Side Story 16
Translator: RaidenTL
Side Story 16
Ga-yul’s mouth was suddenly clamped shut by something.
“Mmph, mmmph...!”
After struggling and finally breaking free, Ga-yul released his beast transformation with a loud poof!
“Wh-what was that?!”
Ga-yul huffed and puffed as he whipped around.
Standing there was Ho Jeok-yeong, his father’s aide.
“Oh my, it was Young Master Yul? Haha. I only saw you from behind and thought some strange tiger had snuck in.”
“...?”
Ga-yul squinted at Jeok-yeong with suspicious eyes.
The man had watched him since his very first beast transformation; there was no way he wouldn't recognize him.
Is he an idiot?
He had heard that everyone from the Red Fox Clan was brilliant, but apparently, that was a lie.
“Haha. My eyes have been getting quite blurry lately as I get older.”
“Who else would be a cub in the White Tiger Palace besides me?”
“Well, you never know. Our Lady Cotton Ball is so famous for being cute—what if other young tigers from outside the palace come to steal her away?”
“...!”
Ga-yul’s eyes went wide and round at those words.
“Ugh, how terrifying.”
Jeok-yeong shuddered, his shoulders trembling as if he were truly frightened.
Come to think of it, Father said... he stole Cotton Ball, too.
Ga-yul’s pupils shook violently.
Jeok-yeong’s words sounded incredibly plausible.
If his father, a fully grown tiger, had stolen Cotton Ball, there was no guarantee that the young tigers of the Western Lands wouldn't target her as well.
“Th-then what should we do? If other tigers come for Cotton Ball...”
“Haha, don’t you worry. That’s why I’m keeping such a close watch, to make sure nothing like that happens.”
“Right, I see. I’ll have to stick even closer to Cotton Ball from now on, too.”
Ga-yul nodded, his resolve hardening.
It’s a relief the Young Master is a bit of a fool, Jeok-yeong thought to himself as he watched Ga-yul fall for his nonsense.
“But why are you here?”
“I am currently on an errand for the Clan Head.”
“Up here?”
Ga-yul looked around. No matter how he looked at it, the top of this tree—where he had climbed to find So-ya—didn't seem like a place for errands.
“Yes, well. It’s a very important secret mission. Even if you are the Young Master, I cannot tell you.”
Jeok-yeong whispered, lowering his voice as if sharing a grave secret.
Well, it wasn't entirely a lie that the Clan Head had given him an important task.
The Clan Head had said that even though Lady Cotton Ball seemed to have adjusted to the White Tiger Palace, she was still a bit awkward with certain things.
Specifically, the warm goodwill and kind smiles people offered her.
She was accustomed to the senseless malice of others for so long. Poor Lady Cotton Ball.
Therefore, they had to let her know. They had to show her that our Lady Cotton Ball was a truly, truly wonderful child who deserved to be loved by everyone.
Teaching her that—leading her to the proper world she should have lived in from the start—was also a promise between the Lady and the Clan Head.
Lady Cotton Ball was a kind and gentle child who grew shyly happy at even a single small compliment.
[Playing with a ball is a little difficult. But I’m really confident in hide-and-seek. Even last time, I...]
The Lady must have been very impressed by that event, as she had visited Sa-eon several times to talk about it.
Thanks to that, Jeok-yeong, who was always in the office, had memorized the anecdote by heart.
He had to hear the same story repeatedly, but he didn't mind.
The sight of the Lady talking with her eyes sparkling was so childlike and lovely.
The Lady was just beginning to cast off her past at the Vermilion Bird Mansion and find her true self; he couldn't let this tactless Young Master rain on her parade.
Jeok-yeong glanced at the opposite branch, then turned back to Ga-yul with a smirk.
“By the way, Young Master, what were you doing here?”
“Me? Oh, right! Cotton Ball!”
Snap!
Ga-yul whipped his head around to look where So-ya had been just moments ago.
However...
“Huh? Cotton Ball...?”
So-ya was nowhere to be seen!
Ga-yul hopped over to the opposite branch, but So-ya had already vanished, leaving behind only the faint, fluffy scent of a baby bird.
“Aww, I missed her.”
She must have moved while he was distracted.
“I almost had her this time...”
Ga-yul made a tearful face, staring blankly at a single white down feather So-ya had left behind.
Meanwhile, So-ya, unaware that Ga-yul had even come to catch her, had been creeping along in search of a new hiding spot when she discovered a small hole in a tree.
That looks safe.
So-ya fluttered over and tucked herself inside.
I don’t think anyone found me, right?
When she peeked her bead-like eyes out of the tree hole, she saw people running around in the distance, searching for her.
“So-ya, where are you?”
“Cotton Ball! Come out!”
“Lady Cotton Ball, where are you hiding?”
Everyone was searching for her desperately.
But she couldn't be fooled. If she went out before the seeker shouted, "I give up," she would be caught immediately.
I hope Brother Hyeon shouts it soon.
Chirp, chirp, chirrrr—
Thinking that she had won again today, So-ya smiled happily, her eyes crinkling shut.
*
The five children of the White Tiger Palace—So-ya, Ah-rang, Seol-yo, Ga-yul, and Su-ri—were playing on Mt. Horim when they discovered a small cave.
The entrance was small, making it difficult for adults to enter, but it was just the right size for small children.
“Let’s make this our secret base! A hideout just for kids that adults can’t come to!”
Everyone’s eyes sparkled at Ah-rang’s exclamation.
A secret base just for children.
Ah-rang’s words sounded incredibly cool.
The children headed down to the White Tiger Palace to gather things to decorate their hideout.
“Um, Lady Yeon-jeong...! By any chance, do you have a small quilt or a fluffy blanket?”
“Oh my, My Lady, what do you need those for?”
“Huh? Oh, that’s...”
So-ya was startled, not having expected Yeon-jeong to ask what they were for.
“It—it’s a secret!”
Yeon-jeong giggled at the sight of So-ya answering with a bright red face.
I heard the children were making a secret hideout; that must be it. How adorable.
Yeon-jeong pretended to know nothing and handed So-ya a fluffy blanket and a pillow.
“Well, if it’s a secret, I suppose I can’t help it. Here, take these, My Lady. It’s better to have more, right? I have some spare pillows too, so take those as well.”
“Wow, thank you!”
Since Yeon-jeong had thoughtfully provided enough for everyone, So-ya accepted them with a bright smile.
Thanks to that, the hideout was completed.
Inside the small cave were the fluffy blankets and pillows So-ya had brought, a red carpet from Ah-rang, a small low desk and five cushions from Su-ri and Seol-yo, and even a folding screen Ga-yul had swiped from Ga-ya’s empty room.
With a stack of fun storybooks next to the desk, it was truly perfect.
“In the Galho Clan, we have rocking horses and wooden dolls brought from across the sea. I’ll bring them all here later.”
“There are plenty of wooden dolls in the White Tiger Palace training grounds! I’ll bring some tomorrow!”
“Then should I bring some food? It’ll be nice to have snacks.”
The children looked at their finished hideout with pride, chatting about what else they could bring to fill it.
Amidst the loud voices of Ah-rang, Ga-yul, and Su-ri, So-ya hesitated, looking as if she really wanted to say something.
“What is it, So-ya?”
When Seol-yo, the first to notice, asked, the other children turned to look at So-ya simultaneously.
“Oh, well...”
“What is it? Tell us, Cotton Ball!”
When So-ya struggled to speak, Ga-yul hopped over to her side and urged her on.
“I had a fun idea.”
So-ya finally mustered the courage to offer her opinion.
“How about we write letters to each other and open them together later?”
Her tone was quiet as usual, but a faint excitement could be heard in her voice.
“Since this is a hideout for children, let’s write letters to each other to be read on the day our childhood ends!”
After she finished speaking, So-ya felt her face flush and her heart pound.
Should I not have said it? What if they don’t like it?
Now that she had actually spoken up, she began to worry.