Chapter 212
Chapter 212
Dang Seho nagged me incessantly while escorting me to my residence.
He told me to always take a Bodyguard when going out, to lock the doors properly at night before sleeping, and so on.
Listening to him, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Brother. Why are you acting so out of character? It's giving me goosebumps."
Unable to bear it any longer, I said a word, and Dang Seho's eyes narrowed.
"I'm worried! Seeing you dragged away like a dog right before my eyes, and then not a hair of you seen since the next day, do you think I could be at ease?"
"Yeah. You seemed pretty relaxed, growing a beard while playing around."
"……."
At my retort, Dang Seho's lips twitched as if he had nothing to say.
I finally burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, just kidding. Just kidding. I got it. Brother. I'll be careful. You came all this way, so have some tea before you go."
"No way. You haven't even unpacked yet, what tea? And how can I, a man, enter the space of a maiden past her prime?"
"……What are you talking about?"
"You're almost of marriageable age, you know? A grown woman shouldn't be letting men into her residence. Be careful."
"You're hilarious. Are you even a man?"
"Rest well. I'm leaving."
Dang Seho, pretending to be cool, raised his chin and waved his hand before turning away.
What's there to be careful about? He's really become strange.
With a serious face, I slowly opened the door to the detached palace.
Through the opened doorway, I saw Songji busily moving around, organizing something.
Deliberately making a sound, Songji raised her head, her eyes widening.
"Young Miss!"
Dropping the box she was holding as if throwing it away, Songji ran over and hugged me tightly.
"I'm back. Have you been well?"
At my greeting, Songji looked up at me with a look that seemed to say, 'Is that even a question?'
"How could I be well when you weren't here, Young Miss……!"
"I'm sorry."
"Why, why did you come back only now……. I kept waiting……."
"I'm sorry. Things turned out that way."
Songji's voice, sniffing, trembled slightly.
Awkwardly smiling, I wiped Songji's tearful eyes, and Songji, unable to hold back her sorrow, finally burst into tears.
"Songji, Songji?"
……Oh dear. This is a disaster.
I began to soothe Songji, sweating profusely.
Songji, who cried as if the world was ending, finally stopped crying only when her voice was about to give out.
I could guess without hearing what hardships a Maid who had lost her master had gone through.
Even if Dang-un and Dang Geunmyeong took care of her, there would have been limits.
I should have thought of Songji too…….
Swallowing a bitter smile, I handed her a small bundle.
"Here, I bought you a present."
"What is it?"
"Sweets."
"Young Miss, how old do you think I am……!"
Songji, looking dumbfounded, immediately opened the bundle without refusing.
Tears like chicken droppings fell from Songji's eyes as she put a snow-white Snow Cake in her mouth.
After hiccuping for a long time, Songji re-tied the bundle and carefully tucked it into her arms.
"Why aren't you eating more? Is it not tasty?"
"I'm going to save it."
"Don't save it. I'll buy you more."
"I still want to save it."
"Okay. Do as you please."
Rubbing her face roughly and nodding, Songji looked at me worriedly, examining me from head to toe.
"You've lost so much weight, Young Miss. Weren't you suffering too much outside?"
"It's just my cheek fat that's gone. What about Deokju? I heard that the Black Cloud Unit Lord took her, is she still in the Black Cloud Unit?"
"No. I heard she went to the Soul Slaughter Unit as an Assistant Unit Leader. I'm not sure which unit……."
Songji shook her head as if she didn't know well.
It seemed that she hadn't been in contact with Deokju since I left.
Well, it would have been better for Deokju to move.
They couldn't keep someone who was awkward with the Young Patriarch in the Young Patriarch's direct unit.
Agreeing, I listened to Songji's stories about what had happened in the meantime.
According to Songji, after Dang Gak died, the Third Madam's tyranny reached its peak.
Even the servants who had been by her side for years couldn't bear it and ran away.
Just from the description, it seemed like she was suffering from a nervous breakdown.
"That's serious."
"Yes……. Corpses are carried out of the Third Madam's residence every night. The First Madam, unable to watch any longer, called her in and gave her a scolding, so it's been a bit quieter these days. But seeing that you've come back……."
Songji, trailing off, looked uneasy.
She seemed worried that the Third Madam would try to harm me again.
"It's okay, Songji. Don't worry."
With the Patriarch in that state, and as long as Grandfather is around, no one will move according to the Third Madam's wishes.
I'm not weak enough to be helplessly victimized like before.
I have no intention of provoking the Third Madam first, but if she tries to stir up a hornet's nest, I intend to engrave deep in her bones that when someone aims for another's life, they must also put their own on the line.
At that moment, someone's chuckling voice passed by.
'Just overwhelm them with force. If you overwhelm them so that they can't even think about revenge, everything will be fine.'
……Damn it. I never thought the day would come when I would think like Beopgong Monk.
I felt self-disgust at becoming similar to that unconventional old man, but now I vaguely understood his way of thinking.
The Jianghu is a world where the common sense of ordinary people doesn't work.
Nodding, Songji carefully brought up a topic.
"But Young Miss, Kyung-ah is gone, so we need to hire someone. There should be a Maid to attend to you when I'm not here……."
"No. I can do the small things myself, so let's just leave it. I don't like things being noisy."
"Are you really going to be okay?"
"Since when have I been waited on? I'm okay……. Ah, it's not me, but you, Songji, who will have a hard time. Should we just hire a Maid to help with cleaning?"
At my question, Songji shook her head.
"It's better not to hire a Maid just to help with cleaning, Young Miss. If it's not a child living in the detached palace but one who comes and goes occasionally, the Third Madam will plot something suspicious."
"Then just……."
"It's okay, Young Miss. I'm used to cleaning alone, so don't worry about it. It's more important for you to rest comfortably."
Waving her hands and refusing, Songji hurriedly changed the subject.
It was a pity for Songji, but I, who secretly didn't want to hire someone, pretended not to notice and closed my mouth.
It seemed that it would take a long time to readjust to the Tang Clan.
\ \ *
The news that I had returned to the Tang Clan spread in an instant.
The first guests to visit were Dang Juhee and Dang Cho-hui.
"Maknae!"
Dang Juhee, who burst through the door without hesitation, leaped into the air and reached out to me in one go.
Surprised by the glittering Tiger Claws, I kicked away the flying hand, and Dang Juhee, who was pushed back, ran back and grabbed my shoulder.
"It's really Maknae! You didn't die! You were alive!"
What kind of greeting is that?
Dang Cho-hui, who was watching, sighed as if she was dumbfounded.
"Yes, yes. I'm alive and well."
Even at my insincere reply, Dang Juhee seemed endlessly happy.
She examined my clothes here and there, her eyes shining.
"You're wearing the earrings well. Let me see. Are there any torn places?"
"I wasn't unsightly enough to wear torn Green Robe outside."
"Not the clothes. Your flesh."
What are you talking about? My flesh shouldn't be torn.
After groping my body for a long time, Dang Juhee said with a relieved face.
"You're really fine. I heard you had become a wreck……."
"Unnie."
Dang Cho-hui pinched Dang Juhee's side and cut her off firmly.
Dang Juhee also flinched and looked at me cautiously.
Ah. This is why Grandfather rushed back.
Swallowing a bitter smile, I asked about their well-being, pretending not to have heard.
"Have you been well? Unnie, your hair ornaments seem to have become more extravagant."
I might break my neck if I'm not careful.
Hair full of bright red jewels, like persimmons hanging heavily in autumn, looked so heavy that even the person looking at it would instinctively grab their neck.
Dang Juhee, taking my words as a compliment, lowered her head and showed me her hair ornaments up close.
"Isn't it pretty? It's garnet from the Western Regions. My uncle brought some, saying he had brought them in this time."
"I see."
It wasn't that I was curious, but seeing her explain it on her own, it seemed that she was trying to be kind in her own way.
I also chimed in appropriately.
"What about the silk? I've never seen that embroidery before."
"It's silk that's popular in Luoyang these days. I brought this in new too."
"Ah. It's pretty."
I wondered why a Martial Artist who was crazy about sparring always wore all sorts of trinkets…….
Now that I see it, it seems that the people of the White Wind Merchant Guild were using Dang Juhee as a billboard for new products.
"Right? And this is something I brought from the Persian country……."
But seeing Dang Juhee happily showing off her ornaments, I thought it was good as long as she was happy.
If she's satisfied, that's all that matters.
Dang Cho-hui, unable to watch Dang Juhee's chatter any longer, separated us.
"Unnie. Maknae needs to rest. She hasn't recovered from her journey yet."
"Hey, I haven't even seen Maknae's skills yet. Her movements are so fast that they're invisible. Just one sparring match……."
"Stop it. I'm telling you, Maknae needs to rest."
Dang Juhee, who had been noisy and rambunctious, was soon dragged away by Dang Cho-hui.
'Thank you. Unnie.'
Expressing my gratitude to Dang Cho-hui with lip movements, I waved my hand weakly.
