Chapter 12
Dongbaek changed into comfortable sleepwear and plopped onto the bed. The crow landed next to her with a heavy thump. No sooner had the crow perched on the bed than Dongbaek shooed it away.
“Don’t get on the bed.”
“Hey, I’m an extremely clean bird, you know! Come to think of it, you called me a bacteria carrier the first time we met. You bad girl. I bathe more often than you do.”
Grumbling, the crow hopped onto the small table beside Dongbaek’s bed. As Dongbaek lay down, she spoke.
“Tomorrow, we’re going to Zhang Rang’s house.”
“Wow, you really managed to convince that suspicious old man. You put on that act again, didn’t you?”
“Yes, though I think he vaguely suspects something… but it should work out somehow, right?”
“If that sly old snake only vaguely suspects something, you must be quite something.”
To have tricked Zhang Rang—a man who had survived decades in the cutthroat world of politics and climbed his way to the top of the power ladder, even if only partially—Dongbaek’s poker face and bluffing skills were indeed formidable.
Already accustomed to smiling to offset her fierce features, she was particularly good at maintaining a relaxed smile in any situation. The only problem was that her sharp eyes never made her look truly gentle.
But she was also clever, good at lying and redirecting conversations, so most people fell for her expressions once and then fell again for her silver tongue. Whether they were teachers, seniors, friends, juniors, professors, even police officers.
Since coming here, she had been successfully deceiving everyone she met, and now even Zhang Rang. The crow firmly believed that among Dongbaek’s enhanced abilities when crossing over to this world, ‘shameless bluffing’ must have been one of them.
“Anyway, we’re moving tomorrow. There will be more people there, so we’ll have to be careful about our conversations.”
“Ugh, it’s frustrating not being able to talk.”
The crow stamped its feet irritably, making a tapping sound. Its sharp claws scratched the wooden table. Dongbaek’s eyebrow arched at the sight, but she didn’t say anything. After all, tomorrow they’d be at Zhang Rang’s house, where much finer wooden tables would be piled up like mountains.
Dongbaek blew out the candle beside the bed. The room was immediately filled with darkness. Even the moon was hidden behind clouds tonight, leaving nothing visible. Only the sounds of insects and the voices of Dongbaek and the crow could be heard.
“Good night.”
“Yeah, you too.”
They exchanged their goodnights and settled into sleep. As Dongbaek rustled under her covers, the crow flew up to its perch. It blinked drowsily. After five years together with Dongbaek, the crow’s habits had become more human than bird-like.
Soon, only the sounds of breathing from a girl and a bird could be heard in the room.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
The next morning, well-dressed guards surrounded an ornate carriage, walking proudly. Behind them stretched an endless procession. Carts loaded with precious ornaments seemed to go on forever.
This magnificent procession arrived at Geum Danyo’s house. People who had heard the rumors gathered in front of her house.
The carriage was decorated with red silk embroidered with mandarin ducks in gold thread, and large amber beads hung abundantly.
“Where did this come from? I’ve never seen such a grand carriage except when the imperial family passes through.”
“I heard it came from Zhang Rang’s household. But why is it stopping at Geum Danyo’s house?”
The ornately decorated carriage came to a halt in front of Geum Danyo’s gate, and an elderly steward of Zhang Rang’s household, Elder Hwang, dismounted with the help of his attendants. He knocked on the door.
To his surprise, it was Geum Danyo herself who greeted him this time.
There wasn’t much to pack anyway. Everything would be prepared at their destination. She had only gathered a few precious ornaments she cherished.
If that was the case for Geum Danyo, it was even more so for Dongbaek. Dongbaek had nothing. Even the clothes she had worn from her world—when she realized she would have to spend her entire life here, she had burned them as kindling the very next day. Watching the only traces of Earth burn away, Dongbaek had let go of any lingering attachments.
Geum Danyo’s eyes widened briefly at the sight of the carriage at her gate. While she didn’t show particular joy, she didn’t seem displeased either. Dongbaek and Housekeeper Wang also boarded the carriage. This was natural for Dongbaek as she couldn’t ride a horse yet, and Housekeeper Wang needed to attend to Geum Danyo as her companion and caretaker.
The movement of Geum Danyo’s skirt hem as she walked gracefully was truly beautiful. She had taken extra care with her appearance today to draw people’s attention.
Thanks to this, the men who had come to see the magnificent procession nodded in approval as they admired Geum Danyo, who remained beautiful despite approaching forty.
“Could it be that Zhong Changshi Zhang has fallen in love with Madam Geum again? Young ones may be pretty and fresh, but they lack virtue. Perhaps after dallying with young girls, he suddenly remembered Madam Geum.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
As the crowd whispered and made all sorts of speculations, the carriage carrying all its passengers was lifted again by the strong men. It turned around to head back the way it came.
The carts piled high with precious gifts from Zhang Rang to Geum Danyo followed behind. Though they were heading to Zhang Rang’s house anyway, the deliberate procession was meant to spread word of how generously Zhang Rang treated Geum Danyo with gifts.
People clicked their tongues as they watched the carriage disappear.
“Poor Madam Geum. How unfortunate that she’s caught up with someone like Zhang Rang again. Tsk tsk.”
“But look at those carts. She’ll never go hungry in her life, so what are we worried about? At Zhang Rang’s mansion, she’ll eat the finest delicacies three times a day. I’m truly envious.”
“If you’re so envious, why don’t you become Zhang Rang’s male favorite yourself?”
“Goodness, man. If Zhang Rang doesn’t whip your filthy behind, consider yourself lucky!”
People laughed. Everyone was so focused on Geum Danyo that they forgot about Dongbaek’s quiet presence beside her. This was exactly what Geum Danyo, Dongbaek, and Zhang Rang had intended and desired.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
The magnificent red silk carriage stopped in front of Zhang Rang’s house. Though they could have quietly brought Dongbaek and Geum Danyo without drawing attention, there was a purpose to this grand display. It was to direct any possible suspicion entirely toward Geum Danyo.
Zhang Rang’s mansion was massive, beyond anything Dongbaek could have imagined. Seeing its grandeur, she couldn’t help but chuckle, wondering how much more magnificent the imperial palace must be.
Geum Danyo and Dongbaek were led by Elder Hwang to their separate quarters. Though called separate quarters, it was incomparable to Geum Danyo’s previous home in both size and decoration.
“This is… a bit excessive.”
Geum Danyo said as she gently touched the drawer in her room. Dongbaek surveyed Geum Danyo’s room. Even to her untrained eye, everything in Geum Danyo’s room looked expensive. Picking up a vase and examining it, Dongbaek replied,
“This only fits Zhong Changshi Zhang Rang’s status.”
“Indeed. Lord Zhang Rang said to let him know if you need anything else. His material gifts to you symbolize the depth of his affection.”
Elder Hwang quickly responded. The more Geum Danyo adorned herself with expensive foreign jewels, the more she bathed in perfumed water with flowers and honey every evening, the more people would believe that Zhang Rang deeply loved her.
Geum Danyo smiled bitterly. Who would have thought she would enjoy such luxury now, which she couldn’t experience even when she was Zhang Rang’s concubine in her youth.
“And where is Dongbaek’s room?”
“It’s just outside your room. If you exit and turn right, there’s a small side door leading to it.”
It was farther away than expected—a deliberate choice, it seemed, to separate them.
Dongbaek gave Elder Hwang a suspicious glance but soon shook her head. Thinking about it, it wasn’t such a strange arrangement. She was currently around 10 years old, soon to be 13, and in this era, 13 was old enough for rumors about one’s foster mother. Preposterous, unseemly thoughts, but even Elder Hwang himself had hinted at such suspicions when they first met. It was better to eliminate any room for doubt from the start.
“I understand. I’ll look around first and call you again later.”
As Dongbaek waved her hand, Elder Hwang started to withdraw. Then suddenly, Dongbaek remembered something she had forgotten. She called back the departing Elder Hwang.
“Ah, Elder Hwang. Please place a perch in my room.”
“A perch?”
“I keep a crow.”
“…A crow? If you like birds, perhaps you’d prefer a hawk instead? They’re excellent for hunting…”
Elder Hwang rambled on, trying to persuade Dongbaek. A crow seemed beneath her quality. Zhang Rang could gift her hundreds of high-bred hunting hawks if she wished.
But Dongbaek sharply cut off Elder Hwang’s words.
“I said I keep a crow.”
Dongbaek’s cold gaze pierced Elder Hwang like a spear. Though he had experienced much as Zhang Rang’s steward, standing before Dongbaek, an inexplicable pressure weighed upon him.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
Thank you for reading! ♡
