Chapter 290 – White Cow (3)
“…I will make you the ‘First Disciple’. Baekso-nim.”
“Hot… Now that I mean…”
As soon as I heard the man’s words, I burst out laughing.
A candidate from the White Snake family becomes the ‘first disciple’?
It was a sound no one in the world could believe.
Even my goal, which was more desperate than anyone else’s, wasn’t to become ‘the first disciple’, it was just to get to the top of the list.
‘…No. Than that for a moment.’
This man…
He knew my name, which he had never said.
“You… Did you know me from the beginning?”
I thought it was a sharp question to point out the other person’s mistake, but the man answered unexpectedly coolly.
“Yes, Baekso-sama. To meet you from the beginning. I came here.”
“…Why? What are you going to do with me?”
“Didn’t I tell you a little while ago?”
The man shrugged his shoulders and smiled softly.
“I said I would make Baek So-so my first disciple.”
“…Again nonsense. Let me tell you. How can I be the First Disciple?”
“Of course, isn’t it? Baek So-so is a candidate for the Baek family, so you must win the succession competition.”
At the man’s words, I let out a long sigh and said.
“You… Your name, your appearance, and you are not from the Asran Empire, are you? So you can talk like that comfortably. If you knew my situation at all, you wouldn’t have said that.”
“Why?… Because the Baeksa family is the weakest of the 12 families? Or is it because Baek So-so is a child who was kicked out of the family? Or is there any other reason?”
“…You… Even though you know everything…!!”
Suddenly, blood rushed to his head.
If I didn’t know, I could have moved on to bullshit.
But knowingly, this was an obvious mockery.
“Yes, I know everything. So what do you mean?”
Knock-
The fact that I felt grateful for a man like this, even for a moment, makes my teeth clench.
“Ha, good! You don’t have to pay for rice balls!!”
The moment I turned my back and was about to leave, he grabbed my wrist.
“Please wait. Knowing everything, I am saying I will make you the ‘first disciple’.”
“You still hear that…!!”
The moment when I couldn’t stand it anymore and got really angry.
Kung─
He knelt down on his knees and squeezed my hand.
“Believe me… I will make Baek So-so my ‘first disciple’ no matter what.”
Bullshit with no basis.
A lie that is hard to deceive.
Absolutely unbelievable words.
But for some reason, his eyes looking at me were full of trust.
“…Why…Why is it me? If you really have the skills to make me the ‘first disciple’, I’d rather go to a different family…”
“Because I believe Baek So-so can do it.”
“I’m sorry…!”
The day I decided to die.
For the first time in my life, I felt the trust of others.
Which…
It was enough to move my stupid and weak heart.
I clenched my fists and tried to hide the trembling in my voice.
“…Follow your heart. Anyway, I died here today.”
“Thank you. Baekso-nim.”
He got up from his seat and said with a smile.
“Then… From this moment on, change the way you speak.”
I blinked at the sudden change in his attitude.
“Eh…The way you talk?”
“Yes, Baek So-so’s tone of voice is not the tone of the first disciple. I will give you a book on Aslan etiquette, so please read it for a while and follow it.”
“Okay… I see.”
As I quickly glanced over the book I was handed to me and awkwardly imitated the tone written in the book, he twisted one corner of his mouth.
“Very good. …Then, I will explain what Baek So-soo should do first.”
***
“…Sorry. Lord. It seems that Baek So-so ran away during the night. I have no face.”
“No… It was better. From now on, I won’t have to put my head down because of her. Did you check the warehouse? It doesn’t matter what happens to Baeksoso, but if you stole something, you have to get it back.”
“Yes, I checked, but nothing is missing. However… It seems that he took the candidate’s certificate with him when he left. Shall we send a chase party?”
Baek Ga-joo, who heard the staff member’s words, clicked his tongue briefly.
“…Tsk, it worked. After all, isn’t it a proof that can only be used in this tournament? I have no intention of making another nomination, so just leave it alone.”
“…Then I will.”
After the conversation was over and the sound of footsteps receded, I could barely breathe.
‘…All…It’s a relief.’
I was thinking of stealing a treasure or two from the warehouse while I was bringing the certificate, but…
‘Baekso-nim. Keep in mind Never touch anything else. I must bring only the proof.’
It was fortunate that he quit because Eugene’s warning came to mind.
‘…This…Isn’t the time like this.’
When the crowd disappeared completely, I climbed over the fence and ran to the lakeside where Eugene was waiting.
“I… Brought it…”
“Good job. Mr. Baekso. And I’m asking just in case…”
“…Do not worry. Like you said, I didn’t bring anything.”
“That’s good, then come with me. I have prepared a wagon. Come this way.”
The place Eugene and I went by carriage was a small rural village quite far from the Baek family.
In the corner there was a wooden house that seemed to have been recently built.
Eugene arrived in front of the treehouse and opened the door.
“From today, Baek So-so will live here with me.”
**
After living together with Eugene, every day was like a dream.
“Since you are still growing, I will sleep for 8 hours a day and prepare meals mainly with meat.”
“Go…Meat? It’s okay… It’s okay… Luxuries like meat… Just having something to eat is enough.”
“This doesn’t even count as luxury, so don’t worry and eat it. I have enough money to eat meat until Baek So-so dies.”
“…Yu… If Yujin-nim wants it… I would… But… Then… Is it really okay for me to eat all of this by myself?”
“Yes, you can eat as much as you like.”
I can sleep in a bed instead of a stable, and I can eat proper food instead of leftovers…
“Whoa… I think I’ve got some sense now!”
“You are wonderful. I didn’t know that I had already learned that far.”
“Whoops…! Isn’t this all thanks to Eugene’s teachings?”
“I just brought some books. It’s all thanks to Baek So-so’s hard work.”
“That’s enough for a girl! If I am not Eugene, who will I learn these things from? Now, please tell me about blood flow again.”
I learned how to fight and handle my body…
“Don’t trust anyone. Doubt everything. The higher you rise, the more people will try to use you.”
“Does anyone you just mentioned… Include Eugene-sama?”
“…Yes that’s right. Even I can’t believe it. Be sure to keep that in mind.”
“…”
I learned how to live…
“If you combine the juice from the ground yellow peony here with the powder made from the ground black peony roots, the color turns blue like this…”
‘…How…’
“Then spread the dough well and spread it out…”
He even learned how to deal with poison and medicine, which even the Baeksa family did not teach him.
“And if you chop up the prepared dansam bit by bit… Baekso-nim?”
‘…How can you be so handsome? Girl… I feel happy just by looking at it.’
“Are you listening, Baekso-nim?”
“Huh! …Sin…Sorry.”
His face turns red because he didn’t pay attention in class and found out that only Yujin was watching.
“It’s okay. You seem a little more tired than that, so please rest here for a while.”
“Yes… Eugene-nim. I am very sorry.”
“No. I was thinking of taking a break.”
“…That… Thank you so much for saying that.”
Now, when it’s time to rest, I naturally stick to Eugene’s side.
I leaned my head on Eugene’s shoulder and asked.
“Eugene-sama… How does Eugene-nim know so much? He is only one year older than me.”
“…That.”
“That…?”
Unlike usual, Yoo Jin-nim’s way of speaking is restless.
I looked up at Eugene with an expectant look at the thought that he might finally tell me about the secret.
“It’s a secret.”
…And it was like this again.
I know that you have many secrets that you cannot reveal to me.
Every time I left somewhere for a few days, I brought a high-quality pill that even I had heard of, or a book with martial arts written on it.
But never once did they tell me where it came from.
I pursed my lips and said.
“Eugene-nim keeps too many secrets from the girl. She is not hiding a single secret from Eugene. Girl… I feel a bit sad.”
Then, Eugene-nim apologized to me with a bitter expression.
“…Sorry. Mr. Baekso. I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.”
“Ah! It was a joke! If you react so seriously, the girl will feel uncomfortable. Now! Now that you’re all done, please continue her lessons!”
As we made a fuss about the atmosphere that had subsided, Yujin-nim smiled bitterly and said,
“All right. Then, put all the herbs you made earlier and leave it overnight over low heat…”
Watching Eugene diligently explain, I thought.
‘…I want to know more about Eugene.’
But…
I won’t ask.
Even if Eugene-sama is hiding something…
Because I didn’t want to lose this moment.
**
The happy times passed quickly like an arrow.
When I started eating properly, resting, and exercising, I grew taller and gained weight in an instant, as if I was ridding myself of all the growth that had been pushed back.
After that, my appearance changed so much that I was surprised even to myself.
“…Jeh…You mean this is a girl?”
Wearing the clothes Seo Bang-nim bought me and wearing accessories, I looked in the mirror…
Inside, there was a woman who would be ashamed to speak of herself, but could be said to be one of the world’s best.
“Yes, I really am Soso. Rather than that, the way he speaks now comes out very naturally. You are wonderful.”
Although she was happy to be praised by Seobang, she wanted to be praised as a woman rather than the way she spoke.
“Then… Do I look pretty in Eugene’s eyes?”
“…Of course. Now, since you are wearing pretty clothes, today’s class is a little harder…”
I naturally affirmed and pulled the sleeve of Mr. Seo who was about to move on.
“In that case… Eugene-sama…”
I looked up at Mr. West with the most beautiful smile I could have.
“…Please… Tell me… That the girl is pretty.”
