Chapter 57
While Dongbaek escorted Zhang Rang out of the room, Cao Cao remained frozen, not even daring to breathe. Only after Zhang Rang was gone did he let out a sigh.
“Whew, that sobered me up completely.”
Cao Cao quickly threw off the blanket he had been hiding under. Just as he got out of bed, Dongbaek returned from seeing Zhang Rang off. She spoke with concern.
“I think it’s best to call it a night. With my father around, there’s no way to drink in peace.”
“Ha! Now that Zhang Rang has come and gone once, he won’t come back again. Let’s drink more, more!”
But Cao Cao wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away so easily. Unable to resist his enthusiastic encouragement, Dongbaek sat back down at the drinking table.
They continued passing drinks back and forth. Time passed until the moon rose high overhead. When everyone else in the household had fallen asleep and all was quiet, Cao Cao finally collapsed onto the table, unable to finish the last jar.
“Tsk tsk.”
Dongbaek clicked her tongue and lifted Cao Cao, who had slumped over the table. His drunken, limp body felt even heavier than before.
“Ugh.”
Dongbaek threw one of Cao Cao’s arms over her shoulder and lifted him up. Though he was a full span taller than her, it wasn’t too difficult. His hands hung limply and his feet dragged.
Dongbaek laid him back on the bed where he had hidden earlier. Thunk. Without much delicacy, his head lightly hit the wall. But Dongbaek paid it no mind as she unrolled the blanket from the floor and covered him with it.
The messy drinking table could be cleaned up by the maids tomorrow. Dongbaek stretched her neck left and right with a cracking sound and gave a slow yawn. It was time for her to sleep too.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
The next day, in the early hours before dawn.
Though she had only fallen asleep in the early morning hours, Dongbaek’s eyes opened early out of habit, just blinking repeatedly. Lily, who was sleeping curled up in Dongbaek’s embrace, burrowed closer seeking warmth as Dongbaek stirred.
Dongbaek tried to recall what had happened yesterday.
‘…Right. I had drinks with Cao Cao yesterday. Zhang Rang barged in and…’
That’s when she remembered she had left Cao Cao in the guest quarters. She needed to get him out before the servants arrived. Dongbaek carefully slipped out of bed. After tucking the blanket back around Lily so she could sleep more, she threw on an outer robe over her white undergarments and strode quickly toward the guest quarters.
Sliding open the door, she found Cao Cao still sleeping. The scattered wine bottles and cups were evidence of last night’s activities.
Dongbaek approached Cao Cao. His sleeping habits must not be too bad, as he was still lying exactly as she had left him. She let out an exasperated sigh.
“I don’t know if you’re just careless or overly bold. What do you think this place is?”
Dongbaek shook her head at the sight of Cao Cao, who had passed out and was oversleeping in what was essentially enemy territory.
“Yilang Cao. No, Mengde. Wake up.”
Dongbaek reached out to shake him awake. But before her hand could touch his back, Cao Cao caught it. After belatedly recognizing Dongbaek’s face, he released her hand and rubbed his eyes.
“…Oh, it’s you.”
“Who else would it be? If you’re awake, stop rolling around and get ready to leave. Do you really have time for this?”
“I’m up, I’m up. Your footsteps woke me.”
Cao Cao muttered, sitting up and rubbing his sleepy eyes. He looked very leisurely as he yawned and stretched. Dongbaek glared at him.
“Don’t you need to go to the palace? It’s already late if you want to go home and make yourself presentable first. Hurry up.”
“You’re so heartless. Sending me out on an empty stomach, so heartless. Just one cup of honey water…”
“Go ask for honey water from the ladies you’re involved with. Now get up.”
Dongbaek continued to scold him. Cao Cao pouted with a thoroughly dissatisfied expression, but with Dongbaek’s words stinging like a whip, he had no choice but to get his behind off the bed.
“Alright, alright. I’m going, aren’t I?”
Cao Cao shook out his severely wrinkled clothes. His appearance was indeed quite a mess. His hair was completely disheveled, and his chin was covered in stubble. Cao Cao stroked his rough chin. His deep morning voice rumbled through his vocal cords.
“I look ridiculous.”
“Well, if you had gone to sleep when I told you to, your clothes wouldn’t be such a mess, and you could have woken up earlier.”
“Yes, yes. You’re right. Was it you who moved me to the bed?”
“Who else would it have been?”
Having left even the cleanup to Dongbaek, he had really imposed on her this time. Feeling apologetic, Cao Cao retied his loose belt and replied.
“I owe you an apology.”
“What’s there to apologize for? If anything, I should apologize for not even making the honey water that Mengde so desperately wanted.”
“There you go again, being sarcastic.”
Cao Cao chuckled as he left the room. He headed toward the way they had entered yesterday.
“……”
Cao Cao blankly stared up at the top of the wall. Soon, he turned to Dongbaek with an awkward smile.
“How did I get over this wall yesterday?”
“I carried you under my arm and climbed over together.”
“…I’ll have to ask for your help again today.”
Dongbaek shook her head and interlocked her fingers, holding them out in front.
“Step and jump.”
Better this than being hauled over the wall like a sack of rice. Cao Cao’s face brightened.
“Then, excuse me.”
With a running start, Cao Cao ran from a short distance and stepped firmly on the ground. As he placed his foot on Dongbaek’s hands, she threw him upward with all her might.
Though the wall had seemed impossibly high, it wasn’t so difficult with a running start. Cao Cao managed to get his arms on top of the wall and, grunting, pulled himself up to sit on it. Looking down, the ground seemed far below. Dongbaek was still standing there with her arms crossed inside her robe, staring blankly up at him. Seeing her expression urging him to hurry, Cao Cao grinned.
“Then I’ll see you at the palace!”
After this cheerful shout, Cao Cao jumped down the other side. The sound of running footsteps faded away beyond the wall. Only after the footsteps died down did Dongbaek let out a relieved sigh and turn back toward her room.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
After a while, when Dongbaek entered the palace, she neatly swept up her hair and put on her official hat. Though the trailing official robes were heavy and inconvenient to move in, and not to her taste, she had no choice but to wear them to court.
Dongbaek went out a bit early and led Bidan out of the stable. The glossy black coat revealed the horse’s good breeding. Though she mounted the saddle easily as usual, she felt slightly unsteady due to the length of her robes.
‘I should make some stirrups.’
Dongbaek clicked her tongue. Without stirrups, riding didn’t give her quite the same feeling as in the old days. Though of course, the feeling of cutting through the wind was still the best.
As Dongbaek rode Bidan toward the main gate, Zhang Rang, who had just finished preparing, came out with Elder Hwang. Zhang Rang’s palanquin was already prepared. He got in as soon as he came down the steps.
On days when there was court assembly, she always left for the palace with Zhang Rang. Zhang Rang would ride in his palanquin, and Dongbaek would match her horse’s pace beside him, making small talk as they went.
“Did you send that subordinate off well yesterday? You should have at least fed him breakfast, why did you send him away so early?”
“Haha, he said he absolutely had to return home.”
Cao Cao was quite a well-known figure, and even the servants roughly knew his appearance. That’s why she had hurriedly sent him away, and she was glad she did.
She had brought Cao Cao there with the intention of causing him trouble, but when the situation actually arose, she ended up being the one anxiously on edge—truly an ill-calculated move.
At least Zhang Rang hadn’t found out. That was a relief. Just as Dongbaek was breathing easier, Zhang Rang spoke again.
“Well, he’s not exactly someone I’d be glad to see face-to-face, is he?”
An electric shock ran up from Dongbaek’s toes as they gripped Bidan’s sides. Her heart pounded and cold sweat ran down her spine.
He knew. He must have known. Otherwise, he wouldn’t say such things.
Though inwardly she felt like she might collapse from panic, Dongbaek maintained an expression of genuine confusion, as if she didn’t know what he was talking about.
Regardless, Zhang Rang kept his gaze forward, continuing calmly.
“A man should never lose face by being scolded harshly in front of others, don’t you think?”
It was an unexpectedly gentle and generous response from Zhang Rang. A guilty look appeared on Dongbaek’s face, who had been pretending not to understand. But as soon as her expression changed, Zhang Rang raised his voice.
“However!”
His loud command rang out so sharply that even the palanquin bearers flinched. Zhang Rang, who had been staring at the distant imperial palace, finally turned to look at Dongbaek.
Their eyes met, and Dongbaek saw in Zhang Rang’s eyes that his anger had not yet subsided.
“There won’t be a second time.”
The brief words struck Dongbaek’s heart just as intensely. She couldn’t simply laugh off Zhang Rang’s words expressing such deadly anger toward Cao Cao.
‘Even with such hatred, he let it go yesterday for my sake.’
As much as Zhang Rang had considered her circumstances, Dongbaek also needed to be mindful of his face. She shook her head, indicating she couldn’t handle another such situation.
Clop, clop. Only the sound of hooves from Bidan and Zhang Rang’s palanquin bearers’ horses echoed through the streets.
The image of Cao Cao disappearing while saying he’d see her at the palace suddenly flashed through Dongbaek’s mind. Though Zhang Rang had let it go without saying anything in front of her, she worried that he might glare at Cao Cao all day at the palace with those sharp eyes of his.
‘But well, he’ll figure something out himself.’
With that thought, Dongbaek gave up worrying about Cao Cao.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
Thank you for reading! ♡
