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‌
Chapter 10
The other maidservants who attended to Riri would always tell Soaya the same thing.
No one would ever want to befriend a pathetic, unremarkable creature like her—a broken little ‌‌bird.
She ‌‌should always be grateful to Riri for even bothering ‌‌to look after someone as worthless as herself.
Soaya ‌had agreed with every word.
After all, I possessed no magnificent feathers, no cuteness to speak of. I was a criminal who had audaciously stolen the young lady's rightful place.
"My goodness, why would our young lady think such things? You're absolutely adorable."
It was then that Yeon Jeong tied a pretty ribbon into Soaya's hair, giggling softly.
'Adorable? Me?'
Such words belonged only to beautiful children like Riri...
"Look here, young lady."
San Ho held up a mirror for Soaya to see. ‌‌‌‌
"Wow..."
Soaya's eyes widened in astonishment as she gazed at her ‌‌reflection. ‌‌‌
"Ta-da! Yeon ‌‌‌Jeong's signature dumpling hairstyle!"
Yeon Jeong gestured toward Soaya's hair, which had been rolled into ‌‌‌‌two plump buns like dumplings.
But Soaya's surprise stemmed from far more than just the two fluffy buns. ‌‌‌‌
The dull, straw-like hair that had once drawn ridicule for being unwashed now gleamed with a lustrous shine, and though her complexion remained somewhat pale, a delicate ‌‌vitality had ‌‌returned to her features.
Moreover, the soft new garments she wore emanated a pleasant fragrance.
Soaya impulsively drew her sleeve up to her nose and inhaled deeply. The warm, comforting scent lingered at the tip of her nose. Her heart began to race.
"How is it? Cute, isn't it?"
"Yes...!"
Soaya's throat grew warm for some reason, and she quickly nodded in agreement.
"You see? Now that you're so adorable, even the youngest young master circles around you."
"..."
Of course, I still could not agree that the young ‌‌master wished to ‌‌grow close to me.
'But how does an estate filled only with young masters possess such a beautiful room and clothes that fit me so perfectly?'
A small question bloomed in my mind, but I quickly dismissed it and spoke to San Ho and Yeon Jeong.
"I... would it be alright if I went to greet Baek Sayeon?"
I recalled Baek Sayeon, who had appeared in that perilous moment, rescued me from the assassin, and brought me here with the declaration that he would steal me away.
[Don't worry about it at all. Stay here for the time being.]
Even in my fevered delirium, I remembered his ‌‌seemingly indifferent yet tender voice and the solid, comforting warmth of his embrace.
'He said to ‌‌‌stay here for the time being.'
I found myself hoping that this "time being" would stretch on just a little longer.
Because... it ‌had been so long since I had felt ‌‌the embrace of a strong adult, and it was far too warm and comforting to let go.
* ‌* *
With the help of Yeon Jeong and San ‌‌‌‌Ho, Soaya made her way to the entrance of Baek Sayeon's Study Room.
"Well, if it isn't the cotton ball young lady?"
A handsome man with reddish-brown hair standing before the Study Room noticed Soaya and smiled warmly as he spoke.
"Oh, yes..."
Soaya's cheeks flushed a rosy hue as she pondered the matter.
'Why does everyone call me cotton puff? I'm not cotton puff—I'm Soaya....'
"I came to greet Baek Sayeon. To thank him...."
Soaya spoke while fidgeting with her hands.
"Please wait a moment. I shall inform the master of the house."
Through the slightly ajar door, she glimpsed Baek Sayeon gently patting the head of a small boy who resembled him.
The graceful nobleman with long white hair tied back in a single ‌‌‌‌braid was Baek Gahyun, ‌‌‌the second son of the Baekho Family.
Gahyun gazed at his father with eyes brimming with pride and admiration.
Soaya caught sight of Baek ‌‌Sayeon's broad palm ‌‌‌‌as he softly stroked Gahyun's hair.
"Master. The cotton puff young lady has come to call." ‌
At those words, both Baek Sayeon and Gahyun ‌‌‌turned toward the doorway.
"It seems the young lady wishes to pay her respects to the master."
At Soaya's appearance, Gahyun's expression stiffened ever so slightly.
Noticing this, Soaya's shoulders shrank ‌back instinctively.
Having grown accustomed to reading others' moods over the past three years, Soaya recognized that sharp gaze directed at her ‌‌‌better than anyone.
Yet because she had felt such a gaze far too often, Soaya set aside the ‌‌familiar hostility and approached Baek Sayeon, bowing respectfully to offer her thanks.
"I came to greet you, Baek Sayeon. Thank you so much for rescuing me, treating my wounds, and providing me with a warm room and clean clothes."
Though she spoke hesitantly, the child's manner of speech and the graceful way she clasped her hands and bowed were far from ordinary.
'This ‌‌child has received instruction ‌‌in etiquette.'
Baek Sayeon grasped this new fact immediately.
"How is your body feeling?"
"I'm much better now. The fever has broken, and my throat no longer aches."
"Much improved indeed. You look far better ‌‌without ‌‌‌the pain."
Baek Sayeon's ‌‌eyes swept over ‌‌Soaya's small frame, and his lips curved into a smile.
"Perfect timing. Gahyun, you shall show Soaya around Baek Ho Palace."
"Me? Truly?"
Gahyun asked in bewilderment at his father's sudden command.
From their first meeting, Gahyun had regarded Soaya with disdain.
'She knew peaches would upset her stomach, yet she ate them anyway.'
He despised children who couldn't even express their own will properly.
He resented that such a foolish child had ‌‌appeared cradled in his father's arms, resented that she had been given the Western End Room, and resented the interruption to his time with his father moments before.
All of it displeased him.
Yet he could not disobey his father's words.
Gahyun, who wished to appear perfect before his father above all else, concealed his displeasure and nodded obediently.
"Understood, Father."
Gahyun extended his hand toward Soaya and asked in a gentle ‌‌voice.
"Hello, is your name Soaya? Would you like to tour the estate with me?"
"Ah, I... ‌‌yes."
As Soaya cautiously grasped his hand while observing his expression, Gahyun's eyes crinkled with a smile.
Baek Sayeon watched the two children depart hand in hand and chuckled softly to himself.
* * *
Baek Gahyun glanced down at Riri, who clutched his hand and hurried after him with quick, pattering steps.
'Her hand is remarkably small.'
His younger sister Gayul's hand ‌‌was never this tiny.
'And her legs are so short.'
The sight of her scurrying along with rapid little ‌steps to match his pace struck him as rather pitiful.
'What on earth is Father ‌‌‌‌‌thinking?' ‌‌‌
The Western End Room.
That chamber ‌‌‌‌had been prepared by Father to register a collateral branch girl into the family records.
It was ‌to present a candidate for the "Imperial Dragon's Bride" under the family name.
The Imperial Dragon's Bride—the consort of the Celestial Emperor who ‌‌‌‌ruled the continent.
This was no mere empress, but a position of equal standing with the emperor himself, one who safeguarded imperial stability and could even assume the emperor's duties in times of crisis.
For generations, the four Divine Beast Families had produced Imperial Dragon's Brides, yet when a direct lineage lacked daughters, it was customary to ‌‌‌adopt a child from a collateral branch and present her as a candidate.
Thus, the Baekho Family, which had no daughters in this generation, also planned to register a collateral branch child into the family records.
Already, girls from collateral branches were arriving one by one, holding their parents' hands to make an impression on Baek Sayeon.
Yet with this girl of unknown origins claiming that chamber, Baek Gahyun found himself increasingly uneasy.
Moreover, Father had even assigned the Red Fox Clan and the Indigo Wolf Clan to this small bundle.
The Red Fox Clan and the Indigo Wolf Clan were two families of the Western Lands who had served the Baekho direct line for generations.
Furthermore, San Ho of the Indigo Wolf Clan was the leader of all wolves in the western territories and had originally served ‌‌‌Father himself, while Yeon Jeong of the Red Fox Clan was the younger sister of Ho Jeok Young, Father's advisor, and oversaw all domestic affairs of Baek Ho Palace.
Even if assigned temporarily, it was an excessive arrangement.
'Surely Father isn't planning to register this child into the family instead of a collateral branch girl.'
For the sake of the family, such a thing could never happen. A child of unknown origins could never represent the family.
Besides, ‌‌‌this child wasn't even a tiger.
Judging by her small, pale appearance... was she a cat? Though ‌‌she seemed a bit too gentle to be a cat...
Or perhaps a ‌‌‌‌rabbit? She certainly looked like she subsisted on grass alone, which suited a rabbit perfectly...
'In any case, that's not the point. This child cannot remain in the Western End Room. Of course, Father will surely handle it well...'
Baek Gahyun, the second young master of the Baek Family and one who respected Baek Sayeon above all others, quickly dispelled ‌‌‌his doubts.
It was ‌‌‌improper to question Father's decisions.
"This is the Palace Garden. The flowers are quite beautiful, aren't they?"
Despite his gentle tone as he introduced various parts of the estate, Baek Gahyun's eyes were filled ‌‌‌with ‌‌‌indifference.
He had decided there was no need to show particular care in introducing the grounds to a child who would leave soon anyway.
Thus, even knowing that the child was ‌‌‌hurrying after him with her short legs, Baek Gahyun deliberately did not slow his pace, and his ‌explanations were perfunctory at best.

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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