“Hey! What on earth happened!”
What greeted when I ca back to the servants’ wing was Songji’s yell.
With how furious she looked, cold sweat ran down my back. I smiled like nothing was wrong and waved at her.
“Good evening, Songji.”
“You can say ‘good evening’ right now? Do you know how worried I was when you didn’t co back last night?”
Mm. Not working.
Songji had rushed over in one stride and was huffing like an enraged bull. She grabbed my shoulders and shook hard.
“You didn’t send word you’d be late, nobody said they’d seen you. I kept thinking maybe you made so mistake with the Elder and he had you punished, or maybe those Simyang girls pulled sothing. I imagined all sorts of things. You really...”
Her voice broke. Her eyes were hollowed out like she’d stayed up all night worrying.
“I’m sorry, Songji.”
I apologized and pulled her into a tight hug.
I’d been so overwheld I’d completely forgotten about her. I hadn’t thought she’d worry this much.
I quickly patted her back, and she sniffled.
“I’m just glad nothing happened.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you get any sleep?”
“Of course.”
“You’re not hurt anywhere?”
“No. Oh, hey. Want so tea?”
“Tea? What tea? You an actual tea, not dregs from cheap leaves?”
“Yeah. Grandfather Tang Jung gave it to .”
Letting her go, I took out the tea tin I’d gotten from Tang Jung and shook it. Songji’s face brightened.
“Is this Dream-Summit Tea? Oh my, I’ve only ever slled the scent before.”
“Probably.”
“I’ve never heard of the Elder giving tea as a reward. Hey. You must be doing your work well.”
“That’s not it, he just gave what was left.”
To be exact, he’d given it to so I could drink it while I studied. It obviously ant “when you get back, don’t sleep, study.”
Even in the martial world, you had to rely on caffeine to study. Life was truly harsh.
I pulled out another bundle from my clothes.
“I brought snacks too.”
Taking the plain-cloth bundle, Songji happily undid the knot. When she saw the pale rice cakes inside, she cried out.
“These are snow rice cakes! He gave you sothing this fancy?”
“Yeah. Well. Co on, let’s go in and eat them.”
“Right. Let’s hurry inside.”
Her smile reached her ears. From the look of it, she was even happier about the precious rice cakes than the high-grade tea.
Right. Food is what really counts. Good attitude. I pushed her back and went into our room.
But then I noticed my pillow and quilt had been swapped out for new ones.
I tilted my head in confusion, and Songji answered casually.
“Madam Jin ca by yesterday. She said there wasn’t a suitable room to move you into right now, so she’d at least change out your bedding. I stayed up all night waiting just so I could tell you this...!”
“Songji, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
Her voice was rising, so I quickly shoved a snow rice cake into her mouth to plug it.
Co to think of it, Madam Jin had said she’d move my room. Once it was light out, I’d have to go tell her I’d stay as I was for the ti being.
If I wanted to live quietly, it was better to cut down even a little on things that would get talked about.
“You, really...!”
“You’ll choke. Hang on, Songji. I’ll brew the tea.”
Glowering at , she puffed out her cheeks like a squirrel and chewed. The crunchy sound of the rice cake made my mouth water.
Is it good?
Poking at the brazier, I popped a snow rice cake into my own mouth. Nutty and slightly salty—perfect for a little sothing after a al.
Facing each other as we ate, we both burst into laughter. It was nothing special, but sohow it made us laugh.
After swallowing her rice cake, Songji spoke.
“Sohae. What are you going to do from now on?”
“About what?”
“About Grandfather Tang Jung, I an. From the way he keeps giving you things, he must like you, but I’m a little nervous. It was a long ti ago, but they used to say whenever the Elder called for a newly hired maid, she always disappeared. You’ve lived here all along, sure, but... I’m still nervous. Can’t you ask nicely and get your work assignnt changed?”
At her words, I thought of how Tang Jung had suspected my identity.
He’d asked if I «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» hadn’t been working here long. So he really had looked for new maids from ti to ti in the past.
“It’ll be fine.”
I lifted a shoulder. I wasn’t a new hire. I was Tang blood. There was no way Tang Jung, who’d accepted as his descendant and disciple, would harm .
The problem wasn’t Tang Jung, it was the aunts and half-siblings I hadn’t even seen yet...
“Songji. I have a question. What kind of person is the Young Clan Head?”
“The Young Clan Head? The Young Clan Head is obviously a total bastard... ah. You can’t tell anyone I said that, okay?”
So he’s a total bastard.
Honestly, I could tell just from Tang Muheok’s attitude. There was no way a son raised under a father like that would turn out with a decent personality.
The strange one was gentle, soft-spoken Tang Un.
“Of course I won’t.”
“You promise?”
When I nodded, it was like she’d been waiting for that mont. She let all her pent-up complaints tumble out.
“Frankly, he’s not soone who deserves to be Young Clan Head. He’s not smart, he’s not good-looking, and on top of that he’s always throwing his weight around at the maids and he’s got filthy tastes. Who’d want to serve a master like that? If at least his martial arts were outstanding, that’d be sothing. But the Vice Captain of the Black Cloud Guard taught him for five years, and he’s still worse than the Third Young Master, who’s four years younger. That proves he has no talent for martial arts. If the Young Clan Head becos Clan Head, the Tang Clan is going to collapse. Then where are we supposed to go? Do you think I could get a job at an inn?”
Songji. Breathe when you talk. Breathe.
Her face was as red as a ripe tomato. She must have had a lot built up against the Young Clan Head.
anwhile, the kettle on the brazier had started to boil, steam puffing out. As I poured the boiling water into a cooling pot, I asked:
“Then why did he beco Young Clan Head?”
“Because he’s the eldest son, of course. And the other young masters are still younger.”
Speaking as if it were obvious, she opened the tea tin and marveled at the well-dried leaves.
“This is really good tea!”
“Do you like it? Don’t hold back—drink as much as you want. I’ll get more.”
“Really? I’ll really drink like there’s no tomorrow, then. Anyway, I heard the Clan Head didn’t intend to make Young Master Yeongho the Young Clan Head at first. The main Madam’s child is Young Master Un, you know. But then Young Master Un ca down with that severed-ridians disease and... well, it just turned out this way.”
“Ahh.”
“I think maybe Madam Zhuge has a weak constitution, and that’s why Young Master Un turned out like that. It’s famous gossip that she couldn’t have children for more than three years after the wedding, and that’s why they brought in Madam Im. Madam Im even had a son first, rember?”
“Right.”
“And then Madam Jo, who ca in much later, has two sons and a daughter, while Madam Zhuge only has Young Master Un. She must be suffering in her heart.”
It really was a rather pitiful story.
This family had its own share of drama. So how many siblings did that give ? Four sons and one daughter?
Before I could ask, Songji grumbled on her own.
“Even then, Young Master Hwayeop and Young Master Juyeop are at least people you can serve. Young Master Seho is an absolute nace. All he ever says is, ‘My older brother is the Young Clan Head, what are you going to do about it,’ and he’s always flipping tables. Madam Im is so good with numbers people call her gifted in business. I don’t know how she ended up with a son like that. And on top of that, Young Lady Juhui is...”
There’s more? Just how many kids are there?
I counted on my fingers, trying to sort out the number of my half-siblings.
In short, the first wife, Madam Zhuge, had only Tang Un, and the rest were children of Madam Im and Madam Jo.
The eldest son Tang Yeongho and youngest son Tang Seho seed to be Madam Im’s, while the third and fourth sons, Tang Hwayeop and Tang Juyeop, seed to be Madam Jo’s.
The Third Young Master Captain Tang Bugyeong taught out on the training grounds must have been Tang Hwayeop. That would make Unit Captain Tang Bugyeong the Vice Captain of the Black Cloud Guard.
There were so many people to morize that my temples throbbed.
Judging from what she’d said, there was also one daughter under Madam Im and one under Madam Jo. They were probably the Juhui and Chohee Tang Un had ntioned before.
“The other day, Hong-i got driven out. That was actually... hey, Sohae. Are you even listening to ?”
“Of course. The young lady was too much.”
“Right? No matter what, you don’t do that to a personal maid who’s served you her whole life...”
Once Songji’s tongue started, there was no sign it would stop. I listened with one ear and let it out the other while chewing on another snow rice cake.
The tea in the cup, which had been steaming hot, had already gone cold.
Five sons and two daughters.
Even if I left the favorable Tang Un out, that still made six. How was I going to survive the blood-soaked succession struggle of six siblings?
I tapped the cup with my finger. What I could do right now was...
“...and that’s what happened. This tea is really good. Anyway, aren’t you going to study your letters today?”
“I am.”
Ti to conquer the Thousand-Character Classic.
I downed the tea in one gulp and pulled out my inkstone. As I started grinding ink with dead eyes, Songji smiled and spread paper out in front of .
“If you hate it that much, why are you studying? Just do it for half a double-hour and go to sleep. I’m turning in first.”
“Because the Elder told to. Go ahead and sleep.”
“Mm. I’ll clean this up.”
“Thanks, Songji.”
She cleared away the tea things and, maybe because she was tired, fell asleep as soon as she lay down. Listening to her gentle breathing, I gripped my brush.
No matter what, I’m finishing the Thousand-Character Classic by the end of this month!
Burning with determination, I started copying the text. Under the wavering lamplight, crooked characters lined the page.
*****
The next day, and the day after that, Tang Jung was away from his seat.
I’d thought that as Grand Elder he could just do whatever he wanted, but watching him, that wasn’t the case.
“The Grand Elder Clan Head of the Peng Clan is coming? That brat’s still alive? How long do they an to work this old man to the bone?”
He grumbled, but still went dutifully to receive each guest. From the look of it, he took the role he’d been given quite seriously.
Well. Adults only get treated like adults when they act like it. In that sense, Tang Jung was an admirable adult.
Stretching, I slowly stepped into his building. Since I’d be alone anyway, I’d planned to skip cleaning and focus on my letters today.
But there was an uninvited guest sitting in the receiving room.
“Sohae, you’re here?”
The one who greeted warmly was Tang Un.
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