The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 196

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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 19

Ga Hyeon slowly walked to the window and picked up the stone pebbles in his hand.

One had a white tiger with black markings drawn on it, and the other had a fluffy white baby bird painted on it.

The one with the tiger drawn on it was a gift Soya had given him, and the one with the baby bird was something he had painted for Soya.

Last autumn, after finding and bringing back Soya who had gotten lost on Horim Mountain due to Eun Siyo’s scheme.

He had selected the prettiest stone pebble for Soya and painted it.

Because he wanted to understand better what feelings that child had while making it.

Making stone talismans required more care than he had thought.

Finding the stones, washing and drying them, drawing pictures and coloring them, then applying another coat of colorless ceramic paint so the colors wouldn’t peel off, and firing them in a kiln…

His heart kept stinging with the thought that he hadn’t recognized such precious care, yet she didn’t hate him for it.

Fortunately, Soya had accepted his gift with a bright smile.

[It gets lonely being alone, doesn’t it? So this stone talisman that Elder Brother gave me can stay here together too, right? Instead, I’ll come check on the stones every single day to see if they’re doing well!]

Since then, the two stone pebbles were always placed together by Ga Hyeon’s window.

Whenever Ga Hyeon saw the stones placed harmoniously together, he felt pleased but also pained remembering the first button he had wrongly fastened with Soya.

When Soya first came to White Tiger Palace, he had put up walls and spoken harshly to that child.

He had dismissed that precious care as trash and drawn a line saying she wasn’t a White Tiger Palace person.

Perhaps the reason Soya had tried to leave White Tiger Palace so easily after just a few words from Eun Siyo was actually all because of him.

And whenever such thoughts occurred to him, Ga Hyeon tried to become a better elder brother to Soya.

He could do anything for Soya.

So that nothing in the world could hurt Soya.

So that Soya’s lovely heart wouldn’t be wounded even the slightest bit.

That’s how he would protect her.

Because he was Soya’s elder brother…

‘So receiving a little punishment from Father is fine.’

Ga Hyeon slowly closed and opened his eyes as he thought.

Just then, cheerful laughter came from outside the window.

“Seolyeo, you have to run away quickly! Before Yul Elder Brother catches you!”

Glancing outside, he immediately spotted Soya.

She must have been running around somewhere, as her skirt hem was covered in dirt.

At that sight, a smile quietly bloomed on Ga Hyeon’s lips.

Unlike her gentle personality, Soya would always play outside like this until she got covered in dirt.

Then when it was time to go indoors, she would belatedly pat down her dirt-covered skirt hem earnestly with her small hands, and that sight was so adorable.

He could also see Seolyeo playing and running around with Soya.

“Krung, krung!”

Seolyeo was excitedly playing while making growling sounds in the form of a black wolf.

“…Hmm.”

Ga Hyeon’s eyes gradually narrowed as he watched Seolyeo.

Seolyeo was publicly known as a wolf beast-human.

But no one knew that child’s true identity.

Even Sara, the priestess of White Tiger Palace, didn’t know.

Sara had said that child was a beast-human, not a demon beast, but…

‘A beast-human who can shapeshift into anything.’

Seolyeo could transform into anything.

Into a wolf, a tiger, even a very small baby bird.

In front of people, only the wolf form was shown, but when people’s eyes weren’t watching, shapeshifting happened freely.

Especially when Seolyeo wanted to look good to Soya, the transformation was constantly into tiger form.

The form of a baby tiger small and cute enough for Soya to hold in her arms.

It probably wasn’t done on purpose.

It wasn’t a cunning child.

But there seemed to be an instinctive understanding that Soya liked tigers.

Soya’s guard would particularly come down in front of Seolyeo in tiger form.

‘It really does seem like liking her.’

Ga Hyeon could see through Seolyeo’s heart.

That black beast definitely liked Soya.

Without even knowing exactly what liking meant, without clearly recognizing those feelings.

“Liking, huh…”

Ga Hyeon murmured that suddenly unfamiliar word.

He, Yul, and all the White Tiger Palace people liked Soya, but Seolyeo’s feelings for Soya seemed a little different.

Romantic affection.

It was a word quite unsuitable for his little sister who was only ten years old.

Would that lovable little sister also meet a partner and leave someday?

Having such thoughts made him feel a little upset.

It would probably happen that way.

Above all, Soya was the White Tiger Family’s only daughter.

Though there was no news from the Imperial Palace yet since the Emperor was still young, when the Emperor came of age, Soya would also be selected as a candidate for the Dragon Emperor’s Bride.

And if she happened to catch the Emperor’s eye…

‘The Emperor…’

Ga Hyeon thought of Emperor Tae Irim, who was the same age as him.

Last autumn, he had felt something strange about how the Emperor who visited White Tiger Palace treated Soya.

Liking?

It was a sensation that couldn’t be explained by such a simple word.

Something a little deeper… more intense feelings…

‘What if the Emperor wants Soya?’

Suddenly Ga Hyeon’s expression darkened.

‘If he takes that child inside those high and thick palace walls…’

He hated it.

How could he take away the sister he had worked so hard to protect?

‘If he’s going to take someone, he should take that stupid tiger instead.’

Ga Hyeon was thinking this while watching Gayul chase after Soya and Seolyeo with a “Roar!” sound.

Soya, who had been running away from Gayul, happened to make eye contact with Ga Hyeon at the window.

“Peep!(Hyeoni Elder Brother!)”

Soya flew toward him with a flutter.

“Soya.”

Ga Hyeon smiled warmly and extended his hand to Soya.

“Peep, peep!(We all decided to go flower viewing. I wish Elder Brother could come with us too!)”

Soya landed on the back of Ga Hyeon’s hand and spoke while flapping her wings.

“Flower viewing?”

“Peep!(Yes, flower viewing!)”

Ga Hyeon had many things to do.

But when Soya spoke with such expectant eyes, he simply couldn’t refuse.

“Shall we?”

So Ga Hyeon smiled gently and stroked Soya’s head.

Trill trill trill—

A lovely song flowed from between delighted Soya’s tiny beak.

* * *

Colorful flowers bloomed in the front courtyard of White Tiger Palace.

Soya was diligently weaving flower stems together with her small hands.

She was in the middle of making a flower crown.

Her focused expression was quite serious.

Seolyeo beside her was also weaving flower stems following Soya’s example, but her skills were quite clumsy.

Gayul, who had flopped down on the ground and was sprawling about, had already given up long ago.

“Haaah. I can’t do this anymore, Cotton Ball.”

Gayul, sprawled on the ground, rolled around on the grass and bothered Soya.

“Cotton Ball, instead of making flower crowns, let’s do something else…”

“Oh my, Yul Elder Brother. How can you give up already? Seolyeo is concentrating so hard on it.”

Ga Hyeon, who had been sitting against a wooden pillar reading a book, lifted his gaze and glanced at Soya.

In the past six months, Soya had adapted to White Tiger Palace and become much more cheerful than when she first arrived.

When Yul would throw a tantrum, she would say everything she needed to say in that gentle voice of hers.

“Don’t be like that and come sit here, Elder Brother.”

“Huh? Like this?”

“Yes, and bow your head down for just a moment.”

“Huh?”

“Ta-da. Isn’t it pretty?”

When she laughed, she would laugh out loud so prettily like that.

Watching Soya giggle as she placed a flower crown on Gayul’s head, a smile also bloomed on Ga Hyeon’s lips.

“Hyeoni Elder Brother!”

Soya ran over to Ga Hyeon holding a flower crown.

“I have one for Elder Brother too.”

“Wow, thank you. Elder Brother made one for Soya too.”

Ga Hyeon gently curved his eyes and picked up the flower crown he had completed a while ago, placing it on Soya’s head.

Soya smiled brightly and ran back to where Gayul and Seolyeo were.

‘How amazing.’

Ga Hyeon thought as he watched her.

He had never known that spring was such a beautiful season.

He had also never known that the flowers of White Tiger Palace, which he had always passed by indifferently, were so lovely.

Originally, spring had been the season when Mother left him.

But not anymore.

This spring, he was planning to visit Azure Sea Palace to see Mother.

Spring had now become a season of meeting, not parting.

It was all thanks to Soya.

“Cotton Ball, instead of that, I thought of a fun game.”

“What is it?”

“How about a flower crown stealing game… Ugh!”

Before he could even finish speaking, Gayul, who had tried to grab the flower crown from Soya’s head and run away, let out a strange scream.

Ga Hyeon had immediately grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“There’s a bad tiger here trying to steal his sister’s flower crown.”

“I wasn’t trying to steal it, I was trying to play together! Elder Brother only reads books all the time, so you don’t know about these things.”

Gayul grumbled without backing down even under Ga Hyeon’s sharp glare.

Regardless, Ga Hyeon took the flower crown from Gayul and returned it to Soya.

It was when Gayul was pouting and muttering complaints.

“Huh…?”

Suddenly looking into the grass, he discovered a suspicious object he had never seen before.

“What’s that?”

As Gayul stared intently at the grass with his eyes blinking, Soya approached with her head tilted.

“What’s wrong, Yul Elder Brother?”

“Over there, look over there, Cotton Ball. There’s something interesting there.”

Soya’s eyes widened as she looked where Gayul was pointing.

Soya thought she knew what that was.

No, she couldn’t not know.

“That’s… a bird’s nest!”

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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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