Chapter 11. Dignity

“Sister! Sister!”

Go Sosoon burst into the kitchen as if he had just been reborn.

“I think I messed up really badly!”

“Quiet. Your brother-in-law is reading.”

Go Gyo gestured for him to lower his voice.

With a trembling face, Sosoon told her everything that happened at the village entrance.

“Sister, what do we do now? ‘Benefactor’? What’s that supposed to mean? They must be tricking me, right?”

“So that happened.”

Go Gyo nodded, recalling the incident in the mountains that day.

“Did you ask who they were?”

Sosoon lowered his head.

“I… forgot.”

“And where are they now? Gone?”

“No… still waiting.”

He looked close to tears.

Go Gyo set her broom down.

“Alright. Stay here.”

“Sister, don’t go!”

Sosoon grabbed her tightly.

“It’s fine.”

She smiled reassuringly and walked toward the village entrance.

Sosoon didn’t know what she said to the two scary men, but whatever it was,
They left peacefully.

***

The Next Morning

At dawn, a large carriage rolled into the village and stopped at the Go family gate.

A well-dressed middle-aged man stepped out.

It was the eldest household’s turn to cook today, so Lady Joo and Go Wol-ah were already awake. Wol-ah had just returned from cutting pigweed in the fields when she saw the stranger and the carriage.

She froze in confusion.

The man smiled and asked,

“Excuse me, is this the home of Go Ijeong?”

Wol-ah spun around and ran inside.

“Mother! Someone important is here to see Grandfather!”

At the shout, “Go Janghae,” came out instead.

As the eldest son, he sometimes accompanied his father to the county office, so he had more worldly knowledge than others in the village.

And the visitor was clearly no ordinary person.

Janghae spoke politely.

“My father is washing. May I ask who you are?”

The middle-aged man returned a respectful bow.

“I am an administrator from Cheonhyang Academy. I have come to deliver an admission document for the young master.”

Admission documents were always picked up at the academy.
Why would they deliver it personally?

Could it be… Daesoon did so well on the exam?

Janghae felt his back straighten with pride.
He ran into the house and shouted,

“Daesoon! The academy has sent your admission document!”

The boy was intelligent and hardworking, so it wasn’t surprising that he excelled.

Daesoon had woken earlier than his mother and sister-in-law and was reading in his room. Hearing his father, he put down his book and came out.

“Father, what is it?”

And then he saw the middle-aged stranger.

The face felt familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he had seen him.
The man’s clothing was obviously expensive.

Daesoon couldn’t guess the purpose of the visit.

“Father, what did you say? I couldn’t hear while reading.”

He turned to ask Janghae.

Janghae pointed proudly at the visitor.

“This gentleman is from Cheonhyang Academy. He came to personally deliver your admission document!”

“Admission document?”

Daesoon felt the same confusion.

The academy announcement had said:

• Results posted 3 days after the exam 
• Admission documents released 7 days after the exam 
• Students must pick them up at the academy gate 

There were still three days before the release date.
Why deliver one now? And directly to his door?

The man smiled.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding. The admission document I carry is not for this examinee. There is another candidate in this household, correct?”

Janghae blinked.

“There is only one examinee—Daesoon.”

The man replied politely,

“I was not clear earlier. I am looking for Young Master Go Sosoon.”

Both father and son froze.

After a long moment, Janghae stammered,

“Y-you must be mistaken. Sosoon never took the exam.”

Sosoon was a delinquent!
Even if he reincarnated eight more times, he still wouldn’t take an exam—let alone pass one.

The man smiled calmly.

“I am not mistaken. Our master personally recommended Young Master Sosoon. Thus, he is exempt from the entrance exam.”

At that moment, Go Jang-ru—the family elder—came running out, still disheveled from washing.

“Sosoon did WHAT? What trouble did that brat cause AGAIN? I swear I’ll—!”

The administrator continued kindly,

“Our master slipped while climbing a mountain, and your young master saved him. Therefore, this matter is settled. Please give Young Master Sosoon his admission document. Classes begin in four days.”

Janghae blurted out,

“But our family cannot afford tuition for two!”

He was overwhelmed.

The man looked at both Daesoon and Janghae.
This time, he did not smile.

“Tuition is waived. Books and academy robes have already been prepared. Please deliver them to the young master.”

Only then did Daesoon notice something subtle:

• The man called Sosoon “Young Master.” 
• But called him merely “examinee.” 
• And despite Daesoon ranking second, the man didn’t even know this was his home. 

Daesoon’s expression darkened.

He wanted to ask about the status of this mysterious master, but the man simply handed a wooden box to Jang-ru, bowed, and left.

Jang-ru stared blankly.

“Brother… Did he really mean our Sosoon? Our Sosoon can go to the academy?”

***

Family Breakfast Chaos

At breakfast, the entire household heard the news.

“When did you go up the mountain? Who did you save? Why didn’t you tell us?!”
Lady Ryu demanded.

“How should I know? I… just saved someone by accident…”

His sister told him not to reveal the truth.
He followed her instructions but never imagined the outcome would spiral this far.

How could he possibly attend an academy?

“Well, tuition is free anyway. Better to send him—he causes trouble all day as it is.”
Jang-ru said.

“Then who will work the fields?”
Lady Joo complained.

Even if tuition were free, losing one worker would make life harder.

Daesoon said gently,

“Mother, isn’t it good to have another literate person in the family? After the academy day ends, I will come help with farm work.”

“Why should you?”
Lady Joo rejected it immediately.

Her son was meant for scholarly robes, not muddy fields.

Lady Ryu stiffened.
Was she implying only her son was precious?

Although Ryu found her son Sosoon useless, the insult still stung.

If it had been Isoon’s studies that were threatened, she would have blown up immediately.

Daesoon added,

“I am only worried about Sosoon’s temperament. He must at least behave like a student.”

His words hit everyone’s concerns.

With Sosoon’s personality, how could he study?
He would only anger the teachers.
Daesoon might even be dragged into trouble because of him.

“Then… should we send Isoon instead?”
Lady Ryu suggested hopefully.

Soon I was smarter and more obedient.
He might even become a top scholar.

But Lady Joo silently disagreed.
In truth, Isoon only looked like he liked studying.
Even when Daesoon taught him repeatedly, he understood nothing.

He was no scholar either—Lady Ryu’s dream was only wishful thinking.

Still, since none of the men objected, Lady Joo stayed quiet.

Through all of this,
No one asked Sosoon what he wanted.

***

Three Days Later—Departure

Three days later, both So Yuk-rang and Go Daesoon received their academy admission documents and robes.

Books were normally the student’s responsibility, but the academy learned that Sosoon had none and specially prepared a set for him.

But in the end, all of it was taken by Go Isoon.

Go Gyo shouldered a small bundle and escorted Yuk-rang.

She planned to send him off first, then head to the market.

Yuk-rang put on his new academy robe.
Go Gyo had seen others wear the same—Pung Rim and the students walking near the academy.

But none looked like Yuk-rang.

He wore the white robe over his tall, slender frame like a painting come to life.
Even a woman could hardly look more beautiful.

Her gaze dropped to his feet.

He was wearing the new shoes she bought him.

Her lips curved.

“Do they fit well?”

“Yes.”

Yuk-rang nodded quietly.

She handed him a walking staff and walked with him toward the village entrance.

When they arrived, Mr. Na’s cart was already waiting.

Today, few people were traveling.
Aside from the two of them, only Daesoon and Isoon were going to the academy.

Both wore the same robe.

Truth be told, the Go family wasn’t ugly.
Daesoon was more handsome than most men in town.

But next to Yuk-rang, he looked like a squid.

Even standing still, Yuk-rang radiated elegance and refinement.

Go Gyo had already told him about the favor Sosoon was owed, so both of them knew that the person who should be going today was Sosoon.

But the person getting into the cart was the very small, very nervous Go Isoon.

Go Gyo didn’t even look surprised.
The Go family was fully capable of such shamelessness.

She snorted inwardly.

When Yuk-rang set down his bundle, Go Gyo slipped him twenty extra coins.

“Hmph!”
Isoon glared at them.

The cart soon reached the academy.

“Stop here. We’ll walk from here.”

Daesoon got off early to make a good impression, while Yuk-rang and Go Gyo rode all the way to the gate.

After Yuk-rang disappeared inside the academy,
Go Gyo slung her basket over her shoulder
and walked toward the marketplace.