The Granddaughter of the Manhyang Escort Agency Hides Her Magic - Chapter 22
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22
At first glance, it seemed like Ok Chifung was retreating from the servant’s scolding, but that wasn’t actually the case.
‘Which wall should I climb over to get the best rumors spreading about it?’
Even though he had been beaten with a bamboo broom, he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood as he hummed a tune.
The servant stopped paying attention to him as he walked away and continued sweeping, when he suddenly realized something.
There were no footprints where he had walked. When a person walks, footprints should naturally appear. But the dirt ground was completely clean.
“A, a ghost?”
The servant rubbed his eyes. In an instant, the spot where the man had been was completely empty, with no traces as if no one had ever been there.
“Did I see things?”
He tilted his head in confusion.
* * *
At the very moment the servant was rubbing his eyes, a strange standoff was taking place inside the escort agency’s wall.
It was a standoff between a man who had fallen from the sky and a small girl who happened to be passing by.
The man looked the child up and down.
“Are you going to scream?”
“No.”
The child showed an unusual composure for her age. A glint of interest appeared in the man’s eyes.
“Then are you going to go call an adult?”
“Should I call someone for you?”
“No.”
The child nodded her head vigorously. The hair ribbon holding her hair tied like dumplings on the sides of her head fluttered back and forth.
“I’ll see you later.”
The child bowed her head politely.
The child’s greeting seemed to predict a future meeting.
It was strange for a child meeting him for the first time to say such a thing, but Chifung thought her parents must have taught her that way and dismissed it carelessly.
“Take care.”
Chifung found the child quite amusing as she walked away confidently with her back to him.
He liked the child’s spirit—how she didn’t cower before a strange man and asked questions clearly.
‘It would be nice if we had a kid like that at Mount Hua.’ As he was thinking this, his stomach made an embarrassing growling sound.
When Chifung clutched his stomach, the child who had passed by him turned her head. She stared at him intently and then asked.
“Should I get you some food?”
The quiet sigh he heard must have been his imagination.
Chifung smiled shamelessly.
“Can you?”
“……Follow me.”
The child took the lead with quick steps.
“Wait here for a moment.”
The child disappeared beyond the door of the lodging where the escort agency’s workers stayed.
‘Is she a servant of the escort agency? She seems too young for that. Her clothes are high-quality too.’
While Chifung was curious about the child’s identity, she appeared holding two rice balls.
“Eat this for now. I’m in a hurry so I couldn’t bring you anything else.”
“Why? Do you have to go to work?”
As Chifung chewed on the rice ball the child had brought him, the child frowned.
“Something like that.”
“If you don’t want to do it, want to run away with me?”
Since he had received kindness from the child and liked her spirit, he thought he should make this child his personal servant while he stayed at the escort agency.
He could have her run simple errands, buy her delicious food, and if she had talent, even teach her martial arts.
A servant would never enter the martial world, but it never hurt to learn anything.
He didn’t know why he felt so drawn to a child he’d just met today.
No, the reason was clear.
‘This one’s special.’
Chifung had one extraordinary talent. It was his eye for recognizing unusual things. And Chifung loved unusual things very much.
“No.”
The child sighed again. Then she bowed her head as if there was nothing more to see. Her long hair ribbon fluttered.
“Alright. Thank you for the food. If you ever change your mind, come find me.”
Chifung also spoke with the expectation of meeting the child again.
He was certain the child was a servant of Manhyang Express.
The child ran away quickly. Her movement was extraordinary.
Chifung’s eyes narrowed.
‘She’s properly learned footwork technique?’
She couldn’t be more than six years old. The footwork technique that such a tiny child was using was not ordinary.
It wasn’t because of her speed. Her footwork had little wavering and her center was properly anchored in her dantian. It meant her fundamentals were solid.
At the child’s miraculous display, Chifung grinned as he stuffed the last rice ball into his mouth.
‘Is she really a servant? Anyway, I really like her.’
* * *
Shin Ah left Chifung behind and walked diligently.
Since she had even provided him with food, he would probably handle the rest himself.
Thinking of him as her father’s friend and the teacher who would instruct her brother, Mugyeol, and herself, she should have served him respectfully, but she couldn’t acknowledge him first.
‘I saw him a few times in my past life, but this is the first time in this life.’
More importantly, judging by Chifung’s attire and behavior, he didn’t seem to want to be recognized either.
‘Why is he climbing over walls? There’s a perfectly good door.’
Shin Ah gauged the sun’s position to estimate the time and hurried her steps.
Danmi had said it was time to go to class, but because she had taken time to prepare rice balls for Chifung, she would arrive a bit later than originally planned.
‘If I meet my brother and go together, I’ll be even later, right? Father told us to go together, but… I should go ahead this time. But what if the teacher gets caught by other people and chased away before meeting Father?’
Shin Ah was worried that the servants might treat Chifung rudely.
In any group, there were those who judged people only by their appearance. Even Manhyang Express, which thoroughly managed its servants and slaves, would be no exception.
‘They shouldn’t do that to Uncle Chifung.’
Chifung seemed easygoing and good-natured, but when he decided something wasn’t right, he would turn frighteningly cold.
Shin Ah had seen that side of him twice in the past.
One of those times was at Cheonrim’s funeral.
The incident erupted when Baekrim refused his condolences when he came to Cheonrim’s funeral.
‘One of the main halls was destroyed then.’
She didn’t know how it was resolved afterward, but she didn’t want to experience the same thing again.
The signboard of Bogukgak came into Shin Ah’s view.
‘I’ll think about Uncle’s situation later and focus on solving the immediate problem first. Let’s take it step by step and do well.’
Shin Ah arrived at the training ground burning with motivation.
And that motivation turned into anger.
Mugyeol was collapsed on the ground.
* * *
“Ugh, urgh, aaaah.”
Mugyeol was lying on the dirt ground, writhing in pain.
“Mugyeol!”
Shin Ah kicked off the ground and ran toward them.
In an instant, Shin Ah reached Mugyeol and pulled away Ilbi, who was clinging to his side.
“Get your hands off Mugyeol!”
“Kyaak!”
Ilbi, who had fallen helplessly after being suddenly pushed, glared at Shin Ah.
Ilbi, who was about to snap something at Shin Ah, closed her mouth upon seeing her eyes.
“What did you do to Mugyeol?”
“Brother Mando was giving him ed-education…”
Ilbi flinched at Shin Ah’s blade-like gaze and stammered.
“You hit him? You’re saying this happened just from hitting him?”
So Mando and Ilbi nodded simultaneously.
Shin Ah didn’t believe what the two were saying.
She had never heard of someone having a seizure from being hit a few times.
But there was something more urgent than confirming what So Mando and Ilbi had done.
“Mugyeol, try to come to your senses.”
Shin Ah kept biting her lips. She felt sick and angry.
To think such a thing happened just because she was a little late!
It all felt like her fault.
Shin Ah blamed herself again and again.
Then she felt warmth from Mugyeol’s hand.
“Ah, Young Miss… I’m fine…”
Mugyeol grasped Shin Ah’s hand.
“Mugyeol, are you coming to? Wait just a moment. I’ll quickly call an adult.”
His body was burning hot.
Shin Ah’s instincts told her that Mugyeol’s collapse wasn’t simply from being beaten.
Something was seriously wrong.
“Don’t, huk, don’t go.”
Mugyeol rubbed his head against Shin Ah’s hand. His pitiful gesture made Shin Ah’s heart ache.
Shin Ah gritted her teeth and glared at So Mando and Ilbi.
“Go right now and bring my father!”
She wanted to go herself, but she didn’t know what So Mando and Ilbi might do to Mugyeol in the meantime.
So she had no choice but to send the two of them.
“Why should I?”
So Mando puffed out his chest and shouted.
“He’s awake now, so it’s fine. Hey, we need to have our lesson.”
“Bring him here right now.”
“The teacher will be here soon, so why make a fuss? Move aside, So Shin Ah. Let me check his condition.”
Ilbi spoke sharply and tried to put her hands on Mugyeol.
At that moment, Shin Ah glared at Ilbi and muttered.
“Fireball.”
Then Ilbi’s sleeve caught fire.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
Ilbi flailed her arms in the air, struggling to put out the fire. Shin Ah kicked the struggling Ilbi away and looked at So Mando.
“Bring my father here. If you don’t get moving right now, you’re next.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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