The Martial Clan’s Unwanted Granddaughter

Chapter 8

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The sound of pouring rain woke me from my sleep. Feeling a damp, cool breeze, I turned my head toward its source and found it left ajar. My handmaid was nowhere to be found. She could have at least closed the window.

Maybe it was the rain, but I felt heavy and sluggish, unlike the smooth recovery I’d been making after Imperial Physician Seok’s treatment. Coughing, I struggled out of bed to wrestle the window shut. The rain must have been pouring for quite some time, seeing as how everything from the table by the window to the floor was completely drenched. That needs to be wiped up...

My head hurt. My body ached all over. I grabbed my throbbing head and walked toward the circular table in the middle of the room for some water.

The moment I lifted the kettle, I let out a sigh. It’s empty. It had been empty last night as well. I’d gone to bed thirsty so as not to wake anyone, but it was in fact still empty today.

Things were so much better in Grandfather’s rooms. There were no such inconveniences as empty kettles there, and a maidservant would appear by my side the moment I stirred. It had been quite awkward at first, but over time I had gotten used to the care provided by the servants in Whiteguard Hall.

Throat parched and head still aching, I yawned and went back to bed.

When I opened my eyes again, the sunlight was glaring through the closed window. The table by the window was still wet. Although I was feeling better than before, my head still ached.

I could hear someone talking outside my window. “Ow, ow, ow! What a pain! It hurts every time I walk.”

“Danggeum! Keep your voice down!” another voice rebuked her.

“Why should I? Unbelievable. It’s like she thinks she’s a real Baengri. She just walked into the main hall like she belongs there!”

My handmaid, Danggeum, and another maidservant were passing by my room.

The other maidservant whispered, “What could the madam do, when the clan leader himself heard it? Chundol got twenty lashes, and they say he still can’t get up. You got off easy, compared to him.”

“Easy?” Danggeum exclaimed. “So Chundol just gets to rest?”

“Well, yeah. How could he work after twenty lashes? He probably won’t even be able to move for the next w…”

Their voices disappeared into the distance. A moment later, the door flew open, sending the curtains fluttering loudly as the wind blew in.

“Young miss! You’re awake.” It was Danggeum. The way she’d entered, anyone would be awake by now.

I sat up, grabbing my head. “I woke up a little while ago. Danggeum, the kettle was empty, so could you get me some wat—”

“Miss, look at this. My calves are all bruised from the lashings!” Danggeum cut me off and lifted up her skirts. The red marks across her calves did look painful.

“Why did you have to go to the main hall?” she asked. “I got whipped for no reason because of you!”

Danggeum might have slacked off a lot, but she’d at least been punctual about fetching my washbasin and filling up the kettle. That was as much as she ever did, but I supposed those marks were the reason she’d tossed aside even the one duty she’d bothered to carry out.

I lowered my hand from my head and said, “How is that my fault? You were the one being lazy.”

“Wh-what did you say?” Danggeum couldn’t believe her ears.

Up until now, Baengri Yeon had always just nodded along with a nervous smile no matter what Danggeum had said. Yeon might’ve been a direct descendant of the Baengri line, but she was just an unwanted burden rejected by the clan head. There was no way that Danggeum would allow a street rat like her to play her mistress.

On top of that, her father Baengri Euigang had rarely ever been at home, and having a daughter hadn’t changed that. Danggeum knew that she was the only person Baengri Yeon could rely on, and she took great advantage of that fact. She broke the girl’s spirit with loud scoldings, claiming she was only doing so in Yeon’s best interest. After that, her life was a breeze. All she had to do was to make sure young master Euigang never found out.

That day, she’d been taking a nice long nap as usual, when the madam’s servants rushed in like a bolt from the blue.

Danggeum exploded with frustration. “Miss! How could you say such a thing? Lord Euigang would be so disappointed if he knew how inconsiderate you are!”

I sighed. “Fine. Just fill up the kettle, then you can go rest.”

“Aren’t you old enough to fill your own kettle now? Well, all right,” Danggeum grumbled, hurrying out the door with the kettle as if afraid I might change my mind.

The whipping didn’t change her one bit. How long will I have to live like this?

I knew why Danggeum was acting the way she was. She was thinking that it was just bad luck that Grandfather heard enough to punish the servants and that there was no way he’d genuinely care about a nuisance like me.

I bet it’s the same for the other servants. They’d be wary of me for a while, but things go back to normal in no time.

I had barely managed to wash my face and was in the middle of getting dressed when suddenly, one of the maidservants burst in. “Young miss, young miss!” she cried. “Administrator Ko is here!”

“Huh?”

Administrator Ko managed the Baengri family’s finances and was thus someone too important for me to have ever met. He had served the Baengri family for a long time, earning my grandfather’s trust as one of his closest advisors, and not even my uncle and aunt could order him about as they pleased.

“Why is he here? Have you heard anything?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. It wasn’t you who called for him, young miss?”

“Me? No.”

The maidservant was visibly worried upon hearing this. It had only been a few days since Grandmother’s servants had stormed my father’s quarters to punish our servants. It was no surprise that the arrival of another higher-up had scared her. Looking at her now, I realized that this maidservant was the same one I’d overheard talking with Danggeum earlier.

Is he really here for me? After all, if Administrator Ko had come to see my father, there was no reason for him to call for me. I rushed to get ready, helped along by the maidservant. Though I was hurrying as much as I could, I hadn’t even gotten dressed yet, so it took me a while before I could finally step outside my door. But when I did, I found Administrator Ko smiling at me brightly as though I hadn’t kept him waiting at all.

“Hello,” I said, hiding my bewilderment.

“Greetings, young miss Yeon. Administrator Ko, at your service. I believe this is our first time being introduced.”

I glanced toward my father’s chambers. The uproar of Administrator Ko’s arrival had brought all the servants out in droves, but Father hadn’t made an appearance, meaning he must’ve stepped out for a moment.

“I heard the young miss is still unwell. You there,” he gestured at a servant, who disappeared and reappeared almost instantly with a cushioned chair, then lifted me onto it, leaving me even more confused.

Two burly servants then appeared with three huge wooden boxes big enough for me to lie down comfortably in. What on earth is all this?

Administrator Ko nodded toward one of the boxes. “Open,” he commanded.

I couldn’t help but tense up, but when the box revealed its contents, my jaw went slack in surprise. The faces of the servants around me mirrored mine.

Rich silks and satins in gorgeous shades, jade ornaments in the shape of toads, golden necklaces, tea sets inlaid with lotus designs, blood-red rubies... Priceless items cascaded out in front of me, and Administrator Ko began explaining each and every item held within the box.

“What is all this?” I asked.

“These are gifts from the clan leader for you, young miss.”

“Excuse me?”

“He usually presents family members with such gifts after returning from his travels.” Had he placed special emphasis on “family,” or had that just been my imagination? I scanned the sea of gifts, flabbergasted. The servants were whispering frantically among themselves. Even Danggeum was watching, eyes wide as saucers.

Ah, I see. This was a statement from my grandfather that, though he’d banished me to this corner of the compound, I was still a direct descendant of the Baengri line and to be served with respect. Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to go this far. I’d thought he’d stop at ordering the servants to be punished.

With a smile, Administrator Ko lifted a shining white fur from the box. “This white sable hide is especially high quality, so I recommend turning it into a scarf.”

“Oh... Thank you.”

At that moment, a handsome young man strode through the gates to our quarters. It was my father.

“Administrator Ko, it’s been a long time.”

“Ah, you’re here, Master Euigang.”

I let out a cry of surprise as Father lifted me up from my chair, cradling me in his arms.

Checking my temperature with a hand on my forehead, Father let out a sigh of relief. He then turned toward Administrator Ko. “Please tell my father that I apologize for my insubordination and that I am eternally grateful for his consideration, but cannot accept these gifts. Yeon is too young for such precious things.”

Uh, Father? I almost leaped out of his arms. You can’t reject these! Grandfather is trying to make amends!

Unlike me, Administrator Ko remained calm, as though he had expected my father’s rejection. Chuckling, he said, “There’s no need to worry. I’ve just come from delivering gifts to the rest of the family. If young miss Ri can receive such gifts, I don’t see why young miss Yeon shouldn’t.”

Baengri Ri was my cousin, one year younger than myself, and Uncle Euimook’s daughter.

“More importantly, Lord Euigang,” Administrator Ko continued, “please have a look at these medicinal herbs. You couldn’t find these even if you were to pay a hefty sum at the apothecaries. This is the root of a fifty-year-old fleeceflower, this is ginseng…”

Father drifted over to inspect the medicinal herbs despite himself, always eager to find more to help with my recovery. Though the Baengri family was never short on medicinal herbs, such high-quality specimens were rare.

Father finally accepted the gifts after Administrator Ko mentioned that should he refuse, rumors might spread that the head of the Baengri clan favored his other children, and asked whether my health shouldn’t take priority over all else.

Administrator Ko smiled serenely. “I knew you would accept in the end,” he said.

“You know me far too well, Administrator Ko,” Father said.

“I’ve known the young master since he was but an infant, after all. Ah, I almost forgot.” Administrator Ko proceeded to take something out of his own inner pocket, his careful movements suggesting he was handling something invaluable.

Wait, that box looks familiar. No, it couldn’t be. Besides, all boxes pretty much looked the same... right? I ignored my hunch, figuring I must be mistaken.

Holding out the box respectfully, Administrator Ko said, “The clan head sends this Divine Decree Suppression Pill. It is yours to do with as you wish, young miss.”

A stunned silence filled the courtyard.