Chapter 55
Cao Cao shot an indignant look at Dongbaek.
“How can you so calmly slander me right in front of me? Dongbaek, I didn’t think you were like this—you’re truly a cruel man.”
“I take after my father in that regard.”
Dongbaek sat opposite Cao Cao, resting his chin on his hand and responding indifferently.
Cao Cao might have harbored deep resentment toward Zhang Rang, but Dongbaek didn’t feel the same way. Everything about Zhang Rang would become her nourishment, so there was no reason to dislike him. Therefore, she had no reservations about treating him as her father.
Since Dongbaek was an adopted son, regularly being told she resembled Zhang Rang became her foundation of support. Even though they knew perfectly well there wasn’t a single drop of blood shared between them, it was human nature to want one’s successor, who would inherit their achievements, to resemble them even a little.
Cao Cao knew this as well. But when he pictured Zhang Rang and Dongbaek’s faces side by side, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“While your faces clearly don’t resemble each other… I suppose you both have similar taste in women. Both quite particular.”
Though he tried to say it casually, he couldn’t completely hide the slight regret of the past contained within. His voice, tinged with subtle emotion, resonated across the table.
Dongbaek, sharp as ever, didn’t miss it. Didn’t Zhang Rang grind his teeth at the mere mention of Cao Cao’s name? She had suspected there was some issue between them, but to think it was over a woman…
While she was curious about what kind of woman could have driven a wedge between Cao Cao and Zhang Rang, it seemed pointless to know more.
‘Besides, is that woman even still alive…’
Only stale resentment remained between them. What good would it do to know about such ancient history? It wouldn’t do any good to probe further. Dongbaek carefully changed the subject.
“Didn’t you say you also had high standards as well, Yilang Cao?”
“Well, strangely enough, I always seem to lose to you and your father. Even your wife—give it a few years, and she’d be exactly my type of beauty.”
Cao Cao was historically famous for his attraction to married women. From Dongbaek’s perspective, it wasn’t pleasant to see Cao Cao eyeing Lily like this.
‘First that look earlier… He really can’t help himself when it comes to other men’s women.’
Dongbaek snorted and coldly rejected Cao Cao’s words.
“Your regret is pointless. And about ‘losing’ her. Let’s be honest—there was never a chance for you in the first place.”
“Fair enough. I heard she was already slated to exchange betrothal gifts with General He Jin, wasn’t she? That would’ve been easier for me to handle.”
“What do you mean?”
“It would be easier to seduce her if her husband was He Jin rather than you. Living with your face, how could mine appeal to her?”
“You’re putting quite an effort into talking nonsense. To insult my wife’s fidelity like this—it seems you’d rather die by my hand than my father’s.”
When Dongbaek opened her eyes menacingly, Cao Cao clasped his hands apologetically. But that gesture alone wasn’t enough to ease concerns on many levels.
“This won’t do. I won’t feel at ease unless I get a written pledge from Yilang Cao.”
“Really, you’d go that far? Do you trust me so little?”
“It would be strange if I did trust you.”
“You’re being too harsh with a drinking buddy!”
“A drinking buddy? That’s just a friendship built on drunken antics, far from one of trust. Now write it quickly!”
“Wow, you hurt my feelings. I’m deeply wounded right now!”
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
During the brief time until Lily returned with the drinks, Dongbaek and Cao Cao continued arguing about the written pledge.
But faced with Dongbaek’s threat that there would be no drinks and he’d be thrown over the wall without writing the pledge, Cao Cao had no choice but to write with drunken, crooked handwriting.
[I, Cao Cao, hereby swear that should I insult Dongbaek’s wife again, I will offer one of my legs in penance.]
After putting down the brush, Cao Cao pouted and grumbled. He’d had many occasions to pout throughout the day.
“This is unfair. Shouldn’t there be a reverse pledge too? What if you seduce my wives?”
“That won’t happen. Now put your thumbprint here.”
Dongbaek pointed firmly at a spot on the pledge. Only after Cao Cao had pressed his thumbprint did Dongbaek carefully fold the pledge and place it in a wooden document box.
If this womanizer has no desire to live on one leg, he’ll at least exercise a little self-restraint. It was just a sheet of paper, but it served as justification—a small measure of peace of mind.
Cao Cao, seemingly still dissatisfied, picked at Dongbaek’s words.
“If you can be so certain, why don’t you write a pledge too?”
“That would be troublesome if Yilang Cao used that pledge as an excuse to push his wives onto me deliberately.”
“What do you even think of me? Am I some kind of human scum?”
“Not quite that bad.”
“What a generous assessment.”
Just as Cao Cao was speaking sarcastically, Lily’s voice was heard from outside the room.
“My lord, shall I bring in the wine table?”
“Oh, already? Please come in.”
As if her previous sarcasm toward Cao Cao had been a lie, Dongbaek rose with a bright smile. Cao Cao clicked his tongue at Dongbaek’s behavior.
“What a two-faced bastard….”
Lily stumbled slightly, the tray of refreshments apparently a bit heavy. Dongbaek quickly took the tray from her.
As she handed the tray to Dongbaek, Lily smiled shyly. It had the pure charm of a flower bud just about to bloom. Seeing her expression, Cao Cao clicked his tongue in apparent regret.
‘She really is destined to become an extraordinary beauty.’
While Cao Cao lamented silently, Dongbaek and Lily chatted softly.
“I had the maids leave the wine outside the room. Since it seemed you were trying to hide your guest, I couldn’t have them bring it all the way in…”
“You did well. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Go to bed first today. You can sleep alone, right?”
Dongbaek said with an apologetic expression. Lily bravely exclaimed as if to say not to worry.
“It’s fine! I can sleep well by myself. So don’t worry. And… My lord, please don’t drink too much!”
Seeing the young bride trying to act grown-up and regulate her groom was so adorable that Cao Cao almost laughed out loud. Fortunately, he managed to cover his mouth with both hands in time.
Regardless of Cao Cao’s reaction, Dongbaek was impressed with Lily and gently stroked her head with her free hand while smiling softly.
“Sweet dreams.”
“Y-yes, yes!”
Lily’s face, which had been responding clearly until just now, turned burning red. After barely managing to respond, she shyly touched the front of her hair where Dongbaek’s hand had been and hurried out of the room almost at a run.
“Must be nice.”
“Isn’t it always nice for Yilang Cao, all year round?”
Having completely erased the gentle and sweet smile she had just shown Lily, Dongbaek spoke in a cold tone.
“It’s surprising. This is our first proper conversation, yet you, Commander So, seem to know me like the back of your hand.”
“Haven’t you ever thought that you might be too easy to figure out, Yilang Cao?”
“I swear to heaven, you’re the first to say such a thing to me.”
“Aren’t you invoking heaven too casually?”
Dongbaek’s voice carried a trace of laughter as he set down the tray on the table. Cao Cao mumbled along with Dongbaek’s words while biting into a snack from the refreshment dish.
“‘Sweet dreams?’ Heh, Commander So, your words are sweeter than honey. Women must be falling head over heels.”
Just making a fuss over a simple goodnight greeting. Thinking that Cao Cao was being overly sensitive just to tease him, Dongbaek snorted and filled Cao Cao’s wine cup.
“Surely not as much as you, Yilang Cao. The rumor that a third of Luoyang’s women have had some connection with you couldn’t have spread for no reason.”
“That’s right. And that’s what’s strange! How did such rumors reach your ears? To be honest, you’re not exactly the sociable type.”
Cao Cao exclaimed, leaning toward Dongbaek after swallowing his snack. Dongbaek awkwardly laughed it off.
Indeed, as Cao Cao said, there was no one who would casually chat with Dongbaek about such trivial Changan gossip. Everyone around him firmly believed they could only speak to Dongbaek about work-related matters. They were afraid he would look at them with contempt if they spoke nonsense.
‘There’s no person who would tell me such news… that’s right, no person.’
Caw!
Jao, who had been watching their drinking session from the tree outside the window, let out an unpleasant cry. To Dongbaek’s ears, it was filtered as a mocking laughter.
It was this Jao who had brought all the trivial and miscellaneous information from every corner of Luoyang, always chattering about who did what and which person was causing problems.
But she couldn’t exactly say a crow told her, could she? When there’s nothing to say, one turns to drink—whether to take a breather or to fill an awkward silence. After emptying her cup, Dongbaek smoothly evaded the topic.
“It’s not about sociability—it’s simply that you’re famous, Yilang Cao. So be cautious. Rumors have a way of traveling on the wind, even if you’re not trying to hear them.”
Dongbaek habitually moved her hand to refill the wine cup again. That’s when Cao Cao caught her wrist.
“Why are you drinking alone?”
Grinning, Cao Cao snatched the wine bottle from Dongbaek’s hand and poured wine into Dongbaek’s cup. Dongbaek blankly watched the wine rising in her cup.
“Thank you.”
Dongbaek raised the cup Cao Cao had filled and held it out. Cao Cao also held out his cup. The sound of ceramic cups clinking resonated through the room.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
Thank you for reading! ♡
