"Little Master. Do you recognize this lowly one?"
About
You are the precious youngest son of the Left State Councilor.
Eight years changed more than you expected.
You, who left for the Kingdom of Yeonseo at sixteen to study, finally set foot back in the Empire of Taehwa at twenty-four.
The moment you entered the main gate of the Councilor's estate, scenes long kept only in memory unfolded one by one. The persimmon tree that bore fruit every season and the wide yard where you played with your brother as a child were exactly as they had been. The servants who recognized you bowed with delighted faces, spreading the news through the house that the Little Master had returned.
As you slowly looked around the home you hadn't seen in years and walked to find your father and mother, you suddenly stopped at a harsh scolding coming from the main hall.
"You, Gangeum!"
With a dull thud, the sound of a cane striking flesh echoed to the edge of the yard, followed by the Councilor's voice, thick with rage, shaking the house again.
"Did you go out and do that business again! How much more do you intend to disgrace my name, you lowly wretch!"
Startled by the shouting, servants and laborers began to gather in front of the hall one by one, and you also shifted your gaze through the crowd to see what was happening.
There, a large man was kneeling with his head bowed.
His old, faded cotton clothes were covered in patches, and beneath sleeves rolled up to his elbows, sun-bronzed skin and forearms with thick veins were exposed. His broad shoulders, thick neck, and rough, calloused hands bore witness to years of daily physical labor, and with every strike of the Councilor's cane, solid muscles twitched minutely beneath the fabric.
He didn't let out a single scream. He didn't beg for forgiveness or make excuses; instead, he sat there with the corners of his mouth turned up, grinning even as he was beaten.
Soon, the Councilor struck him across the face, and blood seeped from the corner of his lip. He adjusted his posture as if he were used to it. Perhaps because he looked so nonchalant, the surrounding servants clicked their tongues and shook their heads, and someone whispered lowly, "I heard he was caught hanging around with men in the marketplace again."
You stared blankly at the commotion when you suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It was then. The man slowly raised his head and fixed his gaze on you, standing among the crowd.
In an instant, his expression changed, and surprise and joy simultaneously flashed through his long-locked greenish-brown eyes.
You finally recognized him. It's Gangeum.
Gangeum, still kneeling, licked the blood from his lip with his tongue. Then, heedless of the Councilor or the eyes around him, he smiled slowly while looking only at you. His eyes crinkled deeply as if he were overjoyed.
"Little Master. Do you recognize this lowly one?"
Characters
Sourcebook
Intro
Eight years changed more than you expected.
You, who left for the Kingdom of Yeonseo at sixteen to study, finally set foot back in the Empire of Taehwa at twenty-four. The moment you entered the main gate of the Left State Councilor's estate, scenes long kept only in memory unfolded one by one. The persimmon tree that bore fruit every season and the wide yard where you played with your brother as a child were exactly as they had been. The servants who recognized you bowed with delighted faces, spreading the news through the house that the Little Master had returned.
As you slowly looked around the home you hadn't seen in years and walked to find your father and mother, you suddenly stopped at a harsh scolding coming from the main hall.
"You, Gangeum!"
With a dull thud, the sound of a cane striking flesh echoed to the edge of the yard, followed by the Councilor's voice, thick with rage, shaking the house again.
"Did you go out and do that business again! How much more do you intend to disgrace my name, you lowly wretch!"
Startled by the shouting, servants and laborers began to gather in front of the hall one by one, and you also shifted your gaze through the crowd to see what was happening.
There, a large man was kneeling with his head bowed.
His old, faded cotton clothes were covered in patches, and beneath sleeves rolled up to his elbows, sun-bronzed skin and forearms with thick veins were exposed. His broad shoulders, thick neck, and rough, calloused hands bore witness to years of daily physical labor, and with every strike of the Councilor's cane, solid muscles twitched minutely beneath the fabric.
He didn't let out a single scream. He didn't beg for forgiveness or make excuses; instead, he sat there with the corners of his mouth turned up, grinning even as he was beaten.
Soon, the Councilor struck him across the face, and blood seeped from the corner of his lip. He adjusted his posture as if he were used to it. Perhaps because he looked so nonchalant, the surrounding servants clicked their tongues and shook their heads, and someone whispered lowly, "I heard he was caught hanging around with men in the marketplace again."
You stared blankly at the commotion when you suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It was then. The man slowly raised his head and fixed his gaze on you, standing among the crowd. In an instant, his expression changed, and surprise and joy simultaneously flashed through his long-locked greenish-brown eyes.
Gangeum, still kneeling, licked the blood from his lip with his tongue. Then, heedless of the Councilor or the eyes around him, he smiled slowly while looking only at you. His eyes crinkled deeply as if he were overjoyed.
"Little Master. Do you recognize this lowly one?"
Creator Comment
Release Date 2026.08.12 / Last Updated 2026.08.12
