Chapter 57
“…You’re right.”
“See?”
“But I’m still not scared or nervous!”
“Why’s that?”
“Because Father and Grandfather would never leave me alone among strangers.”
I accepted the Ilpabido dagger from him.
“There are the Tang Clan’s guards, and I have my own personal escort too. So being surrounded by unfamiliar people doesn’t really frighten me.”
“You stuttered when you first met me, though.”
“That’s because… you were the first friend—my age—I ever met.”
Why bring that up now? So embarrassing.
Pretending not to care, I rolled my eyes and said,
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter. But why did you suddenly bring this up?”
“Even if a lot of people start acting like they know you…”
“Hm?”
“Even if you’re surrounded by others… your first friend is still me.”
Namgung Cheong-hyeon said this with a strangely serious face.
“That’s just how it is.”
“I didn’t think you’d care about something like that…”
“It’s a pretty important matter, actually.”
Cheong-hyeon turned his head away primly.
“I’m leaving the capital tomorrow.”
“You’re going straight back to Anhui, right?”
“Yeah. Father wants to return quickly. We’ve almost finished delivering all the martial letters.”
“Alright, then I’ll see you in Anhui.”
“Come find me.”
“It’d be stranger if I didn’t.”
“…Still, you have to come find me.”
Namgung Cheong-hyeon’s tone was oddly meaningful.
Why is he acting like this?
I was curious, but from what I knew of Cheong-hyeon, asking wouldn’t get me an answer.
“At least don’t worry too much.”
“Okay.”
“I’ve been thinking… maybe you’re acting like this because you don’t want to say goodbye to me?”
“…I told you already.”
…That I’ll miss you.
He murmured that in such a tiny voice it almost crawled away. It was kind of adorable.
Smiling brightly, I grabbed Cheong-hyeon’s hand.
“Don’t worry, we’ll see each other again soon. And next time, show me your sword.”
“My sword?”
“Yeah, the one you inherited from the great Namgung hero, right?”
The sword hanging at Cheong-hyeon’s waist had a frayed hilt wrap.
For the young master of the Namgung Clan to carry a sword with a worn grip—it seemed odd, unless it had been passed down.
‘Grandfather used to say this,’ I remembered.
Passing down a weapon means passing down one’s spirit.
So it made perfect sense that Cheong-hyeon would have inherited his father’s sword.
After a brief pause, Cheong-hyeon narrowed his eyes.
“You’ve got a sharp eye.”
“You get that way when you spend your whole life inside the house.”
“How so?”
“It’s boring being shut in. There are only so many things to look at, so you start noticing every little detail.”
That’s how I developed a good eye for things. It was one of my few strengths.
“That sounds kind of sad, though.”
“It’s not like they locked me up out of cruelty, so it can’t be helped.”
I quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, you’ll show me your sword, right?”
“If you promise not to be disappointed, I will.”
“Who could ever be disappointed by Namgung swordsmanship?”
“Just promise.”
“Alright.”
Only then did Cheong-hyeon nod.
I looked at him for a while, then turned my gaze away.
Something about this moment tugged faintly at my mind, but I couldn’t tell what it was.
“Take care.”
“Of course. See you soon, Biya.”
Namgung Taegang laughed heartily as he ruffled my hair.
My bangs were flattened, poking my eyes.
“Ow.”
Fortunately, Father noticed right away and fixed my hair so it wouldn’t happen again.
“Farewell.”
“We’ll meet again soon enough!”
Father and Namgung Taegang exchanged a farewell that was friendly but not quite close.
With that, Namgung Taegang took Namgung Cheong-hyeon and left the Tang estate.
He had already paid his respects to the clan head, so all we needed to do was see them off.
Father stood silently until the Namgung carriage disappeared from view.
“Biya, let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
I took his hand and we went back through the front gate.
Thunk.
The large gate shut behind us.
Through the narrow gap before it closed, a soft breeze seemed to slip in.
“We’ll get to see them again soon, right?”
“With your grandfather’s eightieth birthday approaching, it won’t be long.”
Father brushed a leaf off my hair.
“You must’ve grown quite fond of him in such a short time.”
“Yes.”
“But your first and most important person is still your father, isn’t he?”
“Huh?”
Why is everyone so obsessed with being first?
I gave him a puzzled look but quickly nodded, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
“Of course it’s you. Why would you even ask?”
“Sometimes, you just want to hear the obvious said out loud. Come along now.”
Looking slightly embarrassed, Father urged me forward.
I followed him, still holding tightly to his hand.
“Did you hear that Grandfather gave me the Ilpabido?”
“Hm? No, I hadn’t heard that. You received Ilpabido? But that shouldn’t even be here in the Tang estate.”
“It seems the Namgung hero brought it from their home this time. Grandfather gave it to me.”
I stopped and began rummaging through my sleeve.
I still wasn’t skilled enough to handle sleeve storage like Father or the clan warriors, so it took me a while to pull it out.
“Ugh, by the time I take it out, I’ll be dead…”
Father sounded half-shocked, half-amused.
“What kind of eight-year-old talks like that?”
“I was joking…”
I finally pulled out the Ilpabido and proudly showed it to him.
“Look!”
“It really is the Ilpabido… He gave this to you?”
“Yes.”
“Then cherish it well. It seems he made a great decision in giving it to you.”
Blushing, I smiled and looked up at him.
“And he said once I get stronger, he’ll make me a new dagger.”
“Of course. You can’t use an old one forever.”
“O-old?”
“It’s a treasured blade, yes, but it doesn’t hold any mystical power. Its edge will dull eventually.”
“Ugh…”
“When that happens, you’ll need a new one. I’ll make sure to give it to you myself.”
“That’s nice and all, but… is there no way to keep this blade from dulling?”
“Hm?”
“I want to take care of it for a long time. It was Grandfather’s gift, and it’s like a piece of his youth.”
To think this dagger might break because of my own inexperience—
That would be too sad.
“I’ll take good care of it. Can’t I pass it down to later generations?”
“I understand how you feel, Biya.”
Father gently took my hand.
“But this dagger isn’t divine. Someday, it will break.”
“…!”
“It may take a long time, or it could happen quickly.”
“!”
“Of course, maybe it won’t happen at all. It was made by one of the Tang Clan’s greatest artisans. But still—while inherited weapons are meaningful, someday you’ll need one of your own.”
He slipped the dagger back into my sleeve.
“There will come a time when you need not the blade or the spirit you inherited, but your own blade—your own conviction.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Of course, if you use this one well and pass it down yourself, that would be best. But even if you can’t, don’t be sad. The Ilpabido will still be your weapon, simply because it’s yours.”
“Alright.”
“Good girl.”
His praise made me so happy that I wrapped my arms around his waist.
He was tall enough that I had to stand on tiptoe, but that didn’t matter.
“Shall I pick you up?”
“No, I like it just like this.”
These days, I felt more like an eight-year-old than a fifteen-year-old.
Ever since my regression, my mind had gradually started matching my body’s age.
Maybe that’s why—being held by Father like this felt comforting.
Just then—
Flutter.
Butterflies from Aunt’s flower garden drifted toward us.
“Huh? Aren’t those dok-injeop?”
“Yes, your aunt’s venomous butterflies, aren’t they?”
“Right! Why are they out here again?”
I first checked to make sure no one else was nearby.
“Did they come looking for me?”
“That seems likely.”
“But Aunt said the scales on their wings are poisonous. I hope no one got poisoned while they were flying over.”
“The area’s open, so it should be fine. Still, if you’re worried, I’ll check later.”
While Father spoke, one of the butterflies landed gently on my shoulder.
