The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 282

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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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Epilogue 1

White Tiger Mountain Palace, the mountain fortress of the Western Lands located on the slopes of Horim Mountain.

The Family Head’s office at the highest point.

Saeon was sitting on his desk, examining ledgers.

A gentle smile bloomed on his lips at the cheerful laughter that had been drifting in through the open window.

The children who had left for the Imperial Palace during the festival period had returned, and the quiet White Tiger Palace was bustling again.

“Kyuaa―!(Papa!)”

Saeon, who had been examining the ledgers, glanced toward the window.

A baby dragon with blue scales was floating gently by the window.

“Well, who is this? It’s our house’s baby dragon.”

It was Cheongya, who had recently succeeded in his first beast transformation.

At the small baby dragon’s first cry of “Kiyoong―!”, White Tiger Palace stirred, and bright smiles bloomed on everyone’s faces for a while.

“Our house’s baby dragon, when did you learn to fly this high?”

Saeon approached Cheongya and spoke in an affectionate voice.

“Kyuu…!”

It was when Cheongya was excitedly chattering away with kyurik kyurik sounds.

Cheongya’s body, still not accustomed to flying, began to wobble….

“Kyua?”

He fell downward!

“…!”

It was the moment when startled Saeon was about to jump out the window to save Cheongya.

“Krurreong…!”

With a resounding roar, a large tiger leaped up from below and caught Cheongya.

Thud―

Cheongya’s small body landed safely on the large tiger’s back.

“Cheongya…!”

Soya, who had been riding on Gayul’s back, quickly pulled Cheongya into her arms.

Cheongya burst into laughter with “kyurururu kyurururu” sounds, as if he had just played a fun game.

Seeing this, Saeon pressed his forehead.

Whether he knew or not that he had almost fallen straight down.

“Don’t worry, Father. Yul and I are watching him carefully.”

“That’s right, Father! Don’t worry too much! And even if he falls from here, he won’t get hurt much.”

Direct descendants of the Four Great Families with outstanding natural physical abilities wouldn’t be seriously injured from falling from just this height.

But even so, a father’s heart couldn’t help but feel anxious at moments like these.

“Where are the three of you trying to go?”

Saeon asked, noticing the wrapping cloth containing snacks that Soya was holding.

“We’re going to Horim Mountain. We decided to show Cheongya our secret hideout.”

Soya and Gayul had created a secret hideout for children when they were young.

When Saeon had asked curiously, they absolutely refused to tell him, saying it was a secret just for children.

Of course, Saeon already knew the location of the secret hideout, but this was also a secret that Soya and Gayul didn’t know.

“Then we’ll be back!”

Soya greeted him with a bright smile.

“Kyuu, kyuuu!”

With Cheongya’s cry, Gayul carrying his two younger siblings on his back climbed toward Horim Mountain.

A gentle smile appeared on Saeon’s face as he watched the harmonious three siblings.

“As expected, White Tiger Palace needs to have babies around.”

Although except for Cheongya, they had all grown too big to be called ‘babies.’

“Speaking of which….”

Saeon muttered with a rather serious expression.

“Our house’s grown-up Cotton Ball has become very suspicious, hasn’t she?”

Since returning from the Imperial Palace, Soya’s expression and attitude had subtly changed.

Some days she couldn’t hide her upturned lips with an excited face all day long, and other days she would stare endlessly out the window with a blank face as if waiting for something.

She was no longer an adolescent Cotton Ball, but her fluctuating emotions were noticeably visible.

Moreover, decisively, Chirpy had been carrying suspicious letters back and forth between White Tiger Palace and the Imperial Palace every day.

Seeing this, Saeon was certain.

Something had happened to Soya during the last trip to the Imperial Palace.

However, Gayul, who had gone to the Imperial Palace together, seemed to know nothing. Cheongya naturally couldn’t know anything….

At least Gaya seemed to know something, but he wouldn’t tell him anything at all.

“Something suspicious indeed….”

Stop.

Saeon’s eyes suddenly sharpened as he had been muttering in a serious voice.

“This presence is….”

A familiar guest had visited the Western Lands.

* * *

The three siblings who climbed Horim Mountain stood in front of a small cave.

It was the secret hideout where Soya and Gayul had played when they were young.

It was also a gift for Cheongya, who had undergone his first beast transformation and become a ‘true child.’

“Now I’ll pass this secret hideout on to you, Cheongya. Since it’s a place only children can enter, you must follow the rules well and use it preciously.”

Gayul explained in a rare grown-up tone.

“Waah…!”

Cheongya, who had somehow released his beast transformation and was in the form of a young child, burst into admiration with an excited face.

“Go ahead and go in, Cheongya.”

“Uung….”

Cheongya nodded and looked at the cave entrance.

However, actually going inside alone seemed a bit scary.

Cheongya, who had been taking a step into the cave and then backing out repeatedly, looked at Soya with an expression asking for help.

“You go in with him, Cotton Ball.”

“But this is a place only children enter. I’m not a child anymore….”

At Gayul’s words, Soya hesitated while subtly asking back with expectation mixed in.

“What does it matter. Cheongya is still a baby, so it can’t be helped. You need to be his guardian.”

At Gayul’s nonchalant reply, Soya’s face brightened.

Since the entrance was small, Soya transformed into a red bird and entered the cave with Cheongya.

“Wow, this place is really cool!”

Cheongya looked around the inside of the cave with a curious face.

Somewhat overwhelming emotions also arose on Soya’s face as she looked around the space filled with childhood memories.

The desk and cushions that had felt a bit big before now felt too small.

After finishing their tour, Soya and Cheongya came out of the hideout.

“I want to bring flowers to the cave! Lots and lots!”

Cheongya shouted in an excited voice.

“Yes, yes, let’s do everything our Cheongya wants to do.”

Soya chuckled and patted Cheongya’s head.

The three siblings who arrived at the flower field spent time picking flowers, singing songs, and taking naps.

Soya, who was weaving a flower crown while leaning against the body of the large tiger sleeping and snoring, suddenly thought of Irim.

Actually, since returning to White Tiger Palace, whenever she had even a little time to think like this, she would think of him.

Two months had already passed since returning to White Tiger Palace.

For the past two months, she had been in contact with him every single day without fail.

Thanks to that, Chirpy had a hard time.

Soya took even more care with Chirpy’s food out of guilt.

‘His Majesty’s last letter said we would be able to meet soon.’

Soya’s heart fluttered for no reason.

“Sister…!”

Just then, Cheongya came running over, holding out a wildflower and a blue orb.

“This is Cheongya’s Dragon Orb. You give your Dragon Orb to the person you love most in the world.”

“Oh my. You want to give this precious thing to your sister?”

“Yes yes! I worried so much about whether to give it to Mother or Sister that Cheongya’s scales almost all fell out.”

Cheongya shook his head back and forth as he spoke.

“Oh, thank you.”

Cheongya had been insisting he would give his Dragon Orb to Soya ever since he was even younger than now.

It was when Soya would giggle at her adorable little brother who, upon succeeding in Beast Transformation, had first offered his Dragon Orb to her.

“That won’t do.”

Someone’s voice was heard.

It was an affectionate yet somewhat troubled voice.

‘This voice is…!’

Soya’s eyes widened into circles.

When she turned her head toward where the sound came from, Irim was there.

“Your sister already has another dragon’s Dragon Orb, you see.”

Irim bent down toward Cheongya and explained in a gentle voice.

“Who are you?”

Cheongya asked, using polite speech that he didn’t use with his elder brothers.

He had seen Irim when he went to the Imperial Palace at age three, but young Cheongya didn’t remember.

“I’m the man who gave your sister a Dragon Orb.”

“Then are you a dragon too, mister?”

At those words, Irim smiled and nodded.

“So keep this Dragon Orb safe, and when you meet your match someday, give it to them. Just give your sister this one wildflower.”

“Your Majesty…!”

Soya, who had been staring at him in a daze, surprised by his sudden appearance, finally called out in a delighted voice.

Then Irim turned to look at Soya and smiled.

“I came to keep my promise, Soya.”

A promise.

That old promise to come get her—he had finally come to keep it.

A bright smile bloomed across Soya’s face.

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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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