Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Same Heart
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“Pyaek! Bbak! Pi-yaek! (Wahhh! I had no idea you felt that way—I thought you’d abandoned me and I was so heartbroken!)
“The reason I went with Gwang-yu back then wasn’t because I needed a martial arts master. It absolutely wasn’t because Gwang-yu was more important to me than you.”
Having heard all about my side of the story up until now, Ppippi burst into even louder sobs than before.
Ppippi must have been burning up inside all alone too.
“You silly bird! Didn’t I tell you you’re like family to me? What kind of big sister abandons her little brother?”
“Pi-yaek! Pyaek! Pi-yaek! (Sis! I’m sorry for misunderstanding and acting out all this time! Forgive me!)
I shot Ppippi a glare as it tearfully apologized, looking relieved.
“Yeah! You need to reflect on that! I can forgive a lot, but crapping on me and flying off? That was too much!”
“Pi-yaek! Pip! (I’ll never do it again! Call me Bird Poop if I do!)
“Promise?”
“Pi-yaek! Pip! (Yeah! Promise!)
Satisfied that it had reflected enough, I hugged Ppippi, and it wrapped its wings around me.
This is the first time Ppippi’s hugged me like this? It feels so warm and cozy!
Drifting into that snug feeling with my eyes closed for a moment, I suddenly remembered something I’d almost forgotten.
I nearly forgot what I had to say and sent Ppippi off without it.
I lifted my face from Ppippi’s fluffy wings and looked at it.
“Ppippi, do you remember the favor I asked you last time?”
“Pip. Pi-yaek? (What favor?)
“I asked if you could take me to where the person who gave you the scroll is.”
Now that things are cleared up, it’ll tell me, right?
But…
“Pi-yaekpipipipi! (Sorry, but I can’t do that!)
Contrary to my hopes, Ppippi firmly refused.
The usual Ppippi would grumble but still help me… What’s going on?
I grew curious about Ppippi’s circumstances.
“Why? Oh, are you busy? If it’s hard to go together, just tell me where that person is!”
“Pi-bikpip! (That’s not okay either!)
Those anxious eyes! Ppippi’s definitely hiding something from me!
Could it be…
“Ppippi, you’re not being held captive by some dangerous person, are you? Delivering scrolls and now hiding their location—it’s suspicious! Did you end up with a nasty owner?”
If so, I’d track down Ppippi’s owner no matter what—even if I had to pay a fortune—and free Ppippi.
“Pi-yaek… Pip! Pipippipi-yaek! (It’s not what you think, Sis. They seem a bit prickly, but they have a warm heart! It’s just…!)
“Just?”
Avoiding my worried gaze, Ppippi continued.
“Pi-yaek pip pipip pi-yaekpip! (Ever since I was reborn as that person’s guardian bird, I can’t reveal anything about them. Not even their location.)
That person’s guardian bird?
I’d always thought of Ppippi like a real little brother, so it hadn’t occurred to me that it might have another family…
From the moment Ppippi brought me someone else’s scroll, I should’ve realized it had ties elsewhere. So why did I feel so let down?
“I see. Got it.”
I forced a bright smile at Ppippi, hiding my inner turmoil.
No matter what, I can’t make Ppippi break its promise to its owner over my issues.
“Pi-yaek pip! Pi-yaekpip! Pip! (I really want to help, but I’m sorry I can’t, Sis!)
Seeming genuinely apologetic, Ppippi hung its head, crestfallen.
“No, it’s fine—don’t be sorry! I’m the one who made an unreasonable request.”
I personally straightened Ppippi’s drooping shoulders.
“Even if you have a separate owner, we’re still like family! With that in mind, how about sleeping in my room tonight?”
“Pip pi-yaekpip…. (I have something urgent tonight….)
Are even these little everyday moments with Ppippi a thing of the past now?
I was starting to feel down at the thought that I might never share cozy times like before with Ppippi again.
“Pi-yaek pi-yaekpip? Pi-yaek! (How about tomorrow night instead? I want to hang out with you too, Sis!)
Ppippi asked me cautiously.
I see… Ppippi feels the same way I do!
“Sure!”
My lingering disappointment melted away at Ppippi’s words.
“Pipip! (Yay! Me too!)
And so, Ppippi and I chatted away atop the piled-up snow, oblivious to the cold, sharing updates on our lives for a good long while.
“Achoo!”
The moment I opened my eyes in the morning, I was sneezing nonstop.
Did I catch a chill talking too much with Ppippi in the cold yesterday?
My body felt shivery all over.
Whatever—a little cough won’t take me down! I’m the girl who summoned lightning from a clear sky after just two days of training!
Of course, I couldn’t do it on command yet…
But with more practice, I’d get the hang of it!
“As long as it was fun, that’s what matters!”
Recalling my sisterly heart-to-heart with Ppippi after so long brought a grin to my face.
“What are you grinning like an idiot for? Coming back with a cold and all…”
At that moment, the Golden Immortal Lotus wrapped a white cloth around my neck.
“Is this a scarf? Yeon-hwa, did you make this yourself?”
The scarf from the Golden Immortal Lotus featured golden lotus embroidery that reminded me of itself.
“Yes. Staying cooped up in the room was boring, so this body tried embroidering some fabric.”
You did this embroidery yourself?
Seeing the Golden Immortal Lotus’s stunning work—so lifelike it evoked real golden lotuses—I felt oddly envious.
It’s on a whole other level from the flower embroidery I did on my handkerchief.
Suddenly, I remembered my first embroidery attempt on a handkerchief and the conversation with Daddy.
“Daddy, I embroidered a flower on my handkerchief! Look! Isn’t it pretty?”
“Most people do flowers or butterflies, but clouds? So unique, just like our Star! You’re a pro at embroidery!”
“It’s not a cloud, it’s a flower…”
“Star, now that I look again, it is a flower—Daddy’s eyes must be bad!”
“…Whatever.”
Daddy spent the whole day cheering up his deflated daughter.
“So you’re not just a pretty face, huh?”
The Golden Immortal Lotus made a strange face at my compliment, like it was offended.
“That sounds like you thought this body’s only talent was its looks.”
This is why perceptive lotuses are tricky…
“No, I meant your embroidery is as beautiful as you are! But where’d you get the fabric and thread? You don’t have money.”
The cloth and thread of the scarf looked like high-end goods for someone without funds like the Golden Immortal Lotus.
“I just asked the maids here for some since I’m staying, and they brought piles of it.”
Saying it like it was no big deal, the Golden Immortal Lotus pointed to a corner of the room.
There, luxurious silks and threads—presumably from the maids—were stacked plentifully.
Charmed by that face, no doubt… No wonder it’s a spiritual being.
“You made it for me?”
“I made it on a whim, and then the human starts coughing. Humans are so frail. Who’re you gonna burden if you catch a cold?”
Whether embarrassed about gifting me the scarf or not, the Golden Immortal Lotus grumbled pointlessly.
Yeon-hwa really is like a mom.
“Thanks for the scarf, Yeon-hwa. It’s perfect—I was cold!”
“Good. Show me when you train your inner power.”
As I stepped into the corridor with the Golden Immortal Lotus seeing me off, I spotted Five Elements clutching a huge stack of scrolls.
“Advisor Five Elements, let me carry those! Give me the scrolls!”
“Hae-hang, could you take some then? Appreciate it.”
Five Elements handed me about half the scrolls.
“Looks like there’s more work than usual today.”
I glanced at the towering pile and then at Five Elements.
Five Elements replied with a kindly smile.
“Ah, these aren’t for the Young Leader to review—they’re documents for others.”
Documents for others? Besides the Young Leader, who else handles work in the cult?
“Who’s coming?”
“Yes, today’s the day of the Eleven Elders’ meeting. Come to think of it, Advisor Seol is attending for the first time.”
What? The Eleven Elders’ meeting? So all eleven elders will be gathered at the cult today?
“Am I going too?”
Five Elements answered as if it was obvious.
“Of course—as the Young Leader’s advisor, you must attend.”
The cult’s other powerhouses, who could even rival the Heavenly Demon if united.
Meeting them in person has me on edge.
“Oh, speak of the devil—one of the Eleven Elders is coming right now.”
Following Five Elements’s gaze, there was Gwang-yu—one of the Eleven Elders and my martial arts master.
“Kong… al!”
Tears streaming pitifully the moment he saw me.