The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 357

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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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Special Side Story Episode 27
* * *
Namgung Ryu-cheong regretted agreeing with Baek Li-yeon’s suggestion.
A servant carefully entered the chamber.
“Namgung Prince, did you call for me?”
“….”
“Prince?”
It was well-known throughout the Baek Li Estate that Baek Li-yeon had received a ban on ice from Baek Li-ui-gang, so she couldn’t go to the ice storage within the estate to fetch it herself, nor could she order the servants to bring it.
Thus, the task of procuring ice fell to….
“Ice.”
“Yes?”
“Bring ice.”
“Ah, ice? Understood.”
Then a voice transmission reached Namgung Ryu-cheong.
[A basin full!]
Namgung Ryu-cheong bit his lips tightly, exhaled sharply, and called the servant back.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“…Bring a lot.”
“Ah, understood.”
The servant left the chamber looking bewildered. But someone refused to give up.
[A basin full!!]
“….”
[A basin full!!!]
“….”
[A basin full!!!!]
Namgung Ryu-cheong pressed his brow and lowered his head before speaking.
“Wait.”
The servant who had been leaving returned once more.
Namgung Ryu-cheong gritted his teeth and spoke.
“A basin full.”
After the servant left the chamber with a somewhat dazed expression,
Clap clap clap clap clap!
Baek Li-yeon emerged from behind the screen, clapping her hands. Yalyu and Jeggal Hwa-mu were with her.
Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke with an expression of utter frustration.
“Do I really have to eat this much? When the Great Patriarch returns, I can simply say I want some, and he’ll permit it if I’m moderate about it. I’m not a child. Surely he won’t ban it for life!”
Baek Li-yeon blinked and averted her gaze as she spoke.
“You’re right about that. Should we stop here then?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong, about to respond reflexively, looked at Baek Li-yeon in disbelief.
She was giving up this easily?
Baek Li-yeon?
Yalyu gave Namgung Ryu-cheong a wary look before turning to Baek Li-yeon with a soothing tone.
“Yeon, you don’t need to listen to that fool.”
“No, Ryu-cheong isn’t wrong about this.”
….
Namgung Ryu-cheong, his face twisted into a deep frown, ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh before speaking.
“Just do whatever you want. Besides, I wouldn’t mind eating something either.”
“…See? I knew you wanted to eat too?”
At the suddenly brightened voice—as if the gloom had never existed—Namgung Ryu-cheong’s eyes narrowed.
“Baek Li-yeon.”
Baek Li-yeon covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed. Without him needing to speak, she answered as if she already knew what he was about to say.
“Yes, it’s fun.”
* * *
“Young Lady, if there’s anything you’d like to eat, please tell me. I’ll prepare it for you.”
“No, I’m going to make it myself.”
“Young Lady….”
“Don’t worry. I won’t use fire.”
“Really?”
“Would I lie to you?”
….
That’s a lie.
Yalyu thought this as he heard silence as the response.
Finding this worthless bickering tiresome, Yalyu directed a subtle threat toward the Middle-aged Woman, and she trembled before reluctantly backing away.
Only then did things become somewhat quieter. Though it was still noisy even now.
Namgung Ryu-cheong approached with an ice basin in hand, looking ridiculous as he spoke.
“What have you been doing that the Middle-aged Woman won’t let you into the kitchen?”
Jeggal Hwa-mu answered.
“She burned the hem of her skirt completely and got burns so severe that the Great Warrior nearly fainted on his birthday.”
Yalyu’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at Baek Li-yeon.
Baek Li-yeon waved her hand dismissively and spoke.
“It was just a commotion, really. I wasn’t hurt badly. Look, see? There’s not even a scar. I tried to put it out right away when I noticed the fire, but my body just wouldn’t cooperate.”
“You’re quite the troublemaker.”
As Baek Li-yeon showed Yalyu the affected area, she cried out indignantly at Namgung Ryu-cheong’s words.
“You broke your cousin’s nose on So Bu-in’s birthday and got locked in the Family Shrine! I heard all about it in letters!”
“That was better.”
“Hmm, this time I agree with the Namgung Prince’s opinion.”
At Jeggal Hwa-mu’s words, Baek Li-yeon looked at Yalyu as if searching for someone to take her side, then shook her head without even waiting for an answer.
“Fine, fine. But I’m not sure if we have the ingredients. I don’t know about other things, but milk and red beans… Oh, we have them! There’s preserved fruit here too and rice cakes. Good, good. All I need to do is crush the ice finely, right?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong set the basin down on the shelf with a loud thud.
“You’re not going to make me do that too, are you?”
“Haha, I’ll handle it. Don’t worry.”
“Let me help.”
“Oh, how helpful. With your inner energy, the ice would melt before I even finished shaving it.”
“….”
“Ah, honey would taste better, but boiling it with milk and sugar would take forever, wouldn’t it?”
“Just do it roughly.”
“…tch.”
At that moment, Jeggal Hwa-mu, who had been checking the milk, spoke.
“I’ll have goat’s milk instead.”
“Goat’s milk all of a sudden? Just eat what we have. We’re lucky to have any milk left in this weather.”
“Yes, goat’s milk.”
“Stop being difficult!”
“Hmm, where did you say the Great Hero went?”
“He’s going! I’ll go ask if we have goat’s milk, so just eat this if we don’t.”
Baek Li-yeon pushed off from her seat and left the kitchen, and Yalyu, who naturally followed after her, was suddenly grabbed by Jeggal Hwa-mu.
“….”
Yalyu silently stared at where Jeggal Hwa-mu had seized him.
Jeggal Hwa-mu casually released his hand and spoke.
“Where are you going? You need to boil the milk with sugar. Keep stirring it with a spatula so it doesn’t burn.”
“….”
After a brief moment of hesitation, Yalyu abandoned the idea of following Baek Li-yeon and tended to the hearth.
Namgung Ryu-cheong, who had been watching them with slight tension since Jeggal Hwa-mu grabbed Yalyu, spoke in exasperation.
“What are you doing?”
Yalyu stared intently at the white powder without answering.
Jeggal Hwa-mu spoke.
“That’s salt.”
“Then what about this?”
“No, next to that. Ah, that one.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke with a stern expression.
“If you’re going to do it, do it yourself. Why make someone else do it?”
Jeggal Hwa-mu fanned himself with a fan as he spoke.
“It’s hot.”
* * *
The next day.
Clack.
A clear, crisp sound of stone and wood colliding echoed as the white stone settled between the black stones.
The black stones shifted ever so slightly.
“Mmm….”
Baek Li-yeon, gripping the black stone with a grinding motion, glared at the go board as if to pierce it, unaware of her own groaning.
Clack.
Baek Li-ui-gang, holding the white stone, opened his mouth.
“Wan sent a letter. Asking how you’ve been doing.”
“Father, really. You send Ryu-cheong away and then send letters too. How are you managing yourself?”
“Nothing seems amiss.”
Baek Li-ui-gang took a sip of tea, paused in thought, then continued.
“Wan invited you to come to the Namgung Clan when Ryu-cheong returns, if nothing is pressing. He mentioned the lotus flowers blooming on the lake in summer are worth seeing. What do you think?”
“Hmm… No. You said nothing was pressing? Perhaps there will be an opportunity later.”
“Yes. I already declined on your behalf.”
“What?”
Baek Li-yeon lifted her head from the board game, her mouth slightly open as she stared at Baek Li-ui-gang.
‘Why did you even ask…?’
“This is your home.”
Baek Li-yeon hid her rising smile behind her teacup as she spoke.
“He’s just inviting me to visit. Father, didn’t you once ask if I would never stay at the Namgung Clan?”
Clack!
“It’s your turn now.”
Baek Li-yeon laughed silently to herself.
‘Look at him changing the subject.’
Click.
Only the sound of placing stones echoed in the chamber.
Baek Li-yeon murmured softly.
“…It will feel empty when Ryu-cheong leaves. Well… at least Yalyu will still be here.”
‘That might make it a little less lonely.’
Baek Li-ui-gang glanced at Baek Li-yeon, then spoke while placing a stone.
“You said yesterday you wanted to eat shaved ice, didn’t you?”
“What?!”
Startled, Baek Li-yeon’s hand slipped, and she knocked over the container holding the black stones. But in that instant, a long arm stretched out and caught the container with a sharp snap.
Baek Li-ui-gang set the stone container back on the table and spoke.
“You’re making mistakes you don’t usually make.”
“H-how did you know?”
“Don’t you always want to eat it whenever the weather gets even slightly warmer? On a day like yesterday, it’s certain.”
“Ha, ha ha, ha ha ha. You’re right. You’re right.”
Baek Li-yeon’s throat suddenly felt parched, and she drained her teacup in one gulp.
‘Phew, so that’s what it was.’
A guilty conscience makes one jumpy. I was startled for nothing.
Father had only arrived this morning—there was no way he could have known what happened yesterday.
Just then, the door opened and a young servant brought shaved ice on a tray.
Seeing this, Baek Li-yeon’s eyes widened.
“Since I wasn’t here yesterday, I thought you must have missed it, so I had them prepare some.”
“…Wow!”
Baek Li-ui-gang tilted his head slightly.
“You don’t seem to want to eat it?”
“No! That’s not it!”
Feeling a twinge of guilt at her father’s consideration, Baek Li-yeon took a generous spoonful.
The tart fruit crunched between my teeth, and the cold, sweet taste enveloped my tongue. Yet today, perhaps because it wasn’t as sweltering as yesterday, it didn’t feel quite as refreshing.
“Father, please have some too.”
“I’m fine.”
It was when the shaved ice was half-finished.
“Oh! There—!”
The female servant guarding the door let out a startled cry as the door was thrust open roughly. It was behavior unchanged from childhood.
Baek Li-yeon spoke without turning around.
“I’m sending the bill for door repairs to the Suhyang Sect.”
“Ugh, the granddaughter of the Great Baek Family being so petty. Ah, Great Swordmaster, hello!”
Baek Li-ui-gang acknowledged the greeting with a nod.
Seo Ha-ryeong’s eyes widened as she spotted the shaved ice on the table.
“You made shaved ice yesterday without me, didn’t you!”
“…Yeon, what is she talking about?”
Just another day at the Baek Li Estate.
【End】

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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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