Chapter : 10
The other maids who served Lady Lili would always say to Soya:
There’s no one who would want to be friends with a shabby, pitiful, nasty little fledgling like you.
You should always be grateful to Lady Lili for taking care of someone as useless as you.
Soya agreed with those words.
She didn’t have beautiful feathers, nor was she cute. She was a sinner who had presumptuously stolen the young lady’s place.
“Oh my, why would our young lady think such a thing? You’re this adorable.”
At that moment, Yeonjeong giggled as she tied a pretty ribbon to the tip of Soya’s hair.
‘I’m adorable?’
That was a word that suited a pretty child like Lady Lili…
“Look at this, my lady.”
Sanho lifted a hand mirror and showed it to Soya.
“Wow…”
Soya’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at herself in the mirror.
“Ta-da! Yeonjeong’s special dumpling hairstyle!”
Yeonjeong said proudly, pointing at Soya’s hair, which had been rolled up into two plump buns like dumplings.
Soya wasn’t surprised just because of the two round buns.
Her dry, frizzy hair—once mocked as being like a broom because she hadn’t been able to wash properly—now shone with a glossy sheen. Though her complexion was still a little pale, a faint liveliness had returned to it.
Not only that, perhaps because of the soft new clothes, her body carried a pleasant scent.
Soya shyly lifted her sleeve and sniffed. A warm fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose. Her heart began to pound.
“What do you think? Cute, right?”
“Yes…!”
For some reason, her throat felt hot, and she hurriedly nodded.
“See? You’re this cute, so of course the young master keeps hovering around you.”
“…”
Of course, she still couldn’t agree with the idea that the young master wanted to be friends with her.
‘But how does a residence full of only young masters have such a pretty room and clothes that fit me perfectly?’
A small question arose, but Soya soon pushed the thought away and said to Sanho and Yeonjeong,
“Um… I’d like to go greet Saeon-nim. Would that be alright?”
She thought of Saeon, who had appeared in a dangerous moment, saved her from an assassin, boldly declared he would steal her away, and brought her here.
[It’s not troublesome at all, so don’t worry and stay here for the time being.]
Even while drifting in and out of consciousness with fever, she remembered his indifferent yet kind voice, and the firm, warm embrace he had held her in.
‘He told me to stay here for the time being.’
Soya hoped that “the time being” would last just a little longer.
Because… it had been a long time since she had been held in the firm embrace of an adult. It was so warm and comforting.
With the help of Yeonjeong and Sanho, Soya made her way to the front of Saeon’s office.
“Well now, isn’t this Miss Cotton Ball?”
A handsome man with reddish-brown hair, standing in front of the office, noticed Soya and asked with a smile.
“Ah, yes…”
As her cheeks flushed pink, Soya thought,
‘Why does everyone call me Cotton Ball? I’m not Cotton Ball—I’m Soya…’
“I came to greet Saeon-nim. To say thank you…”
She fidgeted with both hands as she spoke.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll inform the head of the family.”
Through the slightly open door, she could see Saeon gently patting the head of a small boy who resembled him.
The refined young nobleman, with long white hair tied into a single braid and a gentle impression, was Baek Gahyeon, the second young master of the Baekho family.
Gahyeon looked up at his father with eyes filled with pride and admiration.
Soya glanced at Saeon’s broad palm as it softly stroked Gahyeon’s head.
“Head of the family. Miss Cotton Ball has come to see you.”
At those words, both Saeon and Gahyeon turned toward the door.
“She says she wishes to greet you.”
At Soya’s appearance, Gahyeon’s expression stiffened ever so slightly.
Noticing it, Soya flinched and shrank her shoulders.
Having grown accustomed over the past three years to watching others’ reactions, Soya could detect sharp gazes directed at her better than anyone.
Yet it was such a familiar look that she left it behind and approached Baek Saeon, bowing deeply in thanks.
“I came to greet you, Saeon-nim. Thank you for saving me, treating me, and giving me a warm room and clean clothes.”
Though she spoke timidly, the way she used formal speech and bowed with both hands gathered before her was anything but ordinary.
‘This is a child who has been taught proper etiquette.’
Saeon grasped the new fact at once.
“How is your body?”
“I’m fine now. My fever’s gone, and my throat doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“You look much better without being ill.”
Saeon slowly curved his lips into a grin as he looked over her small figure.
“This works out well. Hyeon-ah. Show Soya around Baekho Palace.”
“Pardon? Me?”
Startled by his father’s sudden command, Gahyeon asked in surprise.
From their very first meeting, Gahyeon had thought little of Soya.
‘She knew peaches would make her sick, yet she ate them anyway.’
He detested foolish children who couldn’t even properly express their own intentions.
He didn’t like that such a foolish child had appeared in his father’s arms, nor that she had been given the far western end room. He also didn’t like that she had interrupted his time with his father.
But he could not defy his father.
Wanting more than anyone to appear perfect before him, Gahyeon hid his displeasure and nodded.
“Understood, Father.”
Extending his hand toward Soya, Gahyeon asked in a gentle voice,
“Hello. Your name is Soya, right? Would you like to tour the residence with me?”
“Ah, I… yes.”
Soya cautiously took his hand after briefly gauging his mood. Gahyeon smiled sweetly, his eyes curving.
Saeon watched the two children leave hand in hand and let out a small chuckle.
Gahyeon glanced down at Soya, who was hurrying along while holding his hand.
‘Her hand is really small.’
His younger sibling, Gayul, hadn’t been this small.
‘And her legs are short.’
The way she had to move her little feet quickly to keep up with his pace looked somewhat pitiful.
‘What on earth is Father thinking?’
The far western end room.
That room had been prepared for his father to register a girl from a collateral branch into the family.
It was to put forward a candidate for the “Bride of the Hwangryong” under the family’s name.
The Bride of the Hwangryong—the consort of the Son of Heaven who ruled the continent.
It was not merely the emperor’s wife, but a position equal to the emperor, overseeing the empire’s stability and even acting in his stead in times of crisis.
For generations, the four great divine beast families had produced the Bride of the Hwangryong. When there was no direct-line daughter, it had long been custom to adopt a girl from a collateral branch and nominate her as a candidate.
Thus, the Baekho family, which had no daughter in this generation, also planned to register a child from a collateral branch.
Already, girls from the collateral lines had begun visiting one by one with their parents, hoping to make an impression on Saeon.
But now, this girl of unknown origin had taken that room, and Gahyeon couldn’t help but worry.
Not only that, Father had even assigned the Red Fox and the Indigo Wolf to this little Cotton Ball.
The Red Fox and the Indigo Wolf were the two western families that had served the direct line of Baekho for generations.
Moreover, Nam Sanho of the Indigo Wolf was the leader of all wolves in the western lands and originally attended Father himself. And Ho Yeonjeong of the Red Fox was the younger sister of Ho Jeokyeong, Father’s aide, and the one who oversaw the inner affairs of Baekho Palace.
Even if it was temporary, it was excessive treatment.
‘Surely he doesn’t intend to register this child into the family instead of adopting from a collateral branch.’
For the sake of the family, that must never happen. A child of unknown roots could never represent the family.
Besides, this child wasn’t even a tiger.
Small and white… a cat? But she seemed a little too gentle for a cat…
Or maybe a rabbit? She looked like she could live nibbling only grass—rabbit would suit her perfectly…
‘Anyway, that’s not what’s important. She mustn’t continue staying in the far western end room. Of course, Father will handle things appropriately…’
Baek Gahyeon, the second young master of the Baek family who revered his father Baek Saeon more than anyone, quickly erased his doubts.
It was not right to question his father’s decisions.
“This is the rear garden. The flowers are quite pretty, aren’t they?”
Though he introduced the residence in a gentle tone, Gahyeon’s eyes were filled with boredom.
He judged there was no need to put much effort into showing around a child who would only stay temporarily.
So, even knowing she had short legs and was hurrying to keep up, he deliberately did not slow his pace and gave only the briefest of explanations.
