Surviving as a Maid of the Sichuan Tang Clan

“......This is the first time a little child has tried to use this one as an errand runner.”

At his incredulous reply, my voice shrank on its own. Even I thought it was an absurd request.

“I’m sorry if that sounded arrogant. But I can’t return to Sichuan.......”

At my mumble, Ghost-Hand Divine Therapist narrowed his eyes as if wondering what I meant.

“What do you mean, a daughter of the Tang Clan cannot return to Sichuan? It is not as if you were expelled.”

“I was expelled.”

“What does that...... Did the Poison King simply stand by and watch that happen?”

“It happened after he entered seclusion.......”

With that one sentence, Ghost-Hand Divine Therapist understood my situation and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk. No wonder you looked so grubby for a Tang girl.”

Startled, I looked down at myself and saw the hem of my clothes covered here and there in dirt and dust.

They seemed to be stains from scraping against the stone wall when we jumped into the pit.

As Ghost-Hand Divine Therapist watched me hastily brush off my clothes, he tossed out,

“This one time only. I will take the price for it from the Poison King.”

Since I had heard something similar before, I smiled awkwardly.

Tell him I will collect payment from the Im family too.

They both claimed to hate each other, but I really did think they were friends.

“Yes, Divine Therapist. Thank you so much—!”

“If your business is finished, would the uninvited guest leave now? My head is pounding. I need to rest.”

Cutting off my thanks, Ghost-Hand Divine Therapist gripped his tiger-rattle staff and shook it lightly.

Then the ground trembled, and the surrounding scenery distorted.

At the sudden flood of light, I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my face with the back of my hand.

At the same time, someone grabbed my shoulder.

“Sohae!”

“Brother?”

It was Yeon Ryang.

His eyes were bloodshot red, as if he had stayed awake all night, and he looked me over.

“Are you all right? You’re not hurt anywhere?”

“Uh, yes. I’m fine. I’m not hurt.”

At my answer, Yeon Ryang rubbed his eyes in relief, then poured out a rapid stream of words in an angry voice.

“You little wildcat! What kind of person puts her hand on something the moment I say there’s an art cast on it? You can’t just touch things like that! I searched for three days and nights and couldn’t find a single trace of you. I thought my heart was going to drop out of my chest!”

His words left me bewildered.

“Three days? Three whole days passed?”

It hadn’t even been one shichen since I’d been separated from Yeon Ryang, had it? That much time had passed?

When I lifted my head and looked at the sky, the sun was high overhead. Since we had entered the secret cave around the time the moon rose, it seemed time flowed differently inside the secret cave than it did outside.

“Yes. The moment you disappeared, water filled the secret cave and I nearly died. As soon as I got out, the secret cave disappeared. Did you meet Ghost-Hand Divine Therapist? Nothing happened?”

“Uh...... yes. I did meet him, but nothing happened.”

I had nearly died, but I hadn’t died, so, well.

As I vaguely brushed it off and looked around, my mouth fell open.

This was not the lakeside scenery I had seen before entering the secret cave.

The grassland that had been beautifully turning yellow was a complete mess, with holes dug here and there. The trees and rocks where small animals had been staying had all been smashed to pieces.

It looked as if a typhoon had swept through.

“Wh-what is all this? Why is everything like this?”

“Ah. I thought one of them might be an anchor for the formation.”

Yeon Ryang answered awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

His hand was covered in small scratches. It seemed he had tried to break the formation in order to enter the secret cave again.

I felt a little touched.

“Brother. I’m moved. You searched for me for three days without sleeping?”

“How was I supposed to sleep when a child disappeared? I’m seriously angry. Sohae, you are going to be scolded properly. The moment I take my eyes off you, you get into trouble.......”

After snapping at me, Yeon Ryang grimaced and flopped down onto the ground. It seemed the tension had left him.

He muttered weakly,

“Forget it. Scolding you will only wear out my own mouth. Surviving without getting hurt is more than enough.”

I grinned too and sprawled out beside him. Maybe I had used up every last bit of my strength dealing with Ghost-Hand Divine Therapist, because there was no power in my legs.

......Thank goodness. I wasn’t the only one thinking of him as family.

When I turned my head slightly, Yeon Ryang’s filthy appearance made me burst into laughter.

“Ahaha, Brother, you look like a complete beggar right now. You look like someone who hasn’t washed in two weeks.”

“You’re not much better. Are you a snot-nosed child? What is that state you’re in? Did you roll around in mud?”

“This happened because you jumped straight into a pit without warning, okay? You’re the one who made me roll around, so what are you saying?”

When I scolded him and smacked him lightly again and again, Yeon Ryang chuckled.

“Yes, yes. Let’s say that is what happened. If we want to stop looking like beggars, we should find an inn first.”

“Kii.”

Cane, which had crept closer, climbed onto my stomach and announced its presence. I stroked it and whispered,

“Cane. Did you...... take me that way on purpose? Because you knew Grandfather was there?”

“Kyuu?”

Cane scratched its ear with a hind foot as if it had no idea what I was talking about.

Was that not it? I don’t know if it knew, or if it was a coincidence.

“What are you talking about? Grandfather? You said the Poison King was in seclusion.”

“Mm, it’s a secret.”

“Our little sister keeps having more and more secrets from her brother. Is this puberty?”

Yeon Ryang pretended to be sad and dabbed at the corners of his dry eyes. I glared at him and wagged my index finger from side to side.

“Even if you say that, it’s still a secret.”

Because this was a story Grandfather would probably want to hide too.

So I thought it would be better to keep what had happened in the secret cave as my own secret.