Chapter 96
Father's face was one of utter bewilderment. He opened his mouth several times only to close it again.
I continued with a smile. "If that's the case with the Baek Ri Clan, how about heading to the Murim Alliance's main headquarters? You have lodgings there too, don't you, Father?"
"You..."
Father trailed off. He took several deep breaths before letting out what sounded like a sigh.
"Sometimes I just can't figure out what you're thinking."
I flinched in surprise for a moment. It could have been an ordinary remark without deeper meaning—just a surface-level comment that he couldn't read my mind. But instinctively, I caught the true intent behind his words.
He was pointing out how suddenly I'd changed.
"..."
Should I call it a relief? Father didn't seem inclined to press further. Was he not curious? No, it was because he trusted me that he held back. He believed I'd tell him someday if I wanted to.
'Ha, really...'
I looked at Father and said, "I often can't figure you out either, Father."
"Hm?"
Father furrowed his brow slightly.
"But that's what family is for, right? Sticking together."
"...Yeah."
Father stroked my head and pulled me into a gentle embrace.
"Yeah. Gaining a daughter full of secrets like you must be my blessing."
His arms tightened around me gradually, then suddenly went slack. I lifted my head from his chest and looked up.
"You're right. Let's head back to the Baek Ri Clan."
"Yes!"
"You're stronger than me."
His voice sounded utterly deflated. As I pulled away from his embrace, I said brightly on purpose, "That's 'cause I know you'll protect me, Father! And they say you start worrying more once you have something precious to lose."
Father's expression turned subtly strange. If I had to interpret, it was something like, What does this kid really know to say that? Who taught her such things...?
"So take care of yourself, okay? No more charging into battles like when you were escorting the cauldron room at Manshin-ui."
"It really was nothing."
"How could you sneak off to fight again in the midst of that? Didn't I, waiting anxiously back at Namgung Clan for you alone, cross your mind at all?"
"..."
Father looked speechless. At first, when I heard about it, I'd thought, Even while escorting, he used the travel time to help others—how thoughtful. But as time passed, a wave of grievance washed over me. How could he, with me here all alone! Not even thinking to rush back! He went all the way to Bagua Village before returning to Namgung Clan. If he'd come straight here, he'd have arrived much sooner!
No, it wasn't that his actions were bad. It was just... a tiny, very tiny bit of hurt feelings. A smidge. A teenie-weenie bit.
I kept up the gentle nagging. "Don't go wandering off alone anymore! I heard you ditched everyone to head to Baek Ri Clan from Bagua Village because you preferred traveling solo?"
"That time..."
"You said you'd protect Yahul, then just up and left! How flustered do you think Yahul was, left all alone?"
"No, that's..."
Father blinked in bewilderment, cleared his throat awkwardly, and said, "Ahem, Ri-yeon. Shouldn't we start preparing to head to Cheonam Temple soon?"
Changing the subject, are we? Grown-ups hated scoldings just as much as kids did. He had no real defense for abandoning Yahul to rush to Baek Ri Clan, after all.
Still, it was about time to get going.
"Alright, I'll head out then!"
As I bowed in farewell, Father grabbed my arm.
"That..."
"What is it?"
Father hesitated, averting his gaze before mumbling, "That detour to Bagua Village... it wasn't because I wasn't worried about you..."
"I know! It was for the research logs at Manshin-ui, right?"
Father's eyes widened slightly in surprise. If this had happened before my regression, I might've stupidly thought, He must not have wanted to see me... and buried my self-esteem six feet under.
But now it was different. Father had probably planned to help Namgung Clan along the way and secure Manshin-ui's research logs too. There might've even been a cure for me in there.
"So I'm letting it slide this time! Got it?"
Father bit his lip hard at my words, as if forcibly suppressing a burst of laughter.
Why! What's so funny!
"Yeah. Got it. I'm truly grateful."
Having barely held back his laugh, Father suddenly scooped me up. I yelped in surprise and clung to his neck.
'What? Taking me to the Lady?'
But Father's feet headed toward my room instead.
'Eek, no!'
By the time we reached the door, I thrashed wildly and jumped down from his arms.
"What's wrong?"
I hurriedly blocked his path and blurted, "Wh-why my room?"
"You're going to Cheonam Temple, right?"
"Yes! So my room is..."
Father said with a kindly smile, "The weather's warmed up, but Cheonam Temple's still deep in the mountains—it'll be chilly. Better bundle up more."
"Uh... um, I'll pick something and come out!"
Father reached out, looking puzzled. For all my blocking, there wasn't much a kid my size could do. The door swung open at once, and without even stepping inside, Father sighed.
"Your room..."
He peered inside with wide eyes.
"I could believe thieves had ransacked it."
I laughed awkwardly. My room was... an absolute disaster.
The unmade bedding was bunched in one corner, shed clothes scattered like snakeskins. Ink-stained practice papers littered the floor from my calligraphy sessions, brush and inkstone abandoned haphazardly on the table.
"It, it wasn't always this messy! I just rummaged for travel clothes in a hurry..."
Father's voice was dubious. He headed toward the wardrobe I'd apparently upended searching for outerwear. Along the way, he spotted the mess.
"Brushes should be hung up properly. Leaving them like this will ruin them."
"..."
"And this teacup—how long has it been here? There's tea dregs stuck..."
Father rubbed his face with one hand.
"Yahul must've been taking really good care of you all this time."
"Hahaha."
I only realized it now that Yahul was away—Yahul had been diligently cleaning up after me all along.
"This is what they mean by 'you don't miss what you have until it's gone.'"
"Where do you pick up these weird sayings?"
Father turned to me sternly. "You need to clean your own room yourself at least..."
Mid-sentence, he pressed his forehead as if holding back, then relented.
"Fine. You're still young; tidying up must be hard. We'll assign more maids. One can't handle this place alone."
"Haha, I'll, I'll clean it when I get back!"
Once more: grown-ups hated scoldings just like kids.
After getting an earful from Father, I headed to the Lady—and my eyes went wide.
Preparations for departure were already complete, and everyone gathered here seemed to be coming along. But the sheer number of them was shocking.
'Escort warriors, servants... are we sightseeing at the temple or something? Why's everyone tagging along?'
There were nearly thirty—no, closer to forty people.
The Lady spotted me and hurried over, elegance intact.
"You look a bit chilly."
"Pardon?"
As if prepared in advance, she draped me in a white fox-fur scarf, hat, and gloves.
'Whoa, anyone would think it was snowing!'
This region around Namgung Clan never even froze solid in winter—it stayed above freezing year-round. Father's chosen outfit was already fluffy enough to be uncomfortable; now I looked like a rolling snowball.
I fidgeted with the gloves. "It's... a bit stuffy..."
The Lady's brows drooped sadly. "Your body's weak, dear. If you so much as catch a cold, my heart would break."
"..."
Fine. Better safe than sorry...
"Mm, alright. The carriage has a brazier going, so you can take off the gloves at least. I didn't think about your comfort."
As she gently removed them with slumped shoulders, my own heart ached at the sight.
"No, it's fine! I'll keep them on!"
"No, you're uncomfortable, aren't you? I got ahead of myself."
"Really, it's okay!"
"No, I..."
Suddenly, the carriage door flew open with a furious voice.
"Enough—get in already."
My eyes rounded. "Ryu-cheong?"
Namgung Ryu-cheong jerked his chin, urging me to climb aboard.
'Wait, I thought you weren't coming? Why's he here?'