Chapter 72
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Chapter 72
Jeok Soya tilted her head as she gazed at the characters written on the paper.
Noticing the child's interest, Sayeon gently stroked her hair and explained.
"A terrible plague is spreading that corrupts the spiritual cores of the Beastkin."
"A plague that corrupts spiritual cores?"
Jeok Soya's eyes widened perfectly round.
"Isn't that a serious matter?"
"Yes, it is serious. That's why I'll need to go investigate soon. His Majesty has issued a royal decree."
Sayeon waved the paper back and forth as he spoke.
Acting according to the imperial family's commands was one of the Four Great Families' proper duties.
As Jeok Soya's gaze rolled along with the fluttering paper, she suddenly spoke up.
"I want to go with you."
"What?"
"I made a promise with Mother. I promised to protect Father so he wouldn't cry. And..."
Jeok Soya hesitated for a moment before gathering her courage to speak.
"And I also have the duty of a direct bloodline to protect the Beastkin. I am Baek Soya of the Baekho Family."
Sayeon gazed at Jeok Soya quietly at those words, then nodded.
"All right. Let's do that."
Jeok Soya, who had expected him to object, asked with a slightly surprised expression.
"Really?"
"But you must stay right beside your father and keep yourself safe."
"Yes!"
Jeok Soya answered with a bright smile.
At that sight, Sayeon let out a soft chuckle as well.
He had intended to tell the child, who hadn't even undergone her first growth yet, that she was still too young and it wasn't allowed...
But how could he refuse a child speaking of the duties of her direct bloodline?
Besides, he knew that recently my little cotton ball had been troubled by the issue of her first growth phase.
'Perhaps if she goes out and sees the world, my cotton ball's spirits will lift a little.'
* * *
As Jeok Soya hurried outside, she spotted Baek Gayul walking toward her from a distance.
"Oh? Brother Gayul!"
"Cotton ball! Where have you been?"
Now thirteen years old, Baek Gayul had grown considerably taller than he was at ten, and his voice had deepened as his voice was beginning to change.
Though still mischievous and impish as he had been when younger, at least in appearance he was becoming quite a refined young gentleman.
At the last Mountain Lord Festival, he had claimed the Mountain Lord position he'd been aiming for, and Jeok Soya had overheard the young Beastkin ladies from the Western Lands who had gathered around saying how impressive Baek Gayul was.
That adorable tiger brother of hers had become a magnificent tiger receiving the admiration of beautiful young ladies.
As Jeok Soya looked on with a pleased expression, Baek Gayul approached and spoke in a hushed voice.
[Those girls have been staring at me since earlier. I think they're after my Mountain Lord position.]
At those words, both Jeok Soya and Baek Gahyun burst into laughter at the same time.
Only Baek Gayul tilted his head in confusion, and even now, long after that day had passed, he still didn't understand why his siblings had laughed at him.
"I was just on my way back from paying my morning respects to Father."
"Ah, that's right. Morning respects!"
At Jeok Soya's words, Baek Gayul exclaimed with a look of sudden realization.
"I forgot again."
"Brother, you didn't forget—you just remembered."
"Well, I suppose that's true...."
Faced with her precise observation, Baek Gayul scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
"Oh, that's right! Brother, I'm going to accompany Father in five days when he departs to carry out the imperial decree."
Jeok Soya announced this with evident excitement.
"You're going with Father? When will you be back?"
"I'm not sure. Once Father completes the imperial decree, I suppose we'll return together then."
Had it been Baek Gahyun, he would have noticed her excitement and told her he was envious, but Baek Gayul lacked such sensitivity.
He merely pouted at the thought of not seeing Jeok Soya for several days.
"What? So I won't see you for a while."
"If you'll miss me, why don't you come along too?"
As Jeok Soya spoke with a giggle, Baek Gayul's expression brightened. It actually seemed like a rather good idea.
"Should I?"
"Why don't you pay your respects to Father and ask him about it? I'll head out first!"
Whoosh!
The transformed chick that was Jeok Soya soared into the air with a flutter, then darted out the window, her tail feathers swishing.
Baek Gayul watched her fly away and turned to leave, but suddenly froze.
'Huh?'
Something red caught his eye.
A single crimson feather drifted gently down before his widening gaze.
* * *
After picking up the red feather, Baek Gayul wandered about Baek Ho Palace with a troubled expression for some time.
Baek Gayul, who seemed so carefree that one would think he'd never worried about anything in his life, now moved through the palace with such a shadowed face that everyone found it strange.
"Is something the matter, Young Master?"
"Ah, no! Absolutely nothing!"
At Suri's question, Baek Gayul jumped up with a highly suspicious demeanor.
"It doesn't seem like nothing...."
"Q-Quiet! You, you don't know anything! I want to be alone, so get out!"
With that, he ushered Suri out and remained alone in his chamber, continuing to stare at the red feather.
This crimson feather, shorter than his own finger, was surely....
'This must be... when the cotton ball transformed and flew away... it must have fallen from the cotton ball's body....'
Baek Gayul, looking increasingly restless, continued pacing in circles around his chamber before suddenly stopping and rushing toward Baek Gahyun's room.
"Brother! Brooother!"
Crash!
Baek Gayul burst through the door without the room's owner's permission.
Baek Gahyun, who had been reading a book while leaning against the window, looked up with a slight frown at his brother's rude behavior.
"What's the matter?"
Hair grown longer in the interim swayed gracefully in the breeze.
Baek Gahyun, now a noble youth of fourteen, had developed sharper facial features, and simultaneously carried an enchanting aura reminiscent of Chung Ha.
Unlike Baek Gayul's charm, Gahyun possessed a gentler, softer appeal that made him equally popular among the young beast-kin ladies.
Yet contrary to his spring-like, mild appearance, the voice he directed toward his younger brother was utterly cold.
"You're not an underdeveloped tiger cub, so don't you know better than to open a door and enter without the room's owner's permission?"
"Brother. Jeok Soya, you know! She originally lived with the Jujak Family, right?"
However, Baek Gayul paid no mind to his brother's cold response and approached Gahyun directly with his question.
"She didn't have red feathers, so those chicken-brained fools abandoned the cotton ball, didn't they?"
Three years ago, when Jeok Soya was registered into the Baekho Family.
Jeok Soya had spoken of her past before Sayeon and Baek Gahyun, but Baek Gayul had not been present.
At that time, he had been so delighted and thrilled that Jeok Soya had become his younger sister that he hadn't given thought to her past.
As time passed, he vaguely heard that Jeok Soya had left the Jujak Family and come here.
On the day of her first transformation into beast-kin form, she lacked the red feathers that any direct descendant of the Jujak Family should naturally possess.
So she had been abandoned and cast out by the family.
'Stupid chicken-brains! How adorable is the cotton ball's pure white fluffy fur!'
Learning of this belatedly, his anger had been immense.
Though he did not know that Jeok Soya had been oppressed and mistreated there, Baek Gayul had raged nonetheless.
"Why are you suddenly asking about that?"
Baek Gahyun's expression hardened at the unexpected question.
"That is...."
Baek Gayul hesitated for a long while without answering.
"That is?"
Baek Gahyun waited patiently, one eyebrow raised slightly.
After a considerable pause, Baek Gayul's mouth opened.
"...I think I saw it. A red feather."
"What...?"
"Ah, no, I saw it! I'm sure! The cotton ball shed a red feather!"
"You could have simply seen it wrong."
"...."
Baek Gayul looked terribly anxious as he glanced hurriedly around, then withdrew a red feather from his bosom.
Baek Gahyun's face went rigid.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org