Chapter 64
Cheongryong Clan of the Eastern Divine Beast, Azure Dragon.
The master of the Azure Sea Dragon Palace, called the underwater palace(水中宮闕), and the guardian who protected and ruled over the sea beastkin of the eastern seas.
Cheongha was a direct descendant of that Cheongryong Clan and the most likely candidate to become the next patriarch.
However, true to her Azure Dragon heritage, she possessed a temperament as free as the wind and had no desire for the position of patriarch.
The moment one ascended to the role of patriarch in the Cheongryong Clan, a seal(印) was engraved onto their Spirit Core, binding them so they could not leave the eastern lands unless summoned by the Imperial Dragon.
Violating that would strain the Spirit Core, ultimately leading to death.
This had originally been a method devised by the central Imperial Dragon, guardian of ancient peace, to control the belligerent nature of the Azure Dragon. But in modern times, it had devolved into a means for the imperial family—fellow dragon beastkin—to keep the Cheongryong Clan in check.
Thus, the path Cheongha chose to avoid the position was none other than marriage.
She sought out Sa-eon, who had become patriarch at a young age, and proposed marriage.
[So, what do I gain from this union?]
[I gain my freedom, and you get a pretty wife.]
In truth, when she made that brazen proposal, everyone thought Sa-eon would refuse.
From childhood, the two had been on such bad terms that they would draw weapons the moment they met.
Yet Sa-eon accepted her bold marriage proposal.
By becoming the matriarch of Baekho Palace, Cheongha naturally escaped her duties as a direct descendant.
After Sa-eon took a matriarch, Baekho Palace enjoyed a period of peace.
Three adorable tiger young masters were born, and contrary to worries, the patriarch and matriarch’s relationship was remarkably good.
“But then, suddenly, something came up where Lady Cheongha had to leave Baekho Palace.”
“Something that required her to leave Baekho Palace?”
Soya, who had been listening to the story of her father’s marriage with sparkling eyes full of excitement, blinked in surprise at the continuation.
“The patriarch of the Cheongryong Clan passed away.”
Yeon-jeong continued the story in a subdued voice.
After Cheongha left the clan through marriage, her twin younger sister naturally became the next in line for patriarch.
However, eight years ago, when the Northern Land ignited a war, the imperial family conscripted one person from each clan.
Amid the increasingly protracted war, her sister—the patriarch of the Cheongryong Clan—died, leaving behind only a young nephew.
“Lady Cheongha felt intense guilt over it. She believed that if she had become patriarch, her sister wouldn’t have died.”
“But that wasn’t Lady Cheongha’s fault.”
“Everyone said so, but what she felt was different.”
In the midst of that, one of the retainers staged a rebellion, plunging the eastern lands into chaos.
The Cheongryong Clan teetered on the brink of collapse, but the imperial family offered no aid.
The imperial family, which had long kept the Cheongryong Clan in check, saw no need to intervene.
In the end, Cheongha chose to leave Baekho Palace to fulfill her duties as a direct descendant.
“Of course, the patriarch and the young masters all tried to hold her back.”
“…….”
“Especially the youngest young master clung to her the most. Back then, he stuck to Lady Cheongha like glue and wouldn’t let go.”
A faint smile graced Yeon-jeong’s face as she recalled Gahyeon’s childhood.
Unlike other children, Gahyeon had been sensitive even as an infant and rarely let anyone but Cheongha near him.
He was even shy around his own father, Sa-eon.
After a brief conflict, Sa-eon yielded and let Cheongha go.
But Gahyeon alone couldn’t accept her departure.
He clutched at her hem, begging her not to leave, not to abandon them, and if she must go, to take him with her.
However, it was impossible to take a direct descendant child who hadn’t yet awakened his Spirit Core outside Baekho Palace, and the eastern lands she was heading to were far too dangerous for a child.
Cheongha left Baekho Palace while Gahyeon slept, leaving only words of apology and a promise to return soon.
Upon returning to the eastern lands, she dealt with the rebellious retainers and rebuilt the Cheongryong Clan that had nearly crumbled.
But she couldn’t return right away.
Her deceased sister’s young nephew, who had succeeded her as patriarch, had been conscripted to the battlefield.
Someone was needed to inherit the patriarch’s seal(印) and protect the Azure Dragon’s lands until the young patriarch returned.
Only Azure Dragon beastkin with direct descendant blood could have the patriarch’s seal(印) engraved upon their Spirit Core.
Thus, she decided to inherit the seal on her own Spirit Core and act as proxy patriarch until the young one came back.
However, since someone from another clan couldn’t serve as proxy patriarch, she had to divorce Sa-eon and have her name officially struck from the family register.
And the young Gahyeon, who had gone to the eastern gate every day waiting for his mother, stopped waiting after that day.
“In truth, we didn’t expect Lady Cheongha to be gone this long. Even though her name was removed from the register, we thought she’d come back.”
Yeon-jeong added that it was all because the war with the Xuanwu Clan had dragged on.
“Actually, last year, Lady Cheongha visited Baekho Palace. To help with Young Master Hyeon’s growing pains.”
“…….”
“But Young Master Hyeon locked his door tight and wouldn’t open it for her. So Lady Cheongha waited for days but had no choice but to leave.”
“I see…”
At the end of the long story, Soya seemed about to say more but clamped her mouth shut.
Yeon-jeong’s tales were always fun, but today, they weren’t entertaining at all.
“Oh dear, our young lady has such a pensive look on her face.”
“Lady Cheongha must have been so heartbroken.”
Both having to leave her family, and being resented by them.
It all seemed so heartbreaking.
“The young masters are still young, after all. As they grow older, they’ll come to understand Lady Cheongha.”
While Yeon-jeong tidied the room, Soya wandered the garden with a slightly downcast expression.
“Soya!”
Seolyo approached, holding a thick blanket.
“San-ho sent it. Said it’s cold out.”
“Thank you, Seolyo.”
Soya draped the blanket Seolyo handed her over her shoulders.
“Soya, you look down. Are you worried about that woman?”
Seolyo asked as he walked alongside her.
“I’m worried about Lady Cheongha, but… actually…”
Soya thought Cheongha’s circumstances were truly pitiful.
But in truth, she was more worried about and concerned for Gahyeon than Cheongha.
It might sound a bit odd to say she was more bothered by the one inflicting harsh wounds on Cheongha…
But she knew.
What it felt like to be abandoned by family.
[True family doesn’t abandon each other over something like that. Just discard those fake family ties first.]
Soya recalled what Gahyeon had said to her during the Mountain Lord Festival.
Those words had been tremendous comfort and strength to her…
‘Maybe those words were about big brother’s own story.’
Soya glanced up at Gahyeon’s lit room.
* * *
These past few days, Gahyeon had been on edge.
He was so sensitive that the servants whispered he was emitting a fiercer aura than Gayul, who was suffering from growing pains.
Ever since the day Cheongha visited Baekho Palace, he’d been in this state.
While quietly reading a book, a certain face suddenly flashed in his mind, and he crumpled the page in his fist.
‘What a ridiculous situation.’
The angrier he got thinking about her face—how she tried to hide her flustered expression with a forced smile while looking at him.
‘I begged her so desperately not to go, but she left me behind anyway. And now she wants to play mother?’
Gahyeon still remembered that day vividly.
The day she left despite his pleas not to go, not to abandon him.
[Don’t go, Mother. Don’t leave Father and us behind.]
[Hyeon-ah.]
[Sob, sniff, ugh… I want to keep living with you, Mother. So, ugh, sob, please, don’t go.]
[I’m sorry, Hyeon-ah.]
She had hugged him, patting his back with apologies, lulling him to sleep with reassurances—then slipped away.
The next morning when he woke, only her empty spot awaited him, cold and vacant.
That was already seven years ago.
Gahyeon had been only four then, but that day’s memory was etched crystal clear.
‘I don’t need a mother who abandons her child no matter how much they beg. My real family is just Father, big brother, Yul, and Soya.’
It was then, as Gahyeon glared down at the crumpled book with those thoughts.
Tok.
Tok, tok.
A tapping sound came from the window, like pecking.
“Soya…?”
Recognizing the visitor just from the sound, Gahyeon jumped up and hurried to the window.
When he opened it, Soya—in the form of a fluffy baby cotton ball—was tapping the windowsill with her beak like a woodpecker.
