The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 61

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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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Chapter 61

 

‘Is it because I drank warm tea water?’

 

Soya was gazing drowsily down at the tea cup she held in both hands when it happened.

 

“Soya, ah—”

 

“Aah?”

 

At Ga Hyeon’s call, Soya reflexively opened her mouth. Then…

 

Pop—

 

A sweet and sour tangerine popped right into Soya’s mouth.

 

“How is it?”

 

“It’s delicious!”

 

At the sweet and sour flavor bursting in her mouth, Soya’s eyes widened as she exclaimed.

 

“Our Soya, eat lots and get over your cold quickly.”

 

Ga Hyeon smiled affectionately as he continued peeling tangerines and putting them in Soya’s mouth.

 

Every time her tiny mouth, small as a bird’s beak, chewed, sweet juice burst inside her mouth.

 

Soya was eating the tangerines Ga Hyeon peeled for her with her eyes curved like half-moons when she casually looked down and noticed his fingertips were stained yellow.

 

‘Ah…!’

 

Suddenly realizing something, Soya looked at Gayul, who was snuggled close beside her, firmly adjusting her blanket whenever it slipped down.

 

And she looked at Seolyeo, who was dozing by the wood fire in his large wolf form.

 

Ever since Soya had caught a cold, they had been coming into her room and staying by her side whenever they had free time from morning to night.

 

‘My heart feels warm because Elder Brothers and Seolyeo are here with me.’

 

With her heart feeling somehow reassured and cozy, Soya thought with a giggle.

 

“Me too! Me too, I want to eat! Aah—!”

 

Gayul opened his mouth beside her, saying he wanted to get some tangerine too.

 

“Use your own hands for yours…”

 

“Nom!”

 

He quickly snatched and ate the one that was going into Soya’s mouth.

 

“Baek Gayul, you’re not even sick but you’re stealing your sister’s… You didn’t come here just as an excuse to avoid studying and play around under the pretense of nursing, did you?”

 

“No! I’m really worried about Cotton Ball…!”

 

Gayul was chewing the tangerine in his mouth and protesting in an aggrieved voice when he suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

 

“Huh…?”

 

Suddenly his head spun and he felt dizzy.

 

“What’s wrong, Elder Brother?”

 

“Sniff…?”

 

Gayul sniffled and looked bewildered.

 

“Elder Brother, your face is red.”

 

“Baek Gayul, you…!”

 

“Oh my, Young Master! You have a fever!”

 

Yeonjeong, who had just entered to tidy up the room, checked Gayul’s condition and exclaimed in shock.

 

Gayul was burning with fever even hotter than Soya’s had been.

 

“Eh? Me?”

 

Gayul, who had been born very sturdy and had never been sick even once until now, was flustered by the dizzy and drowsy feeling he was experiencing for the first time.

 

“This, could it be…”

 

“Yes, it seems like that…”

 

The people in the room exchanged meaningful glances with each other.

 

“Quickly call the physician!”

 

“Send someone to the Family Head too!”

 

“I’ll go bring Father!”

 

Soya also jumped up and went with Seolyeo to call Saeon.

 

Suddenly the estate became busy.

 

Soon people gathered.

 

Everyone looked at Gayul and the physician taking his pulse with anxious and worried faces.

 

Soya also waited for the results with a very tense expression, clutching Saeon’s sleeve.

 

Before long, the physician exclaimed in an excited voice.

 

“It’s growth pains!”

 

“…!”

 

The faces of the people who had been tense immediately brightened.

 

“Congratulations, Family Head. It seems the Youngest Young Master is finally about to begin his First Growth!”

 

* * *

 

Gayul, who had begun experiencing growth pains, had to stay only in his bedroom for a while.

 

Soya was worried about Gayul, but she couldn’t go visit him.

 

Everyone blocked the young lady from approaching the young master’s room, saying he might become a bit violent during the period of growth pains.

 

So Soya, who hadn’t been able to see Gayul for the past few days, was hovering around the window of Gayul’s room in her baby bird form out of worry.

 

However, she couldn’t see inside the room because it was blocked by tightly closed wooden window bars.

 

‘What if Yul Elder Brother is in a lot of pain.’

 

During growth pains, he couldn’t take medicine and couldn’t receive care.

 

He just had to endure and overcome it by himself.

 

[Don’t worry too much, Soya. Everyone goes through this once. Yul will overcome it safely.]

 

Ga Hyeon, who had already completed his First Growth, told her it would be fine, but Soya was still worried.

 

‘Still, if I could just see his face a little, I’d feel reassured.’

 

Soya had been hopping around on the snow-covered window frame, peering this way and that inside the window bars, but soon let out a puff of a sigh and plopped down on the window frame.

 

The baby bird’s plump bottom sank completely into the pure white snow.

 

Soya was looking down below with a dejected face, wiggling her tail feathers, when it happened.

 

“Chirp? (Father?)”

 

Spotting Saeon walking below, Soya fluttered down toward him.

 

“Chirp chirp! (Father!)”

 

Saeon looked up at Soya’s call and extended his hand toward the air.

 

Soya skillfully landed on Saeon’s palm and shook off the snowflakes clinging to her feathers.

 

“Baby Cotton Ball. Why were you wandering around in the cold?”

 

Saeon asked while gently stroking the baby bird’s head.

 

“Chirp! (I went to see Yul Elder Brother!)”

 

“Yul?”

 

“Chirp chirp, peep… (But the window bars are tightly closed…)”

 

Soya spread her short wings to point at Gayul’s room and explained earnestly, then drooped both wings down.

 

“Chirp chirp chirp… (What if Elder Brother is in a lot of pain and having a hard time?)”

 

“Oh my. Our Baby Cotton Ball has no energy.”

 

“Peep…”

 

Soya dropped her head onto Saeon’s palm.

 

Seeing the tiny baby bird, no bigger than his fist, expressing all her emotions with that small body, Saeon smiled and said.

 

“Then Cotton Ball, you can protect him.”

 

“Peep?”

 

“Just like how you protected White Tiger Palace from the ghosts last fall, how about protecting your elder brother this time too?”

 

“…!”

 

Understanding what he meant, Soya’s expression brightened.

 

“Will it work?”

 

“Of course. Should I pick up some stone pebbles, or should I pluck some flowers?”

 

“Chirp! Chirp, tweet! (There are nandina berries in front of the east gate! I want to go pick berries!)”

 

“Alright. Let’s go together, Baby Cotton Ball.”

 

Saeon chuckled at Soya, who had quickly regained her spirits, and placed the baby bird on his shoulder.

 

Then he turned toward the White Tiger Palace East Gate.

 

Chirp chirp, chirp chirp, chirp-chirp-chirp—

 

Soya sat on Saeon’s shoulder as he walked through the snow, singing chirp-chirp-chirp.

 

Each time Saeon stepped on the snowy path, it made a crunching sound.

 

Though he could sprint to the front of the White Tiger Palace in no time, knowing that Soya loved this crunching snow sound, he deliberately walked slowly and steadily.

 

Every time the crunching snow sound rang out, Soya’s little bottom bounced happily.

 

Soon they emerged outside the White Tiger Palace East Gate, where a forest path welcomed them with bare winter trees.

 

Soya spotted the bright red nandina berries and fluttered up into the air.

 

“Chirp! (There they are!)”

 

Flapping her wings as she approached the nandina tree, Soya, like a brave baby bird of the White Tiger Family, pecked at a branch with her beak and snapped it off.

 

Then, holding the thin branch dotted with red berries in her mouth, she was returning to Saeon when—

 

Swoosh—!

 

Suddenly, a sharp metallic sound rang through the winter forest along with the sound of cutting wind.

 

Clang—!

 

Soya was so startled that she dropped the nandina berries she had been holding in her mouth.

 

A woman with a slender build, wearing a dark blue cloth over her head, was pointing a long spear at Saeon.

 

Despite the sudden attack, Saeon quickly dodged and blocked with his sword sheath, but the woman immediately continued her assault.

 

Clang!

 

Clang!

 

Clang!

 

The sword and spear clashed, making loud metallic sounds.

 

But something seemed strange.

 

It looked like Saeon was being pushed back by the woman.

 

‘This isn’t the time for this! I need to help Father too!’

 

Soya, who had been frozen in shock, suddenly came to her senses and flew toward Saeon.

 

“Chirp! (Papa!)”

 

Soya flapped her wings and rushed into the battle.

 

She intended to peck the hand of the woman holding the spear with her beak.

 

“Tweet! Chirp! (Get away from our papa!)”

 

“Cotton Ball? You’re in danger…!”

 

The moment Saeon hesitated and looked back at the baby bird due to Soya’s intervention—

 

Clang!

 

Not missing the small opening, the woman’s attack sent Saeon’s sword flying far away.

 

Swoosh—

 

The woman’s spear tip was pointing at Saeon’s neck when—

 

“Chirp!”

 

The baby bird blocked Saeon’s front and spread her short wings wide as if protecting him.

 

Then, with large teardrops hanging from her tiny bead-like eyes, she chirped tearfully.

 

“Chirp, chirp! (Please don’t kill our papa!)”

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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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