WCB 13

Chapter 13

The baby bird that he thought was sleeping was breathing out thin, weak chirps with her eyes closed.

Thud!

Gayul’s heart sank with a jolt.

It was such a fragile breathing sound that seemed like it would stop at any moment.

“C-Cotton Ball’s breathing sounds strange!”

“Oh my, a physician! I’ll call for a physician!”

It was when Su Ri was about to rush out to call for a physician.

“Wait, it’s not a physician!”

“Pardon…?”

“Her Spirit Core is wrong!”

Gayul instinctively realized it. Soya’s problem wasn’t with her body, but with her Spirit Core.

“We need to take her to Aunt, not a physician!”

“Yes, yes? A-Aunt, you mean Lady Sara?”

Baek Sara, the elder sister of Family Head Baek Saeon and the priestess of White Tiger Palace. She was famous for her eccentric personality.

Because of this, Su Ri and other people of White Tiger Palace usually avoided approaching the Sacred Hall, but now wasn’t the time to worry about such things.

That adorable cotton ball Young Lady was in pain, wasn’t she?

Su Ri immediately transformed into a large wolf, carrying the Young Master and Young Lady on his back as he ran toward the Sacred Hall on the eastern side of White Tiger Palace.

As soon as Gayul arrived at the Sacred Hall, he jumped down from Su Ri’s back and frantically pounded on the door.

“Aunt Sara! Aunt Sara!”

With a creaking sound, the door opened, and a woman with an elegant updo of long, curly white hair and a gorgeous but cold impression stuck her head out while holding a long pipe in her mouth.

It was Baek Sara, the priestess of White Tiger Palace.

“I wondered what rude beast was pounding on the Sacred Hall’s door, so I came out to see.”

Baek Sara clicked her tongue as she looked down at her third nephew with a clearly displeased expression.

“It’s Baek Saeon’s youngest beast, tsk.”

“Save Cotton Ball!”

Gayul immediately thrust both hands forward and shouted.

“Cotton Ball…! Cotton Ball, Cotton Ball’s breathing is strange! I was definitely watching with my eyes wide open, but suddenly she collapsed with a thud…!”

What lay in Gayul’s small palms was an even smaller snow-white baby bird.

“Is this little one the cotton ball that Saeon brought home?”

Sara narrowed her eyes and observed the baby bird.

Not long ago, stories had spread throughout White Tiger Palace about how Baek Saeon had suddenly brought home a small girl like a cotton ball in the middle of the night and given her the western end room.

The story had reached even Sara’s ears, who had no interest in affairs outside the Sacred Hall.

Not a four-legged land beast, but a winged flying beast.

She was curious about this small life form that couldn’t be seen in White Tiger Palace, but examining the baby bird’s condition took priority.

Sara gently placed her hand over the baby bird’s small body and closed her eyes.

Then suddenly, at the same time she sensed something strange, Sara’s eyes snapped open.

A golden light rippled through her blue pupils.

“Bring Saeon. Right now!”

“Yes, yes! Lady Sara!”

At the frightening shout, Su Ri rushed out in a panic.

* * *

The southern continent, Land of Suzaku.

Jeok Hwayu was sitting at his desk processing documents.

Starting three years ago, he had been handling the family’s affairs in place of his father.

“Young Master.”

At that moment, the Black Masked Man appeared.

Jeok Hwayu glanced at the man and replied in an emotionless voice.

“How unusual.”

Two days had passed since he assigned the task.

The man’s visit was somewhat puzzling as he thought he would have left the Southern Lands by now, but he lowered his gaze back to the documents and asked in an indifferent voice.

“What happened to that child?”

“She’s dead.”

Pause.

His hand that was casually turning pages stopped.

The Masked Man placed what he had found on his desk.

A blood-stained pouch. And… three colorful beads.

Jeok Hwayu didn’t recognize them immediately.

Then he soon realized they were part of the bead bracelet he had bought for Soya on the streets.

“This was found at the place where her last traces remained.”

“…”

While Jeok Hwayu stared at them blankly, the Masked Man continued his report.

That wicked baby bird who stole the Young Lady’s place and deceived everyone had disappeared, leaving only bloodstains.

In the end, even her corpse couldn’t be found.

“…I see.”

Jeok Hwayu nodded and dismissed the man.

He covered his tired face with his palm.

That child was dead…

Was she really dead?

He hadn’t intended to kill her. He just…

[Lili absolutely can’t live under the same sky as that child. Unless you want to see Lili die, please get rid of that child.]

[I’ll do everything you want. If you’re upset because of that child, I’ll remove her from your sight forever. So please don’t cry, Lili. My heart is tearing apart.]

Right. He hadn’t intended to kill her.

He just planned to remove her far, far away so she could never appear before Lili again.

Because when that child was around, Lili became sad.

Poor Lili.

Jeok Hwayu’s heart ached whenever he thought of Lili.

But why was it?

When he thought that Soya, that child, might be dead, his heart hurt just like when he thought of Lili…

‘No. No. She’s the daughter of the criminal who stole and ruined Lili’s childhood. For Lili’s sake, shouldn’t I not grieve over that child’s death?’

Jeok Hwayu clenched his teeth with a distorted expression and stood up from his seat.

‘I need to report to Father…’

Father still didn’t know.

He probably didn’t even know that the child had disappeared from the estate.

After Lili returned, Father’s only interest was Lili.

But what should he report?

That child is dead.

All that remained where the child went missing were a few items and dried bloodstains.

The corpse couldn’t be found.

Even if she’s alive, she’ll die soon.

Because that child’s Spirit Core is already…

* * *

Soya had to have her Spirit Core taken away immediately after awakening it for the first time on the day of her first Beast Transformation at six years old.

Thus, the child’s body had not grown properly for three years due to the absence of her Spirit Core.

Moreover, her body was severely damaged in various places from forcibly attempting Beast Transformation without a Spirit Core.

Her weakened body had absorbed too much energy from the recently recovered Spirit Core, causing side effects.

“This child seems to have endured a long time without a Spirit Core.”

Baek Sara had returned to human form and explained while looking down at Soya, who was lying breathlessly on the bed.

“The reason the child is particularly small and frail is probably because of that. She couldn’t grow properly while enduring the prolonged absence of her Spirit Core.”

Saeon’s face hardened as he quietly listened to the explanation.

In the world of beast-people, taking away a Spirit Core was something done only to criminals who had committed grave sins.

That authority belonged to the heads of the Four Great Families, and this child had been living under the influence of the Suzaku Family.

‘That means… the one who took this child’s Spirit Core was…’

It must have been by the will of Jeok Ayun, the Family Head of the Suzaku Family.

“Moreover, the Spirit Core itself wasn’t in perfect condition either. It was seriously damaged.”

“…”

“It wasn’t simply damaged from being separated from its owner and left unmanaged. It seemed like someone had intentionally damaged it.”

Baek Sara spoke with a serious expression, frowning.

“Someone intentionally damaged such a small child’s Spirit Core?”

Saeon asked back in disbelief.

Immediately, he recalled the Three-Legged Crows of the Suzaku Family who had been attacking the child on the day he first met Soya.

‘Could it have been their doing?’

Jeok Ayun, the Family Head of the Suzaku Family known as the Sage of the South, was renowned for being virtuous and righteous.

He had a completely different reputation from Baek Saeon, who was rumored to be the mad tiger of the Western Lands, making them like oil and water that could never mix.

It was hard to believe that such a person would commit such vile acts against such a small, young child.

[Then I… was I almost killed? By… the people of the Suzaku Family…?]

The moment he remembered Soya crying sorrowfully while saying those words, Saeon unconsciously frowned.

The Red Fox he had assigned to the cotton ball had reported that the child’s body was covered with wounds.

Like traces of long-term abuse…

What exactly had happened between this child and the Suzaku Family?

‘I should send someone to the Southern Lands to investigate.’

The easiest way to find out would be to ask the child directly.

But if she had truly been abused, even remembering it would be painful for the child.

More than anything, Saeon didn’t want to see the child cry again.

The sight of the child crying sorrowfully made his heart ache just thinking about it.

Saeon was having unusually gentle thoughts.

“Therefore, I have nourished the child’s body and Spirit Core with my specially treasured spirit medicine, so if you feed her well, let her sleep, and let her play, she will recover soon.”

“Thank you, sister.”

“Don’t mention it. But if the Spirit Core isn’t properly treated, the fundamental problem won’t be solved. And as you know, the method to treat a Spirit Core is…”

It was when Saeon and Sara were continuing their serious conversation.

“Oh? The cotton ball opened her eyes!”

Gayul, who had been clinging close to Soya’s side, jumped up and shouted.

Instantly, everyone’s attention turned to Soya.

“Cotton ball! Are you okay?”

“Are you alright?”

Gayul and Saeon asked in turn.

Waking up in an unfamiliar place, Soya couldn’t understand what was happening and just blinked her eyes blankly.

“You were nodding off on the rock and then collapsed with a thud! So I brought you to Aunt Sara!”

“Ah…”

At Gayul’s explanation, Soya’s eyebrows drooped into a figure-eight shape.

It had been a nice day, so she was sitting on the large rock in the garden, basking in the sunlight.

Following the sun was the nature of bird beast-people, but she couldn’t freely bask in the sunlight like this at the Suzaku Mansion.

Because everyone disliked it when Soya wandered around outside.

But it was different here at the White Tiger Palace.

Yeonjeong and Sanho had told her she could take walks freely whenever she wanted.

No one got angry or frowned when Soya wandered around outside.

There was no one who covered their nose saying she smelled bad, or whispered and pointed fingers at her.

There was that strange tiger Young Master who kept stealing glances at her, but since she knew there was no sharp hatred in the Young Master’s eyes, she didn’t dislike it.

So while Yeonjeong had briefly left her side to report something to Saeon, she had wiggled her way outside alone for a walk.

She remembered sitting on the rock basking in the sunlight, then feeling drowsy and nodding off…