Chapter 5
“Ah…….”
The moment she realized it, tears suddenly spilled out.
Plop, plip-plop.
“S-Soya?”
Flustered, Irim fussed over her, not knowing what to do.
“I’m sorry. The tears just… I was so happy.”
Soya flashed a radiant smile as she rubbed at the corners of her eyes.
Happy. And so unfamiliar.
It was the first time since that day three years ago that someone had spoken to her with such gentle words.
It was also the first time she’d ever been wished a happy birthday.
Come to think of it, that day… the day three years ago when her family had abandoned her had been her sixth birthday.
Soya suddenly realized another fact and swallowed down the bitterness in her heart.
“Thank you so much for coming to keep your promise.”
Soya spoke while clutching the norigae Irim had given her tightly in her hand.
Irim gazed at her steadily, then held out his hand.
“Give it here for a moment.”
He fastened the ruby-inlaid norigae to the front of Soya’s jeogori.
Then, in a calm tone, he said,
“It’s pretty.”
“…….”
“Now it finally looks like it’s found its proper owner.”
At his soft-spoken praise, Soya’s face flushed for no reason.
To be honest, her mother’s keepsake didn’t seem to suit her at all in her shabby attire……
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Soya smiled happily.
Irim gave a small smile in return.
“Just call me ‘big brother’ like you used to.”
The two sat side by side on a flat rock, chatting away amiably.
“By the way…… what happened?”
He asked cautiously.
“You look so different from how I remember you. Can you tell me what’s been going on with you?”
At his question, Soya hesitated.
She felt ashamed to reveal her ugly secret to someone she’d been connected to since childhood, but she didn’t want to hide it or deceive him.
“I……”
Soya confessed that she was a sinner who had stolen the Young Lady’s position.
Tae Irim listened to her story in silence, his brow furrowing.
He had a gut feeling that something was off.
“But…… that can’t be……”
He muttered softly, then abruptly shot to his feet.
“Big brother Irim?”
“Soya.”
Irim seized both of Soya’s hands, which were puzzled.
Her small fingertips were rough, as if she’d been through a lot of hardship. That fact made Irim feel a little heartbroken.
The current Soya, the Soya in his memories, had a shadow that hadn’t been there before.
Soya must have changed like this because of her family.
Remembering how cowed Soya had looked during the day and how her family had treated her like she didn’t exist made his anger flare.
‘Even if she really did steal the position of their real daughter, that was never this child’s fault.’
Yet what hadn’t changed despite the hostility from those she’d once believed were her family was that clear smile of hers.
Irim wanted to protect that smile of Soya’s. Even if it was too late, even now.
“I have something urgent to look into, so I need to head back to the Imperial Palace.”
“Ah…….”
A shadow of disappointment crossed Soya’s face.
Seeing that expression made it hard for Irim to tear himself away.
But perhaps, if he went to the Imperial Palace library, he could resolve the nagging doubt that had been bothering him.
And just maybe, Soya, this child……
“Don’t feel too sad. I’ll come right back. And when I do……”
He might find a way to take her out of this residence and bring her to the Imperial Palace.
“I want to take you to the Imperial Palace. If you’ll allow it.”
“…….”
Instead of answering, Soya just stared at him blankly.
Irim grinned and hooked his pinky finger around hers.
Just like she had done to his pinky finger three years ago.
And there was a pair of eyes watching that scene from afar.
* * *
In the middle of the night, the prince left in haste, and the next morning.
“Be honest. You stole this, didn’t you?”
Riri shouted sharply at Soya.
In her hand was the very norigae that Soya had received back from Irim the night before.
“N-No, Young Lady.”
Soya trembled violently but steadfastly protested.
“It’s really not stolen. P-Please give it back.”
Riri’s face twisted at the sight of Soya, who wasn’t acting as meek and compliant as usual but speaking her mind.
“Where do you get off lying?!”
Riri hated Soya. From the very first moment she’d laid eyes on her.
She didn’t like that there was another girl around her age in the residence, and she hated even more that a mere servant girl was drawing attention with a prettier face than her own.
And she hated the way her father and big brother seemed to pay attention to that girl, whether they realized it or not.
So Riri had deliberately made Soya her personal maid and always kept her by her side. To show Soya just how different their stations were.
Sometimes, she even subtly encouraged the other maids to bully Soya.
Of course, Riri had to be the kind and gentle youngest Young Lady, so she made sure it was never obvious.
In fact, yesterday, Riri had planned to humiliate Soya.
She’d intended to show off the girl’s grubby appearance in front of the noble prince from the Imperial Palace and give her a good scolding.
Her shabby look in front of Father and big brother had always been so pathetic.
‘This is her chance to learn her place.’
But things hadn’t gone as Riri had planned.
From the moment the prince stepped out of the palanquin and his gaze turned to Soya, she’d had a bad feeling—and last night, she’d witnessed the two of them chatting intimately.
She hadn’t been close enough to hear what they were saying, but seeing Irim stroke Soya’s hair and even give her the norigae had set Riri’s insides ablaze with fury.
‘I don’t know what that fox-like girl did, but I have to get rid of her before His Highness comes back.’
So Riri had framed Soya for theft, scheming to drive her out before the prince returned.
The norigae Soya had received from the prince last night made the perfect excuse.
With the prince gone and no witnesses, she planned to accuse Soya of stealing it and deal with her before he came back.
“It’s not a lie. It’s true.”
Soya pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice quivering.
“If you didn’t steal it, then where did you get it?”
“That’s……”
Soya couldn’t easily open her mouth.
‘She knows it too. Even if I say it was from His Highness, no one will believe me.’
That was when Riri smirked inwardly.
“That…… isn’t that Madam’s norigae, the one who passed away?”
One of the watching maids muttered softly.
“What?”
Riri whipped her head around to glare, and the maid who’d been mumbling to herself gasped “Eep!” and clamped her mouth shut.
But Riri had already heard.
“The late Madam…… You’re saying this is my mother’s possession?”
Riri’s voice trembled.
“Why… why do you have my mother’s belonging?”
At the sharp question, all the color drained from Soya’s face.
[Make sure Riri never finds out who you really are. If she ends up hurt because of you, I won’t forgive you.]
Her father’s stern warning that he wouldn’t forgive her if Riri found out her true identity echoed frighteningly in her head.
“Th-That’s…… It’s……”
“Tell me right now!”
Riri shed her mask of the sweet Young Lady and shrieked like a shrew, shoving Soya’s body.
Soya’s small frame crashed hard onto the floor from the force.
Just then, Patriarch Jeok Ayun and second son Jeok Hwayu arrived running and witnessed the scene.
“Riri……!”
It was the moment the false peace Jeok Ayun had so carefully constructed shattered.
* * *
Riri learned that Soya was the fake daughter who had stolen her place.
Devastated, Riri took to her bed, and the whole residence was thrown into chaos.
The servants gossiped about Soya.
What a shameless girl. A thieving wench who stole the Young Lady’s position. Instead of going to the Young Lady to beg forgiveness right away. Oh, our poor Riri Young Lady……
Their needle-sharp words pricked at Soya’s tender skin.
“I-I have to apologize…… I have to beg unconditionally, say it was my fault. S-Say I’m sorry for stealing the Young Lady’s position……”
Soya headed to the Young Lady’s room. She had to apologize.
Even though stealing the Young Lady’s childhood was an unforgivable sin, still, if her apology could ease the Young Lady’s pain even a little……
Soya stood before the closed door and took a short breath.
“Please get rid of that child.”
She froze at the voice coming from inside the room.
“Riri can’t live under the same sky as that girl. If you don’t want to see Riri die, get rid of her. Before His Highness comes back for her.”
“Very well.”
The immediate reply was from big brother Hwayu.
