soya still showed signs of being shy and cautious.

But on the day she said that, she seemed a little excited, unlike usual.

Her voice was higher than usual, and she spoke a little faster too.

Just like an excited child.

[Our Cotton Ball Miss acts mature in everything, but when you see her playing ball with Young Master Yul, she’s still our baby Cotton Ball Miss.]

[But Young Master Yul is really something, being so competitive that he absolutely won’t go easy on the young lady.]

He also remembered the conversation between Yeonjeong and Sanho.

“Hmm.”

After being lost in thought for a moment, he ordered Ho Jeoka to modify the schedule.

And a little while later.

“Elder Brother will be ‘it’?”

Soya looked at Ga Hyeon with rabbit-like round eyes and asked back.

“Yes, so let Elder Brother join in today too, Soya.”

Ga Hyeon, who usually didn’t play with Gayul or Arang, had appeared before the children and volunteered to be ‘it’.

“I like it! Then Elder Brother is ‘it’!”

Before Soya could even answer, Gayul quickly shouted.

Soon the game began with Ga Hyeon counting numbers, and everyone scattered in different directions.

Soya also scurried around looking for a place to hide and discovered a large tree.

If she hid among the leaves, it seemed like no one would be able to find her.

Poof!

It was when Soya, transformed into a small bird, fluttered up onto a tree branch.

Rustle.

At the sound from below, she glanced down to see that Ga Hyeon, who had somehow finished counting, was passing by underneath.

‘Oh no, already…!’

Soya, who hadn’t managed to hide herself yet, quickly headed behind the leaves.

Was she too hasty?

In her rush, she accidentally dropped a leaf.

Flutter flutter—

Ga Hyeon tilted his head as he watched the leaf fall before his eyes.

“Hm?”

In that moment, Soya was so startled that she held her breath and trembled her wings.

It felt like she was about to be discovered.

“A leaf must have fallen in the wind.”

But fortunately, Ga Hyeon didn’t pay much attention to the leaf.

“But where could Soya be?”

Ga Hyeon looked around, then just passed by.

“Chirp…”

Soya, now relaxed, let out the breath she had been holding.

‘I almost got caught.’

Her heart was still pounding from thinking she almost got discovered.

‘So…’

Soya thought as she ruffled her tail feathers.

‘So fun!’

Hide-and-seek was really fun.

* * *

Below the large bushes, a baby white tiger’s long tail was sticking out.

“Found you, Baek Gayul.”

At Ga Hyeon’s words, the baby white tiger’s tail that had been sticking out slipped back into the bushes.

“…?”

Ga Hyeon frowned at that strange sight.

The leaves and vines swayed and rustled.

Ga Hyeon noticed Gayul’s intention to pretend he hadn’t been caught and run away, and let out a hollow laugh in disbelief…

Bang!

In an instant, he transformed into a large tiger and pounced on the bushes.

As a result, the baby tiger hiding inside the thicket, crouched down and trying to sneak away, was discovered.

“Gr, grroaaaar…! Grroar, grroaaaar!”

Startled, Gayul let out threatening roars, but they had no effect on Ga Hyeon whatsoever.

“Where do you think you’re going.”

Ga Hyeon snorted and grabbed the baby tiger by the scruff of the neck with his mouth.

“Kyaaaak!”

Gayul dangled in the air, panting and struggling, but Ga Hyeon only gave the rebellious baby tiger one frightening glare.

“Grring…”

In the end, Gayul had to come out with his neck held loosely in his elder brother’s mouth.

“Baek Gayul, you got caught fair and square yet tried to run away sneakily.”

“Grrrung…(I really wanted to win this time.)”

Gayul pouted as he looked at Seolyeo, Arang, and Su Ri who had been caught before him.

“Grroar, grroaaaar?(But where’s Cotton Ball?)”

“That’s right. I don’t see Soya.”

Ga Hyeon answered in a gentle voice.

Unlike how he had quickly found everyone as soon as the game started, he alone couldn’t find Soya.

“Then let’s all go look for Soya together!”

At Arang’s shout, everyone eventually moved together to search for Soya.

Meanwhile, Soya was watching all of this from a nearby distance.

‘I’m the last one remaining.’

Her chest fluttered pleasantly with a proud feeling.

‘I should hide a little longer and then come out to surprise them.’

It was when Soya was giggling with such thoughts.

Seolyeo, who had been looking around nearby, tilted her head and then stopped under the tree where Soya was hiding.

Soya moved her body slightly more to hide perfectly among the tree leaves.

‘This way, I definitely won’t be seen, right?’

Seolyeo glanced up at the tree where Soya was hiding, then tilted her head once more.

“Seol Yoya! Do you see Cotton Ball Miss over there?”

Just then, Su Ri, who had been searching for Soya a little distance away, approached Seolyeo and asked.

At her own name flowing from Su Ri’s mouth, Soya instantly tensed and stiffened her body.

Instead of answering, Seolyeo shook her head vigorously.

“Really? You don’t see her over there either? Where on earth could she be.”

“…”

Seolyeo stood still with a blank expression, only blinking her eyes.

“What are you doing, Seolyeo. You should hurry and go look for Young Lady too. Come quickly!”

“Uh, uhuhuh…”

Seolyeo didn’t seem particularly eager to move, but ended up being dragged away by Su Ri.

Left behind, Soya let out a “Phew―” sigh.

‘This place seems dangerous after all. It’s too close to everyone.’

It was when Soya was stealthily moving to change her hiding spot.

“Grring?!”

Gayul, who had climbed the tree across from her to search for Soya, spotted the tail feathers of a baby bird wiggling around.

No doubt about it. That was Cotton Ball!

He had never once found Soya during hide-and-seek until now, so he was overjoyed.

It was when Gayul was about to shout that he had found Soya.

“Grroaaaar… Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!”

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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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