Seong's Saber Oath
“Didn't the inner lady treat that man that way?”
“Right. Would the outer lady, who'd stake her life on family matters, quietly accept Lady Wijicheong? An orphan whose only dowry was her own body, barely surviving until she bore her first child.”
It was hard to believe those were the conditions for the wife of a family heir.
“He must have thought she was trying to make her own child the next heir.”
“But she ironclad believed her older brother would become the world's greatest and revive the clan?”
“Human greed isn't that simple.”
“But he was a man whose only family never worshipped him, never schemed against him, never felt inferior to him?”
Song Yeongnang chattered on as she removed her hair ornaments.
“And he knew his own abilities better than anyone……”
With her prodigiously talented older and younger brothers, few knew their own limits as intimately as she did, constantly measuring herself against them.
She almost said, 'If she could have died in place of her brother, she might have.' But she held back.
“In any case, to him, Lady Wijicheong was family and his one true friend. If she approaches gently, there's nothing to worry about, right?”
“If they're true friends, the inner lady would heed the outer lady if she refused……”
“Well, yes, she probably would. If it came to something like war. But by then, it would be a situation where war was unavoidable. For us, and for them.”
Geum Jeokgeol nodded quietly at Song Yeongnang's conclusion.
The small boy sitting by the lantern in front of Wolyeongjae stood at the sound of footsteps, brushing the dirt from his clothes.
“Oh? Ryeon, you've been waiting here?”
“Just stepped out for a bit.”
Hwaryun hadn't accompanied her to the Geum Family today. When she'd asked if he wanted to come—expecting an enthusiastic yes!—he'd countered with, “Do I have to?” leaving her stammering, “Uh? W-well……”
As Ryeon trotted over, Hwaryun stretched lazily but stopped midway, tilting his head to glance at Danmok Seong standing behind her.
“Seong brought you this far.”
Danmok Seong hesitated briefly before speaking quickly to Ryeon. “You worked hard today…… I'll head back.”
She gave Hwaryun a curt nod and strode away.
“Seong had something to tell you, didn't she?”
Danmok Seong still seemed shy around Hwaryun.
'Though Hwaryun's shy around everyone but my mother or Jang ssi.'
He avoided almost everyone except Wijicheong and Jang ssi—Danmok Cheon-gi of course, and even Danmok Han-so lately.
“Yeah? Will Seong come back tomorrow?”
“How'd it go at the Geum Family?”
“They tied! Pretty impressive for just a month, right? It was amazing!”
Ryeon swung her arms, vividly reenacting Danmok Seong and Geum Jongha's spar.
Hwaryun, who had listened silently, nodded. “A tie after only a month? She definitely has talent.”
“Right? I hope she keeps it up, but Aunt seems to want her on swords, so who knows.”
“What about you?”
“Me?”
“The saber. Won't you keep going?”
“Well……”
Ryeon trailed off, scratching her cheek.
On the way back from the Geum Family spar, Danmok Han-so had seen her and said, 'Just do whatever you want……'
His eyes had looked a bit drained, for some reason.
“Thinking of sticking with the sword.”
“Why? Don't you have saber talent too?”
“You little squirt. How would you know?”
Ryeon ruffled Hwaryun's cheeks, then widened her eyes at how cold they felt. “How'd I know? People say……”
“How long were you out?”
“Huh? Just a bit ago……”
“Nonsense—your cheeks are freezing!”
“Had stuff to think about.”
“What could this tiny head be pondering? No, what'd you do alone at home today?”
“Just hung around……”
Ryeon grabbed Hwaryun's hand and dashed inside.
Jang ssi, tidying Ryeon's room, startled at the sudden rush but Ryeon spoke first. “Jang ssi! Heater and platycodon tea. You know the Baekyakcheong I made? Mix it in hot water.”
“Pardon?”
“Hwaryun might catch a cold. He was out too long.”
“Oh dear…… That stuff the young miss made?”
“Yeah. We have some jars at home.”
She'd made platycodon syrup from the roots Geum Jongha had brought that day. Most went to Mansong Merchant Group like before, the rest for the household.
Pushed outside by Ryeon's urging, Jang ssi soon returned with hot water mixed with Baekyakcheong as instructed.
“Oh my……”
She eyed Hwaryun with deep pity.
Hwaryun, blanketed head to toe by Ryeon, tilted his head at her expression, then sipped the tea and froze.
“It's good for the body, they say…… No, it is good…… Drink up.”
Jang ssi's voice brimmed with pathos, leaving Ryeon flustered.
“W-why the face?”
Hwaryun's eyes welled slightly as he forced down the mouthful, breathing shallowly with mouth agape.
“Thought it was poison……”
“Hey! What kinda talk is that!”
“Did you try it after making?”
“Uncle did.”
“He didn't pass out?”
Ryeon swallowed hard. Danmok Hyeon-u had looked a bit pale, now that she thought.
“H…… But it's good for you.”
Ryeon added softly, really.
Hwaryun stared at the cup with seven years' worth of life's regrets, wiped his eyes, and drained the rest.
The next dawn, as Ryeon stepped out for tea water, Danmok Seong stood at the door, face flushed with excitement. Her nanny fussed to get a windbreaker on her, but Seong's brisk pace had left no chance; she hovered anxiously behind.
“S-Seong. Did you sleep?”
Startled, Ryeon asked, but Seong replied offhandedly. “I've decided to walk the saber path from now on.”
Coming to tell me at this hour?
Ryeon was surprised but just congratulated her. “Wow…… Really? That's great! But did you sleep?”
“Tossed all night, realized I want saber, told Mother. I have talent, so I'll master it quick, then sword, follow Uncle's path.”
All night, told half-asleep Aunt, and came here? Sun's barely up?'
Maybe Seong planned to steamroll Danmok Hyeon-yo while groggy? Ryeon suspected.
“You didn't sleep.”
Seong had meant to state it plainly and leave, but Ryeon's starry eyes drew it all out. She spilled how she'd confronted her mother, the response—her nanny weeping the whole time.
Ryeon led the bubbly girl inside, listening quietly.
“Yeah, yeah. I said you had saber talent.”
Seong proudly tapped the practice saber at her waist from yesterday's spar.
“Right. Swore to Mother I'd become the world's greatest with this one saber.”
“……!”
The world's greatest, suddenly? But Ryeon didn't waver, boosting her swiftly. “Yes! Let's go! You'll be the Danmok clan's one and only saber world's greatest!”
Danmok Han-so was mighty, but not that mighty.
“Yeah. When…… When I become the world's greatest, I'll look after you, Ryeon. Like I said yesterday, just trust me.”
Seong's eyes held earnestness tinged with bashfulness. Hard for her usual icy poise.
Ryeon nodded without embarrassment, tugging her along. “Then drink this platycodon tea for strength and sleep first.”
“Huh? No, I wanna train now……”
“Sleep well to train well.”
Ryeon naturally pulled her to her own bed, fed her diluted platycodon tea—Seong coughed at the taste, truly shocked—tucked her in, soothed with 'Sleep and wake the world's greatest,' patting gently.
Soon, the all-nighter Seong slept soundly.