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Chapter 13
“All right, done!”
Sirang lifted Baeksa up with ease.
Then she rinsed her once with clean water and carefully dried her body with a soft cloth.
Held awkwardly in Sirang’s arms, Baeksa spoke in a flustered voice.
“I-I’m heavy. If you put me down, I can do it myself……”
“Huh? Not at all! You’re as light as a feather, Miss! Even if you became three times bigger than now, I could still lift you easily!”
And as if proving she wasn’t exaggerating, Sirang changed Baeksa’s clothes energetically without showing the slightest sign of strain.
At one point, the maids waiting outside peeked their heads in as though wanting to help her, but Sirang checked Baeksa’s reaction and shook her head.
Seeing that, Baeksa began to worry that Sirang was doing too much work all by herself because of her.
“Um, Sirang…… I think it would be okay if I met the other maids too.”
“Ah, really?”
“Yes. So you don’t have to do too much all by yourself…… And I-I can manage on my own too……”
“Ah, if that’s the reason, absolutely not! I want to keep adorable Miss all to myself.”
With a sly smile, Sirang dried Baeksa’s hair and straightened her clothes as she continued,
“Later, if enough time passes and Miss wants to greet the other maids, then I’ll send you off while holding back tears. But not for that reason!”
She sounded firm.
“There’s already a line of maids desperate to attend to adorable Miss. I can’t let them steal you away already.”
“Th-that……”
“It’s true. Don’t you trust this Sirang?”
Sirang widened her eyes as she asked. Baeksa quickly shook her head.
“No, I trust you!”
“Right? So there’s no need for kind Miss to worry so much. I’m doing this because I want to.”
“I-I also……”
Baeksa hesitated before whispering softly into Sirang’s ear.
“I really like you too, Sirang……”
Saying something like that felt incredibly unfamiliar. The tips of Baeksa’s ears turned bright red.
‘So embarrassing.’
But she hated the thought of Sirang worrying that someone might take her place.
No matter how many wonderful maids came along, Sirang would always be the best maid to Baeksa.
Just as Sirang treated her kindly, Baeksa wanted to always be a good beastkin to Sirang too.
Sirang beamed brightly at Baeksa’s actions. In a voice high and clear like a skylark, she said,
“Miss, I’m trying not to show it, but I’m extremely happy right now……. Today is the happiest day I’ve ever had since becoming a maid.”
Like she was sharing a huge secret, Sirang whispered softly,
“But since you still seem shy, I’ll keep it a secret for now that Miss said something like this to me. The other beastkin might get jealous!”
After finishing her words, Sirang grinned mischievously.
She gently picked Baeksa up and carried her back to the room.
Inside, the Crane Physician was already waiting with prepared ointment.
After Sirang seated Baeksa down, the physician carefully applied medicine to her hands and feet.
The touch that spread the ointment between her toes and fingers was meticulous and delicate. For some reason, having her fingers touched made the area behind her ears feel ticklish.
When the child wriggled her toes, Sirang, who was applying the medicine, smiled brightly.
After finishing the medicinal bath and waking from a nap, it was already evening.
“Miss, please try some of this.”
Sirang came in carrying a table overflowing with food. There was so much that she couldn’t carry it alone, and another maid had to help midway.
Everything was served in tiny, delicate dishes so Baeksa could taste a little of each item.
That alone made it obvious how much care the cook had put into the meal.
“It’s all food that’s gentle on the stomach.”
Placing a spoon into Baeksa’s hand, Sirang looked at her expectantly.
Baeksa scooped up a spoonful of warm meat soup and brought it to her lips.
As the pleasantly warm broth slid down her throat, it instantly felt like her stomach relaxed.
“How is it, Miss? Does it suit your taste?”
“Yes……! It’s really delicious!”
“That’s a relief! Try this too. It’s made from sweet potato stems, and it’s quite a delicacy.”
Sirang kept placing little portions of side dishes onto Baeksa’s spoon.
Like a baby bird, Baeksa accepted and ate everything Sirang fed her.
It was the first time she had ever received such a thoughtfully prepared meal, and every bite made her eyes widen in amazement.
“This too, and this one!”
Sirang patiently waited until the child finished chewing and swallowing before placing another side dish on her spoon.
Everything was seasoned lightly so it perfectly suited Baeksa’s palate.
It was a luxurious meal unlike anything she had ever eaten before. There seemed to be as many side dishes as what Yeoryun used to eat.
‘Back then, I couldn’t even eat the leftovers…….’
Food left behind by royalty usually belonged to the maids serving them closely.
So Baeksa had never even had the chance to taste Yeoryun’s leftovers.
And yet now there were all these delicious dishes before her. Baeksa worried that perhaps this was all a dream.
Even knowing it was a foolish concern, reality felt too unbelievable to stop thinking that way.
With her mouth stuffed full of food, Baeksa unconsciously gulped everything down in one swallow.
Swallowing everything at once was an instinct of a baby snake.
But Baeksa nervously glanced at Sirang.
Back at the imperial palace, she had often been scolded for eating like that because it was considered vulgar.
She had tried for a very long time to fix the habit, but perhaps because she was still young, instinct was difficult to suppress.
“Oh my, if you swallow it all at once, you’ll upset your stomach. Please eat carefully.”
Fortunately, Sirang didn’t scold her. Instead, she merely wiped the food from around Baeksa’s mouth.
Smiling faintly, Baeksa resumed eating calmly.
And by the time the meal was over, her stomach had puffed up round like a large ball.
“I-I think I ate too much……”
“No, Miss. This is the proper amount a child should normally eat. Don’t worry so much and eat well! Miss needs to gain a little more weight.”
Sirang clinked dishes together as she cleaned up and gently reminded her. Baeksa shyly nodded.
After clearing the table, Sirang prepared the bedding so the child could rest comfortably.
She spread out warm, fluffy bedding and brought over a cotton blanket with a pleasant fragrance. It was thicker and softer than any blanket Baeksa had ever seen.
“Miss Baeksa, you should get some rest now. Tomorrow might be a little busy.”
“Busy……?”
“Well, um…… actually, the Second Young Master has noticed your existence.”
The Second Young Master?
‘Ah, the family head’s second son.’
Unlike herself, he was practically one of the true masters of this Vermilion Bird clan.
But why had he only now learned about her existence?
‘They said I slept for two days, so today makes exactly the third day since I arrived here.’
Had the other beastkin in the family hidden her existence from him?
Why?
Confusion filled Baeksa’s round eyes, and Sirang rolled her eyes awkwardly before answering.
“W-well, our Second Young Master isn’t a bad person……. Um, he’s just a little energetic, and, well, very energetic……”
Sirang let out a deep sigh.
“If the Second Young Master found out, it was obvious Miss wouldn’t be able to rest peacefully, so we all kept your existence tightly hidden. But then Lord Joyeong went and told the Second Young Master that Miss was staying here.”
Listening to Sirang, Baeksa thought of Songra and Yeoryun.
Those two also belonged to the “energetic” category. The palace servants always praised how lively and spirited Yeoryun and Songra were.
At the same time, they looked down on and belittled quiet and timid Baeksa.
‘Could he be a beastkin like Brother Songra or Sister Yeoryun?’
But even if he was, it didn’t matter.
‘The family head treated me very kindly…….’
Even if the Second Young Master bullied her or treated her like a toy the way Songra and Yeoryun had, she felt she could endure it.
She wanted to repay the kindness she had received.
If she could repay it even in that way, then she would be grateful.
Noticing Baeksa’s expression stiffen slightly, Sirang hurriedly added,
“But, but he really isn’t a bad person!”
Sirang defended him anxiously.
“If Miss meets him, I’m sure you’ll end up liking the Second Young Master too.”
Until the very end, Sirang kept insisting that “he’s not a bad person, so please don’t worry too much.”
And before leaving, she didn’t forget to light a sleep incense with a pleasant fragrance.
Breathing in the scent of the incense Sirang lit for her, Baeksa slowly nodded off.
‘What kind of person is he?’
She hoped he would be at least a little kinder than Brother Songra and Sister Yeoryun.
But even if he turned out to be worse than the two of them, she resolved never to show any dislike.
Making that promise to herself alone, Baeksa slowly closed her eyes.
