Chapter 32
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There it is!
Steaming hot rice cakes were neatly stacked near the stove.
‘He said I just need to bring three of these.’
Then this afternoon, Heuk, Jeok, and I can each have a rice cake while we run around the rear garden.
It was her first time doing something like this in her cat form, so she was a little scared. Still, it was the first mission Heuk and Jeok had entrusted to her, so she wanted to do it well.
‘Should I grab one for Brother Namgung Baek too?’
The thought crossed her mind, and Hong-seol shook her head.
‘...No. He'll just say he doesn't want it anyway.’
Even though it was obvious what Namgung Baek would say, she strangely couldn't stop thinking about it.
‘...Still, maybe I should grab one just in case? If he says he doesn't want it, I can just eat it myself...’
Alright!
Having generously decided to give a rice cake to Namgung Baek as well, Hong-seol quietly watched for an opportunity.
The chance came soon. The maid, Ihwa, who had been fanning the fire in the stove next to the rice cakes, stepped away.
‘Now's my chance!’
Hong-seol leaped from the window and landed lightly near the stove.
‘Q-quickly, let's grab the rice cakes and get out!’
Hong-seol swiftly snatched a rice cake with her mouth.
‘Ah, it's hot!’
Yelping, she dropped it.
The moment the startled Hong-seol dropped the rice cake, Ihwa, who had left, reappeared at the doorway.
Feeling rushed, Hong-seol grabbed the warm rice cakes in her mouth again. Trying to carry four at once, it felt like her jaw would break.
In the process, she ended up dropping one onto the dirt floor.
‘That was Brother Namgung Baek's share...!’
Just as Hong-seol's face fell.
“Where does this little thief of a cat think it's going!”
She had made eye contact with the stern Lady Wi. Hong-seol froze, her front paws raised in the air.
“Where did I put the fire poker?”
“Block the entrance so it can't escape!”
No!
As she fled frantically, Hong-seol remembered the ‘method’ Namgung Heuk had taught her.
“That's right, Hong-seol! If you ever get caught by the maids...”
Now was the time to use that method.
“Aah!”
One of the maids screamed.
It was because Hong-seol had suddenly leaped into the air. She landed right on the crown of Lady Wi's head.
Tap, tap, tap!
Hong-seol stretched out her chubby toes and quickly pressed a few spots on Lady Wi's back. It was the Pressure Point Technique.
Brother Namgung Heuk had definitely said it.
“Press the pressure points I showed you. Then anyone will drift right off to sleep.”
Yes, with this technique, Lady Wi would soon drift off to... Huh?
“This blasted cat!”
Huh, that's strange?
Whoosh!
Hong-seol scrambled for her life, dodging the flying poker. As she ran frantically on all fours, she thought.
‘A-are the maids of the Namgung Clan all masters immune to pressure point techniques?’
Her thoughts slowed her down for a moment.
“Gotcha!”
With one swift move from Ihwa, Hong-seol was helplessly caught by the scruff of her neck.
“Meeeooww!”
She struggled, flailing her four paws with all her might, but it was no use. She only earned a swat on the bottom for her trouble.
‘What do I do? What if I get thrown out...?!’
In her fear, she meowed as loud as she could for help, but there was no answer from the young masters.
“My goodness, how did a clueless cat get into the Namgung Clan estate?”
“It looks like just a kitten. What should we do? Should we toss it out the back gate?”
At those words, Hong-seol went pale.
‘No... I worked so hard to find a place here...’
She couldn't let them throw her out like this. But she couldn't turn back into a human either.
The fact that Hong-seol was a cat Beastkin was a secret known only to the direct line of the Namgung Clan.
‘What should I do?’
As Hong-seol was crying pitifully, an unexpected person appeared.
“Oh my, Young Master Namgung Baek!”
Lady Wi's face lit up.
“Well, if it isn't a little thief of a cat that's wandered into the Azure Sky Pavilion kitchen.”
“A cat?”
The fire poker in her hand, the limp pink kitten held by the scruff of its neck by a maid, and the four rice cakes rolling on the floor.
“Ah.”
Namgung Baek seemed to grasp the situation at once.
Hong-seol squeezed her eyes shut.
‘Oh, of all people, why did Brother Namgung Baek have to see me like this...?!’
Still, Namgung Baek was the only one she could possibly rely on right now.
“Meeow...”
Completely disheartened, Hong-seol opened her little triangular mouth. It was a cry for help.
But Namgung Baek, as indifferent as ever, had already turned to leave.
Panicked, Hong-seol cried out louder.
“Meeeoowww!”
H-help me, Brother.
For Grandfather Namgung Ho's sake, at least!
“Hah.”
Even from a distance, she could see Namgung Baek's back as he let out a small sigh, his shoulders rising and falling.
Is he really just going to leave?
“Meeeeeeooooowwww!”
The more she thought that, the more sorrowfully Hong-seol cried.
And then, something miraculous happened.
“Truly, you are nothing but a nuisance.”
Namgung Baek turned and walked back toward them, holding his hand out to Ihwa.
“Give her here. This is the cat the Grand Patriarch is raising. I'll take her.”
“The Grand Patriarch is raising a cat?”
He brought home a cute little girl not long ago, and now a cat?
Besides, just a moment ago he was pretending not to know it and was about to leave...
This was news to the maids who went in and out of Azure Sky Pavilion every day carrying tea and food trays. But what could they do when the eldest son of the Namgung Clan said it was so?
If he said salt was sweet, then it was sweet. If a wolf Beastkin said he was raising a cat, they had no choice but to accept it.
“Here, take her. Oof.”
Ihwa readily handed the cat she was holding to Namgung Baek, then clapped her hands together with a smack!
“Oh, Young Master! Young Master Namgung Do from the branch family was looking for you a little while ago.”
At those words, Namgung Baek paused.
In that moment, Hong-seol saw it.
A faint crack appearing on the usually expressionless forehead of Namgung Baek.
‘Namgung Do... is that the young master from the branch family Maeran mentioned? It seems Brother really dislikes him.’
“If he looks for me again, tell him I've gone out.”
“Huh? Yes, sir.”
The clueless maid took a step back.
Lady Wi watched Namgung Baek with a somewhat pitying gaze. Namgung Baek adjusted the small cat in his arms and was about to leave the kitchen when he paused.
“Oh, and Granny. Give me one of those rice cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves.”
“Oh, of course!”
What was this? The eldest young master, who ate so little, was asking for food first.
Lady Wi's face brightened. Namgung Baek tucked the leaf-wrapped rice cake into his robes and, holding the cat, soon disappeared.
---
Namgung Baek strode toward the rear garden. Cradled in his arms, Hong-seol was incredibly uncomfortable.
‘This is neither being held nor not being held.’
She had meekly allowed herself into Namgung Baek's arms because she didn't want to be thrown out of the Namgung Clan, but she didn't feel at ease just being held.
So, Hong-seol was splaying her front paws and pushing against Namgung Baek's arm, trying to keep as much distance as possible. But his arm was so firm that he seemed completely unaffected by her pushing.
‘He always seems to be skipping his training, but surprisingly, Brother's body is quite sturdy.’
Could this be what they call a natural martial physique?
While Hong-seol was lost in thought, Namgung Baek reached a secluded corner of the rear garden.
Even though it was a remote spot, there were still many maids passing by, but Hong-seol didn't know that.
‘I want to get down now...’
Still in his arms, Hong-seol flicked her tail back and forth in displeasure.
A moment ago in the kitchen, she had clung to Namgung Baek because she had no other choice.
In truth, she found it extremely uncomfortable to ask him for anything.
“Meow.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Hong-seol let out a small sound, but he just kept walking in silence.
Losing her confidence, Hong-seol clamped her mouth shut.
‘I just can't work up the courage to pester him to put me down...’
In that case?
‘I-I'm sorry, but I have no choice but to use the pressure point technique Brother Namgung Heuk taught me!’
Just then, as if he was uncomfortable, Namgung Baek shifted how he was holding Hong-seol. Now held facing him, it seemed she could reach his back if she stretched out her front paws.
Hong-seol stretched her toes with all her might and pressed Namgung Baek's sleep-inducing pressure point.
Press.
But nothing happened.
‘Strange? Why isn't he falling asleep?’
Come to think of it, the same thing had happened in the kitchen. Even though her paws had clearly pressed the sleep point, Lady Wi hadn't even yawned, let alone fallen asleep.
Tilting her head, Hong-seol was about to press the point again with her paw pad when...
Namgung Baek's low voice was heard.
“To use the Pressure Point Technique, you have to inject Inner Energy.”
Ah?
Flustered, Hong-seol's front paw froze in mid-air.
‘Ah, so that's why it didn't work!’
Dumbfounded, Hong-seol's mouth fell open.
‘B-Brother Namgung Heuk didn't tell me anything about that!’
Hmph.
Her strength drained, Hong-seol gave up and snuggled deep into Namgung Baek's arms.
As she did, a pleasant languor melted through her body.
Somehow, it reminded her of the hand that had closed her eyes back on Mount Daechok.
‘Brother's arms are warm. Even though his words are cold, maybe he's a good person after all?’
Even without her pressure point being pressed, she felt herself about to drift off to sleep.
“Well, well, who do we have here?”
A grating voice, thick with phlegm, rang out. At the sound, Hong-seol's eyes snapped open.
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