Surviving as a Cripple in Murim

24 – My sister is an overseas Chinese (2)

The nice thing about a conversation with someone who’s obsessed with something is that you can just nod your head and agree.

There is no need to select a topic for conversation while racking your brain. The conversation doesn’t stop even when I’m still.

It may be irritating to someone who likes to take the lead in a conversation, but it’s far better to have one person talking all the time than to have a muddy and awkward atmosphere flow.

And today is the welcome ceremony for Hwa-hwa. It’s nice to see the main character having fun and having fun.

“Hmm~ Baehwagyo. Because of the word fire in the name, I thought that when a person dies, of course they will be cremated. Rather, it is taboo.”

“Yes. That’s right. Earth, fire, water, and mind are the creatures of the Creator (Ahura Mazda) and must not be polluted.”

“It is unusual. Then, how will the funeral be held?”

“Depending on the faction, it differs slightly, but usually it is forged.”

It’s a foreman~ Is it a funeral method in which the birds dispose of the corpse? That’s interesting.

It is always fun to gain new knowledge. At first, I thought I would only agree with him in moderation, but soon after I knew it, I began to genuinely enjoy the conversation with Hwa-hwa.

Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.

It is said to be the most important commandment in Zoroastrianism. And, like a sincere Zoroastrian, Hwa-hwa kept those three rules very well.

Every single demeanor was elegant, and the way she treated her servants was polite enough that you wouldn’t think of her as a rich girl.

And then-

“Actually, I wonder if I will be able to live well in the land of Jungwon, which is far from my hometown. I was worried. I’m glad I have such a kind and wonderful older brother.”

Ehehehe~ He speaks beautifully. You are so cute. Can you be this cute?

Seeing Hwa-hwa shyly smiling with her cheeks blushing as if embarrassed, her face naturally turns pale.

… Well, it may be a laugh for entertainment, but there is nothing wrong with being praised even for empty words. Good is good

I calm down by drinking tea that has cooled down from the long conversation.

As I was talking, I realized that he is a child who is good at speaking. The unique pretty voice and red eyes that captivate people combine to lead the conversation naturally.

Read the atmosphere and the mood of the other person and bring out the words you need. It sounds easy in words, but it is a difficult conversation skill.

It’s a tired speech in many ways, so it’s not something a 15-year-old would do easily.

Personally, I want to tell you to be comfortable without having to be polite, but it would be more uncomfortable to hear that.

If I live in a relative’s house where my parents suddenly passed away and I never met, I feel like I’m sitting on a cushion of thorns, so I’ll grow up with manners that I didn’t have before.

If you get kicked out of here, you really have nowhere else to go. With those thoughts running through my head, I’ll try to please the new family member somehow.

Most of these problems will be solved with time, but it’s still bittersweet.

I was going to apply a whole piglet to cheer up after eating a lot, but I gave up because I thought it would only burden me more and I thought I was overdoing it.

… I laughed because it was a little silly.

Looking at Hwa-hwa, I thought he was being overly polite, but then I looked back. I, too, was nervous and polite, not knowing how to deal with the sudden appearance of a cute little sister.

Let me laugh. Hwa-hwa also tilted her head along with me and smiled softly. Even if it was a fake smile, it was a cute smile.

In any case, the welcoming ceremony for Sima Yeomhwa, in which I was the only member of the Sima family, ended in a friendly atmosphere with seemingly endless conversations.

I thought it was over.

A night when the sun went down and the moon rose. As she turned around after taking her to the room, a trembling voice rang behind her.

“My older brother… that is… Did your father tell you about me?”

“Huh?”

She shook her head at the unexpected question.

Did your father ever tell you about the chlorine? Not in my memory.

In the first place, I didn’t even know the existence of salt until I heard the news of my uncle’s death this time. I just knew that my little father lived in West Station.

… Come to think of it, something is strange. When I was young, there were times when my father would sometimes go to the West Station to talk to my father about business.

If we had seen Hwahwa back then, she would have told us that her sister had a beautiful daughter. He didn’t talk at all.

Red eyes, skin as white as porcelain, and a pretty face. It’s not a look that’s easily forgotten.

He is a father who generously tells various small stories at dinner for a smooth and pleasant conversation among family members. He has no reason not to talk about his pretty niece with the unusual red eyes.

But I didn’t say it. He hid the existence of Chloride from his family.

… Why did you hide the existence of Chloride? Was there any reason to hide it?

It’s strange. I don’t understand.

“… Okay…. You didn’t tell me.”

I’ve been thinking about this for too long. Before I could say anything, the long silence became an answer and stuck in Yeo-hwa’s heart.

“No! That’s not it. I blink… “

Wait. It was a very fleeting moment, like a fleeting moment, but I saw Yeo-hwa’s true face for the first time. It was a very lonely and vaguely lonely smile.

“Your brother is kind.”

Early spring is still chilly. The cold night wind, a remnant of winter, passes us by. Create an invisible wall.

“Thanks to you, I really enjoyed today. You must have been tired of preparing everything by yourself. Don’t mind me, go in and rest.”

Hwahwa left only her words and didn’t listen to my answer, smiled brightly, said goodbye to her, and went into her room with a moderate and graceful movement.

Beautiful steps with elegance and grace in each movement. It is the same step as when I saw it during the day.

But for some reason, it looked like she was running away crying in my eyes.

Looking at the spot where Hwa-hwa had been standing up until now, she frowned for no reason and rubbed the back of her neck. My head, which usually worked well, does not roll well.

Let’s look up at the sky in frustration. A useless, pretty moon was floating.

***

I spent the day thinking about how my father hid the existence of the flame, but I couldn’t come up with a suitable or convincing reason.

Could it be that Hwa-hwa is not her father’s daughter, but her father’s hidden illegitimate child? I even had a delusion, but what can I say? It’s subtle.

Unlike today, concubines are not taboo. It is an era where people with the ability and money basically go with the 3rd wife and four concubines.

There is no need to make a concubine from afar and raise her illegitimate child. And even disguised as her relative’s child is a really cumbersome method.

… There is no clear answer, so should I just ask my father directly?

It may be better to directly ask the person concerned than to come to a strange conclusion and misunderstand it at will.

It’s good to be honest, and it’s bittersweet to lie, but you can answer that as it is.

My father returned home this morning as the urgent matter had just been resolved. Just go there and ask… It’s complicated because I’m going to bring up the story again.

After working hard, I took it to my father and said, “Do! You secretly hatched a baby outside of our father? Didn’t you wake up? Please tell me clearly without hiding anything!!”- Is it right to say that?

I don’t think so. Didn’t it get slapped on the cheek? To be honest, I’m glad it ended with the cheek.

Cut- Cut-

However, contrary to my complex mind, my legs limped forward honestly.

Asking if I made an illegitimate child is a matter of course, but keeping my mouth shut is also suffocating.

First of all, you came back from work. Let’s start by saying hello that you’ve worked hard and look at the situation and talk about it quietly.

I woke up and overslept and it was already past lunchtime. At this time, the father is probably having tea with the mother or his older brother and his wife.

As I moved toward the dining room, I heard the echo of friendly voices. It wasn’t the sound of one or two people.

Let’s gently stick our heads out and take a look at the restaurant. Except for me, all members of the Sama family were gathered. Yes that’s all

Starting with my older brother, who had a fever and looked better last night, my sister-in-law, my nephew, my father, my mother, and even Yeo-hwa, everyone was drinking tea and having a pleasant conversation.

“I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention to you yesterday. Were the food and sleeping okay?”

“Yes! It was nice that Mancheon’s older brother took care of everything from start to finish.”

Father asks how he is doing with a friendly face, and Hwa-hwa answers with a bright smile. It’s such a harmonious and perfect-looking landscape that I feel like an idiot for thinking about it alone last night.

It’s a little unfair, but it’s better to be a fool by myself than to fight with my family blushing. Then, should Sama Man-cheon, a far-sighted nosy man, coolly step down?

To be honest, I woke up yesterday and am so sleepy.

Leaving behind the laughter of my family, I yawned and walked towards my cozy room, using a cane.