Perhaps it was because she had gone outside for fresh air for the first time in a while.
The deposed consort looked excited.
She laughed brightly even when grass brushed her ankles, and she marveled at mushrooms growing from a rotten tree stump.
“Are these flowers?”
“They’re mushrooms.”
“Goodness, so this is how mushrooms grow? I only ever saw them once they were in food, so I didn’t know.”
“Your Grace. Don’t touch that. It’s poisonous.”
“Oh my.”
When the deposed consort recoiled from the mushroom in horror, Yeon Ryang chuckled and picked a wild peach from a tree for her.
“Eat this instead, Your Grace. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s edible.”
“Thank you, Great Hero Yeon.”
“Here, one for my sister too, and this one’s for the furball.”
“Kiiit!”
Cane answered bravely and accepted the wild peach with its forepaws.
“Your Grace, you should wash it with water before you eat it. If you eat it like that, the fuzz will make your throat itch.”
“Yes. I understand.”
The deposed consort carefully wrapped the wild peach in her sleeve. Judging by the wonder on her face, it seemed she was seeing one for the first time.
Because we matched the deposed consort’s stride, it was well past noon by the time we reached the stream.
After choosing a suitable spot, Yeon Ryang took out a fire striker and skillfully lit a fire, while I caught fish by throwing acorns.
When the deposed consort saw the fish floating up in the stream, her eyes went round.
“Y-Young Lady Yeon? How did you do that?”
“Haha, it’s just a little trick.”
The deposed consort worked her lips, then came over, grabbed my hand, and cried out in excitement.
“I’ve never even heard of fishing with acorns. Young Lady Yeon, you’re a martial-world master!”
I’m not, though.
“They say masters can fly through the sky and cross water without getting wet. Is that true?”
“Ahaha, my grandfa— Ahem. My master can. I still have a long way to go.”
“You must have an incredible martial artist as your master!”
He is incredible...... In both martial ability and temper......
The deposed consort did not stop there. She wanted to know what kind of person my master was.
When I began looking troubled, Yeon Ryang smoothly changed the subject.
“I told you you’d be surprised, didn’t I, Your Grace? Thanks to my sister’s skills, we never have to worry about starving. Your Grace, have you ever seen fish being cleaned?”
“No. I haven’t.”
“I’ll show you. Come closer, Your Grace.”
Yeon Ryang took my basket, seated the deposed consort, and began explaining the difference between freshwater fish and saltwater fish.
As the deposed consort listened intently and nodded along, her stomach growled.
“Oh my.”
When she blushed and covered her stomach, I smiled and held out my hand.
“Your Grace, you should eat the peach first. Give it here. I’ll wash it for you.”
“Thank you, Young Lady.”
I quickly washed the wild peach and handed it to her, and the deposed consort shyly took a crisp bite of the flesh.
Cane, which had been watching us, also dipped its short forepaws into the stream and splashed around.
“Cane. Give it here.”
As I snickered and washed its wild peach, Yeon Ryang finished cleaning the fish and set the fish skewers over the fire.
“How much longer do they need to cook?”
“They’re almost done, Your Grace.”
“They smell wonderful.”
With her chin propped in her hand, the deposed consort watched the campfire and looked as happy as a child on a picnic.
Beside her, Cane had flattened itself low and was drooling.
As Cane stared at the grilled fish sizzling with oil, it snatched one skewer while Yeon Ryang was looking elsewhere.
“Cane! That isn’t fully cooked yet!”
“Leave it. It eats things raw anyway, so what does it matter? Your Grace, try this one. It’s cooked evenly.”
“Thank you, Great Hero Yeon.”
After receiving the fully grilled fish, the deposed consort seemed unsure how she was supposed to eat it.
She hesitated for a long while, then timidly bit off a mouthful of fish flesh.
As she chewed with both cheeks, color bloomed across her face.
“It’s delicious!”
Then she picked the bones clean and finished the fish in no time. She did not even seem to notice the soot smeared around her mouth.
Looks like she liked it.
“Eat slowly, Your Grace. If it isn’t enough, I’ll grill more for you.”
At Yeon Ryang’s gentle voice, the deposed consort blushed and quietly set the skewer down.
“Um, are the two of you traveling around the Central Plains?”
“Something like that.”
“Where were you before you came to the hermitage?”
“We visited all the big cities. Wuhan, for example.”
“Oh my, I heard the Martial Alliance’s headquarters are in Wuhan. Were there truly many martial artists? They say Yellow Crane Tower is so beautiful. How was the food?”
Even as questions poured out without pause, Yeon Ryang answered every one of the deposed consort’s words without showing the slightest sign of annoyance.
The deposed consort seemed completely absorbed in Yeon Ryang’s stories. She spoke with eyes full of longing.
“The life of a person from the martial world sounds wonderful. I would like to take such a pleasure trip someday too.”
“You can do that right now, Your Grace. What’s so special about a pleasure trip? Seeing a place you’ve never seen before is a pleasure trip. Even circling this mountain is a pleasure trip.”
“You’re right, Great Hero Yeon.”
The deposed consort covered her mouth and smiled shyly. I asked brightly,
“Your Grace, then how about enjoying a short pleasure trip with us today? We can see strange cliffs and eat snacks up in a tree.”
“Thank you for saying so, Young Lady. But with my strength......”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. We can just do this.”
Before the deposed consort could answer, I picked her up.
“Oh my!”
When her body suddenly rose into the air, the startled deposed consort wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.
Though she had gained quite a bit of weight since then, she was so light that I felt as if I were holding a paper doll that might fly away if I blew on it.
“Y-Young Lady! I’m heavy! Please put me down!”
“What do you mean, heavy? You’re as light as a feather, Your Grace. You need to eat more meat.”
At my reply, the deposed consort’s face flushed so red it looked ready to burst. Yeon Ryang chuckled.
“Please understand, Your Grace. My sister is a little strong.”
“Where shall I take you first? Is there anywhere you want to go?”
“W-Will I be carried like this?”
“Are you uncomfortable? Would you like me to carry you on my back?”
At my question, the deposed consort shook her head.
“No. I’m fine. I...... wanted to go to the highest peak.”
“The highest peak?”
“Yes. The peak you can see straight ahead from the cliff above the hermitage. I always wondered what was at the top.”
The deposed consort pointed at the peak as she spoke. I glanced back.
“You heard her, right, Brother? Come with Cane. I’ll go ahead.”
“Sure. I’ll be there soon.”
Yeon Ryang nodded and rubbed out the campfire with his foot. I ran up the mountainside with the deposed consort in my arms.
“Kyaa!”
Startled by the speed, the deposed consort screamed and tightened the arms around my neck.
“We’re here, Your Grace.”
The deposed consort, who had been trembling with her eyes squeezed shut, slowly opened them, then gasped in admiration at the scene spread out before her.
Crape myrtle flowers blooming in every direction surrounded the hermitage.
Below the hermitage, mist spread like clouds and created a mysterious atmosphere.
“So this is what Seven Peaks Hermitage looks like from far away......”
Murmuring, the deposed consort could not tear her gaze away from the view.
Smiling softly, I gently set her down, and the deposed consort began looking around with a face full of curiosity.
I followed behind her as she descended from the peak.
“Your Grace, watch out for the tree root!”
“Where is the tree root—oh my!”
Walking slowly, the deposed consort stopped in front of a tall apricot tree. As she looked up at the ripe apricots, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
“When we went to the summer palace, there was a large apricot tree. My child liked apricots, so on days when we walked together, he always led me beneath the apricot tree.”
The tip of the deposed consort’s nose reddened, and she reached toward the apricot tree. But the branch was high, and her hand could not reach.
“Ah, I’ll pick some for you, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, Young Lady.”
The deposed consort stepped back and wiped at the corners of her eyes as she gathered herself. But I could not reach them either.
While I was straining on tiptoe, Yeon Ryang arrived late and asked,
“What are you doing, sister?”
“You’re here, Brother? Pick some apricots for us. My arms can’t reach.”
“You grow taller quickly when you pull your arms and legs out nice and long. Stretch your arms farther. Oh my, this looks like an excellent place to lie down.”
After answering obnoxiously, Yeon Ryang lay down beneath the apricot tree and leisurely looked up at me. I stuck out my lip.
“Don’t be like that. Pick them for us. You can reach just by standing there.”
“This is a chance for our little kid to grow taller. As her brother, how could I steal that from her?”
“You’re the one who’s abnormally tall, you know? You never think about how huge you are, do you?”
Grumbling, I climbed the tree and began picking apricots.
Yeon Ryang, who had a blade of grass in his mouth and was humming, reached out while still lying down.
“Are they ripe? Give your brother one too.”
He looked so annoying that I glared at him and stomped my foot hard.
The branches shook with a rustle, and ripe apricots came pouring down onto Yeon Ryang.
“Gah! Ow! Uwaak!”
Covered in sticky apricot juice, Yeon Ryang spat out the blade of grass and muttered,
“......I was wrong. Use your words.”
“Ahaha, you two really get along so well.”
“If we got along twice as well, I’d end up dead.”
When the deposed consort burst out laughing, Yeon Ryang shuddered and wiped his face.
I pretended not to hear him, gathered an armful of apricots, and lightly jumped down from the tree.
*****
After that day’s outing, the deposed consort spent most of each day with us.
She cooked with Yeon Ryang and learned from me how to distinguish and prepare medicinal herbs.
Looking at the deposed consort, who now overflowed with life, I wondered if perhaps what she had truly missed was people.
People she could speak with comfortably, without worrying about etiquette or being dragged into the schemes of the imperial harem.
It was not easy to tell such a deposed consort that we would soon be leaving.
But we could not stay at the hermitage forever.
We had to leave before the summer retreat ended and people started going in and out of the mountain again.
As I sighed while maintaining my throwing knives, Yeon Ryang tilted his head.
“Why the sigh, sister?”
“Brother. Baekjung is coming soon.”
“Does the summer retreat end around then? It’s time to leave. Why? Are you worried about Her Grace?”
“Yeah. She’s only just gotten healthier, but once we leave, even her meals will become poor again. What if her body gets worse?”
“My sister’s problem is that she has too much affection. You saved her life, so you’ve done your part. Her Grace will understand.”
Yeon Ryang stroked my head as if comforting me.
When I slowly nodded, he said,
“The urgent issue right now isn’t Her Grace’s health. It’s clearing your false charge, Sohae.”
“Huh? You mean the Martial Alliance?”
“Yes. Once we come down from the mountain, let’s go to the Martial Alliance and prove you have nothing to do with the Sect.”
