Chapter 7
Nandita bit her lip, as Lady Hae said her goodbyes. She made her way to follow her, but another hand grabbed her wrist. She turned to see the old lady, who seemed perfectly fine. Doubt spread in Nandita’s mind that maybe she wasn’t sick to begin with. She shook the thoughts out of herself, as the woman sat her down. The younger girl also made her way towards them. She smiled at Nandita, who failed an attempt to reciprocate.
Her eyes kept darting towards the doorway and the people around her. Her palms began to sweat. I guess I’m not supposed to leave? Nandita gulped. Her heart began accelerating at the thought.
Why would Lady Hae leave me here? Her eyebrows furrowed as more questions circled her head. Nandita had completed what she believed the task was. And from the expression that everyone in the room had, she had done reasonably well. I guess I did too well and now have to stay here? Nandita shook her head at the thought. That would be impossible. She was a failure; a lost cause of a human being. A cursed child who would only bring misery to those around her. If they knew, they would also cast her out, as they did back at home.
An arm linked up with Nandita's, as the younger girl sat next to her. A smile plastered on her face. Her focus was on the elder, who had turned her back to them, looking through the herbs and casting out the spoiled ones.
“Grandma, isn’t she so cute? She’s like a newborn chick who has been separated from her mother,” she said. The older woman replied by throwing mouldy herbs at her. The Girl exclaimed in disgust. She began to protest. Nandita watched, completely puzzled by their interaction. What a peculiar couple.
Before she could even fathom the reasons that led to her to be in this moment, a knock resonated within the room. All heads turned towards the entrance, as a girl stood there. Nandita recognised her escort—the Girl in Plain. Within her hands, she held a large sack. She presented it to the old woman.
“This is all of her belongings.”
“That doesn’t look like much,” said the Girl in Braids, as the bag was handed to Nandita. It was heavier than she thought. Her fingertips felt something solid underneath the fabric. She opened it. Everyone’s eyes were on her, as Nandita almost jumped out of her seat. The sound of wood and metal echoed as the bag hit the floor. Nandita's eyes widened, as that object’s malformed face snarled at her.
The older woman pushed it aside and picked it up. Her eyes inspected every nook and wrinkle, Nandita could see two holes where the eyes would be. A mask! She placed a hand to her chest, in the hope to calm her erratic heart.
The woman frowned before showing it to Nandita once again. She took the mask. Her eyes filled with bewilderment, fear and intrigue. The mask was carved from wood and stained with a dark umber. Its face mimicked a regular human but had distorted portions. Its large mouth, showcasing its sharp fangs, took most of the area of the mask. The round eyes gave a glazed appearance as if the creature was in a trance of fury. Its brows, which emphasized its rage, led to the top of the skull and became horns, giving the mask its demonic look. Nandita watched in horror, as red flakes disintegrated off the mask and onto her hands. It was dried blood.
The woman watched Nandita and sighed. She picked up the bag and brought out one of its belongings. and handed it to Nandita. It was a tunic made of a hefty black material. As she inspected it closer, she saw a hole had pierced through the shoulder area of the top. More red flakes began to crumble at her touch. She began to connect the dots. She brought the shirt and placed it in front of her as if she was going to try it on. The hole lined with her shoulder wound.
Nandita’s mouth felt dry. If this was suggesting what she believed, then the past of this body was more terrifying than she could ever imagine. She took the sack off the woman. Her face dropped as dread set in. Inside the bag rested a dented and chipped breastplate. She brought it out of the bag, her fingers turned cold upon touch. She shook her head. No, this can’t be.
She faced the others in the room and pointed at the objects, before tapping her chest. Are these mine? The old lady raised an eyebrow, while the Girl in Braids shared a concerned look. With no answer, Nandita repeated the gestures, but with more intensity. The Girl in Braids and the Girl in Plain nodded their heads.
Nandita’s legs felt weak. She collapsed back onto the stool. This body was someone who could fight. This body was in a fight. Which was why this body was covered in injuries when Nandita took over. Her heart felt heavy as the weight of reality hit her. This person had to die for me to take over. What happens if her past kills me now?
Nandita almost scoffed. Of course, everything was too good to be true. Why would the Gods allow her a second chance at life? When they could punish her throughout her reincarnations.
Instead of heartache reminding her of the truth, Nandita felt her blood boil. She had enough. Why should she accept a fate that isn’t even hers? Why should she spend the rest of her days living in fear? Why should she let this curse have so much power over her? She didn’t ask for this. She didn’t ask for any of this. Nandita could feel the tears burning her eyes. But she refused to let them fall. She had shed too many tears already and enough was enough.
Before another reckless action could be thought of, the Girl in Braids crouched down, her eyes peering into Nandita’s. Her brows were furrowed as she assessed her. She turned and shook her head. “I don’t think she remembers.”
“What do you mean?” said the Girl in Plain. The old woman’s eyes hadn’t left Nandita’s until she turned and began tinkering with something in the kitchen.
“Well, it’s pretty obvious when you recognise the signs,” she said, but the Girl in Plain kept a confused face. The Girl in Braids sighed. “That was a face filled with fear. Considering she can’t speak Korean, I’m guessing none of you told her that she was shot by some arrows. Taking note of that, it shows she doesn’t remember being shot. I dunno about you, but I’m pretty sure I would remember the bastard that did this to me.” She sat down next to Nandita. “I’m just worried that she might not remember anything else.”
“She knows her name. She told Lady Hae.”
The Girl in Braids shook her head. “We don't speak her language. For all we know, she could be saying ‘I have no memories!’ or just straight up be cursing at us.”
“She responds to it though,” the Girl in Braids pouted.
“Well, if someone started to randomly curse at me, I would react as well.” the girl furrowed her brows as she thought about it more. “What did you say you think her name might be”
“Nandita.”
Nandita’s ears picked that up. So they were talking about her. Her cheeks began to turn pink. The frustration of not understanding what was going on was grinding her nerves. Maybe her lack of composure was already fractured due to the revelation she just had. Or maybe it was inevitable. Nandita made a quick note to try and pick up as much as she can from observing those around her.
“Nandita,” the other girl said this time, becoming the target of Nandita’s gaze. She repeated the name once again, then pointed at herself. “Seung Hee. Ghim Seung Hee.”
Nandita’s brows relaxed as some sort of familiarity became prevalent. She recognised that name as one of her students. The girl then pointed at the other and said, “Chae Ryung.” She repeated the name a few times as well. Nandita nodded as she understood what was going on. Nandita pointed at herself and repeated her name, but this time more with a smile.
“See? I told you she knew her name,” Chae Ryung sneered. Before she could try and argue her case further, the older woman came back into the room, carrying a tray, with a tea set on it. All the girls rush up and pry the tray from her hands. She smiled at Chae Ryung and Nandita before scowling at Seung Hee as she took the tray from her. Seung Hee pouted at her scrutiny.
The woman then made her way outside. The rest of the girls stumbled as they began to follow the elder. The woman grabbed a nearby low woven wicker table, that would have been used to dry the herbs, and sat on it. She gestured to the girls to sit next to her, which they all obeyed. Seung Hee placed the tray within the middle of the group. The elder began to pour tea for everyone. They all waited for her to begin drinking before sipping theirs. It was green tea. Nandita tried to conceal her disgust, with a smile towards the older woman. But instead began choking on the beverage.
Chae Ryung began to pat her back before she was stopped by Nandita, who motioned at her injuries. As Nandita recovered, the older woman gestured something. Nandita watched intently as she signed. Seung Hee began laughing before leaving everyone to return to the house. When she came back, she returned with a small ceramic jar and a spoon. She handed it to the old woman, who removed the fine cloth that covered the lid of the jar. She dipped the spoon inside and scooped out a golden syrup. She plopped some into Nandita’s tea and stirred it in. Nandita’s eyes widened, as she took a sip from her tea once more.
“Honey!” she exclaimed. She pointed at the jar and repeated. The Elder smiled and nodded. “Honey,” Seung Hee said as she took the jar once more. She repeated the gesture and the words. “Honey?” Nandita muttered to herself, taking note of the new word she had learnt. She turned and smiled at Seung Hee. She repeated the word once more, before turning and pointing to her teacup. “Green tea,” she said.
“Green tea,” Chae Ryung added. Nandita smiled once again at the new word. Her smile ignited something inside the old lady’s mind. She clapped her hands, before turning to Seung Hee to gesture once again. Nandita watched carefully. Seung Hee’s eyes widened with admiration and she nodded her head in quick succession. Seung Hee ran back into the house and brought out a crate, filled with herbs. Nandita inspected it and recognised most of them immediately. One by one, Seung Hee picked up a herb and announced its name to Nandita. Chae Ryung eventually joined in as well.
Giggles and laughter filled the air as the girls bonded over learning names. They hadn’t noticed the old woman left them to their own devices until she came back. She plopped a small brown sack onto the bench. It clanged heavily, startling Nandita. She looked around and noticed the sun was over their heads, marking the beginning of the late afternoon. Time had flown by.
Seung Hee inspected the bag and gasped. “Huh? You had this much lying around here?” The woman lightly smacked her head, before pointing at the gates. Nandita peeked inside the bag and saw a handful of coins. She watched the woman signal towards the gate and had an understanding of what was being suggested. The girls all rose in unison, as they understood they had to run an errand. The Elder then gestured to her own clothes, then motioned to Nandita. “You want us to buy clothes for Nandita?” Chae Ryung asked. The woman smiled and nodded.
Nandita stared at the others while they conversed. Before she could decipher anything, Seung Hee and Chae Ryung linked their arms with her and made their way to the gate. Nandita turned to look back at the woman, however, she had already begun to return to the house.
The soft dirt road was still empty as it was before. The two girls guided Nandita to a bigger road. As they made their distance from the hut, people began to emerge on the streets. Some stared at them, while others greeted them. It wasn’t long until the streets became busier and busier. The soft dirt had hardened with the increase of people. Buildings became more frequent, and soon the trio was met with the bustling life of the city.
Nandita’s eyes soaked up the new scenery. Traditional roofs marked the densely populated areas. The sound of chatter flooded the air, as street vendors marked up their prices and competed with each other, while their customers were haggling for a better deal. The girls directed Nandita towards one of the vendors. Passing multiple carts, they made their way towards a small shack. Outside the entrance, laid out fabrics of all sorts of colour; pale pinks, blues and yellows. Her fingertips traced over the materials as they made their way inside. Nandita saw a middle-aged female merchant, who greeted the trio with a smile. Seung Hee began talking to the shopkeeper, while Chae Ryung picked out clothes. She gravitated towards a blanched pink jeogori and held it towards Nandita. She shook her head, as the blouse was too big for the small girl.
The older woman chuckled at the sight, before handing a faded yellow chima and a white jeogori, one that seemed to reflect Nandita’s size. One by one, a pile of clothes for Nandita became sizeable, with colours from faint green and yellow, to browns and whites.
The owner began to place another outfit onto the pile before Seung Hee stopped her. “Sorry, but we should only get the essentials,” she said, before gesturing towards Nandita, “She can share my clothes for now and then build up from there.”
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The older woman smiled before continuing to place the item on the stack of clothes. “Well, this one's on me then.”
“Wait, we can’t take this, it’s too expensive—”
“—You and your grandmother saved my life, it’s only fair I help you in some way. Plus we got the spiritual ritual coming up, so she would probably need a nice outfit for the occasion,” the woman chuckled. Seung Hee gulped. Before she could protest further, the clothes had been packed. Seung Hee sighed before sharing a small thank you as Nandita and Chae Ryung made their way over after exploring the rest of the shop.
Just as before with the herbs, Nandita turned to Chae Ryung and began naming colours of the clothes, in Hindi. She replied with the appropriate correspondent in Korean. Giggles filled the air and soon Chae Ryung began to challenge Nandita; pointing at fabrics of all sorts to ensure that she was learning. It almost became a game to them.
As they made their way to leave the shop, the linking of arms didn’t seem as awkward to Nandita as it did before. They continued playing the game as they made their way through the city. Laughter helped ease the transition of being in an unfamiliar place. It almost reminded Nandita of when she first arrived in Korea, with her sister and her brother-in-law and had to study the language. It was through learning Modern Korean she met Jaewook and became quick friends with him. He would also try and make games and such to help Nandita. A soft smile played on her lips before a frown took its place. There was no point in reminiscing about days that hadn’t been yet.
As Nandita snapped out of her thoughts, the trio soon made their way through the city, picking up bits and pieces for the new girl. Nandita began mapping the city. Or at least the marketplace became much more familiar. The landmarks were much more memorable. From the street food vendors and grocers to the blacksmiths and seamstresses. Nandita sighed in relief. This was much easier to navigate her way through, especially with the aid of others.
Soon Nandita and they were carrying bags brimmed with clothes, some extra bedding as well as some toiletries. It wasn’t before long the merchants began to pack up for the evening, as dusk manifested itself to the city. Nandita’s body was sore; her legs were aching from walking around all day. The girls began to make their way home before the sound of growling circled them. Seung Hee and Chae Ryung turned to see a blushing Nandita, who clutched her stomach sheepishly. A rupture of laughter ensued as the girls guided her towards the last food vendor that was opened.
The scent of warm bread was mouth-watering. Nandita watched as Seung Hee ordered two fish-shaped steamed buns. She licked her lips as she was handed one.
“Bungeo-ppang,” Sueng Hee said, as she gave the bread to her. Nandita raised her eyebrows; shocked that the word for the bun had not changed over the years. She smiled and mimicked her pronunciation; her lips not fumbling around due to its familiarity. Seung Hee shared a look with Chae Ryung, while Nandita mentally kicked herself. Of course, her suddenly getting a word right would seem strange. Nandita’s heart raced, as she tried to think of an explanation. If she told the truth, they probably wouldn’t believe it and that was only if she could convey it to them. A sigh in frustration crept up to her lips. Before she could expel it, Seung Hee stepped forward and clasped Nandita’s cheeks with both her hands.
“Ahh, she’s learning so quickly! How cute!” Chae Ryung began to wipe away a fake tear as the two rejoiced. Nandita scratched her head, as she watched the theatrical. She let out a half-laugh as the girls linked up their arms once more. They began sharing the bread between them. They had finally passed the last merchant, who began to cover his cart when something caught Nandita’s eye. She walked up to him, completely entranced by the object.
“Hey lady, we’re closed. Come back tomorrow if you want to buy something.”
Not understanding what he was saying, Nandita continued towards the object; a small notebook enthralled in black leather. She picked it up and flicked through the pages, which were all blank. Perfect. She turned to Seung Hee and gestured towards the book.
“You want to get that?” Chae Ryung asked. Nandita clutched the book to her chest, while a timid expression played on her face. Seung Hee laughed before marching up to the cart. “How much?”
“It’s not for sale,” the man grumbled.
“What do you mean?” Seung Hee took the book and also flipped through. “It’s blank, so you’re not using it.”
“We’re closed.”
“Well technically you’re closing, so why not make a little buck while you still can?”
The man sighed before crossing his arms. “Fine, because it’s after hours, it’ll cost you double the price.”
“What!? That’s extortion!” Chae Ryung retorted. The man shrugged his shoulders and continued closing up. Seung Hee shared a look with Chae Ryung, before looking inside her coin purse. She began to chew her lip. She could barely afford the notebook at its average price, especially after buying the bungeo-ppang. Her eyes traced back to Nandita, whose head lowered as she put the book back. Seung Hee forced a smile as an apology to the girl, but Nandita shook her head. She touched the Girl with Braids’ shoulder: it’s ok, she hoped it would translate as. Seung Hee placed her hand on top, still sharing a grimace on her face. The girls began to walk away when another voice spoke.
“I’ll buy it for them.”
They all turn. Seung Hee and Chae Ryung’s eyes widened in horror as the 13th Prince Baek Ah stood behind them. But instead of his royal garbs, he wore plainer clothes of burgundy and blue, his hair in a loose bun rather than his regular half updo. They began to bow, but the man quickly stopped them.
“But my Prince—” Chae Ryung stopped herself, as the noble raised his finger to his lips and shook his head, causing the young girl to silence herself. Nandita watched in awe as the man paid the merchant and handed her the book. But she did not take it. She stared at the stranger, who offered her a smile. He was surprisingly good looking, although there was a bright spark in his eyes that emphasized how young he was. Almost mischievous.
“It’s ok.” He waved the book in her direction, “It’s the least I can do for someone who saved my life.”
Nandita shared a look with Seung Hee, who nodded in return. She took the book wearingly and bowed her thanks. His smile became a beam, with her response. The two girls stared in awe as the weight of what had transpired finally hit them.
“O Royal Highness! We are forever in your debt!” the two began to fall to their knees, as they exclaimed their gratefulness. The young Prince's cheeks began to flush at their action; glancing around to ensure no one was watching. “Please get up, this is completely unnecessary!” he begged. The two shared a concerned glance, as they promptly rose before apologizing for their actions.
The 13th Prince cleared his throat, his hand placed behind his back as he spoke. “It is alright. It was not your intention.”
Nandita scratched her chin at the shift of his demeanour. At this point, she wasn’t sure if she should give up trying to understand the situation, but something didn’t sit right. She began to chew the inside of her cheek, as she thought about it more.
This man paid for her book but seemed uncomfortable with the acts of gratitude displayed by Chae Ryung and Seung Hee. What could that mean? Does he want something else in return? Nandita watched the interactions between him and the girls, in the hope she could decipher more. They refused to make direct eye contact with him as they spoke to him. But he seemed unphased by this. Interesting.
The young man turned towards Nandita, almost leering over her, as he focused the conversation on her. “And may I ask why our masked hero is here in the city of Songak and not in her chambers, where she should be resting her injuries?”
“We needed to obtain some supplies and personal items for her, Your Highness.”
“Personal items?”
“Yes. She doesn’t have much, and we were tasked to aid her.” Seung Hee’s heart was racing as she gave an explanation. This situation of a Prince paying for something other than his own was already bizarre. But now seeing a Prince in common clothing seemed sacrilegious. She had to tread carefully. Everything could go horribly wrong in a matter of seconds, which could lead to her, and Chae Ryung, getting into trouble. She glanced at Nandita, who was staring intently at the Prince. Damn that girl! She must be utterly clueless or really ballsy. Nonetheless, the thought made her smile a little.
“Why? Is she not being sent back home?” he cocked a brow.
“Starting tomorrow, the girl will be working at the West Apothecary and will be attending to Lady Hae,” Chae Ryung answered. A stern expression fell on Baek Ah’s face. This didn’t make sense. He understood that the girl was pardoned for saving the Princes, but she did somehow break into the Royal Bathhouse, which was still a heavy crime. It seemed odd that she is being rewarded for such a thing. He examined the girl’s expression. She kept direct eye contact with him. Interesting.
The Prince turned to face Nandita, “You’ll be working for Lady Hae?” His heart jumped as he mentioned her name, a smirk danced across his lips. Nandita glanced at Seung Hee for a prompt on how to answer. The girl nodded slowly, which Nandita mimicked. His smile enlarged. “ Well, I guess I will be seeing you more often.”
He turned on his heel and began to walk away. “The book is a loan. You can pay me back when the time is right!” he called out. Nandita watched as the back of him became smaller and smaller. All she could do was wonder about the identity of the man. She bit her lip. She glanced down at the object in her hand. Was it the right call to accept the book?
~~~
End of Chapter 7.