Chapter 10

“I can’t just stay like this!”

Bolting upright from my quilt, I counted the date. No, I didn’t even need to count.

According to Uncle Jang’s phrasing, it had already been three days since the lord ‘fell back into the alcohol jar.’

He wasn’t even coming out of his room at all! He wasn’t eating! He was drinking alcohol like water!

While Uncle Jang seemed rather used to seeing the lord like that, I was deeply worried about him.

It felt like the lord was probably thinking about his family right now, feeling so sad that he was just drinking away.

‘What on earth can I do to soothe the lord’s sad heart…?’

Wearing my cozy fur clothes, I sat in front of the dining table and racked my brain hard.

‘The steamed eggs taste even better today…. Sigh, this is what our lord loves…….’

My thoughts, which had briefly wandered elsewhere, quickly drifted right back to the lord.

Normally, noble lords had their meals served separately, but the lord always ate together with us servants and uncles.

Since he had always done so on the battlefield, Uncle Jang figured it had simply become a habit for him, but….

My thoughts were a bit different.

Even if I were the lord, I wouldn’t want to eat alone, right? Whenever we gathered warmly all together to eat, I always felt like I had gained a family.

Even if my chopstick movements slowed down just a little, seeing the side dishes pile up high on my spoon would somehow make my stomach tickle inside.

I couldn’t help thinking that this must be what a family is.

‘The lord always scooped up a large spoonful of steamed eggs and gave it to me….’

Today, the lord’s empty seat felt even bigger than usual.

Was this dining table always this big? Even the room felt unusually desolate and empty….

It would be truly wonderful if I could bring the lord back to the dining table.

Fidgeting nervously, I ate my meal.

The problem was, where on earth could I find food that would move the heart of the lord, who was even rejecting Uncle Jang’s world-famous steamed eggs?

Hmm. Just as I was pondering again:

“Knock on the door!” (T/N: “Iri onora”, a traditional greeting used when calling upon a house)

At the familiar voice coming from outside, Uncle Jang opened the door, and—

Standing there was Uncle Baek, carrying a heavy load of things.

“W-Well, Tori, I caught a deer and a pheasant, you see….”

Contrary to my welcoming heart, I instinctively hid behind Uncle Jang’s back and peeked my head out.

“…….”

“…….”

“Um… is d-deer meat and pheasant meat tasty?”

After a brief moment of silence, when I asked, Uncle Baek nodded vigorously.

“Of course! It’s delicious, you bet.”

Instantly, a flash of light went off in my head.

‘This is it, delicious food to cheer the lord up!’

After that, without even unloading his baggage, Uncle Baek diligently grilled the deer meat for me.

And over charcoal fire, no less!

If it were up to me, I would have loved to watch the meat being grilled from a little closer, but the lord had told me not to stay outside for too long.

Plus, Uncle Baek was still a little s-scary….

In the end, spending half a day pacing around the room anxiously while waiting for Uncle Baek—

Tap tap. Having spent all day cooking outside, Uncle Baek, with soot smudged here and there on his face, knocked on my door.

“Tori, it’s Uncle Baek. I left some grilled deer meat right out here, so try eating some, okay? I caught it specifically for you to eat…”

“Really?! Y-Yes…!”

Hiding beneath the quilt just as Uncle Baek was about to open the door, I stared intently through the frame of the slightly ajar door and nodded.

With an awkward smile, Uncle Baek then trudged off, looking completely dejected.

I felt a little… sorry.

‘Still, I have to do what I must.’

I gathered up the meat skewers Uncle Baek had brought and the pheasant soup Uncle Jang had ladled out from the kitchen.

Then I scurried out of my room.

‘I have to hurry and bring this to the lord!’

Since he hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a while, he would definitely be thrilled.

Besides,

“Sniff sniff…!”

This magical aroma…! He surely couldn’t just walk past this.

With a swelling, hopeful heart, I stood in front of the tightly shut door of the lord’s room and called out:

“Lord, I’ve brought dinner!”

“No need.”

However, the lord’s voice from inside was exceedingly cold.

“B-But… even though it’s deer meat caught by Uncle Baek and pheasant soup boiled by Uncle Jang?”

“…….”

“Even though Uncle Baek said the taste is out of this world…?”

“…….”

“Hee-ing…….”

I guess this won’t work either…….

As I stood there with a gloomy face and my head drooped low, creak, a sound rang out. The door had opened by about two spans.

“Lord! Hehehe, please try some right away!”

What a wonderful turn of events! I promptly shoved the small dining table through the opening.

Fortunately, the lord’s large hand reached out from within, took the table, and pulled it inside.

“…!!!”

Covering my mouth with my hands in astonishment, I hopped up and down in place.

To think the lord actually accepted a meal for the very first time! My operation was finally a success!

As a result of listening reeeal closely to the sounds inside the room, I heard the satisfying gulp of liquid sliding down a throat, followed by the sound of him chewing the grilled deer meat.

Now was the time. When he’s eaten something delicious, I need to soothe his heart!

“Lord, you really must take good care of your meals—”

“Tori-yaa!! Who on earth did you give that to!”

At that moment, a piercing scream echoed from behind.

It was Uncle Baek.

“The deer meat that I spent half a day smoking and grilling outside in this freezing winter just so you could eat it, youuu! Did you hand it all over to the, the lord instead?! Ah-uuh-ruck…!”

While Uncle Baek clutched his chest in absolute despair,

Creak— thump.

“M-My lord!”

At the commotion, the lord locked his door tight once more.

Forgetting my fear in that instant, I rushed over to Uncle Baek and started raining weak little punches on him.

It was a fully cooked meal! It was completely ready!

“How could you ruin everything like this! I hate you, Uncle, I hate you!!”

“Ah-uuh, Tori… there’s no law like this in the world!”

Sob sob, this operation was a total bust, a complete failure. I trudged back to my room, defeated.

The goal of the one hundred and twenty-fifth operation was singular. To get the lord to step outside his room!

“Mmm, looks so delicious…!”

To entice the lord in the meantime, I would wander around the area carrying food that gave off mouth-watering aromas.

“Whoa, what’s this?”

I would pretend I had newly discovered something interesting.

“Lord, shall I massage your shoulders?”

I even tried talking to him, just in case he missed my massages.

And every single one of them failed.

“Phew…….”

Meanwhile, time flowed on and on, and New Year’s Day was fast approaching.

Yet the lord remained cooped up in his room for nearly a week without coming out….

Today, I was lingering around for a long time yet again. I had stayed out there so long that Uncle Jang, who had come out to sweep the courtyard, ended up having to come and fetch me.

And at that exact moment—

Click, creak—

Suddenly, the door to the detached quarters where the lord stayed swung open.

“Lord?!”

“Lord…?”

The lord who poked his head out was an absolute mess, with unruly, disheveled hair and a bushy beard. Even so, only his two eyes were shining piercingly bright.

“Isn’t it almost time for the market day?”

“Y-Yes, yes…….”

Creak— thump.

With just those few words, the door closed shut once more, leaving Uncle Jang and me staring at each other in blank bewilderment.

And a short while later.

The lord stepped out of his room, looking neat and impeccably groomed.

“Oh?!”

Furthermore… we had only exchanged a brief, startled glance with Uncle Jang.

When on earth did he move behind my back?!

“We are going to the market together. Get yourself ready.”

“What?! Ah, yes!”

At the lord’s command, as he scooped me up and placed me securely into Uncle Jang’s arms, my eyes grew wide once more.

To go to the market together and wait upon the lord! I had no idea I would suddenly be entrusted with such a monumental task, but I hurriedly bundled up in layers of clothing and dashed over to the lord.

‘It’s cold outside, so I need to bundle up as much as possible!’

So that the lord could look at me and think, ‘Our Tori is dressed so warmly,’ and feel reassured!

However….

“……Tsk, what kind of look is that.”

It seemed my appearance wasn’t quite to the lord’s liking.

As I twitched my drooping rabbit ears and diligently scurried along behind the lord… ‘the market’ appeared before us.

“Whoa…!”

I had never seen such another world, not even in the Moon World.

Could there truly be such a fascinating place in existence? Everywhere you looked, people were selling grains, vegetables, and food; there were places selling straw shoes, walking sticks, combs, hair ornaments, knives, and ladles….

My mouth hung wide open as I gawked around my surroundings.

“Don’t let your eyes wander, follow right behind me.”

“Ah, yes!”

The lord’s large hand gently wrapped around and shielded my back.

Though the lord had scolded me just a moment ago, for some reason, I felt reassured.

It felt like the lord was paying attention to make sure I didn’t get lost. That he was taking care of me, just the same as always.

Ever since dressing the child in fur clothing, Beom Hyeon had felt a crushing wave of longing wash over him.

Perhaps because of that. As soon as the child recovered her health and stabilized, he began seeking out alcohol once more. Cooping himself up in his room and burning up his insides was the only solace left to him.

However….

“Lord!” “Lord, did you sleep well?” “You must eat your meals!” “Hush-a-bye, our lord…”

The child came by every single day and chattered away. Thanks to that, he was able to stay alive without completely drowning in alcohol.

What else could he call this feeling in his heart? This emotion that filled the entire space inside his chest whenever he looked at the child…….

He deliberately turned a blind eye to the true identity of this feeling. He was terrified of confronting it directly.

“Is anyone here?”

Carrying his complicated thoughts, the place where Beom Hyeon finally came to a halt was a draper’s shop filled with precious fabrics.

“Oh my, m-my lord! What are you looking for?”

The shopkeeper came running over the moment he laid eyes on him, bowing low as he asked.

“Do you have any New Year’s clothes fit for this child to wear?”

“We certainly sell ready-made garments as well. Clothes suitable for our little young miss to wear—yes, I will find them right away.”

Just as Beom Hyeon was about to nod in response, Tori hopped up and shouted:

“Mister, I’m not a young miss. I’m… um… yeah, I’m a servant!”

‘I’m a servant!’

At those words, Beom Hyeon’s heart plummeted.

He slowly lowered his head to look down at the child, but the child was instead looking up at him with eyes full of hopeful anticipation for praise.

In the end, he barely managed to turn away from Tori’s gaze and raised his head.

“…….”

However, this time, the shopkeeper’s inner perplexed expression pierced straight through him.

A gaze full of doubt, as if wondering why on earth someone would buy such precious clothes—like New Year’s best—for a mere servant.

Rage flared up for a moment, but Beom Hyeon suppressed it firmly. Soon, he began holding up the New Year’s garments brought out by the shopkeeper against the child one by one.

The festive clothes, adorned with fine embroidery on top of exquisite fabrics, suited the child wonderfully, every single one of them.

“Tori, which one do you like the best?”

“I like all of them, my lord!”

“Even so, choose one.”

Delighted to have served a high-rolling customer, the shopkeeper beamed a wide smile and held up the clothes against the child one by one in front of the mirror.

“Little one, take a good look here. This’ll probably be the first and last time in your life you get to wear clothes this precious.”

It would have been better if he hadn’t said that one sentence. He knew it was meant as a gesture of goodwill. Tori’s face had lit up brightly upon hearing it, too.

However, those words snapped the final string in Beom Hyeon’s heart that he had been holding onto so tightly until the very end.

“……Just give me all of them.”

“Pardon? M-My lord, all of these…?”

“Yes, this child is,”

He simply couldn’t hold it back anymore. His deep affection for the child.

“She is my daughter.”