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Chapter 8
Mother and I looked at each other.
I was perfectly calm, but Mother’s face had gone slightly pale.
“Why has that boy come again? Stay right here. No… go inside to the inner quarters. I’ll handle it myself.”
The newly established Ahn Family Academy was beside the men’s quarters near the main gate, so Mother pushed me toward the deeper inner residence while she headed for the entrance herself.
“I wonder why Young Master Han Insu came. After being humiliated like that last time, I thought he’d never return.”
Insu?
That name sounded strangely familiar.
“Han Gongja’s name is Insu?”
“…?”
When I repeated the name aloud, Jeongo looked at Malsun with a confused expression.
“My lady, why are you acting like that? You’re scaring me.”
“Let’s go out.”
“Oh my, no!”
“I just want to see his face.”
A strange impatience rose inside me, and I hurried toward the front gate.
The long skirt and silk shoes I still wasn’t used to made my steps wobble awkwardly.
“You mustn’t, my lady! You’re a married woman now!”
Who’s saying otherwise?
I know perfectly well that I married an absurdly outstanding man. I’m already grateful enough for that.
Malsun grabbed my wrist while Jeongo blocked my path.
“I said I’m only looking at his face. There’s something I need to confirm.”
“My lady…”
“Move aside.”
When I gave the order in a stern voice, the startled Malsun released my wrist.
But before I could even take a few more steps, Mother returned.
“Why are you still here instead of going inside?”
“Mother, did Young Master Han leave?”
“Yes, he left.”
“Why did he come?”
“It seems he heard rumors that our family is looking for tutors for the children. For someone from a merchant family, that boy is remarkably scholarly, isn’t he? Ah… he looked absolutely miserable. It broke my heart.”
“Mother, then why don’t we hire him as the children’s tutor? You know one teacher won’t be enough.”
“That’s true… but why did you only choose one?”
Because the others didn’t meet the standard.
If students are taught incorrectly from the beginning, it’s even harder to fix later.
I had intended to hire more teachers eventually anyway.
“Mother, please think about it. If we lose the shops at the central gate, our family won’t be any different from the Han family. You know how difficult it is to find good teachers.”
At the mention of the central gate shops, Mother’s expression changed.
“I’ll discuss it with your father.”
“Please do.”
Maybe it was because of Kim Insu, but hearing the name “Insu” filled me with both familiarity and anxiety.
It wasn’t logical, but I desperately wanted there to be something in this world connected to my former life.
After the family finished dinner and my younger brothers reported on their studies before leaving for their rooms, only my parents and I remained.
Father spoke first with a gloomy expression.
“Anyong-ah, rumors have spread that you returned to your parents’ house for improper reasons so soon after marriage. People are saying you were neglected… even divorced. Thanks to that, the wager I made has become known throughout Hwanseong.”
At first, Father had wanted to keep the wager quiet, but after a few days he seemed to have given up.
The man who made the contract with him was supposedly Gwolhyang, leader of the mysterious Pungwol Sect—a famous name, though almost no one had actually seen him.
The story had so many entertaining details that it spread through the city like wildfire.
“As long as the rumors aren’t true, it’s fine. We’ve done nothing wrong, so don’t worry about it.”
“I know that. But do you think other people will see it that way?”
“We can’t control what others think. And it’s not my fault.”
“The world isn’t that simple. That’s why I sent a letter to son-in-law Mok.”
“……”
“I asked whether he might stay here for a while. Since he’s not the eldest son, it wouldn’t be scandalous for a newlywed to stay at his wife’s family home for some time. Besides, there’s the issue with the central gate shops, and I thought it might be good if he helped supervise the children’s studies.”
“So?”
“I haven’t received a reply yet.”
“And didn’t we just renovate the separate residence? It would be perfect for the two of you,” Mother added.
Both of them were carefully watching my reaction, probably afraid Ahn Anyong would refuse.
And because I had stolen another girl’s precious body, my conscience stung sharply.
I didn’t want to make these good people suffer or feel sad no matter what.
“…All right. Let’s do that.”
“Really?”
I nodded.
There was no need to think negatively about it.
After all, it meant the man I’d already mentally claimed was stepping into my territory.
But…
Would he really come?
“Still, do you think son-in-law Mok will actually come?”
“If he doesn’t, then you’ll have to return to your in-laws’ house. We can’t let these rumors continue.”
“What about the children’s studies? Even if the teachers stay, the kids won’t study without me watching them. The central gate shops are on the line.”
The moment I mentioned the shops, Father blinked at me while cautiously glancing at Mother.
Exactly. Why did you start such a huge mess in the first place?
Before Mother could explode again, Father hurriedly changed the subject.
“Anyong-ah, why did you choose Young Master Jeong as the tutor? Weren’t there candidates who had passed the Hyangsi or had much more teaching experience?”
Because I know their real ranks.
“When I asked them questions, he seemed to know the most. Don’t worry, Father. The results will speak for themselves.”
Back when I ran my academy, there had never been such a thing as a famous instructor from the very beginning.
The already well-known teachers charged far too much, so recruiting them was out of the question.
The instructors I hired were complete unknowns or beginners, but they possessed solid skill and burning passion. They taught exceptionally well and repaid me twice over for discovering them.
“Father, just wait and see. He’s truly an excellent teacher.”
Father and Mother exchanged glances that clearly said they couldn’t believe a word I was saying.
Maybe they were shocked that unranked Ahn Anyong sounded so intelligent.
I’d better tone it down next time.
If people started holding exorcisms because they thought my personality had suddenly changed, that would be a disaster.
As I awkwardly lowered the hand I’d raised confidently, Mother lightly smacked my shoulder.
“Oh my, this child. You still exaggerate so boldly. I wonder who you take after.”
“Hahaha! Anyong-ah, your father will always be on your side. Even if things don’t turn out the way you say, don’t worry too much.”
“…Yes.”
So Ahn Anyong had always been a braggart.
Well, when people are ignorant, they tend to pretend they know more to hide it.
I understand, me.
Misinterpreting “독선” as “putting poison into something” was already impressively creative enough, and now this too.
“But, um… Father, about Young Master Han—”
“Anyong-ah, that’s enough. You should go now.”
The moment I brought him up, Mother began signaling frantically with her eyes.
Ah. So they planned to discuss it after I left.
“Yes, I’ll take my leave. Please rest well.”
I bowed to Father, who kept frowning while looking between Mother and me, then left the room.
Mother had better negotiate skillfully using the central gate shops as leverage.
While Paengmun packed luggage for Mok Seonhu’s visit to the Ahn estate, Ilseon spread a detailed map of the manor across the table.
“Young Master and the young lady will stay here in this separate residence. It’s located between the inner and outer quarters, and it’s closer to the back gate than the front. I will guard you from unseen locations, so rest easy. And even if it inconveniences the young lady, do not permit any maids inside except Jeongo and Malsun.”
“Must I really go?”
After instantly memorizing the complicated layout of the Ahn estate, Mok Seonhu looked up with a slight frown.
“If you don’t… you may be forced to take a concubine.”
Ilseon swallowed a sigh while glancing at the faint scar remaining on the back of his master’s hand.
If that person had seen that scar, would the young lady’s head still be attached to her neck?
Someone like that—if they decided to push a concubine onto Mok Seonhu, there wasn’t a single person in the kingdom who could stop them.
“Put it away. I’ve memorized it.”
At Mok Seonhu’s command, Ilseon rolled up the map and slipped it into his sleeve.
Once Ilseon left, Mok Seonhu sat alone at the desk, thinking about Ahn Anyong, who surprisingly hadn’t caused a single problem over the past few days.
It was unexpected.
Ever since she resumed serving at meals, he had secretly been tense.
Her speech and actions had always been so rough and rude—whether intentionally or simply due to her personality—that after the marriage she’d failed to grow close to anyone in his family.
And yet, contrary to everyone’s worries, the recovered Ahn Anyong had behaved calmly and neatly after recovering from her spring illness.
Even when she looked exhausted during morning greetings, she tried not to show it.
She’ll return to normal after a day or two.
No one could keep pretending to be well-behaved forever.
But day after day, she continued appearing at the same time every morning to greet the family and serve during dinner without displaying any of the rude behavior he’d expected.
Gradually, even he relaxed.
And his family’s cold attitude softened too.
Then, right in the middle of that, his father-in-law’s wager incident erupted, and she packed her bags to return home so she could teach her younger brothers.
At first, he thought it was good not to see her anymore.
But once she disappeared, something strangely empty remained.
It’s nothing.
I just got used to seeing her morning and evening.
Mok Seonhu firmly tried to settle his thoughts.
Now I’ll be seeing her every day again.
How will she behave at her parents’ home?
The next morning, after study time ended and I stepped out of the classroom, Malsun informed me that Mok Seonhu had arrived.
I’d expected him to refuse, so it caught me off guard.
Since my father-in-law held the important office of Assistant Censor-General, he was probably trying to avoid scandalous rumors.
“So the elders are waiting for him to come inside and have lunch together. Hurry, my lady.”
“Noona, we’re coming too! We want to see brother-in-law too!”
All four younger brothers clung to my arms while Teacher Jeong watched with amused interest.
“You can see him this evening. We can’t break the schedule over something like this.”
I firmly peeled the children off me.
Once you enter school, you shouldn’t even think about leaving.
Your backside had to be reborn before your grades could rise.
“Hurry, my lady. He’s already been waiting a long time.”
Malsun tugged urgently on my hand.
“Why are you in such a rush? Is it because of Paengmun?”
“How did you know?!”
Malsun stopped dead in shock.
Ah, innocent people of this era.
If you survived even one Korean morning drama, you’d naturally pick up this much.
“Does he like you too?”
“I-I don’t know.”
As we passed through the gate of the men’s quarters, we encountered Paengmun descending from the wooden veranda.
Since Malsun liked him, I found myself paying closer attention.
Paengmun wore a faded blue servant’s uniform, his hair neatly tied back to reveal his forehead cleanly.
His movements were tidy and disciplined—far too refined for an ordinary servant.
“My lady, you’ve arrived.”
Paengmun bowed politely the moment he saw me.
And at that instant—
His rank appeared before my eyes.
R-Rank 4?!
Did I see wrong?
No.
I definitely saw it correctly.
How was that possible?
A servant was on the same level as Mok Ihu?
And the color looked strange too.
It was a color I had never once seen back in the modern world.
