When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
How could she be pleased with Sa Yeonju's behavior?
However, if those antics could draw out the branch family members, it wouldn't be such a bad trade.
After thinking for a moment, Sehwa picked up her brush again.
She quickly wrote another letter.
When she handed it to Youngmu along with the access token for the portal to the Mystic Realm, Youngmu's eyes wavered.
"Young Lady? Why this access token...?"
"Youngmu. I have something for you to do."
When Sehwa's sharp and firm voice rang out, Youngmu's expression became resolute.
Quickly kneeling before Sehwa, Youngmu's eyes gleamed.
"Please tell me."
"Return to the Mystic Realm immediately with the guards. Take this access token's seal with you. As soon as you arrive, meet with the branch family elders and tell them that I'm out of my mind with fear about going to the Baek family. Tell them that Elder Myoungyoon is busy dealing with the aftermath of the war, my two brothers haven't returned from the border yet, and even Lady Jang has left the mansion."
Youngmu listened intently to her words, trying not to miss a single syllable.
"Especially mention that Elder Myoungyoon's spirit was damaged while extracting the spirit power he promised as compensation to the six families. Tell them that after much deliberation, Sa Yeonju is requesting the elders' advice."
Though the order was incomprehensible, Youngmu judged that this wasn't something that needed to be understood.
With a serious face, she nodded and replied, "I will do as you say."
"Youngchae."
"Yes, Young Lady."
"You too, return to the Mystic Realm with Youngmu. Check all the merchant groups dealing in goods within the Ju family, and if there are any spirit stones remaining, buy them all without leaving a single one."
"Yes, Young Lady."
"When making transactions, be sure to use identity tokens and leave paper records. Don't trade with spirit power or cash. Understood?"
"I will do so."
"After returning to the Mystic Realm, you must appear to everyone as Sa Yeonju's most loyal servants. Having been with me for so long, you already know what I mean by this, don't you?"
Youngchae and Youngmu swallowed hard.
After briefly looking at each other, they stared at Sehwa with grave expressions and nodded.
Sehwa lowered her head, met their eyes, and whispered, "I plan to kill almost all of the branch family members, including Sa Yeonju."
"!!"
At her voice filled with killing intent, the room instantly became so quiet that not even breathing could be heard.
"I don't care if you think this plan is crazy. I will definitely do it, and I must do it. Can you all trust me and follow me?"
The branch family members weren't just one or two people.
Though they didn't know how far the Young Lady's 'all' extended, it would be at least several hundred people at minimum.
To kill almost all of them?
It was a shocking and frightening goal.
But somehow, there was no hesitation. When their mistress made such a resolution, there must be a reason why it had to be done.
The three sisters answered with trembling voices.
"Of course."
"Leave it to us."
"Our lives are already yours, Young Lady."
"Yes. They are mine."
Sehwa approached and knelt before them.
"That's why you must survive no matter what happens. Understand?"
She met the eyes of each of the three attendants one by one.
"Even if you have to sacrifice someone else. Even if you face a situation where you have to lick filthy sewage, you must survive and return to my side. As long as you return to me, I will resolve whatever situation you're caught in."
"...Young Lady."
"Don't let me lose you. Never let me know the misery of losing you."
Sehwa embraced the shoulders of all three attendants at once.
An unbelievable miracle.
...The miracle he gave her.
Instead of showing gratitude that she could never express, Sehwa decided to cherish this moment given to her more than anything else.
She would create a future with her precious people without making any mistakes.
"If you think you've made a mistake, run away quickly. You don't need to look back at anything."
"...Yes, Young Lady."
"Remember. Don't weigh any order against your lives."
"Yes, we will do as you say."
Gritting their teeth and nodding, Youngchae and Youngmu left the mansion with seven guards, carrying the identity tokens their mistress had given them.
To pass through the gate to the Mystic Realm.
Once they had left, Sehwa became a little anxious.
She wasn't worried about things going wrong.
She was concerned that even though she had given them tasks unrelated to their safety, it might still put them in danger.
"They will do well. Please don't worry."
Youngsun, who had the gentlest manner among the three sisters, added as if reading Sehwa's mind.
"It's not a difficult task. They will both certainly complete their tasks well and return safely."
Ju Sehwa nodded.
"In any case, Young Lady must attend tomorrow's banquet, so I should accompany you. Youngchae was really looking forward to it, so she'll be quite disappointed this time."
I'm fine with it though, Youngsun said with a smile as she picked up the letters.
As she was leaving the room to deliver Sehwa's reply letters right away, she asked,
"By the way, what color would you like me to prepare for tomorrow's outfit? If you have any preferred colors or styles, I'll prepare several similar options."
Fired up with determination, Youngsun imagined in her mind how her perfectly adorned mistress would look.
Her Young Lady would look good in pale coral color, subtle yellow, or sweet cherry blossom pink.
The creamy white often preferred by young ladies who haven't shed their skin yet would suit her, or since the rainy season has just ended, fresh yellow-green or light blue would be beautiful too.
'This is Young Lady's first social activity, so naturally, there can't be any mistakes.'
She must find the perfect, beautiful color.
Youngsun's eager ears caught Sehwa's indifferent voice.
"I'd like a completely black color."
"What?"
"Something absolutely black without any hint of other colors."
"Oh no! Black is only used for mourning clothes. How can you wear mourning clothes to a banquet?"
"But this is the human realm, isn't it? Black isn't used for mourning clothes here."
"Still! What does it matter what humans wear? What's important is that it's a color used for mourning clothes in the Mystic Realm. Black is absolutely not acceptable."
"I've already decided. I think it would be good if everything is black, top to bottom."
Ju Sehwa looked into space for a moment before adding,
"And I'd like a sensual style that throws away words like elegant, graceful, and refined. Do I have anything like that?"
Youngsun stood with her mouth open, unable to say anything.
'What did I just hear?'
"S-sensual?"
The earliest banquet was the very next afternoon.
Even though the letter of attendance was delivered the morning of the same day, the reply came back very quickly. The letter was filled with joy and welcome, accompanied by elaborate compliments.
The Elder's only daughter, who had never attended any banquet before, had expressed her intention to attend!
Just that alone had made the hosts show their excitement openly.
'I wonder how quickly they're spreading the news to the surrounding blood relatives.'
Having heard about their rumor-making process from the three sisters just yesterday, she couldn't help but sneer.
'Sa Yeonju must be very surprised that I'm going there? She's been trying so hard to act as the lady of an elder family, she must be restless with anxiety now that I've said I'm attending. I wonder how long it will take for the news to reach her ears.'
She would probably jump up in surprise like a wet dog, not even minding the doctor's visit.
Imagining that scene made her red lips curl up again in a smirk.
In any case, first impressions had to be striking.
Unable to let her guard down even a little, Sehwa woke up early in the morning and began preparing.
Though she had always avoided luxury and lived frugally until now, that wouldn't be the case anymore.
'If you're going to war, would you use old and inadequate weapons to save money?'
Rather, spending money lavishly would help seize the initial momentum.
She poured expensive perfumed oil generously into the bath water and soaked for a long time to absorb the fragrance.
While one group of attendants tended to her fingernails, toenails, and skin, other attendants brushed her hair for over an hour to make it smooth.
Various powders and pearl powder lightly covered her face.
More perfumed oil was applied to her smooth, long arms and legs to add luster, and only then did she put on the prepared clothes.
Since they didn't have any banquet clothes in the color Sehwa wanted, she inevitably had to wear human clothes instead of Mystic Realm formal wear.
"Ah!"
An attendant inadvertently let out an exclamation upon seeing Sehwa after her preparations were complete.
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