The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 265

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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 57

Ga Hyeon placed flower decorations on each of his younger siblings’ heads as they went out to see the festival, then escorted them to the streets outside the Imperial Palace.

The entire street was brightly lit with lanterns.

Since they couldn’t see streets this bright at such a late hour in the Western Lands, Soya and Gayul looked around the illuminated streets with curious eyes.

At first, they only rolled their eyes at the dazzling street scenery, but before long they were excitedly wandering around various parts of the streets together.

They ate delicious food, watched puppet shows, and bought plenty of gifts for their family.

“Look at this, Cotton Ball. They say it’s a thread bracelet that grants wishes.”

Gayul grabbed Soya’s sleeve and led her to the vendor’s stall.

“Elder Brother will buy you one. Pick one out.”

Gayul pulled out the thick allowance pouch he had received from Ga Hyeon earlier and spoke in a proud voice.

Looking at the writing on the vendor’s stall, each color of thread bracelet had a different meaning.

‘I should give the green bracelet as a gift to Cheongya.’

Soya chose thread bracelets to give as gifts to her family at White Tiger Palace, as well as one for herself.

It was written that yellow bracelets meant good fortune, and green bracelets meant growth.

And the red bracelet was…

“The red bracelet represents love and fate, Young Lady. They say if you give it to someone you like, it will make your love come true.”

As Soya kept glancing at the red thread bracelet, the sharp-eyed merchant at the stall explained to her.

“What’s wrong, Cotton Ball? Are you going to buy the red bracelet too?”

“Oh, no. Why would I buy a red bracelet? I don’t even have anyone to give it to.”

Heat strangely rose to Soya’s face as she answered like that.

Fortunately, Gayul didn’t seem to think it was particularly strange, but…

‘I bought it.’

While Gayul was distracted by something else, Soya secretly ended up buying the red thread bracelet.

‘Why did I buy this…?’

Soya’s heart pounded as if she had done something she shouldn’t have.

Throughout the rest of the festival viewing, the presence of the thread bracelet hidden in her pocket felt very heavy.

* * *

When Soya returned to the pavilion in the Imperial Palace, she felt somehow unsettled and couldn’t fall asleep easily.

It was all because of that thread bracelet.

“I don’t even have anyone to give it to, so why did I buy this…”

Soya let out a deep sigh and glared at the thread bracelet with resentful eyes.

—Wouldn’t it be okay to just quietly deliver it, Lady Soya?

At that moment, the Divine Beasts appeared with ‘pop! pop!’ sounds.

—That’s right, Lady Soya. If Lady Soya gives him the bracelet, that young and tiny Imperial Dragon will have no choice but to obediently accept it!

—If the young dragon ignores Lady Soya’s feelings, this Bai’e will go and teach him a lesson.

—Give the order. I will end his life.

The Divine Beasts swarmed around Soya’s red thread bracelet, each offering their comments.

“Huh? What are you talking about? You can only interfere when crisis strikes the earthly realm.”

When the flustered Soya tried to stop them, Cheonghae Yongsin answered in a solemn voice.

—If the young Imperial Dragon of the earthly realm dares to reject the feelings of the most noble and sacred being of the Heavenly Realm, that would be the earthly realm rebelling against the Heavenly Realm and declaring war. Before such a great calamity befalls the earthly realm, one young Imperial Dragon…

“Ahaha. War? You say it with such a serious face that it almost sounds real.”

Soya laughed and waved her hands dismissively.

Looking closely, the Divine Beasts sometimes protected her as much as her Elder Brothers did.

—Then how about just quietly leaving it on the tree he often visits?

“Hmm… That much seems like it might be okay…”

Soya muttered with an interested expression at White Tiger Mountain Lord’s words.

‘Right, let’s just secretly leave it on the tree His Majesty often visits.’

Soya earnestly asked the Divine Beasts not to follow her because it would be embarrassing, then carefully went outside.

Since it was late and there were few people around, it seemed like she could go and return secretly without being seen.

It was when she was walking stealthily through the night streets like a thief cat.

“…Your Majesty.”

She stopped.

Soya’s steps halted at the thin woman’s voice.

On the stone bridge across from her, Irim and a woman were standing face to face.

Thump.

Soya’s heart sank for a moment.

‘What are they doing at this hour…’

It was quite a late hour for a man and woman to be together.

“I heard there is a woman Your Majesty holds in his heart.”

The woman with luscious red hair looked up at Irim with very tender eyes and spoke.

“They say Your Majesty has been postponing marriage and summoning daughters from all the family clans to the Imperial Palace because of that woman.”

“Perhaps.”

An ambiguous answer flowed from Irim’s mouth.

“Your Majesty. I, I admire Your Majesty. From the moment I first saw you, I simply could not take my eyes off Your Majesty.”

“And so?”

Irim asked as he smoothly extended his hand toward the woman’s red hair.

“Please use me. I will become the Dragon Emperor’s Bride to blind the ministers’ eyes, and serve as a shield so Your Majesty can find that woman.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Your Majesty wouldn’t want the Baek Family’s Daughter to become the Dragon Emperor’s Bride…”

It was the moment when Irim tilted his head while caressing the red hair in his hand.

Rustle.

Shocked by hearing her own name from the woman’s mouth, Soya inadvertently made a sound.

Instantly, Irim whipped around toward where Soya was.

A somewhat surprised color flashed in his eyes when he discovered Soya.

“…”

“…”

For a moment, their gazes intertwined in the air…

Swoosh—!

Soya turned around and ran away.

Tap, tap, tap.

As she ran, the conversation between the two that she had unintentionally overheard kept coming to mind.

[I heard there is a woman Your Majesty holds in his heart.]

[They say Your Majesty has been postponing marriage and summoning daughters from all the family clans to the Imperial Palace because of that woman.]

Because Irim had not taken an Empress for a long time, various rumors circulated.

The Emperor doesn’t like the daughters of the noble families.

The Emperor has another hidden lover.

But whenever such rumors reached her ears, Soya tried hard to deny them.

No.

[I love you dearly, Soya. I have held you in my heart for a long time without permission.]

It can’t be.

[I truly adore you so much. Soya, my beloved consort.]

Right. There’s no way that person who said such things to me would have found another lover so soon…

Clench.

Soya clenched her fist tightly and bit her lower lip.

“…”

Soya knew it too. Three years was by no means a short time.

It was enough time to like and love someone else again.

Moreover, if he didn’t have a hidden lover, there was no other explanation for why he hadn’t taken a bride in the past three years.

And above all…

[Well.]

That ambiguous voice responding to the woman’s words just moments ago.

His Majesty didn’t answer no.

Yes, perhaps His Majesty really had found another lover.

So he had been delaying marriage all this time to take that woman as his bride…

So now there’s no place for me in his heart…

Throb—

As her thoughts reached that point, sharp pain spread through her chest.

Throb, throb—

She couldn’t continue thinking any further.

Soya ran and ran and ran again with her mind completely blank.

Tap, tap, thud, thud…!

In the midst of this, her toe caught on a stone she failed to notice.

The moment she thought she would fall forward.

Thud—

Her body fell into someone’s embrace.

The firm arms and broad chest that caught her swaying body, and that familiar scent.

It was the embrace of someone Soya knew all too well.

“Seolyeo…”

She slowly lifted her head and barely managed to speak in a voice that seemed ready to fade away.

Seolyeo’s expression was hardened.

She didn’t even have time to ask why he had such a frightening expression.

Immediately, his large palm cupped her face, and his thumb carefully wiped around her eyes.

“Don’t cry, Soya.”

Seolyeo said this while biting his lower lip.

“Huh…?”

Soya blinked her eyes a couple of times.

Then the teardrops that had formed around her eyes burst.

Only then did Soya realize she had been crying.

“No, I’m…”

She quickly shook her head and tried to wipe her eyes, but thick tears flowed down.

“Wh-what, why…”

Seolyeo’s face contorted at the sight of Soya being at a loss because of the tears flowing down on their own.

“Please… don’t cry, Soya.”

“No, Seolyeo, I’m… I’m not crying…”

Seolyeo, whose face was contorted as if he was about to cry himself, pulled her tightly into his arms.

Soon Soya burst into tears in his embrace.

* * *

Irim also knew what kind of rumors had been circulating about his delay in marriage.

However, he deliberately allowed the rumors to spread.

Perhaps he hoped that such news about him would reach the ears of her who couldn’t remember.

It might have been such desperate feelings, asking her to please appear before him since he was searching for her like this.

“…I heard there’s talk that His Majesty has a woman in his heart.”

Was it a woman from the Red Flower Snake Tribe of the Northern Lands?

She had red hair, but when he looked back at her, he could tell at first glance that she wasn’t the one he was looking for.

Nevertheless, his desire to confirm was probably lingering attachment toward the girl in his unreachable memories.

He was indifferently gazing at the red hair of a woman who gave him no sensation whatsoever.

Rustle.

He heard a presence disturbing the night air.

When he turned his head, there was the daughter of the White Tiger Family, frozen with a wounded expression.

Thump…!

In an instant, he felt as if his heart dropped and all the blood drained from his body.

‘Why am I feeling like this?’

But before he could examine his emotions, Soya immediately turned and ran far away.

“…”

Irim, watching Soya’s retreating figure, felt his tongue go dry and his throat parched.

He was losing something extremely precious right before his eyes.

‘What exactly…?’

As he frowned, scenes suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Flutter, flutter. Red hair swaying in the breeze.

Giggle. Clear laughter bursting forth.

Rustle, rustle. Soft touch brushing against skin and…

Sob, sob—

The face of a young woman who shed thick tears sorrowfully while looking at him…

Crying sorrowfully… the face of a young woman…

Her face…

She’s… crying…

Because of me, again…

“Your Majesty…?”

He heard the woman’s voice calling him carefully.

Snap.

Irim, who had been blankly staring in the direction Soya disappeared, belatedly came to his senses.

Without even thinking to look back at the woman calling him, he ran straight toward where Soya had disappeared.

He could sense her traces in the cold night air.

Following them, he ran for a while before spotting a black silhouette ahead and stopped.

It was her.

Her and another man.

She was crying sorrowfully in another person’s embrace.

‘That person is…’

Irim looked at the man holding her in his arms.

Black hair and pale skin.

It was the young leader of the Northern Hyeonmu Clan who had been invited to visit the Imperial Palace for this festival.

At that moment, Seolyeo slowly lifted his head while holding Soya in his arms and glared at Irim.

“…”

“…”

The gazes of the two men clashed fiercely in the air.

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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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