Chapter 10 — A Child from Another Household
Damhyeon had gone to the office under the pretense of attending to business the day before, and then, in disguise, traveled north.
The band of roaming outlaws he had been monitoring had recently drifted into the jurisdiction of Xi’an Prefecture. Without making a sound, they had swallowed a small group of local bandits and taken over their lair, settling there.
Though the bandits were vicious, they could not compare to the steppe raiders. After surveying the situation, Damhyeon deployed his subordinates in the surrounding area. Once he had fully grasped the circumstances, he intended to wait for the right opportunity and annihilate them in a single strike.
He returned to the estate only this morning.
While changing clothes in the outer quarters, he learned that his mother and younger sister had quarreled again over matters concerning the academy.
He was forced to go to the inner quarters to mediate between the two. Fortunately, it had not been a serious dispute, and he soon returned to the outer quarters.
Perhaps it was the habit of constantly rushing in the military that caused it—he turned a corner and collided with a small child.
The girl, who appeared to be four or five years old, nearly fell when she struck his leg.
Damhyeon hurried to steady her. When he looked at her face, he noticed fair skin and delicate features that seemed vaguely familiar, though he could not immediately recall whose child she resembled.
The girl stood quietly, neither crying nor complaining despite the collision. She simply looked up at him with large, moist eyes, as if in a daze.
Without thinking, Damhyeon crouched down and asked,
“Did it hurt badly?”
The child blinked and then nodded, as if a little aggrieved.
A look of apology crossed Damhyeon’s eyes. He examined her more closely and noticed several reddish wounds on her face. The injuries had been lightly treated with medicine, making them less conspicuous, but her ear was badly hurt and wrapped in bandages.
“What happened to your ear?” he asked, almost absentmindedly.
But the little girl turned away, hiding the injured ear—like a small wounded animal unwilling to reveal its injury.
The sight softened something in Damhyeon’s heart. He unconsciously crouched before her and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Which household are you from?”
At his question, the girl pursed her lips. He expected that she would not answer easily.
Then, suddenly, she spoke:
“I’m a child from another household!”
Having said this, she frowned as if displeased and abruptly turned away, darting into the undergrowth and disappearing in an instant.
‘A child from another household?’
What sort of answer was that?
Damhyeon shook his head and chuckled in spite of himself.
He glanced once more toward the bushes. The little girl seemed pitiable, stirring an inexplicable sense of tenderness in him. She somehow looked familiar, though he could not determine whose features she reminded him of.
He assumed she must be the child of some servant in the estate.
When Yeongrang awoke from her nap, she was nowhere to be seen. When Damhyeon’s maid was asked, she too turned pale.
At that very moment, Yeongrang came running in from the courtyard that connected the side quarters to the main house.
Damhyeon’s heart sank. After confirming that the child was unharmed, he finally relaxed slightly and asked,
“Why did you go outside? Did you meet someone?”
Yeongrang explained that she had seen several maids and attendants, but none had paid attention to her. Only one person had stopped and spoken to her.
The child looked up at her aunt and said,
“I just saw the… the master of another household.”
She lowered her head.
Damhyeon’s wife froze at the words.
“S-so what did he say? Did he recognize you?”
Yeongrang shook her head.
“I didn’t say anything and ran into the forest, so he couldn’t follow me.”
The maid laughed softly.
Damhyeon had not imagined that Yeongrang might have embarrassed Damhyeon with her words.
But he did not know the details, and in any case, it was none of his concern.
Damhyeon told the child not to wander about and added,
“Stay inside and play. When you recover in a few days, I will take you home again.”
But Yeongrang did not want to go. She wished to remain with her aunt.
In a small voice, she asked,
“Is that big house outside the home of the ‘master of another household’?”
It sounded like a childish wordplay, but Damhyeon understood its meaning.
With a bittersweet smile, he stroked the child’s small head.
“Yes. That is the house of the ‘master of another household.’”
In the evening, a message arrived from Changrang Pavilion requesting Damhyeon’s presence for dinner.
Deungwol was absent as usual, and Lady Im looked unwell, pressing a hand to her forehead.
It was rare to see her in such a dispirited mood. Without needing to ask, Damhyeon guessed that she was once again troubled by matters concerning her daughter.
Even the greatest mother was helpless before the problems of her children.
Lady Im sighed repeatedly—at least five or six times in quick succession—yet could not regain her composure. Finally, Lady Wi brought medicine to ease her chest and calm her qi.
Damhyeon smiled faintly at the sight.
Deungwol did not mention the events of the previous night and instead spoke of the main purpose of calling her.
The next day was the birthday banquet of the elder matriarch of the Huang family. She was the mother of Master Huang Seocheong, and under normal circumstances, all members of the Deung family should attend. However, given the condition of Deungsso, it seemed unlikely that she would participate in the formalities. Thus, Damhyeon would have to accompany him in her place.
Since Huang Seocheong held the position of Minister of Rites, the banquet would be attended not only by the Deung family but also by the prominent households of Xi’an Prefecture and even the leading families of Shaanxi Province.
Deungwol instructed Damhyeon,
“At the banquet, there are many rules and formalities. If you are unsure of anything, ask Mother, and try to remain near her.”
He meant that since she came from a rural background and might not know the etiquette of noble families, following Lady Im would prevent mistakes. Damhyeon understood the intention.
Deungwol continued,
“Mother will not be able to stay by your side at all times. If that happens, you should remain with the ladies of the Yang family.”
The Yang family had two daughters. The elder, Yang Youyun, had married into the Qin Prince’s household, and Damhyeon had never met her since she had not attended the previous family banquet.
The younger daughter was Yang Youryeong. From her attitude toward Damhyeon, it was clear that she had no intention of exchanging even a single word with her.
However, it would be difficult to say this to Deungwol; doing so might appear as though she were concealing something.
Damhyeon simply nodded and replied,
“I will remember.”
Her answer was concise and proper, so Deungwol looked at her with a hint of surprise. His voice softened slightly as he continued,
“Master Huang has bestowed great kindness upon me, and the elder matriarch has spent her life practicing virtue and devotion to the Buddha. I sincerely hope the banquet passes without incident.”
In recent years, the Deung family had barely managed to rise again thanks to Deungwol’s struggles on the battlefield, but their foundation in Xi’an remained weak.
The young emperor had been on the throne for only four years and still preferred leisure over governance. State affairs were entrusted to senior officials, but unfortunately, the emperor placed blind trust in his chief eunuch. Within a few years, the eunuch’s power had already come to overshadow the court.
Those who supported him prospered; those who opposed him were ruined. With his overwhelming influence, lesser families sought to attach themselves to his patronage or were crushed beneath his authority.
Deungwol had no intention of currying favor for advancement, but to avoid being swept away by the turbulent times, he needed to strengthen his own foundation.
That night, Deungwol stayed in the main quarters.
His presence made Damhyeon feel somewhat uneasy.
In the evening, the maid quietly reported that Yeongrang’s fever had risen again.
Damhyeon looked at the man reading in the room. She would not be able to go to the side quarters to hold the child that night.
She instructed the maid to administer the medicine and then lay down to sleep alongside Deungwol.
Deungwol did nothing unusual that night. He could tell, however, that the person beside him slept restlessly.
Having spent years on the battlefield, he was a light sleeper. He noticed that she rose four times during the night. Only near dawn did she finally fall into deep sleep.
Her circumstances seemed tangled and complex. Since she did not speak of them, Deungwol did not press her.
Fortunately, as soon as morning came, Lady Wi sent someone to wake them. She quickly regained her composure, washed, and dressed.
She wore a skirt and blouse in soft hues of honey and autumn gold, adorned with only a few pearl hairpins. Though modest, her appearance remained quietly elegant.
Deungwol looked at her briefly before averting his gaze. He waited while she gave a few additional instructions to the maid, then accompanied her to the Huang estate.
The elder matriarch of the Huang family was celebrating her seventy-seventh birthday, and all the notable officials of Xi’an attended the banquet.
After presenting their gifts, Deungwol was guided to the area where the men drank tea, while Damhyeon followed Lady Im to the women’s quarters to pay her respects.
The garden of the Huang estate was filled with people. Because Damhyeon held a low social standing, no one paid her attention. She felt at ease, though her worry for the child at home did not fade.
She remained near Lady Im, who soon began conversing with several acquaintances.
At first, they spoke of ordinary matters—births in certain households, mourning in others—but the conversation gradually shifted to marriages and the placement of daughters and sons-in-law.
This was no trivial subject. In recent years, the practice of strengthening family status through advantageous marriages had become widespread, and political influence often flowed through such unions. For families of officials, what could be more important?
As the discussion reached a significant point, the women dismissed the younger ladies and daughters from their seats.
Lady Im looked at Damhyeon and said,
“You should go for a stroll.”
