The Fake Legend of Princess Mei Mei - Episode 1.7
The injured man woke up around noon the next day, just as Keigetsu came by.
She had brought a pot prepared so it could be placed over the fire immediately. When she turned around after setting it down, she saw that the man was awake and looking at her. Keigetsu smiled brightly.
“Are you alright?”
“Who… are you?”
“I’m Keigetsu. You were injured and collapsed in the mountains.”
When she asked if he remembered, the man thought for a moment before giving a slight nod.
“Aren’t you hungry? Eating will help you heal. I can prepare some soup right away, or would you prefer porridge?”
“No… anything is fine.”
“Alright. It’ll take a little while to cook, so please wait.”
As she quickly tidied up and set the table, Keigetsu noticed a towel that had fallen from the man’s forehead. She picked it up—only to have her hand grabbed.
Surprised by the sudden action, Keigetsu’s expression stiffened for a moment, but she soon smiled again.
“Has your fever gone down? Just in case, we should cool you down a little more.”
She lightly shook her hand to ask him to let go, but he only gripped it tighter.
“Who are you?”
Keigetsu tilted her head slightly at the question.
“I’m Keigetsu.”
She had just introduced herself, but when she repeated her name, the man shook his head.
“Where is this place?”
At that, Keigetsu finally understood what he was asking.
“This is a small hut on the mid-slope of Harin Mountain, near Haso Village.”
When she clearly stated the location, the man quietly repeated the name to himself, his expression thoughtful.
Was something bothering him? Just as Keigetsu wondered about it, the scent from the pot reached her. If she didn’t stir it, it would burn.
Feeling bad about interrupting their conversation, she turned toward the stove to check the pot. Just then, her father, who had been tending the kiln, returned.
“Father, he woke up,” Keigetsu reported.
Her father nodded and looked at the man, blinking slowly as if deep in thought. Sensing his gaze, the man tensed and tried to sit up in a hurry.
“Oh, Father! Your gaze is too intense. Don’t just stare at him silently like that!”
She couldn’t let an injured man push himself too hard. Keigetsu quickly returned to his side and gently pressed on his shoulder, guiding him back onto the bedding.
“This is my father. He’s not angry, so please relax.”
She explained calmly, and the man gave a small nod before trying to sit up again—this time, not with reckless effort. Keigetsu helped support his back.
The man straightened himself properly, licked his lips as if choosing his words, then placed his hands on the floor in a formal bow.
“Thank you for saving someone like me, whose origins you do not know.”
His polite bow surprised both Keigetsu and her father.
They had helped several injured noblemen from the mountains before, but none had ever shown gratitude. In fact, most were arrogant and even tried to take advantage of Keigetsu, seeing her as a young woman.
This man seemed different. Keigetsu felt a sense of goodwill toward him.
Her father quietly lowered his gaze and sat down in front of the man.
“Your horse…”
The man lifted his head.
“It’s unharmed. It’s outside, drinking water.”
“Oh… Wang is safe?”
He smiled in relief and bowed his head again. “I am deeply grateful for your kindness.”
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he lifted his head.
“I haven’t introduced myself yet. That was very rude of me.”
Keigetsu nodded—now that he mentioned it, she hadn’t asked his name either.
“You may call me Enshou.”
The man—Enshou—introduced himself with a gentle smile, one that spoke of a kind personality.
Her father nodded as well and introduced himself as Shugetsu. Finally, they knew each other’s names.
The meal was a soup filled with vegetables, served with steamed barley.
Enshou moved his hand to hold the bowl, but the pain from his injuries made him wince. Still, he ate without complaint, finishing everything neatly.
Keigetsu prided herself on her cooking, so if he found it satisfying, she was happy.
“There are a lot of vegetables in it.”
She spoke to her usually silent father, who gave her a slight nod in return.
“Yesterday, we received them from Son’s family. Since Yuurin recovered.”
“I see.”
“It’s thanks to your medicine, Father.”
She smiled, seeking his agreement. He nodded slightly but remained silent, eating his vegetable soup.
Her father was always a man of few words, but the silence felt especially heavy now. Keigetsu worried it might make Enshou feel uncomfortable.
Glancing at him, she saw that he was focused on eating despite the pain. It seemed he wasn’t paying attention to anything else.
Relieved, she left to tend to the kiln in her father’s place.
With Keigetsu gone, only the quiet sound of soup being sipped filled the room.
Noticing that Enshou had finished his bowl, Shugetsu held out his hand, as Keigetsu had instructed him to serve seconds.
Enshou thanked him and passed the bowl over but winced slightly from the pain.
“I’ll let you stay for ten days.”
Hearing those words as he took back his bowl, Enshou tilted his head.
“With wounds like that, I won’t tell you to leave immediately. The poison probably hasn’t fully cleared from your body either. You can stay until I finish making charcoal.”
The cold intensity in Shugetsu’s eyes was unmistakable, and Enshou instinctively furrowed his brows.
This was their first meeting—he had no reason to be treated as an enemy.
Yet, Shugetsu’s gaze carried a clear hostility, as if to say, “Be grateful we even took you in.”
Enshou almost asked why but swallowed the words.
Perhaps Shugetsu simply disliked outsiders and had helped only because of his kind-hearted daughter.
Ten days would be enough for his wounds to heal enough for travel. He decided to be thankful for the time given.
As he lowered his head in acknowledgment, Shugetsu muttered coldly, almost spitting out the words.
“I have no desire to be involved with anyone from the Sai family.”
Enshou’s eyes widened slightly at the remark.
That slip of the tongue told him that Shugetsu had once lived in the capital.
Otherwise, there was no way he could have known that Enshou was connected to the Sai family, given that he had revealed nothing but his name.
It wasn’t outsiders he hated—it was Enshou himself, because of his ties to the Sai family.
Enshou had no idea what had happened in Shugetsu’s past, nor did he intend to ask. Judging by the bitterness in his voice, it was unlikely to be a pleasant story.
So instead, Enshou simply expressed his gratitude for being allowed to stay and quietly finished his warm vegetable soup.