Chapter 12 Oldest trick in the book
I wake up just in time for dinner. Someone has placed a fresh set of robes next to my vanity. They're a deep midnight blue that reminds me of the night I first met the Legendary General.
Luckily, Aunty helps me with my hair as I finish my makeup. I notice the style here is different. She allows my hair to flow down my back and for a few pieces to frame my face. It's a style I'd allow myself to wear back home.
"I'll take you there," she says after she's satisfied with her work.
I notice a warmth about her that I hadn't received from Ying.
On the way to dinner, she tells me about her day and I can't help but smile as I listen.
She guides me through a greenhouse occasionally pointing out the uses of the plants around us.
"Oh," I murmur as we walk past shampoo ginger. "Did you know you can wash your hair with that?"
"You can?" she echoes. "That's a new one he got in some faraway place he visited. How would you wash your hair with it?"
I attempt to roll up my sleeves and squeeze the ginger. It bursts with fragrance and suds. She gives me a wide-eyed look.
"Then you can massage it into your hair," I explain. "I can demonstrate later. If anyone has sensitive skin, I wouldn't recommend it due to the essential oils it holds."
"Nice," she says. "We'll be sure to deliver them to your quarters moving forward."
She leads me into a section of the greenhouse where the Legendary General awaits. With a single bow, she disappears from the direction we came from. I can hear her footsteps fade away.
"Good evening," I dip into a bow. He waves his hand for me to get up and gestures to the seat across from him. I glance around the table, realizing there's only enough space for two. Bao Bao is settled on a cushion at the other side of the room.
"Mei Mei told me about your makeover today," he mentions as I sit. "I apologize for the mess she made." His aura shimmers slightly. It reminds me of the way Mei Mei's aura had glowed earlier in the morning. Her remark about me being golden flashes in my head. Can he also see what she sees?
I recall the stories I've heard of him. There are so many of them that I have a difficult time discerning which are and aren't real. But if he does actually have the ability to discern the truth, then I have to be very careful. A lie can cost me my life.
Then again, I technically have three.
"It was fun," I admit. "The most fun I've had in a while.
" The winter soup tastes exceptional here.
I can feel my body warming up from the inside out.
Bao Bao sighs from his spot, clearly comfortable.
I glance at the Legendary General, waiting for him to reveal the reason why he's asked me for dinner.
"What do you like to do for fun?" He questions me as I place a spoonful of soup in my mouth. It strikes a nerve. If I were in my world, I don't know what I would say. I'd spend so much of my time working that the hobbies I had seemed to fade away in the background.
"I don't know," I answer honestly. "I haven't thought about that in a long time. What do you like to do for fun?"
I notice the way he hesitates to answer.
In all the stories I'd heard of him, not one of them has mentioned what he does for fun.
It appears he's asked a question neither of us know how to enter.
Thankfully, Mei Mei runs inside. She leaps into the Legendary General's lap and motions for both of us to be quiet.
"Mei Mei?" Her mother calls. "Mei Mei?" The sound of her voice fades away. To my surprise, the Legendary General plays along. When she's sure she's gone, Mei Mei bursts into laughter.
"Mama said not to bother you tonight," Mei Mei says matter-of-factly. It isn't clear who she's speaking to until she makes a face at the Legendary General and I. "But I got bored."
She pushes herself out of the Legendary General's lap and gives me a serious look. "Are you sad? Your golden went away again."
I get out of my chair and kneel in front of her so we're eye-level. "I am a little sad," I admit. "But now that you're here, I feel less sad."
"See," she pouts. "I told you she gets golden when she isn't sad."
"Are you hungry, Mei Mei?" I ask. When she nods, I gesture for her to take my seat. She climbs into the chair and uses my unused chopsticks to create what appears to look like a salad wrap. I kneel next to her, complimenting her on her idea.
"I didn't ask you what your name was," she asks. I glance at the Legendary General. If I lie to her, there's a chance he'll know. I whisper my answer in her ear. I'm sure he can still hear, but I choose to be as honest as I can.
"My name is Sora, but you can call me Soso," I whisper in her ear. Technically it's not a lie. In this world my name is Sora. No one has ever called me Soso, but I wonder if I'll feel like myself if I use a name I've thought of myself.
"Soso?" She squeals.
"Mei Mei," her mother emphasizes each syllable of her name. Mei Mei shoves the wrap into her mouth and scurries towards her mom. "Uncle said it was okay," she whines. "And so did Soso."
The Legendary General nods as Mei Mei is escorted out by her Mother. He takes a sip of tea and gives me an amused look. "Soso?"
"It's short for Sora," I answer. Now that I know lettuce wraps are acceptable in this time period, I create my own. The combination of flavors taste so much better together.
"I hadn't noticed any children or dogs in your estate," the Legendary General observes. "Yet both seem to take an immediate liking to you."
A small smile makes its way onto my face. At least he's beginning to reveal his true intentions now. I finish the salad wrap and resist the urge to make another bad joke.
"Considering most people here do not seem to like me, I am honored that those who can truly see me appreciate me," I answer.
My face drops when I realize I shouldn't have mentioned the word "here.
" It makes me sound as if I'm not from here.
While it's technically true, I don't know if it's too soon to tell him the truth.
"Here?" He echoes. "You've just arrived."
I think about a way to twist the truth as I take a sip of tea. If we're getting technical, I have just arrived. It's been less than a week that I've been stuck here.
"That's true," I respond. "But every time I feel like I belong, I remember why I don't."
He seems to accept the answer I gave, but I can still feel he doubts me. I place my tea cup down and sigh. In all the Webtoons I've read, it's better to be as honest as possible as early as possible.
The sound of faint bells becomes louder. Bao Bao transforms into his form as a little dog and hops into my lap. Everything freezes around me.
"Congratulations," the voice declares. "The Legendary General is officially interested in you. As a reward, you are free to call on me whenever you need."
The voice disappears and Bao Bao snuggles into my lap. Servants appear to remove the dishes of dinner and replace them with tiny desserts. I've heard the voice more times than I can count now, but its presence still terrifies me. The strangest part though is that it sounds as if it's closer.
"Are you alright?" The Legendary General asks. He glances at Bao Bao then back at me. I place my trembling hands into my lap.
"Better now," I answer honestly. In an attempt to change the subject, I gesture at the assortment of desserts in front of us. Bao Bao jumps out of my lap, uninterested. "What are these?"
"I thought they were the most popular desserts in the Imperial Palace," he reveals. "Do you not recognize them?"
I glance at the desserts in front of me. The only dishes that look familiar to me are the ones with azuki beans. He looks just as confused as I do.
"This one's my favorite," I answer as I grab azuki bean paste with bits of mochi layered in it. "It reminds me of my Mother."
As soon as I take a bite, tears involuntarily stream down my face. It tastes just like my mom's mochi I ate back at home before I was thrown into this place. I try to calm myself down but the tears keep rolling down my face. Sadness rolls throughout me and I can feel myself gasping for air.
It feels like all the grief I'd been ignoring since I came here was bubbling up to the surface. I fall off the chair, gripping my chest. Lady Sora's journal entry from the night I first got here flashes in my head.
Trust no one.
The last thing I see is the regret in the Legendary General's eyes.