Youngest Daughter of the Ultimate Martial Master Namgung Family

Chapter 9

From that day on, Nanny took care of everything Heeran used, ate, and wore. Thanks to this, Heeran was able to go outside a few times while being held by her—even if it was just right in front of her bedroom. But since Heeran was in the body of an infant who could not get around on her own, she was quite satisfied with even that.

I see that you’re overdoing it. If you’re having a hard time, you don’t need to go this far.

Heeran looked around and saw that Soso was trying to gauge Nanny’s mood, the same way she herself was trying to do. The stuffiness was making Heeran feel like she couldn’t breathe. As a last resort, she let out a wail.

Nanny was startled out of her deep thoughts—she picked Heeran up. “Oh dear, why is our lady crying? Is something wrong?” The hand patting her back was still warm and familiar. And yet, Heeran still felt like she was missing something.

Why do I feel so terrible?

Her heart thumped with an ominous feeling for some unknown reason. The senses that had saved Heeran from countless deadly crossroads were ringing an alarm. She wasn’t safe right now.

But why?

Heeran tilted her head. Her current self was not a sword-wielding warrior, but a small baby.

I don’t think there are any gains or losses to be had if I’m harmed. She wasn’t a threat to anyone right now. But who would want to hurt me? The people around her, including Soso and Nanny, cherished her desperately.

Am I mistaken?

After deliberating over the unresolved question for a long time, Heeran couldn’t escape the exhaustion that had swept over her once more, and she fell asleep in Nanny’s arms.

In the chilly air, Heeran snuggled into the warm embrace. A deft hand rubbed her back, and Heeran heard a voice. She couldn’t tell if it was a dream or reality.

“You will have to be careful with your words and actions every time. Even with this last incident, the Chief Officer would’ve noticed if we hadn’t gotten lucky.”

“Don’t worry. Even if he notices, it’ll be someone else and not me who will take responsibility.”

Along with Nanny’s voice, Heeran could hear the voice of a middle-aged man. It’s definitely a voice I’ve heard before... but from where?

She was still half-asleep and delirious, but she tried to pay attention as the conversation continued.

“Excellent, then I’ll trust you,” said the man. “My expectations for you are great.”

“Yes, I will do my best. But do you really think... Youngest Miss will also be extraordinarily talented?”

“Tsk. No matter how humble her mother’s origins are, she has the Great Namgung Family blood. Just think about Patriarch and his siblings.”

“That’s true. Starting with the First Young Master who’s just become the patriarch, to the Second Young Master who has trouble moving properly due to a chronic illness, everyone has remarkable talents.”

“Yes. At first, they all looked like miserable beggars who couldn’t do anything.”

“I remember.”

“But now they have dared to succeed in transforming themselves into the children of the Great Namgung Family. Do you know how long it took until no one could deny them that title?”

The man’s voice was a mixture of spite and contempt—Heeran, who was floating on the border of dreaming and reality, felt his words like a splash of cold water.

She realized who was spewing insults about her and her siblings.

Second Elder Sa-goeng Namgung! It was unmistakably his voice.

“It was only a year.”

Elder Sa-goeng had always disapproved and spoken ill of her. Slander just seemed to pour out of him constantly. She could still vividly hear his sarcastic voice on the day that the Namgung Family collapsed—he had said to her face how fortunate it was that the feud with the Steel Blood Alliance would end if the family handed her over to them.

I have no doubt—it’s him!

Heeran could barely swallow the scream that threatened to rise out of her at any moment. Her mind was in chaos.

Why is he having such a conversation with Nanny?

Heeran’s heart began to violently race at the ominous feeling.

Elder Sa-goeng continued, “Do not judge easily by what you see in front of you. We don’t know what kind of potential that one has.”

“Yes, Elder Sa-geong. But... wouldn’t the Third Young Master be a better choice? I’ve heard rumors that he’s already a great martial artist.”

“Tsk. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already assigned someone to him.”

“As expected of you, Elder Sa-geong.”

“So just do a good job playing the role of that one’s nanny.”

Even with closed eyes, there was no way Heeran could mistake the warm embrace holding her or the soothing voice speaking. That was why her heart sank. She was shaken by a dizzying sensation—it felt like the floor beneath her had completely disappeared.

Her mind was a mess. In the past, her nanny was the only person who had cherished her and taken good care of her. Heeran had definitely thought that was the case... so why?

“Make sure that the child follows you well. To the point that she not only obediently listens to whatever you say but accepts everything unconditionally.”

“Don’t worry. She cannot sleep in anyone else’s arms, and she cries when others carry her. She already follows me alone.”

“Something as useless as this recent incident should also be done in moderation. If the tail is long, it’s easier to catch.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Tsk, I’ll be on my way now.”

Hearing Elder Sa-goeng’s words, Heeran immediately opened her eyes. She had to properly confirm things for herself.

Is it really Sa-goeng Namgung? And am I really in Nanny’s arms?

After barely opening her eyes, she saw Elder Sa-goeng, who looked much younger than she remembered. And next to him, holding her, was Nanny with an icy expression on her face.

A familiar smell wafted from Elder Sa-goeng as he passed by them.

The orchid scent! It was the unfamiliar scent that she only smelled while being held by Nanny.

That was when the realization hit Heeran. Nanny... had a different reason for taking care of me? And behind that reason was Sa-goeng Namgung?

The little baby’s body trembled as she touched on a truth she had never known before.

Unable to withstand the shock, Heeran’s mind went dark.

***

In Heeran’s dream, faded memories of the past unfolded.

“How dare you bring dirty food from the marketplace to Miss Heeran! Do you dare to slight her like this?!”

“Pardon? N-no! It’s a misunderstanding!”

The maid was shaking with fear and didn’t know what to do. Heeran could feel her younger self feeling taken aback as she saw this unfold.

“N-nanny, that’s enough!”

“You shouldn’t eat things like this, my lady! It’s dirty food—you don’t know how it was made!”

“B-but I was the one who asked that child to bring me some sweets.”

“You are too kind, my lady. You don’t have to cover up for her like that. There are rules that need to be followed for things like this.”

Heeran stared blankly at her younger self and Nanny.

“You only need to trust me, my lady. Not the wench who served you something that hasn’t been confirmed to be safe for you to eat.”

Her words had an insidious feeling to them. Young Heeran, who didn’t know anything, looked bewildered. “Did that child do something wrong? Even though I was the one that asked for it?”

“Yes, she was wrong. That’s how it is. Your nanny’s words are right. Don’t you agree, my lady?”

While Nanny’s tone was kind, the atmosphere felt overbearing. Nanny was talking in a way that was repetitive and forceful—it was almost like brainwashing.

“But...”

“My lady.”

“I think... Nanny’s words are right.”

In the end, the confused child reluctantly nodded at the stern face of her nanny.

At that moment, Heeran’s field of vision blurred, and another scene unfolded. This time, Heeran had grown up a bit and was running toward Nanny with an excited look on her face.

“Nanny! They say a really big banquet is being held at the Namgung Residence! The Nine Clans Alliance and the Five Great Families will all attend! I can see my brothers and sister then, right?”

The little girl looked adorable—her cheeks were red from her high expectations. But it seemed like the nanny didn’t think that way.

“My lady!”

“H-huh? What’s wrong, Nanny? What did I do wrong?”

“Those people... have no interest in you, Miss Heeran. You know that.”

“But still... we’re family.”

“That’s preposterous. What family in the world would be so indifferent, my lady?”

Heeran, who was watching the situation unfold in her dream, nodded with a downcast face. The nanny beat her own chest as if she was frustrated.

“Those people didn’t even contact you when it was your birthday. Don’t you remember?”

“B-but…”

“I saw that the handkerchiefs you made for them over the course of several sleepless nights were torn and thrown away. What do you expect from such people?”

“What?”

Young Heeran’s eyes widened. Nanny then drove a nail into her heart.

“I couldn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d get hurt, but... my wish is that you wouldn’t care about them anymore, my lady. You won’t get anything in return, anyway.”

Young Heeran was speechless.

“But I’m here for you, my lady,” Nanny continued. “I won’t ever leave you. You know that, right?”

Young Heeran burst into tears, and Heeran saw Nanny hugging her. There was a mockery disguised as sympathy on her face.

And then, everything that she could see was shattered.

Heeran opened her eyes as she woke up from her dream. Perhaps it was because her young body couldn’t control emotions yet, but there was no way to hold in her overwhelming sadness. Tears were flowing down her cheeks.

Nanny doesn’t love me.

She might’ve already been vaguely aware of that. How was it possible that as soon as she had sensed her nanny’s betrayal, she had dreamed of a past that she hadn’t been able to properly remember before?

I buried it because I didn’t want to remember it.

When Heeran realized that her nanny, the only person she had ever trusted, didn’t truly love her, it made her feel like she was truly alone in the world. That must have been why she’d blocked it out—why she’d remembered things only as she pleased.

But now she couldn’t ignore the truth. She was truly a loner once more.

What do I do now? Heeran felt lost again.

She shed tears without letting out a single whimper. And while the tears continued to flow from the corners of her eyes, she suddenly felt a warmth.