A Dragon Lives In That Scholar's Deep Spring - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

On feeling a shiver on the slapped cheek, Sun-yi instinctively hunched her shoulders. 

Despite wearing multiple layers of clothing, there was a chill in the air. Perhaps she had underestimated the gentle demeanor of the ladies she had been serving. 

Amid their polite exchanges, money flowed back and forth in battles of pride among these esteemed ladies.

Even if they were princesses from the royal palace, it didn’t seem likely that they would fight so fiercely.

“The master seems to open her mouth only when buying or selling slaves.”

Cheong lifted the arm of the woman she was holding a bit higher.

“That’s why this human who belonged to you just a moment ago beat up Sun-yi, who belongs to me, instead, isn’t it?”

Finally, it seemed like the threshold had been reached as Jo Seol-ah’s momentarily smiling expression disappeared.

“She hasn’t hit enough yet.”

“In that case, you’ll need a body to hit the rest.”

Suddenly, a fierce wind seemed to blow only in the market. Cheong, now with only a dress and no armor, remained unfazed. 

Sun-yi unconsciously clung to the hem of Cheong’s dress.

Jo Seol-ah chuckled.

“Of course, I can’t let my hands get dirty because of a mere slave….”

Realizing that something was amiss the moment she spoke, she quickly closed her mouth. Sun-yi looked up at Cheong with a sense of disbelief.

“Even if the master doesn’t say it, you should know that teaching a slave to do what you want takes ten years and is worth ten to twenty more coins.”

Cheong released the arm of the woman she was holding.

“If you want to bring her back, you’ll need a higher price. Something like ‘the esteemed daughter of the Left State Manor.'”

“….”

“Lady Seol-ah….”

The body that had become Cheong’s servant cried with a pitiful expression. Sun-yi wished she could scream if she could do anything.

Glancing around, everyone seemed busy with restrained laughter despite their hushed tones. It was evident that the tide of this fight had shifted towards Farang.

Looking at Cheong with a calm expression, Jo Seol-ah burst into laughter.

“Well done.”

As if speaking or not speaking was going to make a difference, perfectly matched lengths of the hem of the dress, adorned with carefully crafted stitches, flicked away the cloth covering the money bag. The bag, heavy with coins, rolled back in front of Cheong.

“I’ll buy her for fifty coins.”

Sun-yi, fearing someone might snatch it, quickly rushed forward and grabbed the money bag.

“For ten years of teaching, with an additional twenty coins, isn’t fifty too little?”

However, Cheong did not stop there.

“Fifty more coins should be added to the fifty.”

Sun-yi, who was holding the precious money bag, widened her eyes. It seemed unbelievable that the lady she knew was capable of negotiating without hesitation. 

Indeed, without fear, she was facing a lady from a prominent family. The events of today would likely cause a stir in and around the capital by tomorrow morning.

At first, the onlookers were silent, but then they began to murmur, and it became clear that a commotion would ensue. Now, at the edge of the capital, during an issue that had just happened, the people were buzzing.

Should she run to the western village now and inform the nobles? However, Cheong couldn’t leave Seol-a alone. 

Though paralyzed by an overwhelming dilemma, her back was drenched in cold sweat.

“I never said I would buy that woman again.”

Jo Seol-ah was not to be underestimated either. The gaze of the daughter of the Left State Manor was fixed on Sun-yi.

“Isn’t a hundred coins too much? If she’s going to be the younger sister of the noble lady of the empire, even a slave raised by a king wouldn’t be too bad.”

Only then did Cheong turn her eyes to glance at Sun-yi. Sun-yi shivered, swallowing hard.

“Even with a hundred coins, it’s not enough for Sun-yi.”

“What?”

“Once she becomes my servant, she will never be taken away.”

Cheong gestured towards the woman who had been Jo Seol-ah’s slave.

“This person is not as valuable to me as Sun-yi yet, so I’ll let her go for a hundred coins.”

Cheong severed even the trust between mistress and slave, making Jo Seol-ah’s servant available for Jo Seol-ah to purchase. 

Cheong, as usual, tormented Jo Seol-ah with a transparent gaze, questioning her with eyes that seemed to ask Sun-yi ridiculous questions.

“Why, after saying it’s excessive, is it difficult to add fifty more coins?”

“Do you barely have fifty coins?”

It was when Jo Seol-ah, who could sell even a ten-year servant for fifty coins, was glaring at Cheong, looking for the pouch in her arms.

“Lady… well, I only brought thirty coins today.”

Jo Seol-ah’s servant hesitated, confessing the truth. Jo Seol-ah, searching for a non-existent pouch, blinked her eyes.

And as if she hadn’t heard, Cheong waited for Jo Seol-ah to find the pouch.

“That’s not necessary. Anyway, Sun-yi caused enough trouble to be worth fifty more coins.”

In the end, they returned to the starting point. Everyone was entangled in Cheong’s calculations.

As Jo Seol-ah, still searching for the pouch, seemed about to cry, Cheong generously showed mercy.

“You don’t have to give that. Sun-yi must have earned at least fifty coins for the blood she shed.”

“It’s barely fifty coins after bothering me so much…!”

“Lady!”

Jo Seol-ah’s servant scolded her sternly.

“You must not forget what the owner said!”

Having calmed down after venting her anger, Jo Seol-ah took a deep breath.

“…Fine. That’s enough.”

However, her gaze towards Cheong was as intense as ever.

“Even though with your claims, how can you lack dignity to this extent?”

Despite the criticism, Cheong remained indifferent.

“Well, it seems even someone who can’t protect what’s hers doesn’t understand dignity.”

Cheong looked at Jo Seol-ah with cold eyes, and eventually, Jo Seol-ah turned away, quickly putting on the long coat she had hanging on her shoulder. Her servant, who had been held onto her arm, followed, swaying and hunched.

“What are you doing? You seem busy.”

“Yes? Oh, yes…”

Following Cheong back to the inn, Sun-yi clutched the pouch tightly, making sure not to lose it again. She had been so absent-minded that when she opened her mouth, the taste of earth, saltiness, and even a hint of bitterness mixed with her shallow breath.

“This person is not as valuable to me as Sun-yi yet, so I’ll let her go for a hundred coins.”

Sun-yi’s mind was a mess, but she heard Cheong’s words. 

Sun-yi couldn’t help but shiver, tasting the dirtiness of the air even though the wind was still cold. However, deep within her, something warm surged, and she no longer felt cold.

“But.”

“Yes? What is it?”

As Cheong walked ahead, she suddenly turned to Sun-yi and asked.

“What do you get when you add ten coins to twenty coins?”

“…Excuse me?”

“If you add fifty more coins to fifty, what do you get? But I couldn’t hear adding ten coins to twenty.”

Sun-yi was a bit dazed. 

Could someone incapable of simple arithmetic be involved in such a transaction with the Lady of the Left State Manor? Sun-yi sniffled, wiping her wet cheek with her sleeve. 

Though the wind was still chilly, something warm emerged deep within her, making her feel not so cold anymore.

“It’s thirty coins.”

Even with little knowledge, people can still display their abilities. Sun-yi learned this lesson for the first time today. The sight of Cheong, facing a lady from the noble class, was not only refreshing but also shocking to Sun-yi.

“Um, if you don’t know how to do the math, can I help you?”

“Sure, do that.”

In the eyes of Sun-yi, who had left her home twice, was there another person in Joseon like her, trying to learn something from someone so different? The temperature of Cheong’s moist eyes, gazing at Sun-yi, seemed to rise a bit more than before.

It felt like she had encountered an extraordinary lady.

* * *

“Oh, be careful. If you fall, you’ll get hurt. Take it slow. Okay?”

While heading towards Bukchon, Jo Seol-ah’s maid, Chun-ok, often followed her mistress with quick steps. She walked so fast that her saffron-colored robe fluttered, revealing the lining.

It was not just a casual concern; if Jo Seol-ah were to fall and injure her precious body, it would be a cause for worry for those below.

It would have been better if they had taken a carriage, but today, stubbornly insisting on walking, they encountered this dilemma.

“Lady!”

The largest tiled house in the capital’s neighborhood opened its doors wide, and Chun-ok swallowed nervously. She hurriedly followed behind. 

Jo Seol-ah, who had been walking confidently without a word, abruptly turned around as soon as they entered the courtyard.

“Is that all you know how to say? If you fall, you’ll get hurt! It seems like you want me to get sick!”

“That’s not it!”

Her fierce and resolute temperament was not something new. She was prepared to vent her frustration from the incident at the marketplace.

“I’m just… worried about you, Lady!”

“Enough!”

Seol-ah, who had thrown off her robe, raised her arm high. Chun-ok, like a small child who had just been slapped, closed her eyes tightly, taking in a deep breath.

“Seol-ah, what are you doing there?”

The hand that was raised with force stopped in its tracks, thanks to the arrival of Cho Ik-hwan, who had brought many people with him.

“Father.”

“Oh, have you come, my lord!”

Chun-ok deeply bowed when she heard her master’s voice. Unconsciously, she clasped her still stiff arm.

“My daughter, what unpleasant incident has happened?”

When her Father Cho Ik-hwan kindly asked, Seol-ah quickly hid her anger and burst into tears. Her breath shortened, and eventually, tears of anger fell onto her pale cheeks.

“At the marketplace, I met a woman who insulted me in front of many people, Father…”

“Oh, my, even though this father told you to speak politely.”

“That woman insulted me in front of many people!” 

“It seems Seol-ah is truly furious.”

Chuckling, Cho Ik-hwan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped his daughter’s tear-streaked cheek. Then, he looked down at Chun-ok and ordered.

“Since you followed Seol-ah, explain the details.”

“Well, it’s like this. At the marketplace, our mistress and another lady’s maid accidentally bumped into each other.”

“…Accidentally?”

Cho Ik-hwan squinted, and Chun-ok hastily added.

“So, she accused me of not watching where I was going and scolded me right away!”

“How did she scold you? Did she scold those useless eyeballs of yours that can’t even see properly?”