Chapter 64
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 64
The Blue Dragon Clan of the Eastern Divine Beast.
They were the masters of the Cheonghae Dragon Palace, often called the Undersea Palace, and the guardians who protected and ruled over the marine beastkin of the eastern Cheonghae Sea.
Cheong-ha was a direct descendant of that very clan and was originally the most likely candidate to become the next Clan Head.
However, possessing a temperament as fleeting as the wind—fitting for a descendant of the Blue Dragon—she did not desire the position.
The moment one ascends to the position of Clan Head of the Blue Dragon Clan, a seal is engraved upon their spirit core. Unless summoned by the Yellow Dragon, they can never leave the eastern lands.
Violating this restriction puts immense strain on the spirit core, eventually leading to death.
While this was originally a method used by the Yellow Dragon of the Center, who protected the peace of antiquity, to control the bellicose nature of the Blue Dragon, in the present era, it had devolved into a means for the Imperial Family to keep the Blue Dragon Clan—fellow dragon beastkin—in check.
Thus, the method she chose to avoid the seat of Clan Head was none other than marriage.
Cheong-ha had approached Sa-eon, who had become Clan Head at an early age, and proposed a union.
[So, what do I gain from this marriage?]
[I gain my freedom, and you gain a beautiful wife.]
In truth, when she made that proposal, everyone expected Sa-eon to refuse.
Since they were children, the two had been on such poor terms that they would draw their weapons the moment they crossed paths.
Yet, Sa-eon accepted her brazen proposal.
By becoming the Madam of the White Tiger Palace, Cheong-ha naturally escaped the obligations of a direct descendant.
For a time after Sa-eon welcomed his bride, the White Tiger Palace was peaceful.
Three adorable young tiger lords were born, and contrary to everyone’s worries, the affection between the Clan Head and his Madam was exceptionally deep.
“But then, something suddenly happened that forced Lady Cheong-ha to leave the White Tiger Palace.”
“Something that forced her to leave?”
So-ya, whose eyes had been sparkling with interest at the story of her father’s marriage, blinked at the following words.
“The Clan Head of the Blue Dragon Clan passed away,” Yeon-jeong continued in a subdued voice.
When Cheong-ha left the family through marriage, her twin brother naturally became the next Clan Head.
However, eight years ago, when the Northern Land ignited a war, the Imperial Family conscripted one person from each Great Clan.
As the war dragged on, her brother, the head of the Blue Dragon Clan, was killed, leaving behind only a young nephew.
“Lady Cheong-ha felt a profound sense of guilt over it. She believed that if she had become the Clan Head, her brother wouldn’t have died.”
“But that wasn’t Lady Cheong-ha’s fault.”
“Everyone told her that, but what she felt was different.”
In the midst of that grief, one of the retainers staged a rebellion, plunging the eastern lands into chaos.
The Blue Dragon Clan reached the brink of collapse, yet the Imperial Family did not lift a finger to help.
Having long sought to keep the Blue Dragon Clan in check, the Imperial Family saw no reason to intervene.
Ultimately, Cheong-ha chose to leave the White Tiger Palace to fulfill her duty as a direct descendant.
“Naturally, the Clan Head and the young masters tried to hold her back.”
“……”
“The Second Young Master, in particular, clung to her the most. Back then, he was always stuck to Lady Cheong-ha’s side, never letting go.”
A faint smile touched Yeon-jeong’s face as she recalled Ga-hyeon’s childhood.
Unlike the other children, Ga-hyeon had been sensitive since he was an infant and rarely opened up to anyone besides Cheong-ha. He was so shy he even felt awkward around his own father, Sa-eon.
After a brief conflict, Sa-eon stepped back and let Cheong-ha go.
However, Ga-hyeon alone could not accept her departure.
He grabbed the hem of Cheong-ha’s clothes and pleaded with her not to leave, not to abandon them—and if she had to go, to take him with her.
But it was impossible to take a child of the direct line, whose spirit core had not yet awakened, outside the White Tiger Palace. Moreover, the eastern lands she was heading toward were far too dangerous for a child.
While Ga-hyeon was asleep, Cheong-ha left the White Tiger Palace, leaving behind only an apology and a promise that she would return soon.
Upon returning to the East, she dealt with the rebellious retainers and rebuilt the crumbling Blue Dragon Clan.
However, she could not return immediately.
This was because her young nephew, who had become the Clan Head following his father’s death, was conscripted to the battlefield.
Someone was needed to inherit the Clan Head’s Seal and protect the land of the Blue Dragon until the true master returned.
Only a Blue Dragon beastkin with the blood of the direct line could receive the Seal.
Thus, she decided to accept the Clan Head’s Seal upon her own spirit core and serve as the Acting Clan Head until the young nephew returned.
However, since a member of another family could not hold the position of Acting Clan Head, she had to divorce Sa-eon and officially strike her name from the family register.
And young Ga-hyeon, who had gone to the East Gate every single day to wait for his mother’s return, stopped waiting the moment he learned of this.
“To be honest, none of us expected Lady Cheong-ha to be unable to return for this long. Even though she removed her name from the register, we thought she would come back eventually.”
Yeon-jeong added that everything was due to the war with the Black Tortoise Tribe dragging on.
“Actually, Lady Cheong-ha visited the White Tiger Palace last year as well. She came to help Young Master Hyeon with his growing pains.”
“……”
“But Young Master Hyeon locked his door tight and wouldn’t open it. So, Lady Cheong-ha waited for days before she was forced to turn back.”
“So that’s what happened…”
After the long story ended, So-ya started to say something but pressed her lips together instead.
Yeon-jeong’s stories were always interesting, but today’s was not enjoyable at all.
“Oh dear, our young lady looks like she’s deep in thought.”
“I think Lady Cheong-ha must have been very heartbroken.”
Having to leave her family, and then being hated by them. It all seemed so incredibly sad.
“The young master is still young. As he gets older, he’ll eventually be able to understand Lady Cheong-ha.”
While Yeon-jeong tidied the room, So-ya walked through the garden with a slightly gloomy expression.
“So-ya!”
Seol-yo approached, carrying a thick blanket.
“San-ho told me to bring this to you. She said the weather is getting cold.”
“Thank you, Seol-yo.”
So-ya draped the blanket Seol-yo handed her over her shoulders.
“So-ya, you don’t look happy. Are you worried about that woman?” Seol-yo asked, walking alongside her.
“I’m worried about Lady Cheong-ha, too… but actually…”
So-ya thought Cheong-ha’s situation was very pitiful.
But in truth, she was more worried and concerned about Ga-hyeon.
It might sound strange that she was more concerned about the one inflicting harsh wounds on Cheong-ha, but…
She knew.
She knew what it felt like to feel abandoned by family.
[A real family doesn’t abandon each other over something like that. Let’s just be the ones to abandon a fake family like that first.]
So-ya recalled the words Ga-hyeon had said to her during the last Mountain Lord Festival.
They were words that had brought her immense comfort and strength, but…
‘Maybe those words were actually about himself.’
So-ya glanced up at Ga-hyeon’s room, where the light was still on.
* * *
Ga-hyeon had been on edge for the past few days.
He was so sensitive that the servants whispered that he exuded a more terrifying aura than Ga-yul, who was currently suffering through his growing pains.
He had been in this state ever since the day Cheong-ha visited the White Tiger Palace.
As he sat quietly reading a book, a certain face suddenly flashed in his mind, and he crumpled the page in his hand.
‘It’s honestly pathetic.’
The more he thought about her face—the way she had tried to hide her flustered state and force a smile while looking at him—the angrier he became.
‘She left me behind even though I begged her so hard not to go, and now she wants to play mother?’
Ga-hyeon still remembered that day.
The day she left him, despite his pleas not to leave, not to abandon him.
[Don’t go, Mother. Don’t leave Father and us behind.]
[Hyeon-ah.]
[Hic, sob, gasp… I want to keep living with Mother. So, hic, sob, please, don’t go.]
[I’m sorry, Hyeon-ah.]
She had hugged him and patted his back, apologizing. After soothing him to sleep like that, she had vanished.
When he woke up the next morning, only her cold, empty spot was waiting for him.
That was already seven years ago.
Ga-hyeon had been only four years old at the time, but the memory of that day was still vivid.
‘I don’t need a mother who abandons her child even when he begs. My real family is just Father, Brother, Yul, and So-ya.’
It was just as Ga-hyeon was thinking this, staring down at the crumpled book.
Tap.
Tap, tap.
A pecking sound came from the window.
“So-ya…?”
Recognizing who it was just by the sound, Ga-hyeon quickly stood up and approached the window.
When he opened it, So-ya, looking like a tiny baby cotton ball, was tapping her beak against the windowsill.