Chapter Text
Koo Ryeon was never just a lady everyone expected her to be. Like every lady born and raised in a yanbang family, she was expected to be quiet and obedient and get married as instructed by her father. She was grateful enough that her father had allowed her to study and get exposed to things that are usually not regarded as suitable-for-ladies. Of course boys could get educated and got a fair amount of sword and archery training. Even boys younger than her get to have that right to play around. It was almost like a privilege. Something she was not born with but granted by her father, even though yanbang was already more-privileged than non-nobles.
The Koo family was well-off and respected since Ryeon's father was dae-gam, one of the higher-up officials. Growing up without a mother had pushed Ryeon to be independent more than the others at her age. But she supposed it was also because of how her father had subtly allowed her to read and learn archery, as long as she remained to be a good lady, her father stressed on that.
It had gone beyond that. Of course it had.
In contrast to her usual gentleness, Koo Ryeon was extremely consistent. She would sneak out to practice her archery skills in the forest from time to time, even after getting caught by her father for a few times.
It was not like her father was harsh or hard on her. He was a gentle man. Ryeon knew that he felt guilty for her growing up without a mother. She did not see the truth until she was old enough to understand how the society worked. Her mother died while giving birth to her. And although everyone in the family suggested her father to get remarried, and most importantly, to get a male heir, he never did.
Ryeon had read poetry about romances, although she had to hide the books between a pile of other books. But she never thought her father was romantic in that sense. To her, he had always been a father who spoiled her but was always worried about her, and got wind-up when she talked back to him in a stern tone.
But even when she was the one at fault, her father would be the one who came to her.
"Ryeon-ie ya." He would called softly outside her door. And Ryeon would feel guilty for being stubborn but at the same time not regretted of speaking up for herself.
"Gop-dan ya." Ryeon casted a glance at the servant girl who was close to drooling not far from where she sat. She had been practicing her needlework in her room for a while, as a redemption for sneaking out and got found out by her father again.
Gop-dan was woken up by her voice and abruptly sat straight. "Oh... A-ga-si... I fell asleep again..."
Ryeon let out a sigh as she focused back on the piece she was working on. “You don’t have to stay here with me. Go and do your tasks.”
The girl widened her eyes and shock her head as she said, “No, I can’t do that, a-ga-si. Da-rin had specifically ordered me to stay close to you, so that you can’t sneak out again.”
Ryeon tried her best to hide her annoyance with a gentle smile, “I wouldn’t do that. Just take a nap. It’s even more annoying to see you trying to fight the sleepiness.”
As hard as Gop-dan had tried to stay awake, she did eventually drifted into sleep after hearing her lady’s assurance.
Gop-dan, of course, had been fooled for the numerous time.
As soon as Gop-dan started drooling again. Ryeon’s gaze shifted to the bow and arrow placed next to her desk. She quietly got up from her spot and changed into her hunting outfit. It felt so much better to be able to move around without the layers of dresses.
Before she closed the sliding door, Ryeon casted a final glimpse at the back of the girl in her room to make sure she was still asleep.
It was not like she wanted to get poor Gop-dan in trouble. But it had been unbearably boring to stay in her room all day long. She needed to run and get her hands on her bow.
She bet that when she asked to have archery lessons, it had never crossed her father’s mind that it would come to this point. He thought it was just some fun lessons here and there. But no, Koo Ryeon the lady once again did not do as she was expected to be.
Her steps felt light and full of happiness as she got closer to the forest. Although there was she got bit by a snake here, she still did not got scared off. She just got more careful about her surroundings. That was just how things worked.
That said, of course Ryeon was scared when she got bitten. She was close to panicking as she felt the numbness around the bit wound, although she had fought off the snake with her bow. She had read books on how serious a snake-bit wound could get. And that was not how she wanted to die.
Just as her breathing got heavier uncontrollably, she heard footsteps getting closer to her. Along with the crackling sound of the fallen leaves was a yelling, “Are you alright over there?”
A middle-aged man ran to her side and put down his bow. His gaze moved to the blood on her pants and saw the snake-bit wound. “A-ga-si, you need to see a healer.” There was a young boy who followed behind him.
She was not sure going with a stranger man was a wise choice for a young and single lady. But she did not really have any choice as she fell down again after trying to stand up.
The world seemed like it was turned up side down. That was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes.