Chapter 23
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23
Ga-hyeon stood by the window all day, staring down at the garden.
His brow furrowed slightly as he idly tapped a stone sitting on the windowsill.
Ho Jeok-a, who had come to escort Ga-hyeon for his afternoon schedule after lunch, asked in a puzzled voice upon seeing the Young Master looking uncharacteristically displeased.
“Is something the matter, Young Master?”
“It’s strange. She usually takes a walk between the Hour of the Goat and the Hour of the Monkey, but I don’t see her.”
“Pardon?”
“That girl from the west wing end room.”
So-ya was nowhere to be seen today.
He had even gone as far as placing a stone on the windowsill specifically so she would notice it.
“Did you even memorize the time Lady Cotton Ball goes for her walks?”
“What?”
At Jeok-a’s question, Ga-hyeon turned around with a scowl.
It felt unpleasant and embarrassing, as if it sounded like he actually cared about her.
However, Ga-hyeon soon replied in a lukewarm voice.
“It’s nothing special to remember the goings-on within the White Tiger Palace.”
“But you don’t even know the Youngest Young Master’s training schedule, do you?”
“Do I look like someone idle enough to remember every single useless detail like that?”
Ga-hyeon snapped in a cold voice and walked toward the door.
Jeok-a wondered if that meant Lady Cotton Ball’s walking schedule was a ‘useful’ detail, but he didn't dare ask.
Instead, he quickly followed behind the Young Master and asked, “The Eunho Clan has requested a tea meeting. How should I respond?”
“Do so. It would be best to meet with the Galho and Black Tiger clans as well before the Mountain Lord Festival begins… Wait.”
Just as he was about to open the door and leave, Ga-hyeon suddenly noticed a small, hard object gripped in Jeok-a’s hand.
Narrowing his eyes at the strangely familiar yet irritating shape, Ga-hyeon asked, “What is that?”
“Pardon?”
“The thing in your hand.”
“Ah, this is a stone amulet Lady Cotton Ball made for me. I received it from her just a moment ago out front.”
“…….”
Ga-hyeon’s expression crumpled at Jeok-a’s plain answer.
It displeased him to know that after she had spent all that time rummaging through the garden, getting dirt on her tiny fingertips, she hadn't given a stone only to him, but to this fellow as well.
Moreover, unlike the one he had received, the colorful appearance of this one grated on his nerves.
“Why does yours look like that?”
“She said she painted it with pigments and baked it. Apparently, she drew this picture herself.”
“…….”
At that explanation, Ga-hyeon’s mood sank even further.
Did she like Ho Jeok-a enough to draw a picture for him personally?
Furthermore, the drawing on that stone was in the shape of a red-furred fox.
Knowing that Ho Jeok-a was a red fox beastkin, she must have drawn it specifically for him.
‘I haven’t even seen her exchange many words with him. What exactly does she like about him? His face?’
It was while Ga-hyeon was glaring sharply at Jeok-a’s handsome face that the attendant spoke up.
“By the way, did you not receive one, Young Master?” Jeok-a asked innocently.
“I already received one. Before you did.”
Ga-hyeon shrugged, gesturing with his eyes toward the stone he had placed on the windowsill.
“I don’t mean the one you got before. Yesterday, she picked up a whole bunch of stones from the garden, painted them, and gave them as gifts to everyone in the White Tiger Palace, and even to the guests from the branch lineages.”
“What?”
“I heard the Clan Head and the Youngest Young Master received new ones with tigers drawn on them.”
“…….”
Ga-hyeon’s mouth clamped shut.
She gave his father and Yul newly painted gifts, but she didn't come to see only him?
Perhaps she had noticed that he was uncomfortable with her and intentionally left him out.
Since he was the one who wanted to draw a line first, this was a good thing.
But why did he feel so dejected?
“Hmm. It seems the Lady must have simply forgotten.”
Jeok-a spoke up to soothe the Young Master’s mood after noticing his sunken expression.
However, Ga-hyeon’s face showed no signs of clearing.
“Forget it. I don’t need a piece of trash like that stone….”
It was just as Ga-hyeon snapped coldly and flung the door open.
“…!”
At that exact moment, he came face-to-face with So-ya, who had come to visit his room.
Ga-hyeon wasn't the only one who froze in shock.
So-ya, who had been standing there with a small stone in her hand, gasped in surprise the moment her eyes met Ga-hyeon’s and immediately bolted away.
With a somewhat pale face, Ga-hyeon stared blankly at the spot where So-ya had fled.
Did she hear everything?
She must have, right?
The part where I called the stone trash….
Normally, he didn't make such mistakes.
His sensitive and sharp nature was something he only showed in front of his brothers or Ho Jeok-a.
But the thought that everyone in the White Tiger Palace had received a gift—even the guests from the branch lineages—except for him had caused a sudden surge of bitterness.
In that moment, unable to suppress his feelings of disappointment, he had let those careless words slip.
Normally, he would have sensed her presence and been careful….
The image of So-ya’s back as she fled in shock the moment their eyes met kept flashing through his mind.
Ga-hyeon stood frozen on the spot for a long time, unable to say a word.
* * *
Meanwhile, So-ya hurried around the corridor, clutching her chest.
‘Phew, that was close. If I hadn't heard him talking to Sir Jeok-a, I would have upset the Young Master again.’
So-ya glanced down at the stone amulet she had intended to give Ga-hyeon.
No matter how nicely she decorated the stone, it seemed it was nothing more than trash to the Second Young Master.
‘As I thought, stones won't do. But I really want to make an amulet for him before I leave the White Tiger Palace.’
As So-ya stepped out into the garden, she spotted two baby tigers bickering.
One was a white tiger with familiar white fur, and the other had brown fur.
‘The Youngest Young Master and… Lady Ah-rang?’
The two, who were second cousins, had been on terrible terms since they were very young.
“Rawr! (You stupid brown tiger! I can’t accept you as a tiger of the White Tiger Palace!)”
“Grrr. Growl! (Who do you think came here because they wanted to be family with someone like you? I only came because I was curious about what poor soul would have to be family with a dummy tiger like you!)”
“Rawr! Roar, roar! (What? Dummy? You’ve said enough!)”
“Grrr! (Yeah, I have!)”
“Rawr! Hey, bring it on!”
“Grrrrr! (Fine, bring it!)”
Being fierce baby tigers, the two were currently fighting with their bodies rather than words.
But then, Ga-yul spotted So-ya.
“Rawr? (Oh? Cotton Ball!)”
Ignoring Ah-rang, who was lunging at him, Ga-yul ran toward So-ya.
So-ya reflexively opened her arms.
The baby white tiger leaped up and snuggled perfectly into So-ya’s embrace.
“Grrr! (Hey, where are you going!)”
Ah-rang chased after him, leaping up and biting Ga-yul’s tail.
“Whoa, whoa…!”
Unable to withstand the weight of the two baby tigers, So-ya flopped down onto the ground.
“Rawr? (Gasp! Cotton Ball! Are you okay?)”
Ga-yul pushed Ah-rang away in a panic.
“Roar, roar! (You—because of you, Cotton Ball almost got hurt!)”
“Gr—Grrr? (Because of… me…?)”
Flustered, Ah-rang’s tail stood on end as she circled around So-ya, not knowing what to do.
Seeing this, So-ya smiled and waved her hands.
“No, it’s okay. I just sat down on the grass. I’m not hurt at all.”
The Youngest Young Master tended to be excessively overprotective of her.
So-ya giggled, realizing she had become quite accustomed to it.
‘I’ll have to leave soon, but I think I’ve gotten too used to this.’
Just then, Ah-rang stood up on all fours and bared her teeth at So-ya.
“Grrrrr…. (You, you, you…!)”
“Lady Ah-rang?”
“Rawrrr! (I—I told you not to get hurt in front of me!)”
So-ya tilted her head at Ah-rang’s loud roar.
“Were you worried about me?”
“Grrr…! (W-W-Why would I care about something that isn't even a tiger…!)”
“Thank you, Lady Ah-rang.”
So-ya smiled brightly and stroked Ah-rang’s brown fur.
“…!”
Instantly, Ah-rang’s body went stiff.
The tigers around Ah-rang usually bit her, pushed her down, or pinned her; they never stroked her affectionately like this.
Unused to this new, ticklish sensation, Ah-rang couldn't adapt and hissed, her fur standing on end.
“Hiss! (Where do you think you're touching!)”
Ah-rang huffed and glared at So-ya before scurrying away.
“Roar, roar! (Hmph. Running away with her tail between her legs.)”
Ga-yul snorted and wagged his tail.
So-ya looked back and forth between Ah-rang’s retreating figure and Ga-yul, who was purring in her arms, and suddenly let out an exclamation.
“Ah…!”
“Grrr? (What is it, Cotton Ball?)”
“I’ve felt a sense of familiarity ever since I first saw Lady Ah-rang. I think Lady Ah-rang is just like you, Youngest Young Master.”
“Hiss! (What?)”
Horrified, Ga-yul jumped out of So-ya’s arms.
“Hiss! Haaa! (Cotton Ball! How could you say such a thing to me! Take it back! Take it back right now!)”
The way his fur stood on end as he hissed was exactly like Ah-rang a moment ago, causing So-ya to burst into giggles.
“Rawrrrr! (Don’t laugh! Take it back! Take it back quickly!)”