“Is it, is it a hardship?”

It sounded grand when said like that. Looking at Namgung Ryuh with the meaning of ‘What do you mean?’ Namgung Ryuh spoke, twirling her hair.

“No, the fact that the kitchen is offlimits now means that you used to have to go in and out before.”

She seemed unaware of how I, Jegal Soseo, had come in. Since it’s not something to keep secret, I shrugged my shoulders and replied.

“I lost my parents early and served as a servant in another household. I met my grandfather here while following the young master to support him at the martial arts competition.”

Again, the greedy eyes of Danmokbi came to mind. I met my grandfather’s wrinkled eyes, looking at me earnestly, and smiled thinly.

“It was very dangerous at the time. Even thinking about it now, it was cool, grandfather.”

“Hmm, this old man is cool, isn’t he?”

Grandfather, puffing his chest out but coughing embarrassingly, was cute, so I chuckled. Namgung Ryuh nodded her head.

“Ah, so that’s how you became a foster daughter. It’s amazing and I envy you. I think I said it last time too.”

“…….”

Her tone was light, but I had to keep my mouth shut. I knew what came next, even without hearing it.

‘She must be thinking of her own family.’

And her unfortunate family history was also the result of my fingers freely moving. A love with hardships is beautiful, I had set it that way.

So it was my fault.

As I hung my head in thought, Namgung Ryuh bent down to meet my eyes. Her round, clear eyes blinked like glass marbles.

“Why that expression?”

“What?”

“Just now, you made a very apologetic face toward me. But my misfortune is not something Jegal Soseo should feel sorry for.”

“That’s…….”

What could I say? That your misfortune was created by my settings?

“Jegal Soseo, you’ve been strange from the beginning.”

Namgung Ryuh smiled at me, unable to reply.

“It’s not possible, but you always make a face as if you know all the wounds of my heart.”

“…….”

As I couldn’t respond to Namgung Ryuh’s words, an eerie silence lingered between us.

It was our grandfather who broke it.

“Let’s go this way today.”

Grandfather pulled me in a different direction from where we walked yesterday. Looking at grandfather with a puzzled expression, he smiled kindly.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to try the Qimen black tea yesterday? Let’s go to Qimen.”

“Oh…….”

But does this excursion have no purpose at all? Can we just go to Qimen because I want to go to Qimen?

Blinking my eyes, I hugged my grandfather and smiled broadly. It felt like a good premonition.

(This is a time separator.)

That night, we arrived in Qimen and unpacked. Grandfather went to bed early, saying his neuralgia was acting up. After filling the teapot at his bedside, I went outside, hugging Baekho.

The round moon was so big I wanted to hug it. As I was scratching Baekho’s fluffy neck, I poured out my difficult worries.

“Was I very strange earlier?”

[Dash]Aren’t you always strange when meeting?

“No, I’m not. I’m a totally mature and cool person.”

[Dash]Believing so is your freedom.

Baekho’s answer to my serious concern was utterly unkind. As I pouted my lips, Baekho tapped my knee with his front paw and said,

[Dash]Make what you made last time again. Was it grilled mackerel?

Baekho’s sneakily stating what he wanted was too, too cute. I stroked Baekho’s ears and said,

“You really like fish, Baekho!”

[Dash]What do you mean ‘really’! What do you think of the great Baekho!

“Hahaha.”

What do I think? I think it’s a cat.
Stroking the white tiger, my heart churned again, and I mumbled in a downcast tone.

“I suddenly feel like I’m overstepping. I can’t possibly know his pain, but I grieved as if it were my own affair, and that must have been absurd.”

Namgung Ryeo’s words were right earlier. Her unhappiness is hers alone, and nobody can pity her casually.

“But every time I hear it, I can’t help but feel guilty.”

However, aren’t my position and others’ a bit different? I am the author who designed this world.

Unable to decide my mind at once, I hesitated, and the white tiger licked the back of my hand with its rough tongue.

[Dash]No one who speaks to you once would not know that you are a kind child. Only a bad person would think badly of you.

And he spoke to me in a serious tone.

[Dash]So put such worries aside.

“White tiger, you are affectionate.”

Ogu ogu, our baby kitten is now consoling me. I hugged the white tiger and repeatedly kissed its round head. Then, the white tiger pushed my face away with its front paw, looking annoyed.

[Dash]Then put out the grilled mackerel.

I want to do it too! I want to grill a hundred, even a thousand!

“Ugh, it’s hard here. Salt is life.”

But it’s not our home, and how are the seafood conditions in this unfamiliar neighborhood, how can I grill mackerel?

‘Should I ask where the fish market is?’

I thought so, and when I looked around, I saw someone familiar walking away in the dark, hurrying.

“Eh? Isn’t that Namgung Sojeo?”

[Dash]It seems so.

“Where is he going this evening?”