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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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Chapter 39
I gazed down from the window, marveling at the transformation I had discovered.
In a ‌‌‌single night, the world ‌had become infinitely more beautiful.
And I understood why my world had changed so dramatically.
[No one can torment you, and ‌‌that wouldn't be right.]
[You are not at fault. The fault lies not with you, but with them.]
No one had ever ‌‌‌‌spoken to me this way before.
Father and my older brother Jeok Young—they had all despised me, saying it ‌‌was my fault.
In truth, deep in my heart, whenever I saw those who hated me, ‌‌I felt such profound sorrow and anguish.
Every single day, I wanted to crawl ‌‌‌‌beneath my blankets and weep aloud.
But people had told me I had no right to grieve, so I endured in silence—yet I had ‌‌done nothing wrong. ‌
In that moment, an ‌‌‌‌entire world I had believed in trembled, ‌‌crumbled, and was reassembled anew.
From yesterday onward, I felt something within me shift profoundly.
Before, when I thought of those who despised me, I felt only sadness and hurt. Now, I felt wronged—and ‌‌even a spark of anger.
This unfamiliar emotion unsettled me, and I ‌‌worried whether I was walking down the wrong path—yet...
'Sayeon said so. That he would show me the righteous way of the world.'
I believed in him. With Sayeon, I could walk the righteous path.
He was a steadfast and strong adult.
Unlike Father...
'Oh, then now Sayeon is my father...'
As I ‌‌‌thought of Jeok Ahyun, I suddenly grasped a new ‌‌truth.
My father was no longer him.
The adult with that broad, warm back—the one who would show me the righteous world—he was becoming my father.
'I am Sayeon's daughter...'
I turned this fact over in my heart again and again.
The happiness felt too much for me to deserve. Was it truly all right to accept such grace?
'I want to repay Sayeon and the young masters for this kindness.'
News that Sayeon had formally registered me as the youngest daughter of the family spread throughout Baek Ho Palace like ripples in water.
San Ho brought the joyful news. ‌‌‌
"Young lady! I've received an official assignment as ‌‌‌your personal guard!"
San Ho, who was also the head of the Indigo Wolf Clan, had been temporarily assigned to protect me until now.
"Now I won't have to follow the family head when he travels, and I won't be conscripted for tedious tasks anymore. From now on, I'll stay right by your side!"
She had continued to worry about how I had been left alone on the mountain while I traveled with Sayeon.
"Is that truly so, San ‌Ho?"
"Yes, truly!"
As I beamed with joy, Yeon ‌‌‌Jeong chuckled and shared even better news.
"After the Mountain Lord Festival ends, the family head will assign ‌‌‌you excellent tutors."
"Wow...!"
My cheeks flushed pink as my eyes sparkled with delight.
"Goodness, little cotton ball. You're going to have so much studying to do."
The moment I opened ‌‌‌my eyes that morning, Baek Gayul was already clinging to my chamber door, gazing at me ‌‌‌‌with such pitiful eyes that his face crumpled into an expression of anguish.
In that moment, genuine sincerity was written all over Baek Gayul's face.
"Studying is only painful for dimwitted tigers like you."
Just then, Baek Gahyun arrived after finishing his morning lessons, and he regarded Baek Gayul with a look of exasperation as he chided him.
Yet the moment Baek Gahyun turned his gaze back to me, his expression became as warm and tender as honey ‌‌dripping from a comb.
"Soya, whenever you find studying difficult or confusing later, come ask your older brother. I'll explain everything to you."
Baek Gahyun ‌‌deliberately emphasized the ‌‌‌word "older brother" as he spoke.
"Yes, older... bro!"
I had been about to call him "young master" out of habit, but I hastily corrected myself. In my fumbling, I ended up calling him "bro" instead ‌of "older ‌‌brother."
Baek Gahyun let out a soft laugh and gently corrected me.
"Not 'bro'—'older brother.' Try calling me older brother, Soya."
"...Yes, older brother."
Shyness tinged my voice as I called him that again.
I had ‌‌called the young master "older brother" just yesterday morning too, and even when I was ‌‌‌‌riding on his back coming down the mountain the day before. ‌
Yet saying "older brother" again this morning felt somehow different.
'Have I truly become ‌‌family?'
The reality of it still felt surreal. ‌‌‌
"Me too! I'm your older brother now, cotton puff! Come on, call me older brother!"
"Yes, Gayul older brother."
"...!"
As I giggled ‌‌‌‌and called him that, Baek Gayul's eyes went wide as saucers.
He hadn't expected me to call him that so readily.
Hearing the word "older brother" for the first time in his life ‌tickled something deep within his heart.
'I'm cotton puff's older brother. It feels like I have someone to protect now.'
While Baek Gayul stood there with a dazed expression, Baek Gahyun extended his hand to me and asked.
"Soya, would you like to come pay our respects to Father with me?"
"Yes!"
At the mention of visiting Sayeon, my face brightened instantly.
"Me too!"
Baek Gayul quickly snapped to attention and followed along.
I was just stepping into the corridor, holding both my ‌‌‌older brothers' hands, when—
"Soya!!!!"
Arang came bounding toward us with thundering footsteps.
"Oh, Lady Arang...!"
"Is it true? You really decided to live at Baek Ho ‌‌‌‌Palace?"
"Yes, that's... what happened..."
"I don't like it!"
Arang grabbed the hem of ‌‌my skirt and burst into tears.
"You promised you'd come with me to the Gal ‌Ho Family! You promised me that!" ‌‌‌
"Oh my, young lady."
A retainer from the Gal Ho Clan attempted to dissuade Arang in an awkward tone, but it was futile.
"Soya promised to become my sister! Not ‌‌‌‌‌that white-haired tiger idiot's sister—MY sister!"
"How can a cotton ball become your sister? Cotton ball is already nine years old."
Baek Gayul scoffed as he spoke.
"What?"
Arang, flustered, stopped rolling on the ground and sprang to her ‌‌‌‌feet.
"Nine years ‌‌old?"
Arang was also nine years old.
"When is your birthday!"
"Summer, sir."
"...!"
At Jeok Soya's innocent ‌‌reply, Arang's mouth fell open. Arang's birthday was in autumn!
"Th-that can't be! Soya...! Soya is older ‌‌than me!"
Unable to accept that Jeok Soya had been born a full season ‌earlier than her, Arang began to deny reality.
"That's impossible! This is a dream!"
"Heh! Call cotton ball 'older sister' and call me 'older brother,' brown tiger!"
"What? Are you done talking?"
Watching Baek Gayul and Arang bicker once more, Baek Gahyun shook his head slowly.
"Nine or ten years old. It's all the same."
Yet Baek Gahyun himself was only eleven years ‌‌old.
Though he believed himself and these young tigers who hadn't yet undergone their first transformation were as different as heaven ‌‌‌and earth.
* * *
Jeok Soya, the two young Baek Ho princes, and Arang—the four children went together to pay their respects to Sayeon.
Sayeon watched the children's retreating figures ‌‌‌with a pleased expression on his face.
"Is this what it feels like to have a daughter?"
Gahyun was one thing, but Gayul coming to pay his respects at this hour?
And holding hands with each other so affectionately at that.
"Yes. Certainly, having a daughter does feel different."
Sayeon, murmuring to himself with a grin, suddenly turned his head.
Swish—
Sayeon ‌‌regarded Jeok Young with a sympathetic gaze.
"Too bad, Jeok Young. You don't have a daughter."
"I haven't even gotten ‌‌‌married yet, sir. Who ‌‌‌do you think keeps me working day ‌‌‌after day?"
Jeok Young pouted and grumbled.
"How is your failure to marry my ‌‌‌fault? It's because your abilities are lacking."
At this, Jeok Young's eyebrows twitched.
Jeok Young clenched his teeth and forced a smile.
"But Lord Clan Head, isn't it true that ‌‌‌‌cotton ball still seems uncomfortable around you?"
"Who says that? Soya is uncomfortable around me?"
Provoked by ‌‌‌Jeok Young's taunt, ‌‌‌Sayeon bristled.
"Just ‌‌‌‌now, too. She was calling you Sayeon instead of Father or Dad, and isn't that what's making you uncomfortable?"

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