TWTCB 37

He bent one knee in front of the child, lowering himself to her eye level, and looked straight into her face as he asked,

“Uh, um… that is…”

Soya hesitated, then tightly clenched the hem of her clothes and answered,

“…Yes.”

Her voice was small and rough, as if it had been squeezed out.

In truth, she didn’t want to leave.

‘Still, it’s a good thing. I thought I’d have to leave without even saying goodbye, but I got to see him one more time like this.’

Soya forced herself to think positively.

Even though she was upset that her secret had been discovered, she told herself it was still for the best.

“I don’t like it. No. Don’t leave, cotton fluff.”

At Sayeon’s voice—flat yet urgent at the same time—Soya lifted her head.

“Pardon…?”

“You said I could steal you. So I stole you. You can’t change your words and run away now.”

“But back then… you clearly said I could stay for a while…”

“I did?”

“Yes.”

“I never said that—”

“You did. You said, ‘It’s not troublesome at all, so don’t worry and stay here for a while.’”

“……”

For a moment, the corner of Sayeon’s eyes creased faintly.

Right. He might have said something like that.

He hadn’t meant much by it, so he had forgotten.

He never imagined the child would memorize those words perfectly, repeating them to herself while thinking about the day she would have to leave.

“…To make you misunderstand like that. What a crazy tiger.”

His mutter carried heavy self-reproach.

Sayeon knew. All of this was because he had never given Soya certainty.

More than anything, he himself hadn’t even decided what to do about her.

So this was all his fault.

“I’m sorry, cotton fluff.”

Sayeon knelt down in front of Soya and apologized calmly.

“This is all my fault.”

“S-Sayeon-nim…!”

Startled, Soya jumped to her feet.

“Why are you kneeling…! Th-the floor is cold. Please, get up…”

Soya fidgeted anxiously, not knowing what to do.

But Sayeon remained kneeling, only lifting his head to look up at her.

“I brought you here, but I didn’t take proper responsibility. I made you anxious and even made you think about leaving on your own.”

“N-no! I—!”

“I promise, cotton fluff. I won’t make you feel anxious again. I’ll become a better adult.”

Soya, who had been waving her hands frantically, stopped at his low, steady voice.

“So instead of ‘for a while,’ stay here with me… from now on, always.”

“……!”

Soya’s eyes widened.

Stay here… from now on?

Then what about Siyo-nim?

Siyo-nim would feel uncomfortable with her…

And besides, I…

Staring blankly at Sayeon, Soya carefully asked,

“…Weren’t you disappointed in me?”

“Why would I be disappointed in you, cotton fluff?”

“Well… I… I’m a bad child who stole someone else’s life, just like Siyo-nim said… And earlier, your expression…”

Her voice grew smaller, trailing off.

“You looked very disappointed… You weren’t smiling…”

Soya recalled Sayeon’s face stiffening when Siyo exposed her secret.

Even though he usually had a cold impression, he always smiled brightly when he looked at her—so she hadn’t realized how frightening he looked when he didn’t smile.

That was why she thought he was disappointed in her. That he was angry.

After all, she was a sinner who had stolen someone else’s life, and yet she hid her past and shamelessly followed him all the way to Baekho Palace.

But Sayeon shook his head and replied quietly,

“I’m not disappointed in you. If I looked disappointed, it was because I was disappointed in myself.”

“…?”

“Because I didn’t realize what you went through in the Jujak family. That’s why I was disappointed in myself.”

“…That doesn’t make sense.”

Seeing her confused expression, unable to understand, Sayeon smiled bitterly and added,

“And the reason I didn’t smile… was because I felt pathetic for only finding out through someone else.”

“……”

“Because I couldn’t recognize the wounds you suffered in advance.”

“……”

“And because it hurt to think about how much you must have suffered for something like that. That’s why I couldn’t smile.”

“……”

Her small lips parted slightly like a bird’s beak.

Soya still couldn’t understand his words.

He was upset and hurt because of her? That’s why he couldn’t smile?

Maybe Sayeon hadn’t listened at all to what Siyo said earlier.

Maybe he didn’t understand what she had done in the Jujak family, how terrible it was, how she ran away.

“It’s not ‘something like that.’ I… I stole someone else’s life!”

So she had to explain.

That she was a very bad child.

That he didn’t need to feel upset or hurt because of her.

“Because of me, Lady Riri grew up without her parents! Because of me, her body is weak, and the head of the family and the young master suffered too… it’s all because of me…!”

It was strange.

She was only stating the facts, so why did her throat feel so hot and burning?

Why was she clenching her fists and raising her voice like someone agitated?

And why… was Sayeon looking at her with such a pained expression?

“Why is that your fault?”

Why did he sound so upset?

“You’re only nine years old, a baby cotton fluff. You must have been even younger when you were switched with that family’s daughter. So how could that possibly be your fault?”

“But… but everyone said so. The head of the family, the young master, the servants… they all said it was my fault…”

Soya’s trembling voice gradually filled with tears.

“They said I have to spend my whole life repaying this sin to Lady Riri. That I should suffer and be sad just as much as I made her suffer…”

“And so?”

Sayeon cut her off, clenching his fist tightly as he asked,

“Did the people of the Jujak family hurt you?”

He recalled Yeonjeong’s report that there were traces of abuse on the child’s body.

He recalled Sara’s words that her spirit core had been absent for a long time.

He recalled the three-legged crow of the Jujak family attacking her the day they first met.

And just now, the truth revealed by the silver tiger clan girl explained all of it.

“They said it’s only natural for people to hate and torment me… so I should endure it.”

Soya answered in a sad voice.

‘Those damned chicken-brained bastards.’

Sayeon swallowed his rising anger.

She had been switched with the youngest daughter of the Jujak family and later driven out?

She must have been switched at a very young age.

She probably didn’t even know it herself.

But even if she had been switched, how could that ever be her fault?

Anyone who thought about it even a little would know it wasn’t her fault—yet they cowardly pushed all their tragedy onto this small child.

And so Soya had endured people’s torment for such an absurd reason.

Without even knowing it was wrong.

“Listen carefully, cotton fluff. Everything you went through in the Jujak family… it was all wrong.”

He had to tell her.

“No one has the right to torment you. It’s not something justified.”

“But…”

“You did nothing wrong. The ones who were wrong are them.”

“But, but…”

Her eyes reddened, and soon large tears began to well up.

Until now, Soya had believed everything was her fault.

That she was a bad little bird who stole Lady Riri’s place—so it was only natural for everyone to hate her.

So even when faced with harsh criticism and abuse, she endured it silently without crying.

But Sayeon said none of it was her fault.

That she had done nothing wrong—that those who hurt her were the ones at fault.

‘It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t do anything wrong.’

The moment those words sank in—

Drip—

The tears gathered in her eyes fell.

Drip, drip—

“They all… hic, they all said it was my fault… sob… Not a single person… sob… was on my side. Not even Father, not even Brother Hwayu… everyone said it was Soya’s fault… so then… why…”

Soya cried as she asked,

“Why do you say it’s not my fault? Why are you the only one… who’s on my side?”

“Because the world you belonged to until now was wrong.”

At his calm voice, Soya’s eyes shook violently.

“Sniff… ugh…”

The sobs she had been holding back finally broke free.

“So I will show you the right world from now on.”

“Waaah!”

At last, her sorrow burst out completely.

“Soya…!”

Gahyun, who had been watching quietly from the corner the whole time, rushed over and wiped Soya’s tear-streaked face with her sleeve.

“So become my daughter, cotton fluff.”

Sayeon lightly tapped her reddened nose and smiled softly.