WBDS CH 06

Chapter 06

Gong-hee looked down at the child’s clear, innocent face in surprise.

“I must’ve misheard her…”

“Yes, of course. Our little miss will grow up to be the most beautiful girl in Sichuan.”

“Hmph. Could’ve gone further and said ‘the most beautiful under heaven’ while you’re at it.”

So-ye smiled sweetly anyway.

“Hehe.”

The nanny pinched her cheek softly, not hard enough to hurt.

“I’ll step out for a little while.”

“Where are you going?” So-ye asked with wide, innocent eyes.

“I have a lot to do if I want to take good care of my lady.”

And it was true—Sa Gong-hee was busy. She had to sweep and clean this huge residence all by herself, on top of tending to a sickly child.

“You don’t need to take care of me. Just stay with me.”

So-ye pouted on purpose. Gong-hee laughed warmly and bent down to hug her tightly.

“My dear lady.”

Her warmth was real. Even remembering last night’s betrayal, So-ye almost wanted to let herself be fooled again.

“Later, one of the maids will bring your medicine.”

“Mm.”

“If you drink it all properly, this nanny will bring back candy on her way. So you can’t leave any behind.”

“Okay!”

So-ye’s voice lit up at the mention of candy. Gong-hee smiled with her eyes.

“Children are easy to handle.”

Especially a lonely child like So-ye, who had no one else but her nanny to rely on.

Just a few compliments and she gave her whole heart. Gong-hee, who had never owned anything in her life, found that kind of blind devotion irresistibly sweet.

“I’ll be back soon.”

With a gentle farewell, she left.

So-ye sat up on the bed and muttered:
“Adults are easy to handle too.”

All it took was a bit of baby talk and acting like she couldn’t resist sweets.

Nothing makes adults lower their guard faster than a “good little child.”

***

“A-Agassi.”

A female voice came from outside after a short wait. Probably the maid Gong-hee had mentioned.

“I’m coming in.”

Without waiting for permission, the door burst open.

Her swollen, tear-stained face was all too familiar.

“Geum-a?”

The same maid who had once stolen the porcelain bottle at the nanny’s order.

So-ye’s lips twitched upward.

“I was planning to drink the medicine quickly and then go look for her myself… but she came right to me.”

“I brought your medicine. Please drink it quickly.”

Her voice was blunt, but not as rude as before. She seemed distracted, lost in her own worries.

“Well, after last night’s threats from the nanny, of course she’d be shaken. She has no idea where to find the thing, poor girl.”

So-ye obediently drank the bitter medicine, smiling to herself.

“Maybe I should help her out a little.”

It wasn’t the plan she had stayed up all night to make, but this was even better—far more natural.

“Did you finish it all?”

Geum-a lifted the empty bowl. Just as she was about to turn and leave—

“Um.”

So-ye tugged on her sleeve at just the right moment.

RIIIP.

The sound of fabric tearing loudly filled the room.

“What?!”

Geum-a jumped in alarm.

“That’s a skill too.”

Pickpocketing on the streets had taught So-ye that the first step was always to grab attention—tripping someone, dropping something, anything to make them look away.

“Oh no…”

Geum-a bit her lips hard.

“Agassi, what are you doing?”

“S-sorry. But nanny… said she’d bring candy…”

Unlike their first meeting, So-ye lowered her gaze, mumbling shyly as if embarrassed.

“Ugh… fine. Where’s the sewing kit?”

“Sewing kit?”

“Yes. The basket with needles and thread. The nanny must’ve used it often.”

“Oh… over there.”

So-ye pointed under the bed.

“Tch. I’m so busy and now this…”

Grumbling, Geum-a reached under the bed and pulled out the sewing kit.

But as soon as she opened it, her eyes went wide.

“T-this is…”

Her hands shook violently. Hidden between the spools of thread sat the small porcelain bottle.

“Hope you like my little gift.”

So-ye had prepared it overnight, slipping it into the basket.

“Isn’t that the sewing kit?” So-ye asked innocently.

Geum-a’s lips trembled.

“Y-yes. Yes, it is…”

Grinding her teeth, she asked,
“Did the nanny use this kit yesterday?”

“I don’t know.” So-ye fidgeted with her fingers, looking unsure.

“But yesterday, she cleaned under the bed.”

She never said Gong-hee touched the basket, but the hint was clear enough to make Geum-a think so.

“…I see. In that case, I’ll take this to the nanny. She’ll need it.”

Geum-a stood up abruptly, her eyes gleaming with sudden determination.

So-ye waved her hand innocently.
“Hurry and give it to her!”

The maid rushed out, her torn sleeve flapping as she went.

So-ye was certain—she could bet her wrist on it—that Geum-a would not actually deliver the bottle back to the nanny.

Of course, Geum-a would be suspicious. She had no idea when the nanny had supposedly hidden the thing.

“It’s a bit of a waste to hand it over, but I can’t use it myself anyway. All I know is that it’s tied to the attempt on my life.”

“But the thief knows who gave the order.”
Geum-a knew it was the nanny who had told her to steal.

What would she think of Gong-hee now?
That after forcing her to fetch the thing, Gong-hee was ready to throw her away once she had outlived her usefulness?
Or maybe that Gong-hee planned to tighten her leash with a new kind of threat?

Either way, the trust between them was broken.
Geum-a would surely bear a grudge.

And she wouldn’t be able to hide that evidence forever—not after being threatened by the nanny.

She’d use it at the right time, to strike back.

So-ye chuckled.

The matter was out of her hands now.

Whether Geum-a bit into the nanny, or the nanny made Geum-a the scapegoat—it didn’t matter to her.

Soon enough, the outline of the conflict would show itself. She could step in then, if she wanted.

Above all…

“Let the grown-ups handle grown-up business.”

Children had enough to worry about just growing up.

So-ye, who had wiped her hands clean without lifting a finger, stepped out of the room with light footsteps.

Her heart wasn’t quite as light as her steps, though.

***

Just then, near the garden wall, she heard movement. She lifted her head without thinking.

“Wah!”

A boy tumbled down from a big tree growing along the wall.

So-ye instinctively threw herself forward.

“Ugh!”

Dust flew up as they both rolled across the ground.

“I forgot I was in a child’s body in such a tense moment…”
Cold sweat beaded on her back.

“A-are you okay?”

The boy blinked up at her with round, dark eyes. His hair was thick and black, his eyes just as dark, his face round and pretty. From his clothes, he seemed to be a boy.

“Who are you?” So-ye coughed a few times and asked.

He sprang to his feet. He was even shorter than her.

“I’m…”

But before he could finish—

“Young master! Young master So-cheong!”

A loud voice called from outside, searching for someone.

The boy flinched, hunching his shoulders.

“Aha, so your name is So-cheong.”

If they were calling him “young master” inside the Tang household, he had to be part of the family.

“Y-yes.”

The boy mumbled, unable to meet her gaze. He kept glancing around, clearly nervous about being caught by the ones calling for him.

So-ye pointed toward the door.
“You can get out that way.”

So-cheong bowed his head several times and scurried off.

Watching his small back disappear, So-ye’s eyes lit up.
“He’s just like a squirrel.”

***

“Just what were you doing there!”

A girl with her hands on her hips scolded him.

So-cheong rolled his eyes.

“I told you not to go near the place where the direct-line young lady from the main house is staying!”

“But… she was sick. I was curious…”

He stammered, but his older sister, Tang So-so, just snorted.