Father stepped in, blocking Grandfather’s gaze.
“Father, Yeon has just woken up.”
His voice was calm, as if he hadn’t been angry at all moments ago.
‘Mistaking him for that man… what kind of disrespect is this!’
I reproached myself for such a foolish mistake, but when I glanced at Father, I froze again. The corners of his eyes were red, even though he had just been shouting.
‘W-what? Don’t tell me he was crying? No… when? Why?’
Grandfather spoke with a scoff.
“Hah, anyone would think I had been tormenting her. Do you even remember that this is my residence?”
Father hesitated, then bowed his head.
“This son has shown an unsightly side of himself.”
“That’s enough.”
Grandfather didn’t bother to hide his look of disdain.
Father’s ears were slightly red, as if embarrassed. He cleared his throat and fussed over the pillow and blanket supporting my back several times.
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence settled over the room.
Watching Grandfather carefully, I cautiously asked Father,
“Father… where is this?”
“This is Subaekdang. You collapsed, so you were brought here.”
Subaekdang?
Startled, I looked around the room. Subaekdang was the name of Grandfather’s residence. It was indeed the closest place to the central hall where I had collapsed, but…
‘I’ve never been allowed in here before.’
There was a reason the room looked so refined.
As I continued looking around, my eyes suddenly met Grandfather’s.
His tiger-like gaze made me shrink instinctively. He raised his white brows and seemed about to speak.
At that moment, a voice came from beyond the door curtain.
“Fourth Young Master, the herbal medicine has arrived.”
“Let them in at once.”
Grandfather, who had been about to say something, closed his mouth.
The one who entered at Father’s command was Grandfather’s attendant. A middle-aged man in his fifties, the same one who had stood near Grandfather in the central hall.
‘His name was Jang Seokryang.’
He had also been speaking with Father before I woke up.
Father stood up immediately and took the tray holding the ceramic bowl.
“You shouldn’t trouble yourself with such errands.”
“I only received it from a maid just outside. I also have something to report to the head of the family.”
For a brief moment, Jang Seokryang’s eyes met mine, and he smiled kindly.
‘…What?’
In my previous life, I had lived in the Baekri family for over ten years without ever exchanging a single word with him. And he had certainly never smiled at me.
Father sat down on the bed with the tray. The strong scent of herbal medicine filled the air. Seeing the dark brown liquid in the bowl, I made a face.
Father said,
“Physician Seok said it wouldn’t be too bitter.”
“Physician Seok?”
Physician Seok was a very famous doctor who had even served in the imperial court.
‘He examined me in my previous life too, but that was much later than this…’
Perhaps interpreting my puzzled look, Father spoke gently.
“Physician Seok is someone Grandfather urgently summoned for you. He is very skilled.”
“Grandfather did?”
“Yes. While you were unconscious, he already examined you. Grandfather also said that while Physician Seok stays for three days, you should remain here in Subaekdang and receive treatment.”
My eyes widened as I looked at Grandfather.
Grandfather called Physician Seok for me? And even told me to stay in Subaekdang?
Subaekdang was Grandfather’s residence. No other relatives had ever stayed here.
Not even Baekri Uimuk, the eldest son, nor Baekri Myeong, the eldest grandson.
I quickly bowed my head.
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
Grandfather snorted and clicked his tongue.
“There’s no need to thank me. If you’re sick, you should say you’re sick. Who’s going to notice if you stubbornly endure it like a fool?”
“Father.”
Grandfather glanced at Father, who tried to stop him, then flicked his sleeve and turned away.
“Take care of her. I don’t want to see a corpse carried out of the Baekri family.”
After Grandfather left the room with Jang Seokryang, I unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
Father slowly stirred the herbal medicine with a spoon to cool it, smiling bitterly.
“He speaks like that, but he has taken great care of you.”
I nodded, then grabbed Father’s sleeve.
“Father, Father. Then will you also stay in Subaekdang?”
“Yes. I cannot trust others.”
If Father hadn’t been right there, I would have clapped in delight.
‘Good. Very good.’
At least I had prevented things from worsening between Grandfather and Father. If Grandfather had truly been angry, he would never have allowed us to stay in Subaekdang.
With a bright smile, I took the medicine Father offered and drank it down in one go.
“Ugh—”
“Drink slowly. Don’t throw it up!”
After taking the medicine, my stomach felt too heavy to lie down. Father propped me up with a soft cushion.
“Yeon.”
Father called me in a subdued voice.
Holding my small hand, he looked down at me, then met my eyes.
“Why did you hide it all this time?”
“Huh?”
“That your maid and the servants were neglectful whenever I wasn’t around.”
If Grandfather had heard it in the central hall, then Father must have heard it too.
Father’s eyes were filled with pain.
I quickly tried to reassure him.
“They were fine when you were around.”
“Yes. That means they were looking down on you.”
“……”
“Today you collapsed in front of others. But if you had collapsed alone, I would have…”
As Father spoke, his expression tightened more and more.
Since coming of age, Father had never stayed in the Baekri family for more than half a month at a time. But after I fell into qi deviation, he stayed by my side for nearly a month, as if making up for lost time.
And yet, he had been away for just half a day… and this happened.
As if anger surged with every word, Father suddenly stood up.
“This won’t do. I must report this to Mother immediately.”
Startled, I grabbed his sleeve.
“Father, Father. Please don’t.”
Father’s birth mother, Grandfather’s concubine, had passed away long ago.
The “Mother” he referred to was Son Danhu, Grandfather’s second wife.
The lady of the Baekri household, known as the Grand Madam, had borne four children, but two had died young from illness. Only my eldest uncle and aunt remained.
And most importantly, she disliked Father.
If Father were to complain about how she managed the household…
‘He’d never hear anything good.’
He would likely be scolded for being unfilial, for daring to interfere.
Father gently removed my hand from his sleeve.
“She must know about this. If word of this spreads outside, what will happen to her reputation?”
‘Ah! That would actually be great. I’d welcome that.’
But unlike me, Father looked genuinely concerned for her.
Did Father not know she disliked him?
No. He knew.
‘He just does it because it’s the right thing to do.’
A bitter smile slipped out.
“It won’t help.”
“Yeon?”
“Father, if Grandmother punishes the servants, will that really solve anything?”
“Of course—!”
I shook my head firmly.
“If she punishes them, things may improve on the surface.”
“On the surface?”
“Yes. On the surface. But will they truly admit they were wrong?”
“They must… be made to.”
Father hesitated but still answered, unwilling to give up.
I asked immediately,
“If the servants inside the residence are punished, is that the end of it? What about outside?”
Did others not know I was being disregarded?
From our annex to the central hall, many had seen me. Yet they only whispered among themselves. No one helped, no one asked what was wrong.
‘They just didn’t want to get involved.’
Not with a granddaughter looked down upon by the head of the family.
And Father quickly understood what I meant.
His face turned pale.
“This problem won’t end unless Grandfather accepts me.”
“……”
Father’s expression twisted.
After a long silence, he asked quietly,
“Do you resent your grandfather?”
“No.”
“…You don’t have to lie.”
“I’m really not.”
He looked unconvinced.
I fidgeted with my fingers, choosing my words.
“Um… I’m really okay. I understand how Grandfather feels.”
“You understand?”
“He’s angry at me because he loves you that much, Father.”
Father looked at me, silently asking for an explanation.
I spoke slowly.
“So… wouldn’t it be stranger if he wasn’t angry about my existence?”
“Stranger? In what way?”
How was I supposed to explain this from a child’s perspective? Ah, whatever.
“If Grandfather said, ‘What’s the problem with bringing a child from outside? How wonderful, I have a new granddaughter, hahaha,’ wouldn’t that be stranger?”
Father stared at me, dumbfounded.
“You… you are six years old! How can you say such things…!”
Maybe that was too mature.
I quickly threw my arms around him.
While he was too startled to respond, I spoke.
“Because Grandfather is your father.”
“What?”
“I’m happy because I have you, Father. But if you lose your father because of me, that would be sad.”
Maybe that sounded a bit more like a child?
Father said nothing and gently patted me. I couldn’t see his face, so I didn’t know if my words had reached him or what he was thinking.
The novel never explained how Grandfather truly felt about Father.
Their relationship only worsened over time, just like mine and Father’s.
But I remembered clearly.
Grandfather’s bloodshot eyes at Father’s funeral.
That alone was enough reason for me to think well of him.
