Chapter 67
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Chapter 67
"I truly envy you, Baek Sayeon. To have such an adorable, kind, and clever daughter."
Chung Ha masked her burning heart beneath a deliberately playful smile as she spoke.
"If you're so envious of that..."
Sayeon replied in an unusual tone.
"Why don't you become the mother of that little cotton ball yourself?"
"Oh, what are you saying? I have no intention of taking that child away from you..."
Chung Ha's words trailed off abruptly.
She slowly lowered her gaze.
He was holding her wrist.
As if cradling something infinitely precious—desperately, tenderly.
"You don't need to take her from me. You could become her mother anytime you wish. All you need do is return to Baek Ho Palace."
Unlike the casual tone with which he had posed the question moments before, the depths of his eyes meeting hers were impossibly profound.
"Baek Sayeon. I..."
"The day you first met that child, you said it. That I could never defeat you."
Sayeon cut off whatever Chung Ha was about to say, speaking softly.
"But you were wrong. You said I could never defeat you, yet the truth is I cannot defeat you. I have always yielded to you."
"..."
"No matter what you do, even if you were to point a spear at my throat, I would surrender to you for all my life."
"..."
"From the moment we were very young—even when we married and I accepted your request for divorce. There has never been a single moment when I did not yield to you."
"..."
"And now, too."
Sayeon tightened his grip on her wrist, his thumb slowly caressing the delicate inner curve of her arm.
"I cannot defeat you even now, which is why I wait like this."
At his quiet confession, Chung Ha closed her lips in silence.
Whoooosh—
A cold winter wind swept between them.
"Chung Ha."
A soft voice seeped through the chill of the night air.
"I never once told you this throughout all these years."
Sayeon's lips curved into a smile as he pulled her wrist toward him.
In an instant, her body was drawn into his embrace.
Slowly lowering his head, he whispered something against her ear.
"..."
"...!"
In that moment, Chung Ha's ears flushed crimson.
Sayeon released her with a gentle laugh.
His soft laughter resonated through the crystalline night air.
"The position of mistress of Baek Ho Palace remains vacant. And as long as I remain the family head, that seat will continue to remain empty for you."
He gazed at her as she slipped from his embrace, his eyes softening as he spoke.
"So whenever you wish, come back to me."
"...."
"Whenever that may be—whether ten years pass, or twenty, or even a hundred—it doesn't matter. Come back when you're ready."
"...."
"I will always be waiting. The children too."
"...."
Chung Ha regarded him in silence for a moment, then smiled gently and replied.
"Thank you, Sayeon."
* * *
The next morning.
Jeok Soya had slept later than usual after admiring the snow-covered night view of Horim Mountain the previous evening, and she rubbed her eyes as she rose in the late morning.
"You're awake, Soya?"
As Soya was sitting up, she noticed Baek Gahyun entering through the door he'd just opened.
"Brother?"
"You weren't at breakfast, so I asked. They said you'd overslept."
Baek Gahyun set the tray he'd brought on the small table beside her bed with a gentle smile.
On the tray were tangerines and honey tea—the very foods Soya had enjoyed eating when she'd caught a cold.
"I was worried you'd be hungry alone, so I brought these."
"Thank you, Brother. I'll eat well."
As Soya smiled in gratitude, she suddenly noticed something.
'Wait... is that...?'
That silver crown adorned with jade, fastened high in Baek Gahyun's hair, holding one strand in place...
'That's Chung Ha's gift!'
It was the very gift she had brought yesterday intending to give to Baek Gahyun, but had taken back without presenting it.
'So they've made up!'
Soya's face brightened with delight at the realization.
'What a relief.'
As Soya gazed at him with a pleased expression, Baek Gahyun felt her gaze and his face flushed slightly.
He had come specifically to let Soya know that he and Chung Ha had reconciled, but now he felt a bit embarrassed.
"Well, I have classes to attend, so I'll head out now, Soya. Make sure you eat properly."
"Yes, Brother!"
Soya giggled and waved her hand.
And there was one more piece of good news.
Baek Gayul had finally completed his growth spurt!
"What do you think, little cotton ball? Your older brother looks incredibly cool now, doesn't he?"
Grrrrrowwwl―!
Having finished his first transformation, Baek Gayul took on the form of a massive tiger in his humanoid state and spoke with pride.
Soya said nothing, her eyes simply widening.
Her face bore an expression of utter shock.
"What's wrong? Are you amazed because your older brother is so impressive?"
Baek Gayul remembered how Jeok Soya had clapped her hands in admiration when he first showed her his humanoid form after she arrived at Baek Ho Palace.
He expected her to shower him with praise again this time, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he gazed at her.
"...You're not cute at all!"
Jeok Soya cried out as if the world had crumbled beneath her feet.
"What...?"
Baek Gayul's pink nose twitched in bewilderment.
"You're really not cute. What is this?"
"Cute? Who? Me? You cotton ball, have you been thinking I'm cute all this time?"
Baek Gayul began prancing about with his massive frame.
As he bounded around in the body of a tiger as large as a house—no longer the small tiger cub—the ground trembled with each thunderous step.
Yet instead of being frightened, Jeok Soya pouted her lips and puffed out both cheeks.
Of course, Jeok Soya had seen Baek Gahyun's humanoid form many times and knew just how enormous a tiger became after its first growth phase.
But the image of Baek Gayul that had occupied her mind until now was that of an adorable baby tiger—and that illusion shattered in an instant.
"Really? I think this form is cute too."
Chung Ha stroked the underside of Baek Gayul's chin as he huffed indignantly, speaking those words.
At that, the prancing Baek Gayul froze momentarily, then let out an involuntary rumbling purr.
Noticing this, Jeok Soya's interest piqued, and she approached from the opposite side, reaching out to stroke Baek Gayul's chin as well.
"D-don't, cotton ball! That tickles...! Prrr, prrr."
Each time Baek Gayul purred, his long white whiskers trembled in sync.
At this, Jeok Soya's eyes widened in wonder.
"You know what, Chung Ha! Now that I look again, this form really is adorable, older brother Gayul!"
"Adorable? I'm the third son of the great Baekho Family...! Prrr, prrr."
"And the fur under your chin is so fluffy and soft, it feels wonderful!"
"Right?"
Chung Ha winked, and Jeok Soya burst into delighted laughter.
Surrounded by Jeok Soya and Chung Ha, Baek Gayul continued to emit contented purring sounds.
Though his body was that of a massive tiger, his behavior remained that of a baby tiger.
Poof!
Not long after, Baek Gayul's humanoid form dissolved.
Having only recently completed his first growth phase, he hadn't yet adapted well enough to maintain the transformation for long.
As he began to collapse from exhaustion, Chung Ha caught him.
Baek Gayul buried himself in the folds of her skirt, lifting his head slightly before his eyes met hers, and he broke into a silly grin.
Baek Gayul had been so young when Chung Ha left Baek Ho Palace that simply having his mother beside him felt wonderful.
'So older brother Gayul is happy that Mother came. His expression is different from when he's with Father. What does it feel like to have a mother?'
Jeok Soya watched the scene quietly.
"Soya."
Chung Ha called out to Jeok Soya and extended her arm.
"...!"
Recognizing the gesture, Jeok Soya hurried over, and Chung Ha pulled her small frame into a warm embrace.
Thump—
Father's embrace had always been firm and unyielding, but Chung Ha's was soft and warm.
It was the kind of comforting warmth that made me feel as though my chilled body would thaw the moment I nestled against her after playing in the snow.
'Would my mother's embrace have felt this soft and warm too?'
I found myself naturally drifting toward thoughts of my mother.
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