The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 19

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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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Chapter 19
“There are no available seats in the Reception Hall at the moment.”
No available seats in the Reception Hall where the Baek Li Family received guests? Was the Family Head or the lady of the house hosting a banquet?
Rather than rage at such nonsense, I spoke with composure.
“That’s fine. If there’s no room in the Reception Hall, we can use the Blue Hall in my father’s quarters instead. After all, this is my father’s guest.”
“Sigh, this is why children are troublesome. Young Miss, I hadn’t wanted to say this, but we cannot admit someone of uncertain status into the Baek Li Family. I’m only telling you this because you seem unaware of such matters.”
Unable to bear the Gatekeeper’s unreasonable and disrespectful attitude, Eon-du cried out.
“Hey, that’s enough!”
“Why won’t you leave? A servant stepping out of line?”
“No, this person is… Ugh!”
Eon-du struck his chest in frustration at the words he could not speak.
‘Why are they suddenly acting like madmen?’
Lately, even the servants had caught on to the rumors that my grandfather was taking notice of me… Ah!
I grasped the situation and stopped Eon-du from continuing to shout at the Gatekeeper.
“Never mind. Just go inside and tell my father that his guest has arrived.”
The Gatekeeper let out a derisive snort.
“It’s pointless. The Fourth Young Master has gone out.”
“Gone out? He said nothing to me about it.”
Eon-du asked in surprise.
Eon-du, who had been regarding the Gatekeeper with suspicion, whispered to me as if he couldn’t believe a word those rude men were saying.
“Young Miss, I’ll go inside and verify this myself.”
“Yes. Ask if anyone in the quarters knows where my father went.”
Namgung Wan, who had been observing all of this, spoke in a voice barely containing his anger.
“Enough. You go on inside. So Ui-gang has gone out—I’ll wait here alone! He’ll return eventually!”
“No, I’ll wait with you.”
“What?”
I smiled brightly and spoke.
“My father’s guest is my guest as well.”
“….”
Namgung Wan looked at me with his brow deeply furrowed.
“Do you even understand what you’re saying?”
I nodded with a bright smile.
After my father passed away, when I was being pushed around within the Baek Li Family, he was the one who had suggested I marry his only son. Of course, my uncle and aunt would have none of it, so it naturally fell through.
‘Though that became one of the reasons Baek Li-yeon harbored such vain dreams and clung persistently to the male lead’s side….’
In any case, his proposal had come from genuine goodwill.
So I needed to be here to prevent these Gatekeepers from doing anything more strange. The moment I said I would stay, they had already worn expressions of displeasure.
Namgung Wan spoke.
“Do as you wish.”
Before Eon-du went inside, he spoke to Namgung Wan.
“Please look after the Young Miss.”
Namgung Wan waved his hand dismissively.
After Eon-du left, Namgung Wan examined me carefully before asking a question.
“What is that?”
I paused for a moment, trying to understand what he was referring to, then pulled the box from my bosom.
“This?”
“Yes.”
The box was ornate enough to catch the eye.
I fumbled with it and opened the lid. In that instant, the fresh fragrance of peonies wafted out.
“Flowers! Aren’t they pretty?”
“Flowers? Why did you keep them in a box?”
Since Eon-du would need to wait anyway, I continued my explanation to pass the time.
“…and so that child picked peonies for me. One stem for Father’s Study, one for my chamber, and one I’ll dry to make into a sachet!”
“A sachet?”
“Yes. Father’s birthday is coming soon, but I heard he’s too busy because of this matter to hold a celebration, and he’ll refuse all gifts. I wanted to at least do something for him.”
As I spoke, a brilliant idea suddenly struck me.
‘This might actually work.’
I acted as innocently and naturally as a child possibly could.
“Sir, you said you were Father’s close friend, didn’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Then since you’ve come this way by fate, you’ll prepare a birthday gift for him, won’t you?”
It sounded like I was demanding a gift for my father, but that wasn’t why I said it. Namgung Wan had already prepared a gift for Father. However, Father refuses it completely.
I don’t know what the gift is, but the reason I know this fact is because rumors spread that Namgung Wan became angry at Father’s refusal, and the two of them ended up quarreling severely.
Well, as close friends, they do reconcile. But still, wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t fight at all?
“Father will probably refuse your gift. But please don’t be upset—you’ll definitely give it to him, won’t you?”
For the record, I absolutely, definitely wasn’t coveting the magnificent gift that Namgung Wan had supposedly prepared.
Namgung Wan spoke in an exasperated tone.
“To think I’d meet a bandit in front of the Baek Li Estate’s gate.”
“A bandit…?”
I laughed sheepishly, embarrassed.
He reached out as if to pat my head, but then hesitated and crossed his arms instead. After a moment of deliberation, Namgung Wan opened his mouth.
“You said you’d make a sachet?”
“Yes!”
“Make one for me too.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Then no matter what happens, I’ll make sure to give your father his gift.”
Wait, what did he just say?
My mouth fell open without thinking.
Seeing this, laughter flickered in Namgung Wan’s eyes.
“Do you know how to sew?”
He asked quickly.
I looked up at Namgung Wan with the most pitiful expression I could muster, hoping he might take pity on me.
“I’m not very good at it.”
“Even so, it must be made by your own hands. I’ll scrutinize it later.”
“….”
I had never even considered asking someone else to do it. Yet now that he’d said that, why did I suddenly want to delegate it to someone else?
No, Father would surely appreciate my effort, however clumsy. But wouldn’t it be embarrassing to give Namgung Wan something truly terrible?
I mumbled hesitantly.
“Well… I do know how to sew, but my work is really quite terrible. It’s going to take an awfully, terribly long time to make.”
“I’ll wait.”
Blast it, I’ve only created more work for myself.
Still, if my sachet pouch could prevent the two of them from quarreling, it was a bargain, I thought.
“But you know your father well—that he’ll refuse gifts and examine them instead. Or perhaps… do you already know what the gift is?”
I asked with sparkling eyes.
“What is the gift? Will you tell me?”
“Why would I?”
“….”
Namgung Wan… judging by his temperament, he might not actually be a great master after all….
That was when it happened.
“What’s this?”
A very ominous voice rang out.
“Why is that half-wit here?”
“You said you were too sick to attend lessons, yet here you are perfectly fine. Are you faking?”
It was So U-ak and Baek Li Pyo, the twins. Behind them came Baek Li-myeong, who had just descended from the carriage.
When Baek Li-myeong’s eyes met mine, his expression grew awkward. Yet he made no move to restrain the twins. And none of them so much as glanced properly at the man behind me. They hadn’t recognized Namgung Wan.
Baek Li Pyo sauntered over and pointed at the box I was holding.
“What’s that?”
“…Flowers.”
“Really? Let me see.”
As I hesitated for a moment, Baek Li Pyo immediately shouted.
“What? Why can’t you open it? It’s not flowers, is it? Give it here. If you can’t open it, I’ll open it for you.”
I could already see that if I didn’t open it, he’d keep pestering me until I did. With a sigh, I opened the box.
Upon peering inside, Baek Li Pyo’s face showed obvious disappointment.
“What? They really are just flowers?”
“I told you they were flowers.”
“Ugh, why would you put something like this in a box? What a letdown.”
So U-ak appeared from behind Baek Li Pyo, who irritably kicked at the dirt.
“Why? They’re pretty.”
“What are you suddenly saying? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
So U-ak, who had been smiling despite Baek Li Pyo’s reproach, pointed at the peonies and spoke.
“Give me one.”
So U-ak extended his hand toward me and continued speaking.
“I think it would be perfect for Li-ri. She didn’t even come to the Academy today because she wasn’t feeling well.”
Like the mischievous twins they were, Baek Li Pyo grasped So U-ak’s true intention. Baek Li Pyo smiled wickedly and immediately shifted his tone to pressure me.
“That’s right. Surely you won’t refuse to give just one flower?”
“Exactly, exactly. It’s not like it’s a waste, right?”
And finally, Baek Li-myeong, who had been watching all of this, spoke for the first time.
“Pyo, Ak-i. Don’t be so harsh. Yeon would understand everything anyway. Yeon, they’re your cousins. You should share good things with each other.”
I had a bad feeling about this from the moment I encountered them.
I glanced at Namgung Wan. I couldn’t see his expression hidden beneath the cloth, but the veins on the back of his hand gripping the sword hilt were taut and prominent.
“That’s hardly difficult. I didn’t know my older brothers were interested in flowers.”
I drew out one flower with an unbothered expression.
One flower was nothing—thinking there was no help for it, the moment I handed it over, the peony in Baek Li Pyo’s hand dropped. Immediately after, So U-ak’s foot trampled the fallen peony.
The delicate pale pink peony became a pitiful sight, scattered across the ground.

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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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