The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 249

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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 41

So that day, Saeon looked at Irim and thought.

It seems like the Emperor has fallen completely for our Cotton Ball.

No, it seems like he’s completely crazy about her.

‘Right, if he wasn’t crazy, he couldn’t be like that.’

At first glance, he looked like a neat and normal person, but he was definitely not normal.

Saying it didn’t matter if an ankle or so got cut off.

And that attitude of not even frowning when his own body was being torn apart…

I thought I couldn’t easily allow our precious Cotton Ball to go to an Emperor who wasn’t even aware of his own feelings, but with this situation, I can’t just be wary forever, can I?

“…There must be a way.”

Saeon suddenly spoke.

“A way?”

“Your Majesty’s body, I mean.”

At his sudden words, toward the Emperor who was looking at him as if asking what he was talking about, Saeon spoke in a low, sunken voice.

“There must definitely be a way to reverse it.”

Irim, who belatedly grasped the gist of those words, let out a soft laugh.

“It’s fine, Saeon. I haven’t thought about treating this or anything.”

“I understand that Your Majesty has lived for a very long time. I also understand why you suddenly became an adult overnight like that. However.”

He said he had turned back countless amounts of time.

Perhaps to him, who may have lived more time than the days I’ve lived, these words of mine might sound a bit ridiculous.

“Don’t I have a responsibility to protect Your Majesty? Since I was once Your Majesty’s guardian.”

Saeon was the Emperor’s retainer, and at the same time, the only adult who remained by the side of the motherless young prince.

Long ago, when he volunteered to become the teacher of the unwanted, powerless young prince, he had already resolved to guard and protect him.

“So I will find a way. Please don’t speak like someone who has given up on everything.”

“…”

“This is what I’m saying as your retainer, and at the same time as the only adult you could rely on.”

“I’ve heard rumors that you’ve been unable to pass by young and pitiful things since your youth.”

Irim burst into gentle laughter and shook his head.

“Wasn’t it said that the previous Family Head of White Tiger Palace often held the back of his neck because you kept picking up all sorts of pitiful things that caught your eye?”

“…”

“Just the words alone are truly grateful.”

“Your Majesty.”

“But I… am really fine. I’m living the longest and happiest life.”

Irim said that and turned his gaze again.

The longest and happiest life…

How have you lived in those vanished times that you speak like this?

Saeon, who was lost in thought with a bitter expression, suddenly noticed that Irim’s gaze had been fixed on one place since earlier.

Following that gaze, he saw Soya’s figure without fail.

* * *

It had already been three days since they encountered Evil in the underground palace beneath the Black Marsh.

Fortunately, all the injured people, including Gayul and Su Ri, had recovered their health, and the search party that had reorganized was looking in all directions to see where Evil had disappeared.

But Soya’s face didn’t brighten easily.

Because the Hyeonmu Iron Plate had been broken.

‘I need that to wake up Lord Yeonwang, and only then can I eliminate Evil and save Seolyeo…’

That day, the shattered shield turned to black ash and scattered away.

They said it was the divine beast’s spirit returning to nature.

‘What do I do now?’

It was when Soya was lost in worry.

Peek.

A small black snake poked its head out from behind a wooden pillar and made direct eye contact with her.

Soya’s eyes widened.

“You…!”

—Hee, heeek…!

At her outcry, Heuksa reflexively turned around and tried to run away.

However, Soya immediately transformed into a large Suzaku and flew to him in an instant, catching the black snake’s body with her sharp talons.

—S-save me…! Uwaaah!

Soya ignored Heuksa’s screams and flew high into the sky.

Every time she flapped her wings, the view shot upward with the sound of cutting through wind.

—No, high places are scary…!

Soya only put Heuksa down after arriving at the top of a rocky precipice.

—You cunning snake bastard! Where have you been hiding and only now appearing!

—C-cunning? That’s too harsh…

Heuksa cowered at the Divine Beasts’ scolding.

Soya, who had released her beast transformation at some point, also looked at Heuksa with quite scary eyes and asked.

“You, where have you been all this time?”

—Well, you looked like you were going to rampage, so I ran away in fear. If I stayed there, I felt like I’d melt from the heat you were emitting.

Heuksa sniffled and made excuses.

—Look at that, Baby Bird. He’s a very bad guy who ran away to save himself when you were in pain. He’s not even worth dealing with.

Soya looked at Heuksa with her arms crossed crookedly, then interrogated him.

“You, how do you know Seolyeo?”

—Huh? Uh, well… A few years ago in the Eastern Lands, I helped him once. He’s been following me ever since. Though he kind of hated me.

Heuksa explained about his first meeting with Seolyeo five years ago.

The Divine Beasts clicked their tongues at his appearance of confidently saying he had unilaterally chased after Seolyeo.

“Did you also know that Seolyeo was a black dragon beast-human?”

—Yeah, I knew as soon as I saw him. I’m Lord Yeonwang’s familiar after all.

“You also said you saw Evil looking for a new body. So that was… Seolyeo?”

—Mmm…

At that part, Heuksa’s tail drooped.

“But even the Divine Beasts didn’t know that Evil was attached to Seolyeo, so how did you know?”

—That snake has the same roots as Evil, Baby Bird.

—Same roots! No! I’m Lord Yeonwang’s familiar born through his grace, and that thing is a wicked being born against Lord Yeonwang’s will!

Heuksa jumped up and protested in an aggrieved voice.

“Tell me everything you know. How Evil came to dwell in Seolyeo’s body. What the favor Seolyeo asked of you was. And why Seolyeo left White Tiger Palace and was here, everything.”

—E-everything?

Heuksa gulped and asked back.

“If you try to get by evasively again without answering properly this time, I’ll leave you here alone and go down.”

—I-I’ll talk! I just need to talk, right!

Heuksa quickly answered at Soya’s threat.

—Um, so… Three years ago, he said he would find the light orb in the Imperial Palace Lake…

Heuksa glanced at Soya’s expression and slowly spilled what he knew.

Evil tried to devour Seolyeo’s body but was devoured instead, yet constantly aimed for Seolyeo’s body.

Seolyeo, who learned of this fact, asked him how to protect Soya.

“…So the reason Seolyeo left three years ago was.”

Soya, who had been quietly listening to the story, spoke in a sad voice.

“Because Evil had attached itself to Seolyeo’s body, and he left because he was afraid it would harm me.”

—Yeah, well, that’s right. So he made a promise with me. To endure without being devoured by Evil until you were ready to wake Lord Yeonwang. In return, I would protect you from dangerous situations.

—The guy who made such a promise ran away all by himself to save only himself when Baby Bird was in pain?

When the White Tiger Mountain Lord asked back as if dumbfounded, Heuksa played dumb.

—Um, but….

Heuksa, who had been glancing at Soya from a while ago with an expression as if having something to say, asked very carefully.

—Is it really true that Lord Yeonwang’s Hyeonmu Iron Plate was broken?

“Yes.”

Soya’s expression darkened again.

—Then, then our Lord Yeonwang can’t come back anymore…?

Tears welled up in Heuksa’s eyes.

“….”

When Soya just stared instead of answering, Heuksa finally burst into tears.

Seeing Heuksa sobbing with his head hung low and body trembling, Soya’s heart felt heavy too.

‘This is really serious. If we can’t wake up Lord Yeonwang like this….’

It was then.

Suddenly, Heuksa’s drooping tail caught Soya’s eye.

The Black Snake’s tail….

As Soya stared at it intently, a certain thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

“Divine Beasts. You said Heuksa was born from a part of Lord Yeonwang’s body, right?”

Soya asked with a meaningful voice.

—Huh, huh? That’s right? I was born when the power of water was contained in Lord Yeonwang’s tail?

It was Heuksa, not the Divine Beasts, who answered that question.

“…!”

Hope instantly bloomed across Soya’s face.

“I found it, Hyeonmu’s spirit body!”

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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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