His father, who had entered the residence, didn’t seem able to calm his anger easily.
He paced around the room restlessly, then sat down and opened a book, but after flipping only a few pages, he set it back down.
“Was he always like that? No… never mind.”
His father placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke.
“Yeon-ah, you don’t need to feel guilty about this. That child was punished because he neglected his duties. Do you understand?”
Guilt?
It was an emotion I would never feel, so I simply nodded earnestly.
“From now on, this kind of thing shouldn’t happen again…”
As he continued speaking, my father suddenly shut his mouth tightly and looked at me.
His eyes seemed deeply troubled.
At that moment, someone cautiously entered.
“Um… young master.”
It was Eondu, my father’s attendant. He had served my father for a long time and was always by his side.
When all the servants of this residence were punished, Eondu had been at the central hall with my father, so he wasn’t involved.
“I’ve finished organizing the list of gifts given by the head of the family. Where should I place them?”
“The medicinal ingredients go to my residence, and the rest to Yeon’s residence… no, wait a moment.”
“Yes.”
Eondu looked slightly confused but withdrew without question. I also looked at my father, puzzled.
“Yeon-ah.”
My father knelt on one knee and met my gaze.
“No matter how I think about it, I can’t feel at ease.”
His serious tone made me tense as I looked at him. After staring at me for a while, he spoke with a determined expression.
“How about living together in my residence from now on?”
“…What?”
“Of course, only if you’re comfortable with it. It’s not a demand. My residence is spacious, so preparing a room for you would be easy. Normally, children only live separately from their parents when they’re about ten years old. Even though our residences are close, separated only by a courtyard, they are still different buildings. At your age, it’s natural to live with your parents. But when I first brought you here, I thought you might feel uncomfortable with me, so I deliberately requested a separate residence for you.”
I stared at him with wide eyes.
What, is he rapping? It was the first time my father spoke this much without stopping.
And he wasn’t done yet.
“But the more I think about it, the better it would be for us to stay in the same residence. It would be easier for me to look after you, and since your health isn’t good…”
I had been listening with my mouth slightly open, but it seemed like he would go on forever, so I hurriedly cut him off.
“Okay!”
“…Okay?”
“Yes! I like it.”
Why was he so tense asking something like this? I couldn’t help but laugh.
My father blinked, then his face gradually brightened, and he pulled me into an embrace.
In that warm embrace, I laughed freely.
An elderly woman dressed in deep purple silk leaned comfortably against her seat.
In front of her, a cute young girl in a soft red skirt was eating snacks while playing with a young servant boy.
“Don’t eat too much. You won’t have an appetite for dinner.”
It was a scene that naturally brought peace to the heart.
Before long, a voice from outside the door broke in.
“Madam, Miss Uiran has arrived.”
“Riri, go out for a moment with your nanny.”
At the old woman’s words, the nanny who had been watching over the child took the girl and the boy out of the room.
The moment they left, Baekri Uiran rushed in as if flying.
“Mother! Did you hear? Father sent gifts to that Baekri Yeon girl!”
“I heard.”
“What in the world is Father thinking? Why is he suddenly taking care of that girl?”
“Lower your voice.”
“I heard he sent all sorts of valuable things! Even the white sable fur I wanted was given to that Baekri Yeon girl! I even hinted to Chief Steward Go that I wanted it!”
The old woman calmly lifted her teacup.
“This is all because of you. If you hadn’t caused a scene in front of the central hall, that child wouldn’t have caught his attention.”
“But Mother…!”
The woman raised her hand to stop her daughter.
“Uigang has returned, so from now on, stop doing useless things and behave yourself.”
Pouting, Baekri Uiran asked,
“How long is Uigang staying? He’s not going to stay here permanently, is he?”
“Since his subordinates haven’t come, he’ll likely return.”
“Whew, that’s a relief. I wish he’d just leave quickly instead of stirring things up. Oh right! I heard Uigang made Baekri Yeon’s maid kneel as an example today. What is he thinking?”
Baekri Uigang was known for being lenient with servants.
For him to personally punish someone. And at a time when many eyes were watching due to the head’s recent whims.
It took less than half an hour for news of Baekri Uigang’s actions to spread throughout the Baekri family.
“It’s only been a few days since you punished her, and now he’s doing it again? This is ridiculous. He’s completely tarnishing your reputation, Mother!”
Whispers had already begun circulating, questioning how poorly the lady of the house had trained the servants for Uigang to reprimand one again.
“Mother, are you just going to let this go?”
“Uigang hasn’t said anything, and you expect me to step in first?”
The old woman glanced at Baekri Uiran with disapproval.
“He didn’t beat her or throw her out. He merely made a rude maid kneel. If I step in, I’ll only become a laughingstock.”
It was too trivial a matter for her to intervene personally.
If anything, it would have been better to expel such a maid, criticize the poor training, and send a new, obedient servant.
But Uigang left the maid as she was and instead took his daughter to his own residence.
His excuse was flawless. He claimed he needed to personally care for Baekri Yeon since her health was still poor.
There was no way to oppose a father caring for his sick six-year-old daughter.
If she were just a bit older, they could have forced independence under the pretense of building self-reliance, but that was not possible now.
“So we’re just going to leave it? Because of that wretched girl, I got scolded at the central hall, your reputation is suffering, and Father has been ignoring me lately!”
“I told you to be careful in front of others. You already have two children, yet you still behave so carelessly.”
At the scolding, Baekri Uiran bit her lip and moved closer to her mother.
“Still, Mother, we can’t just sit still. Please do something.”
“….”
The old woman looked down at the table, deep in thought, before speaking.
“Bring Pyo and Aki back.”
“The children?”
“Yes.”
“But it hasn’t been long since they were sent to their in-laws…”
“It can’t be helped. In front of the children, he will maintain your dignity as their mother.”
“Will Father really do that?”
The old woman smiled faintly as she lifted her teacup.
“And with those children around, he will soon forget about that useless cripple who can’t even learn martial arts.”
Held in my father’s arms, I looked at the flowers blooming brightly in the garden.
Under the clear sky, a cool breeze brushed across my forehead. I loosely held onto my father’s neck and swung my feet.
‘Come to think of it, when was the last time I walked on my own?’
Since I collapsed at the central hall, my father had been so overprotective that my feet hadn’t touched the ground at all.
‘It’s not that serious though.’
The moment our reflections appeared by the pond, the carp gathered.
I took out a paper packet from my sleeve and carefully opened it.
“Eat a lot!”
I scattered the fish food generously so they could all eat. It was the only thing I did these days in my very lazy life.
My father looked at me, not with a pleased expression… but with a very serious one.
In other words, just like usual.
I turned my gaze from my serious-faced father to the beautiful garden.
This garden, centered around the pond, was one of the most beautiful in the Baekri estate. But in my previous life, I never set foot near here because it was very close to my aunt’s residence.
But now…
‘Father is the best.’
I hugged his neck tightly.
“What is it? Are you cold?”
“No! I just feel happy.”
My father’s face stiffened to the point that others might think he was angry.
But from experience, I knew it was just how he hid his embarrassment.
At that moment—
“Already giving up? Is this all the Baekri family has?”
“Next! Anyone come out! What, no one? No one left?”
The loud voices of boys carried over the tiled wall.
At that instant, I froze and turned toward the sound.
Because at this point in time, it was a voice that should not yet be heard.
