The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 218

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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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Part 2, Chapter 10

That night, Irim escorted Soya back to the estate.

When she transformed into a small bird to avoid any prying eyes, Irim chuckled softly and extended the back of his hand.

“Why, why are you laughing?”

Soya, who had landed on the back of Irim’s hand, asked with her face flushing red.

“Just wondering how you managed to fly such a long distance with those tiny wings.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate my small wings. I’ll have you know I’m approaching my Second Growth Stage soon. Once I finish growing, I might become really, really big.”

Soya spoke primly and folded her wings.

“Underestimate? Not at all. I was just saying how admirable I find you.”

“My father always tells me the same thing. That little Cotton Ball with small wings is quite admirable.”

Embarrassed by her own words, Soya turned her head slightly and pretended to look elsewhere.

Then his unmistakable soft laughter reached Soya’s ears.

Something about that laughter echoing through the quiet night air made Soya’s chest feel ticklish.

On the way home, riding on the back of Irim’s hand.

Soya, who had been stealing glances at his handsome jade-like eyes, suddenly grew curious and asked.

“But I don’t think I’ve ever seen Your Majesty’s Beast Transformation. I’m always the only one showing you mine…”

He stopped.

A look of confusion briefly crossed Irim’s face as he unconsciously halted his steps.

“…That’s true.”

Soon he smiled wryly and murmured in a bitter voice.

“I hope someday I’ll be able to show you.”

At those words, Soya tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

‘Someday? Couldn’t he show me right now if he just transformed?’

Then Irim, who had been quietly watching her, smiled gently and softly stroked the feathers on her head.

This time she didn’t flinch noticeably like before, nor did she avoid him.

But Soya’s heart still fluttered with unknown emotions.

Even after returning to the estate, Soya couldn’t fall asleep for a long time and spent the night wide awake with her heart pounding.

* * *

Dawn broke.

Soya headed to the Imperial Palace with her family.

It was the day to confirm whether Cheongya was truly a dragon beast-human.

The ceremony to check for a young dragon’s orb takes place before the Shrine of the Golden Dragon.

Through the presence or absence of an orb, they would be able to confirm Cheongya’s bloodline.

Upon arriving at the altar, they encountered the Cheongryong Family members who had arrived first and were waiting.

Unlike Soya’s group, who had visited simply with minimal personnel, many Cheongryong Family members had gathered.

They all looked clearly filled with anticipation.

“Oh, that Young Master is the one…”

“His stubborn eyes look just like the Deceased Madam.”

“Since he inherited Cheongha’s blood…”

The retainers from the Eastern Lands whispered among themselves, showing interest in Cheongya.

Though they had protested to Saeon about stealing the dragon’s blood, in the end they too desperately wanted the Cheongryong Family bloodline.

Under the people’s attention, Cheongya turned his head away and clung tightly to Soya’s embrace.

“Seeing how the child likes Soya makes me think he really is a dragon beast-human.”

Cheong Sua smiled gently as she looked at Soya.

“Soya has an aura that dragons favor.”

“An aura that dragons favor…?”

Soya tilted her head.

She wanted to ask more, but just then the sound announcing the Emperor’s procession could be heard.

Soya stood neatly beside her father and glanced at Irim walking toward them.

Unlike last night, Irim wore splendid robes and a crown adorned with dangling orbs.

Though they were at some distance, the moment their eyes met, his pupils curved gently.

Soya’s face flushed slightly upon noticing this.

Saeon, who was beside her, raised an eyebrow at the suspicious signs, but Soya didn’t notice.

“Let the fourth son of the Baek Family come before His Majesty.”

Cheongya glanced back and forth between Saeon and Soya, then quickly toddled forward before the Emperor.

Then he blinked his eyes and looked up at the Emperor.

Irim, who had been gazing intently into Cheongya’s eyes, spoke in a quiet voice.

“He possesses a blue orb with the energy of wood. He is a dragon beast-human.”

The White Tiger Family members, who had roughly guessed this since Cheongya’s birth, nodded calmly.

In contrast, the Cheongryong Family members became extremely excited, bursting into exclamations and crowding around Cheongya.

“Congratulations, little Young Master!”

“Befitting the dragon bloodline, you’re so dignified even before His Imperial Majesty!”

“Hahaha, you’ll surely become an excellent dragon beast-human in the future!”

Congratulations from the Cheongryong Family members poured in from all directions.

Cheongya, who had been blinking, soon shouted stubbornly with an indignant face.

“No! Cheongya not dragon!”

Cheongya huffed angrily and turned his head away sharply.

“Cheongya not dragon, Cheongya flap-flap bird beast-human!”

At Cheongya’s declaration, the Cheongryong Family members looked flustered.

They had worried about what would happen if the child grew up in White Tiger Palace and considered his identity to be tiger rather than dragon.

But not even a white tiger—claiming to be a bird beast-human out of nowhere.

This was something no one had anticipated.

“Sister. Sister tell them. Cheongya is bird beast-human.”

Cheongya grabbed Soya’s hem and whimpered.

“Being stubborn won’t make you a bird beast-human, Cheongya.”

However, it wasn’t Soya who answered, but Ga Hyeon standing beside her.

“Waaah…”

Tears quickly welled up in Cheongya’s large eyes.

“His Majesty just said so too, didn’t he? Our Cheongya isn’t a bird beast-human but a dragon beast-human. A dragon beast-human without cool wings, without a cute beak, without pretty tail feathers.”

To Cheongya, who looked ready to cry any moment, Ga Hyeon delivered the final blow in a gentle voice.

“Wah, waaah… waaaaah!”

Finally, Cheongya burst into tears.

“Cheongya!”

Soya tried to comfort him, but Cheongya wouldn’t stop crying easily.

Just when Soya was at a loss.

Swoosh—

Saeon slipped both hands under Cheongya’s armpits and lifted him up.

“Cheongya, do you know? Dragons can fly like birds too.”

“Huh…?”

At his father’s gentle voice, Cheongya sniffled and asked.

“Then Cheongya can fly too? Like sister?”

“That’s right. If you don’t cry and grow up strong to become an excellent dragon beast-human, Cheongya can fly magnificently like sister Soya too.”

“…!”

Cheongya’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Wow, our Cheongya is so lucky. Papa is a tiger so he can’t even fly, but Cheongya can fly like sister. Just like a flap-flap cute bird beast-human.”

At those words, Cheongya stopped crying and giggled while scrunching his reddened nose.

‘Wow…! To calm Cheongya down so quickly, Papa really is amazing!’

Toward Soya, who was looking at him with admiring eyes, Saeon winked one eye.

* * *

And so the brief commotion passed.

Shortly after, people from the Vermillion Bird Family arrived from the Southern Lands, and the conference between the Emperor and the Three Great Families began.

Saeon and the White Tiger Family attendants also moved to attend the conference.

Soya took Cheongya with her to tour the Imperial Palace.

“Sister, birds! Flap flap!”

Cheongya, who had been toddling along, discovered a colorful bird painting hanging in the Imperial Palace corridor and shouted.

“Look at this, the feathers are sparkling. Pretty.”

“Oh my, it’s a phoenix.”

“Phoenix?”

Cheongya tilted his head and asked.

“What’s a phoenix?”

“Well, a phoenix is the king of birds…”

Soya lifted Cheongya up so he could see the painting better and began her story.

“The phoenix, known as the king of birds, travels in pairs and is said to be a descendant of Cheonsin. When the phoenix was born, beast-people were created from the fragments of joy that Cheonsin shed…”

“Wow…!”

“Disasters spread from the fragments of sorrow that Cheonsin shed after losing his daughter forever. So to prevent disasters from spreading further, Cheonsin’s heart was locked away tight.”

Cheongya, who had been listening quietly to the story, tilted his head and asked.

“Huh? But why did the phoenix die?”

“Well. That’s forbidden knowledge, so it’s not passed down.”

“…Too sad. It’s so pretty though.”

Cheongya’s eyes quickly became moist.

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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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