The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 200

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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 23

When Soya cried like a child in Saeon’s arms, Arang, Gayul, and Su Ri, who had been on the verge of tears all along, finally burst into tears as well.

This caused quite a commotion throughout the White Tiger Palace.

Everyone ran around together searching for Seolyeo.

Among them was Gaya, who searched every corner of Horim Mountain with his lips pressed tightly together and a frightening expression.

‘Somsomi cried again.’

This wasn’t the first time Soya had cried.

She had cried greatly when she reunited with Jeok Sanyu at the Imperial Palace too.

However, when he had found Soya at that time, it was already after she had composed herself from crying.

This was the first time he was seeing her cry so sorrowfully right before his eyes.

Every time he recalled her reddened, swollen eyes, Gaya’s heart ached painfully.

‘Is friendship really that amazing? Enough to cry so sorrowfully like this.’

I don’t know since I don’t have friends.

But if that thing called friendship is so precious to Somsomi…

Then I should find it somehow and present it before Somsomi, shouldn’t I?

[I’m a warrior who protects Soya!]

I followed her all the way to the Northern Lands, claiming to be someone who protects Soya.

So I always had to be by Soya’s side, following her around without leaving her side for even a moment.

‘That wicked beast. Not keeping the promise he made and making Somsomi sad?’

The more he thought about it, the more outrageous it seemed.

Once he found him, he wouldn’t let him off easy.

Gaya ground his molars and searched for Seolyeo.

But gradually, his feelings began to change.

If he would just appear obediently, he would let him off moderately, so please show yourself.

Please appear quickly and stop Somsomi’s tears…

However, he was unable to find Seolyeo in the end.

Seolyeo had disappeared without leaving even a single hair behind.

“The trail ends here.”

The path leading north beyond Horim Mountain.

Seolyeo’s scent, which had been faintly remaining, suddenly cut off at some point.

As if the traces had been deliberately erased.

“Fortunately, there are no signs of an attack, but…”

At Sanho’s murmur, everyone’s expressions hardened for a moment.

They all had the same thought.

Perhaps Seolyeo had…

“Father. You said the place where you brought Seolyeo from was the Northern Lands, right?”

“…Yes.”

At Ga Hyeon’s question, Saeon nodded with a rigidly hardened face.

Seolyeo who had disappeared in the middle of the night without saying anything.

And the artificially cut-off trail suggested one fact.

“It seems Seolyeo—”

Saeon said, glancing toward the north.

“Left the White Tiger Palace on his own, so we’ll temporarily suspend the search…”

“That can’t be!”

At that moment, Soya interrupted Saeon’s words and shouted.

“Soya.”

“Father is mistaken! There’s no way Seolyeo would leave the White Tiger Palace without saying anything!”

Soya had never raised her voice to Saeon like that before.

Everyone looked at her with pitying expressions.

“This isn’t the time for this. We need to hurry and go find Seolyeo.”

Soya rubbed her eyes and ran out to search for Seolyeo.

“Cotton Ball! Come with me!”

Gayul quickly chased after Soya.

“Maybe Seolyeo got lost on Horim Mountain. Horim Mountain is very vast, you know.”

Soya said while rummaging through the inner parts of the bushes searching for Seolyeo.

“Or maybe he stepped wrong and got isolated below a cliff. That would be really terrible. It’ll be night soon…”

“But, Cotton Ball…”

Gayul hesitated while glancing at Soya’s mood.

“…”

However, Soya kept her lips tightly pressed and focused only on searching for Seolyeo.

Of course, Soya knew too.

That Seolyeo, who had run around Horim Mountain like it was his playground, couldn’t possibly get lost here.

Even if by some chance he had stepped wrong and gotten isolated somewhere, there was no way Seolyeo, who could transform into anything, couldn’t escape, and there was no way the white tiger beast-humans who could smell scents from a thousand li away couldn’t find him.

But Soya consciously ignored the fact that she was making baseless arguments.

She searched every corner of Horim Mountain until late, and when the sun set and searching was no longer possible, she had to be led home by others.

Everyone explained that Seolyeo had left on his own, but Soya couldn’t give up and continued searching for over a week.

But Seolyeo was nowhere to be seen.

Not even in the deep inner parts of Horim Mountain where Soya had first encountered Seolyeo.

Not even on the mountain slope where they often gathered to have flower viewing and play hide-and-seek.

Not even in the cave hideout they had made together in their younger days or by the stream where they had played in the water last summer.

No trace of Seolyeo remained anywhere.

And on the eighth day since Seolyeo’s disappearance.

Soya finally acknowledged that Seolyeo had left.

“Father was right. Seolyeo has left.”

“Cotton Ball.”

Saeon looked at Soya with a worried expression.

Noticing Saeon’s concern, Soya spoke in a calm voice.

“I made everyone worry. I’m sorry.”

“…”

At the sight of Soya apologizing with a composed face, Saeon’s throat bobbed painfully.

He slowly lowered himself to match Soya’s eye level and asked while grasping the child’s arms.

“Is your heart okay?”

“Yes, Seolyeo wasn’t hurt or in danger but left on his own. I’m fine. Seolyeo must have had circumstances that prevented him from saying goodbye. So I’m really okay.”

Soya deliberately emphasized that she was okay, saying it twice.

“I won’t make you worry anymore.”

Then she smiled with a clear expression and said to everyone.

“I’m glad you’re okay now, our baby.”

Cheongha came over and hugged Soya’s small body tightly.

“But Mother can worry about our baby as much as she wants, so don’t say you’re sorry.”

“Mother…?”

“No, Mother wants to worry about our baby more! So in front of Mother, if you’re sad, show that you’re sad, and if you’re upset, show that you’re upset. Understood?”

“…!”

At Cheongha’s unexpected words, Soya’s eyes widened.

Cheongha smiled brightly while touching Soya’s soft, round cheeks.

“Me, me too Cotton Ball! Me too!”

Gayul, who had been restlessly watching Soya’s mood not knowing how to comfort her, quickly chimed in with Cheongha’s words.

“I don’t find worrying about Cotton Ball hard at all, so when you’re sad and upset, come running to me first. Got it?”

Gayul spoke in an unusually serious and mature tone, quite unlike his usual self.

Soya, who had been staring at him blankly, soon smiled with her eyes sparkling.

“Thank you all.”

Unlike the forced, clean smile she had shown just moments before, this was laughter that came from her heart.

“There we go. Baby Cotton Ball looks much better when she smiles.”

Saeon gently poked Soya’s nose with his fingertip and smiled warmly.

“Soya isn’t a baby anymore, Father. Look how brave she is.”

Ga Hyeon also relaxed his face, which had been tense with worry, and spoke affectionately.

Gaya silently watched the scene.

Soya’s eyes, no longer showing traces of tears, were imprinted on his retina.

‘But why does it still seem like she’s crying.’

Though she was surrounded by family and smiling, her pink eyes somehow seemed heavy, as if she was holding back sadness.

However, Gaya didn’t reveal his inner thoughts and, like the other family members, approached Soya to comfort her.

And so Soya accepted that Seolyeo had left.

From that day forward, Soya became a little more mature.

Gaya felt both regretful that Soya was growing up and relieved that she no longer cried.

* * *

People deliberately avoided bringing up Seolyeo’s story in front of Soya and turned her attention to other things.

Soya also smiled brightly and no longer brought up that topic.

Time gradually passed this way.

Everyone looked at Soya and said she had overcome her sadness and grown another level.

But Soya’s melancholy hadn’t completely disappeared.

Soya glanced at the wooden box placed on her desk.

Inside it were the secret letters from the hideout that she hadn’t been able to retrieve on the day Seolyeo disappeared.

Arang had brought them to her before leaving White Tiger Palace.

However, Soya hadn’t been able to unfold and read them yet.

Because if she looked at them, it would feel like she had to truly accept that Seolyeo had left…

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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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