The Eldest Daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan Protects the Family

Part 1

Chapter 1. Something Beyond a Dream

The paper hanging from the red eaves swayed gently.

Clink.

A clear chime resonated softly.

Tang So-hwa's gaze, which had been looking out the window, rose to the edge of the eaves.

The red tiles blanketed by the golden sunset imprinted themselves on her eyes.

At the cozy scene she hadn't seen in decades, So-hwa let out a bitter smile.

She must be dreaming. Seeing the moment she missed the most unfolding before her eyes—she must not be dead yet.

The warm wind of Sichuan entered the room, carrying the scent of flowers from the backyard.

Could the moment of death be this sweet?

So-hwa, buried in the pleasant sensation, closed her eyes again with a heart waiting for the end.

"Sister!"

In that instant, So-hwa's eyelids twitched. It was because the familiar voice pierced her eardrums.

"Sister!"

Once again, that voice tickled her ears.

This isn't real. It's all an illusion.

So-hwa slowly opened her eyes, suppressing her expectation. Then, she saw a boy leaning against the round window frame. The boy, who had just come of age, was frowning deeply with his young face.

A short laugh escaped her.

She had definitely smiled, but her vision blurred.

Tang Hak had lost his life in the cold waters of the Yangtze River. Before he could even understand hardship or the weight of being the Young Lord, he had left the world earlier than their parents and siblings, and yet, with that young face, he wore a serious expression as if he understood all the suffering in the world—it made her laugh.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Just... seeing you makes me laugh."

"Huh?"

Tang Hak furrowed his fine brows even more and opened his mouth.

Wearing such a handsome face so sloppily—this was one of the few talents this child had.

So-hwa, calmly savoring the longing that filled her mind, reached out her finger and pressed firmly between Tang Hak's brows.

"Don't frown. It makes you look ugly."

"......"

'What is this? She seems even more out of it today?'

Tang Hak's expression showed his thoughts as they were. That transparent look was endearing, and So-hwa let out another soft laugh.

Tang Hak glanced suspiciously at his sister's bed.

"Did you... have a dream or something?"

Too late for night, too early for day. He said it, thinking it couldn't be.

But his sister replied, barely audible.

"Yes, I had a long dream."

... What's with her today, really?

Usually by now, she'd throw something and tell him to stop spouting nonsense, but instead, his sister looked up at the sky with a bitter expression.

Her gaze was so wistful that Tang Hak unconsciously rubbed his arm.

He recalled how their cousins used to complain that his sister had changed into a different person when she hit puberty.

They said hearing her speak softly gave them chills, and right now, Tang Hak felt exactly that.

He wished she would just put on makeup and smile silently like their cousins' sisters. Watching her look at the sky with the grace of someone who had lived a full life left him confused.

Sister Tang So-hwa and compassion?

'... I-I feel like I'm going to throw up.'

Tang Hak unconsciously tried to cover his mouth but barely managed to stop himself by clenching his hand.

But despite his efforts, Tang So-hwa looked down at her younger brother with slightly reddened eyes and smiled.

"Hak-ah."

"Yes, sister."

"I've missed you very much."

... Is this some new form of torment?

At this point, he thought he'd rather just be hit like usual.

Tang Hak glanced sideways at the things around Tang So-hwa. Fortunately, because she was pressed close to the window frame, there was nothing within reach for her to throw.

Summoning his courage, Tang Hak spoke again.

"Sister."

"Mm?"

...'Mm'?

Instead of glaring at him with eyes that said, "Just say what you came for and get lost!"

Tang So-hwa looked at him kindly and even made a small encouraging sound. As if to say, 'Go ahead, I'm listening.'

Tang Hak quickly wiped the flinch off his face and continued.

"I have a favor to ask."

"Alright, tell me anything."

There was a brief silence.

Tang Hak clenched his fists tightly and asked with effort,

"... Is this some new form of torment?"

"What are you talking about? Why would I torment you?"

When Tang Hak clamped his mouth shut and glared at her with venom in his eyes, So-hwa recalled their past for a moment.

"......"

The recollection ended quickly.

To be honest, she hadn't treated him kindly. But in her heart, she had always cherished her younger brother.

She meant it.

Tang So-hwa cleared her throat and composed her expression.

Because she rarely made expressions, her facial muscles weren't very developed. The moment she shed the wistfulness, her face immediately turned cold.

Tang Hak found that look much easier to deal with. Feeling noticeably more at ease, he opened his mouth.

"The truth is... a hawk flew into my residence..."

"You want me to treat it?"

"H-How did you know?!"

Tang Hak flinched in surprise and looked around. So-hwa let out a short laugh at the sight.

Well, this is my dream, and it's something I remember.

It had always bothered her.

Tang Hak was gentle and full of affection. If he weren't the Young Lord, their father might have praised that temperament, but Tang Hak was the one who would become the Clan Head of the Tang Clan. The head had to be more heartless and thorough than anyone.

Because of that, whenever something happened, Tang Hak would secretly come to his sister's quarters for help like this.

Already recognized for her skill in medicine and poison at a young age, she was one of sixteen people who could access the medicinal and poisonous ingredients stored in the Medical Hall without the Clan Head's permission.

As her thoughts reached that point, So-hwa's gaze darkened.

The Clan Head of the Tang Clan had hidden So-hwa, who had been deeply involved in the most secret depths of the clan's poison techniques. She had never once attended the Alliance of the Five Noble Clans, and she had never even left the Tang Clan estate.

So-hwa herself wasn't particularly curious about the world, and she much preferred spending her time doing research in the Poison Hall, so she had no complaints about her father's wishes.

Because of that, So-hwa had strange rumors surrounding her at the time.

That she wasn't considered part of the direct descendants and thus couldn't attend the Alliance of the Five Noble Clans.

That she was so horrendously ugly, the Tang Clan kept her hidden.

Even the matchmakers who came to the Tang estate daily never uttered her name.

Was it when she turned twenty? Only after appearing for the first time at the Alliance of the Five Noble Clans hosted by the Tang Clan did all the rumors disappear.

That's what she'd heard.

In fact, So-hwa had heard those rumors from Namgung Hyun.

Namgung Hyun used to visit her often and tell her stories of the outside world.

Thinking of it now, Namgung Hyun was truly impressive. He deceived her by pretending to love her sincerely, and even won her father's trust in the end.

As So-hwa recalled Namgung Hyun's young face, she let out a small laugh without realizing it.

At that, Tang Hak flinched.

Seeing the naïve Tang Hak overlap with Namgung Hyun brought another faint laugh out of her.

Because of the uniquely sharp impression carried by the Tang Clan, which belonged to the greatest poison sect under heaven, people feared Tang Hak. But Namgung Hyun, with his soft appearance, was often praised for his good character even though he harbored venomous intentions like a snake.

At around this age, Tang Hak was especially often compared to others like that. Of course, he was the type of child who didn't care about such looks, but now, So-hwa found that fact unsettling.

If only this gentle boy, sneaking into his sister's room and begging her to treat a tiny creature, had been raised properly, maybe he wouldn't have met such an early end.

Maybe, like Namgung Hyun, he could have gathered many people around him to help.

"W-Wait, did you know I'd come? You knew I was raising a hawk? Does Father know too?"

Watching the ashen-faced Tang Hak, So-hwa let out a hollow laugh. It was soon replaced by a bitter expression.

In her memory, this was the last day Tang Hak ever came secretly to her quarters.

She had turned him away out of annoyance, and Tang Hak, trying to save the hawk on his own, had ended up pushing it to the brink of death with his clumsy acupuncture.

Of all things, that hawk had been a spirit creature.

Trying to console him, So-hwa had even told him to just take out its core and eat it, and Tang Hak had looked at her like she was a monster and got angry. But when their father heard the story, he scolded Tang Hak.

Their father, always displeased with Tang Hak's gentle disposition, had blown the matter out of proportion. He summoned him to the main residence, sliced open the dying spirit creature's belly, and forced Tang Hak to eat the core.

Maybe that was too much of a shock—after that, Tang Hak became quieter, like a different person.

It was definitely after that day. Tang Hak stopped speaking honestly to her and kept everything inside.

So-hwa regretted that day.

He had once been a warm child who would talk about himself even without being asked. If that incident had never happened, she might have known why he went alone to the Yangtze River... and maybe, she could have prevented his death.

A heavy breath slipped from between So-hwa's red lips.

Mistaking it for a scoff, Tang Hak hunched his shoulders.

'She's rejecting me.'

He knew his sister didn't like animals, but when he pleaded like this, she would usually help—albeit reluctantly.

Among the family, she was the most similar to their father, but compared to him, she had always been incomparably kinder to him.

Clack.

When So-hwa went over to the shelf and took out the white wooden box, Tang Hak's lips curled upward.

Looks like she's going to help this time too!

"But Hak-ah."

As she opened the white wooden box, she asked casually,

"Did you know that hawk is a spirit creature?"

"... Huh?"

From that brief look of surprise, So-hwa realized he hadn't known it was a spirit creature when he asked her for help.

Yes, this child had always been like that.

With a bitter smile, So-hwa closed the wooden box.

If she could return to the past, she wanted to protect Tang Hak.

Not someone like Namgung Hyun, who pretended to be gentle while hiding the cruelest nature, but this clear-hearted boy—who treated everyone preciously without weighing their worth—would have been far more suitable to be a Clan Head.

Maybe he wouldn't have done any great good in the world, but at the very least, he wouldn't have made as many enemies as Father had.

And so, there would have been many who would stand by his side.

Even if not noble Taoists, there would have been those who would draw their swords and come running simply because he was of the Tang Clan.

As So-hwa's gaze slowly rose, it captured Tang Hak's gentle smile.

She handed the white wooden box to him as he stood by the window.

"Go on ahead. I'll follow you."

"Yes!"

***

The hawk's intestines were twisted from eating something it shouldn't have.

They said spirit creatures were smarter than humans, but this one didn't seem to be. To think it had picked up and eaten something unknown from the Tang Clan estate.

In all her life—or rather, even in death—Tang So-hwa never imagined she'd have the rare experience of preparing decoctions for a hawk.

After feeding it medicine for three days, the hawk recovered completely, as if nothing had happened.

"As expected of you, sister!"

"... Since you're here, take this with you."

The hawk, apparently unaware that Tang Hak was the one who saved it, followed only So-hwa around like a chick.

With a face full of irritation and annoyance, So-hwa pointed to the hawk lying on her bed. Tang Hak chuckled and reached out to gather it into his arms.

"Even so, I think it'll come back to you again."

At that, So-hwa scowled deeply and glared at the hawk.

"Don't come. If you show up again, I'll break your wing."

Strangely, she hadn't been able to wake up from the dream for over a week now.

Waiting for her eternal rest, she'd been reminiscing about her past life—only to be constantly pestered by this damn good-for-nothing hawk.

"Oowoo."

The thing made a strange noise, hesitating while watching her cautiously.

"... I think it wants to come again."

"It's just a dream, and yet..."

What a ridiculous thing.

So-hwa swallowed her words and waved her hand dismissively.

Tang Hak smiled brightly, cradled the hawk, and returned to his quarters.

Still, watching that peaceful scene helped ease her irritation, and a warmth she couldn't quite name spread quietly through her body.

Tang So-hwa let out a long breath, relaxing her tense shoulders.

She thought to herself that she wished this weren't a dream.

And gradually, Tang So-hwa came to realize—it wasn't.

***

"S-Sister! A squirrel got into my quarters..."

"It's the snake Father ordered us to find last night. A-Actually, sister, the thing is, I-I took it in a few days ago..."

"Sob sob, sister, you really need to come quickly. A chicken fell from the sky. It can't fly! Ughhhh..."

... There's no way this is a dream.

She had never—not even once—dreamed of living a life running an animal farm.

No, she hadn't even imagined such a thing.

So there was no way her brain could come up with a dream like this.

***

Part 2

As she wrapped the chicken's leg in bandages, So-hwa slowly parted her tightly shut lips.

"Hak-ah."

"Yes, sister!"

Tang Hak lifted his tear-streaked face in a snap. His resolute expression, as if ready to take on anything she asked, made her let out a sigh without meaning to.

Tang So-hwa let out a long breath and spoke.

"... Chickens aren't supposed to fly."

"I know chickens can't fly, sister. But still, they can fly about one jang! If they throw their body forward and spread their wings..."

"Hak-ah."

"Yes!"

"Don't argue."

"... Yes."

So-hwa rubbed her temple, her head aching, and stood up.

What in the world was going on?

The past had played out just as she remembered, but her relationship with Tang Hak had completely changed.

And on top of that, some hawk chick had started clinging to her.

As the hawk silently tried to perch on her shoulder, So-hwa hunched it sharply away.

"Sister! Mae-hwa is startled!"

"... You even named it?"

"Yes. I named her Mae-hwa since she's female."

"......"

The current head of the Tang Clan gave his daughters names ending in "-hwa," naming them after flowers.

This lunatic had essentially made the hawk his younger sister.

Swallowing a sigh, So-hwa looked at Tang Hak, clutching the hawk tightly to his chest.

It was maddening to the point of jumping up and screaming—but this was reality.

Tang So-hwa had returned to the age of seventeen, the peak of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, when she lived as the treasured jewel of the Tang Family.

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*One Jang - about 3 meters or 10 feet