The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 235

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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 27

Irim carefully raised the back of his hand and placed it against the red bird’s forehead.

The fever had gone down a little.

It should be fine to move her now.

He wrapped the red bird in his outer coat and carefully lifted her up.

The earthen wall that had protected the two of them all night slowly crumbled from the top, then collapsed completely into the ground.

The cool dawn air greeted them.

“Piyu, piyuu…”

The red bird squirmed in his arms, talking in her sleep.

Irim chuckled softly and gently stroked Soya’s head feathers.

It was when he was coming down from the mountain, preciously holding the restless red bird in his arms.

“Your Majesty…?”

Irim encountered Saeon, who had a pale expression.

“Why are you here…”

He who had been running around all night looking for Soya stopped short when he discovered the red bird in Irim’s arms.

“…!”

Saeon’s blue eyes shook violently.

It was a red bird he’d never seen before, but he could recognize her immediately.

Though she looked completely different from the baby bird he knew, there was no way he couldn’t know.

“Cotton Ball…?”

“Pii, piit…”

As if responding to his call, the red bird chattered in her sleep.

“Her special ability went out of control due to sudden growth pains, so she couldn’t move.”

Irim said as he handed Soya over to Saeon.

“…Surely not.”

Saeon’s expression hardened coldly.

“Were you with my daughter throughout last night?”

“Nothing happened.”

“This doesn’t seem like a matter that can just be covered up with the words ‘nothing happened.'”

Saeon’s voice dropped to a rigid tone.

“No matter if you are His Imperial Majesty, when men and women should be kept separate, how can I as a father just overlook that my grown daughter was with an outside man?”

Saeon’s gaze looking straight at Irim was extremely insolent and disloyal for a subject looking at an emperor.

When the confrontation between the two men was tense.

“Kkwiruru…”

The red bird in Saeon’s arms let out a thin bird cry.

Her fever was about to rise again.

“This isn’t the time for this. If her fever rises again and her special ability goes out of control, it will be difficult to move her.”

“…”

At those words, Saeon bit his lower lip firmly, then returned to the village holding Soya.

“Family Head!”

“Father!”

The people who had likewise been searching for Soya saw him and rushed over.

“Where is Cotton Ball… Huh… What?”

Gayul discovered that Saeon was holding something in his arms.

Father’s arms bulging out.

Red feathers poking out from between them!

Gayul’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Cotton Ball…!”

At the same time Gayul shouted that, a fierce wind rose in front of him and a large human figure appeared.

“Where did you say Somsom is?”

The figure radiating a fierce and sharp aura was none other than Gaya.

Gaya, who had fallen asleep after eating food laced with sleeping medicine last night, only opened his eyes in the morning, but the first news that reached him upon waking was that Soya had disappeared.

While frantically searching for Soya everywhere like a madman, he heard Gayul’s distant cry of “Cotton Ball…!” and came flying over immediately.

“Th-there, there’s a red bird in Father’s arms…”

“…!”

Gaya, who was turning his gaze toward where Gayul was pointing with his index finger, froze for a moment.

But soon.

“Kkwiruurururu…”

He was startled and shouted at the labored, feverish breathing that flowed from Soya’s small beak.

“Somsom is sick?!”

At Gaya’s shout, the White Tiger Family members became busy in an instant.

“Th-this isn’t the time, quickly bring Young Lady inside…!”

“Be careful, Father! Don’t drop Cotton Ball…!”

“Here, here! Please lay Young Lady down here, Family Head!”

“Damn it, everyone lower your voices! You’ll wake Somsom!”

Watching the people who didn’t know what to do for fear something might happen to Soya, Saeon couldn’t help but chuckle.

Everyone was worried about Soya.

Saeon carefully placed Soya down on a silk cushion.

Soya’s small body fit perfectly on the cushion.

“Look at this, our grown-up Cotton Ball. Everyone’s worried about you.”

He whispered, lightly tapping Soya’s beak with the tip of his index finger.

“So hurry up and get better.”

* * *

Even after returning to her family, Soya repeated having fever rise and fall several more times.

Every time the red bird breathed wheezily, her chest rose and fell.

Through the slightly open door crack, two pairs of eyes were secretly watching that sight while holding their breath.

“She’s the prettiest of all the birds I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Right. She’s really pretty.”

Gayul nodded in agreement with Gaya’s muttered words.

“Look at that tightly closed beak. It’s so dignified, no less than tiger teeth. When did baby Somsom grow up like this?”

“I knew Cotton Ball would grow up this magnificently. Cotton Ball was an amazing kid who could do anything even from when she was little.”

Even though her growth pains weren’t over yet, Soya’s appearance had changed dramatically from before.

Unlike before when red feathers were cutely nestled among white feathers, her entire body was now covered with red feathers that sparkled brilliantly like flames.

Her elegant head feathers and tail feathers longer than her body gleamed with luster.

While endless praise for Soya flowed from the two brothers’ mouths like this.

“Wow, but our Cotton Ball Miss really is a direct descendant of the Suzaku Family, isn’t she?”

Su Ri burst out with pure admiration from beside them.

“Before, she looked like a cute sparrow, but now with her feather color and appearance, she looks exactly like the Suzaku I saw in an illustrated book.”

Glare.

Two pairs of sharp gazes poured down on Su Ri.

“Why, why are you looking at me like that…?”

Su Ri asked with a frightened face, somewhat disgruntled.

Those brothers always stared at him so frighteningly like this, even when he said the right things.

“Don’t bring up those chicken heads in front of me.”

“Right! If you mention those chicken heads one more time, I’ll turn you into a chicken too!”

At the fierce brothers’ threats, Su Ri felt very wronged.

“When did I ever talk about chickens… I was just saying Young Lady really is a Su…”

The moment he uttered the character ‘Ju’, the air grew even more chillingly tense.

“Ju, sleeping looks so cute on you! Haha, hahahaha…”

Su Ri swallowed his tears inwardly.

Our Young Lady is clearly a Suzaku beast tamer no matter how you look at it, yet I can’t say Suzaku is Suzaku.

Gaya’s glare was still fierce, but simple Gayul nodded with a “Hmph.”

“Right, our Cotton Ball does look cute when she sleeps.”

Gayul wore a proud expression as if he himself had been complimented.

Soya was sleeping peacefully, unaware of what conversations were taking place about her outside the room.

Gayul, who had been stealing glances at Soya, suddenly became curious.

‘What is Cotton Ball thinking about right now?’

* * *

The scene changed once again, and a pure white space spread out before Soya’s eyes.

It seemed like something terribly frightening had just passed by.

‘But what was it that passed by?’

When she tried to recall the scene that had passed, a chilling sensation pierced through her entire body.

Soya unconsciously shrank back.

‘What was that just now?’

It felt strange, as if she had touched some forbidden taboo.

However, one thing was certain: her body felt much lighter.

‘Is it over now?’

As she tilted her head and took a step, starting from where Soya’s toes touched, the pure white space began to be painted in various colors.

Soon, a new space that wasn’t in her memories unfolded.

It was a space so large and beautiful it was hard to believe it was on the earthly realm.

‘Where is this place…?’

Far in the distance, a woman around her age was sitting.

Not only the space, but the clothing the woman wore was also unfamiliar.

It was strange attire she had never seen before.

Beautiful clusters of light flew around the woman.

At the fantastical and surreal sight, as if she had come to a completely different world, Soya blinked blankly.

The clusters of light that had been dancing gracefully following the woman’s gestures discovered Soya and flew toward her.

—It’s a baby bird!

—Baby bird!

—Baby bird!

It was a familiar and friendly voice.

Soya burst into small laughter because the clusters of light circling around her tickled.

Suddenly lifting her head, Soya’s eyes met with the woman’s.

‘Huh? That person is…’

The woman smiled brightly toward Soya.

Flash!

Soya, who woke up from the dream just like that, sat up making a “Huk…!” sound.

“Somsom!”

“Cotton Ball!”

“Young Lady!”

Those who had been stealing glances at Soya until just moments ago were startled and burst through the door into the room with a clatter.

“Huh? Everyone…”

Soya, who was about to speak carelessly, instinctively sensed something strange.

“Somsom, are you hurt anywhere? Any uncomfortable places?”

“Wow…! Cotton Ball, your feathers are sparkling…!”

“Look at this, Young Lady! You’ve undergone Second Growth Stage!”

Among the people making a fuss, Soya stared blankly at the mirror Su Ri had brought.

It was the body of a bird, not a human.

And not a small bird the size of a fist, but a much larger and more beautiful red bird.

The Guardian of the Southern Lands with feathers that blazed brilliantly like flames.

Suzaku.

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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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