◇◇◇◆◇◇◇My father entered his chambers, his anger not easily subsiding. He paced the room restlessly before finally sitting down and opening a book, only to set it aside after flipping through just a few pages.
"Was she always like that? No, never mind."
Father placed a hand on my shoulder and said,
"Ri-yeon, you have no reason to feel guilty about this. That child was punished for neglecting her duties. Understood?"
Guilt? An emotion I'd never allow myself to feel. I simply nodded vigorously.
"From now on, nothing like this will—"
Father, mid-sentence, suddenly clamped his mouth shut and stared at me intently. His eyes brimmed with a deep, stifled frustration.
Just then, someone announced their presence cautiously and entered.
"Young master..."
It was Un-du, Father's longtime servant who always shadowed him. He had been with Father at the central hall during the incident, so he escaped involvement unscathed.
"I've finished sorting the list of gifts from the clan head. Where should I put them?"
"Herbs to my chambers, the rest to Ri-yeon's... No, wait a moment."
"Yes, sir."
Un-du seemed slightly flustered but withdrew without question. I looked at Father curiously, wondering what was going on.
"Ri-yeon."
Father knelt on one knee to meet my gaze at eye level.
"No matter how much I think about it, I can't shake this unease."
The gravity of his tone made me tense up, unsure what to say as I watched him.
After a long moment, Father's face hardened with resolve.
"How about living together in my chambers from now on?"
"Pardon?"
"Only if you're comfortable with it, of course. No pressure. My place is spacious enough—I can prepare a room for you right away. Usually, children don't move to separate quarters until around ten. Yours are close, just across the inner courtyard, but they're still different buildings, aren't they? At your age, you should be with your parents. But when I brought you here, I thought you'd feel awkward around me, so I requested separate chambers on purpose."
I stared at him with wide eyes.
What, is he rapping now?
This was the first time I'd seen Father talk without pausing. And he wasn't done.
"But the more I think about it, the better it seems to have you in the same chambers. I'd be able to watch over you more closely, and with your health still fragile..."
Standing there with my mouth agape, I hurriedly cut him off before he went on forever.
"Sure!"
"...Sure?"
"Yes! I love it."
What was there to hesitate about? He looked so tense asking. Laughter bubbled up inside me.
Father blinked, then his face gradually lit up. He pulled me into a tight embrace.
In that warm hold, I laughed freely.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇A elderly woman in deep purple silk robes reclined comfortably. Before her, a cute girl in a lovely daisy-pink skirt munched on snacks while playing with a young page boy.
"Don't eat too much. You won't have an appetite for dinner."
The scene brought an instant calm to the heart.
Soon, a voice called from outside the door.
"Madame, Lady Yi-ran has arrived."
"Ri-ri, go out with your nursemaid for a bit."
The auntie who had been watching the children obeyed, leading the girl and page out.
Baek Ri-ran burst in like a whirlwind.
"Mother! Did you hear? Father sent gifts to that Baek Ri-yeon girl!"
"I heard."
"What's gotten into Father all of a sudden? Why spoil her now?"
"Lower your voice."
"He sent all sorts of precious things! Even the white mink fur I wanted—I'd hinted to High Supervisor Go about it!"
The matron lifted her teacup with a serene expression.
"It's all because of you. If you hadn't made that scene in front of the central hall, would she have even caught his eye?"
"But Mother...!"
Raising a hand to silence her daughter, the lady said,
"Yi-gang is back, so behave yourself and stay out of trouble."
Baek Ri-ran pouted.
"How long is Yi-gang staying? He won't... stick around forever, right?"
"His subordinates haven't arrived yet, so he'll head back soon enough."
"Phew, good. I hope he leaves quickly without stirring up the house. Oh, right! Heard Yi-gang made Baek Ri-yeon's maid kneel as an example today. What's he thinking?"
Baek Ri-gang was known for his leniency with servants. For him to punish one personally—and right when eyes were on him due to the clan head's whims—news spread through the Baek clan in less than an hour.
"It's only been days since you punished her, and now he does it too? Unbelievable. He's tarnishing your reputation!"
Whispers were already starting: If Lady Anju's training was so lacking that Yi-gang had to step in...
"Mother, are you just going to let this slide?"
"Yi-gang hasn't said a word. You expect me to step in first?"
The matron shot Baek Ri-ran a displeased glance.
"Besides, he didn't beat or dismiss her—just made a rude maid kneel. If I intervene, it'll only make us a laughingstock."
It was too trivial for her to handle personally. Better to dismiss the girl as unfit and replace her with a more disciplined one. But Yi-gang kept the maid and took his daughter to his own chambers instead.
His excuse was ironclad: Her health was poor, so he'd care for her personally.
What could anyone do when a father insisted on tending his sick six-year-old daughter himself? If she were older, they could force independence under the guise of fostering self-reliance—but that wasn't an option.
"So we just let it be? That wretched girl gets us scolded at the central hall, ruins your face, and Father ignores me lately!"
"That's why I told you to be discreet in front of others. You've borne two children—why act so recklessly still?"
Rebuked, Baek Ri-ran bit her lip and pressed close to the matron.
"Still, Mother, we can't just sit idle. Please do something."
"..."
Gazing at the table in thought, the lady finally spoke.
"Bring back Pyo and Ak-i."
"The children?"
"Yes."
"But we just sent them to the branch family..."
"No choice. At least with the children here, he'll save face for you."
"Will Father really?"
"And with them around, he'll forget that useless cripple who can't even learn martial arts."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇Cradled in Father's arms, I admired the garden flowers in full bloom. Under the clear sky, a cool breeze swept across my forehead. I loosely clung to his neck, kicking my feet idly.
Come to think of it, when was the last time I walked on my own feet?
Since collapsing, Father had been overprotective, not letting my feet touch the ground.
It's not that bad...
The moment our shadows fell on the pond, crucian carp swarmed over. I pulled a paper packet from my sleeve and carefully unwrapped it.
"Eat up!"
I scattered the fish food generously so they could all get some.
It was the one thing I did in my otherwise lazy days lately.
In my past life, I'd never set foot near here. Ponds like this had dedicated caretakers. Feeding the fish was mere amusement.
This garden, harmonizing beautifully with the pond, was among the Baek clan's finest—but it was near my aunt's quarters. After bumping into her here as a child, I'd never returned.
But...
Father's the best.
I hugged his neck tightly.
"What's wrong? Cold?"
"No! Just happy."
Father's expression hardened—anyone else might think he was angry. But from experience, I knew it was his way of hiding embarrassment.
"Who's chickening out already? The Baek clan can't be this weak? Come on, anyone! What's this, no one? Cowards?"
Boisterous boys' voices carried over the tiled wall. I startled and turned toward the sound.
At this point, I shouldn't be hearing them yet.
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