Chapter 47
The child still didn’t know what it meant to have awakened the White Tiger.
In any normal situation, this would undoubtedly be a tremendous blessing. However….
‘The calamity from the Northern Land is targeting Soya.’
If this fact became known in a situation where the calamity was already after the child….
“Soya.”
Sa-eon called her in a solemn voice.
“Sa-eon-nim?”
“You have to keep the fact that you awakened the White Tiger a secret for the time being. If it gets out, something like what happened today might happen again.”
“……!”
Soya’s eyes widened in sudden shock as she asked,
“Does that mean Hyeon-oppa and the others could be in danger again?”
At her reaction, Sa-eon let out a soft, deflating laugh like a hiss of air.
Even in the midst of all this, Soya was worrying about others more than herself—it was both admirable and heartbreaking.
“You’re only worried about the others? You’re not worried about yourself getting in danger?”
“……?”
Soya blinked blankly for a moment, not understanding his words, then belatedly let out a gasp.
“Ah….”
With an awkward expression, Soya made an excuse.
“That’s not it…. I didn’t think about that. Is that a little strange?”
It was because of the environment she’d grown up in, where she hadn’t loved herself for so long.
Even after coming to Baekho Palace and receiving everyone’s warm attention and love, she still wasn’t fully used to it.
“No. It’s not strange. It can happen.”
Sa-eon deliberately replied in an especially gentle voice, so the child wouldn’t think she was doing something wrong.
“I just wish you’d think of yourself before others. You’re a more precious child than anyone.”
Precious child.
At those words, Soya’s mouth fell open slightly.
“But if it’s still hard for you right now, then worrying about you will be my job.”
Sa-eon added with a grin.
“Because I’m Daddy.”
“Ah….”
Soya let out an involuntary gasp.
Daddy.
It was the most reliable word in the world.
Just having a daddy made Soya feel like the most precious child in the world.
And just having a daddy made Soya feel like she could do anything, like she was the strongest person ever.
Daddy.
It was the coolest and strongest word in the world. It was a precious, sparkling word that kept making her, who had tried not to desire anything, crave more and more.
“Daddy is most worried about his baby fluffball. So let’s keep it a secret until we figure out who’s behind today’s incident.”
“Yes…!”
Soya nodded vigorously.
Sa-eon chuckled softly and ruffled her hair affectionately.
“You’re such a good, amazing baby fluffball. You’re the bravest and most spirited one out of all the baby fluffballs I know.”
At Sa-eon’s warm praise, the corners of Soya’s mouth twitched upward.
No matter how many times she heard Sa-eon-nim’s praise, it always made her feel good.
“And fluffball, is it okay if you step outside the tent for a bit? If you’re not feeling dizzy or too exhausted….”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Sa-eon scooped Soya up in one arm and stepped out of the tent.
Seolyo, who had been waiting outside, spotted Soya and came bounding over with eager whines.
Sa-eon carried Soya straight to the altar where the ritual had taken place.
The people gathered near the altar, murmuring among themselves, fell silent all at once at Sa-eon’s appearance.
“I hereby announce the winner of this year’s Mountain Lord Festival.”
At the sudden declaration, Ho Jeok-yeong stared at Sa-eon with a ‘What? Suddenly?’ expression.
Not just Ho Jeok-yeong—everyone looked baffled.
The festival had been paused after the mountain suddenly rumbled and a young master had fallen off the cliff, requiring a rescue.
And now, a winner out of nowhere?
“This year’s Mountain Lord is Baek Clan’s Soya.”
“Pardon? But, Patriarch, this is too sudden….”
“Deciding the winner so unilaterally like this….”
“The one who hunted the most was from the Galho Clan….”
Everyone murmured in confusion and panic.
Among them, the most bewildered was none other than Soya.
“Sa-eon-nim? Why….”
But instead of answering Soya’s question, Sa-eon looked at the assembled kin and retainers and continued.
“Baek Clan’s daughter Soya has found the White Tiger’s divine treasure.”
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
At Sa-eon’s next words, everyone gasped in unison, their mouths falling open wide.
Sa-eon raised the White Tiger Divine Sword that Soya had found and explained to the now-silent crowd.
“The Mountain Lord Festival originally began as a search for the White Tiger’s divine treasure. Since Baek Clan’s daughter has finally found it, she deserves to be the winner, doesn’t she?”
The people, frozen in disbelief, soon realized that the sword in Sa-eon’s hand was truly the White Tiger’s divine treasure.
In that moment, cheers of joy erupted from here and there.
“Ooooh! To find the divine treasure that eluded us for centuries….!”
“It’s a blessing for the Western Land!”
“Now we can give those smug Southern Region birdbrains and Eastern fish folk a piece of our mind!”
Unlike the other three directional lands, the Western Land was sometimes looked down upon for lacking its guardian deity’s divine treasure.
Of course, with the Baek Clan’s formidable power, no one said it outright, but the beastkin of the west still often felt their pride subtly wounded.
But to have found the divine treasure that they’d searched for endlessly without success!
And by that tiny fluffball of a young lady, no less!
“The young lady has brought great fortune to the Western Land!”
“It turns out the Patriarch didn’t bring in the young lady on a whim.”
“We misunderstood without grasping the Patriarch’s deep intentions.”
“Heh heh. I thought the Patriarch had been blinded by the fluffball young lady’s cuteness and decided hastily….”
Even those who had eyed Soya suspiciously now added their voices with faces full of joy.
‘They were spreading rumors that we’d registered a flightless bird who couldn’t even beast transform.’
Sa-eon inwardly disliked those who were only now changing their attitudes after Soya’s feat.
A fluffball was plenty amazing without doing anything special.
Just breathing made her the cutest and coolest fluffball in the world.
Sa-eon, who had been eyeing them with displeasure, soon changed his mind.
‘Well, loving and cherishing the fluffball without reason is something her family can do.’
Thinking that, Sa-eon turned to Soya in his arm.
“Congratulations on becoming Mountain Lord, fluffball. You were the coolest and bravest baby beastkin in this Mountain Lord Festival.”
Sa-eon placed the White Tiger mask on Soya’s head as he congratulated her.
Amid the people’s cheers, Soya looked around with a slightly dazed expression before shyly smiling.
“Fluffball!”
“Soya!”
“Whine!”
As Sa-eon set Soya down, Gayul, Arang, and Seolyo all rushed over at once.
“Are you okay? Really?”
“You fell off a cliff with my brother!”
“Whine, huff….!”
They seemed to think Soya and Gahyeon had simply taken a wrong path and fallen off the cliff.
“My brother was saying he lost you, not even calling you oppa or anything, and then he comes back all banged up….”
Worry for Gahyeon laced Gayul’s grumbling tone.
“Hyeon-oppa will be up in no time. So don’t worry too much.”
“What worry! The mighty tigers of the Baek Clan don’t worry about such things!”
Caught showing his true feelings to Soya, Gayul flushed red at his ears and shouted.
Arang suddenly pulled a giggling Soya into a tight hug.
“Anyway, that was so cool, Soya! Finding the divine treasure!”
“Eek, Arang-nim….!”
Soya’s body swayed under Arang’s weight for a moment but quickly regained balance.
“You’re amazing for real! The Baek Clan can’t have you—come to my house!”
“Whine! Huff!”
Seolyo joined in from the side, making strange eager noises.
“And Soya! I saw you beast transform, and you were so cute!”
Arang exclaimed with sparkling eyes.
“Hmph, what did I tell you? Fluffballs are cute normally, but even cuter when they beast transform!”
Gayul smirked smugly, as if he’d been the one praised.
“Whine, huff!”
Seolyo mimicked Gayul’s expression and let out a happy rumble.
“That’s not fair! You’re so cute, and you only showed me now!”
“Grr! Your house doesn’t have a fluffball this cute, right?”
“Eek! No way—Baek Ga-yul! I’ll take you out and steal the fluffball!”
It was right when Arang couldn’t hold back at Gayul’s taunt and lunged at him.
Soya, who had been standing quietly, asked back without understanding their words.
“You said… cute?”
