3. Regrettably, I Am Scheduled for Demotion
Su-ryeon stood before the Archives. Her heart fluttered with an odd excitement at the thought of her first day as an archivist. While overtime wouldn’t disappear entirely, it surely wouldn’t be the daily nightmare of the Assistant’s office. She needed to get home quickly to tend to her baby lizard.
However, a young boy she didn’t recognize was standing at the entrance. Judging by his clothes, he was a servant.
‘The Archives shouldn’t need a dedicated servant…’ Su-ryeon thought, puzzled. She approached him.
“Are you guarding this place?” “No. I have been ordered to serve as the personal attendant for Lady Cheong Su-ryeon.” “By whom?”
The boy gave a quiet smile. Su-ryeon sighed. Only one person had the authority to assign a personal attendant to someone of her rank: King Jae-hu. He had never done this while she was an assistant. Just as she was about to tell the boy it wasn’t necessary, the sliding door to the Archives opened.
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
A boy with mischievous green eyes and a bizarre appearance stepped out. Perched peacefully on his head was a frog—so large it was practically a toad.
“Hello…?” Su-ryeon greeted him hesitantly, her eyes glued to the amphibian.
“Come in for now. Forget the servant for a moment. Let’s do introductions.” “Ribbit.”
The boy led her inside with eyes as bright as a frog’s. Every time he finished a sentence, the frog punctuated it with a croak, grating on Su-ryeon’s nerves. She was not a fan of frogs.
The Archives were filled with the comforting scent of old paper. They reached the only desk in the room.
“Have a seat. Gok-u will be here soon. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gyeong-chip of the Chun (Spring) Family.” “Ribbit.” “Since I am the incarnation of the ‘Awakening of Insects’ (Gyeong-chip), this frog and I are essentially one. Don’t mind him.” “Ribbit.” “Quiet, you.” “Ribbit-ribbit-ribbit-ribbit!”
He’s a bit loud, Su-ryeon thought with a strained smile. Another man appeared, looking deathly tired with dark circles under his eyes. He dropped a massive book on the desk.
“…I am Gok-u of the Chun Family…” “Are you alright? Is the workload that heavy?” Su-ryeon asked worriedly. “…No. Spending all day with Gyeong-chip and that frog just naturally drains the soul.”
Su-ryeon felt an immediate wave of sympathy. Constant croaking would drive anyone mad.
“Anyway,” Gyeong-chip said with a playful grin, “before you start as an archivist, you need the basic foundation.” “And what would that be?” “The history of Eastern Shin-Nong. Aren’t you curious why the real Shin-Nong family, who led 300 years of peace, actually perished?”
Su-ryeon tensed. In the current kingdom, discussing the original legendary family was a silent taboo.
“The records are scarce,” Gyeong-chip whispered like a conspirator. “But they mention two things: they were a family of Linguists (Eon-ryeong-sa) and the masters of Dragons.”
“Don’t take him too seriously,” Gok-u interrupted, glaring at Gyeong-chip. “Those are just rumors, not verified facts.”
“What is a Linguist?” Su-ryeon asked. The two men looked at her with surprise.
Markdown
**"If you don't know Linguists, you must not know Sul-beop (Techniques). It's magic based on the Divine Power (Shin-ryeok) of this land. Most Family Heads are chosen for their high Divine Power—like the Head of the Dong Family you worked with."**
“Linguists deal with the soul residing in language,” Gok-u added. “But they are incredibly rare. I’ve never seen one in my life.”
Su-ryeon realized then how talented Sohan actually was. No wonder he had looked down on her at first. Just as she was worrying about finding her own replacement, another servant arrived.
“Assistant Su-ryeon, Chief Assistant Dong Sohan is looking for you.” Su-ryeon sighed. I just want to go home early today…
“So, have you decided?” Su-ryeon asked, dropping a stack of funeral records onto Sohan’s desk.
Sohan didn’t even look up, his brush flying across the paper. “Decided what?” “The seating chart for the funeral. And the procession positions.” “Not yet.”
Then why did you call me? Su-ryeon swallowed the retort. “I’ve found as many records as I could. Read them and let me know.” She turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” Sohan stopped his brush. “To do my job as an archivist, Chief Assistant Dong Sohan,” she replied, emphasizing every syllable of his title with polite fury.
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**"Do it here."**
**"?"**
**"You can do your archivist work right here in this office."**
Su-ryeon stared at him. It wasn’t even summer yet, but he clearly had heatstroke. “An archivist works in the Archives. What would I do here?” “You are still officially part of the Assistant’s office.”
Sohan stood up. “Let’s go together.” “Where?” “The Archives. I feel like… I’ll be able to concentrate better there.”
Su-ryeon looked at him as if he had grown a second head. The man was a workaholic who lived for overtime; he must have finally snapped. She ignored him and walked out, but to her horror, he followed right behind her.
A bizarre scene unfolded in the Archives: Gyeong-chip, Gok-u, Su-ryeon, and the high-and-mighty Chief Assistant Sohan all huddled around a single desk.
“It’s nice and lively!” Gyeong-chip chirped. “Ribbit.”
Sohan said nothing and focused intensely on his work. For a long while, the only sounds were the scratching of brushes and the rustling of old paper. Finally, Gyeong-chip clapped his hands.
“It’s time to leave the palace! Su-ryeon, you should head out. You worked hard for your unofficial first day.”
Su-ryeon perked up, thinking of her pet, Rok. The lizard had been picky with its food lately. Is it bored of earthworms? Should I try some sweet apples?
“What about you, Chief Assistant?” Gyeong-chip asked Sohan. “I shall remain.”
Gyeong-chip and Gok-u looked troubled. Gyeong-chip shot Su-ryeon a desperate look that said: Only you can get this high-ranking official out of our office.
“You should leave, Lord Sohan,” Su-ryeon said, using formal language. “We can’t leave an outsider alone in the Archives.”
Sohan frowned at her cold, formal tone. He stood up and looked down at her with that arrogant gaze she had endured for five years. She met his eyes defiantly.
“Are you leaving too?” he asked. “Of course.”
She gave a quick nod to her new colleagues and walked out without looking back. Then, a voice followed her.
Markdown
**"Let's leave together, then."**
Sohan was right behind her.
Sohan seems quite intent on not letting Su-ryeon out of his sight! Would you like to see their walk home together, or should we skip to Su-ryeon feeding her mysterious pet “Rok”?
