Home/The very suspicious chick of the Blue Dragon clan/ch 46

Chapter 46

Aran decided to speak privately with the wounded White Tiger.

"Sa-heum, let's head back to the western pavilion now. I'll walk you there."

"I'll come too…"

Aran quickly raised her palm to block Taeo, who was cutting in.

"Taeo, stay here. One nasty remark from you is enough."

"But still…! Ran-ie, you can't go to the western pavilion alone!"

Just then, the Blue Dragon Guard, who had seemingly been hiding somewhere, silently emerged.

"We will escort the young miss, young master of the Hyeon clan."

Yeon, looking amused, crossed her arms at Taeo.

"Taeo, I overheard the maids talking—they said obsession is a bad habit, you know?"

The funny thing was that Taeo easily took the bait.

"…Obsession? Why?"

"They said it can make the person you like get tired of you!"

"What? Ran-ie wouldn't do that!"

Though Taeo shouted, his mismatched eyes darted anxiously around.

With his other arm caught by Min, Taeo let himself be dragged away by the twins, as if reluctantly.

Only then did Aran shake her head and reach out her hand to Sa-heum.

"Let's go, child."

She'd called him "child" without thinking, but Sa-heum didn't seem to mind.

Instead, he replied with a cheerful "Yes!" and took Aran's hand happily.

---

As they left the eastern pavilion, not only the Blue Dragon Guard but also the White Wolf Guard from the White Tiger Palace followed closely behind their young masters.

When Aran kept glancing back pointedly, the Blue Dragon Guard slowed their pace first.

After walking for a while, she looked back to see they were all far enough away that their conversation couldn't be heard.

Only then did Sa-heum speak up, looking proud.

"The others don't know that you're an Immortal, do they?"

Aran chuckled.

"Not just the children—no one knows, so you must never tell anyone."

Sa-heum was absolutely delighted.

An Immortal who had appeared like a savior on the scariest day of his short life.

Unlike the lonely him, she had close friends and siblings—but even they didn't know her true nature.

Yet he, as a true White Tiger, could see it.

For the first time, he felt he'd found at least one advantage to being a White Tiger.

Part of him was curious why a great Vermilion Bird Immortal was in the form of a child, but since it was a secret no one else knew, he decided not to ask even that.

Surely the Immortal had her reasons.

"Never ever! I swear on the honor of the White Tiger!"

Aran found the little one talking about honor endearing and stroked his curly bangs.

If only she could rescue Je Geon-u in time so that this child wouldn't truly betray the White Tiger's honor.

"Sa-heum, how did the Crown Prince look yesterday? Was he the same as at the Divine Beast Festival?"

Sa-heum wiggled the fingers holding Aran's hand before answering.

"I could still see two souls, but it was a little… different."

"How so?"

Sa-heum was a tiger beastman with excellent hearing.

Even knowing no one else could hear, his frightened voice grew quieter.

"Remember what I told you? That the old, evil one was tormenting the yellow dragon."

"Yes, I remember."

"The yellow dragon I saw that day seemed almost dying…"

Sa-heum nearly stopped walking and whispered in Aran's ear.

"But yesterday, for some reason, the yellow dragon looked much stronger."

Aran stopped in her tracks.

"Is that true?"

Sa-heum nodded silently.

"It looked like it had fought off the black thing and won. So it wasn't as terrifying as before. Still scary, though…"

While Aran was lost in thought, the young White Tiger chattered on.

"The Immortal and the Blue Dragons, and that Vermilion Bird brother—they all talk to His Highness so casually, it's amazing. I think the Crown Prince will be scary to me forever."

Aran chuckled and held Sa-heum's hand tighter.

Then she started walking again.

"That won't do, Sa-heum. White Tigers are guardians. You're the one who can see evil before anyone else and help avoid death."

"I've been thinking…"

Sa-heum walked beside Aran, looking reluctant.

"Couldn't the Immortal teach me? There's no White Tiger with open spiritual eyes in our palace. No one understands me. Dad only says it's okay with words—he really just thinks I'm a coward. He doesn't actually believe me…"

"I'd like to, but it's hard for us to meet often. And right now, I'm trapped in this young body—I can't come to see you."

Then Sa-heum looked at Aran, his orange eyes sparkling.

"I'll learn to read too! If those mischievous twins can do it, I can too, right?"

Aran smiled at the White Tiger, who seemed to be growing bolder.

"Of course."

"Will you write back if I send you letters?"

"Sure. But since adults might see them, you shouldn't use formal language. You have to call me 'Aran.'"

"Eek…!"

When Aran warned him, Sa-heum recoiled as if he'd heard something terrible.

"How could I be so disrespectful…!"

"Kid, this body is playing the role of the cute youngest at the Blue Dragon Palace, you know?"

"B-but still…"

Sa-heum twisted his chubby body in embarrassment, then finally cleared his throat.

"Ahem. A-Aran…?"

"Good."

"You're—you're not upset, are you?"

"Not at all? You have to do that in front of others. If it gets confusing, just stick with it all the time."

"Ugh…"

Sa-heum, embarrassed, covered his face with his free hand.

"I—I'll only do it when others can see."

Sa-heum's behavior reminded Aran of the disciples she'd raised all over the place.

Aran laughed, then called out to Sa-heum as she used to call her disciples.

"Sa-heum."

The western pavilion was beginning to come into view.

Sa-heum, thinking their parting was near, grew gloomy and looked back at Aran.

"…Yes?"

"It's natural to be afraid of something you don't understand. There's no shame in that."

"B-but…"

"However, you are a White Tiger who catches ghosts. If you can recognize that something is a ghost—an evil spirit—then even if the underworld messenger comes, you have no reason to be afraid."

"Wh-why?"

"Because, isn't there a sacred relic called the Baekhon Sword in your palace?"

Sa-heum blinked.

"The Immortal truly… knows everything."

Indeed. Aran knew too much—that was the problem.

Even now, she was struggling to forget that in her previous life, Sa-heum had used the Baekhon Sword only for terrible things.

"Threaten them that you'll bring the Baekhon Sword and teach them a lesson. They'll all run away."

"B-but the Baekhon Sword can only be used after officially becoming the young master… And I'm still…"

Aran stopped in front of the western pavilion and gently patted Sa-heum's chubby cheek.

Reassuring herself that this child was not yet the Baek Sa-heum of that time, and that she would save him.

"They don't know that."

"…!"

Sa-heum's eyes widened as if they might pop out, and he stamped his foot.

"The Immortal is a genius!"

Aran laughed, shrugging her shoulders in exasperation.

"I'm already famous for that at the Blue Dragon Palace, you know."

"Really…!"

Watching Sa-heum jump for joy, she felt he might just win in a battle of wills with ghosts.

Standing at the entrance of the pavilion, Aran gave the young White Tiger a firm hug.

"Keep trying to persuade the Great Lord. It seems the Crown Prince needs help."

"Yes, I will. I'll definitely write."

After Sa-heum disappeared with the White Wolf Guard, Aran spread her arms toward the Blue Dragon Guard.

Each of them grinned and rushed over, as if competing to be first.

"May I carry you?"

They had wisely kept their distance—surely this much reward was only fair.

Aran didn't bother to hide her smile and nodded.

"Yes!"

As she'd told Sa-heum, it was time to play the youngest again.

---

Back at the eastern pavilion, Taeo, his lips protruding a good five inches, looked at Aran with shocked eyes.

"Ra-Ran-ie, what did you do with him?"

Back   Next