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Chapter 88
Something felt off.
Three conditions to awaken the Divine Beast.
Direct bloodline. The Divine Beast's heart. And a spiritual vessel.
My mother, who carried the direct bloodline, stood beside me, and I possessed the sacred object crafted ‌from the Divine Beast's spiritual essence, yet....
'Is my heart insufficient?'
I glanced down at the twig concealed within my ‌‌‌robes.
"Shall we head to ‌‌‌the banquet hall now that you've seen everything, Soya?"
"Ah.... Yes...."
Even as I took Chung Ha's hand and departed, my gaze remained fixed upon the Blue Dragon's flame dance.
'Why did it fail?'
I was lost in thought, my expression growing despondent.
―Do not grieve so, little fledgling. Your heart is not the problem.
The White Tiger Mountain Lord's voice resonated within my mind.
―That sacred ‌‌‌object is a forgery.
'...!'
I was so startled I ‌‌‌nearly gasped aloud.
"Soya?"
But at the sound of Chung Ha calling my name, I quickly composed myself.
"My dear, why do you look like that? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Oh, no, Mother! Let's hurry to the banquet hall!"
I shook my head vigorously and took Chung Ha's hand as we ‌‌exited the Sacred Shrine.
* * *
That day, I spent ‌‌‌a wonderfully joyful time with Chung Ha, whom I hadn't seen in three years.
"Mother, I have red feathers now!"
"Mother! I can now reach the summit of Horim Mountain in just twenty steps!"
Baek Gayul and I occupied either side of Chung Ha, chattering away incessantly.
Baek Gahyun, having yielded ‌‌‌his place beside Mother to his younger siblings, sat ‌‌‌‌across from us and chuckled softly as he watched me speak far more ‌‍than usual.
Though I often exchanged letters with Chung Ha to share updates, being together like this—seeing her face and spending time with her directly—was incomparably better.
'How wonderful it would be if Mother lived with us at Baek Ho Palace.'
Such thoughts kept returning ‌‌‌to me.
And that very night.
Something even more wonderful happened to me.
It was none other than....
"Are you truly certain I may?"
I asked in disbelief.
"Of course."
"...!"
I would bathe with Mother and sleep ‌beside her!
'At Baek ‌‌‌‌Ho Palace, I always slept alone...!'
"I love it so much, Mother!"
Jeok Soya was so delighted that she clung to Chung ‌‌Ha's sleeve.
"Lucky you, little one...."
Baek Gayul's gaze followed, brimming with envy.
In ‌‌beast-human society, after the first growth phase, even same-gender parent and child did not sleep together.
Jeok Soya had been taught this way and had never imagined otherwise, but Chung Ha disregarded the long-standing customs and rules with remarkable ease.
"I'm the acting head of Cheonghae Palace—who would dare say anything to me?" she would say.
Having always been taught ‌‌‌‌that rules must be strictly followed, Jeok Soya's heart ‌raced at this side of her mother.
'Mother is truly amazing. Sometimes even more so than Father.'
Jeok Soya soaked herself thoroughly in warm ‌‌‌water alongside her mother, washed, changed into fluffy new undergarments, and ‌‌dried her hair on the bed. ‌‌
Chung Ha dried Jeok ‌‌‌‌Soya's hair with a thick towel herself.
Each time her mother's hands patted her hair dry, Jeok Soya's eyes curved into crescents as she giggled.
"Three years ago, when Mother went to Baek Ho Palace..."
Chung Ha, gently combing Jeok Soya's hair with a half-moon shaped comb that smelled of hinoki, suddenly brought up an old memory. ‌‌
"I was actually very nervous. I hadn't yet returned to Baek Ho Palace, and I worried that saying I wanted to be ‌‌your mother in that situation might make our baby uncomfortable."
A gentle smile played at the corners of Chung Ha's lips as she recalled those days.
"But when you held onto me and called me Mother, when you told me we were already family, I can't tell you how happy that made me."
"I was just saying what seemed obvious...Mother."
Jeok Soya emphasized the word "Mother" and called out once more.
At that, Chung Ha let ‌‌‌‌out a warm, breathy laugh.
As Jeok Soya nestled in her mother's embrace, she noticed something small and blue that had fallen to the floor.
"Oh? Mother, what's ‌‌this?"
"Ah, that's a scale."
Seeing the scale, it suddenly felt real that she was a dragon beast-human.
"I learned ‌‌that dragon beast-humans are incredibly, incredibly strong! ‌‌‌‌And they can fly through the sky and swim in the ocean ‌too!"
"My, that's right. Our baby has studied ‌‌‌‌‌‍Mother very well, hasn't she?"
"Then since Mother is also ‌‌‌a dragon beast-human, do you have a orb?"
The orb—or as it was also called, the pearl of benevolence—that golden sphere was ‌‌said not to possess the mystical power to grant wishes like in legends.
Yet it was something precious and symbolic to dragon beast-humans, given to one's lifelong companion when confessing affection, it was said.
"My orb is, well..."
Chung Ha smiled mysteriously, ‌‌‌‌then leaned close and whispered into Jeok Soya's ear.
"I gave it to your father long ago."
"...!"
Jeok Soya turned to look at Chung Ha with a startled expression.
"So, Mother...you...Father...um..."
After glancing around to confirm no one was nearby, Jeok Soya lowered her voice and whispered back ‌‌to her mother.
"You cherish him, don't you?"
"Hmm?"
"The dragon's orb is something very precious!"
Jeok Soya spoke with excitement, her voice animated as she became engrossed in her parents' story.
In truth, it was not the romantic memory that Soya had hoped for.
[You wouldn't lose my orb, would you? So manage it ‌‌for me instead.]
[What? Where in this world ‌‌is there a dragon who hands over their orb for such a reason...!]
[Thank you, Sayeon. There's really no one else like you.]
[Hey, Chung Ha!]
I remember how Sayeon had grabbed the ‌‌back of his neck and worn an exasperated expression after I unilaterally thrust my orb upon him.
Yet Chung Ha, unwilling to shatter Soya's expectations, deftly steered the conversation elsewhere.
"Come to think of it, our Soya is at an age where she ‌might soon admire some charming young lord, isn't she?"
In an instant, Soya's face ‌‌‌flushed a brilliant crimson.
"No, that's not it!"
Soya hastily raised her voice in denial.
"I don't have anyone like that. And I'm not going to marry—I'll live in Baek Ho Palace my whole life. With Father... and later, when Mother returns, then ‌‌‌‌together...."
"Wow, really? Mother thinks that's wonderful too?"
At Soya's faltering response, Chung Ha chuckled and replied.
"But my dear, when you do come to admire someone later, you'll tell Mother first, won't you? Understood?"
"Um, yes...."
The two of them sealed their promise by linking their little ‌‌fingers together.
* * *
The next day.
Soya emerged onto land with her older brothers, Seol Yo, and Jjak Jjak to enjoy the Festival in earnest.
They had decided to watch the martial arts tournament where Baek Gayul would be singing.
While the others ‌‌‌scattered to obtain tournament admission tickets and simple refreshments, Soya remained on the Streets with Jjak ‌‌Jjak, waiting for them.
The ‌‌‌entire street was suffused with the fragrance of spring, adorned ‌‌with rapeseed flowers and daffodils.
Yet even amid the vibrant Festival atmosphere, Soya's thoughts kept drifting back to that false flower painting she had seen yesterday.
Unable to speak with the divine beings the previous night due to Chung Ha's presence, Soya had ‌‌‌risen early and asked them about the flower painting.
[That flower painting is false?]
―Yes, little one. Don't be too disappointed—it's not that your heart was lacking.
[Then where is the real one?]
―I'm afraid we don't know either.
The sacred artifact enshrined in the Sacred Shrine of Cheonghae Palace was counterfeit.
It was truly a grave matter.
'Mother doesn't seem to know it's false yet.'
I was walking with a deliberately grave expression, consumed by worry.
That was when I failed ‌‌to notice the person approaching from the opposite direction and collided with them. ‌‌‌
"Oh...!"
"Are you unharmed!"
Fortunately, the other person quickly steadied me, preventing me from falling, though I ended up cradled in ‌‌‌‌their embrace.
Soya blinked in surprise for a moment, then quickly regained her composure and extracted herself ‌‌‌‌from their arms.
"I'm so, so sorry! I was lost ‌‌‌‌in thought...."
"As long as you are uninjured, I am well."
A boy with ‌‌‌ash-gray hair smiled gently and replied.
"You must be Miss Jeok Soya of the Baekho Family, correct?" ‌‌‌‌
"You know of me?"
"I happened to ‌‌hear rumors that someone of distinction was arriving from the Western Lands. I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Soya."
The boy, who had been greeting her with his eyes narrowed in a smile, added his introduction ‌‌‌‌as if he'd just remembered.
"Ah, I am Ahan, the eldest son of the Blue Shark Family."
"Yes, Prince Ahan. Thank you so much for your assistance."
Jeok Soya responded with proper courtesy, preparing to conclude ‌the conversation.
"If you truly feel grateful for what I've done..."
Ahan handed her a handkerchief and asked.
"Would you grant me the opportunity to accompany you at the Falling Flowers Festival tomorrow?" ‌

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