The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 81

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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 81

 

Soya’s face brightened at Saeon’s words.

 

“Yes, Father!”

 

Soya smiled brightly, her eyes forming crescent shapes.

 

Following the prettily smiling child, Saeon also let out a chuckle.

 

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t worried.

 

The fact that such a heavy mission had been placed on his child’s shoulders made his heart uneasy even at this moment.

 

But he hadn’t brought the child here to tie her down and confine her.

 

Saeon patted the child’s head as if she were precious.

 

A little later, after Saeon left and Soya was alone, she turned her head this way and that, looking around.

 

Actually, she had been curious about her appearance after completing her growth.

 

Soya gathered energy in her Spirit Core and attempted Beast Transformation.

 

Pop!

 

In an instant, her body shrank and she felt herself floating up into the air.

 

“Huh…?”

 

Blink, blink.

 

Soya blinked her eyes with a bewildered expression.

 

“Huh…?”

 

Soon she trembled as if she couldn’t believe it, then fluttered over to the mirror.

 

“This is impossible!”

 

Soya’s scream echoed through the room as she looked in the mirror.

 

* * *

 

After her First Growth, Soya had grown a little bigger than when she was a baby bird.

 

Yes. That was the problem.

 

She had grown only ‘a little.’

 

“Chirp chirp.”

 

At Chirpy’s call, Soya raised her dejected head.

 

Soya’s gaze toward Chirpy was a bit sulky, unlike usual.

 

Even after her First Growth, Soya in her beast form was still smaller than Chirpy.

 

To be completely honest, after completing her First Growth, Soya just looked like a sparrow with red feathers on her back, wings, and tail.

 

The red-headed tit, commonly called a sparrow, which her birth mother belonged to, was a small bird species that remained only as big as a child’s palm even when fully grown.

 

‘But I thought when I grew, I would become a big, magnificent Fire Bird like Lord Suzaku.’

 

Saeon, who had returned after hearing her scream, told her not to be disheartened since she hadn’t completely finished growing yet.

 

[But Elder Brothers are already huge even though they’ve only completed their First Growth.]

 

[Hmm. Is that so?]

 

At those words, Saeon tilted his head.

 

[Compared to an adult White Tiger, they’re very small.]

 

[That’s considered small?]

 

Soya asked back with a bewildered expression.

 

Her Elder Brothers in beast form were already bigger than most adult men, so how much bigger would they get after completing their Second Growth Stage?

 

“I’ll get really big too once I finish my Second Growth Stage, right? Right, Chirpy?”

 

“Chirp chirp!”

 

Chirpy flapped both wings as if answering Soya’s question.

 

It looked healthy, as if its recent collapse from the poison insects was a lie.

 

Soya giggled and looked at the red feathers scattered around the room.

 

They had fallen while she was repeatedly practicing Beast Transformation.

 

Soya carefully picked up one of them.

 

“…”

 

Actually, when Soya had picked up the red feather here before, she had subconsciously realized it was hers.

 

However, her unconscious mind urged her to pretend not to know about that feather.

 

She had wanted to turn away from it.

 

The fact that she was that man’s child… a child who inherited the blood of the Suzaku Family.

 

[If you cause Lili any harm, I will not forgive you.]

 

That man who had said those words in a cold voice, ordering her to become Lili’s personal servant.

 

That man who only looked for Lili even when Lili pushed her body away, even when she rolled on the floor after hitting it.

 

He was actually her real father who had given her his blood and flesh.

 

When she learned this fact in the vision shown by Suzaku and poured out all her grief, it wasn’t because she still had any lingering feelings for that man.

 

It was just… Soya felt sad.

 

The man who had cherished her so much long ago had become worse than a stranger due to the twisting of fate.

 

‘But if I really inherited the blood of the Suzaku Family.’

 

Soya’s brow suddenly furrowed as she pondered about Jeok Ayun.

 

‘What about Lili?’

 

Soya thought of Lili, the youngest daughter of the Suzaku Family with brilliant red hair.

 

In the Suzaku Family, Soya had always envied Lili and felt sorry for her.

 

The precious young lady of a noble family who had spent an unhappy childhood because of her.

 

Though she knew Lili disliked her, she never even thought of daring to hate her.

 

But that wasn’t the case.

 

She hadn’t stolen Lili’s place; Lili had stolen hers.

 

‘Lili appeared carrying a red feather, they said.’

 

Lili, whose Spirit Core had weakened due to aftereffects of childhood illness, had never even attempted Beast Transformation except for the day she first came to the estate.

 

‘Maybe her claim about being unable to transform due to a weak Spirit Core is also a lie.’

 

She no longer wanted to interfere with the Suzaku Family’s affairs.

 

Whether they believed Lili was family and cherished her or not, she didn’t want to care about that anymore either.

 

But just one thing.

 

[The Deceased Madam… So this belongs to Lili’s mother?]

 

[Why, why do you have Mother’s belonging? Tell me now!]

 

The ornament that Lili had taken from her that day.

 

In the vision Suzaku had shown her, ‘Mother’ had given her that ornament at the last moment.

 

Worrying about young her until the moment she closed her eyes…

 

Growing up, Soya learned she had no mother, and sometimes she would miss the mother she had never seen.

 

At such times, she would hold tight to that ornament her mother had given her and fall asleep, finding comfort.

 

So it was a precious and meaningful object to her.

 

The reason she didn’t think to reclaim it after Lili took it was because she thought Madam was Lili’s birth mother, but…

 

‘I must get that back no matter what. That ornament is what Mother gave to me.’

 

However, first she had to deal with other matters that lay before her.

 

* * *

 

After Soya completely shook off her growth pains and got up, the entire White Tiger Palace was filled with a festive atmosphere.

 

“Our Young Lady was so small when she first came to White Tiger Palace in the Family Head’s arms. And now she’s already undergone her First Growth.”

 

“Of course, our Young Lady is still as cute and lovable as a cotton ball.”

 

Yeonjeong and Sanho, who were helping prepare for tonight’s dinner banquet, were even more excited than Soya herself, chattering away cheerfully.

 

Having cared for Soya closely and knowing better than anyone how much she had longed for her First Growth, they sincerely celebrated their Young Lady’s development.

 

Yeonjeong braided only half of Soya’s hair, rolling it up, then let the remaining hair flow down long.

 

With the butterfly hair ornament added, she gave off a mature feeling.

 

While admiring her reflection in the mirror, Soya noticed piles of various gifts stacked in one corner of the room.

 

“These are gifts sent from here and there after hearing news of Young Lady’s growth.”

 

“Let’s see, that one is from Lady Arang of the Brown Tiger Family. And gifts from Lady Sahye of the Black Tiger Family…”

 

“Ta-da! There’s also a gift from the Blue Wolf Family here. Not now though, Young Lady. Open it alone tonight later.”

 

“So many people are celebrating our Young Lady.”

 

Soya felt her heart grow warm somehow.

 

“Soya! Congratulations on your growth!”

 

Just as Soya was finishing her preparations, Seolyeo burst through the door.

 

Seolyeo had picked every single flower on Horim Mountain to congratulate Soya.

 

Thanks to this, Soya’s room was filled with the fragrance of flowers.

 

Sanho grabbed Seolyeo by the back of the neck, asking when they would clean up all these recklessly picked flowers.

 

“Uh…? Did I do something wrong, Soya?”

 

At Seolyeo’s drooping eyebrows as she watched Soya’s reaction, Soya let out a small laugh.

 

“No, Seolyeo. We can clean up together later. Thank you so much.”

 

Like the flower fragrance filling the room, Soya’s heart also filled up sweetly and warmly.

 

‘But…’

 

As Soya was about to finish preparing and get up, she suddenly realized why she had been feeling somewhat empty since earlier.

 

‘Why aren’t my Elder Brothers around?’

 

Ga Hyeon and Gayul, who she thought would celebrate her growth more than anyone, had been nowhere to be seen all day.

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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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