Chapter 24
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24
Ga-yul let out a mighty rawr and huffed, telling her not to laugh.
“Yes, yes, Young Master. I won’t laugh.”
The sight of him roaring with that tiny, puckered mouth was so adorable that So-ya had to cover her face with both hands to stifle her giggles.
Even so, she couldn’t stop the snickers from escaping.
“Rawr! Rawr! (I told you not to laugh!)”
His fur bristling, Ga-yul trembled with indignation before abruptly turning his back on her.
“Grrrrr…! (You’re just like my brother, Cotton Ball! How could you betray me like this!)”
Thoroughly sulking, Ga-yul puffed out his chest and panted.
As he sat there with his back turned, his tail flicked irritably from side to side.
So-ya’s eyes followed the swaying tail back and forth. Suddenly, as if something had just occurred to her, she asked, “By the way, Youngest Young Master, do you know what the Second Young Master likes?”
“Grrr? Snort! (Brother’s favorites? Who knows?)”
Ga-yul replied with a disinterested shrug of his shoulders—or rather, a flick of his ears—and began licking his front paw.
Why should he care what that second brother of his liked? The same brother who had just handed him over to that master. Hmph.
“Young Master, are you perhaps pouting?”
“Snort!”
Ga-yul didn’t answer. Instead, he let out a sharp, dismissive snort through his nose.
The rhythmic thumping of his tail grew more violent.
Thwack, thwack. Watching his tail lash against the floor as if screaming, ‘I’m pouting!’ So-ya scratched her cheek, looking troubled.
Oh dear. He really is upset.
So-ya fell into serious thought.
Even in his beast form, the sight of Ga-yul sitting there all huffy was simply too cute.
I should make it up to him, but he’s so adorable like this that I almost don’t want to.
She knew she should apologize for laughing and ask him not to be cross. But that view of his back, with his tail thumping the floor, was so precious she just wanted to keep watching.
Right then, Eun Si-yo happened to be passing by. Spotting the two of them, she approached.
“Oh, Young Master Yul! It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
Si-yo greeted him in a friendly tone and reached out a hand toward Ga-yul.
“Hiss! (What do you want!)”
Ga-yul bared his teeth and growled fiercely.
“Oh my!”
Startled, Si-yo reflexively pulled her hand back. However, the agitated Ga-yul lunged at her with a savage intensity.
Just as Si-yo froze, terrified by the ferocious aura of a tiger that looked ready to tear her apart—
“You mustn’t do that, Young Master!”
So-ya cried out, scooping Ga-yul up into her arms.
“Mew? (Wh-what?)”
Suddenly hoisted into the air, Ga-yul blinked his large eyes in surprise.
“You’re frightening the young lady!”
At So-ya’s firm tone—a voice he had never heard from her before—Ga-yul’s spirit seemed to wither. He drooped his ears and offered a whimpering excuse.
“Grrr, purr… (I didn’t mean it like that…)”
By nature, Ga-yul generally liked people. However, whenever he encountered other tigers around his age, his instincts drove him to compete for dominance. This was why he was constantly bickering with Ah-rang, whom he had known since childhood.
Until now, he had never once thought of this habit as a fault. Even when his second brother, Ga-hyeon, scolded him for being an immature cub who couldn’t control his instincts, Ga-yul had simply snorted and ignored him.
But now, for the first time, he felt as though he had committed a grave sin.
Cotton Ball must have been really scared because I acted so violently.
Cotton Ball was small and fragile. He was supposed to protect her. And yet, he had bared his teeth right in front of her.
What if Cotton Ball thinks I’m a mean tiger and won’t play with me anymore?
The thought sent a jolt of anxiety through him.
“Whimper… (I’m sorry, Cotton Ball. Did I scare you?)”
Ga-yul let out a pathetic whine, his large eyes trembling.
Seeing this, So-ya gave him a soft smile and soothed him in a gentle voice.
“I know you didn’t do it on purpose, Young Master. But it’s not me you should be apologizing to; it’s Lady Si-yo.”
“Whimper…”
Ga-yul shook his head vigorously, a look of pure distaste on his face.
An apology? That was a word that did not exist in his ten years of life.
Completely forgetting that he had been mentally apologizing to So-ya just a moment ago, Ga-yul dug in his heels.
“If you’re too scared to apologize, should I help you?” So-ya asked, tilting her head.
“…!”
Ga-yul stared at So-ya with a look of utter shock.
Accepting help from this tiny Cotton Ball? That would be a cowardly act, entirely unbecoming of a brave tiger of the White Tiger Clan.
If his second brother ever found out, he would surely scoff and look down on him. Ga-yul was already miffed at Ga-hyeon over the events of a few days ago; the last thing he wanted was to look pathetic in his brother’s eyes again.
Reaching a decision, Ga-yul squeezed his eyes shut. With a loud poof!, he transformed back into a human.
With a face flushed bright red, he shot a glare at Si-yo. As she flinched at his sharp gaze, he shouted:
“I-I’m sorry, Silver Tiger…! I, Baek Ga-yul, the third son of the Great White Tiger Clan, shall specially grant you an apology!”
“No, it’s alright, Young Master. It’s fine,” Si-yo replied, waving her hands in flustered dismissal.
Ga-yul turned back to So-ya and said in a proud voice, “Did you hear that, Cotton Ball? She said it’s fine!”
“You did very well, Young Master.”
When So-ya beamed and praised him, the corners of Ga-yul’s mouth began to twitch upward. He wore an expression that made it seem as though his now-invisible tail was wagging furiously behind him.
Meanwhile, Si-yo watched the two of them closely before leaning in to ask So-ya a question.
“What were you two talking about? I thought I overheard you mentioning Brother Hyeon.”
“Oh, that. I wanted to make a talisman for the Second Young Master, but he didn’t seem to like the stone very much. Do you happen to know what he likes, Lady Si-yo?”
So-ya added quietly that since she couldn’t afford anything expensive, she was looking for something she could easily find nearby.
As they spoke, Ga-yul, who had flopped down onto the floor, grumbled his two cents.
“Why bother giving him another gift? That brother of mine doesn’t deserve anything! Just ignore him, Cotton Ball!”
He was not yet self-aware enough to realize he was being a petty, grudge-holding tiger.
“If it’s something Brother Hyeon likes…”
Si-yo pondered for a moment, then smiled as a good idea struck her.
“How about picking some Sky Flowers for him? The buds should just be starting to bloom around this time.”
“Sky Flowers?”
“They’re flowers that grow halfway up Mt. Horim. They’re hard to find anywhere else, so they’re considered very precious even in the Western Land. Brother Hyeon enjoys flower arrangement, so he’ll be very happy if you give him such rare blooms.”
So-ya’s face brightened at Si-yo’s explanation.
The Second Young Master enjoyed flower arrangement? She had no idea.
Besides, if it was flowers, she felt she could sneak them into a vase for him.
“Thank you so much, Lady Si-yo!” So-ya thanked her with a radiant smile.
“Huh? Cotton Ball, you’re going to climb Mt. Horim?” Ga-yul asked, tilting his head as he listened in.
“I’ll have to ask Lady Yeon-jeong and Lady San-ho first,” So-ya replied, her fingers fidgeting with anticipation.
It would be her first time climbing a mountain, but… somehow, she felt that Yeon-jeong and San-ho would give her permission. The people of the White Tiger Palace always told her that whatever she wanted to do was fine.
“Then I’m coming too! I know the path up Mt. Horim like the back of my hand!”
And so, So-ya and Ga-yul decided to climb Mt. Horim together.
“Lady So-ya.”
Si-yo called out to So-ya and handed her a small scent pouch.
“This is a token of my gratitude for the talisman you gave me.”
“Thank you, Lady Si-yo,” So-ya replied with a shy smile.
“Now isn’t the time for that, Cotton Ball! We have to go get permission right now!”
Ga-yul, even more excited than So-ya, hopped around and urged her on.
“Oh, Young Master, wait…! Ah!”
“Let’s go, hurry!”
The impatient Ga-yul grabbed So-ya’s wrist and began to run.
* * *
“Lady Yeon-jeong! Lady San-ho!”
So-ya ran straight to Yeon-jeong and San-ho to ask for their blessing.
“Um, tomorrow morning, may I go to Mt. Horim with the Youngest Young Master? I want to pick some Sky Flowers for the Second Young Master!”
So-ya asked, her face full of nervous excitement.
Seeing the young lady so full of anticipation, a troubled expression crossed Yeon-jeong’s face.