The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 258

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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 50

The entrance to the Heavenly Realm.

A man with a cool yet beautiful appearance had come out to greet Soya.

Soon, Soya, surrounded by the Divine Beasts, arrived at that place.

“Ona…!”

Han Seol approached, calling out to his sister with a voice choked with emotion.

“I have come to meet the Heavenly Emperor.”

“I see. I’ll guide you, so come this way.”

Despite their reunion after a thousand years, Han Seol’s expression grew slightly dejected at his sister’s calm demeanor as she only stated her business.

However, he soon took the lead and guided her to Cheonhwagung where the Heavenly Emperor resided.

Following his guidance as she walked, behind Soya closely followed a massive white tiger and black Hyeonmu, while above her head, a red Suzaku and blue dragon cut through the air in pursuit.

“Oh my, that person is…”

“Isn’t that Lady Hwaon?”

“How did she come all the way here in human form…”

“The Death God Beasts are still the same.”

She could hear the whispers of people who seemed to know her.

However, Soya let the unfamiliar gazes directed at her and the whispering sounds flow past as she resolutely continued walking and arrived at Cheonhwagung.

“Oh, my child…!”

Cheonhu, who had sprung up upon hearing news of her arrival, spotted Soya and came running out in her stocking feet.

A thousand years ago, she had collapsed from shock at Evil’s birth, and though she awakened after hundreds of years had passed, she fell ill again upon learning of Hwaon’s death.

“Child, Hwaon. Come quickly. I heard you were coming and came out here.”

“My name is not Hwaon.”

Soya spoke in as plain a voice as possible.

“I am Soya, Baek Soya.”

“Ona…”

“I am Baek Soya, daughter of Baek Saeon, Family Head of the White Tiger Family that protects the Western Lands of the earthly realm.”

At those words, the eyes of Cheonhu who was holding onto Soya and the Heavenly Emperor who stood at the entrance, unable to approach Soya, curved sadly.

“…I see. Yes, let’s go inside for now. Soya.”

The sad expression was brief, as Cheonhu soon smiled kindly and led her toward the rear garden.

They climbed up to a pavilion located beside a large tree and took their seats, whereupon celestial beings brought refreshments.

“This is something you used to enjoy. Please try some.”

“I’m sorry, Cheonhu. I didn’t come here to make small talk.”

Though she felt sorry toward Cheonhu who was taking such care of her, Soya didn’t have time to spend leisurely.

She looked directly at the faces of the Heavenly Emperor and Cheonhu sitting across from her and spoke.

“The Imperial Dragon of the earthly realm is bearing the punishment of a Celestial Being. I came to find a way to save him.”

“Yes, I see…”

They nodded bitterly as if they had known Soya would make such a request.

“…The Imperial Dragon of the earthly realm is bearing punishment as the price for touching the world’s taboo.”

The Heavenly Emperor, who had been quiet all along, opened his mouth.

“But there is one way to restore the Imperial Dragon’s body.”

The Heavenly Emperor rose and approached the pavilion’s railing, then plucked a red fruit from the tree branch hanging beside it.

“It’s a fruit that bears once every thousand years. It would need to wait another 150 years to fully ripen.”

He handed the fruit to Soya as he spoke.

“Though it hasn’t fully ripened yet, if you have this, you should be able to normalize the Imperial Dragon’s body.”

“Is it really alright for me to just receive something so precious?”

Soya asked in surprise at the Heavenly Emperor giving her the precious fruit without any compensation.

“This was originally kept for you. To give you immortal life again and call you back to the Heavenly Realm, for you who had your name stripped from the celestial registry.”

The Heavenly Emperor spoke with a dim smile.

“But I can tell at a glance. That’s not what you want.”

“…”

“And if I were to demand compensation from my child, how could I call myself a parent? Though I’m no longer in a position to be called a parent by you.”

Somehow she could feel long regret and sadness in that voice, making Soya’s heart ache sharply.

The Heavenly Emperor, who had been quietly looking at Soya’s face, carefully added.

“But there are side effects. The times that the Imperial Dragon covered and covered again, going against heaven’s order. Those are memories too vast and dangerous for a young earthly dragon to bear.”

“…”

“Therefore, when the Imperial Dragon’s body is normalized, he will forget those times. The memories of turning back so much time, and also the memories of you, who were the cause of moving time.”

At those words, Soya hesitated for a moment.

However, Soya soon looked at the red fruit with straight eyes and answered.

“It’s fine. If I can save him, something like memories of me is nothing.”

Having finished the conversation, Soya stood up to return to the earthly realm.

“Child. If you get the chance, won’t you visit again?”

“…”

At Cheonhu’s question, Soya couldn’t easily answer.

Then Cheonhu apologized with a sad voice.

“I made too shameless a request. I’m sorry, child.”

“Cheonhu. I…”

Soya hesitated for a moment, then spoke her true feelings in a calm voice.

“I don’t resent you both. It’s just… I’m unfamiliar, that’s why. You both remember me, but I don’t remember you.”

Soya hadn’t recovered her old memories but had read the past memories carved into nature itself.

Though she had awareness that the life as ‘Soya’ that Irim had turned back numerous times was still her own, the life of ‘Hwaon’ felt as unfamiliar as someone else’s.

“I see. Thank you for telling me this, child. Even without memories, you’re still as kind as ever.”

A caring smile appeared on Cheonhu’s face.

She was completely different from the ‘Mother’ that Soya knew, both in face and temperament.

But one thing was the same.

These clasped hands were truly warm.

“…You met a good father in the earthly realm.”

The Heavenly Emperor, who had been quietly watching the mother and daughter, also spoke.

“If I had been as solid a father as he is, I wouldn’t have lost you like that.”

Unlike himself who had been swayed by Evil despite bearing the name Heavenly Emperor, the earthly father hadn’t been broken even slightly by that wicked resentment.

At the sadness fully evident in that voice, Soya answered in a calm voice.

“Heavenly Emperor. Though I had to be cast down to the earthly realm a thousand years ago, I came to live a gift-like life there.”

A gift. There could be no more fitting expression to describe the life given to her.

Though they weren’t connected by blood, Soya was able to grow up so bright and happy among family who cherished and loved her so much that she couldn’t recall that fact for even a moment.

Therefore, even after learning of the past from a thousand years ago, Soya felt neither sad nor resentful.

“So I won’t waste my remaining time being sad while thinking of past times. I hope you both won’t be sad because of me anymore either.”

At Soya’s firm voice that contained not a trace of darkness, a gentle smile also bloomed on the Heavenly Emperor’s face.

“I’m becoming curious about the earthly parents who raised you to be such a solid and wonderful child.”

“They’re the most wonderful and good people in the world.”

Soya smiled brightly as she thought of Saeon and Cheongha.

* * *

After finishing her farewells with her old family from the Heavenly Realm, Soya headed back to the earthly realm.

“Um, Lady Hwaon…”

The Vermillion Bird Heavenly Lady glanced at Soya and called out.

“I’m not Hwaon. I’m Soya.”

Soya cut her off sharply.

“So please don’t call me by that name. It’s fine to call me Baby Bird like before.”

“Oh, that’s unthinkable! How could we dare call Lady Hwaon ‘Baby Bird’!”

“You’ve been calling me that just fine all this time.”

“That’s… because there was a prohibition in place, so we had no choice!”

The Divine Beasts hurriedly made excuses.

“Are you perhaps angry with us?”

At their appearance of even starting to sniffle, Soya finally burst out laughing.

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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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