The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 82

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

Chapter 82

 

Meanwhile, while everyone was in a festive mood celebrating the Young Lady’s growth, there were two who wore gloomy expressions.

 

They were none other than Ga Hyeon and Gayul.

 

That day, in the village they had followed Father to.

 

Gayul had ultimately witnessed Soya scattering red feathers.

 

Even after Father had returned to White Tiger Palace first with Soya who was suffering from growth pains, Gayul continued to deny what he had seen.

 

No.

 

I must have seen it wrong.

 

Right. I must have seen it wrong?

 

….

 

However, at the end of that denial, Gayul had to bite down hard on the tender flesh inside his mouth and accept reality.

 

I didn’t see it wrong.

 

I saw it properly.

 

The red feathers falling from that child’s body.

 

Those brilliantly burning red feathers blooming in the darkness—there’s no way I could have seen them wrong.

 

Gayul returned a little later with the others.

 

And when he came back to White Tiger Palace.

 

“Elder Brother. Soya is…?”

 

“In her room.”

 

Ga Hyeon, who was leaning against the corridor wall, glanced toward Soya’s room with a dark expression and answered briefly.

 

Gayul leaned against the wall beside him and asked in a gloomily sunken voice.

 

“Say, Elder Brother. Is Soya really the daughter of the Suzaku Family?”

 

“….”

 

When Ga Hyeon gave no answer, Gayul felt a sudden surge of fear.

 

Seeing that even Elder Brother, who knows much more than me and is smarter, couldn’t deny it, Soya really must be the daughter of the Suzaku Family.

 

“Then what do we do now?”

 

Gayul looked up at Ga Hyeon with a choked-up face and whimpered.

 

“Can’t I be Cotton Ball’s Elder Brother anymore? That can’t be. I can’t live without Cotton Ball now. I can’t even imagine White Tiger Palace without her. What do we do now, Elder Brother?”

 

Gayul recalled one by one the things that had happened with Soya since she came to White Tiger Palace.

 

The only child who called him cool when everyone else called him an immature Young Master.

 

When he was with that child who resembled a fluffy cotton ball, Gayul felt as if he had become a truly magnificent tiger.

 

Not a baby tiger who was cared for by everyone, but a reliable and wonderful tiger who could protect someone himself.

 

At some point, Soya had become an indispensable existence to him.

 

My precious little sister, Cotton Ball, whom I would protect and cherish for life.

 

But now to find out that Cotton Ball is the daughter of the Suzaku Family.

 

Gayul grabbed onto Ga Hyeon’s sleeve with a face that looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.

 

“…What do we do, you ask.”

 

At that moment, Ga Hyeon’s mouth slowly opened.

 

“We have to prevent Soya from leaving.”

 

“How?”

 

“….”

 

In beast-person society, ‘bloodline’ was a very important value.

 

However, Ga Hyeon could not send Soya to those people.

 

“By any means necessary.”

 

“…!”

 

At Ga Hyeon’s answer, Gayul raised his head with an expression as if he had gained enlightenment.

 

* * *

 

Soya finished her preparations with an excited heart.

 

However, just as Soya was about to leave her room to head to the banquet hall.

 

“Huh?”

 

Sanho let out a confused voice.

 

“All of Young Lady’s shoes have disappeared. What could have happened?”

 

“The shoes are gone?”

 

There were no girls Soya’s age in White Tiger Palace.

 

So it was impossible that someone had stolen them out of envy…

 

“If you mean your shoes, I saw the little tiger carrying them all away earlier?”

 

At that moment, Seolyeo suddenly spoke up from the side. The ‘little tiger’ Seolyeo was referring to was none other than Gayul.

 

“What?”

 

“Why would the Youngest Young Master play such a prank.”

 

Sanho muttered in a bewildered voice.

 

Soya’s lips also jutted out in a pout.

 

She had been secretly waiting for her Elder Brothers to come congratulate her on her growth, but instead of congratulating her, they were playing such mischievous pranks.

 

“Oh my, please don’t be too upset, our Young Lady. The Youngest Young Master is naturally mischievous. Perhaps he’s planning something else to surprise our Young Lady?”

 

Noticing Soya’s disappointed mood, Yeonjeong soothed her with a gentle voice.

 

“Do you think so?”

 

At those words, Soya became a little intrigued and softened her expression.

 

“It can’t be helped then. Even though it doesn’t match the outfit, I’ll just wear these.”

 

Soya had to wear the shoes she had been wearing in her room and head to the banquet hall.

 

However, Gayul’s mischievous behavior didn’t end there.

 

The moment she opened the door and stepped outside, Soya froze in place.

 

“Yeonjeong, Sanho. I’m seeing something strange.”

 

“…I think I see it too, Young Lady.”

 

“…Me too.”

 

Desks and chairs had been piled up like a mountain, completely blocking the corridor.

 

“Who on earth would do such a thing…”

 

Just as Yeonjeong was muttering in a dumbfounded voice.

 

Soya spotted Gayul coming from the other side carrying a chair.

 

“Elder Brother!”

 

Gayul, who had been building a large wall with desks and chairs to prevent Soya from coming out, was startled by Soya’s shout and dropped the chair he was holding.

 

“What are you doing right now… Elder Brother! Where are you going!”

 

Gayul completely ignored Soya’s call and ran away.

 

Soya became a little angry at that sight.

 

Pop!

 

Soya immediately transformed and flew up into the air, soaring over the mountain of desks and chairs that Gayul had built to chase after him.

 

“Oh my, Young Lady!”

 

“Young Lady, be careful!”

 

“Let’s go together, Soya!”

 

While Yeonjeong and Sanho called out in troubled voices, Seolyeo transformed into a large wolf and charged toward Soya.

 

As a result, the mountain of desks and chairs that Gayul had diligently built collapsed with a tremendous noise.

 

In an instant, all of White Tiger Palace became chaos.

 

* * *

 

When Saeon heard the news and arrived belatedly.

 

He discovered behind the White Tiger Palace building a tiger cornered in a predicament, a small bird beside it fuming with anger, and one large wolf.

 

A tiger as large as a grown man was whimpering dejectedly, completely deflated by the chirping cries of a small bird smaller than his own front paw.

 

Someone should have intervened, but no one took Gayul’s side.

 

Even Yeonjeong, Sanho, and Su Ri just stood with their arms crossed, merely watching.

 

“What’s going on here?”

 

“Father!”

 

At Saeon’s bewildered muttering, Soya, who had been chirping angrily at Gayul, quickly released her beast transformation and ran to him.

 

Then she tattled about all the bad things Gayul had done.

 

“Yul did?”

 

When Saeon asked back in disbelief, Yeonjeong, Sanho, and Su Ri all nodded in unison as if it were true.

 

Soya, who had transformed back at some point, had slightly reddened eyes and looked aggrieved and wronged as she fumed.

 

Usually, Gayul was very weak to this kind of expression from Soya.

 

Whenever Soya seemed even slightly hurt or about to cry, Gayul would be the first to step forward and take care of her.

 

Though he had strong pride, when it came to Soya, he would immediately apologize even for the smallest mistakes.

 

Yet that same Gayul had made Soya cry with a mean prank and wasn’t even making excuses.

 

‘Why would he do such a thing?’

 

Saeon also tilted his head, unable to understand.

 

‘Was he… jealous that Soya had her First Growth?’

 

But to be jealous, Gayul had grown before Soya and had been waiting for his little sister to grow more than anyone.

 

Wasn’t Gayul the one who deliberately restrained his beast transformation so Soya wouldn’t feel bad about her delayed growth?

 

“Hey. Youngest tiger.”

 

Saeon approached Gayul.

 

Gayul had his head buried in the ground, covering his face with his front paws, showing only his rear end.

 

Looking at his drooping ears and tail, he seemed to recognize that he had done wrong…

 

“Yul. My baby. Papa’s here. Look here.”

 

However, Gayul didn’t turn around even at Saeon’s gentle coaxing.

 

“Won’t you even talk to Papa?”

 

“Whine…”

 

The large tiger only made pitiful whimpering sounds, sniffling sadly through his nose.

 

At the sight of the usually spirited Gayul looking so dejected, even the people who had been glaring at the troublemaking Youngest Young Master began to feel a bit sorry for him.

 

Even Soya was beginning to soften her angry feelings from moments before.

 

“Family Head, Family Head!”

 

Jeok Yeong came running frantically, looking for Saeon.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Young Master Hyeon!”

 

Just as Saeon frowned at Jeok Yeong’s breathless shouting.

 

“He destroyed the bridge leading to the Southern Lands, attacked the Guard Unit, and has been captured!”

 

“What?”

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