The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 3

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 3

Soya looked up at her father with a tense expression.

That day… that is, since the day of her first beast transformation when it was revealed that she wasn’t the real daughter, this was her first face-to-face meeting with her father in three years.

However, Jeok Ayun’s gaze looking down at Soya was utterly dry.

Tap, tap, tap.

Jeok Ayun’s fingertips rhythmically drummed on the desk.

It was a behavior he often showed when deeply lost in thought.

Soya stole a glance at Jeok Ayun’s fingertips.

Soya remembered how gentle those hands had been when stroking Miss Lili’s hair just moments ago.

And she also remembered how cold and frigid those hands had been when casting her out three years ago.

[Take the child’s spirit core and confine her to the Cold Palace.]

The memories of that day, the bitter air and sharp gazes of that day, those frightening and terrifying memories too much for a six-year-old child to bear, came flooding back and bound Soya tight.

“You know your situation. I won’t waste words.”

His emotionally restrained, calm voice pierced sharply into Soya’s skin.

“Because of your mother’s greed, Lili had to wander the streets at a young age when she couldn’t even awaken her spirit core. Everything that child should have rightfully enjoyed was stolen away by a servant woman’s daughter.”

“…”

Soya felt like she had become a criminal. Her eyelashes trembled and heat rose around her eyes.

“Therefore, I intend to do everything for my daughter whom I’ve finally found, even if everyone shakes their heads saying it’s nonsensical.”

My daughter…

The moment she heard those words, Soya realized once again.

Ah… To father, Miss Lili is his only daughter.

I can never be a daughter or anything else to father.

In truth, from that day three years ago, father and I could no longer have any relationship whatsoever.

Even knowing this, Soya had harbored the foolish thought that perhaps father might come looking for her again, and she had waited for him all this time.

Left alone in that cold and bitter Cold Palace, she waited and waited for a father who never came.

Soya had to lose her mother from birth.

But despite her mother’s absence, the reason young Soya could grow up bright and cheerful was because of her father’s love.

The affectionate and kind elder brothers who would compete for their little sister’s attention were wonderful too, but even so, Soya loved her father the most.

To young Soya, her father was everything in the world.

Even if father no longer considered her his daughter…

So when she had been dragged along by Miss Lili’s stubbornness just moments ago and forced to follow into this room.

She had actually been a little excited.

The prospect of facing the father she had felt guilty just stealing glances at from afar made her heart race with anticipation.

‘What a foolish thing to do.’

It was the moment when the foolish attachment she couldn’t abandon finally snapped.

“So make sure Lili never learns of your true identity. If Lili ever gets hurt because of you.”

Jeok Ayun added with a slight furrow of his brow.

“I will not forgive it.”

Soya’s throat bobbed painfully.

‘…But father. Wasn’t I already a child beyond forgiveness?’

Soya firmly swallowed down the inner thoughts that kept trying to spill out.

Because she was no longer a daughter or anything else to her father.

Even the father’s love given to her in her young days had ultimately been nothing more than stealing what belonged to Miss Lili.

Realization was this cruel.

“Yes, Family Head.”

Soya answered in a crawling voice with her head deeply bowed.

A crack-like fissure appeared on Jeok Ayun’s face as he quietly looked down at her.

He had briefly sensed sadness, loss, and even resignation from Soya.

Such deep and lonely negative emotions that didn’t suit a nine-year-old’s age.

Only then did Jeok Ayun deliberately raise his gaze, which he had avoided focusing on, to carefully observe the child he was meeting for the first time in three years.

Her pale complexion and hunched shoulders, the two hands fidgeting helplessly inside her sleeves and the two feet flinching anxiously. And her lifeless voice…

It was very different from how he remembered her. The Soya of the past was unlike now…

‘Useless sentimentality.’

Jeok Ayun coldly cut off the useless thoughts that were about to bloom and issued an order to leave.

“Go.”

Soya withdrew while muffling her footsteps.

Had that child always walked like that originally?

Like a criminal, holding her breath like that…

“…”

Jeok Ayun’s expression crumpled.

It would be a lie to say he felt no pity.

However, he tried not to think deeply about it.

He had raised her this much even though she was originally a servant woman’s daughter, and hadn’t punished her despite stealing his daughter’s place. He hadn’t cast her out or beaten her.

To feel pity for this child, his guilt toward Lili was greater.

Lili, his real daughter Lili, had grown up on those cold streets unable to eat properly, unable to find a physician when sick, and being pointed at as a fatherless child.

The servant woman who had switched the children and fled had raised Lili as her own daughter, but hadn’t been a good guardian to the child.

Lili’s expression would darken whenever asked about that woman, which tore at his heart.

He wanted to capture that damned criminal and interrogate her thoroughly about the circumstances, but she had already died three years ago.

So Lili had to grow up alone for three years without father or mother.

She couldn’t even awaken her spirit core, which others awaken around five or six years old, and only had her first beast transformation at nine years old.

Even that was because her spirit core had weakened from being severely ill in childhood, so she couldn’t properly transform.

Such a child had endured the pain and forced herself to attempt transformation in front of them, saying she wanted to meet her ‘real family.’

Just thinking of Lili made his heart ache and filled him with guilt toward his deceased wife.

Therefore, there wasn’t even the smallest grain of pity left in his heart to share with Soya.

Since she was originally the daughter of a servant woman who served Madam, having her serve the family’s young lady in atonement would be a generous measure.

Jeok Ayun deliberately brainwashed himself this way, even knowing that young Soya bore no fault.

It wouldn’t be right to pay any more attention to that pitiful yet impudent child.

His days were busy enough just returning the affection he hadn’t been able to give Lili all this time.

* * *

The ‘fake’ who had stolen the real young lady’s place became the real young lady’s servant.

Though this absurd farce unfolded within the Suzaku Family, Family Head Jeok Ayun firmly sealed the mouths of his household members.

“Father!”

Jeok Ayun lifted the giggling, running Lili into his arms.

Lili hung on her father’s neck with both arms, chattering away and acting cute.

Soya quietly watched the affectionate scene between the Family Head and young lady.

“Oh my, Lili. Your hair is all messy.”

Jeok Ayun gently scolded in an affectionate voice while untying Lili’s hair ribbon.

“We need to tie your hair again.”

He handed the hair ribbon he had untied to Soya, who was following behind.

His attitude was as indifferent as he would be toward any other servant women in the household, yet as cruel as if telling Soya not to forget and remember her position.

‘It’s okay.’

Soya looked down at the young lady’s hair ribbon and muttered to herself inwardly as if chanting.

‘Yes, it’s okay.’

When she closed her eyes deeply and opened them again, she saw the family head gently combing through the young lady’s disheveled hair with his hand, wearing a warm smile.

Just like when she was very young… the way he used to do for Soya…

“Oh, that tickles, Father.”

When Lili burst into laughter, Jeok Ayun smiled along with the child.

A cuckoo flew around them as if blessing the peaceful moment between father and daughter, then disappeared.

‘…It’s okay. It’s really okay.’

Soya was fine.

Though her heart ached because she could no longer be her father’s daughter, she was fine.

Though her skin stung from her big brother’s contemptuous gaze, she was fine.

The sharp voices of the household members who whispered whenever they saw her, Lili receiving everyone’s love as the real young lady, and having to watch it all as the young lady’s servant—it was all fine.

Because I am… a wicked little bird who deceived and hurt Father and big brother.

Because I am a sinner who stole Young Lady Lili’s place and caused everyone pain.

So I really was fine.

Really…

* * *

Young Lady Lili’s ninth birthday.

It was her first birthday since being reunited with her family.

Family head Jeok Ayun had announced that he would throw a very grand celebration.

And in the midst of all this, news came that the Fifth Prince would be visiting the estate from the capital.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————