Chapter 69
After the tea, we all had lunch together.
Seo Ryeon tried to excuse herself, saying she had no place at the meal, but Tak Joong-hak insisted she stay.
Unable to refuse an invitation from someone she deeply respected, she was moved to the point of tears, saying this was the most memorable day of her life.
Because of her, I thought accepting the Tak Family Head’s invitation had been the right choice a hundred times over.
“Brother Seung-myeong!”
A new guest arrived just as we finished eating.
Tak Joong-hak and Tak Mu-seong stepped aside, giving the younger generation some time together.
“Hwayoung!”
The voice was familiar—it was Cheon Gang’s younger sister, Cheon Hwa-young, whom I had met during a previous gathering.
“Greetings, First Young Lady.”
“It’s nice to see you again.”
Perhaps because she was my favorite character’s sister, I felt an unusual fondness for her despite this only being our second meeting.
“I’m so happy I got to visit Tak Manor thanks to you, First Young Lady. I’ve always wanted to come.”
Cheon Hwa-young bowed deeply, expressing her gratitude.
“Does Tak Manor have hidden treasures or something?”
“Yes! How did you know?”
Her eyes widened in surprise at my joke.
I was the one who ended up more surprised.
“I was just making a random guess. Was it actually true?”
Seo Ryeon, who stood beside me, also looked bewildered.
“The Tak Family has a long history. My father told me they’ve been collecting rare artifacts for generations—paintings, sculptures, books, antiques, all sorts of things. Isn’t that right, Brother Seung-myeong?”
“You’ve been obsessed with this stuff since you were a kid, and it seems nothing has changed.”
“I was really frustrated when Tak Manor stopped accepting guests. Life felt so dull.”
Cheon Hwa-young shivered dramatically, as if recalling a hardship.
So that’s why she had asked if she could come last time.
I hadn’t realized there was such a special reason behind it.
“Where is Geum-aeng? Will I get to see him today?”
“He’s probably sleeping right now. I barely see him these days myself.”
“Aww, I really wanted to say hi to him again.”
Seeing her instantly deflate, I asked,
“Excuse me, but who is Geum-aeng?”
“Oh my! You don’t know Tak Manor’s famous Geum-aeng?”
“No. Seo Ryeon, do you?”
“No, this is my first time hearing about him.”
At our response, Cheon Hwa-young looked utterly shocked.
Tak Seung-myeong waved a hand dismissively.
“Famous? Not really. To her, maybe, but it’s just a parrot.”
“A parrot? The kind that mimics human speech?”
“Yes. He’s lived in Tak Manor since before I was born, but now that he’s old, I hardly see him. Even I only spot him once in a while.”
“I didn’t realize parrots lived that long.”
I knew next to nothing about birds, so I was surprised.
“As far as I know, they can live up to 80 years.”
“Wow, that’s incredible.”
Would I really get to see a parrot today, something I’d only seen on TV before?
“First Young Lady, if you’re curious, would you like to come see him with me?”
“Sure. If you guide me, I’d be happy to.”
“In that case, Brother Seung-myeong, you should take a break. Didn’t you say you find this kind of stuff boring?”
“How could I, when the First Young Lady is here?”
“I don’t mind. I think spending time alone with Lady Hwa-young will be fun too. We’re the same age, after all.”
At the word friend, Cheon Hwa-young’s cheeks flushed with joy.
It was clear she had taken a liking to me as well.
“We’ll be back soon, so don’t worry.”
Leaving a bewildered Tak Seung-myeong behind, I leisurely followed Cheon Hwa-young, with Seo Ryeon trailing behind us.
To think I was now stuck between my favorite character’s sister and his secret admirer!
It was starting to feel more and more like I had truly entered a novel.
“What kind of things do you like, First Young Lady? I’ll take you to see something that suits your taste.”
“You must have visited Tak Manor often.”
“Yes. There’s nothing interesting at my family’s main house. Everyone is obsessed with sword training… I mean, they only focus on training. It’s honestly kind of boring.”
Cheon Gang was indeed obsessed with the sword.
There was a reason Cheon Manor was known as the Demonic Sword Clan.
“When I was young, if my father had business at Tak Manor, I always insisted on coming along. To me, this place was like another world.”
“But when the Tak Family Head went into seclusion, you weren’t allowed to visit anymore?”
“No. Even after that, I was still allowed to visit occasionally because the Tak Family Head had a soft spot for me. But three years ago, he completely barred guests from entering, so I haven’t been able to come since.”
“Then today must be a historic day for you.”
“Yes! And it’s all thanks to you, First Young Lady! Hehe!”
Back at the palace, she had seemed intimidated by me, but now I could see she was just a bright and expressive girl my age.
“There’s a place with really unique items over there. Want to check it out?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Since I didn’t have any particular preferences, I just followed her lead.
She had visited so often that her explanations flowed effortlessly, like a museum guide giving a tour.
Then—
“Huh? Why is this door open?”
Just as she was enthusiastically leading me around, Cheon Hwa-young suddenly stopped in front of an entrance.
“This place was always locked. That’s strange.”
“What’s inside?”
“I don’t know. Even when I was little, I was told never to go inside. But today, for some reason, it’s open.”
Her face was filled with curiosity.
She clearly wanted to go in but hesitated, since it had always been a restricted area.
Seeing her dilemma, I stepped forward.
“Let’s take a look.”
If the door was open, then it must have been for a reason.
I stepped inside without hesitation, and Cheon Hwa-young followed excitedly behind me.
“But it’s overgrown in here. Did they just leave it unattended?”
Unlike the other areas, this place was filled with wild trees and weeds, growing unchecked.
The thick vegetation made it impossible to see what lay ahead.
“Why are you so late!”
Just then, a strange voice and peculiar tone caught my ears.
Flap!
Whoosh—
Something darted past me.
“Was that a bird just now?”
“Yes! That was Geum-aeng!”
Unlike me, who was startled by the sudden sound, Cheon Hwa-young was jumping up and down in excitement.
“Geum-aeng! It’s me, Hwa-young! Where are you?”
“Why are you so late! Why are you so late!”
The voice called back from somewhere ahead, almost as if responding to her.
“That’s Geum-aeng! He remembers me!”
So the parrot really could talk?
Fascinated, I quickly ran in the direction the bird had flown.
“Oh? Over there, by the window!”
Pushing past the thick vegetation, we emerged in front of a building.
I caught sight of a yellow-feathered bird slipping through an open window.
“First Young Lady, I’ll go ahead!”
Desperate to see the parrot again, Cheon Hwa-young even used a lightness technique to chase after it.
“Seo Ryeon, let’s check the other side.”
I had a feeling about this, so I moved toward the back of the building and slipped inside.
“It looks like it’s been abandoned for a long time.”
Dust covered every surface, making the place look utterly deserted.
I supposed this was inevitable in such a vast estate.
“Where do you think Geum-aeng went?”
I murmured absentmindedly.
“Geum-aeng is here! Geum-aeng is here!”
The parrot’s voice rang out nearby.
Seo Ryeon and I exchanged a glance before swiftly moving toward the sound.
“Shin Seol-ha!”
At the end of a hallway, Seo Ryeon pointed at the center of a wall.
There, a yellow parrot sat quietly.
“Geum-aeng?”
“Geum-aeng! Geum-aeng!”
The bird mimicked my voice, repeating the name.
Hearing a bird speak for the first time, Seo Ryeon and I couldn’t help but laugh at how fascinating it was.
“It’s cute.”
“Yes, really adorable.”
“I can see why Hwa-young missed it so much.”
“I understand now, as well… Shin Seol-ha?”
“Hm?”
“That painting…”
“Painting? What painting?”
“The one beneath the bird.”
Beneath it?
Now that she mentioned it, Geum-aeng was perched on the top bar of a scroll painting.
It was an ink portrait.
And when I saw whose portrait it was—
“…!”
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Every morning, I looked into a mirror and saw my own reflection.
And now, in this forgotten hall of Hyunma Manor, there was a portrait of me.
“Why are you so late! Why are you so late!”
Was it just my imagination?
The parrot stared at me, crying out as though in accusation.
“Seo Ryeon, this portrait…”
I called her, half-expecting my eyes to be deceiving me.
But I didn’t need to ask.
Her expression mirrored mine.
A mixture of shock and disbelief.
Why was my portrait hanging in an abandoned hall of Hyunma Manor?
Why was it untouched by dust, unlike everything else?
I tried to make sense of it, but the more I thought, the more questions arose.
—
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