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Chapter 40
“…!”
Saeon’s expression stiffened at the unexpected remark.
“…That’s because Sommongchi still needs time to adjust.”
“But you addressed the young masters as ‘older brother’ just fine.”
“…….”
Jeokyeong glared mischievously and jabbed.
“You also know this, Miss Sommongchi. Calling the family head ‘Father’ isn’t quite fitting, given his… character—Ahhh!”
At that moment, Saeon suddenly threw open the door, and the documents piled on Jeokyeong’s desk flew everywhere.
“Family head!”
“Hmph.”
Saeon smirked triumphantly at Jeokyeong, catching one of the flying papers.
It was a report summarizing the case involving the daughter of the Eunho family.
Siyo had recently testified that a man in a black mask had visited her.
He had given her a sachet made from northern forbidden magic, and had revealed Soya’s past—all done by this man.
Unfortunately, when they investigated based on Siyo’s testimony, the man had already vanished without a trace.
‘Who did this, and why? Was it simply personal, or… could it be something else…?’
As Saeon read the report with indifferent eyes, lost in thought, Jeokyeong suddenly spoke up, as if remembering something.
“By the way… shouldn’t we inform Lady Cheongha as well?”
Saeon paused.
“She is, after all, the young masters’ mother, isn’t she?”
“…….”
Saeon’s expression stiffened slightly.
After finishing lunch, Soya went to see Sara.
Sara looked at Soya’s soul core and smiled warmly.
“You’ve been taking the medicinal tonic I sent, haven’t you, little one?”
Soya’s soul core had improved significantly.
The best way to strengthen a soul core separated from the body was frequent partial transformations, allowing the soul core to adapt.
However, Soya feared transformation.
Recognizing this, Sara did not force Soya but instead helped strengthen her body and soul core with medicine.
‘Still, she can’t avoid transforming forever…’
But for now, adapting to Baekhogung was more urgent for Soya.
“When you’re a bit healthier, you can achieve your first growth stage and awaken your abilities.”
“Really?”
Soya asked, surprised.
“Yes. So, my little one like Sommongchi, continue taking the tonic I send and grow strong and healthy.”
“Yes, Lady Sara!”
Soya answered brightly.
Yet Sara watched her with a somewhat displeased expression.
Soya, feeling she might have done something wrong, glanced at her nervously.
Sara frowned deeply and then spoke sharply:
“Call me ‘Aunt’ too.”
“Is that… okay?”
“You’re Baek Saeon’s daughter, so naturally, you’re my niece. Don’t tell me you’ll only recognize Saeon as family and not me?”
“N-no, of course not! A-Aunt…”
Soya added the title hesitantly, and Sara laughed heartily.
After bowing to Sara, Soya stepped out of the shrine, feeling oddly shy.
All day, the young masters had followed her, insisting she call them ‘older brother,’ while Yeonjeong and Sanho had asked her not to use honorifics for them.
Changing how she addressed everyone was still difficult for Soya.
[Let Sommongchi do as she feels. Don’t make her uncomfortable.]
Fortunately, Saeon’s words made everyone patient, waiting for Soya to adjust.
‘Since everyone is waiting, I need to get used to it quickly…’
Soya glanced around, ensured no one was watching, and muttered to herself.
“Older brother… Aunt… Ah… um.”
Tiny wrinkles formed on the bridge of Soya’s nose.
“F-Father… uuuhm.”
For some reason, the word starting with ‘A’ would not come out, and Soya fidgeted her lips in frustration.
It was particularly difficult to say “father” because Soya had only ever had one man she could call that.
The word brought to mind a single man—Aeyun Jeok, head of the Juja family, with fiery red hair, a gentle expression in contrast, but utterly cold to Soya.
The man she had once believed to be her real father.
‘When was the last time I called him father?’
Soya wriggled her fingers, recalling the memory.
She remembered shortly after being sent to the cold palace. She had always been alone there, waiting in hope that her absent family would someday come.
One day, longing to see her father, she sneaked out through a careless guard and sought his quarters.
[Father…! Hic!]
There, she froze in shock.
Under the moonlight, a man with red hair, hair untied, wandered, sobbing like a beast.
He glanced at Soya with hollow eyes, reeking of strong alcohol, then passed by.
He was no longer the father she knew.
Terrified and shocked, Soya thought, ‘It’s all because of me. Father suffers like this because of me…’
She never went to see him again.
Soya shook her head to forget the fearsome memory.
The terrifying memories kept resurfacing, tangling her like sticky vines.
Even after leaving the Juja mansion, they occasionally came back.
Her father pushing her away, her older brother Hwayu insulting her…
‘Can I really call him father? What if Saeon ends up like them?’
Lost in thought, Soya picked up a stone and drew on the dirt.
Three round-eared tigers represented Saeon and the two young masters, and a small girl nearby was Soya herself.
At that moment, a plump black furball popped up next to Soya.
“Selyo!”
Soya smiled and turned happily.
“Kiiing, kking!”
Selyo drew a rough circle beside Soya’s picture with his chubby paws.
“What’s that?”
“Kking, kking!”
“Did you draw me?”
Soya laughed at Selyo’s crude drawing.
“You can write your name well, but drawing isn’t your talent, huh?”
“Kiiing?”
Selyo tilted his head.
Soya added round ears and a long tail to Selyo’s circle, and it started to resemble him.
“Thanks for that day.”
That day, Selyo had imitated Suri, transforming into a black wolf, carrying Soya through Horim Mountain.
Thanks to him, she could reveal the beasts agitated by people and uncover Siyo’s use of northern forbidden magic.
Luckily, it was dark and chaotic, so no one realized Selyo was a beast.
Though the incident was resolved, Saeon later scolded her for the dangerous method.
[Even if you hadn’t used such a risky method, I would have trusted you, Sommongchi.]
[But blindly trusting me would make you an unfair family head. I didn’t want to cause you trouble.]
[My thoughtful little Sommongchi. But from now on, it’s fine to trouble me as much as you want.]
[Re…ally?]
[We’re family.]
Family.
Soya mulled over the word as she stared at her dirt drawings.
Suddenly, Selyo jumped up and growled toward the bushes across from them.
“Huh? What is it, Selyo?”
Soya followed his gaze.
But no one was there.
A man in a black mask quickly hid.
His name was Hondon.
One of the Four Fiends—alongside Gunggi, Dolok, and Docheol—he acted under the orders of Hyun Ra-baek, head of the Hyunmu clan.
The ruler’s command: disrupt the three great families to prevent the Bride of the Yellow Dragon from emerging.
To that end, he approached Eun Siyo, intending to eliminate other girls and ultimately Siyo herself.
However, his plan was foiled—thanks to a fledgling bird that had fled from the Juja nest.
[But the other girls’ palanquins had the same scent. If we leave it be, something dangerous may happen tomorrow…]
‘But how did she detect the scent?’
Hondon wondered about Soya noticing the forbidden magic’s scent.
He realized further investigation was necessary.
Yet approaching the girl would be difficult—she had Baekhogung’s full attention.
But an opportunity would soon arise—the Mountain Lord Festival was near.
