Free Web NovelThe first thing that changed was my living quarters.
I left the maids’ shared dormitory, and a space meant for me alone appeared.
“Is this really... mine? Just for me?”
“You’re saying the obvious.” Tang Jung shrugged like I’d said something bizarre as he opened the annex’s door. “You’re the Clan Head’s daughter. You’ve been entered into the register, so you should receive proper treatment.”
I trailed after Tang Jung, awkward and stiff.
Maybe the previous owner of this annex had valued practicality.
There wasn’t a single ordinary tree or even one flower planted in the yard.
Instead, the entire back garden was paved with blue stone. Judging by the gouges here and there—scratches that looked like metal had raked across it—it seemed like the place had been used as training grounds.
Tang Jung clasped his hands behind his back, took one lap around the annex, then spoke.
“Geunmyeong.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tang Geunmyeong appeared without a sound and bowed his head.
“Dig a pond in the front yard and move some carp into it.”
“Understood.”
...Dig a pond? Right now?
It was an absurd order, but Tang Geunmyeong didn’t even question it. He immediately started tamping down a spot for the pond.
Watching for an opening, I asked carefully.
“Grandfather? Why a pond?”
“What did I tell you to do last winter?”
“Fishing for fish with coins.”
“That’s right. You haven’t done it lately because you’ve been busy, have you?”
“...No.”
“Then you’ll have to do it until you can, won’t you?”
“...Yes.”
There was no room to argue. I swallowed a bitter smile and nodded.
The next thing that changed was my protection.
Like the other blood relatives, I had a guard assigned to me too.
“Greet her. She’s your guard.”
The guard Tang Jung brought looked like she was in her mid-twenties.
Slim and quick-built, she wore black martial clothes.
Her sun-darkened skin made her look hard-edged, and because of that, her big, fierce eyes stood out even more.
“It’s an honor to meet you, young lady. My name is Deokju.”
“Hello.”
“Please lower your speech, young lady. I’m only your guard.”
“Ah—okay. No, I mean... yeah.”
When I dodged her intense gaze, Tang Jung let out a short laugh.
“She was showing promise in the Black Cloud «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Guard. Her skills are solid, so take her with you whenever you go out.”
“The Black Cloud Guard?”
“The unit directly under the Young Clan Head. Why, didn’t you see Bugyeong before? That man is the Black Cloud Guard Captain.”
Bugyeong... who?
I dug through my memory and came up with a middle-aged man who’d once taken a broom with a desolate face.
Oh. The man who cleaned the training grounds for me that time.
“You don’t have to worry about her ability. Believe it or not, she was selected to serve as the Young Clan Head’s guard.”
“A guard for the Young Clan Head? Then how did you bring her here?”
“I brought her because she was doing nothing after being dismissed.” Tang Jung answered like it was nothing. “Yeongho—that lunatic—was fooling around with his own guard. When she resisted, he threw her out.”
He fooled around with his guard? Is he insane?
My mouth fell open on its own at the unbelievable story.
“Wow. You should’ve beaten him half to death before you brought her over.”
Tang Jung replied, utterly casual.
“I didn’t need to.”
“...What?”
“I told you.” He tilted his chin toward Deokju. “That girl beat her master down until it felt good. I liked that she had teeth, so I picked her up.”
When Tang Jung looked at Deokju with clear satisfaction, Deokju answered with calm formality.
“I only showed him what happens when he treats a martial artist like a courtesan.”
...Wow. This one isn’t exactly mild-mannered either.
A guard with a history of beating her master and getting cut loose—was that... the kind of guard you could trust? I mean, he did deserve it, but still.
But she didn’t feel like a bad person. Tang Jung wasn’t the type to keep just anyone at his side, so it should be fine. Probably.
“She’s tight-lipped, so you can keep her close.” Tang Jung said. “At the very least, she won’t leak anything to your stepmothers.”
“I won’t do anything like that.”
“I know.” Tang Jung let out a breath. “If she were the flexible sort, she wouldn’t have been shoved into a stable to shovel horse shit.”
After sighing, Tang Jung looked between me and Deokju.
“Deokju. You’re there to stop Sohae if she causes trouble. Don’t cause trouble with her.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sohae, you too. If Deokju gets worked up, don’t throw more kindling in from the side.”
“I’ll try. But... if I run into my eldest brother, is it okay if I tell Deokju to beat him up?”
“No.”
Tang Jung shut it down with absolute firmness, then grabbed my cheek and tugged it long.
“I told you not to cause trouble, and you’re already thinking about how to cause trouble. If you don’t want to be locked up in the annex, behave yourself.”
“Ack. Gramps.”
“Even cold water has an order from top to bottom.” Tang Jung clicked his tongue. “How does the youngest think about jumping her elder brother? ...Unless it’s a proper spar.”
Huh. That’s permission, isn’t it? As long as I had a pretext, it was fine, right?
When my eyes lit up, Tang Jung let out a deep sigh.
“You’re going to make me old. I keep getting more gray hairs.”
No, what did I even do. You’re old enough for gray hairs.
I felt wronged, but I didn’t have the courage to protest to Tang Jung’s sulky face. I folded my hands neatly at my belly and pretended to listen politely, and Tang Jung snorted a laugh.
“Geunmyeong already moved all your things in. Tidy up as you like and look around slowly.”
“Are you leaving?” ƒгeewёbnovel.com
“Yes. When you’re done, come to my quarters. Let’s eat dinner together.”
“Okay. I will.” I nodded, then blurted out, “Ah, Grandfather! Wait—just a second! I have something to give you!”
At my shout, Tang Jung’s eyes narrowed.
“What is it?”
“I was going to give it to you yesterday, but everything was chaotic and I couldn’t.” I waved my hands. “Please wait a moment.”
Before Tang Jung could leave, I hurriedly ran into the annex.
“Hey—hey! You’ll trip. Slow down.”
“I’m fine—ah!”
I hurried so hard my feet tangled, and I pitched forward. In the blink of an eye, Deokju was there. She scooped me up like I weighed nothing.
Then she set me down gently on the wooden step and stepped back in silence.
Wow. A guard is the best.
“Thanks.”
“How am I supposed to make that one into a person.” Tang Jung clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. “Deokju, you’ll have to watch her well.”
He was treating me like a newborn colt, seriously.
I acted like I hadn’t heard, grinning, and dug through my bundle.
Where did I put it... Ah, found it! It hasn’t gone bad, right?
“Grandfather, it’s mung-bean taffy. They said it’s good with tea, so I bought it at the night market. If it doesn’t suit your taste, I’ll get rid of it.”
I scurried over and shoved the bamboo tube into Tang Jung’s hand. Tang Jung stared between me and the tube with a strange expression.
Does he not like it?
Watching his face, I asked timidly.
“Should I... throw it out?”
“...No.” Tang Jung answered after a beat, then opened the tube. “I’m just surprised. It’s been a long time since someone’s given me something. Everyone else only tries to chew an old man down.”
He lifted the lid, and the sweet smell drifted up. Tang Jung let out a short laugh.
“You don’t even have much allowance, and you bought your grandfather snacks.” He shook his head. “You should eat it.”
“I bought it because I thought of you, Grandfather.”
Tang Jung patted my head like he found me admirable, pulled out a piece of mung-bean taffy, and popped it right into my mouth.
Then he took a fresh piece and bit into it.
His brows knotted viciously.
...Right. He hates sweet stuff.
I realized too late, but he’d already swallowed.
Like he couldn’t control his expression, Tang Jung closed the tube with a stiff, reluctant face.
“It’s delicious.”
He looked like he was about to throw up.
“I’ll save the rest.”
No. Please don’t. Just throw it away.
Like he was trying to wipe the sweetness off, Tang Jung scrubbed at his lips with the back of his hand and tucked the bamboo tube inside his sleeve.
It was definitely a gift that would’ve been better not given.
I swore to myself.
From now on, I would never buy sweet things again.
*****
After Tang Jung left, I stayed holed up inside the annex. It was because Tang Geunmyeong digging a pond outside was making me nervous.
Thud! Thud! KRAK!
...I can’t hear it. I can’t hear it.
Forcing myself to ignore the sound of something breaking, I looked at Deokju.
My guard was standing at one side of the reception room like a stone statue, not moving an inch.
“Deokju. Want some tea?”
“I’m fine, young lady.”
“Then want to sit next to me? If you keep standing, your legs will hurt.”
“I’m fine, young lady.”
At the blunt responses, a sigh slipped out on its own. I was going to see her face every day from now on—yet I had no idea how I was supposed to act around her.
I rubbed at the corner of my eye and was about to try again when someone peeked a face through the crack of the reception room door.
“Hey!”
“Unnie, you’re here?”
It was Songji.
Seeing a familiar face, I sprang up. Songji waved and hurried over in quick little steps.
“Why didn’t you come back last night? I was worried. Sohae, are you going to keep sleeping out? If you’re going to stay out, you have to tell me first. Oh, and did you hear? Apparently there was a Clan Head’s illegitimate child among the maids. They say she got officially entered into the register this time!”
Yeah. That’s me.
“No matter how I think about it, I can’t figure out who it is. Was there anyone who looked like the Clan Head? Sohae, do you know? Why did they call us, of all people? Well, life in an annex won’t be bad. Anything is better than doing laundry.”
Because it’s me.
Songji, who’d been spewing chatter without taking a breath, tilted her head.
“Huh? But, Sohae—your clothes...”
“You will show respect to the young lady.”
In the blink of an eye, Deokju stepped in and split the space between me and Songji. Startled, Songji stumbled backward.
“A—young lady? Who? Eek, don’t tell me...?”
Songji’s eyes met mine, and she fell backward on her butt. I helped her up with an awkward smile.
“It just... kind of turned out that way, unnie.”
“You’re the young lady? Really? You’re not joking? The illegitimate child that got registered— that’s really you? You were a Tang the whole time?”
THUD!
The moment Songji finished, something hit the ground with a heavy thump.
I turned my head.
At the doorway, Gyeonga stood trembling, clutching nothing—her bundle sprawled at her feet.
“S-So... Sohae is... the young lady...?”
Yeah. Hi, Gyeonga.
“T-This... what... So, then... Sohae is... the young lady... my—my master...? Then I... what—what am I supposed to do...?”
“How is this possible? Then I’ve been cleaning and doing laundry with a direct-line young lady every day? Gyeonga, you didn’t know either, right?”
“I-I’m hearing this for the first time... too...”
“Aha... ha... You two, just unpack your things.” I laughed hollowly and tried to flee. “I’m going to the restroom.”
With the air turning into an interrogation, I slipped out with a forced laugh.
The second I hurried outside the annex, Deokju followed after me. Her devotion to her duty was great, but this was a different kind of problem.
“Hey, Deokju.”
“Yes, young lady.”
“Can you not follow me when I go to the restroom?”
“I can’t.”
“Then go farther away. Like... ten steps.”
“Not more than five steps.”
...I’m going to lose my mind.
I dragged a hand down my face.
I had a feeling living and suffering together with these three wasn’t going to be easy.
