Chapter 14

All eyes turned toward Grandfather as he slammed his hands down on the table. “Yeon is right! This is no time to be going to school. Euiran, return to your quarters and make the preparations for Pyo and Ak’s sequestered training.”
“Father!”
“G-Grandfather!”
Aunt Euiran was shocked, and the twins looked as though they had just been sentenced to death.
“Father, how could you even think about putting them through sequestered training? They’re still growing and can’t survive off of field rations!”
“Why not? I did when I was their age,” Grandfather said. “And Euiran, as a mother, you should be putting your children’s futures first! Nothing is more valuable than achieving a high level of mastery at a young age. Nothing worth having comes easy! The pain of the present is an investment for the future!”
Aunt Euiran had only just managed to reach the third level at twelve years old. That wasn’t too bad by Baengri clan standards, but she’d grown up with Father. My aunt had spent her whole childhood being compared to Father and coming up short, until she’d been left so far behind that there was no longer even any point in comparing the two. Her gaze on her sons wavered uncertainly at Grandfather’s words.
Reading her expression, the twins scrambled to speak up. “Grandfather, I want to go to school!”
“Me too!”
Did I make a mistake? I shook my head to clear it of the thought that maybe I should’ve left the situation alone to stop the twins from going to school. I knew it was for the best. Grandfather was known to be all or nothing in his decisions: If he gathered us all in one place for this conversation, it meant that everyone would be going, or no one would.
“Pyo, Ak,” Aunt Euiran said, “Mama thinks sequestered training might not be such a bad—”
“Mom!”
My aunt and the twins started to argue back and forth. I felt like Nero fiddling as Rome burned, except it wasn’t my city but my enemy’s own that they’d burned down trying to entrap me. I picked my chopsticks back up. I’m just going to keep eating. Good thing I didn’t have to leave before I was done.
Just as I was reaching out to the food that had piled up untouched on my plate, Father placed a steamed dumpling on top. My eyes widened as I popped it into my mouth.
“Do you like it?” Father smiled gently at my frantic nodding.
Is this… seafood? It’s not squid... I held out a dumpling to him as well. “Here, Father, you should try one too. It’s good.”
“I’ve eaten plenty.”
“How do you think they made this?”
“I’m not sure,” he replied.
“I think this is water parsley. Do you think they used a saltwater fish?”
Baengri Paehyuk watched on as his daughter and grandsons quarreled on one side of him, while his son and granddaughter lovingly shared food on the other. His chest started to tighten with an inconceivable frustration, and he finally exploded. “Euigang, have you been starving that child?!”
I almost choked at Grandfather’s sudden, testy comment. Father patted me on the back as he parried Grandfather’s temper with the ease of long practice. “It seems she particularly likes the meal tonight.”
“That’s right, Grandfather. E-everything’s so tasty.” I didn’t think he’d pay attention to me until he was done hashing things out with Aunt Euiran. What’s the problem now? I steadied myself and smiled as sweetly as I could. “Here, Grandfather, you should try some as well. It’s delicious!”
“Hmph, bring it over here. I’d like to see for myself just what’s so great about it!”
* * *
In the end, it was decided that everyone would be attending school after all. The contrasting joy and despair of Aunt Euiran and the twins’ faces was priceless.
Two days after the dinner fiasco, our quarters received a delivery of a set of writing tools and the Thousand Character Classic, along with the dumplings that I’d enjoyed that night. They were sent, of course, by Grandfather. Even Father was impressed by the stationery set, which included a jade inkstone carved in such a way that the natural patterns of the stone formed the shape of a pine tree.
Giving a gift like this to a six-year-old is really so wasteful. After all, to Grandfather, I was just a kid who barely knew how to read. He had even sorted it out with Scholar Ki so that I could join in on the lessons slowly once my health improved. When he got things done, he really got them done. Precious gifts, the Divine Decree Suppression Pill, and now the school?
I felt obligated to do something to repay Grandfather for everything. To be more specific, the burden of this debt was too much to bear. But what could I give to a man who seemed to have everything?
The result of all my agonizing was less than impressive. Looking down at my handkerchief, I let out a dry laugh. Well, it’s not nothing. At least I gave it my all. Even if my embroidery on the handkerchief looked more like a rabbit than the butterfly and flowers I’d intended...
My first plan had been to embroider my grandfather’s name, but perhaps unsurprisingly, that was an impossible task for my clumsy hands. And now I was faced with another problem... Now that I’ve finished, how can I deliver it to him? I’d sooner bank on the rabbit coming alive and hopping there itself than trust a servant to bring it to Grandfather as I requested, but it was also hard for me to go seek him out. It’s true that he’s been good to me lately, but I shouldn’t overstep. I knew that he was only acting this way for my father’s sake, not because he’d actually accepted me.
In the end...
“Hello.”
The Whiteguard Hall guard seemed taken aback that I was really speaking to him.
“I think I left something behind in Grandfather’s rooms when I was staying here. Could I go in to look for it?” I said confidently. Best to take the bull by the horns.
***
The child’s attitude was so nonchalant that the guard was left unsure of what to do. He looked toward his fellow guard in confusion, but the other looked just as puzzled as the first. Under normal circumstances, they would have told her to wait until the clan head returned, but with the rumors circulating lately about that child... They were afraid of the potential repercussions should they send her away, but neither of them knew when the clan head would be back, either. After discussing the matter, they decided that one would act as her guide, keeping an eye on her. “Let me lead the way.”
***
Once we arrived at the room I’d stayed in last time, I stopped the guard from entering alongside me. “Ah! Could I please look for it myself?”
“Eh?”
“You see, it’s sort of private...”
The guard was stunned, finding it absurd and comical for a child barely waist-high to be wearing such a serious face. He checked quickly to ensure no one else was around before readily agreeing. “I will be waiting at the door, so please come out as soon as you find it. Lord Baengri is currently absent, so you mustn’t cause any disturbances.”
“I understand!” Being a child had its perks once in a while. I quickly scanned the room. It had been returned to the exact way I looked when I’d first arrived. Even though no one had occupied the room after me, not a single speck of dust could be found.
Where should I leave this? I couldn’t just toss the handkerchief anywhere and leave. After all, the guard would surely take a look inside the room as soon as I left. I had to find a place for it where he wouldn’t be able to spot right away, but the servant cleaning the room would find it immediately. In the drawer? Might take a while to be found... Under the vase? No, that might leave a mark on the handkerchief... Yes! Right here.
I approached the bed. The blankets had to be aired out in the sun regularly, so this was a good place. Satisfied, I mumbled to myself, “Perfect.”
“What is?”
A scream caught in my throat. A sturdy hand braced me as I staggered, clutching my chest.
“You scared me even more than I scared you! Why on earth are you so surprised?”
Under the weight of Grandfather’s intimidating gaze, I opened my mouth to answer—and hiccuped.
* * *
A cup of warm water helped calm me down. “I-I thought y-you were a ghost.”
“Do I have to make my presence known when I’m walking around my own quarters? You’re the one who snuck in here like a stray cat!” Grandfather scoffed.
I quickly bowed my head. “I’m sor— Hic! Sorry. Hic!”
When were these hiccups going to stop?!
Grandfather coughed, sounding a bit abashed. “Ahem, so did you find what you were looking for? Is that it?” he asked, pointing at what I was holding.
“Ah, this is... Well...” I hesitated. I hadn’t expected to have to explain this to him in person. Seeing his eyes turn sharp again, I gulped. Here goes nothing. I politely held out the handkerchief and letter. “Actually, I brought these to give to you.”
Grandfather looked like he couldn’t believe his ears. “For me?”
“Yes...”
Accepting the gifts, he opened the letter first. He stared at the squiggly words for a long time. He can... read it, right? I practiced all this time! The longer he went on reading, the lower my confidence fell.
Finally, he looked at the handkerchief. “You embroidered this?”
“Yes!”
“You didn’t get one of the servants to do it for you?” he questioned, peering suspiciously at the embroidery.
Grandfather, any servant who sewed like this would be fired instantly... I gestured at him pleadingly. “I did it myself. Look, it’s a rabbit.” Oh crap! I’d made a mistake. I’d meant to say they were flowers and butterflies! But I’d been thinking so much about rabbits that I accidentally let it slip... “Wait no, it’s not a rabbit—”
Seeing suspicion enter Grandfather’s eyes again at my retraction, I hurried to cover for myself. “Th-the rabbit, isn’t it cute?”
How stupid can I be?
Grandfather looked at me, baffled.

Chapter end