“Seulgi-ah!” The young Bae tackled her at first sight. “Why weren’t you out front to receive me? Was father being hard on you again?”

“Bae Joohyun, how many times have I told you, I am not your father!” Taeyeon felt her face turning warmer.

“Taeyeon–ah” A deep, mellow voice halted Taeyeon’s uprising temper. Seulgi turned to the owner of the voice and was greeted with one of the most beautiful eye smile she had seen in her life.

“Lady Bae.” Seulgi bowed her head at the woman sporting a splendid pastel pink robes of silk.

“Miyoung–ah, when will you teach that daughter of yours?” Taeyeon crossed her arms with a sulk.

“Well since she calls you father, shouldn’t you teach her too?” Miyoung teased along with her daughter, unnoticeably latching onto Taeyeon’s left arm.

“Not yo–”

“Father, I’ve already explained this to you. Mother is the Lady of the clan. That means my father would have to be the Lord of the clan, and since you are holding that title, does it not makes sense that I call you father?” Joohyun unconsciously crossed her arms in the same manner as Taeyeon just did.

Whether they noticed, Seulgi didn’t have a clue but she decided to remain silent. 

Young Miss Bae’s explanation left Taeyeon with, surprisingly, no room to speak. It was a logical explanation, even all the residence staff understood.

It was obvious that Taeyeon doted on Seulgi. The reason being that she reminded Taeyeon of her younger self. Taeyeon was not originally a Bae, in fact, her surname was Kim.

When she was younger, her mother had plans to sell her to a brothel in order to support her younger brothers. The second they entered the city, she was dragged off. Due to Taeyeon’s thrashing, the pair had accidentally knocked into Joohyun’s grandfather and a pubescent Miyoung, who had snuck out of the residence for some shopping. To apologize for the incident, Taeyeon’s mother offered Taeyeon to them. Joohyun’s grandfather was a great man well known for his military merits and up righteousness, as well as a lovesick husband. He could tell Taeyeon was going to be sold off if he didn’t accept her. But even if he did accept Taeyeon and took her in as a maidservant, rumors of him taking in a girl around his daughter’s age would spread. If that made its way to his wife’s ears, he couldn’t imagine what punishment she would give him for being an idiot in public again! Even if it was with good intentions. 

But as if it was planned by the heavens, Miyoung had taken hold of Taeyeon’s hand and pulled her away from her mother. “Father, I like him. Can he come home with us?” Miyoung had mistaken Taeyeon’s androgynous looks for a boy…

Similar to how Joohyun had saved Seulgi, Miyoung was Taeyeon’s savior. That day Young Lady Bae Miyoung brought Taeyeon home unaware that the latter would become her maid, her bodyguard, her best friend, and hold a special place in her heart.

Taeyeon had been raised alongside Miyoung since then. As a military family, they were often looked down upon by civil officials. Taeyeon had struggled and endured a lot in order to protect Miyoung. 

But the unfateful day still came. Miyoung’s father had been recuperating at his capital residence for the past three months while Miyoung’s older brother had taken up his position in the northern borders to participate in the war.

News of mourning soon spread as the family was informed of the loss of their Young First Master and his wife. In a state of emergency, civil officials proposed that Lord Bae return to the borders. Witnessing Miyoung’s state of depression from losing her older brother and anxiety from possibly losing her father and younger brother, Taeyeon painstakingly confronted the old Lord Bae. She knew it would be like pouring salt on an open wound, but it was an opportunity for her to repay their kindness. To have taken her in and raised her all these years.

That night as Miyoung cried herself to sleep and the soft raindrops cleared the cloudy skies, Taeyeon proposed to be adopted into the family registry and assist the old lord onto the battlefield in place of Miyoung’s younger brother, Bae Zitao.

Joohyun was born from the concubine of Miyoung’s older brother, who lived in his private residence unknown to the public. When her mother hea