The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 280

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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 72

Outside Soya’s bedroom.

Gaya was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed at an angle.

“….”

He frowned with an expression that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

One hour ago.

Because of Cheongya whining while looking for Soya, he had headed to the pavilion where the Flower Snake Clan was staying to fetch her.

Then he noticed a faint peach fragrance coming from the tea table that had been left uncleared in the pavilion there.

Immediately, chaos broke out.

Even knowing that there was no way Soya wouldn’t have noticed that faint scent, he became worried.

He needed to find Soya, but he couldn’t just go around searching the Imperial Palace at will.

So Ga Hyeon went to find the Emperor to get permission for the family members to search for Soya.

But not long after, the Emperor appeared, personally bringing Soya with him.

Gaya felt a subtle feeling at the sight of him appearing while holding her tightly in his arms as if treating something very precious.

It wasn’t the first time.

The Emperor appearing while holding Soya like that.

Though it’s now a hazy old memory, long ago.

When he rescued Soya who had fallen into the pond because of the Vermillion Bird Family’s cuckoo, even then the Emperor had appeared holding Soya tightly in his arms just like that.

‘Could it be.’

Suddenly, a certain intuition flashed through his mind.

Fortunately, Soya had merely been asleep.

The physician said it seemed she had taken an antidote beforehand.

But the Emperor didn’t leave even after learning that Soya was safe.

At his request to let him watch until she woke up, Gaya kept watch by Soya’s bedside together with Irim.

Then, just for a brief moment while they were away from their posts, Soya had awakened.

He was about to immediately open the door and enter when he stopped at the sound of conversation flowing out through the crack in the door.

Somehow, he could intuitively sense that it was an atmosphere he shouldn’t interrupt.

“…So the man that Somsomi mentioned was the Emperor.”

Gaya, who had come to roughly understand the situation, muttered in a low, sunken voice.

Though he had pretended not to particularly care in front of Soya, he had searched around with bloodshot eyes trying to find out the identity of the man that child had mentioned.

But for it to be the Emperor.

A hollow laugh escaped him.

“Baby Somsomi is really going to become adult Somsom now.”

He suddenly realized that Soya, whom he had always thought of as just a young sister, had grown up like this and didn’t have much time left before leaving White Tiger Palace.

It was a strange feeling, both joyful and regretful.

Suddenly, he recalled a black-haired boy who had hovered around Soya since childhood….

“People’s hearts don’t go as planned, after all.”

Muttering briefly as he turned around, he came outside and encountered Ga Hyeon.

“Elder Brother? What about Soya….”

Ga Hyeon was on his way back from interrogating the snake beast-person he had discovered with Seolyeo in the Imperial Palace Garden.

“Your efforts all this time won’t have been in vain.”

At those words, Ga Hyeon momentarily hesitated.

“What… do you mean by that?”

“You leaving White Tiger Palace to advance to the Central Region as soon as you came of age, it was all because of Somsomi, wasn’t it.”

“….”

Ga Hyeon, hit right on target, quietly closed his mouth.

His coming to the Central Region was to prepare for when Soya would eventually come to the Imperial Palace.

Though she was a precious sister he wanted to keep with him forever without sending her to anyone, he knew they couldn’t stay together at White Tiger Palace for eternity.

Because children grow up and become adults.

Because they leave their existing nest and go find new nests for themselves.

Especially since Soya was being mentioned as a prominent candidate for the Dragon Emperor’s Bride.

Ga Hyeon was very worried about that child having to leave her family alone and go to the Imperial Palace.

So, unprecedentedly as a direct descendant of one of the four great families, he left the land where he was born and raised to become a Central Region official.

He didn’t avoid meetings with young ladies from the capital in order to form marriage connections with Central Region power holders who would solidify his foundation.

He wanted to become a shelter that his sister could lean on at close distance anytime when she eventually grew up and left for a new nest.

He wanted to become a reliable and powerful protective barrier so that no one would harm her in the unfamiliar foreign land.

“Don’t tell Soya. I don’t want that kind child to feel burdened for no reason.”

“And you.”

Gaya suddenly asked.

“Won’t you regret it? This path you chose for someone other than yourself.”

“Regret?”

Ga Hyeon burst into laughter as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world.

“I can’t inherit the family like Elder Brother anyway, so it’s actually worked out well. I plan to ride this path to success and aim for the highest position under the Emperor.”

Ga Hyeon’s voice contained quite a bit of sincerity as he said this.

Gaya let out a hollow laugh at his younger brother’s ambitious aspirations.

“Fine. If you’re going to do it, succeed to a very, very high position. So our Somsomi can lean on you anytime.”

“Of course. I’m going to become that child’s most reliable fence.”

“Oh really.”

Gaya sharply raised one eyebrow toward the grinning Ga Hyeon.

“Somsomi’s most reliable fence is White Tiger Palace, though?”

“That will change in the future.”

“How dare you?”

“Yes, how dare I.”

The two brothers, who had been glaring at each other with mock tension, soon burst into laughter almost simultaneously.

* * *

As the festival period gradually came to an end, the guests who had visited the Imperial Palace also left one by one.

Soya also had to return soon.

“Tomorrow you’ll be returning to White Tiger Palace.”

Atop the large zelkova tree in the Imperial Palace Garden where they had first met.

After Irim regained his memories, Soya had been meeting with him here, avoiding her Elder Brothers’ eyes.

Sharing small stories about how they had been doing would make the sun set quickly.

Time felt like it was passing too quickly, so Soya was a little upset.

“Aren’t you sad, Your Majesty?”

“I am sad.”

He smiled gently while stroking Soya’s hair.

Because that touch filled with affection wasn’t easily becoming familiar, Soya stiffened her body.

“Oh my.”

Irim, who noticed her tense state, let out a small laugh and pulled back.

“I made you uncomfortable again.”

“N-no. I wasn’t uncomfortable at all.”

Soya’s face turned slightly red as she pretended to be nonchalant and answered primly in an adult-like tone.

Finding her adorable, Irim’s eyes curved into crescents.

Did Soya know?

That even when she deliberately used an adult-like tone, she only felt cute and lovable to his eyes.

He, who had been looking at her with eyes full of affection, calmly apologized.

“I’m sorry, Soya.”

“…?”

Soya tilted her head at his apology.

“When we met again in this place, I failed to recognize you.”

Only then did Soya recall the day she was caught by him while mimicking a bird.

She had felt a little hurt by the unkind side of the man who had always been gentle only to her.

He was originally someone who would feel more upset than Soya herself whenever she was even slightly hurt or sad.

Though it didn’t show much on the surface since he wasn’t one to express emotions excessively, he was actually a man who cherished her even more than Soya’s elder brothers.

After his memories returned, Irim was constantly tormented by how coldly he had treated Soya.

“You had no memories, so mistakes were bound to happen. I’m fine, so please don’t feel sorry.”

Soya, wanting to comfort Irim who somehow looked bitter, spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“But…”

“Still, if you truly feel sorry, then just… um, couldn’t you cherish and treasure me more?”

After saying it with her own mouth, Soya’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.

At her unexpected words, Irim opened his lips in a daze.

Then he soon smiled gently and nodded his head.

“You’re right, Soya. You truly are wise.”

He quietly gazed at Soya’s bright red face.

When his languidly curved eyes looked at her intently, Soya felt her heart flutter for no reason and swallowed nervously before asking.

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

“This is the gaze of a man who cherishes and treasures you more.”

He answered with a gentle smile.

Suddenly remembering a similar situation from not long ago, Soya spoke in a deliberately firm voice.

“It’s no use looking at me like that! I promised to only ki-kiss with Mother!”

At those words, Irim blinked his eyes, then burst into laughter.

“Oh my. That wasn’t my intention.”

“Do-don’t lie! You just looked at me with those deep eyes…!”

Swoosh.

The moment a large palm gently cupped one of her cheeks, Soya, who had been shouting with a bright red face, froze completely.

“Since you won’t believe me, I have no choice. Then let’s go with that.”

He whispered with a languid smile.

“Wh-what…?”

Let’s go with that. What does that mean?

While Soya was bewildered, unable to understand Irim’s meaning, he slowly tilted his head toward her.

“Your Maj… esty…?”

It was when Soya’s eyes widened at his gradually approaching face.

“But this is troublesome. My beloved has made such a promise with her mother, and I cannot make her commit an act of filial impiety…”

Deliberately furrowing his brow and muttering in a worried voice, he mischievously curved his eyes.

“Though you say it’s no use, I will always gaze only at you, so if you ever want to commit filial impiety, tell me anytime, Soya.”

Soya’s face, still caught by him until then, flushed with a ‘poof!’

“Do-don’t tease me…!”

Belatedly realizing that he was teasing her, Soya transformed into a red bird and escaped from his hands.

Then she gently pecked at his fingertips with her small beak, not enough to hurt.

At that ticklish sensation, Irim’s laughter grew louder.

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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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