Chapter 16
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Chapter 16
"What are you staring at so intently, Young Master?"
A thirteen-year-old fox-human with reddish hair tilted her head curiously.
It was Ho Jeok A, the second son of the Red Fox Clan and younger brother to Ho Jeok Young and Ho Yeon Jeong.
"Ga Yul, that is. Look at that pathetic display. I hear she hasn't even been paying attention in her lessons lately. How does she expect to grow at this rate?"
Ga Hyeon shook her head with disapproval.
Despite her elegant, aristocratic bearing, the words she directed at her younger sibling were cutting and merciless.
In truth, Ga Hyeon—with her soft, gentle appearance and reputation as a well-mannered young noble—was actually a cold-hearted, sharp-tongued young master.
"A direct descendant of Baekho running about without a shred of dignity. And that child with Ga Yul, too."
Moreover, I'd heard that Siyo had recently suffered a serious spiritual core injury and even visited her aunt Sara.
"If she collapses again while gallivanting about like that, what is she thinking? She's like a foolish baby tiger."
I was concerned about Siyo playing so carelessly with Ga Yul when she could collapse again at any moment.
It was obvious that Ga Yul had pestered her relentlessly to play together.
Ga Yul had loved people since childhood and would chase after me every day, begging to play.
Of course, I always refused sharply, but that child didn't know how to accept rejection, so it was inevitable that we'd end up together anyway.
'She can't even say no to peaches and just eats them—it's so predictable.'
At that moment, Ho Jeok A spoke with a small smile.
"You're worried about the little cotton ball, aren't you?"
Ga Hyeon's eyes narrowed with displeasure.
"Worried?"
Worried? About whom? Surely not that tiny cotton ball?
"That's not it. Who would worry about such a pathetic creature who can't even look after her own health?"
Ga Hyeon scowled and turned sharply away from the window.
"Besides, the branch family tigers should be arriving soon."
Summer was drawing to a close.
When autumn arrived, the Mountain Lord Festival—the grandest event of the Western Lands—would be held.
"Yes, Young Master. This Mountain Lord Festival is said to be the perfect opportunity to catch the Family Head's eye, and everyone is preparing earnestly for it."
The question of who would become the master of the western territory had become a major topic of discussion among the tigers recently.
Parents with tiger family daughters desperately wanted to register their daughters with the Baekho Family.
Becoming a foster daughter of Sayeon didn't sever ties with one's birth parents, and if one were to become the bride of the Yellow Dragon, it would be the greatest glory for the family.
"So, which child should we pay attention to at this Mountain Lord Festival?"
"I happened to catch a glimpse of the list that Jeok Young selected. First, there's Arang from the Brown Tiger Family, and..."
"She's too foolish to serve as a representative."
"Sahye from the Black Tiger Family..."
"She'd be lucky not to become a disgrace to her family, let alone represent it."
"And Siyo from the Silver Tiger Family as well..."
"There's something about her... I just don't like her for some reason."
The branch family girls that Ho Jeok A had mentioned were all exceptional candidates, carefully selected by Ho Jeok Young himself and submitted to Sayeon.
Yet none of them satisfied Ga Hyeon's exacting and particular eye.
"If she's going to become my younger sister, she should be a bit more... small and white and soft-looking."
Gahyeon grumbled in displeasure and turned back to gaze out the window once more.
His eyes drifted toward Gayul, who bounded about in the form of a baby tiger, and Siyo, who panted breathlessly as she chased after him.
Gahyeon watched for a long while as his small, white, and soft younger sibling and the even smaller, even whiter, and even softer uninvited guest from the western wing played together.
* * *
Siyo found herself swept up in Gayul's energy, spending the entire day in the Garden playing ball games and tag, frolicking together without pause.
Gayul, transformed into his humanoid tiger form, never stopped bounding about for even a moment.
Today, as always, Gayul skipped the Training Ground entirely in favor of play, and only when Suri finally lost patience and dragged him away did the games come to an end.
"My, our young lady. That wasn't too exhausting for you, was it?"
Yeon Jeong brought cool water to Siyo, who sat panting on the grass, and asked gently.
"The young master never rests for a moment. Truly, he lives up to his tiger nature."
"If perhaps you dislike playing with the young master and he's been bothering you...."
Siyo, who had been drinking water in gulps from the cup held in both hands, quickly shook her head at those words.
"Oh, no! I truly enjoyed it!"
It had been such a long time since I had played so hard that my breath came in gasps.
Each time I chased after the ball, cool wind brushed my cheeks and my heart pounded with exhilaration.
It was a joy I hadn't felt in ages.
Moreover, Yeon Jeong and San Ho had sat on the rocks and invited me to rest, bringing water and snacks, so it wasn't terribly exhausting at all.
I found myself hoping that I could play with the young master like this again someday.
"But is there really a ghost in Baek Ho Palace?"
On the way back to my room, holding the hands of Yeon Jeong and San Ho.
I carefully asked about something that had been nagging at me since earlier.
"Our fluffy young lady, were you frightened of ghosts?"
"Oh, no. It's not that I'm frightened...but what if a ghost takes away the young masters?"
I recalled Gayul's form from just moments ago, when we had played ball together, and my brows drooped with concern.
"I didn't know tigers could be so small and adorable. I feel like I must protect him."
The tiger with soft pink paw pads was far smaller and more endearing than anything I had seen in picture books as a child.
'The young master assured me he could fight and defeat ghosts with his sharp fangs and strong claws....'
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't imagine him winning against a ghost.
"Oh my!"
At my worried murmuring, Yeon Jeong and San Ho burst into delighted laughter.
"The young master is still quite adorable, isn't he?"
"Everyone would be delighted if you said you'd protect him."
"Would they really?"
My face brightened.
Since Sayeon saved my life, I wanted to protect them in return.
Ghosts were a little, just a little frightening....
'It's fine. Ghosts won't take me away anyway.'
The people of the Jujak Family would whisper that I was a girl even ghosts wouldn't bother to take.
So I was confident I wouldn't flee, even if I was afraid of ghosts.
'I'll protect them no matter what!'
Siyo clenched her fists, steeling her resolve with renewed determination.
* * *
Sayeon's Study.
A shadow fell across Sayeon's face as he sat before his desk, reviewing documents.
Ever since hearing that Siyo's spiritual core had been damaged, his mood had been thoroughly unsettled.
Sayeon knew the pain of a damaged spiritual core better than anyone.
After all, years ago during the war with the Northern Lands, his own spiritual core had been severely corrupted and shattered.
Fortunately, Siyo's spiritual core damage was not severe enough to prevent recovery with Sara's assistance.
However, without completely healing the spiritual core, the fundamental problem would never be resolved.
And there was only one method to heal a spiritual core.
"...Dragon's Blood Herb."
Sayeon murmured softly to himself.
He too had searched for the Dragon's Blood Herb for a long time to purify his own corrupted spiritual core.
That was why he had made a deal with the Fifth Prince.
Now that he thought about it, there had been no contact from the Fifth Prince since that day.
Even when the report came that the imperial command in the Southern Lands had been fulfilled, the Fifth Prince did not ask what had been stolen.
His parting words had been that once the Imperial Palace was settled, he would come to see what had been taken.
'What on earth could that usually docile Fifth Prince be thinking.'
The situation at the center had been increasingly ominous of late. And at the heart of the rumors stood Tae Irim.
'Is he truly trying to stir up a bloodbath within the Imperial Palace itself.'
Sayeon's head suddenly began to ache, and he pressed his temples firmly. It was not merely because of the incomprehensible situation.
When night fell, his corrupted spiritual core would seethe with malevolent energy, and on nights when the full moon rose, the intensity would become far more severe.
"Sleep will be impossible tonight."
Sayeon glanced up at the full moon floating beyond the window and murmured.
On the nights of the full moon, when yin energy reached its peak each month, Sayeon chose to spend the night awake in his study rather than retire to his bedchamber.
Even while awake, his body remained in poor condition, but if he attempted to sleep, nightmares from the battlefield would torment him.
Rustle. Rustle rustle.
The room was filled with nothing but the sound of pages turning.
"Sigh...."
Sayeon felt his head spinning from the vertigo and wiped away the cold sweat beading on his brow.
His condition was particularly poor tonight.
Thinking he should rest his eyes for just a moment, Sayeon closed the document folder and leaned back against his chair.
And then, he fell asleep without meaning to.
And moments later.
Creak.
The door opened carefully, and a small shadow crept in beneath the moonlight.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org