Chapter 52
04. Beautiful Destiny【佳緣】
It was late March, with the spring breeze gently caressing the land.
Cherry blossoms, just beginning to bloom, swayed softly in the faint wind. As the gentle, warm wind brushed past, it disturbed the fine bangs across her clear forehead.
With the winter’s grip loosening, the marketplace was bustling with activity. As if releasing all the energy pent up during winter, merchants called out loudly to attract customers.
With the weather turning mild, purse strings seemed to loosen as well, and customers were spending freely.
While there were frequent mentions of severe famines here and drought there, the capital city of Luoyang, where the Emperor resided, was an exception.
The marketplace was crowded with dandies dressed in their finest, courtesans shopping for hair ornaments, and countless others.
Amid the lively scene, one figure stood out above all—a young boy wearing resplendent official robes. Or so most believed him to be.
So Dongbaek was the talk of Chang’an. The Emperor’s beloved child. Zhang Rang’s adopted child and sole heir. The predetermined future leader who monopolized both Zhang Rang’s power and the Emperor’s love.
Of course, this wasn’t the only reason So Dongbaek was famous. Her extraordinary and striking beauty, enough to turn the heads of all passersby, was also well-known.
Her hair, freely flowing despite the formal official robes, sparkled in the spring sunlight. Her lighter hair color and features, unusual for Han people, exuded an exotic beauty.
And with the crow by her side—these distinctive features made her impossible not to recognize.
Nothing blocked Dongbaek’s path. The crowds naturally parted before her. Though the occasional glancing eyes might have been bothersome, Dongbaek remained composed, being used to such attention.
“It’s not bad to finish work early every now and then.”
Jao, perched on Dongbaek’s left arm guard, was quick to respond.
“That’s rich coming from someone who barely works full hours anyway. You’ll mislead people.”
“Hey, how many officials do you think work their full hours like I do?”
“There aren’t many, but they do exist, you know. Don’t flatter yourself too much.”
Dongbaek clicked her tongue at Jao, who shot back responses without missing a beat. Over the years, the crow’s wit and eloquence had only sharpened, to the point where even Dongbaek, who never lost in verbal sparring, couldn’t win against Jao recently.
“Anyway, keep your eyes peeled. Finding shiny things is a crow’s specialty, isn’t it?”
“Shiny things are everywhere here. You’re the one with the knack for picking out treasures on instinct, so why don’t you give it a go?”
“Always have to have the last word, don’t you?”
“Well, if I don’t assert my presence somehow, I’m afraid the great Lord So Dongbaek might forget about me. Or did you eat crow’s flesh and forget how important I am?”
“Enough with your bird jokes.”
“Haha, if you’re jealous, you should have been born a crow too.”
“Fine, fine. You win.”
Though she said this, Jao continued to grumble helpful directions about what was where.
“There seem to be colored gems over there causing strong reflections. And over there, I smell gold glinting. That silk there is embroidered with gold thread.”
When Dongbaek went to look where Jao indicated, there were indeed impressive ornaments laid out. Jao pointed with his beak at one shop in particular, showing off.
“That one looks the best among them.”
“Alright, alright, my esteemed guide.”
Dongbaek nodded obediently and entered the shop Jao had chosen.
The shopkeeper, spotting the finely dressed young official and his crow companion, internally rejoiced.
What luck! A valuable customer like this was rare. Whether he brought a bird or not was irrelevant—this was a golden opportunity not to be missed.
With an air of nonchalance, Dongbaek sifted through the wares, her hands brushing over trinkets and ornaments.
“Maybe this one…”
Her fingers hovered over a butterfly-shaped hairpin that glimmered as it caught the light.
“No, perhaps the flower shape would be prettier…”
The flower-shaped ornament with beautiful ruby petals, crystals that sparkled softly, and a gold frame also looked quite nice. Dongbaek spent a long time considering which would suit Lily better.
Clatter.
The sound of footsteps indicated someone else had entered the shop. But Dongbaek was too absorbed in deciding which ornament to choose to pay attention to who had come in.
After much consideration, she finally made her choice.
“I’ll take this one.”
“An excellent choice, my lord! You have quite an eye for—”
“Quite an eye indeed.”
A voice suddenly cut off the shopkeeper’s words from behind. Though the words were casual, the voice carried strength and youthful vigor.
It seemed familiar somehow. Dongbaek turned around to identify the owner of the voice.
Compared to the impression given by his voice, the person wasn’t as large as expected. He was only slightly taller than Dongbaek, who was still growing.
A beautiful woman was nestled comfortably in the man’s arms. The woman’s attire was as splendid as her outstanding beauty. She looked more like a courtesan than a common household lady.
Recognizing Dongbaek, the woman’s eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly lowered them seductively and cast flirtatious glances at Dongbaek.
However, Dongbaek had no time to pay attention to such a woman. Her body tensed up as soon as she faced the man.
“You are…”
“Do you remember me, Commander So?”
The man’s eyes widened, seemingly quite surprised that Dongbaek recognized him. Interest flickered in his gaze.
How could I forget someone who asserts himself so boldly? If he genuinely believed she wouldn’t remember him, that would be outright deception. Internally clicking her tongue, Dongbaek plastered a bright smile on her face and responded smoothly.
“…Of course, Yilang Cao.”
Her sharp eyes softened as she replied, her demeanor calm and disarming. The woman in Cao Cao’s arms was already captivated by Dongbaek’s elegance, while Cao Cao himself grinned broadly.
‘To think he could manage his expression so quickly. Indeed, not an opponent to be taken lightly.’
Though she could have addressed him as an equal since they were both proper officials now, Dongbaek maintained formal speech. Despite having such outstanding abilities and being on the fast track to success, he seemed completely unafraid to humble himself. Though there was a certain distance, it made him all the more interesting. Cao Cao approached Dongbaek with feigned familiarity.
“Haha, I saw you entering a place I’d never expect Commander So to step foot in, so I followed. What brings you here?”
“I came to buy a gift for my wife. Her birthday is coming up.”
Without losing the smile on her face, Dongbaek turned and gave a meaningful look to the shopkeeper who had been standing there watching their conversation in a daze.
Her cool gaze pierced the shopkeeper. Worried that Dongbaek might change her mind, he hurriedly went to the back room with the hair ornament she had chosen.
“Already such a devoted husband, are you?”
Cao Cao teased while holding the woman in his arms closer. Though married, Dongbaek was only fifteen—an age when one’s blood runs hot, as he remembered from his own youth. He thought it wouldn’t be bad to see them flustered by such teasing.
The woman, quickly catching onto Cao Cao’s intentions, smiled mischievously. She leaned her ample bosom against Cao Cao’s arm while deliberately showing her cleavage to Dongbaek.
But for Dongbaek, this was merely laughable.
“How fresh to hear this from Yilang Cao, who seeks other flowers despite having two lovely wives.”
Dongbaek’s response, which went beyond indifference to actually mocking Cao Cao, was unexpected. Cao Cao’s expression briefly faltered.
“You seem to know quite a bit about me.”
“Isn’t it natural that I know as much about Yilang Cao as you know about me?”
Dongbaek deflected casually. Her ability to counter without anger, speaking calmly and precisely, was impressive.
Though her sharp-tongued responses that never backed down could have been offensive, when combined with the sweet smile flickering behind them, they became even more charming.
‘So this is how one gets enchanted.’
With a sly grin, Cao Cao leaned in closer, his curiosity deepening.
“And how did you know this beautiful flower isn’t my wife?”
Pulling the woman closer to his chest, Cao Cao smiled with interest. His expression was like that of a child who had discovered an interesting toy. Even Dongbaek, who had been subtly keeping her guard up, felt her tension ease at his exaggerated expression that inspired laughter rather than annoyance.
While the answer seemed obvious from the situation, voicing it outright would only give Cao Cao a chance to twist her words. Dongbaek had no intention of letting him play that card. Maintaining her composure, she answered smoothly.
“I took a guess. Besides, isn’t that the more entertaining choice for you to tease with?”
“What would you have done if she were my wife?”
“Then I would have bought another hair ornament as an apology for embarrassing a virtuous lady.”
“Haha, not as an apology to me?”
“Are you such a petty man, Yilang Cao?”
“No, I suppose not.”
Cao Cao laughed awkwardly, scratching at the faint stubble on his chin.
At that moment, the shopkeeper returned with the hairpin, now beautifully wrapped. Dongbaek turned her attention to the merchant, eager to conclude the exchange.
“How much?”
“150,000 jeon, my lord.”
“Here you are. Come to the Zhang residence later to collect payment.”
Dongbaek held out a promissory note. The man bowed deeply as he accepted it, grinning.
“Your wife will surely love it, my lord. You have such refined taste.”
The shopkeeper’s flattery earned a faint smile from Dongbaek, who took the wrapped hairpin and tucked it securely into her robes. Then she bid farewell to Cao Cao as she brushed past him.
“Let’s meet again sometime. This was quite an enjoyable encounter.”
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
Thank you for reading! ♡
