Chapter 160 – Hoping to Get Closer (2)

Lady Sama.

She is the only daughter of Sama Mang and now also my daughter, although only in name for the time being.

We were the same age.

No, actually, I am one year older than her since we count age by birthday in this life. But in a few months, we will be the same age again.

She looks younger than her age.

With her small frame, brown hair tied in two braids, and cat-like eyes and small mouth, she has a peculiar appearance, not as stunning as Sama Mang, but still beautiful enough to be her daughter.

However, her personality is quite prickly.

She has a strong sense of pride, but she grew up in an environment where she couldn’t be ignored since she was young.

I can understand why she is like that, but there have been times when she has been as sharp as a hedgehog.

Still, after our previous experience with the Jinbeop, and sharing various stories, we have become somewhat friendly.

Not exactly friends, but acquaintances.

She is a genius.

Namgung Cheon, the highest-ranking successor of the Jinbeop we met at the Yongbongji Association, was probably only slightly ahead of Lady Sama in terms of skill.

If we only consider martial arts, she may be lacking, but Lady Sama is also proficient in Jinbeop and Sasul, making her a well-rounded genius.

In fact, Lady Sama won a martial arts competition similar to the Yongbongji Association called the Heukcheonje, and earned the nickname Sahwa Jaha, meaning “evil flower.”

She is also smart, knowledgeable, and skilled in various arts such as playing musical instruments and flower arrangement.

She is a genius in every sense of the word, not just in martial arts.

…That’s all I know about Lady Sama.

As I organize my thoughts, I realize that I don’t know much about her personal life, such as her favorite food, color, or hobby.

To get closer to someone, you need to know their interests.

The best way is to ask them directly, but Lady Sama is avoiding me, so that’s impossible.

So I have to ask those around her.

***

First, I asked Pang Soso, who was close to her.

“Jin Gag…even if you’re like that, asking me to help you get her in a month is a bit…”

“It’s not like that!”

“Or else your family tree will be messed up…”

“I’m telling you it’s not like that!”

After Pang Soso said that and snickered, she opened her mouth.

“Joking. I just want to somehow resolve our awkward relationship. I can’t just leave it alone, especially when it comes to my relationship with Lady Mang.”

“Well, Lady Mang said it would be okay over time, but…I don’t see any signs of that happening.”

As much as Lady Sama admires Lady Mang, Lady Mang also values Lady Sama.

Already, many things have changed, and Lady Mang is a little anxious. If Lady Sama also opposes our remarriage, it could be even more difficult.

Moreover, Lady Sama is going to be my daughter in the family register. Of course, it will be difficult to treat her like a daughter, but she will be a prospective family member.

If we think about the future, we can’t ignore each other to the point where we can’t get along.

“I understand Jin Gag’s thoughts. What she likes…what she likes…oh!”

“What came to mind?”

“Last time, I saw her squishing ants near the flower bed.”

“Huh? Ants?”

“She was muttering to herself, ‘If I block them with my finger, they can’t do anything. Pathetic ♡ insects ♡.’ I pretended not to notice and stayed quiet.”

“…….”

What is she trying to do by feeling superior to ants?

***

Next, I asked Hong Yeon-hwa, who had finished her training.

“Huh? Are you asking me, the lady, about that?”

“I was wondering if you knew anything.”

“About Lady Sama…I don’t really know since our paths don’t cross. I’ve bumped into her a few times when I secretly took snacks from the kitchen, but she wasn’t in a state to have a conversation.”

“Just ask for snacks instead of sneaking around….”

Surely there is no one in Pangga who would force Hong Yeon-hwa to eat something delicious just because she enjoys it.

Still, Hong Yeon-hwa, who sneaks around the kitchen, seems cute.

As Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head left and right, as if she was worried about something, her pink eyes suddenly widened.

“Oh! Come to think of it, I met her once in an unexpected place!”

“Unexpected place? Where was that?”

“A bookstore.”

“A bookstore…?”

Reading is the hobby that Hong Yeon-hwa developed after coming to this world.

Strangely enough, in this world where novels have developed to the point where they are not inferior to the previous life, it was a cultural shock for Hong Yeon-hwa, who lived in a barren world.

Hong Yeon-hwa nodded her small head.

“That’s right. I don’t know what book she was trying to buy, but I’m sure she has the same hobby as me.”

“Oh…this is helpful information.”

“Hehe. Lady Sama is always a helpful presence to you!”

Hong Yeon-hwa held up a magpie feather, placed her hand on her hip, and stretched out her chest, which was bigger than her small head, with a pleased expression.

Her adorable appearance made me put my hand between my armpits and raise it up.

“Amazing! Yeon-hwa is the best!”

“Ehem! Ehem! Keep praising your lady!”

“As much as you want!”

As Hong Yeon-hwa spun around in place, receiving all the compliments she wanted, I laughed and let her go after about 50 turns.

***

Next was a dispute with an unknown woman.

“Oh, did you call me for something…?”

The ordinary-looking woman asked me as if she was worried.

Well, I had asked for a guard who was in charge of Lady Sama’s place, so she might be worried if she had done something wrong.

I smiled as kindly as possible to put her at ease.

“It’s nothing to worry about. I just have something I want to ask.”

“Uh…yes. Please ask me anything.”

For some reason, the guard took a deep breath, but it seemed to have an effect as she relaxed.

“I heard from other guards that Lady Sama often goes to the bookstore. Do you happen to know what she likes or dislikes?”

“Uh…”

The guard rolled her eyes around, but soon spoke in a cautious voice.

“She seemed to like snacks that can be eaten in one bite. Like sliced rice cakes. As for dislikes…she seemed to dislike when someone enters her room without permission.”

Snacks that can be eaten in one bite…I can imagine the picture.

Since she likes novels, she might also like snacks that are easy to eat while reading. Disliking someone entering her room might be a similar context.

Maybe she doesn’t want to show a disheveled appearance, or maybe she wants to hide her book preferences?

Of course, it’s just a guess. She might just dislike someone entering her personal space.

Anyway, I should bring some appropriate snacks when I visit Lady Sama next time. Maybe honey rice cakes?

After thanking the guard, I headed to my final destination.

***

Of course, it was Lady Mang.

“What does Lady like?”

“Well, no one knows more about Lady Sama than Lady Mang.”

“Hehe. That’s right. There’s no one who knows more about their daughter than me.”

Lady Mang smiled proudly and began her preamble.

“First, it’s about Lady Sama’s doljabi ceremony…”

It seemed like a very long introduction.

.

.

.

.

.

In the end, it was all trivial stories, from the toys she liked when she was young to the cringe-worthy lines she loved during her teenage years, and the types of alcohol she used to sneakily drink.

There were heartwarming stories too, like how she still keeps her hair in two braids, just like when she was a child, because she likes it when Lady Mang ties her hair for her. And how, when she grew up, she loved to braid Lady Mang’s hair instead.

And then there were the mundane stories, like how she was fully engaged in her studies and had no interest in men or marriage, which made me worry that she might be getting too old without showing any interest in the opposite sex.

I listened to these trivial stories for hours, spread over several hours.

“And then, when I was feeling down because of the betrayal of the person who had worked for the Sama family all my life, Yeoryeong said, ‘It’s okay not to have Soju. I’m a genius, so I can cook anything quickly!’ and chased away the cook who had been making porridge for me. Actually, I was feeling down because I thought Yeoryeong wouldn’t be able to eat delicious food for a while, but she misunderstood and thought I was feeling down because of the betrayal…”

“Hey, stop! Stop bragging about your daughter!”

The story seemed to go on forever, so I interrupted Lady Mang in the middle of her story. Suddenly, Lady Mang looked gloomy.

So I quickly pressed my lips against hers.

“Ugh?!”

Her lips were trembling. But after a few strokes of the tongue, I could feel a faint heat rising amidst the trembling.

“Phew! S-Sama? What’s this all of a sudden…?”

I wrapped my arms around Lady Mang’s waist, buried my face in her chest, which smelled sweet and savory, and said in a whiny voice.

“Just…you talked too much about trivial things, so I got a little jealous.”

“What? Where did you get jealous…huh?!”

This time, I buried my face between her collarbones, and moaned as I rubbed against her soft, plump breasts that were hidden underneath her clothes.

“Please talk about me too.”

“Huh? Me…?”

“You said you fell in love with me before I fell in love with you. Where did you fall in love with me?”

“Uh…do I have to say it out loud…?”

“You talked about trivial things like that, but you won’t talk about your husband’s love for you?”

“Absolutely not, Sama!”

Lady Mang blushed and stuttered, but I could see her tail wagging as she talked about me instead of Lady Yeoryeong, just as I had planned.

Unlike Lady Yeoryeong’s endless stories, my story was relatively short. Even if it was long, I could listen to it all night while burying my nose in Lady Mang’s scent, just like Lady Yeoryeong did to me.

As Lady Mang took a deep breath, I savored her scent and organized the information I had heard earlier in my head.

Lady Yeoryeong pursues Lady Mang relentlessly. It’s beyond my imagination.

I could hear all sorts of stories, but the most important thing must be this.

…By the way, Hong Yeon-hwa likes it when I praise her excessively, but I feel embarrassed when she listens to my compliments so openly.

***

The preparation is done.

All that’s left is to chase after Lady Yeoryeong and catch her… no, hunt her down!

“Let’s go!”