Chapter 119
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119
Jeok Hwa-yu had been very young when his mother passed away.
Because of that, his memories of her were not vivid. However, a faint recollection remained of the day he saw her in flight after her beast transformation.
Waking up in the early dawn, he had rubbed his sleepy eyes and gone looking for her, following the sound of chirping birds toward Ha-yeon Pond. There, he discovered his mother—a small Red-headed Tit beastkin—flitting gracefully above the lotus flowers.
[Ma—]
[Shh.]
As he tried to approach her, his father, who had been there for who knows how long, placed an index finger to his lips and whispered.
[Hwa-yu, let’s just watch. We mustn't disturb your mother’s flight.]
Jeok Hwa-yu nodded obediently.
At that, Jeok Ah-yun smiled broadly and scooped him up.
It had been so beautiful—that memory of watching his mother fly while cradled in his father’s arms amidst the clear dawn air.
But why did the sight of that tiny bird in the distance, its shape barely discernible, bring that day back to him now?
“Brother? What are you looking at so intently?”
Jeok Hwa-yu, who had been staring blankly into the distance, snapped back to reality at the sound of Ri-ri’s voice.
“Ah, Ri-ri.”
“I’m standing right here feeling upset, and you’re off in your own world!”
“Sorry, sorry, Ri-ri. I thought I saw something for a moment.”
There was no way his mother, who had passed away so long ago, could be here. He wondered what kind of delusion had gripped him.
Jeok Hwa-yu quickly brushed away the strange sentiment and focused on soothing the pouting Ri-ri. Meanwhile, the tiny bird flew further away until it vanished from sight.
* * *
Elsewhere, in a corner of the Imperial Palace Garden.
So-ya, transformed into her small bird form, was perched atop a tree, searching for something.
[So-ya, if you go to the Imperial Palace Garden, there’s a massive, three-hundred-year-old zelkova tree.]
She was here because of a story Cheong-ha had told her during a recent visit to the Eastern Land.
[Make sure to check the very top of that tree. I hid something there.]
[At the top of the tree?]
[That tree was the secret meeting spot for your father and me.]
When Cheong-ha was fourteen—exactly So-ya’s current age—she had been summoned to the Imperial Palace as the successor of the Blue Dragon Clan, much like Ga-ya was now.
Naturally, Sa-eon, who was already establishing himself as the firm successor of the White Tiger Clan, had also been summoned. It happened to be near Sa-eon’s birthday, and Cheong-ha had prepared a gift to celebrate his fourteenth year.
[I was sitting on a branch waiting for your father as usual when I heard his footsteps. I was going to jump out and shout ‘Ta-da!’ to surprise him, but then I heard the voice of a Hang-a working at the palace with him.]
[What?]
[I listened closely, and that palace maid was actually confessing her feelings to Sa-eon!]
“Oh my goodness, that’s terrible! How could he let another woman confess to him when you were right there, Mother!” So-ya cried out indignantly, fully engrossed in her parents’ past.
Of course, being the recipient of a confession wasn't exactly Sa-eon’s fault, but she still felt a strange sense of betrayal on her mother's behalf.
[Exactly! So, in a fit of pique, I hid the gift I’d prepared.]
[You did the right thing, Mother!]
So-ya pumped her tiny fists and huffed, reacting as if it were her own problem.
[I knew I could count on my So-ya to take my side,] Cheong-ha had said with a giggle. [If you ever find yourself at the Imperial Palace, could you find that item for me?]
And so, to keep her promise to Cheong-ha, So-ya was currently rummaging through the crown of the tree her mother had described.
I’m so curious. To think this is something Mother tried to give Father when she was my age.
Cheong-ha hadn't specified what the item was, which only fueled So-ya’s curiosity.
As she poked through the branches, So-ya spotted a small hollow in the trunk. Inside, she found a long, slender object wrapped tightly in a blue handkerchief.
“Found it...!”
Just as a delighted chirp escaped So-ya’s beak, a voice spoke.
“Careful, So-ya. There are thorns on that side.”
Startled by the gentle voice, So-ya instinctively turned around and jumped in surprise. Because there...
“Yo—Your Majesty?”
With platinum-blonde hair that shimmered like melted sunlight and alluring eyes the color of fresh greenery, a boy sat comfortably on a branch. He possessed a beauty so exquisite it seemed as though the Heavenly God had sculpted him with the utmost devotion.
Now sixteen and the same age as her second brother, Yi-rim’s eyes curved into an elegant arc, his presence hovering on the boundary between boy and young man.
Wh-when did he get here?
Flustered, So-ya stared at him blankly for a moment. She had heard this part of the garden was reserved for guests; she couldn't understand why the Emperor himself was here.
“Come here, So-ya. I’ll get that for you.”
Yi-rim smiled and offered the back of his hand.
So-ya landed on his finger without thinking, only to realize a moment later how naturally she had acted. Yi-rim seemed accustomed to dealing with bird beastkin; he held his hand steady and raised a single finger to provide a comfortable perch with practiced ease.
Even her own brothers had been at a loss when she first transformed, their hands stiff and awkward as they fumbled to support her tiny body.
Cradling So-ya with one hand, Yi-rim reached out with his other arm to retrieve the object from the tree hollow. Just as he’d warned, the bark had peeled back into sharp, thorn-like splinters that would have been quite painful to prick.
“Here it is.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Feeling strangely shy, So-ya replied while wagging her tail feathers back and forth.
Yi-rim gave a soft, knowing smile.
“There is a tradition passed down among lovers in the Central Region.”
He unwrapped the handkerchief. Inside was a silver hairpin, delicately engraved with a brave-looking tiger. Judging by its size and shape, it was intended for a man.
“A woman gives a man a silver hairpin, and a man gives a woman a gold hair ornament to seal their marriage vow.”
“A marriage vow...?”
At Yi-rim’s explanation, So-ya’s mind began to race. If her mother had intended to give this to her father...
I knew it! Mother liked Father since they were very young!
Thrilled by this new discovery, So-ya let out a series of happy chirps. Yi-rim’s laughter soon joined the sound of her peeping.
Oops.
So-ya stopped abruptly, startled. She had grown so used to laughing like that at the White Tiger Palace that she’d let the bird sounds slip out unconsciously. She felt a bit embarrassed that he’d seen her laughing like a baby bird.
“Oh. I didn't mean to startle you, So-ya,” he said, his voice tinged with apology as he saw her freeze. “It’s just that the sound of your laughter is so welcome—”
His eyes, reflecting So-ya’s tiny form, crinkled warmly.
“And so lovely.”
“...?”
So-ya’s eyes, like two black beans set in white down, blinked at his words.
“I shall see you again tomorrow at the Innate Nature Gathering.”
Yi-rim gave her one last smile and vanished in an instant, leaving only those words behind.
“Uh...? Your Majesty?”
So-ya looked around frantically, but Yi-rim had disappeared without a trace. Only the blue cloth and the swaying leaves where he had sat remained as proof of his presence.
“He really is like the wind.”
So-ya stared blankly at the empty spot for a moment before tilting her head in confusion.
But how did His Majesty recognize me right away?
This was the first time she had ever shown him her transformed state, yet he had known it was her instantly.
I suppose since he’s the Yellow Dragon, there’s nothing he doesn't know.
Finding a reasonable enough explanation, So-ya accepted it. She took the silver hairpin in her beak and flew down to the ground.
“So-ya!”
A black-haired boy who had been waiting below ran toward her.