Chapter 30
It was at that moment.
“Kkiing! Kking!”
Seolyo bristled its tail and bit down on Gahyeon’s shoe.
“That….”
Gahyeon’s eyes narrowed sharply as he spotted Seolyo.
Although it looked like it was mimicking a tiger, there was no mistaking that it was not a wild mountain animal.
If it truly were a wild beast, then as a direct descendant of the White Tiger, the one who oversees Horimsan, he would have recognized it immediately.
“A magical beast…?”
The black magical beast carried an energy like a protective barrier, as if it were defending someone.
Could it have been the barrier from just now that this creature had created? But from what, and to protect whom?
It was while Gahyeon pondered these questions that something happened.
“Th-this one isn’t bad, Young Master! Really!”
Soya, startled, quickly lifted Seolyo away from Gahyeon.
“The mountain beasts attacked me, but it saved me….”
“The mountain beasts attacked you?”
Gahyeon suddenly looked up, questioning, as he examined Seolyo.
“Yes… Suri-nim told me to stay close to the youngest young master, but suddenly the mountain beasts appeared, so….”
Soya explained everything: how the wild beasts had become violent, and how she had fled deep into the forest to escape them.
She glanced nervously at Gahyeon, worried he might not believe her.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Gahyeon asked, pale-faced, as he checked Soya’s body.
“Did they bite or scratch you? Did you fall while running?”
Hearing that it wasn’t simply a matter of being lost, Gahyeon felt a wave of dizziness.
“I’m fine. Sanho-nim lent me the wind orb… Ouch!”
Soya, trying to calm the obviously worried young master, spoke in a composed voice.
Suddenly, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
The sapphire wolf’s wind orb had strengthened her legs and ankles, but since her physical abilities had been pushed to their limits, her body was under strain.
Now that she was in Gahyeon’s presence, her body, tense from anxiety, finally relaxed.
“Kkiing!”
“Soya!”
Gahyeon quickly supported her.
Seolyo, having bounced off Soya when she collapsed, circled around them both.
“It’s fortunate you have the wind orb.”
Gahyeon let out a sigh of relief. Without it, things might have been truly dangerous.
“You were really scared, weren’t you.”
The beasts of Horimsan, under the White Tiger clan’s control, were usually gentle and did not harm humans.
Yet they had tried to attack Soya.
And of all days, it happened today when her father was away.
“Could someone have set a trap for Soya? But why?”
It might be an overreach, but the coincidence felt too suspicious. Gahyeon shook his head, deciding to proceed carefully.
First, they needed to descend the mountain.
The night air was too cold.
Gahyeon bent his knees and offered his back to Soya.
“Get on my back.”
“Huh? But….”
“The path is dark, and I’m worried you might trip over a stone. Just get on my back, Soya.”
It felt a little burdensome to be carried by such a noble young master. Especially since the second young master…
‘He might feel uncomfortable with me.’
Soya hesitated, recalling how Gahyeon had treated her before.
‘What if I’m bothering him again?’
Soya, sensitive to negative emotions, was well aware that Gahyeon found her troublesome.
“Come on, Soya.”
Yet, after his repeated insistence, she cautiously climbed onto Gahyeon’s back.
His small back felt firmer than she had imagined. It felt like it could protect her.
Soya remembered seeing a kind and solid back like this once before.
It belonged to a broad, sturdy man who had appeared waving white silk and protected her.
‘Ah, that’s right. The young master’s back resembles Sa-eon-nim’s back.’
Thinking this, her uneasy feelings gradually eased.
She recalled Gahyeon’s anxious voice, pale face, and wavering eyes as he searched for her. The feeling was strange.
She had vaguely hoped someone would come for her, but she hadn’t expected the second young master to actually come.
And now, thinking that he had searched for her with such expressions and such eyes, she felt very strange.
After all, Gahyeon seemed very displeased that she was here.
‘From the very first day, I must have been a bother to him….’
Soya glanced at Gahyeon.
Being on his back, she couldn’t see his expression.
But she remembered when he had appeared calling her name, hair wet with sweat clinging to his forehead and cheeks, and small scratches visible through the torn fabric.
‘Did he get hurt looking for me?’
The thought made her heart ache.
“…About yesterday.”
After walking in silence for a while, Gahyeon spoke to Soya.
“You misunderstood.”
“Huh?”
“When I said it was a worthless stone, I meant that foolish registrar boy’s head. I never meant the stone charm you were holding.”
“Ah….”
“The stone you had yesterday, that one was mine, right?”
Soya nodded, then realizing he couldn’t see, replied aloud.
“Yes.”
“Thanks. The last stone charm you gave me was lonely on its own. Now it has a companion.”
“Uh… you didn’t throw it away…?”
“Why would I throw it away? You gave it to me.”
“But last time….”
Soya trailed off, remembering picking up a stone in the garden and running into Gahyeon.
[Picking up trash from the garden and secretly placing it here… That kind of prank is a bit troublesome. It’s also rude to the people who come to clean.]
Gahyeon, realizing what she was thinking about, quickly offered an excuse.
“At that time, the registrar didn’t tell me it was a charm! I didn’t know, so I said that!”
“Ah….”
But after saying that, Gahyeon suddenly felt embarrassed about his behavior.
He abruptly stopped and lowered his head deeply.
“Young Master…?”
Soya cautiously called out as he remained bowed in place for a long while.
“…I’m sorry. What I just said was an excuse. The truth is, I ignored your sincerity. Please forgive me.”
Soya was startled and waved her hands.
“Forgive you? Don’t say that to me.”
“Anyone who makes a mistake should apologize and ask for forgiveness. That’s natural.”
But Gahyeon spoke with a firmer voice.
“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable in an unfamiliar place, for disregarding your sincerity, and for speaking harshly even knowing it would upset you.”
“….”
Soya’s lips sealed.
Mistakes.
Soya found Gahyeon’s words strange.
It was natural for people to dislike her.
She was an unworthy little bird, and being hated or mistreated wasn’t wrong.
That was the principle she had learned in the Zhuak clan over the past three years.
Moreover, Gahyeon hadn’t hit, pinched, locked her in a cell, or pushed her over.
Yet he apologized twice.
“And whether you forgive me is up to you.”
“….”
“When your mood has improved… then forgive me, Soya.”
“….”
Gahyeon resumed walking.
After a while, Soya spoke very softly.
“I’m not upset.”
“Huh…?”
Gahyeon stopped abruptly and turned his head toward her.
“Really…?”
His voice trembled slightly, uncharacteristically.
“Uh… yesterday I was a little, just a little sad, but now I’m fine. Really!”
“….”
“You even ran to save me.”
Soya smiled brightly.
“…!”
Gahyeon’s eyes widened, then softened.
“I’ll have to run even more from now on.”
He smiled faintly and turned to face forward again, starting down the slope.
Every step he took made the basket dangling by Soya’s side sway gently.
Kkiing, kking!
The black young beast hopped along behind them.
