Translator: Nox

Chapter 24

Gayul let out a loud roar and snapped at her not to laugh.

“Yes, yes, Young Master. I won’t laugh.”

The sight of him roaring from that tiny little ㅅ-shaped mouth was so adorable that Soya had to clap both hands over her mouth to barely stifle her laughter.

Even so, the giggles that slipped out were unavoidable.

“Rawr! Raaang! (You said you wouldn’t laugh!)”

Gayul bristled his fur, his body trembling, before whipping around with a huff.

“Grrr…! (You’re just like my brother, you fluffball! Betraying me like this!)”

Gayul grumbled sulkily, thoroughly upset.

His tail, belonging to the turned-away Gayul, swished back and forth.

Soya’s eyes followed the swaying tail, rolling along with it, until a sudden thought struck her, and she asked,

“But Youngest Young Master, do you know what the Second Young Master likes?”

“Grng? Sniff! (What my brother likes? Who knows?)”

Gayul replied indifferently, as if he couldn’t care less, while licking his front paw.

As if he cared what his second brother—who had handed him off to his master—liked. Hmph.

“Young Master, are you sulking by any chance?”

“Grng!”

Gayul didn’t answer. Instead, he snorted with a grng.

The movement of his tail, swinging side to side, grew even more vigorous.

Soya scratched her cheek with a troubled look as she watched Gayul’s tail smack the ground, slap slap, as if proclaiming, I’m sulking!

What should I do? He really seems upset.

Soya pondered seriously.

It was because even Gayul’s beast-transformed, sulking figure sitting with his back turned was too cute.

I need to cheer him up, but he’s so adorable that I don’t want to.

She should apologize for laughing at the young master and ask him not to be upset.

But that backside, smacking the ground with his tail slap slap, was so cute that she just wanted to keep watching like this.

Just then, Siyo happened to pass by nearby, spotted the two, and approached.

“Oh my, Young Master Gayul! It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

Siyo greeted him warmly and reached out her hand to Gayul.

“Kyahaak! (What the—!)”

At that, Gayul bared his teeth and growled fiercely.

“Oh dear!”

Startled by it, Siyo quickly pulled her hand back, but the thoroughly enraged Gayul charged savagely toward her.

While Siyo froze in place at Gayul’s ferocious momentum, as if he would tear into her at any moment—

“That’s not allowed, Young Master!”

Soya shouted as she swiftly scooped up Gayul’s body.

“Kyaung? (Uh, huh?)”

Suddenly hoisted into the air, Gayul blinked his eyes.

“You’re scaring the young lady!”

At Soya’s firm shout—which he had never heard before—Gayul inexplicably shrank back, drooping his ears as he made excuses.

“Grng, grrung…. (That’s not what I meant….)”

Gayul was basically affectionate toward people by nature, but he had an instinctual habit of vying for dominance whenever he encountered tigers around his own age.

That was why he always bickered with Arang, whom he had frequently run into since childhood.

Until now, he had never once thought of that trait of his as wrong.

Even when his second brother Gahyeon had scolded him as an immature young tiger who couldn’t suppress his instincts, he had just snorted and ignored it.

Yet for the first time, Gayul felt as though he had committed a grave wrong.

I must have scared the fluffball by acting so rough.

The fluffball was small and fragile. That was why he had to protect her. And yet, he had bared his teeth in front of her.

What if the fluffball thinks I’m a violent tiger and won’t play with me anymore?

His thoughts reached that point, and worry suddenly gripped him.

“Kiiing…. (Sorry, fluffball. Did I scare you a lot?)”

Gayul whimpered, shaking his big round eyes.

At that, Soya smiled gently at Gayul and soothed him in a soft voice.

“I know you didn’t mean to do it on purpose, Young Master. But you should apologize to Miss Siyo, not me.”

“Kiiing….”

Gayul shook his head vigorously, his face saying he absolutely hated the idea.

An apology? That was a word that didn’t exist in his ten years of life.

He had already completely forgotten that just moments ago he had been telling Soya he was sorry, and now he was determined to hold out without apologizing.

“If you’re scared of apologizing, should I help you?”

Soya asked, tilting her head.

“…!”

Gayul stared at Soya with a deeply shocked expression.

To receive help from that tiny fluffball? That would be utterly unbefitting of a brave tiger from the great Baekho Clan—such a cowardly act.

If his second brother found out, he’d surely scoff and look down on him pitifully.

He was already sulking at Gahyeon over what happened a few days ago. He absolutely refused to appear pathetic to his second brother again.

Having thought that far, Gayul squeezed his eyes shut and poof! transformed back into human form.

Then, with his face beet red, he glared sharply at Siyo before shouting at her, who flinched at his fierce aura.

“S-Sorry, silver tiger…! Baek Ga-ryul, third son of the great Baekho Clan, will specially apologize to you!”

“No, Young Master. It’s fine.”

The flustered Siyo waved her hands as she replied.

Gayul then turned to Soya and declared proudly,

“You heard that, fluffball? She said it’s fine!”

“You did really well, Young Master.”

As Soya beamed and praised him, the corners of Gayul’s mouth crept upward slyly.

It was the kind of expression that made one imagine his invisible tail swishing back and forth again.

Meanwhile, Siyo watched the two intently before quietly asking Soya,

“What were you two talking about? It sounded like you were discussing Brother Gahyeon.”

“Oh, well, I want to make a talisman for the Second Young Master, but he doesn’t seem to like stones much. Do you know what Young Master likes, Miss Siyo?”

Soya quietly added that she couldn’t afford anything expensive, so something easily obtainable nearby would be great.

Gayul, who had flopped down onto the ground upon hearing their conversation, grumbled and chimed in.

“Why bother with such a hassle to give him another gift? My brother doesn’t deserve it! Just ignore him, fluffball!”

He still had no realization that he himself was being petty and holding a grudge like a tiger with a vendetta.

“If it’s something Brother Gahyeon likes…”

Siyo pondered for a moment before brightening with a good idea and suggesting,

“How about picking some sky flowers for him? Around this time, the buds are just starting to bloom.”

“Sky flowers?”

“They bloom on the mid-slope of Horim Mountain. They’re hard to find anywhere else, so they’re very precious even in the Western Lands. Since Brother Gahyeon enjoys flower arranging, he’d love receiving such a rare flower.”

Soya’s face lit up at Siyo’s explanation.

She had no idea the Second Young Master enjoyed flower arranging.

Plus, with flowers, she could secretly put them in a vase.

“Thank you so much, Miss Siyo!”

Soya thanked her with a wide smile.

“Huh? Fluffball, you’re going up Horim Mountain?”

Gayul, who had been listening to their conversation, tilted his head and asked.

“I’ll ask Miss Yeon-jeong and Miss San-ho first.”

Soya replied, fidgeting with her fingertips on her expectant face.

It would be her first time climbing the mountain… but somehow, she felt Miss Yeon-jeong and Miss San-ho would allow it.

Because everyone at Baekho Palace had told her it was fine no matter what she did.

“Then I’ll go too! I know the way up Horim Mountain really well!”

And so, Soya and Gayul decided to climb Horim Mountain together.

“Miss Soya.”

At that moment, Siyo called out to Soya and handed her a small scent pouch.

“This is in return for the talisman you gave me.”

“Thank you, Miss Siyo.”

Soya replied with a broad grin.

“This isn’t the time for that, fluffball! Hurry and go get permission!”

Gayul, even more excited than Soya, bounced around urging her on.

“Ah, Young Master, wait…! Aah!”

“Let’s go!”

The impatient Gayul grabbed Soya’s wrist and started running off.

* * *

“Miss Yeon-jeong! Miss San-ho!”

Soya scurried over to Yeon-jeong and San-ho to ask for permission.

“Um, tomorrow morning, is it okay if I go up Horim Mountain with the Youngest Young Master and come back? I want to pick sky flowers to give to the Second Young Master!”

Soya asked with a pounding heart, her face full of eager anticipation.

Yeon-jeong made a troubled face at the young lady brimming with such high hopes.