The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 72

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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 72

 

Soya tilted her head as she looked at the letters written on the paper document.

 

Noticing Soya’s interest, Saeon stroked the child’s head and explained.

 

“There’s a terrible plague going around that contaminates the spirit cores of beastkin.”

 

“A plague that contaminates spirit cores?”

 

Soya’s eyes widened like saucers.

 

“Then isn’t that a big problem?”

 

“Yes, it’s a big problem. So it seems I’ll have to go check it out soon. His Majesty has issued an imperial decree.”

 

Saeon said while fluttering the paper document back and forth.

 

Moving according to the Imperial Family’s orders was one of the rightful duties of the four great families.

 

Soya, who had been rolling her eyes following the fluttering paper document, suddenly spoke up.

 

“I want to come along too.”

 

“What?”

 

“I promised Mother. That I would protect Father so he wouldn’t cry. And…”

 

Soya hesitated a little, then gathered her courage and spoke.

 

“And I also have the duty as direct lineage to protect the beastkin. I’m Baek Soya of the White Tiger Family.”

 

At those words, Saeon quietly looked at Soya and then nodded his head.

 

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

 

Soya, who had secretly expected him to oppose, asked back with a slightly surprised face.

 

“Really?”

 

“But you have to stay right by Father’s side so you won’t be in danger.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Soya answered with a bright smile.

 

At that sight, Saeon also burst into a chuckle.

 

He had been about to tell the child who hadn’t even undergone growth yet that she was still too young, that it wasn’t allowed…

 

But how could he tell a child who spoke of the duties of direct lineage that she couldn’t do it?

 

Moreover, he knew that Soya had been upset recently about her first growth issues.

 

‘Maybe Cotton Ball’s mood will improve a bit if she gets to see the outside world.’

 

* * *

 

Soya, who had come outside with quick steps, spotted Gayul walking from far away.

 

“Oh? Yul Elder Brother!”

 

“Cotton Ball! Where are you coming from?”

 

Gayul, who was already thirteen years old, had grown much taller than when he was ten, and his voice had deepened as he was beginning to go through puberty.

 

He was still mischievous and playful like when he was young, but at least in appearance, he was quite a handsome young master.

 

During the last Mountain Lord Festival, he had seized the Mountain Lord position he had been aiming for, and Soya had accidentally overheard young beastkin ladies from the Western Lands gathered there whispering that Gayul was handsome.

 

To think that cute baby tiger elder brother had become a magnificent tiger who received admiration from pretty young ladies.

 

As Soya looked at him with a somehow pleased expression, Gayul approached and spoke in a secretive voice.

 

[Those kids have been looking at me strangely since earlier. I think they’re probably after my Mountain Lord position.]

 

At those words, both Soya and Gahyeon burst into laughter at the same time.

 

Only Gayul tilted his head with a puzzled expression, and even now, a year later, he still didn’t know why his siblings had laughed at him that day.

 

“I’m on my way back from giving Father morning greetings.”

 

“Oh, right. Morning greetings!”

 

At Soya’s words, Gayul exclaimed with a face that said he had forgotten.

 

“I forgot again.”

 

“Elder Brother didn’t forget, you just remembered.”

 

“Well, that’s true, but…”

 

At the accurate point, Gayul scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.

 

“Oh, right! Elder Brother, I decided to go along with Father when he leaves in five days to carry out the imperial decree.”

 

Soya bragged with an excited voice.

 

“You’re going with Father? Then when are you coming back?”

 

“I don’t know about that. I suppose we’ll come back together when Father completes the imperial decree?”

 

If it had been Gahyeon, he would have noticed that excited mood and said he was envious, but Gayul wasn’t that perceptive.

 

He just pouted at the thought of not seeing Soya for several days.

 

“What? Then I won’t be able to see you for a while.”

 

“If you’re sad about it, Elder Brother can come along too.”

 

When Soya said this with giggles, Gayul made an interested expression. It seemed like quite a good idea.

 

“Should I?”

 

“While you’re at it, give Father your morning greetings and ask him about it. Then I’ll go ahead!”

 

Pop!

 

Soya, who had transformed into a baby bird, soared up into the air with a whoosh, then flew out the window while fluttering her tail feathers.

 

Gayul, who had been watching Soya fly and was about to turn around, suddenly stopped.

 

‘Huh?’

 

Something red caught his eye.

 

A single red feather fluttered down in front of his blinking eyes.

 

* * *

 

Gayul, who had picked up the red feather, wandered around with a face wrapped in contemplation for a while.

 

Since Gayul, who was so cheerful that it seemed he had never worried about anything in his entire life, was stirring up White Tiger Palace with a completely shadowed face, everyone found it strange.

 

“Is something wrong, Young Master?”

 

“Oh, no! It’s absolutely nothing!”

 

At Su Ri’s question, Gayul jumped up and answered with a very suspicious attitude.

 

“It doesn’t seem like it’s nothing…”

 

“Sh, shut up! Wh, what do you know! I, I want to be alone, so hurry up and get out!”

 

Then he sent Su Ri outside and remained alone in the room, continuing to stare at the red feather.

 

This red feather, shorter than his own finger, was definitely…

 

‘This is definitely… when Cotton Ball transformed and flew away… it seems like it fell from Cotton Ball’s body…’

 

Gayul kept circling around the room with a somehow restless face, then suddenly stopped and ran toward Gahyeon’s room.

 

“Brother! Brotheeer!”

 

Slam!

 

Gayul opened the door without the room owner’s permission.

 

Gahyeon, who had been leaning against the window reading a book, slightly frowned at Gayul’s bad behavior and looked up.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

His hair, which had grown longer in the meantime, swayed elegantly in the wind.

 

Gahyeon, who had become a fourteen-year-old noble young master, had even more defined facial features and at the same time exuded a bewitching atmosphere resembling Cheongha.

 

With a gentle and soft charm different from Gayul’s, Gahyeon was also popular among young beastkin ladies.

 

However, contrary to that spring sunlight-like gentle exterior, his voice toward his younger brother was utterly cold.

 

“You’re not even an immature tiger cub anymore, don’t you know that you shouldn’t open and enter someone’s room without the owner’s permission?”

 

“Brother. Soya, you know! She originally lived with the Suzaku Family, right?”

 

However, Gayul paid no attention to his brother’s cold response and approached Gahyeon directly to ask.

 

“She didn’t have red feathers, so those chicken-heads abandoned Cotton Ball, right?”

 

Three years ago, when Soya was adopted into the White Tiger Family.

 

Soya had told her story in front of Saeon and Gahyeon, but Gayul hadn’t been present at that time.

 

At the time, I was just so excited and happy that Soya had become my little sister that I didn’t think about her past.

 

As time passed, I vaguely heard the story that Soya had left the Vermillion Bird Family to come here.

 

On the day of her First Beast Transformation, she didn’t have the red feather that direct lineage of the Vermillion Bird Family should rightfully possess.

 

So she was abandoned and cast out by the family.

 

‘Stupid chicken-brains! Cotton Ball’s pure white fur is so adorable!’

 

When I heard that story later, I was so angry.

 

Even though Gayul didn’t know that Soya had been persecuted and abused there, she was furious nonetheless.

 

“Why are you suddenly asking about that?”

 

Ga Hyeon’s expression hardened at the unexpected question.

 

“Well…”

 

Gayul hesitated for a while, unable to answer.

 

“Well?”

 

Ga Hyeon waited patiently with one eyebrow raised crookedly.

 

After a long moment, Gayul’s mouth opened.

 

“…I think I saw it. A red feather.”

 

“What…?”

 

“No, no, I saw it! I’m sure! Cotton Ball dropped a red feather!”

 

“Couldn’t you have seen it wrong?”

 

“…”

 

Gayul looked around anxiously, then pulled a red feather from her chest.

 

Ga Hyeon’s face hardened.

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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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