The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 79
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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 79
“If I’m truly their daughter, if I’m truly their family, then why am I…!”
It was the day of her First Beast Transformation, a day that should have been blessed by all.
On that very day, Soya was abandoned by her father, had her Spirit Core stolen by her elder brother, and was banished to the Cold Palace.
Those three years spent alone in the cold Cold Palace where not a single ray of light entered.
What was harder than the harassment from the servant women there was…
What was harder than the pain of having her Spirit Core stolen was…
What was harder than being cold, hurt, and hungry was…
The loneliness and solitude that seeped into her very bones and tormented her.
There in that place, Soya longed for the father who had abandoned her, and yearned for the elder brother who never came.
She held onto them alone, suffering through three long years of waiting that eventually turned into loneliness from all that longing and yearning.
But in the end, her family turned their backs on her, and finally abandoned her forever with just one word from Lili asking them to get rid of her.
“Why did I have to go through such things?”
―…
“If they were family…! If they were real family, why did those people…! Why on earth did they do that to me…!”
Hyeoni Elder Brother had said so.
That real family members cherish and protect each other no matter what they look like.
But they, those people who were supposedly connected to her by blood, did not do that.
They hated her terribly, treated her coldly, oppressed her, and ultimately abandoned her.
It wasn’t that she thought of them as family again now.
But Soya felt wronged.
Her past years that could never be undone, never be compensated for, were so sad, sorrowful, and unjust.
[However, great power comes with great sacrifice. Heaven is sometimes cruelly fair and just.]
Suddenly, she remembered what Irim had said to her three years ago.
If being abandoned by her family was the price for awakening the divine beast. If it was the price for possessing great power.
“That’s too cruel.”
Tears streamed down.
“That’s too sad and terrible.”
Hot tears flowed down her cheeks.
Even as Soya shed tears, the scenes from the past unfolding before her eyes continued endlessly.
Madam, who had seemed to recover briefly, deteriorated again.
―Even the Purification Flame cannot save someone whose death is already predetermined, but it could extend their life for a while.
Madam survived the night that the physician had called critical, then held on for ten more days before closing her eyes in the Family Head’s arms.
Until the very end, wiping away tears from worry about leaving young Soya behind…
“…”
Soya painfully closed and opened her eyes.
Soon the illusion shown by the flame extinguished, and red feathers scattered gently around Soya.
Soya slowly raised both hands.
The Purification Flame that bloomed above her palms soon blazed forth as if to burn the entire world.
Soya closed her eyes and collapsed with a thud.
“Soya…!”
With that voice desperately calling her name, her memory went dark.
* * *
Soya suffered from Growth Pains.
Her head was burning hot and her whole body felt like it was floating, as if she had caught a cold.
The first Growth Pains that came at an unexpected time really hurt.
Soya was unconscious most of the time, and whenever she occasionally came to her senses, Father was always there beside her.
“Pa…pa…”
Soya called for Papa with a hoarse, cracked voice.
“Papa, Papa… Don’t leave Soya behind. Soya doesn’t want to be alone. It’s so cold and scary.”
She cried and endlessly called for Papa.
“It’s okay, Baby Cotton Ball. Papa is here.”
Saeon comforted Soya with a deeply troubled expression.
“Papa is right beside you. Don’t cry.”
Each time his hand patted her shoulder, Soya would swallow her rising tears with hiccups, then burst into sorrowful tears again.
Father, Father, Papa…
Soya, Soya…
It’s so cold and scary…
Please don’t hate Soya. Soya did wrong…
Next time… next time Soya will surely succeed. She’ll succeed magnificently…
So…
“Baby Cotton Ball did nothing wrong. Papa doesn’t hate Baby Cotton Ball.”
“Sniff, sob. But. But…”
“I love you most in the world, my baby.”
That embrace, the strongest in the world, wrapped around Soya tightly.
“Papa. Papa loves our Baby Cotton Ball most in the world.”
“Sob, sniff, sob, sniff…”
Papa is making such a sad face.
So I, I shouldn’t cry.
But, but I keep feeling sorrowful and tears come out.
“Papa, Papa, Papa…”
Even though she didn’t know what was so sorrowful in her hazy state of mind, Soya just held onto Saeon and burst into tears from her mournful heart.
“Papa…”
She burst into tears like a child in her father’s arms.
After the brief but intense Growth Pains ended, when Soya opened her eyes again.
Soya realized she was lying in her room at the White Tiger Palace.
“Papa…!”
It was when Soya startled and bolted upright.
She paused.
Soya discovered Saeon kneeling on the floor with his head buried beside her bed, lying face down.
“Ah…”
Soya, who had been blinking blankly, gradually regained her sense of reality.
“Why am I here…”
What happened?
I was definitely fighting the poison insects…
I met Suzaku and obtained the Purification Flame…
I think it was very hot and painful…
Did Father keep watching over me while I was sick? But…
“Cotton Ball?”
At Soya’s presence, Saeon drowsily raised his head.
“Father, why am I…”
As she muttered with a bewildered expression, suddenly a red feather caught Soya’s eye.
“…?”
At the sight of Soya blinking her eyes, Saeon let out a deflated chuckle and picked up the feather.
“Isn’t it cool, Cotton Ball? Your feather sparkles like flame.”
Then he held out the feather to Soya with a grin.
“Congratulations on your growth, Baby Cotton Ball.”
“…!”
A look of surprise appeared on Soya’s face.
“What’s this? Why are you being so quiet? Now that you’ve grown, I thought you’d get angry about not being called Baby Cotton Ball anymore.”
Saeon asked in a playful voice.
“Are you that happy about achieving First Growth?”
“….”
However, Soya couldn’t answer easily.
Because she had discovered wounds on Father’s body.
Sharp wounds that looked like scratches from Baby Bird’s claws and red wounds that looked exactly like burns were scattered all over Saeon’s body.
“Father, this….”
Soya’s voice trembled as she grabbed Saeon’s wrist, which bore particularly deep scars.
“Ah.”
Saeon panicked and tried to hide his wrist, but Soya had already seen everything.
“Did I do this?”
“No. This is….”
“I did this, didn’t I? Right? I’m the one who hurt Father, aren’t I?”
She had heard that beastmen suffering from Growth Pains become violent and aggressive.
That’s what I did.
I lost my reason and attacked Father.
“That’s not it. Baby Cotton Ball.”
“What do you mean that’s not it? It’s true, isn’t it? I hurt Father….”
Swoosh―
Soya’s sobbing body was embraced in broad arms.
“Papa didn’t hurt at all.”
Saeon comforted her, patting the child’s back.
“When a child grows up so magnificently like this, what parent would feel pain watching that?”
At those words, Soya’s throat ached as it trembled.
That Man who gave me blood abandoned me just because I lacked that Red Feather.
But this Father who took me in tells me that everything about me is fine, everything is wonderful.
Even though my growth was slower than others.
Whether I had Red Feathers or not.
Even though I hurt him….
“Thank you for growing up so magnificently, my baby.”
He smiles at me and says thank you.
“Sob, sniff, waaaaah…!”
After the Growth Pains that had been more difficult because they came later than others, Soya burst into tears once again in Father’s arms.
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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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