Chapter : 24
Gayul let out a loud “Kwaaang!” and scolded her not to laugh.
“Yes, yes, Young Master. I won’t laugh.”
The sight of him roaring fiercely with that tiny little “ㅅ”-shaped mouth was just too adorable. Soya had to clamp both hands over her mouth to barely suppress her laughter.
Even so, little giggles kept slipping out.
“Kwaang! Kwaaang! (You said you wouldn’t laugh!)”
His fur bristling upright, Gayul trembled in indignation before suddenly turning his body away with a huff.
“Grrr…! (You’re just like my brother, Fluffball! How could you betray me like this!)”
Completely sulking, Gayul grumbled under his breath.
Sitting with his back turned, his tail swished left and right. Soya’s eyes rolled along with the motion of the gently swaying tail before she suddenly asked, as if something had just occurred to her,
“By the way, Young Master, do you know what the Second Young Master likes?”
“Grr? Hmph! (What Hyung likes? Who knows?)”
Gayul replied indifferently, licking his forepaw as though he couldn’t care less.
What did it matter what that second brother—who had handed him over to a master—liked? Hmph.
“Young Master… are you sulking?”
“Grrng!”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he snorted sharply through his nose.
The tail that had been moving left and right began swishing even more violently.
Watching the tail smack against the floor as if shouting, ‘Yes, I’m sulking!’, Soya scratched her cheek awkwardly.
Oh dear. He really is upset.
She thought about it seriously.
Even the sight of Gayul, transformed into his beast form and sulking with his back turned, was unbearably cute.
I should cheer him up… but he’s too adorable like this. I almost don’t want to.
She needed to apologize for laughing and ask him not to be upset.
But that little back view, smacking the floor with his tail, was so cute she wanted to just keep watching.
Just then, Eun Siyo happened to pass by and noticed the two of them. She approached with a smile.
“Oh my, Young Master Yul! It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
She greeted him warmly and reached out her hand.
“Kya-haak! (What’s that!)”
Gayul immediately bared his teeth and growled.
“Oh my!”
Startled, Siyo quickly withdrew her hand. But still in a foul mood, Gayul lunged toward her fiercely, as if he might bite her at any moment.
Siyo froze in place.
“You mustn’t do that, Young Master!”
Soya cried out as she quickly grabbed Gayul and lifted him up.
“Kya-hung? (Huh?)”
Suddenly suspended in midair, Gayul blinked in confusion.
“You’re scaring the lady!”
Hearing Soya’s firm tone—something he had never heard from her before—Gayul’s spirit seemed to shrink. His ears drooped as he muttered defensively,
“Grrn… grr… (I didn’t mean to…)”
Gayul basically liked people. But whenever he saw other tigers around his age, he instinctively tried to assert dominance.
That was why he always bickered with Arang whenever they met growing up.
He had never once thought that trait of his was wrong.
Even when his second brother, Gahyeon, scolded him for being an immature cub who couldn’t even suppress his instincts, he had merely snorted and ignored him.
But now—for the first time—he felt as though he had committed a serious mistake.
I must have scared Fluffball by acting violently.
Fluffball is small and fragile. I’m supposed to protect her. And yet I showed my teeth in front of her.
What if Fluffball thinks I’m a violent tiger and stops playing with me?
The thought made his heart drop.
“Kkiing… (I’m sorry, Fluffball. Did I scare you?)”
His large eyes trembled anxiously.
Soya smiled gently and soothed him in a soft voice.
“I know you didn’t mean it, Young Master. But you shouldn’t apologize to me—you should apologize to Miss Siyo.”
“Kkiiiing…”
Gayul shook his head furiously with an expression of utter refusal.
Apologize? That word did not exist in his ten-year-old life.
He had completely forgotten that just moments ago he had apologized to Soya.
“If apologizing is scary, shall I help you?” Soya tilted her head and asked.
“…!”
Gayul stared at her, utterly shocked.
To receive help from that tiny little Fluffball? That would be cowardly—unworthy of a brave tiger of the White Tiger Clan.
If his second brother found out, he would surely sneer at him.
He was already sulking at Gahyeon over what had happened a few days ago. Being looked down upon again was absolutely unacceptable.
With that thought, Gayul squeezed his eyes shut.
Pop!
He transformed back into his human form.
His face turned bright red as he glared sharply at Siyo and shouted,
“I-I apologize, Silver Tiger! The third son of the great White Tiger Clan, Baek Gayul, graciously offers you his apology!”
“It’s alright, Young Master. Really, it’s fine.”
Flustered, Siyo waved both hands.
Gayul turned proudly to Soya.
“You heard her, Fluffball? She says it’s fine!”
“You did very well, Young Master.”
Soya beamed at him.
The corners of Gayul’s mouth slowly curled upward.
Though his tail was invisible in human form, it felt as though it were wagging happily behind him.
Meanwhile, Siyo observed them closely before asking Soya,
“What were you two talking about? I thought I heard something about Brother Hyeon.”
“Oh, well… I want to make a talisman for the Second Young Master, but he doesn’t seem to like stones very much. Do you happen to know what he likes?”
Soya added shyly that she couldn’t give expensive gifts, so she hoped it would be something easy to find nearby.
Listening to them, Gayul flopped down dramatically on the floor and grumbled,
“Why bother giving him another gift? Hyung doesn’t deserve it! Just ignore him, Fluffball!”
He had not yet realized that such words made him sound petty and resentful.
“If it’s something Brother Hyeon likes…”
After thinking for a moment, Siyo smiled brightly.
“How about picking Sky Flowers for him? Around this time, the buds should just be starting to bloom.”
“Sky Flowers?”
“They grow midway up Mount Horim. They’re very hard to find elsewhere, so they’re considered extremely rare even in the western lands. Brother Hyeon enjoys flower arranging, so he’ll surely be happy to receive such a precious flower.”
At that explanation, Soya’s face lit up.
She had never known the Second Young Master enjoyed flower arranging.
And if it was a flower, she could secretly place it in a vase.
“Thank you so much, Miss Siyo!”
Soya smiled brightly in gratitude.
“Eh? Fluffball, are you going up Mount Horim?”
Gayul tilted his head.
“I’ll ask Lady Yeonjeong and Lady Sanho first.”
Soya answered, fidgeting excitedly with her fingers.
She had never climbed a mountain before… but somehow, she felt Yeonjeong and Sanho would allow it.
After all, everyone in White Tiger Palace always told her that whatever she wished to do was fine.
“Then I’m coming too! I know the path up Mount Horim well!”
And so, Soya and Gayul decided to climb Mount Horim together.
“Soya.”
At that moment, Siyo stopped her and handed her a small sachet.
“This is in return for the talisman you gave me.”
“Thank you, Miss Siyo.”
Soya smiled sweetly.
“This is no time to dawdle, Fluffball! We need to hurry and get permission!”
Gayul bounced excitedly, even more thrilled than Soya.
“Ah, Young Master, wait—ah!”
“Let’s go already!”
Impatient as ever, Gayul grabbed Soya’s wrist and started running.
* * *
“Lady Yeonjeong! Lady Sanho!”
Soya ran up to Yeonjeong and Sanho to ask for permission.
“Um, tomorrow morning… may I go up Mount Horim with the Youngest Young Master? I want to pick some Sky Flowers to give to the Little Young Master!”
Her heart pounded as she asked, face glowing with anticipation.
Seeing the young lady so full of excitement, Yeonjeong’s expression turned troubled.
