Chapter 71
Afternoon.
For the first time in a while, the whole family was leisurely gathered in the tea room, sipping tea together.
To Namgung Baek’s surprise, he found himself staring intently at his younger brother, Namgung Heuk.
“Hmm…”
The way Heuk was tapping a folding fan in one hand against the other was somehow extremely irritating.
“Even Namgung Heuk’s belt has blue silk string decorations.”
His gaze then shifted to his seemingly clumsy youngest brother, Namgung Jeok.
“Jeok tied his hair with that same blue silk string.”
Earlier, he had passed by the backyard and seen Hongseol, Soso, and Dojin.
“Those wild little rascals were also wearing bracelets made of blue silk string.”
He had been able to notice this thanks to raising his internal power and sensing it.
All the blue silk strings clearly belonged to Hongseol.
He was certain because he had seen Hongseol clumsily sewing them together with Sibi Maeran multiple times.
“I’m the only one without one.”
That was what shocked Namgung Baek.
“Seol didn’t give me that blue silk string… only to me…”
He looked at Hongseol with a resentful gaze.
“Why? Am I not the one who treats her the best?”
Oblivious to this, Hongseol was happily smiling, enjoying her time with the family while drinking tea.
Her cheerful expression made Namgung Baek even more upset.
“Even that beggar and the son of the village head received blue strings, and we’ve known them for barely any time!”
Baek gripped his folding fan so tightly that it almost crushed in his hand.
Hongseol proudly exclaimed:
“I’m a member of the Eight Divine Friends!”
“What’s that?”
Namgung Ho set down his teacup and raised his head.
Baek muttered to himself quietly:
“No way… it can’t be.”
“My friends! Dung Soso, Yang Dojin, and me. The three of us formed the Eight Divine Friends!”
His “no way” had turned out to be correct.
Suddenly, Namgung Baek felt a sharp pain in his head.
“Good for you, Hongseol, that you have friends now.”
His oblivious father chimed in, which only made Baek feel more uncomfortable.
“But our little one already has enough friends here, doesn’t she?”
Namgung Heuk spoke up.
For the first time in his life, Baek felt a sudden urge to pat his younger brother’s head.
“I’m here, and Jeok is here, so why do we need more friends?”
‘Hah… why was my name left out?’
The fleeting sense of pride quickly deflated.
Just then, Sibi Maeran brought in a plate.
“Wow, candies!”
Excited, Jeok clapped his hands. Heuk didn’t show it, but he seemed happy as well.
“Candy!”
Hongseol got up to take one but flinched.
She met Namgung Ho’s strict gaze.
“Hongseol, your teeth are weak, so Banri Dae-Seon said no sweets for now. They could decay quickly, you know?”
“Waaah…”
“You should answer, ‘Yes’!”
“Yes!”
Despite her spirited reply, Hongseol sat back down with a sullen face.
There were three candies on the plate, but none for Hongseol.
While Heuk eagerly munched on the sweets, Namgung Baek only watched silently.
Namgung Ho commented:
“Tsk, no wonder the rumor that the eldest son of the Namgung family has a picky palate spreads throughout the city.”
Even so, Baek didn’t move from staring at the candy.
Once Heuk finished all his candy, he asked Baek:
“Brother, aren’t you eating?”
“…”
Baek silently turned his head away. Heuk glanced at him and reached for the plate.
“Then I’ll eat it?”
Clack.
Baek’s fingers acted like guards, protecting the candy from being touched. His piercing glare was an added bonus.
“If you don’t want to give it, just say so… this is too much.”
“Namgung Heuk!”
Startled by Namgung On’s shout, Heuk closed his mouth tightly.
As time passed, the busy family members gradually left.
By chance, only Hongseol and Namgung Baek remained in the tea room.
The plate with the candy was still in front of Baek.
“So, it’s finally quiet.”
He slid the plate with the candy toward Hongseol.
“Here, eat.”
“Huh?”
Hongseol blinked in surprise.
“Can… can I really eat this?”
Baek let out a short laugh.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment all along, haven’t I?”
Hongseol’s face lit up like the sun breaking through a cloudy day.
“Thank you!”
She took the candy from Baek’s hand and chewed it happily.
“It’s so, so delicious!”
The sweetness, a taste she hadn’t had in ages, made her cheeks blush like a shiny apple.
Baek watched with a complex expression.
“Even though I treat her like this, why doesn’t she give me the blue silk string?”
He was curious but couldn’t bring himself to ask.
“That question would make me look too petty.”
Baek hesitated, uncharacteristically, and clenched his fists.
And what if, just maybe, she didn’t give him the string because she truly didn’t consider him close?
While Baek was deep in thought, Hongseol was looking for an opportunity.
“Now that it’s just the two of us, maybe brother will grant my request!”
She hurriedly chewed and swallowed the candy in her cheeks and bravely spoke:
“Brother!”
Baek, lost in thought, quietly lifted his gaze.
“I… I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
Hongseol pulled out a blue silk string from her clothes.
“That is…”
Baek had an ambiguous expression, neither laughing nor crying.
“Thank you.”
As he took the trembling string in his hand,
“I’ll use it well…”
“No! Brother, it’s not for you to use!”
Hongseol held her small hand up to muffle the sound and whispered into Baek’s ear:
“The truth is…”
After hearing her story, Baek cleared his throat and tried to hide his flustered expression.
“You’ll help me, right?”
“…It’s not difficult, is it? Hah.”
Not hearing the sigh at the end, Hongseol exclaimed excitedly:
“Thank you, brother! Now I can go pick out what to wear when I go out!”
But as she tried to turn, her collar was grabbed.
“Wait. Are you just going to eat candy and leave?”
Baek held out a small hemp pouch with a serious expression. Inside were a pinch of salt and a finely carved willow branch.
“Huh? But…”
“Quickly.”
“Okay.”
Taking the pouch, Hongseol pouted and left.
Watching her retreating figure, Baek turned his gaze back to the blue silk string in his hand.
He thought he had finally received it, but it wasn’t really his.
“Sigh.”
He messed up his hair with his free hand and lowered his head deeply.
Before long, a month had passed since Hongseol, Soso, and Dojin had made their promise.
“Sister!”
“Dojin!”
Dojin, dressed in a full set of lively clothes, ran quickly to stop in front of the Minstrel Inn.
“Sister, are you ready?”
“Mm. I’ve prepared the fish as you said, but… what is all of this…?”
Mae Okryeong looked bewildered.
It made sense—men she had never seen before were unloading goods in front of the inn.
“Hey, make way!”
“Wait a moment! I’ll show you the fresh fish I just caught from the water.”
One man, tanned from the sun, said proudly.
“I guarantee, it’s exactly as it was when I caught it yesterday afternoon!”
However, the fish they carried out of the carriage lay still, wrapped in straw.
Mae Okryeong couldn’t believe it.
“Can… this really work?”
Rolling up his sleeves, the fisherman removed the straw and slung a large sea bass over his shoulder.
He placed it on the big wooden cutting board prepared in the inn.
“Now, watch closely!”
When he pressed on the fish’s gills with lightning-fast hands,
Flap!
The previously still fish began thrashing its tail and fins violently.
“Oh my!”
Mae Okryeong screamed in surprise.
The fish looked exactly as if it had just been caught from the sea.
Having usually only been able to get mediocre ingredients due to pressure from other shops, Mae Okryeong was thrilled.
“I’ll cook it as a trial!”
Seeing Mae Okryeong so cheerful, Dojin brightened up as well.
“I’m counting on you, sister!”
A short while later, a table was set in front of Dojin with a bounty of fish dishes.
“Wow!”
There were various types: steamed fish with seasoning, lightly pickled with black vinegar and kelp, and bones sliced and fried until crispy.
Among them, one dish caught Dojin’s attention more than the others.
“Sister, what is this?”
