Chapter 122
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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 122
The day of the grand banquet that everyone had been awaiting finally arrived.
Seol Yo waited outside Jeok Soya's room for her to emerge.
When he was younger, he would thoughtlessly burst into her chamber while she prepared, but as he grew older, he learned that such behavior was unacceptable.
According to the second young master of Baek Ho Palace, barging into a grown lady's chamber was the sort of uncouth conduct that only poorly-raised tigers like the third young master would engage in.
No matter how close they were as family.
In truth, it was a remark Baek Gahyun had made while pointedly criticizing Baek Gayul's habit of constantly intruding upon Jeok Soya's room without warning.
Yet Baek Gayul let the words pass through him unheeded, while Seol Yo alone took them to heart.
Seol Yo had no wish to appear as an uncouth, poorly-raised fool in Jeok Soya's eyes.
Thus, unlike his childhood when he merely trailed after her, he now accepted Sayeon's guidance without hesitation and devoted himself to both study and training.
Though even he could not yet fathom why he so desperately wished to appear well in her sight.
'Today, her preparations seem to be taking longer than usual.'
Such was Seol Yo's thought in that moment.
Creak—
At the sound of the door opening, Seol Yo turned his head absently, only to find himself momentarily frozen in place.
Jeok Soya emerged alongside Yeon Jeong, both wearing expressions of slight awkwardness.
Upon noticing Seol Yo, Jeok Soya glanced at him and asked.
"What do you think, Seol Yo?"
"...."
Seol Yo could not immediately respond.
At his faltering reaction, Jeok Soya's expression grew somewhat crestfallen.
"Is something strange about it?"
"No. No, Jeok Soya."
At this, Seol Yo suddenly regained his composure and hastily shook his head.
"Yes, you're beautiful. Truly beautiful."
For some reason, Seol Yo found it difficult to meet her gaze directly, so he answered while letting his eyes drift downward.
Of course, Jeok Soya had always been beautiful.
Seol Yo had first realized this fact the summer of two years prior.
During that particularly sweltering summer, a young lady from the Gal Ho Clan had come to visit, and they all went to the riverbank to play in the water.
Jeok Soya said it was her first time playing in the water.
With a somewhat nervous expression, she dipped her pale feet into the riverbank, and soon she was splashing about and bursting into bright, crystalline laughter.
And on that day, Seol Yo found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the radiant smile of Jeok Soya.
[It's because Jeok Soya is beautiful.]
The young lady from the Gal Ho Clan had explained this to him.
Whenever he looked at Jeok Soya, everything seemed to shimmer and sparkle, and the reason he could not look away was simply because she was beautiful.
Thus did Seol Yo first learn the meaning of the word "beautiful."
And Jeok Soya was beautiful not only on that day, but every single day thereafter.
There was not a single day when she was not beautiful.
Yet today, after completing her preparations for the banquet, Jeok Soya shimmered and sparkled far more brilliantly than ever before.
So much so that he found himself momentarily frozen in place.
However, Jeok Soya didn't seem to believe Seol Yo's words easily.
'But his response just now was a bit slow.'
Seeing how he couldn't look me in the eye and answered so awkwardly, it seemed he was lying to spare my feelings. Seol Yo was kind, after all.
Today, Yeon Jeong and San Ho were unusually energetic, having seized Jeok Soya early in the morning to dress her up.
They applied fragrant oil imported from across the sea, and a subtle floral scent emanated from her entire body; the jeweled ornaments hanging from her hair swayed with each step she took.
Her lips, painted with rouge that was fashionable among young ladies in the Capital, looked as though they'd been dyed with flower petals, and her cheeks, flushed with nervous tension, bloomed crimson like spring flowers without any cosmetics at all.
Having never adorned herself in such a manner before, Jeok Soya found her reflection in the mirror utterly unfamiliar.
"Huh? Cotton ball! What's wrong with your face!"
Just then, the door to the adjacent room opened and Baek Gayul bounced out, spotting Jeok Soya and exclaiming.
"Is... is something wrong?"
Jeok Soya asked with sudden worry.
"No, that's not it...! Y-yes, yes, yes...!"
"You're beautiful, our Soya."
While Baek Gayul stammered awkwardly, Baek Gahyun, who had likewise finished his preparations, smiled gently and took over his brother's words.
"Gayul wanted to say that too. That you're beautiful. Isn't that right, Gayul?"
Baek Gahyun shot a sharp glare at Gayul—hidden from Jeok Soya's view—urging him to answer.
"Y-yes."
At this, Baek Gayul nodded obediently.
Truth be told, he had stammered because Jeok Soya was truly so beautiful.
"Doesn't it feel a bit strange? This is my first time dressing up like this..."
"Strange? Nonsense. Our Soya looks so beautiful that your older brother is worried. I'm afraid those foolish rascals won't be able to take their eyes off you."
At Baek Gahyun's affectionate words, Jeok Soya's awkwardness melted away completely.
"Don't worry, Older Brother. I think everyone will be looking at you instead."
Jeok Soya replied with a small laugh.
It wasn't mere flattery.
Baek Gahyun, always impeccably neat, had adorned himself with ornate jade-studded accessories while maintaining his characteristic elegant aura.
Especially the earring hanging from his earlobe—something she'd never seen before—matched the color of his eyes perfectly.
Even Baek Gayul, who was usually so active that he preferred comfortable clothing, looked like a refined and handsome young nobleman today.
Just then, Sayeon emerged from his preparations and spotted the three siblings, approaching them.
"There you are, my little ones."
"Father!"
Jeok Soya turned to greet Sayeon warmly, when she suddenly noticed a hairpin adorning his head.
'Oh?'
It was the gift from Chung Ha that Jeok Soya had found in the tree yesterday.
Noticing Jeok Soya's gaze, Sayeon deliberately lowered his eyes slightly and asked.
"What do you think, little cotton ball? Does it suit your father?"
"Yes! Mother would be so pleased if she saw it!"
Jeok Soya beamed, and Sayeon burst into laughter as well.
"Then, shall we go?"
He extended his hand to Jeok Soya.
"Yes!"
Jeok Soya grasped Father's hand firmly and walked forward.
Behind them, Baek Gahyun, Baek Gayul, Seol Yo, and the attendants of Baek Ho Palace followed in procession.
Gaya, the guest of honor for today's banquet, would make a separate entrance.
Since the distance to the Banquet Hall was not particularly far, they traveled on foot.
Upon arriving at the Banquet Hall, Jeok Soya's eyes widened in astonishment at its sheer scale.
It was immense and magnificent, having invited all the generals who had been instrumental in the victory and their families.
I wished Mother could have come as well, and felt a pang of regret in my heart.
Unfortunately, the Eastern Lands were at their busiest season, so Chung Ha could not leave Qinghai Palace unattended.
'Still, I'll be able to see her soon enough.'
It was as I held Sayeon's hand with that thought and moved toward the seating arranged for the Baekho Family.
I froze.
I spotted people dressed in crimson robes entering from the opposite direction.
Without realizing it, my grip on Sayeon's hand tightened.
'Today, I won't hide.'
Though Older Brother Gaya had always told me to hide behind him whenever needed.
I was fourteen years old now.
I was no longer a child still trapped in that nine-year-old moment.
So I bit the soft flesh inside my mouth firmly and met their gaze head-on without flinching.
The very moment my eyes seemed to meet with the head of the Jujak Family, who was entering while holding Riri's hand from across the way.
A flutter—
"Come this way, little cotton ball."
My vision was suddenly blocked by the fluttering hem of Sayeon's robe.
"The sun is too harsh over there anyway. And the air isn't great either."
Sayeon, who had been on my left, shifted his position to my right as he spoke.
"Father...?"
"Our precious one should only see beautiful things."
Sayeon flashed a grin at me, blinking my eyes, and added his words.
"That's right, Soya. I wish your pretty eyes would never have to witness anything ugly."
"Right, that's right! Little cotton ball is so, so, so pretty! You should only see pretty things!"
Following Baek Gahyun's words, Baek Gayul finally succeeded in saying "pretty" all the way through this time and chimed in enthusiastically.
Seol Yo nodded vigorously beside them.
Father's robe hem fluttered as if protecting me.
Though he was smiling, Older Brother Gahyun's gentle voice felt unusually sharp.
And Older Brother Gayul's face held a certain determination.
Even Seol Yo, earnestly nodding along with the older brothers' words.
In that moment, I understood.
'Father and my older brothers have been just as tense as I am all along. And Seol Yo too... they were all looking out for me.'
Feeling their hearts, I relaxed my rigid expression and smiled gently.
"Thank you, all of you."
Thanks to that, all the tension that had enveloped me moments before dissipated entirely.
Jeok Soya grasped Sayeon's hand firmly and stepped toward the prepared seating.
* * *
Jeok Ahyun's expression as he headed toward the Banquet Hall was deeply troubled.
It was because of the conversation he had shared with San Yu the previous night.
[She is a victim too! How shocked must that young child have been to learn that she was the switched child!]
Those words his eldest son had cried out to his second son left a profound ripple in his heart.
It was also something he had long turned away from.
The emotions that small child must have felt upon learning she was not truly his daughter—those were the things he had avoided.
'There is no point in dwelling on it. That child has already left this world.'
As that fact returned to him, his chest grew heavy once more.
Members of the Baekho Family were entering from across the way.
He had encountered Baek Sayeon, the patriarch of the Baekho Family, several times during his days as heir apparent while carrying out the Emperor's orders.
Their temperaments had never aligned well, and they had not maintained a particularly warm relationship.
As he lifted his head absently, he caught sight of the Baekho Family members.
Patriarch Baek Sayeon. And the small girl entering while holding his hand....
He froze.
In an instant, his footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
His crimson eyes trembled violently, and his lips parted soundlessly.
Had he seen incorrectly?
Hair as white as snow flowers. Eyes of a warm pink like spring blossoms.
Jeok Soya. It was that child.
That child who had left the Jujak Estate five years ago and vanished from this world so suddenly....
"You were alive...."
A hollow voice escaped through his teeth.
"Father?"
Riri looked up at Jeok Ahyun with a tilted head.
But in that moment, even Jeok Ahyun could not hear Riri's voice.
Just as he was about to take a step toward Jeok Soya as if entranced by something.
Fluttered―
Baek Sayeon's robes fluttered as he shielded the child, then immediately switched positions with her.
Each time Baek Sayeon took a step, the child's face came briefly into view before being obscured once more.
Then, when they found their seats and settled.
Jeok Ahyun exhaled deeply.
He had not seen incorrectly.
It was indeed that child, Jeok Soya.
It was at the moment when he clenched his fists as if to approach Jeok Soya at once.
Boooo―
A trumpet fanfare announcing the Emperor's arrival sounded.
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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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