HSM 13

Chapter 13

“I-I greet Cheonma!”

I immediately prostrated myself flat on the ground. I had just finished serving Eok I-geon his breakfast and was taking a brief breather in the rear garden, but I had no idea when he had approached so close.

Could it be that he had been watching me the whole time?

That would be stalking…

“Rise. There is no need to do that every time you encounter me.”

“B-But…”

“It is an order.”

Yes, if it’s an order, I must obey.

I quickly got up and respectfully clasped my hands together.

“You said your name was Seolha, correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Yesterday I was too preoccupied to ask properly. How old are you, where do you live, and who are your parents?”

I was momentarily dumbfounded by Cheonma’s rapid-fire questions.

I couldn’t understand why he would be curious about my personal information.

Of course, at the same time, I felt secretly relieved.

At least his asking me directly meant he hadn’t ordered the Ghost Spirit Hall master to investigate my background.

“I am seventeen years old this year. My parents are not alive, and my grandmother runs a noodle shop outside the castle. I have lived in that shop since I was young.”

“Did you lose your parents?”

“Yes.”

“When was that?”

“According to my grandmother, my father died in an accident when I was still in the womb, and my mother passed away from complications during childbirth. So I have never met them.”

“So your grandmother raised you alone.”

“Yes, she raised me with great difficulty despite her poor health. That’s why I entered service as a maid – to repay her.”

I had no idea why he was curious about such things, but I answered as sincerely as possible.

I hoped that if I did so, he wouldn’t come looking for me again.

“Your dead moth… no, what was your father’s name?”

“Shin Won-pyeong, with the characters for ‘won’ and ‘pyeong’.”

“Shin Won-pyeong…”

Cheonma’s brow furrowed as if trying to recall something.

After stroking his beard and falling into deep thought for a moment, he soon shook his head and sighed quietly.

“Hmm, no, that’s not it either.”

Not what?

Yesterday too, he seemed to say that I reminded him of someone. Could he be recalling that person again?

In any case, I was relieved that it wasn’t a match. For a brief moment, I had been afraid he might say he knew my father.

Of course, he wasn’t my real father anyway.

With this, any possibility of being connected to Cheonma had disappeared.

“You look puzzled as to why I would ask such things.”

“I-I apologize. I was so surprised that I unconsciously…”

“It’s fine. Anyone in Headquarters would have reacted the same way as you. I’m not blaming you, so don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed deeply as if I had received some tremendous gift, showing my gratitude.

“Well then, go about your business. I’ll visit from time to time.”

“Then I shall take my lea… Pardon?”

What did he say at the end?

Did I mishear?

I didn’t have time to confirm.

Leaving behind only those words that made me doubt my ears, Cheonma disappeared like the wind.

And the next day at almost the same time, he came looking for me again.

This time I was cleaning inside Geonyeong-gak.

The moment I stopped mopping and straightened my back briefly, Cheonma suddenly appeared before my eyes.

“Eek!”

Startled, I screamed and lost my balance, staggering.

Fortunately, some force supported my back, or I would have fallen disgracefully in front of Cheonma.

“Have you eaten breakfast?”

This old man, really!

When does he scare people half to death, and when does he act all caring!

Does he think helping me not fall makes up for it?

He was just as shameless as Eok I-geon – no wonder he’s his father.

“Today I have something to give you.”

I cursed him a hundred, a thousand times in my mind, but in reality I was in cowering mode.

As I barely managed to calm my pounding heart and stared at Cheonma, he said something strange again.

“…To me, sir?”

“Indeed.”

Ominously, what kind of development is this?

As I stood there bewildered, just blinking, Cheonma smoothly held out something.

“Take it.”

At his commanding order, my hand moved automatically.

Huh?

This is a hairpin.

It was a very expensive-looking hair ornament that only wealthy young ladies would wear.

Why would he suddenly give me something like this?

“Thank you.”

Pardon?

I’m the one who received the gift, so why is he thanking me?

Just as I was about to speak in this completely incomprehensible situation, I saw it again.

Longing.

He was looking at me, but also not at me.

Cheonma was remembering someone else through me. Very tenderly at that.

Who could it be?

What kind of person could dare make the absolute ruler of Maegyo fall into such sentiment?

I was curious but naturally couldn’t ask.

Just because Cheonma was kind to me didn’t mean I was foolish enough to act familiar with him.

I knew my place and station better than anyone.

Cheonma stared at my face like that for a long while before suddenly disappearing.

What if he comes again tomorrow?

Fortunately, my worry turned out to be needless concern.

Instead, it was like the law of equivalent exchange.

An unexpected person came looking for me.

“Grandmother?”

About halfway on the path from Jami-gwan to Geonyeong-gak, there’s a junction leading to Maeuigam.

The probability of me meeting my grandmother there was naturally zero.

Shin Geum wasn’t even a palace maid, and she knew no one here besides me.

Excluding when she came to fetch me shortly after I had possessed this body, this was her first visit to the palace.

“What brings you here, Grandmother? Did something happen at home?”

Honestly, Grandmother’s appearance was more frightening than Cheonma’s.

I ran to her while quickly scanning her entire body.

“Grandmother, are you hurt somewhere? What did the physician say?”

Though I sometimes put on a show for others about having a sickly old mother, the truth was that our Shin Geum had the constitution of steel.

So I hadn’t worried much about her health, but seeing her suddenly appear out of nowhere made me feel terrified.

“You little thing, why would grandma be sick! Let me see! You got cut by a knife!”

“…Huh?”

“What kind of bastard is this! How dare someone scratch the precious granddaughter of another family! I should catch that damn bastard and throw him in poison and stomp him to pieces!”

Whoa, look at our grandmother’s fierce cursing.

Grandmother went wild after discovering the nearly healed wound on my neck.

Though the tough lady occasionally let out profanities, I had never seen her this excited before.

“Grandmother, calm down! I’m perfectly fine! It was just a tiny cut.”

“What if that bastard’s blade had poison on it! When this old woman heard the news, my heart just dropped – you have no idea how shocked I was!”

So our grandmother could say the same things as Eok I-geon.

I spoke as cheerfully as possible with a bright smile to reassure grandmother.

“Oh come on, our grandmother has such an imagination! That will absolutely never happen. Did you forget I have the antidote beads? I always carry them with me to prepare for any possible emergency, so don’t worry!”

“Let me take another look.”

Whether my efforts bore fruit, Shin Geum’s voice became much gentler.

“This won’t leave a scar, will it?”

“Of course not! What kind of scar would this little thing leave? It’s already mostly disappeared now.”

“Oh my, my child! Getting caught up in knife fights because of some damn bastard! Only two months left, right? Just endure well and come out. Grandma doesn’t hope for luxury or anything, so just stay right by grandma’s side! Got it?”

Grandmother’s touch stroking my cheek was rough, but her heart was infinitely warm.

Indeed, our Shin Geum is the best for me.

My only ally in this world.

For her sake too, I decided to do my best during the remaining period.

“But grandmother, how did you know I got hurt? Who told you?”

“Who else would it be? That guy who constantly comes and goes from the Noodle Shop.”

“Yang So-baek? He said to focus on training for a while and not to visit, but he came by already?”

“He passed. He was singing about it. That guy, grandma saw him in a new light.”

“Don’t tell me he passed the Blood Shadow Unit?”

“Why wouldn’t it be that? That boy’s dream was joining the Blood Shadow Unit.”

Whoa, amazing!

That sly Yang So-baek really passed the Blood Shadow Unit entrance exam?