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Chapter 9
The direct descendants of the White Tiger Clan, who ruled the western region, were known to be born with extraordinary physical abilities.
Baek Sa-eon had crossed a distance that would normally take a horse a full week in a single bound.
Where he arrived was the mountain fortress, Baekho Mountain Palace.
People more commonly called it the White Tiger Palace, the massive estate of the White Tiger family.
“L-Lord Head of House?”
“Father?”
As Sa-eon returned in the dead of night carrying a young girl in one arm, the people of the White Tiger Palace rushed out in shock.
Among them were his two sons—his second son Baek Gahyeon and third son Baek Garyul.
“Call the physician immediately.”
Ignoring the panicked crowd, Sa-eon walked straight to his quarters and laid the child on his bed.
Seeing her deathly pale face and shallow, ragged breathing, Ho Jeokyeong—the head of the Red Fox Clan and Sa-eon’s aide—carefully asked,
“Who is this child, my lord?”
“I picked her up on the way.”
Sa-eon answered indifferently, crossing his arms.
Yet despite his casual tone, his gaze and presence were sharp, as if deeply worried the child might die.
“You picked her up…?”
“More precisely, I stole her.”
“W-what?”
“Father, are you planning to become a thief?”
Everyone stared at him in confusion, but Sa-eon kept his lips tightly shut, only watching the child.
Only when the physician was urgently called did he finally speak again.
“Fix her.”
“Y-yes, sir! I-I will fix her!”
Just as the physician hurried forward to check her pulse—
Flinch.
The child’s eyes twitched.
Slowly—
Her eyelids lifted, revealing light pink eyes that resembled spring blossoms.
Blink. Blink.
She looked around the unfamiliar room filled with strangers.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Fear rose instinctively, and her heart pounded.
Where am I…?
So-ya searched her memory.
She had gone out to the summer festival with Hua-yu…
She had been waiting for her brother, who never came…
And then a masked assassin had appeared…
And after that—
Her gaze landed on the only familiar figure in the room.
Ah…!
The tension in her face loosened, and a small breath of relief escaped her lips.
“Cotton ball, you’re awake?”
Sa-eon asked with a deliberately concerned voice.
“Yes, I’m fi—”
The moment she tried to answer—
“Eek!”
The third young master, Baek Garyul, who had been sneakily watching her, screamed and hid behind Sa-eon’s leg.
So-ya froze in shock.
“Father, she’s really small… If you blow on her, she looks like she’ll fly away…”
Garyul whispered while clutching Sa-eon’s clothes, still staring at her.
Indeed, So-ya was even smaller than Garyul, the youngest child in the White Tiger Palace.
Sa-eon chuckled at his son’s reaction.
“Then you should be careful, Garyul. So you don’t blow her away.”
“H-huh!”
Garyul immediately covered his mouth with both hands, terrified that even his breath might send her flying.
Sa-eon laughed softly and messed up his son’s hair.
So-ya stared blankly at the gentle, almost affectionate gesture.
Then Sa-eon nodded toward the physician.
“Examine her.”
“I-I’m fine.”
So-ya quickly waved her hands.
“It’s just because I ate a peach… I’ll be fine soon, really!”
“Peach?”
Sa-eon raised a brow.
“Peaches can do this?”
“Sometimes, if someone eats something their body rejects, it causes a reaction. I will prepare medicine for swelling and fever, my lord.”
The physician’s explanation made Sa-eon’s expression grow even colder.
“So you knowingly ate something that would make you sick?”
“W-well…”
Before she could answer properly—
“Throw out all the peaches in the estate.”
“W-wait, that’s not necessary!”
So-ya panicked and waved her hands.
“Yes, my lord.”
But Ho Jeokyeong was faster in obeying.
“And for the child…”
Sa-eon paused, looking at So-ya.
“Give her the far western room.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“But Father, that room is—!”
Garyul, who had been anxiously watching So-ya all along, raised his voice.
“That room?”
“Ah—never mind.”
Under Sa-eon’s gaze, he backed down.
* * *
Sa-eon personally carried So-ya to her room.
“I… because of me… I’m causing trouble…”
So-ya mumbled weakly in his arms as her fever returned.
“It’s not trouble. Don’t worry. Rest here for now and get better.”
“Yes…”
Even during the short walk, her vision blurred from the fever.
She remembered taking the medicine the physician had prepared—and then falling asleep.
When she woke again, her body felt much lighter.
“I think the fever has gone down…”
“But how can she be this small and soft? Her skin is like rice flour. The whole White Tiger Palace might melt from her cuteness.”
“I think I understand why the Lord called her ‘Cotton Ball.’ She’s really too adorable.”
Hearing voices nearby, So-ya slowly opened her eyes.
And immediately met the eyes of unfamiliar women staring down at her.
“Oh! The young lady is awake!”
“Hello, young lady. Are you feeling better?”
Startled, So-ya shrank back.
“W-who are you?”
“I’m Yeonjeong of the Red Fox Clan! I’ll be serving you from today!”
“I’m Sanho of the Indigo Wolf Clan! I’ll protect you! Ahh, your voice is so cute!”
The two women introduced themselves excitedly.
So-ya’s head spun from their rapid chatter.
Then she suddenly realized—
They were calling her young lady.
“Wait, young lady?!”
That title was only for precious noble girls like Lady Lili. Not for a “bad little bird” who had stolen things.
“I’m not a young lady. Please just call me So-ya…”
“But you’re the Lord’s guest.”
“A guest? I’m not a guest, I’m just—”
She stopped.
She almost said I was stolen.
But Sa-eon’s warning came back to her.
If rumors spread that I sneaked into the Vermillion Bird lands like a thief cat…
His expression had been very serious.
I shouldn’t cause trouble for him…
So-ya hesitated and said nothing.
Sanho quickly added,
“If we are rude to the Lord’s guest, it would also be disrespectful to the Lord. Please help us act properly toward you, young lady.”
“Y-yes…”
So-ya nodded reluctantly.
She didn’t like being called “young lady,” but she didn’t want to trouble Sa-eon, who had saved her.
The two women exchanged smiles.
“Then, shall we start by bathing you?”
“Eh?”
Before she could react, Sanho suddenly lifted her up.
They carried her to the bath, washed her thoroughly, dressed her in clean clothes, and even fixed her hair skillfully.
So fast…
So-ya could only blink in disbelief.
In just one night, everything had changed.
She was taken in, cleaned, dressed, placed in a beautiful room, and even had her hair brushed.
She didn’t know what to do with herself.
“There are four major estates in the Empire that are officially granted the title ‘Palace’ besides the Emperor’s Imperial Palace.”
Yeonjeong began explaining.
The underwater palace of the eastern lands, Blue Sea Dragon Palace.
The mountain stronghold of the west, White Tiger Palace.
The heavenly estate of the south, Vermilion Bird Pavilion.
The underground domain of the north, Black Earth Palace.
By granting these four estates the title of “Palace,” the Imperial family officially recognized the power of the Four Great Clans.
“Our White Tiger Palace is one of them.”
When the Vermilion Bird estate was mentioned, So-ya flinched slightly.
But she pretended not to notice and nodded quietly.
Then she felt a gaze.
“…?”
Through a slightly open door, a small boy with white hair was secretly watching her.
He’s the one who hid behind Sa-eon yesterday…
“Oh, that’s the youngest young master.”
Sanho and Yeonjeong noticed her gaze and explained.
“There are three young masters here: the eldest Gaya, the second Gahyeon, and that one, Garyul, the youngest.”
“Gaya has been away at war for three years, but the other two are here.”
“Hm… that’s strange. The youngest should be training in swordsmanship right now.”
So-ya looked at Garyul again.
His fine white hair and blue eyes resembled Sa-eon’s.
But every time their eyes met, he quickly looked away, pretending not to be watching.
Why is he acting like that…?
Sanho leaned closer and whispered into So-ya’s ear with a soft smile.
“It seems the youngest young master wants to become friends with you.”
“Huh? Me?”
So-ya’s eyes widened.
But she quickly shook her head.
“That can’t be true.”
