Chapter 24
Several people were gathered inside the guest teahouse of the Namgung family.
The most noticeable figure was the patriarch, Namgung Ho. He kept glancing sideways at some distant point, sighing repeatedly.
Sitting in front of him was Namgung Uigyeol.
“What on earth is the young lady thinking?”
Namgung Ho didn’t answer the question directly but instead suddenly asked something off-topic.
“Your wife is from the Seok family, right?”
“Oh, yes.”
Their faces brightened at the mention of their wives, suggesting a good relationship.
However, Namgung Ho, still worried, asked,
“I heard the marriage wasn’t arranged by the family. How did you two meet?”
Namgung Uigyeol scratched his head and answered shyly,
“We’ve been childhood friends. After the martial match ended, we were reviewing it together… Ah!”
Something suddenly dawned on Namgung Uigyeol, and he sprang up from his seat. His calloused fingers pointed toward the distant teahouse where Hong Seol and Namgung Jongwoo were.
“So you finally realized.”
Namgung Ho took a sip of tea with a complicated expression.
“…Even though they’re just kids, I don’t know if it’s proper to leave a boy and girl alone in a room surrounded by walls like that.”
Without realizing it, Namgung Ho had spoken his concern aloud. Namgung Uigyeol quickly responded,
“Just say the word. I’ll break down the teahouse walls with a lightning strike and bring Miss Hong Seol back immediately.”
Using the walls when there’s a perfectly fine door…?
Anyone watching might think Hong Seol was being kidnapped by Namgung Jongwoo.
Namgung Ho pressed his fingers against his furrowed brows and sighed.
“I promised to grant any wish… It would be ridiculous to go check as an elder, and eavesdropping would be just as awkward.”
He wished the grandchildren would go and diffuse the strange atmosphere a bit. Namgung Ho looked toward Heuk and Jeok, who were sitting on the long bench in the corner.
Heuk and Jeok were busy guessing why Hong Seol wanted to be alone with Namgung Jongwoo.
“Hmm. That little one isn’t easy to handle.”
“Why, Hyungnim?”
“Isn’t it obvious why she wants to be alone with him?”
“Maybe she wants to talk about secrets or something!”
“No, you fool. She wants to hit him one more time without the adults seeing.”
“But she already won the match!”
“You have to hit them decisively once. Otherwise, there’ll be trouble later. Remember that.”
“Ahaha!”
Little Namgung Jeok nodded brightly, as if every lesson from his second elder brother was valuable.
“Jeok-ah.”
At Namgung Ho’s call, the youngest Jeok ran over.
“Yes, Grandfather!”
“Aren’t you curious about what’s happening in the teahouse where Seol-ah is?”
The voice was teasing. Namgung Ho knew that Jeok, the naïve youngest, was easier to provoke than the cunning Heuk.
But he got an unexpected answer.
“No! I’m not curious!”
“Not curious?”
Namgung Ho furrowed his brows.
“Yes. I already know the answer!”
“What answer?”
“Miss Hong Seol is hitting Namgung Jongwoo in the next room!”
“Hitting… what? Who taught you that?”
“My second brother!”
“Hey!”
Heuk dashed over to cover his mouth, but Namgung Ho’s expression had already turned severe.
“Hehe…”
Heuk gave a nervous laugh and backed away, holding his younger brother’s collar.
“You brat!”
“Ahhh!”
Heuk quickly fled outside at his grandfather’s shout, still holding onto Jeok.
“What exactly are you teaching my grandchildren?”
Namgung Ho slumped deep into his chair, deflated. Though he had scolded them, he regretted not having simply sent the kids away.
“Maybe the kids are better at sensing the mood…”
Namgung Uigyeol cautiously asked,
“Should I bring Namgung Baek here?”
Namgung Ho shook his head.
“He’s not interested in Seol-ah. He didn’t even come to watch the match today.”
The wrinkles on Namgung Ho’s face deepened.
“I never thought Seol-ah would become Namgung Muyeong’s granddaughter-in-law.”
Soon, she might leave and live independently in a branch house.
Sighing simultaneously, the two men startled Shibi, who was passing by with a plate of mung bean cakes. Their sighs were so frequent that the tea on the table was cooling.
However, neither Namgung Ho nor Namgung Uigyeol realized the truth: Hong Seol was indeed hitting Namgung Jongwoo.
Inside the teahouse, only Hong Seol and Namgung Jongwoo remained, and an awkward silence filled the room.
Namgung Jongwoo, clearly intimidated compared to before, fidgeted with the fingers he had hidden under the table.
“Why did you want to meet separately?”
“….”
No answer.
Hong Seol scrutinized Namgung Jongwoo, clearly dissatisfied with something. Her gaze infuriated him.
‘If I had won the match!’
“If you’re not going to answer, I’ll be going.”
Namgung Jongwoo was about to stand.
“…Hey.”
Hong Seol’s low voice stopped him. Namgung Jongwoo barely recognized the sound coming from such a small, seemingly weak girl.
She continued with an even sharper tone:
“Where do you get off acting up after losing the match?”
Her eyes glared as she threatened him. Though she pretended to be calm, Hong Seol’s heart raced uncontrollably.
‘I can’t believe I said such bad things!’
Having never raised her voice in her life, her chest felt tight—but at the same time, a strange sense of relief came over her.
‘It’s worth observing Namgung Heuk all this time!’
Though she stammered slightly, it was enough to intimidate the already subdued Namgung Jongwoo.
“Why are you treating me like this…”
He slouched in his seat, staring at his own toes.
Hong Seol, emboldened, crossed her arms and spoke sternly:
“Go… apologize to your grandfather.”
At her words, Namgung Jongwoo’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
“Why me?”
“You hurt your grandfather’s feelings.”
“So what? I didn’t say anything wrong!”
He shouted angrily and turned his head aside. Hong Seol’s eyes widened in surprise.
‘What kind of kid is this?’
Frowning, she shook her head. She thought Namgung Jongwoo would understand if she explained how much their grandfather was upset.
‘Is it because he’s the grandfather that he can get away with this?’
If it were her, just a frown from Namgung Ho would make her bow and beg.
‘I guess there’s nothing I can do… I’m not from the Namgung family.’
Her shoulders drooped in gloomy thought.
“I’m not apologizing, anyway!”
Hong Seol’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. She couldn’t understand Namgung Jongwoo’s stubbornness.
‘He has a grandfather who treats him so well.’
Watching from under the martial match, Namgung Muyeong’s gaze was full of affection for Namgung Jongwoo. That gaze hadn’t changed, even after he lost.
‘It’s different from me, being abandoned just because I couldn’t use my inner strength…’
Even Hong Seol noticed it from afar, but Namgung Jongwoo didn’t.
‘If only I had a family like that…’
She would probably still be happily living in her family’s tomb estate, eating sweets from her mother and playing ball with her younger brother.
Startled, Namgung Jongwoo asked,
“Are you… crying?”
A lump of tears escaped, but she didn’t want to show weakness in front of him. Hong Seol wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, lifted her head, and spoke in a deliberately stronger tone:
“Treat your family well while they’re with you.”
“What?”
“While they’re with you! Don’t regret it. You really won’t apologize to your grandfather?”
Namgung Jongwoo scowled and shouted,
“Mind your own business!”
He was even more stubborn than she expected. This wasn’t at all what she had imagined before coming to the teahouse.
‘How did Namgung Heuk handle Jeok when he didn’t listen?’
Hong Seol thought for a moment, then made up her mind.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
“What…?”
“You can’t be reasoned with.”
Before she finished speaking, Hong Seol leapt onto the round teahouse table, using her footwork to jump up.
