"Sorry for the trouble, Sister-in-law."
The Young Scholar smiled.
"What's there to be polite about, little brother?"
The woman shook her head.
"Get some rest early."
After reminding the Young Scholar once more, the woodcutter and the woman left.
The Young Scholar pressed his lips together slightly.
If it weren't so late...
He really felt tempted to ask his sister-in-law to make him steamed buns right then and there.
He wanted to hurry—hurry even more... to see the Black Monster.
The woodcutter and the woman returned to their room.
The woman looked at the woodcutter.
"Can you tell me what happened now?"
"Was something keeping little brother from coming back these past few days?"
"Did he run into trouble?"
"Or..."
The woman felt a little embarrassed to say it aloud.
"He failed the exam."
The woodcutter was blunt.
After a brief pause, the woman nodded.
Oh.
Just as she'd thought.
She wasn't very surprised.
She'd already guessed as much when her younger brother didn't come back right away after the exam results were announced.
"He..."
The woman chose her words carefully.
"Is he all right?"
"Not really."
The woodcutter furrowed his brows.
His expression was grim.
Huh?
The woman was a little surprised. The Young Scholar had seemed fine at dinner.
But she understood.
"Little brother worked so hard at his studies..."
"Failing must be hard to accept at first."
"But it's all right."
"Little brother will come around soon."
"He won't."
The woodcutter clenched his fist.
Huh?
The woman was even more astonished. "Did it hit him that hard?"
"It's all right."
"Very few people pass the imperial exams on their first try."
"Little brother is so clever and hardworking."
"He failed this time."
"But he'll definitely succeed