The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 204

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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 27

Seolyeo’s crooked handwriting greeted Soya.

Seolyeo at this time, who was nine years old, couldn’t write well except for his own name.

【I’m really happy to become friends with Soya. Even when I’m ten years old, I’ll protect Soya. Because I’m Soya’s warrior. And thank you for taking me out. Thank you for bringing me from Horim Mountain and taking me out of the demon beast hide.</p】

-Written by Seolyeo, Soya’s best friend.>

Although the spelling was wrong in places, it made the innocent feelings feel even more genuine, causing Soya to burst into laughter.

The feeling of having a conversation with nine-year-old Seolyeo warmed Soya’s heart.

Soya took out paper, brush and ink and wrote replies one by one.

She asked Chirpy to deliver the reply for Arang, and personally delivered the ones for Gayul and Su Ri.

And finally, Seolyeo’s letter was…

‘Tomorrow I should ask Gaya Elder Brother to go to the secret hideout together.’

She planned to go to the cave tomorrow and leave the reply there.

So that Seolyeo, who would return someday, could find traces of his childhood days.

‘I hope he’ll come back and read it someday.’

After folding the envelope and even applying glue, Soya finally realized that she had truly sent Seolyeo away.

‘Like Arang said, I think I’ve really become an adult now. Of course, I still need to sleep for a thousand more nights before my second growth stage…’

Then suddenly, Soya’s eyes fell on the tiger doll placed on the bed.

It was a gift Father had given her when she first came to the White Tiger Palace.

After meeting Saeon and stepping into the proper world he showed her, Soya had grown day by day, sleeping with that doll every night.

Just as the doll had become worn and dirty from being handled, Soya’s height and heart had grown steadily every night.

“It used to be big enough to fill my arms.”

As Soya murmured while holding the tiger doll that now felt a bit small in her arms, she realized that the doll hadn’t gotten smaller—she had grown bigger.

The sudden feeling of emptiness was probably because she realized she was no longer a child.

She had always wanted to grow up quickly and always wanted to become an adult.

But now that she had turned fourteen and could no longer be called a little child, her heart strangely felt empty.

It was because she unconsciously knew.

Those young days when she had joyfully bounced and played in the mountains and fields would now only remain as memories.

That her past childhood would never return.

“My goodness. I’m having all sorts of strange feelings. Gaya Elder Brother never taught me about this.”

It was when Soya was shaking her head vigorously to dispel her empty feelings.

A gentle flower fragrance came to Soya on the breeze.

Drawn to that scent that warmly embraced her empty heart, Soya followed the source of the fragrance while holding the doll in one arm.

On the window frame, a lush flower blossom was placed in a small vase.

It was the very flower that had been placed in front of her window on the day of Soya’s birthday party not long ago.

“Hello, flower. It was a very nice day today—did you get plenty of sunlight?”

Soya tilted her head toward the petals and smiled brightly.

When she first discovered this flower, she thought Gaya had left it, but Gaya knew nothing about this flower.

‘Then who on earth left it?’

Perhaps it was a surprise gift from other family members.

Since that day was also her birthday, it could have been a birthday present.

‘How did they know to bring me a flower I really love?’

None of her family members knew that Soya loved this flower.

Because this flower was from a very long time ago… a flower Soya had loved when she lived at the Vermillion Bird Mansion.

“I don’t know who left it, but… seeing how it comforts my lonely heart so warmly, it must be a flower brought by a truly good person. Right, flower?”

Naturally, there was no answer from the flower, but Soya smiled gently and buried her nose among the petals.

The warm flower fragrance completely filled her empty heart.

* * *

The next morning.

Soya went to the secret hideout with Gaya.

The cave entrance was narrow and small, only allowing young children to enter and exit.

Even though Soya was now fourteen and the narrow entrance was a bit tight for her…

Pop!

By shapeshifting into a small bird like this, there was no problem.

Gaya watched as a small bird carrying a letter larger than its body in its beak waddled into the cave and came back out.

“Did you leave the letter properly?”

“Yes! Thank you for coming with me, Elder Brother.”

Soya flew up with a cheerful chirp and landed on Gaya’s shoulder.

“Oh right. About me crying yesterday—it’s a secret from Father and Mother. You understand, right?”

“Huh?”

Instead of answering readily, Gaya made a subtle expression.

‘Father and Mother already know. Both that Somsomi was trying to pretend she was okay and that she cried yesterday…’

However, telling Soya at this moment ‘Actually, your parents know everything about your condition, but they’re pretending not to know while waiting for you to overcome it yourself’ wouldn’t be a very good choice.

After quickly organizing his thoughts, Gaya nodded with a calm face.

“Alright, Somsom. This elder brother will specially keep your secret.”

“Gaya Elder Brother really is the best.”

Then Soya closed her eyes prettily and laughed cheerfully.

Seeing that, Gaya also chuckled and thought.

‘She’s still just a baby.’

Unlike Soya thinking of herself as an adult now, in twenty-year-old Gaya’s eyes, his fourteen-year-old little sister only looked young.

Young enough that he wanted to keep protecting her forever…

Soft and squishy.

Fluffy and warm.

Round and gentle.

My little sister.

The autumn fragrance wafted around the two siblings as they descended the mountain together.

That year’s summer passed by just like that.

5. Again, the summer when Soya was fourteen. The story of Irim and Seolyeo that Soya doesn’t know

Around dawn, Seolyeo ran away alone.

Tears kept welling up, making it hard to see ahead.

But Seolyeo didn’t stop and kept running.

He ran and ran again.

Because if he hesitated even for a moment, he felt like he would want to return to the White Tiger Palace.

‘No. I have to get away from Soya.’

Seolyeo bit his lips tightly to swallow the sobs that were about to burst out.

‘I can’t stay here. I can’t hurt Soya again…’

It was the moment he shook his head and increased his running speed.

Crash!

He tripped over a stone and fell.

Seolyeo clutched his painful knee and burst into muffled tears.

Normally he wouldn’t have cried over such a minor wound, but today his scraped knee hurt so much.

After sniffling for a while, he wiped his eyes and stood up again.

If he sat here just because it hurt, the sun would rise.

If people found out he had disappeared, they might come looking for him.

‘I need to move quickly before that happens.’

It was when Seolyeo was about to take steps toward the north once again.

Suddenly, there was a shadow blocking his path.

‘This person is….’

Seolyeo slowly raised his head.

Under the dim dawn sky, a sixteen-year-old boy was shining alone in noble solitude, his robes fluttering as he looked down at him.

Tae Irim.

The Emperor of Taehwa Kingdom, and the boy who always made him feel small in front of Soya.

‘Why is this person here….’

He couldn’t understand why the man who should be at the Imperial Palace was here.

However, Seolyeo didn’t want to know.

He simply felt pathetic standing before this man in such a miserable state again, and wanted to leave this place quickly.

“…Pl, please step aside.”

Instead of answering, Irim quietly stared at Seolyeo’s red and raw eyes before asking.

“Are you the one who touched the veil of time?”

At that cold question, Seolyeo’s body flinched and trembled.

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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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