Chapter 69
The one who had fed Hongseol the most sweets, Namgungho, cleared his throat nervously and asked,
“Ahem, is there a problem?”
Manriseon sighed.
“Her teeth are on the verge of decay.”
“…I’ll be careful.”
“I’ll do the same.”
“And warn the servants too. Even after taking the medicinal decoction, she must not be given sweets.”
Only after receiving these repeated promises did Manriseon leave.
Meanwhile, Baek, Heuk, and Jeok were huddled together in Hongseol’s quarters.
After being denied entry for several days, they had finally been allowed to stay by her side once her condition improved.
“Sob sob, sister… sob sob…”
Namgungheuk seemed annoyed by his younger sibling’s incessant crying.
“Ah, Jeok, why are you crying again? Stop being so dramatic! The little one isn’t dying!”
“Sniff… I’m relieved… But why isn’t sister opening her eyes?”
“She’s sleeping, didn’t you hear?”
“What if our sister never wakes up!”
Jeok began wailing loudly, causing Heuk to glance at their older brother.
As usual, but especially today, their brother hadn’t even spared them a single glance.
‘He looks like he’s going to die before the little one does…’
Come to think of it, while Hongseol had been lying there, they hadn’t seen their brother even take a sip of water or a spoonful of food.
“…Eup! Euh!”
Crying suddenly choked Jeok, and he twisted his body.
Namgungheuk covered his sibling’s mouth and dragged him outside.
“Eup! What are you doing!”
“Let’s step outside for a moment. If you keep causing a fuss, you’ll get scolded by our brother.”
Eventually, the exhausted Jeok was pulled out.
Meanwhile, Namgungbaek, amid all this commotion, remained seated in the chair by Hongseol’s bed, staring intently at her face.
All through her sleep, Hongseol dreamed.
She dreamed of climbing Daechoksan, trudging through deep snow alone, braving a blizzard.
The mirror-like calm of the lake, the snowflakes landing on her cheek, all appeared vividly, just as before.
‘Strangely, it’s not cold this time.’
She felt no sorrow. No tears fell.
‘Why is that?’
Even in the dream, Hongseol found it puzzling.
Soon, the clouds that had been scattering the snow cleared, revealing a clear blue sky through the bright sunlight.
‘The blue of the Namgung family!’
As Hongseol raised a hand to her forehead and looked up at the sky in her dream,
in reality, the wind lifted slightly the foot of the blanket covering her through the window.
A gentle breeze slipped in, lightly ruffling her hair.
As if it were waking her.
At that moment, Hongseol’s eyes opened softly, as if by magic.
The first thing she saw was the silver-haired boy lying on top of her blanket.
“…Brother?”
At her voice, Namgungbaek slowly opened his eyes. Lying over her blanket, he murmured in disbelief,
“Seol-ah…?”
Hongseol weakly smiled at him.
“Brother, you stayed there the entire time I was asleep?”
Finally, Namgungbaek lifted his head. A single tear had dried on her delicate cheek.
Seeing that, Hongseol felt an indescribable mix of pity and strangeness.
“Because you stayed by my side… I wasn’t cold at all, even on Daechoksan.”
“Daechoksan? What on earth are you talking about?”
Startled, Namgungbaek leaned closer to her.
Her blue eyes, filled with tears, shone like jewels.
At that moment, Hongseol’s cheeks flushed deeply.
Seeing her flushed, Namgungbaek looked deeply concerned.
“You still haven’t fully regained your senses. I’ll go fetch the elders.”
He was about to get up but stopped as Hongseol’s small hand gripped his sleeve tightly.
“I… I’m fine, brother. And thank you.”
Startled, Namgungbaek sat back down beside her bed.
“You came to save me from the cave, didn’t you?”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because you’ve always protected me.”
From Eunmyeong’s hand in Anhwideoha, from Namgundo, the young master of the split branch…
And even, faint as it was, from Namgungjongwoo’s past mischiefs.
“….”
Meanwhile, Namgungbaek had an expression as if he were holding back something.
Finally, he spoke heavily,
“Promise me you won’t do that again.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t recklessly throw away your life for others, like this time. In any situation, put yourself first.”
“But a true martial artist lives for righteousness and loyalty…”
“Righteousness and loyalty, my foot!”
Seeing him angry, Hongseol shrank her shoulders and chuckled.
Previously, or if it had been someone else, she might have been scared, but now she understood he wasn’t trying to frighten her.
“Unbelievable. Promise me quickly!”
Hongseol gazed at the spot where Namgungbaek had just been lying.
‘Brother cried… all because of me…’
The tear mark on the blanket was both funny and sad.
So she couldn’t possibly go against his words.
“I won’t do as I please anymore. I promise.”
“Ah, please let me in!”
A sudden scuffle occurred in front of the Namgung estate.
A scruffy boy insisted on entering.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Yang Dojin, trying to force his way inside, was blocked by the estate guards and fell backward.
The guards wiped their sweat in exasperation.
“Last time it was that old beggar… Why are there so many weird beggars lately?”
“I’m not a weird beggar! I’m the lady’s friend!”
The boy stiffened and shouted.
“Kid, I’ve served as a guard for the Namgung estate for ten years. In all that time, no young master has ever had a friend like you.”
Just then, a shrill little girl’s voice rang out.
“She’s right!”
“Soso, you’re not supposed to stick your head out of the carriage to shout!”
Creaaak.
As the carriage stopped, a tiny girl with a determined face jumped out.
“Oh, this kid!”
Ignoring the middle-aged woman’s angry voice, Deng Soso blocked the beggar boy at the gate.
Hands on her hips, she declared,
“I’m Deng Soso, the only daughter of the Deng family!”
The beggar boy got up. Soso pointed at him firmly.
“This is Yang Dojin!”
She pounded her chest proudly.
“We are Hongseol’s friends. Very close friends. Got it? The one staying at Changcheongak.”
The guard looked flustered.
Soso’s elegant attire clearly marked her as from a martial arts family, but the guard couldn’t let them in without confirming their status.
At that moment, a woman spoke.
“You’re causing quite a disturbance. You know my face, right?”
“Yes! Of course. You’re Lady Seo of the Deng family.”
The guard bowed immediately. Lady Seo’s face was familiar.
“I personally vouch for this boy, Yang Dojin.”
“If the lady says so…”
Clang.
The gate of the Namgung estate swung open.
“Waaaah!”
Excited, Deng Soso ran inside. Yang Dojin hesitated briefly but then passed the guards confidently.
“Soso!”
Lady Seo called out, but Soso was already far ahead.
Lady Seo sighed.
“Does she really like that Hongseol that much?”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Hongseol sat in the pavilion of the backyard with Deng Soso and Yang Dojin.
Lady Seo of the Deng family had gone to the medical hall to meet Bing Yuhwa.
Soso shouted suddenly,
“I brought a gift!”
“A gift?”
Excited, Hongseol clasped her hands together.
Although she had received many gifts since living at the Namgung estate, receiving a gift from a ‘friend met outside’ was a first.
Her heart couldn’t help but race.
“Wait a bit… Here!”
