Chapter 27
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27
So-ya’s face didn’t just turn pale; it went completely white.
The creature had soft, downy fur, a tiny protruding beak, short legs, and a dainty tail feather that looked exactly like…
Is that… me?
Except for the fact that it was pitch black, it was the spitting image of her.
“Pyah!”
The tiny black bird fluttered its small wings.
It chirped and cheeped as if acting cute, but the frozen expression on So-ya’s face didn’t soften.
“Pyat?”
The black baby bird tilted its head, then began to melt and ripple like mud once more.
So-ya flinched at the bizarre sight.
The black sludge clumped together, and this time, it transformed into a four-legged black cub.
“Kyung, kyung!”
The cry was a bit different from what So-ya knew, but its appearance resembled a beast she recognized.
Round, perky ears, glossy fur, and a wagging tail—it looked so adorable that she felt like it would start purring the moment she stroked its head.
And above all…
“Kyu-wang!”
As the black creature lifted a fluffy front paw, its soft, squishy paw pads popped into view!
So-ya thought she knew what this black creature was trying to imitate. Even though it was black from head to toe…
A tiger…?
So-ya gulped as the thought crossed her mind.
The black tiger cub approached her cautiously and licked the toe of her shoe.
Flinch.
So-ya jerked back in fear.
Seeing this, the black tiger looked up at her with large, shimmering eyes and wagged its tail from side to side.
“Kking?”
“…”
When So-ya still didn’t lower her guard, the creature let out a whimper and promptly flopped onto its back in front of her, exposing its belly.
It wiggled its body as if pleading for her to pet its tummy.
The sight suddenly reminded So-ya of something the youngest young master had told her recently.
[“I’ll let you touch my belly as a special favor, Cotton Ball! A tiger showing its belly is a privilege reserved only for those they truly trust!”]
So-ya spoke cautiously to the black tiger cub, who was lying spread-eagled with sparkling eyes.
“…Are you trying to tell me you won’t hurt me?”
At those words, the black tiger hopped up on all fours and nodded.
“Kyung! Kyung!”
“Ah… I’m sorry. I misunderstood and thought you were going to attack me.”
The black tiger shook its head, then gestured with its snout toward the area behind So-ya.
“Oh…!”
So-ya let out a short gasp as she looked back at where the tiger was pointing.
“You did that to save me from the wild animals!”
“Kyu-wang!”
The black tiger nodded vigorously once more.
Her guard finally lowered, So-ya gazed quietly into the black tiger cub’s eyes.
The ashen pupils, which had felt terrifying at first, now felt strangely familiar.
“Wait.”
A certain memory flashed through her mind.
It was the sensation of being watched earlier, while she was playing with the youngest young master.
“Was it you who was watching me before?”
“Kyung!”
The black tiger nodded, its eyes curving into crescents.
Ah, so that’s why…
So-ya recalled how the black creature had just transformed into a baby bird and a tiger cub.
It must have been imitating her and the youngest young master.
But the youngest young master aside, how did it know what her baby bird form looked like when she hadn’t even undergone her first beast transformation yet?
Does it have special powers because it’s a demonic beast?
So-ya thought as she stared at the black tiger.
Demonic Beasts.
Eight years ago, the Black Tortoise Tribe turned traitor, conspiring with an ‘Ancient Evil’ and causing these monsters to appear in the contaminated Northern Land.
Hyeon Ra-baek, the leader of the Black Tortoise Tribe, had led these demonic beasts to attack the Empire, throwing the continent into chaos. In response, the Empire had conscripted elite warriors from every clan and declared war on the Northern Land.
San-yu, her brother from the Vermilion Bird Clan who had left three years ago, and the first young master of the White Tiger Clan, whom she had never even met—all of them had been called away to fight the war against the demonic beasts.
So-ya had only heard about them in stories when she was very young; this was her first time seeing a demonic beast in person.
But why was a demonic beast, which should be in the Northern Land, here?
They said demonic beasts are very dangerous and to be careful…
Meeting So-ya’s eyes, the black tiger let out a series of whimpers and rubbed its head against the toe of her shoe.
But it doesn’t seem bad.
She couldn’t quite explain it, but her instincts told her so. This demonic beast wasn’t dangerous.
More than anything, this creature had just protected her from the wild animals.
So-ya knelt down and stroked the demonic beast’s head.
Unlike the youngest young master’s fur, the glossy black coat felt a bit coarse and dry to the touch.
The black tiger let out a low, rumbling purr, seemingly enjoying the touch.
It looked as innocent as any ordinary young beastkin.
However, So-ya’s heart grew heavy at the thought that such a gentle creature would be shunned by people simply because it was a demonic beast.
“Hi. I’m So-ya.”
“Kking!”
“How did you end up here?”
“Kking?”
The black tiger whimpered, but unfortunately, So-ya couldn’t understand the language of a demonic beast.
“You’ll be in big trouble if you stay here. Because…”
So-ya, who had been whispering to the creature, suddenly trailed off.
She wanted to tell it that if people saw it, they would think it was an evil demonic beast and might hurt it.
She wanted to tell it that it had to leave this place before it was spotted.
But for some reason, the words wouldn't come out.
Her own situation—being hated by people who called her a cursed baby bird, and fleeing to the Southern Land just to survive—overlapped with the creature's.
As if sensing So-ya’s sinking mood, the creature acted.
“Kyuing, kking.”
The black tiger lifted a paw and gently stroked the back of So-ya’s hand, just as she had stroked its head moments ago.
“Are you comforting me?”
“Kking, kking!”
The black tiger’s touch was somewhat clumsy, and she could even feel the chilling cold characteristic of the Northern Land.
Yet, the gesture warmed her heart, and So-ya managed a faint smile.
“Thank you. For saving me and for comforting me.”
The black tiger moved its front paw and began to scratch something into the dirt.
Watching the squiggly lines, So-ya realized they were characters.
“Seol-yo…?”
“Kking!”
The black tiger thumped its chest with its paw.
“Oh… is that your name?”
When she asked, the black tiger nodded up and down.
Surprise flickered across So-ya’s face.
“You can even write your name! You’re a very smart demonic beast!”
So-ya clapped her hands in wonder.
“Kking, kking!”
Seol-yo wagged his tail with a proud expression.
Thanks to Seol-yo driving away all the wild animals, the forest was as peaceful as it had been when So-ya first entered.
But a problem had arisen.
In her flight from the wild animals, she had ventured deep into the forest and lost her way.
Looking up at the sky, she saw the sun was beginning to set.
This is bad. I promised Lady Yeon-jeong I’d be back soon.
So-ya’s eyebrows drooped. She didn’t want to be remembered as a child who couldn't keep a promise.
“Hey, Seol-yo. Do you happen to know the way down the mountain?”
So-ya asked hopefully, but Seol-yo only tilted his head in confusion.
“Sigh, you don’t know either. What should I do?”
So-ya let out a short sigh and hung her head.
The scent of grass and flowers tickled her nose.
As she absentmindedly rubbed her nose, a thought suddenly struck her.
Wait! That’s right, the youngest young master said…
[“White Tiger beastkin can smell things from thousands of miles away!”]
She remembered the youngest young master’s voice as he bragged, tilting his head back arrogantly.
Right. I’m sure the young master will smell me and come to find me.
*
Ga-hyeon was waiting for his guests with a refreshment tray set before him.
He had agreed to this meeting with the intention of personally interviewing the tigers from the branch lineages, one of whom might become the new master of the West End Room.
However, his mind was currently occupied by something else entirely.
So-ya. He couldn't stop thinking about that child.
The tiny, tiny, cotton-ball-like girl who had overheard his conversation with Ah-yun yesterday and scurried away with wide, startled eyes.