Bing-i! What the hell was that just now?!

— “Huh? What’s wrong, Father? Don’t humans do it this way too? That’s how we do it.”

At my panicked outburst, Bing-i tilted his head innocently.

The little brat was clearly using his species’ mating customs—probably those of his sister Seol—as his frame of reference.

I’d assumed, foolishly, that since he’d lived so closely with us, he’d adopt human norms. That was my mistake.

“Ranghu, n-no, that’s not what he meant—”

I tried to correct Bing-i’s utterly outrageous suggestion, but before I could even finish—

Ranghu nodded in understanding, like she’d heard something profound.

— Bzzz? Bzzzzz.

“R-Ranghu!”

And then, before I could say another word, she zipped straight out the open window, her wings humming angrily as she shot off toward Hwa-eun’s quarters.

Gyaaaah!

I screamed inside my head as I leapt onto the window ledge and used Seokcheok Byeokho Shinbo to climb down a bit before launching myself toward the ground.

Behind me, Bing-i’s hesitant voice quivered in my mind.

— “I... I didn’t mess up, did I?”

It finally dawned on him he might have made a mistake. I turned and explained the harsh truth.

“Bing-i, humans don’t ask for permission. If you already have a partner, that means no one else can become one.”

— “W-what? But you bring Aunt Seol around with you all the time, so I thought it was allowed...”

“No! Seol is my sister, born from the same brood!”

— “And that’s... a big problem? I mean, Seol and I were born from the same clutch too...”

“...Haaa...”

Trying to explain was already spiraling out of control.

As I sighed deeply, Bing-i awkwardly offered:

— “W-well, maybe if Lady Hwa-eun refuses Ranghu, this’ll all work itself out?”

This idiot had fully activated his copium fantasy circuits.

But what if Hwa-eun refused and Ranghu didn’t take it well?

I couldn’t leave it to chance—I darted forward using Qinggong and dashed toward Hwa-eun’s quarters.

Tak tak tak tak!

“Who goes there!”

“It’s me! I’m so sorry!”

“Lord So-ryong? Why are you leaping over the wall like some suspicious burglar?”

“Ahaha... There’s a reason, I promise!”

“There are other guards on patrol over there, you know—”

“I’m sorry! So sorry!”

As I jumped the wall and passed through the courtyard, apologizing to the responding guards, I must’ve hit one of Yo-hwa’s hidden webs, because a shadow glided in beside me mid-air.

— Ksshhht?

“Oh, Yo-hwa. I’m on my way to Hwa-eun’s room.”

— Kshhht-kshhht.

She seemed to decide to tag along and swept me into her arms, taking to the sky with far greater speed than I could manage on my own.

Carried by Yo-hwa, we soared over rooftops and walls, arriving swiftly at the entrance to Hwa-eun’s quarters.

From inside, I could already hear Hwa-eun’s voice.

“Hm? You want to be So-ryong’s?”

Oh no. She’s already talking to her about it!?

— Bzzzt.

— Chrrrr. “That’s what she says, Mom.”

From the sounds of it, Ranghu was doing exactly what Bing-i said she would—asking Hwa-eun for permission. And Cho was apparently there too, translating for her wingbeats.

GYAAAAAH.

Whatever Hwa-eun said next could spark chaos or bring peace. I had no idea what direction this disaster was headed.

Then, I heard Hwa-eun’s gentle voice.

“What are you talking about, Ranghu? You already belong to So-ryong, don’t you?”

...WHAT?!

I stared blankly at Bing-i on my shoulder.

I’d been expecting an outright rejection. At worst, some tearful drama. But this?

This was heading into a territory I hadn’t even considered.

Bing-i tilted his head and asked:

— “But Father, she said yes? I thought you said she’d say no. Maybe Mother just has a big heart? If it had been Seol, she definitely wouldn’t have allowed it. I bet there’d be some shed scales involved... Mother must really be generous, huh?”

Most likely, Ranghu’s declaration of wanting to “belong to me” was meant as a romantic confession.

But Hwa-eun seemed to have interpreted it as Ranghu asking to officially become one of my venomous companions.

Hence her response: “You already are.”

— Bzzzz.

— Chrrt. “She says thank you, Mom. She’s deeply moved.”

“Oh my, moved? Fufu. You know, this is actually the first time I’ve had a proper conversation with you, Ranghu.”

— Bzzzzzz.

— Chrrrrrr. “Big Sis Ranghu says she hopes to be closer with you from now on.”

“Really? Thank you, Ranghu. Oh—did So-ryong tell you already?”

— Bzzz?

“I mean, we might be heading out again for a bit. Didn’t he say anything?”

— Bzzz.

“That’s odd. I thought he said he told you. Anyway, looks like we’ll be away for a little while. Is that okay?”

— Bzzzzzz.

“I’m sorry for always leaving you behind. I really wish we could bring you too. That’s what makes it hard.”

Two people, two completely different interpretations—yet somehow, the misunderstanding had settled itself peacefully.

Just as I turned to Bing-i to ask how we were supposed to clean this mess up—

— Kshhhht?

Yo-hwa’s curious noise interrupted my thoughts.

I looked to my side—but she was gone.

Scanning the area, I saw the open door to Hwa-eun’s quarters.

Then came the next line from inside:

— Chrrrt. “Mom, Big Sis Yo-hwa says she wants to be Dad’s too.”

“...Today’s just full of surprises. But you’re all already So-ryong’s. Of course Yo-hwa belongs to him, too.”

— Ksshhhhh.

Yo-hwa’s cheerful chirping laughter echoed from inside the room.

I stared blankly at Bing-i again, utterly lost for words.

Then, with a soft thud, Bing-i leapt down from my shoulder and began ambling toward the door.

Oh, he’s going in to clean up his own mess. Good. That’s how it should be.

He started it, he should fix it.

That’s when I heard his muttered voice:

— “I guess I should start calling them... stepmothers?”

...Useless. Absolutely, stunningly useless.

***

The next morning, we gathered for departure.

On the Tang Clan’s side, warriors and family members had come to see us off.

On the other side stood me, Sister Seol, and the Dragon Fangs—O-ryong Sambong.

And not long after we’d taken our places, two beggars I’d never seen before suddenly arrived in front of Gujinmun, flying in with Qinggong.

“Whoops. We’re late.”

One was a young beggar, his ragged clothes tied with eight knotted loops.

Elder Geolhwang had said he’d be sending two people to support us. One of them, he mentioned, was a disciple of the current Beggars’ Union Chief. This must’ve been him.

According to what Hwa-eun told me, the Eight Knots represented a direct disciple of the current Union Chief.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Hu-gae Makgok. Long time no see, Elder Mandok Shingun. Clan Leader Tang.”

“It’s been a while, Hu-gae.”

“To see you in such fine form gives me hope for the Beggars’ Union’s future.”

“And you must be Young Lord So-ryong?”

This Makgok fellow, aside from his grimy clothes, looked surprisingly sharp for a beggar—until he opened his mouth to reveal a gaping hole where his front tooth should’ve been.

He gave off the impression of a village idiot, someone foolish but somehow likable despite (or because of) his missing tooth.

“A pleasure to meet you. I’m So-ryong.”

I returned his polite greeting with a respectful clasp of hands.

Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind me—Master Jaheo.

“It’s been a while, Makgok.”

The beggar glanced over my shoulder and grinned.

“Oh, so you’re here too, Jaheo? I only heard the Dragon Fangs would be coming.”

“Someone as lazy as you, coming all the way to Sichuan? What gives?”

“It’s the locusts, of course. My master wouldn’t shut up about it. Honestly, if a beggar’s hungry, he should just starve—that’s the way of the world. So much trouble. Still, I suppose it won’t be boring with you around.”

His speech was utterly unfiltered.

I assumed “old man” referred to either his master or Elder Geolhwang. Either way, he talked like a true beggar—unbound, informal, and unapologetically candid.

“Anyway, who’s this beside you? Care to introduce them to Young Lord So-ryong?”

Jaheo gestured to the second beggar who’d arrived with Makgok, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° politely nudging the conversation back toward me.

Makgok turned to introduce the other man.

“Oh, right. Almost forgot. This one here knows the languages of Tianzhu and the Potala Palace. His name’s not really important—we beggars don’t care much for such things.”

“I’ve already been informed by Elder Geolhwang.”

So the second beggar was someone Elder Geolhwang had tipped me off about—a likely interpreter in case we needed to speak with folks from the Tibetan regions.

“Well then, everyone’s here. Shall we set off?”

The greetings done, we were clear to go.

As I looked over the group, my father-in-law quickly approached and whispered in my ear:

[You’ve spoken properly to the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings, haven’t you?]

He was still worried about Ranghu.

But since Hwa-eun had told her we’d be leaving, there was no need for concern. She’d seemed satisfied with Hwa-eun’s response and had stayed quiet after that.

Still, I had one mission left—clearing up the misunderstanding.

That could wait until we returned from Tibet.

I had no interest in poking the hornet’s nest... literally.

Then again, it really is a hornet’s nest.

[Of course, Father-in-law.]

Satisfied with my answer, he nodded and stepped back. I turned and called out to the kids.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s move out.”

— Grrr. “Understood.”

Rising from the bushes came Cheongwol, and with her, the others: Hyang, Seol, Bing, Dong, Sandan, Ranghyang, Hongdan, Hwayang. And following behind them, Cheongyu, Yeondu, Orange, Cho, and Bini all made their way toward me.

Above my head fluttered Moji, Soji, and Sister Jeokwol.

Makgok’s startled voice rang out:

“Hiiiik! I-I heard about them, but they’re even more incredible than the stories!”

That was the standard reaction when someone met my creatures for the first time. Smiling, I gave my usual response.

“They won’t harm you, as long as you don’t try to harm them.”

“R-right. Of course.”

Still overwhelmed, Makgok and the other beggar instinctively kept their distance.

Time to head to the dock where the boat awaited us.

“Shall we go?”

At my cue, Cheongwol lowered her body in front of me.

Hwa-eun and Sister Seol climbed aboard, and Cheongwol beckoned me as well.

— Grnng. “So-ryong, hop on.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

We set off toward the boat.

It felt refreshingly new to be traveling in broad daylight with all the kids.

Normally we had to sneak around in the dark to avoid being seen.

But this was the Tang Clan’s turf. They could just block off the roads.

Being part of a powerful family did have its perks.

“Feels good to travel during the day.”

— Chrrrt. “Right, Dad.”

— Shiaa. “Yes, So-ryong. I think it’s our first time moving around like this in daylight.”

— Skka. “Hyung, Yeondu really likes it. Let’s go out during the day more often?”

— Shia. “I’ve told you not to say things like that in front of others.”

— Skaaat. “S-sorry...”

Orange had blurted out something dumb in excitement, got scolded by Yeondu, and slumped—but quickly perked back up.

That was when we arrived at the river—and spotted Geumdo up ahead.

— Brrrr.

Geumdo rumbled in greeting, and moments later, Heukjeomi leapt out of the water, shaking his entire body.

I’d told them yesterday we’d be heading out today, so they seemed excited to be moving again.

“Hey there, Geumdo, Heukjeomi. Good to see you both.”

We’d reached the riverbank.

Just as we were preparing to board the boat, and lining up beside Geumdo—

Do Sagong, the boat overseer, approached with a hesitant look.

“So-ryong-nim, I didn’t hear from you directly, but we’ve kept one of the docks open for some guests who arrived earlier. Will that be alright?”

“Guests who arrived earlier?”

“Yes, they came last night looking for a place to stay. We gave them shelter, but...”

What?

There were others besides us planning to board?

Had someone pulled a fast one on the Tang Clan?

I rushed over to the reserved dock.

And from the open doorway, I heard an all-too-familiar sound:

— Bzzzt.

— Bzzzzzt.

“No way...”

Peering through the open door, I spotted Ranghu inside—already having built her own hexagonal hive structure.

About a hundred worker wasps were fluttering about as well.

Apparently, she had moved in early, ahead of departure.

Suddenly, I remembered what Hwa-eun had said to her yesterday:

“I’m sorry we always leave you behind. I wish we could bring you with us.”

And just like that, Ranghu—swift and full of initiative—took it literally.

She’d come and secured her spot on the boat ahead of everyone else.

My head was starting to throb.