Chapter 74
Heuk shouted, his face turning pale.
“What if the little one grows up and marries that guy!”
“M-marriage? Between Sister and a beggar?”
Namgung Baek cast a look of disdain at his brothers, who were now pale with shock.
“Don't be stupid. Mother and Father would never stand for Seol marrying a beggar.”
“No, you never know. What if the little one gets blinded by love and says she likes him!”
Imagining the two of them sitting on a straw mat, side by side, begging with filthy faces, the three brothers felt their blood boil.
“Ugh!”
“I can't take it anymore!”
“Sigh...”
A small crease formed on Namgung Baek’s smooth forehead.
“We have to do something, brothers!”
At Namgung Jeok’s words, Namgung Baek’s eyes darkened.
“That is why I called you here today.”
“Is there even a way? The little one likes them so much.”
“There is a reason for that, isn't there?”
“What reason?”
“They have fun things to offer that we cannot.”
“What could that possibly be?”
“There are no girls around!”
At those words, Baek and Heuk’s eyes turned simultaneously to Jeok.
Jeok, wary of his brothers' gazes, spoke in a small voice.
“I saw it earlier—Sister was braiding Deng Soso’s hair.”
“Is that so?”
“She tried out a new hairpin, tied it with ribbons... it looked fun.”
“...That makes quite a bit of sense.”
“H-huh?”
Suddenly, the shadows of his brothers loomed over Jeok. Then, Namgung Heuk’s snaggletooth flashed.
“It looks like you’ll have to put in some effort, Jeok.”
* * *
Crunch, crunch.
Hong-seol was snacking on a sliced cucumber for her afternoon treat.
She sat in her chair, swinging her feet back and forth.
“Squeak (cucumbers are bitter)...”
A group of mice were eating the cucumber with her, looking equally depressed.
Because Hong-seol had been forbidden from eating sweets, including candied fruits, the mice were forced to eat healthy food along with her.
“Alright, let's go in!”
“Sigh... Brother...”
Just then, it became very noisy outside. There were few people who could cause such a commotion in front of the Azure Sky Pavilion, where Hong-seol’s quarters were located.
‘It seems the brothers and Jeok have arrived.’
“Everyone, hide.”
At Hong-seol’s gesture, the group of mice gnawing on the cucumber turned and scurried away to hide.
Thump, thump, thump!
Before long, one of the children, as if pushed from behind, stumbled into Hong-seol’s room.
“S-Sister...”
“Hey! That’s not it!”
As Heuk glared, a voice no louder than a mosquito leaked from Jeok, who had his hands neatly folded.
“O-O-Older sister...”
Hong-seol, who had been sitting in her chair, looked at Jeok. The piece of cucumber she had been bringing to her mouth and her swinging legs had both come to a sudden stop.
“...Jeok?”
With wide eyes, Hong-seol hopped down from her chair and scurried over.
“Who on earth did this to you!”
Hong-seol’s small hands grabbed Jeok’s hair, which had been parted in two and braided up on both sides.
“I-it just happened like that, Sister.”
“Hey!”
At Heuk’s scolding, Jeok hurriedly corrected his address.
“O-Older sister.”
“What is all this?”
Namgung Heuk, meeting Hong-seol’s eyes, smiled awkwardly.
“Jeok is going to be a girl from now on!”
“What did you say?”
“So, you can braid Jeok’s hair, try out hairpins on him! And dress him in girl’s clothes as much as you want.”
Hong-seol, not understanding, stared intently at Heuk.
“Jeok, is this true?”
“Yes! S-Sister... no, Older sister.”
Hong-seol bit her lip, looking troubled.
“Why did you come up with this idea, Brother?”
Turning her body, Hong-seol pointed at Namgung Baek.
Namgung Baek, who had been leaning against the doorway watching the situation, feigned ignorance.
“...It wasn't me.”
“But it was you, Brother...”
“...”
Heuk shouted angrily.
“It’s because you, little one, haven't been playing with us lately!”
“Pardon?”
“You only play with those ‘Eight Faithful Friends’ or whatever they're called, and I heard you even got matching bracelets!”
At the booming voice, Hong-seol looked at Namgung Heuk with wide eyes.
Then, she realized why Jeok had come to her looking like this, and why Heuk was angry.
‘Ah, they're jealous.’
Hearing that, Hong-seol felt strangely happy.
‘To think my brothers are jealous because I’m playing with other friends...’
A sense of mischief bubbled up inside Hong-seol.
“Hehe.”
When she laughed out of the blue, Heuk looked anxious.
“Why, what is it!”
“Now that I think about it, I think I find playing with girls more fun.”
“What!”
“...”
“Exactly!”
Jeok nodded, shrugging his shoulders as if he had expected as much.
Hong-seol turned to Namgung Baek and said brightly.
“Instead of a younger sister, I want an older sister... is that not possible?”
Gasp.
That was crossing the line a bit.
Heuk and Jeok froze with their mouths hanging open.
Hong-seol, who had opened her mouth unable to suppress her mischief for a moment, also froze stiff upon seeing their reactions.
‘D-did I say too much?’
Just as she was feeling incredibly self-conscious, Namgung Baek, who had seemed to be thinking for a moment, gave an unbelievable answer.
“Let's do it.”
Heuk and Jeok were so shocked their jaws nearly hit the floor.
“Brother!”
“Brother!”
Namgung Baek gestured lightly toward Heuk.
“...Of course, he would be the one.”
“Ah, Brother!”
Unable to hold it in any longer, Namgung Heuk turned away and shouted.
‘They’re going to fight at this rate!’
Worry welled up in Hong-seol’s heart.
Hong-seol liked it best when everyone got along.
“It’s a joke, a joke!”
Hong-seol waved her hands, stepping between Baek and Heuk.
“I like you brothers just the way you are!”
Heuk placed the back of his hand on his forehead as if his energy had been completely drained.
“Ah, you little one!”
Namgung Heuk wrinkled his nose, saying, “The little one has learned bad things since she started making friends.”
Even though he was the one who had taught her the most bad things.
“Sigh.”
Even if it didn't show on the outside, it seemed Namgung Baek had also let out a small sigh.
“Hehe. I’m sorry, brothers.”
Beside her, Jeok sniffled, rubbing under his nose.
“You’re really too much, Sister.”
“I’m sorry, Jeok.”
“Sniff. Then will you play with us more often from now on?”
“Yes! I promise!”
Hong-seol linked her pinky finger with Jeok’s.
“Hehe.”
It was when Jeok was laughing foolishly with tears still hanging in his eyes.
“You rascals. Why are you all gathered here again?”
Grand Patriarch Namgung Ho appeared suddenly. He looked at Namgung Jeok with a puzzled face.
“Jeok, what is that look you're wearing?”
“Ah, w-well...”
At Jeok’s words, as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, Heuk quickly intervened.
“Hong-seol said she wanted to practice braiding hair!”
“Oh, is that so?”
Namgung Ho, who became infinitely generous only toward Hong-seol, beamed.
“But you must stop practicing braiding hair now and come with me.”
“Yes? Where to?”
“The Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles is finally going to examine your body.”
“Really?”
Hong-seol’s face brightened.
All this time, Hong-seol had been waiting indefinitely for the day of her examination.
That was because the Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles had said he could only judge the possibility of treating her Yin-Yang Severed Meridians once her body had fully recovered.
Now, that day had come.
“Then I’ll be going!”
Waving to the three brothers, Hong-seol trotted along behind Namgung Ho, who was leading the way.
Heuk and Jeok had bright faces, but only Namgung Baek was watching their retreating figures with an unreadable expression.
* * *
In the tea room, everyone including the Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles, Namgung On, Bing Yuhwa, and Namgung Uigyeol were gathered together.
“Have you been playing hard all this time?”
“Yes!”
“And you haven't eaten any candied fruit?”
“Yes! Ah...”
Hong-seol, who had answered confidently, let her voice trail off without realizing it.
She had remembered the candied fruit Namgung Baek had given her. Of course, she had made sure to brush her teeth immediately after, but still.
The Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles swept his stern gaze over the adults in the room.
Meanwhile, the adults were searching each other with looks of distrust.
“Honestly, Father is being petty...”
“I also wanted to win Hong-seol’s heart with candied fruit, but I held back for the sake of her health...”
“Hmph, I told you it wasn't me!”
Namgung Ho, the most likely suspect, hardened his mouth as if he found it ridiculous.
As the situation became serious, a flustered Hong-seol shouted.
“I-I’m not sick! My teeth are strong, and my meridians are...”
“That remains to be seen.”
The Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles took Hong-seol’s pulse with a grave face.
The room fell as silent as the grave.
“Hmm.”
After probing Hong-seol’s meridians for a long time, the Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles let out a long breath and opened his eyes.
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