chapter 28
“It was a good thing we sent our clothes and small belongings ahead of time.”
“You made the right call, Do-kyung. How long do you think the rain will last?”
“The weather’s been unpredictable these past few years, so I can’t say for certain. But the weather-seer said there’s a high chance it’ll stop by noon today.”
Uncle and Grandmother talked calmly as they fastened their raincoats.
When you’re going to run fast, the first rule is to travel light. That’s why they’d entrusted their luggage to a sorcerer a few days earlier to have it sent ahead — and it turned out to be a brilliant move.
Otherwise, we’d have ended up running in the rain with heavy loads on our backs.
“My sweet girl. Good puppy.”
“Awng.”
Having transformed into a puppy, I was scooped up by my father and wrapped tightly in a waterproof cloth.
Since I was small and still a young pup, I had to be carried during travel.
I had trained hard after learning how to run from Grandmother, but as a puppy, I still couldn’t keep up with the endurance of adult wolves. So, my mother, father, and grandmother had decided to take turns carrying me on their backs while running.
“Bear with it for a bit, even if it feels stuffy.”
The waterproof fabric — thick and slick to the touch — was extremely expensive.
It was a newly released product from Sambyeol Trading Company, a rival of Geumseong Trading Company. Despite being a natural cotton weave, it was somehow waterproof.
The secret lay in the technique used to make it.
To achieve that level of waterproofing, the cloth had to be woven from incredibly fine threads with absolutely no gaps — a feat so demanding that even Sambyeol had only a handful of artisans capable of doing it.
“Mm. There, done.”
“How adorable.”
And now, that costly fabric was my personal raincoat.
When my aunt, who was packing our lunch boxes, saw me wearing another layer of raincoat over my puppy form, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“It looks quite handy. It would be nice to have several sheets of different sizes.”
“Haha, sister-in-law, if it were up to me, I’d stock a hundred blankets’ worth of that fabric in the warehouse. But the budget… well, you know.”
Even the Five Great Houses weren’t free from financial constraints. Most of my father’s work as Chief Commander involved endless battles against the numbers written in ledgers.
“Ye-ryeom, I’ll strap Hye-on onto your back now.”
“Woof.”
My mother, who had already transformed into a graceful wolf, rose elegantly and approached my father.
He lifted me easily and used a leather strap to secure me firmly to her soft, sturdy back. The strap had been specially made to fit my size, so it was quite comfortable.
“All done. How’s that, Hye-on?”
“Woof!”
When I barked that I was fine, Mother began walking slowly around the room. I could feel her muscles moving beneath me, but I didn’t sway or slip at all.
After checking our setup, Grandmother gave a satisfied nod.
“This should do. Let’s set out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Uncle transformed into a large, black, thick-furred dog. His size and sharp eyes rivaled those of my mother’s wolf form.
Aunt, who had fastened the lunch boxes wrapped in waterproof cloth to Uncle’s body, transformed into a fire-colored hound. Once all three adults took on their beast forms, the once spacious room suddenly felt cramped.
“Woof!”
Uncle and Aunt barked to say they’d lead the way and headed outside. Father followed and changed smoothly into a large dog himself, while Mother glanced at Grandmother, then gave a small nod.
It was early morning, and with rain falling, the estate was quieter than usual.
As we headed for the front gate, the servants we passed bowed their heads respectfully, but Grandmother’s gaze remained fixed ahead.
“Open the gate!”
The guards in black pulled the massive doors open with all their strength.
Standing right at the threshold — the line between shelter and the pouring rain — Grandmother transformed into a giant hound.
“Grr-Awooo!”
With her chest thrust proudly forward, she lifted her head to the sky and howled powerfully before dashing out like a thunderbolt.
The adults’ speed on the deserted main road was incredible. Because of the rain, I had my eyes closed and my nose buried in Mother’s fur, but when I peeked out, I saw wide-spreading rice fields.
We had already left the village behind.
The heavy rain had turned into a drizzle, improving visibility. I turned my head to watch how the adults were running.
Grandmother led the way, flanked by Mother on either side with Father and Aunt, while Uncle covered the rear — a diamond-shaped formation.
They surrounded me, the tiny puppy, in the safest center, protecting me on all sides as we ran.
When we visited Rose Village before, we’d ridden in a fine carriage — large, sturdy, and cushioned.
Yet somehow, cutting through wind and rain like this made me feel even more secure and comforted.
Feeling elated, I began humming softly — a mix of growls and hums.
Back at the estate, the most I ever saw was light sparring in the training yard. It wasn’t often I got to see the adults in their beast forms running at full speed.
Honestly, their speed rivaled that of cars in my previous life.
Of course, it helped that the road was wide and well-maintained, but still — they were really, really fast! Like, super-dog fast!
They said Grandfather, back in his prime as a courier hound, had been even faster. How in the world did he manage that?
While I was lost in thought, the rain finally stopped, and the sky cleared.
“Woof! Woof-woof!”
Father barked loudly, telling me to look up.
And there it was — a beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky.
Judging by the sun’s position, it was nearly noon. The adults gradually slowed their pace and finally came to a stop.
Grandmother, back in human form with her hands on her hips, declared proudly:
“It’s lunchtime. Let’s eat!”
They’d been running for hours without rest. Even I, who had been carried the whole time, was starving — the adults must have been famished.
Lunch was a hearty bento: big rice balls stuffed with sweet-savory stir-fried beef, skewered chicken thighs, pickled radish, and egg soup.
Since we were traveling long distance, the chef had prioritized quantity over refinement.
“What about the raincoat?”
Even though I already had a thick double coat of fur, I’d worn an extra layer of rainproof cloth — because riding on Mother’s back at high speed could still drench me completely.
Even divine beasts could catch colds, apparently.
Thanks to Father’s overprotectiveness, I didn’t have a single wet hair. Now, I was lying on my round belly, rubbing it contentedly as I digested lunch.
“We should keep it on — there might be another shower.”
“Alright. This time I’ll carry her.”
Once again, I turned into a little rain-clad puppy and climbed onto Father’s back.
This time, Mother fastened the straps tightly.
“The rain slowed us more than expected. At this rate, we’ll be eating dinner at midnight. From here on, let’s pick up the pace.”
At Grandmother’s words, the adults nodded as if they’d expected it and stretched their bodies in readiness.
But I was dumbfounded. Faster? Faster than that?
This wasn’t some short sprint — it was a long-distance run! If they overdid it, they’d collapse halfway down the road!
I whined softly, worried about Father, who’d be the one carrying me. Mother stroked my back gently.
“It’s fine, sweetheart. Your father’s strong legs can take you anywhere.”
“Ye-ryeom’s right,” said Grandmother. “Do-ui takes after Yeong-hu — strong legs and steady endurance. You needn’t worry.”
Even though I hadn’t inherited Grandfather’s fur color, apparently I’d gotten his looks and his exceptional running ability — or so Grandmother assured me.
“You just rest and take a nap on your father’s back.”
The air was fresh, and the sunlight warm — perfect for a nap — but I clenched my eyes open.
The adults were running their hearts out; how could I just nap like a spoiled pup?
So I stayed awake all the way to our destination — the Hyun family’s villa at the border between Seolgok Province and Homyeok Province.
After washing up and eating dinner at the villa, I promptly passed out.
According to my parents, I’d flopped down on a cushion in my puppy form and fallen into a deep, unshakable sleep.
The caretaker, thinking I’d fallen ill, had nearly run to fetch a doctor before my parents stopped him.
When my uncle and aunt arrived later and saw me sprawled out on my back, belly puffed up, they only chuckled and patted my front paws a few times.
Finally, when Grandfather San and Grandmother San arrived, I was too asleep to greet them. I only got to speak with them the next morning.
And they brought wonderful news.
“Hye-on, your cousin was born — a baby girl.”
“Gasp, really?”
“Yes. It’s your first younger girl cousin, isn’t it?”
“Yes! Is Aunt Hye-seo alright?”
“She’s fine. The labor was short, and the birth went smoothly. She’s resting now in a warm room with her husband taking care of her.”
Two days before Grandfather and Grandmother left for the journey, Aunt Hye-seo had given birth.
Both she and her husband were wolves, so of course the child was one too. They said the newborn’s fur was ash-gray, just like her mother’s.
The adults had already exchanged their congratulations last night, so I hurried to add mine.
“She’ll definitely grow up strong and healthy!”
Girls were rare in the Hyun family — aside from me, the recent pups had all been boys. So hearing that I finally had a younger female cousin filled me with wonder and joy.
With all the relatives gathered for the engagement ceremony, it was time to head to the Baek family estate.
Eleven of us crossed the border into Homyeok Province.
From there, we’d be assisted by the Baek family’s sorcerers. All we needed to do was reach the rendezvous point.
As the letter had instructed, we went to the great tree that was said to be 300 years old — and found dozens of sorcerers waiting, along with an enormous palanquin as big as a house.
“Wow.”
I stared in amazement, and Grandmother’s lips curved upward.
“Looks like Baek-san really pulled out all the stops.”
The gigantic palanquin, larger than a bus from my previous life, was called the Tae-palanquin — using the character Tae (太), meaning “great.”
It was a treasure of the Baek clan, able to carry dozens of people at once through the air.
“Does the Baek family own many of these Tae-palanquins?” I asked.
The leading sorcerer shook his head.
“Only one, as you see. Each time it moves, it requires a tremendous number of sorcerers.”
“For today’s trip, we have a total of twenty — a mix of junior and intermediate sorcerers.”
And since every single part of the palanquin was enchanted, the cost to build it had been astronomical.
As expected of the most renowned treasure of the Baek clan, the Tae-palanquin was stunningly ornate. Before boarding, our group circled it several times, admiring every detail.
Even among the Baek family, only those who managed the storage hall ever saw it. Outsiders, they said, could go their entire lives without glimpsing it.
Even Grandmother, head of one of the Five Great Houses, said she had only seen it once in her youth — at the previous clan leader’s wedding ceremony.
Grandfather San and Grandmother San looked delighted by such royal treatment, their faces blooming with smiles.
The adults boarded first, followed by their children in order of age.
My seat was between my twin uncle and aunt.
They bickered over whose lap I should sit on, so I simply plopped down between them myself.
“Departing!”
With a deep, resonant shout, the massive palanquin rose gracefully into the air. My aunt, sitting closest to the window, opened it so I could see outside.
An endless sky. Jagged stone-spires of mountains below. Dense, lush forests stretching to the horizon. Compared to Seolgok Province, the terrain here had far more mountains.
We flew for another hour or two before finally sighting our destination — the main estate of the Baek family.
A lone figure stood waiting before the grand gate. And I knew exactly who it was.
Silver hair, unmoved even by the fierce wind. A gentle smile upon his lips.
“Hye-on.”
And that calm, resonant voice that seemed to echo straight into my chest.
After half a year apart, my betrothed — So Baek-san — had come to greet us.
