Blooming even in the mud - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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After a single Rebellion, how many nobles were reduced to the status of Slaves?
‘Since she’s past marriageable age, she likely wasn’t an unmarried young lady, but rather the wife of someone noble. Did she have children?’
Even if she had children, they would have become Slaves as well, forced into a cruel separation. For such was the inherent destiny of a Slave.
Yoo Seo-hwa, having finished every last bit of her potato, tried to straighten her waist but let out a low groan, clutching her back.
Kkot-bun clicked her tongue. Having crouched and scrubbed the floors the entire time, it was obvious her back would feel as though it were snapping.
“Come over here. It’ll feel better if I pat it out a bit.”
“I am fine. You must be very busy yourself.”
“I’ve got a moment to catch my breath.”
Yoo Seo-hwa could not decline any further. As Kkot-bun’s rough hands rhythmically thumped and massaged her aching lower back, she felt a wave of relief wash over her.
She felt ashamed day after day, for she was so clumsy at even the simplest chores that she constantly ended up causing trouble for the other Slaves.
Even so, she considered herself fortunate to have found a good friend.

When the Main House, the residence of the master’s family, was still undergoing repairs, there was no way the Servants’ Quarters could have been properly restored.
The Slaves had barely managed to clear enough space to lay their bodies down in the Servants’ Quarters, which still bore the chaotic mess left behind when the Gyeong Clan’s assets were confiscated.
A chilly wind leaked through the cracks in the walls, and on rainy days, water dripped from the roof all night long, making sleep impossible. Had it snowed, the roof would surely have collapsed.
The old, worn-out bedding emitted a musty odor, and because so many of them slept huddled together in the cramped room, it was difficult to stretch out their limbs comfortably. Yet, it was precisely because they huddled together that the winter nights felt a bit less freezing.
“But even this is considered very good treatment.”
On a certain dark night, Kkot-bun, with her blanket pulled over her head, had whispered softly.
Because a Slave was not considered a human being, they were not counted using the character for ‘person’ but rather the character for ‘mouth’. No matter where one went, not just in Songyang State, the plight of a Slave remained much the same.
“We get enough food to fill our bellies at every meal, and we can sleep under a blanket in a room with a roof. Think of how many places there are where you starve all day, barely eat pig slop, and are grateful just to cover yourself with straw teeming with fleas and lice.”
“Are the Government Office Slaves in the Local Government Offices like that as well?”
“It’s even worse in the provinces.”
Yoo Seo-hwa’s expression darkened as she thought of Lady Zhang and Gyeong Won-yeong, who had been dragged away as Government Office Slaves to Ganam Province.
Kkot-bun, assuming that Yoo Seo-hwa’s own child must have been dragged away as a Government Office Slave, hurriedly changed the subject.
“Since he barely ever comes to the estate, I don’t really know what kind of person our master is, but judging by the Butler, he must be a good man. The Butler keeps the underlings well-disciplined, so there’s less need to worry about facing senseless trouble.”
“Senseless trouble?”
“What else is there for maidservants like us to suffer?”
“Ah…”
Yoo Seo-hwa fell silent, pressing her lips together.
“Take me, for instance, at the government office where I used to work… Sigh, forget it. What’s the use of talking about this? There’s plenty of work tomorrow, so let’s just get some sleep.”
Turning her back, Kkot-bun quickly fell into a deep sleep, her snoring filling the room. Yoo Seo-hwa also tossed and turned, trying her best to summon sleep.
Only heavy, frustrated sighs escaped her, as if a massive boulder were weighing down her chest. It was a night when sleep eluded her, despite being thoroughly exhausted.

A day in the Servants’ Quarters is exceedingly long.
The master, Gyeong Won-ui, was constantly away from the estate, and he had no family present. Thanks to that, there were slightly fewer things to fret over, but turning an estate that had been abandoned for five years into a place fit for human habitation was by no means an easy task.
Waking up before the eastern sky grew bright, they folded the bedding, checked the underfloor heating fires, and prepared breakfast for the Retainers staying at the estate. Afterward, the servants grabbed a quick bite themselves before devoting all their energy to cleaning and repairing the mansion.
Since needlework was the only task that could reasonably be entrusted to Yoo Seo-hwa, she was initially assigned to the Sewing Room, but currently, there was very little urgent sewing to be done. Consequently, she had to be called away to help with various odd jobs here and there.
Just managing the chores assigned to her was overwhelming, and by the time she finished working frantically, evening had already arrived.
Once dinner was over, they worked on repairing the Servants’ Quarters piece by piece. By then, the night would be deep.
The moment she laid her head on the musty-smelling bedding, she would fall fast asleep, utterly spent from exhaustion. Disturbance from the snoring of the other Slaves beside her had only been an issue for the first few days.
Thanks to a body worn out by unfamiliar manual labor, she fell into a near-comatose sleep every single night.
‘Still, perhaps it is because of this lifestyle that I am able to endure.’
When she first discovered she had become the Slave of none other than Gyeong Won-ui, the future had looked utterly bleak, but in reality, she had not crossed paths with him even once on the estate so far.
Harassed by relentless chores, she had no leisure to dwell on other thoughts. It was a repetitive cycle of labor: waking up to work, falling asleep as if fainting, and rising in the morning to work again.
‘My body is terribly exhausted, but my mind is actually at peace.’
Now, she had no time to ponder what intentions Gyeong Won-ui had when he brought her here as a Slave.
‘It almost feels like an escape from reality.’
Suppressing a bitter smile, Yoo Seo-hwa pulled out the overgrown weeds. The Training Grounds, where a young Gyeong Won-ui had once honed his martial arts and nurtured his lofty dreams, were now thick with nothing but weeds.
As she left the Training Grounds with a basket full of weeds, Deok-sun, who was looking around the area, beckoned her over.
“You there, you don’t have anything urgent right now, do you?”
“I was in the middle of pulling weeds at the Training Grounds.”
“You can take your time with that, so go run an errand to the Marketplace.”
“What is the nature of the errand?”
The voice inquiring back was so upright that Deok-sun flinched instinctively, despite having done nothing wrong.
Yoo Seo-hwa was lowering herself, never forgetting her status as a Confiscated and Enslaved person, yet her innate noble dignity would occasionally bleed through unnoticed. It was only natural that Deok-sun, who had spent his entire life working in other people’s houses and serving high-born masters, was sensitive to it.
Deok-sun felt a strange tremor in his shoulders, a bizarre sensation that sending her on an odd errand might result in him being severely reprimanded.
“Ahem, cough. It’s nothing major, but the Butler has collapsed from exhaustion. There is an immense amount of work, so he must have overexerted himself. Go to the pharmacy and get some medicine prepared.”
“Which pharmacy should I visit? I am unfamiliar with the geography of the Marketplace.”
The pharmacy Deok-sun directed her to was Zhang’s Pharmacy, which took about an hour to reach on foot from the estate.
It was quite a long distance to walk, but it was said that no other pharmacy offered such low prices and excellent skill. It was a suitable place to buy medicine for a commoner like the Butler.
“Since it’s a long journey, you may rest for the remainder of the day once you return.”
“I shall return shortly.”
Receiving a few coins from Deok-sun, Yoo Seo-hwa bowed her head and withdrew.
“Child, why are you heading toward the Servants’ Quarters?”
“Should I not ascertain the exact nature of the Butler’s illness to ensure the medicine is brewed correctly?”
“Simple fatigue medicine would suffice, but…”
Though he thought she was taking unnecessary trouble, he let her go. He couldn’t help but think that while she was clumsy at work, she possessed a delicate thoughtfulness.
After stopping by to check on the Butler’s condition in detail, she encountered Kkot-bun and a few other Slaves on her way to the Main Gate. Kkot-bun smiled brightly.
“Where are you going? We’re on our way to get the leftover pancakes from the Guest Room, want to come along?”
“I am heading to Zhang’s Pharmacy on an errand.”
“The pharmacy? You’re going outside?”
At the mention of going outside, Kkot-bun was startled.
“Looking like that?”
“What is wrong with my appearance?”
“Come here for a second.”
Kkot-bun grabbed the arm of Yoo Seo-hwa, who was tilting her head and touching her face in confusion. She untied the Silk Handkerchief that Yoo Seo-hwa had wrapped neatly from the back of her head to her forehead like a hood.
Then, she loosened the hair that had been roughly pinned up with a Wooden Hairpin and tied it down with a hair ribbon. Even after messing up the hair into a disheveled state, Kkot-bun frowned, still unsatisfied.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Your skin is already so flawless and fair that you stand out, and you plan to go outside completely unprotected with that beautiful face? The Marketplace isn’t a place like this estate where the Butler and the Head Slave keep everyone in line.”
If a Slave, treated as property rather than human, suffered a terrible ordeal outside, there was no one who would step forward to help. At best, if the master grew angry that his property was damaged, the perpetrator would merely pay compensation.
As Yoo Seo-hwa fell silent upon understanding Kkot-bun’s intent, the girl began to smear dirt and soot ruthlessly over her face, neck, and the backs of her hands. Even though her fine beauty was largely obscured, Kkot-bun did not lower her guard and continued to caution her.
“Even when you walk outside, you must keep your eyes glued to the ground. Understood? If anyone picks a fight, just drop to your knees, say you’re sorry, and beg for mercy until your hands turn into feet.”
“I shall do so.”
“The physician at Zhang’s Pharmacy is relatively kind even to Slaves like us, so you can put your mind at ease there.”
“Understood.”
“If something truly unavoidable happens, just tell them you’re a Slave of the Gyeong Clan. Given the master’s influence, most people will back off to avoid trouble.”
“…I shall keep that in mind.”
Having given repeated warnings as if sending out a young child, Kkot-bun anxiously watched Yoo Seo-hwa’s retreating figure as she walked briskly out of the estate.
Watching that display with an absurd look, Dal-rae scoffed. She was a Slave who worked in the Banbitgan alongside Kkot-bun, distinguished by a striking scar-like birthmark on her left forehead.
She particularly viewed Yoo Seo-hwa as a thorn in her side and always looked for a reason to clash with her.
“‘I shall keep that in mind,’ she says. ‘I shall keep that in mind.’ Does she still think she’s a high and mighty lady?”
“She was someone noble, so how could she help it? I wonder when our precious young lady will finally adapt to reality.”
“You need to wake up too, Kkot-bun. You’re not treating her well based on some absurd delusion that she’ll achieve Emancipation one day and repay your kindness, are you?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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