Thump- thump-
Cheon Myeong, who had been away for a moment, returned to his original spot.
At the same time, the ice tiger, which was held in Cheon Myeong's arms like a doll.
Just by looking at it, it was felt that it had been dragged out against its will, and a considerable amount of annoyance was felt on the ice tiger's face.
"...!"
As it discovered the ice tiger, which was approaching this way with Cheon Myeong, Cheongha began to get nervous.
Although it had been restless from the beginning, from the moment it saw its appearance, its legs could not stay still.
To Cheongha, who was like that, Min Yeongyeong said encouragingly.
"Don't be nervous, Cheongha."
"..."
"Love is something you have to win. Be proactive, okay?"
Considering the appearance Min Yeongyeong had shown earlier, it did not seem like something she would say, but still, as if those words had given it quite a bit of strength, Cheongha was in a state of being somewhat calm.
And finally, Cheon Myeong and the ice tiger, who had come right in front of them.
Before putting the ice tiger down, Cheon Myeong whispered in a small voice.
"Ice tiger, as nicely as possible. You know what I mean, right?"
Cheon Myeong finally urged the ice tiger.
From now on, it would be up to the ice tiger.
Just as there was a limit to what a third party could say in a relationship between a man and a woman, it would be the same for the ice tiger and Cheongha.
"Nyaa-."
"..."
Swish-
Cheon Myeong placed the ice tiger on the floor.
And as he moved far back, Cheongha, which began to slowly approach.
Unlike when it had rushed at Cheon Myeong at the banquet hall, Cheongha's steps were very cautious.
"Cheer up, Cheongha!"
Min Yeongyeong shouted from behind.
Then, as if it had made a decision, its steps, which had become a little faster.
Since its size was so large, if it just put its mind to it, Cheongha could approach the ice tiger in an instant.
"Kyuung-."
A voice that did not seem to come from that size flowed from Cheongha's mouth.
If you were to close your eyes and just listen to the sound, you would have mistaken it for the sound of a cute cat.
As if to somehow win the ice tiger's favor, Cheongha was loitering in front of the ice tiger's eyes with its head stuck out.
"..."
However, to the point of being embarrassing, the ice tiger did not show any reaction.
It just opened its mouth wide and yawned.
On the ice tiger's face, the thought of wanting to go home and sleep right away was clearly revealed.
"Cheongha! Be more proactive!"
At that moment, Min Yeongyeong shouted again from behind.
At those words, Cheongha, which gathered its courage and approached the ice tiger a little more.
Looking at it, it seemed that it was trying to express its interest by rubbing its cheek against the ice tiger's face.
However.
Swish-
As the ice tiger turned its head to the side, Cheongha could no longer push its face forward.
No matter how you look at it, wouldn't that be a clear refusal?
Since it was an action that would be felt that way even if a person saw it, the party involved, Cheongha, was feeling it even more so.
Swish-
Cheongha still gathered its courage and continued to try.
Every time, the ice tiger, which turned its head to the side.
As the attempt continued several times, the ice tiger finally even pushed Cheongha's head with its front paw.
"Kyuuung..."
As the ice tiger refused so stubbornly, Cheongha could no longer force itself on it.
In the end, Cheongha, retreated with a sad cry.
Watching it, Cheon Myeong put his hand on his forehead.
'It's over...'
To think that he had put in so much effort to make it think positively.
If you were to compare that action of the ice tiger just now to a person, wouldn't it be that a woman had offered her lips first, but the man had not only blocked it with his hand but had also pushed her away?
Of course, although Cheon Myeong did not know what kind of female was an attractive female by the standards of a male tiger, seeing that action of the ice tiger, a sigh came out of him.
'I have to change the plan.'
The plan to draw out the whereabouts of the Three Sacred Treasures from Min Yeongyeong using the ice tiger seemed to have ended in failure.
It could be said that that situation was almost impossible to revive.
If he had been in Cheongha's position, he would have been quite shocked.
Swish-
At that moment, Cheongha suddenly lay down on the floor, showing its belly.
Could it be that it had collapsed from too great a shock?
As Cheon Myeong was thinking that and was looking at that side, Cheongha began to move here and there in a state of lying on its back.
'That is...'
Even Cheon Myeong, who did not know much about tigers, could see what Cheongha was doing now.
Was it not going to stop its courtship even after being rejected so clearly?
Although he couldn't tell whether Cheongha's persistence was great or whether the ice tiger was that attractive, Cheon Myeong was cheering for Cheongha in his heart without realizing it.
'Yes, don't give up!'
He had heard that there was no tree that would not fall after being hit ten times.
As long as the ice tiger was a male, if it continued to court, wouldn't it come over someday?
Since it had lived alone for a long time, it was not reacting now, but Cheon Myeong believed that its instincts would awaken if a little more time passed.
However.
"Nyaa-."
The moment he saw the ice tiger's yawn, that belief of Cheon Myeong collapsed in an instant.
As the owner of the ice tiger, he could guarantee it.
That was really that it had no interest in Cheongha.
Although he had hoped for a moment that the ice tiger's frozen heart would melt, seeing Cheongha's appearance of not giving up, it seemed that what was not meant to be was not meant to be.
"Cheongha..."
Min Yeongyeong also seemed to be having the same thought as Cheon Myeong and looked at Cheongha with a pitiful gaze.
For a moment, a word came up to his throat.
Looking at that, he wanted to stop it out of pity and say that it was enough.
But how could he say that when Cheongha was trying so hard?
In the end, Min Yeongyeong could not say anything.
"..."
And after a while.
Cheongha's movements, which had been wagging from side to side, also began to slow down and soon stopped completely.
"Kyuuu..."
Cheongha stood up from her seat with a sad cry.
If you try not once but twice and no result comes back, what kind of feeling would you have?
Especially since Cheongha had always reigned with a confident appearance among the tigers, if its pride were to collapse like this, it would have no choice but to receive a great shock.
Swish-
Cheongha turned its head as if it were the heroine of a tragedy.
At the same time, Cheongha, which was running away somewhere.
As if it did not want to have contact with anyone, Cheongha was standing in a corner and was bowing its head pitifully.
"Cheongha!"
Seeing that, Min Yeongyeong immediately ran to Cheongha.
Although she had been with it for more than twenty years, it would be the first time for even Min Yeongyeong to see this situation.
For a moment, Min Yeongyeong did not know what to say to Cheongha.
However, since she could not keep her mouth shut, Min Yeongyeong immediately said anything to Cheongha.
"It's okay! How many males are there in this world!"
"..."
"If it's Cheongha, you'll be able to meet a better male later! Just you wait. When that time comes, that guy will also regret it a lot later."
Min Yeongyeong said that, thinking of words of comfort as much as possible.
However, Cheongha, which was still bowing its head pitifully.
Even with the comfort of Min Yeongyeong, who was no different from her family, the wound of a broken heart that Cheongha had received could not be immediately treated.
"..."
Cheon Myeong watched that from a distance without a word.
Although it would have been good if it had worked out, how could he do that as he pleased?
Since he had no intention of forcing the ice tiger from the beginning, Cheon Myeong thought that this result was something that could not be helped.
'It would be better to quickly remove the ice tiger from its sight.'
Cheon Myeong thought so and looked at the place where the ice tiger had been standing again.
"...?"
The ice tiger had disappeared from that spot.
Don't tell me it went back into the house on its own?
However, Cheon Myeong could find the ice tiger in an unexpected place.
Thump- thump-
The ice tiger was walking somewhere.
As soon as he discovered that, Cheon Myeong's two eyes widened in surprise.
The direction the ice tiger was walking was where Cheongha and Min Yeongyeong were.
'Why is it going there?'
Why on earth was it going to the opponent it had just kicked?
For a moment, Cheon Myeong had a sense of anxiety.
The anxiety that a situation where the ice tiger would fan the flames of a burning house might arise.
If his relationship with Min Yeongyeong were to worsen more than now because of that, he might never be able to know the whereabouts of the Three Sacred Treasures.
'No!'
As he had that thought, Cheon Myeong hurriedly tried to stop the ice tiger.
However, the ice tiger, which had already arrived at the place where Cheongha was.
Cheon Myeong realized that the situation was already too late for him to stop it.
"Cheongha..."
Min Yeongyeong called Cheongha with a pitiful voice.
To think that there was no reaction no matter what she said.
Since it was the first time she had seen Cheongha so depressed, Min Yeongyeong couldn't help but become depressed as well.
"Nyaa-."
It was then.
At the cry that was suddenly heard from the side, Min Yeongyeong turned her head to that side.
"...!"
Discovering the ice tiger, which had approached nearby, Min Yeongyeong's two eyes widened in surprise.
However, her two eyes widened even more after discovering something.
Cheongha, who had not reacted to any of her comfort until now, had reacted as soon as she heard the ice tiger's cry.
Thump- thump-
In the meantime, the ice tiger walked close to Cheongha's side.
Soon, the ice tiger and Cheongha, whose eyes met.
Since Cheongha was bowing its head so much, as soon as it turned its head in that state, its eyes met the ice tiger's.
"Kyuuung...!"
As soon as its eyes met the ice tiger's, Cheongha flinched and was about to run away from that spot.
At that moment, a soft touch felt on Cheongha's cheek.
As if it were frozen, Cheongha could not move a single step from that spot.
Swish-
The ice tiger was rubbing its cheek against Cheongha's cheek.
Why was the ice tiger, which had even pushed Cheongha's face with its front paw until just a moment ago?
The people who were watching that scene now couldn't help but have that thought.
"Nyaa-."
The ice tiger cried just once and stopped the act of rubbing its cheek.
At the same time, the ice tiger, which turned its body and came back the way it had come.
Cheon Myeong was staring at that with a blank face.
"..."
Cheon Myeong, of course, had understood what the ice tiger had just said to Cheongha.
The ice tiger had said only one word to Cheongha.
Don't cry.
The ice tiger had said that carelessly and was now lying on its stomach on the wooden floor, peacefully.
It was then.
Cheongha stood up from its seat and began to run to the place where the ice tiger was.
However, Cheongha, which did not go up on the wooden floor and stopped right below.
As if it were looking at a treasure, Cheongha just sat in that spot and was just staring at the ice tiger.
"Kyuuung-."
Cheongha, who was sending a loving gaze, and the ice tiger, which was lying peacefully on the wooden floor.
It was immediately clear who was superior between the two.
"...Hah."
Looking at that, Cheon Myeong couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
This ice tiger, it was a master.
Although he had thought that it was all over, Cheongha was now even more into the ice tiger than before.
'This is something... I have to learn.'
Was this the charm of a bad tiger?
Cheon Myeong looked at the ice tiger and secretly gave a thumbs up.
(End of Chapter)