A Child Knows

"It did."

"But why does everyone in the village think the child is your daughter, then...? Haah... I knew this would happen. Didn't I tell you? Give away your heart, and you'll never be able to let go."

Sohye lined up a fresh barrage of nagging in her head, then thought better of it and shut her mouth.

"Let's have a look at the child first."

Sowol nodded and brought Riri closer to her.

"Sorry to call you out when you're busy."

"Sorry, my foot. When my big brother calls, of course I come. It's the first time you've ever called for me first, you know."

Sohye replied with a smile and lightly took hold of Riri's wrist.

Riri seemed a touch wary of the unfamiliar face, but perhaps because she was nestled in Sowol's arms, she didn't fuss.

Before long, a bluish-green energy began to flow from Sohye's fingertips. Internal energy fine as a thread seeped slowly into Riri's small body.

But why?

The longer the examination went on, the graver Sohye's expression became. Sowol, tensing in sympathy, swallowed hard.

"Is something wrong with her?"

"Just like you said, the seal on her acupoint came undone. But her qi meridians have widened a little."

"Widened?"

"Mm. What on earth happened?"

"Riri used a bit of strength."

"Riri? You even gave her a name?"

"..."

Sowol averted his gaze and put on an air of innocence. Resigned, Sohye let out a long sigh.

"Fine. You've had her for months now—of course she needs a name to call her by."

Stroking Riri's hair, Sohye asked wearily.

"How much strength are we talking about?"

"The inn got... somewhat turned over?"

"That's all?"

"...And the forest. A little."

"The forest?"

When Sohye's brow furrowed, Sowol hurried to defend himself.

"A few trees got uprooted, that's all."

"How many trees, exactly?"

"Well, I couldn't rightly say. A whirlwind was tearing through the place—where would I have found the presence of mind to count them?"

Having deflected as long as he could, Sowol read Sohye's face and finally laid out the whole story.

That while he had been out shopping for provisions, Riri had cried and unleashed her power. That the startled Baekya had snatched up the child and fled into the forest, away from prying eyes. That a colossal whirlwind had risen and laid the forest to waste—and that the moment Sowol took Riri into his arms, everything had gone still.

Sohye listened to the account calmly, then stroked her chin as she spoke.

"So her energy runs wild whenever her emotions boil over."

"That's how it looked that day."

Sowol shifted Riri in his arms as he answered. Riri, oblivious to all of it, went on fiddling with his collar.

"I can reseal the acupoint, but I can't promise the same method will work next time."

Sohye looked back and forth between Riri and Sowol, choosing her words with care.

"I'll block it temporarily, but we need to find a proper solution. At this level, I don't think this is a problem I can handle anymore."

She rubbed her forehead, looking frustrated.

"Did Monk Beopgong know what kind of child Riri was when he dumped her on you? That crazy monk, putting my own brother through hell... I swear, I ought to smack that man upside the head."

Sowol chuckled softly, but Sohye's face refused to smooth out.

After gazing down at Riri for a long while, Sohye opened her mouth with the look of someone who had made up her mind.

"Big brother. Why don't I just take Riri with me?"

"You, Sohye?"

"Mm. I'll take her to see the Divine Doctor and find out what can be done. That seems like the better way."

Sowol shook his head firmly.

"That won't do. The moment you carry her through those gates, she'll be seen."

"The Divine Doctor never sets foot outside the Tang estate. Bringing her to him myself is the surest way. We could hide Riri in the annex and summon him separately—and I'd see to it that no careless rumors got around, too."

Sowol considered it for a moment, then shook his head again.

"Still, not right now."

"Why not?"

"There's a reason Beopgong left the child with me. I can't just send her off to the Tang estate as I please. Besides, even if I wanted to send her, you wouldn't be able to take her."

"Why not?"

Instead of answering, he laid Riri down in her cradle and stepped into the back of the kitchen.

The instant Sowol vanished from sight, Riri's face crumpled.

"Hueeeh..."

"Wait—big brother! If you make her cry—!"

"This much is fine."

Sowol came straight back out of the kitchen and scooped Riri up with practiced ease.

Riri's eyes had been brimming with tears, ready to burst into a wail at any moment, but the instant she was tucked back into Sowol's arms, she settled down again, docile as ever.

Sohye, who had been opening and closing her mouth wordlessly, pressed hard at the corners of her eyes.

"The little one really does cling to you and no one else."

"We're together all day long. She's used to me, that's all."

"Being used to someone doesn't make every child act like that."

Tidying Riri's tousled hair, Sohye went on.

"A child knows exactly who feeds her, who holds her, and who comes running the fastest when she cries."

"..."

"She can't put it into words yet. That doesn't mean she doesn't know."

Then she fixed her gaze squarely on Sowol. Her bluish-green eyes brimmed with worry.

"Big brother. Raising Riri won't be easy. You, of all people, know what becomes of exceptional children in the Jianghu."

Sowol smiled a bitter smile.

He was a man who had been kidnapped at the age of four for no other crime than a gift of innate talent in his bones. The first thing he had learned in the Demon Cult's training caves was neither letters nor etiquette—it was how to kill a person.

"I know."

He answered quietly, gazing down at Riri where she lay.

"That's why, if nothing else, I won't have this child grow up to be anyone's tool."

Sohye could find nothing more to say. She pressed her lips together.

And yet the worry never left her face.

"I know that's a selfish thing to say... but I hate watching you suffer."

"Is that so."

"You've already suffered more than your share. I just want to see you live in comfort now."

Sowol let out a soft laugh.

"I am comfortable. Does your brother go hungry? Is he ailing anywhere? For a man the Demon Cult raised, this is the high life. I even have a roof I can sleep under with an easy mind."

"Still..."

"Baekya handles all the heavy work anyway, so there's that. Stop worrying."

"Oh, fine. I'll quit the nagging. Let's reseal that acupoint first."

Sohye clicked her tongue and beckoned. Sowol shrugged and carried Riri over to her.

It was a good two hours later before Sohye finally left the inn.

His younger sister had emptied a bowl of wonton soup to the last drop, unleashed a full barrage of nagging, and then tried her hand at persuading him to come live in Chengdu already, even now. But when Sowol only smiled and gave no answer, she turned away, looking none too pleased about it.

Having seen Sohye off, Sowol stood before the gate for a long while.

Would it have been better to send her to the Tang estate after all?

The thought crossed his mind briefly, but he soon shook his head. He could hardly send a child Beopgong had entrusted to him off wherever he pleased. Above all, the Riri of this very moment would never allow herself to be parted from him.

Swallowing a sigh, he lowered his head. Riri was peering up at him with wide, unblinking eyes.

"You little rascal. No more mischief, you hear? Thanks to you, I've had my fill of nagging from my sister."

"Kyaha!"

Even his gruff scolding sent Riri into a fit of giggles.

"And what, pray tell, is so funny? What could you possibly know."

Chuckling despite himself, Sowol gave the tip of her nose a light press.

"Ah!"

"What is it now? Hungry?"

"Uwah!"

"Bored, then? Shall we take a walk under the moon?"

Even as he asked, Sowol began to stroll around the inn's grounds with Riri in his arms.

"Now, this here is a willow tree. And this one is a pear tree."

"Mm?"

"That's the well, and over there is the Jang family's house. And that's where Mrs. Wang lives—the kind lady who looks after you now and then."

"Awuh?"

"You ought to be grateful to Mrs. Wang, you know. Cleaning up after someone else's mess is no small favor."

Sowol lectured her gently, but Riri's only reply was to chomp down on his collar and gnaw away.

"That's not for eating."

As he pried the cloth free of her tiny mouth, Sowol realized that her grip had grown remarkably strong.

"...She's grown so much, so fast."

Murmuring to himself, Sowol leapt lightly onto the roof of the inn.

The cool night wind brushed their cheeks, and Riri flapped her little hands, seemingly delighted by the strange sensation.

Sowol wrapped the child in his arms and perched at the edge of the roof. Beneath the moonlight, the whole of the village lay spread out before them. Petals scattered whenever the breeze passed, and from somewhere in the dark came the faint croaking of frogs. Spring had stolen up on them, full and complete.

And yet from Beopgong—who had promised to come for the child come summer—there was still not so much as a single letter.

"That damned freeloading monk. Let him just try showing his face. I won't let it slide."

At the sound of Sowol grinding his teeth, Riri blinked up at him with wide round eyes, as if to ask what was the matter. Sowol quickly patted her back.

"Did that scare you? My apologies."

Only then did her expression clear, and she popped her fingers into her mouth and sucked on them.

Then the frog calls stopped dead.

At the unfamiliar presence, Sowol's eyes narrowed to blades. He slipped Riri deeper into his embrace and quietly reached out with his qi sense.

Somewhere out there, a persistent gaze was fixed upon them.

It was not aimed at him.

Someone was watching Riri.