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Chapter 35
Baek Gahyun possessed keen observational skills.
[Jeok Soya, about that plan to climb Horim Mountain with Gayul yesterday—who exactly did you tell?]
When he'd asked her that this morning.
Jeok Soya claimed ignorance, but in that instant, ‌he keenly noticed her pinky ‌‌‌finger twitch and curl slightly.
She suspected something. She knew who had put her in ‌‌‌danger.
But kind-hearted Jeok Soya seemed unwilling to speak, and so Baek Gahyun resolved within himself.
'Then I'll find them and handle ‌‌‌it myself. I'm not a pathetic tiger like Gayul—I'm Jeok Soya's older brother.'
Everyone at Baek Ho Palace adored Jeok Soya.
So if someone had endangered her, suspicion naturally fell upon the guests who ‌‌‌had come from outside the palace.
The branch family tigers.
Among them, those who ‌‌‌would resent her very existence.
When Jeok Soya was first assigned the Western End Room, there were those who had opposed her, just as I ‌‌had.
'But how could they ‌‌‌have done such a thing?'
He'd heard that in the northern lands ‌‌of Xuanwu, ‌‌‌there existed dark sorcery capable of corrupting beasts and driving them into frenzies.
Yet the footprints that day on Horim Mountain belonged only to Jeok Soya's party.
Neither Baek Gayul nor Suri could have done such a thing.
'They must have carried an object imbued with dark sorcery up the mountain. It maddened the ‌‌‌‌beasts and ‌‌erased Jeok ‌‌‌Soya's scent...'
But when I found Jeok Soya again in the depths of the forest, her scent was perfectly intact, and I saw no trace of any object bearing such sorcery.
'Something that vanishes with time...'
So I spent the entire day searching for evidence and conducting investigations.
During this time, Ho Jeok A ‌‍came to find me, bringing the item I had requested.
A small stone painted with pure white pigment in her likeness.
'Could this serve as a talisman to protect her?'
Just as Jeok Soya had picked up a stone with those delicate fern-like hands to protect me, and plucked sky flowers for me, I too wished to give her a talisman to keep her safe.
'I hope she'll like it.'
Glancing out the window, Baek Gahyun noticed the day had grown dark.
He hadn't seen Jeok Soya all evening, and now that he had ‌‌‌‌a ‌‌perfect excuse, he went to find her to give her the gift.
But when he arrived at her room, it was empty.
Only the cold night air circled within the vacant chamber.
"Jeok Soya..."
Alarmed, Baek Gahyun walked toward the open window, gripped its frame, and looked down.
Yet nowhere in the ‌‌‌darkened Baek Ho Palace could he detect her scent.
Just ‌as it had been yesterday when I lost her on Horim Mountain.
'Surely not them again.'
Perhaps they had tried to harm Jeok Soya again in this brief span.
In that moment, his heart seemed to plummet ‌‌‌‌with an audible thud.
Baek Gahyun immediately rushed down the ‌‌corridor toward the East Wing ‌‌‌Second Floor where the Silver Tiger Family was staying.
Crash!
He threw the door open without warning, and those inside the room spun around in shock.
"Oh my!"
"Young Master Baek Gahyun?"
It was Siyo and the Eun Ho Family attendants who served her.
"Jeok Soya, where are you?"
Baek Gahyun strode purposefully inside ‌‌and asked.
"Why are you looking for her here?"
Siyo asked in a bewildered voice.
"You tried to harm her. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
"Harm her? That's unfair! I don't know what she told you, but I had nothing to do with it!"
"No, that's right, Young Master! To treat our young lady this way based on the word of that lowborn girl...!"
At the ‌‍Maidservant's words in support of Siyo, Baek Gahyun's expression turned glacial as he fixed her with a piercing stare.
"Did you ‌‌just say lowborn?"
"No, I mean—isn't that the truth? That girl's status is unknown, and...!"
"Jeok Soya is Father's guest! And...!"
He faltered.
Baek Gahyun stopped mid-sentence, unable to continue. He simply didn't know how to define Jeok Soya.
"I came as a guest to Baek Ho Palace too!"
Snapping back ‌to attention at Siyo's outburst, Baek Gahyun ‌‌pressed forward aggressively.
"If you came as a guest, you should have stayed quiet and left—not tormented that child!"
"Are you accusing me without any evidence?"
The surroundings erupted into noise as people began gathering ‌‌‌one by one.
"What's happening?"
Sayeon appeared among the murmuring crowd.
"Jeok Soya has disappeared, Father."
He stiffened.
Sayeon's eyes hardened like stone.
"Her scent doesn't come from anywhere. The Eun Ho Family must have done something."
Sayeon's expression had turned lethal, and he was about to speak when—
"What? Jeok Soya disappeared? What are you talking about! She promised to come with me!"
Arang burst through the gathered crowd, her voice ringing out sharply.
In an instant, all eyes turned toward Arang.
"Come with you? ‌‌‌‌Where...?"
"Because soon the Western End Room will have a new master, so I can't stay here anymore! That's why I promised to leave with her and go to my home!"
Of course, Jeok Soya had made no such promise, and Arang hadn't even received her parents' ‌permission yet.
But Arang had already decided in her mind that after the Mountain Lord Festival ended, she would return home with Jeok Soya.
"Jeok Soya... said something like that...?"
Baek Gahyun murmured, his face deeply shocked.
He wasn't the only one ‌‌‌shocked. ‌
Sayeon's face twisted as he clenched and unclenched his fists, then asked in a controlled voice:
"What do you mean the Eun Ho Family did something?"
Baek Gahyun explained to Sayeon ‌‌‌‌what he'd heard from Jeok Soya—that the mountain beasts had grown violent—and that he himself had been unable to detect her scent on the mountain that day.
"Don't make accusations without evidence!"
Siyo cried out sharply.
"In the first place, mountain beasts growing violent? Isn't that girl lying? The beasts of Horim Mountain are known to be docile...."
It was at that moment.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—!
A tremendous commotion erupted from somewhere beyond the rear of Baek Ho Palace.
Both Baek Gahyun and Siyo ceased their argument and turned toward the source of the sound.
"Good heavens, the young lady...!"
At someone's cry, people crowded along the corridor railings.
Baek Gahyun quickly wedged himself through the throng.
In the next instant, like everyone else, he gasped in astonishment.
Jeok Soya was racing toward Baek Ho Palace, mounted upon the back of a black wolf.
And behind her....
"The young lady is being pursued by the mountain beasts!"
The beasts of Horim Mountain were chasing after Jeok Soya, their fangs bared and gleaming!
"No, wait. Rather than being chased, it's almost as if ‌‌‌‌she's herding the beasts forward...."
"The mountain beasts have grown violent?"
In that instant, Siyo's face drained of all color.
"Jeok Soya...!"
Baek Gahyun cried out in alarm.
A man shot past him, launching himself through the air with the ‌‌‌speed of an arrow, and positioned himself behind Jeok Soya.
It was Father—Sayeon.
* * *
Jeok Soya had discovered the fragrant sachet hidden within the palanquin.
But would it be alright to remove it?
Could she guarantee that Siyo would not harm anyone else from this point forward?
'I must inform Sayeon. So that he can prevent Siyo from harming ‌‍‌anyone else in the future.'
But would Sayeon believe her words?
For a moment doubt flickered through her mind, yet she found herself thinking that perhaps Sayeon would trust her.
Just as the Second Young Master, who had come to find her when she was left alone on the mountain, had believed ‌‌‌‌her without suspicion.
'But....'
Jeok Soya recalled the reactions of Yeon Jeong and ‌‌San Ho when she had told them what happened on the mountain.
[What? The beasts of Horim Mountain?]
[Could it be that you were mistaken, young ‌‌lady?]
The people ‌‌of Baek Ho Palace held firm in their belief that the beasts of Horim Mountain could never harm a person.
So even if Sayeon believed her, without evidence there might be unwelcome gossip. ‌‌‌
'I need proof.'
That is why Jeok Soya had made her request to Seol Yo.
The clever Seol Yo, at her request, immediately transformed into a massive furred beast and, carrying Jeok Soya upon his back, swept across the entire mountain.
The beasts of Horim Mountain caught the scent of the sachet and swarmed toward Jeok Soya.
Growl....
Growl....
Growwwl...!
The frenzied mountain beasts bared their savage fangs and lunged at Jeok Soya and Seol Yo.
"Seol Yo, now! Run! Toward where the most people are!"
"Kyuang!"
Seol Yo, thrilled beyond measure, herded the mountain ‌‌‌beasts and bolted toward Baek Ho Palace.
Jeok ‌‌Soya clung to Seol Yo's back, her eyes squeezed shut. The speed was so dizzying she feared she might ‌‌‌‌‌be sick.
'Just a little more... just a little more....'
Gradually, Baek Ho Palace drew nearer.
'Please, let the people gather when they hear this commotion.'
She didn't need an overwhelming number of witnesses.
Just enough to prove the mountain beasts had gone berserk. She prayed they would gather—no more, no less, precisely that amount.
Then, at last, when Seol Yo reached the East Courtyard of Baek Ho Palace.
Whoosh―!
A man leaped from the air and stood protectively behind Jeok Soya and Seol Yo.
"Sayeon...!"
Jeok Soya cried out ‌‌with a brightened face upon ‌‌‌catching sight of the billowing white robes.
Sayeon regarded the beasts charging toward Jeok Soya and Seol ‌‌‌‌Yo with a cold gaze.
At that chilling look, the beasts seemed ‌‌‌to freeze for a moment....
"Leave."
At Sayeon's single word, they abruptly turned and fled.
It was as Jeok Soya exhaled in ‌‌‌‌relief.
"Cotton ball."
Sayeon suddenly lifted Jeok Soya's body and asked.
"What were you doing in danger when my little cotton ball should be sleeping?"
"Ah, well ‌‌‌that is...."
In the meantime, the people of Baek Ho Palace ‌‌‌had come downstairs.
Despite the late hour, far more people had ‌‌‌gathered than I expected, which surprised me slightly, but I soon decided it was fortunate.
My crimson eyes found Eun Siyo among the assembled crowd.
My gaze and Siyo's met.
Siyo stood with a pale, ‌‌rigid face, her fists clenched tightly.
After ‌‌‌staring at her for a moment, I opened my mouth with force.
"It was the sachet that Siyo gave ‌‌‌‌me. The beasts of Horim Mountain went berserk because of it."

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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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