The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 300

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Side Story 18
Not long after, the two of them departed from the Imperial Palace and returned to their respective homes.
As more time passed, Saeon, having completed his Second Growth Stage, formally inherited the position of Family Head.
Sara, feeling immensely relieved, handed over all her accumulated duties and departed for the Sacred Bow.
“Why does the work never seem to end, no matter how much I accomplish?”
Saeon, who had been unable to leave his desk in the Office for days now, stared blankly at the ledgers piling up before him.
“It’s unavoidable, since you must oversee not only the affairs of the Western Lands but also the duties of the White Tiger Palace’s Matron.”
Jeok Yeong brought new ledgers to Saeon’s desk as he spoke.
“Perhaps it would be wise for you to take a Matron soon, would it not?”
“Enough. I have no such intentions yet.”
Saeon replied indifferently, inscribing a new official document on blank paper with his brush.
“If that is your wish, there is nothing to be done about it.”
As Jeok Yeong examined and reviewed the documents Saeon had written one by one, he suddenly spoke as if remembering something.
“Ah, but I hear that Cheongha of the Eastern Lands will soon hold her marriage ceremony. Word has it that the Divine Artifact of the Dragon recently chose her betrothed.”
Splatter.
The tip of Saeon’s brush blotted across the page.
“Is that so? I suppose it is about time.”
Saeon replied in an indifferent tone, crumpling the paper. Then, unfolding fresh paper, he asked:
“Who is the other party?”
“The Third Son of the Byeokga Clan of the Eastern Lands, I believe.”
He paused.
At those words, Saeon’s head snapped up.
“The Third Son of the Byeokga Clan? His name is….”
“Gyeonghae, the Young Master of Byeokga. Do you know of him, sir?”
“….”
It was a name he had heard from Cheongha long ago.
The man who had promised his future to Yuha, Cheongha’s Twin Brother, since childhood.
Of all people, it had to be him who was chosen by the Divine Artifact.
“…How troublesome.”
Saeon muttered, his eyes hardening sharply.
Even knowing it was not his place to interfere, the thought of her facing such difficulty left a bitter taste in his heart.
“Family Head? Family Head! Are you all right?”
Just then, Jeok Yeong called out to him with sudden urgency.
“What is it?”
Saeon blinked slowly as he asked.
“Well, that is… your brush….”
Following Jeok Yeong’s gaze, Saeon lowered his head and discovered that the brush he had been holding was snapped cleanly in two.
“Ah….”
Saeon let out a belated exclamation.
“It is nothing.”
The broken brush handle had pierced my palm, drawing blood, but I simply withdrew a handkerchief and wiped it away without concern.
“What do you mean, ‘it’s nothing’?”
Jeok Yeong’s voice suddenly rose in alarm.
“That brush is a Relic left behind by the Deceased Madam! It’s a precious heirloom meant to be passed down through generations to the Master of White Tiger Palace, and now it’s broken!”
“…Were you asking if the brush was alright, not me?”
Saeon asked, exasperated.
“Of course your palm is fine, sir. You’re someone who can shatter rocks with your bare hands.”
“Could you at least pretend to be concerned?”
“Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for all of us if we channeled that concern for you into reviewing one more ledger?”
“…I suppose that’s true.”
Swayed by Jeok Yeong’s persuasive words, Saeon nodded obediently and gazed at the broken brush handle.
It seemed the news of her marriage proposal had been quite the shock.
We always bickered whenever we met, but she was still my only friend. I hoped she would be happy….
[Even if they say it’s a glorious position, I hate it. I’m curious about a wider world.]
[Yes, my dream is to roam freely beyond the Eastern Lands and explore the vast world. But if I become Family Head, I can’t achieve that.]
From that day forward, she never spoke of her dreams again.
Realizing anew that both she and I had grown into adults, Saeon’s mouth turned bitter.
“I should prepare a congratulatory gift to send to the Eastern Lands soon.”
The quiet murmur drifted through the room and dissipated into loneliness.
* * *
But not long after.
Cheongha came directly to find Saeon and burst into White Tiger Palace.
“Cheongha…?”
Saeon, who had been sitting idly at his desk with his chin propped in his hand, reviewing ledgers, blinked repeatedly at her unexpected arrival.
“It’s been a while, Baek Saeon.”
“How did you get here?”
I was puzzled as to why she would be here when she should be busy with marriage preparations.
“Marry me.”
Cheongha pressed both hands against the desk and smiled brightly.
“What…?”
Caught off guard by her unexpected words, Saeon flinched and twisted the arm he had been resting on.
Saeon wasn’t the only one taken aback.
Led by Jeok Yeong, who dropped the documents with a clatter, everyone in the office stared at her with their mouths agape.
Good heavens! My goodness!
Our Family Head was receiving a marriage proposal from his childhood friend—the one he always drew weapons against whenever they met!
As expected, Saeon’s neck flushed a deep crimson, clearly displeased, as his Adam’s apple bobbed while he spoke.
“If this is another one of your ridiculous pranks….”
“A prank? I’m being completely serious.”
Cheongha swiftly withdrew a single sheet of paper from her bosom.
It was a marriage proposal document bearing the seal of the Azure Dragon Family.
Saeon read through the contents written on the paper document with a bewildered expression, then promptly dismissed everyone from the room.
“…Everyone, leave.”
The people who had been awkwardly pretending not to notice while stealing glances at Saeon and Cheongha had no choice but to retreat, suppressing their disappointment.
Thus, only the two of them remained in the office.
“Is this seal real?”
“I borrowed it from Father’s office.”
She answered with a slight smirk.
Though she had taken it without the Family Head’s knowledge, a marriage proposal bearing the Family Clan’s seal held undeniable legal force.
Of course, if the Family Head of the Azure Dragon Family, one of the Four Great Families, formally lodged a protest, most opposing families would nullify the marriage agreement.
However, if it was the White Tiger Family—also one of the Four Great Families—the situation was somewhat different.
“So you stole the Azure Dragon Clan Head’s seal and brought a marriage proposal, which means you’re quite serious about this.”
Saeon asked, looking at her askance.
“So, what do I gain from this marriage proposal?”
“I gain my freedom, and you gain a beautiful wife.”
Saeon frowned, yet he did not refute Cheongha’s words about gaining a “beautiful wife.”
‘It’s true that Cheongha is beautiful, after all….’
Even so, Saeon stared at her face intently, his expression suggesting he could not comprehend this situation at all.
“Don’t think about this so seriously. It’s something like a contractual marriage.”
“A contractual marriage?”
Hearing this term for the first time in his life, Saeon raised one eyebrow.
Could the words “contract” and “marriage” really be used together?
“Simply put, we join hands for mutual benefit and deceive people.”
Cheongha explained as though it were nothing difficult.
“You may have heard, but the Divine Artifact chose Yuha’s beloved as the consort of the next Family Head. I cannot accept that marriage proposal, so I’m trying to use this opportunity to escape my Direct Lineage Duty.”
She spoke, explaining in the simplest terms possible.
“In return, once I gain my freedom, I’ll leave whenever you wish. So….”
In an instant, Saeon’s expression turned cold and rigid.
“Cheongha.”
He called her name in a frigid voice, rose from his seat, and approached her by circling around the desk, asking:
“What do you think marriage is? Or do you even know what marriage is?”
“Of course I know….”
“I was taught that husband and wife must be faithful to each other. I have no intention of entering into a sham marriage.”
Saeon, now standing before her, cut off her words abruptly.
“It’s not a sham marriage, it’s a contractual marriage….”
As he pressed forward with that ominous momentum, Cheongha’s voice gradually grew smaller.
“I will give my best in every moment to the wife I welcome, and I will never falsely marry my wife and then falsely divorce her.”
“….”
“So if you’re going to marry me, that means you’ll have to spend your entire life with me. As my wife.”
“….”
As he approached, Cheongha unconsciously took small steps backward to evade him, then felt her lower back suddenly catch against the desk with a thud.
“And the most crucial aspect of a Direct Lineage marriage, as you well know, is producing an heir.”
Saeon trapped her between the desk and his arms, leaving her nowhere to escape, and leaned in slowly.
“To accomplish that, we’ll need to do things together that neither of us has ever imagined before.”
Saeon looked directly into her eyes and asked.
“Are you still willing? Can you go through with this marriage… with me?”

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