When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 22
Chapter 22
"...An apothecary, you say."
A wry smile escaped Sehwa's lips.
"And she changed her disguise twice before returning to the safehouse. Whatever medicine she bought, judging by her behavior, it must be something questionable."
"She's living up to expectations. How was her face? Has it healed enough for her to move around?"
"It seems she used up all the mystic realm medicines she had. The swelling has mostly subsided. She covered the wounds with makeup."
"Makeup? She's not the type to show an imperfect face in public, regardless of the reason. News of me attending the banquet must have made her quite desperate."
"I looked into the host of today's banquet, and from what I can tell of their usual associates, there isn't a single clan member worth noting."
When Sehwa only responded with a smile, Youngsun added with concern:
"Will you be alright? Many will be prepared to attack and criticize you."
"I'll be fine. You've given me a clue about how to handle them."
"Pardon? A clue?"
"Yes. In essence, all I need to do is give them different prey to bite and tear into, right?"
"Different prey? What exactly do you mean?"
Though Youngsun asked, Sehwa, now seated in the palanquin, was already lost in other thoughts and didn't respond in time.
Until she had to leave, the Clan Head had given her only a month.
It was a short time.
She naturally had to prioritize what she could accomplish within that timeframe.
'I hadn't included that old man in those plans.'
The urgency to deal with those directly involved in her and her family's deaths had been paramount.
Though the Mystic Ruler had provided the cause, she hadn't yet considered dealing with the Clan Head, as she needed to first handle those rat-like individuals who were prepared to stab her father in the back at any moment—those who would be key to future events.
She had thought that if she gathered and revealed evidence about the disappearances of children from six clans, the victims' families would swarm in to execute the Clan Head without her having to take action herself.
But if he was planning to deal with her father earlier than expected...
'I absolutely cannot leave that old man be, not when he poses such a threat to Father.'
Her eyes grew cold, and her lips hardened with resolve for the future.
The blood that would stain her hands going forward would be no ordinary amount.
'I'll surely fall into purgatory, unable to even reach the underworld.'
But would that stop her?
'Absolutely not. Never.'
She gazed at the exposed black hem of her skirt.
Why had she chosen this color?
For this occasion where she would first reveal herself before her enemies.
Wasn't it to stand with her past self from that day when the execution ground was thoroughly soaked with her parents' blood?
The swiftly moving palanquin arrived at a massive mansion prepared on the outskirts for the clan members.
As soon as the palanquin stopped, someone lifted the hanging step. A large hand, completely different from Youngsun's, suddenly extended.
It was a young man who reached out his hand while directing heated eyes toward her.
'Choi Jangmyung? He was here?'
Even after being exiled from the mystic realm, Choi Deokmun had desperately tried to maintain even the thinnest connection with the clan members.
Using money earned in the human realm, he had willingly taken charge of all their needs when clan members stayed in the human realm.
It wouldn't be strange for his son to have inherited these duties and appeared here.
Sehwa sat motionless, alternately looking at Choi Jangmyung's hand and his slightly reddened face.
Sa Youngsun quickly pushed away the man's hand and extended her own to Sehwa.
She placed her hand over Youngsun's and emerged from the palanquin.
The human servants exchanged glances and made gestures among themselves upon seeing this.
The servants guarding the mansion's main gate had already found it strange how Choi Jangmyung had been standing restlessly with them by the road since morning.
After all, wasn't this young master known for never showing interest in any young lady, causing many women in the capital to fall ill with lovesickness?
He was someone who always maintained a cold expression, without even a ceremonial smile, toward everyone.
Even when meeting high-ranking individuals, he never lost his disciplined and polite demeanor, never appearing pressured or anxious by their presence.
'What kind of extraordinary guest must be coming to today's banquet to make him so excited and anxious?'
While the servants kept stealing glances at his exceptional behavior...
A single palanquin approached from the distance.
It had the fewest bearers among all the palanquins that had arrived so far, and its decorations weren't particularly flashy.
But upon spotting this palanquin, Choi Jangmyung rushed out faster than anyone else.
He extended his hand with a reddened face—an expression never before seen on him—but the person inside the palanquin didn't take it.
While the servants were curious about the young master stepping back with a bitter smile, the occupant of the palanquin revealed herself.
"..."
Her skin was so transparent it seemed to have never been touched by sunlight.
The servants, who had been captivated by that whiteness, widened their eyes at the lady's figure appearing in the light.
She was a woman with strikingly red lips.
Unlike other young ladies who typically wore different colors for their jeogori and skirt, she had matched both in black, and somehow this looked both incredibly alluring and supremely elegant.
Her pale, slender neck appeared even more dazzling above the dark jeogori, and her delicate fingers visible beneath the long sleeves captured the eyes of all who saw them.
The sound of people swallowing was distinct in the quiet space.
The season was approaching early summer, and she was wearing clothing as black as a crow.
Nevertheless, she was like a camellia blooming alone in the winter snow.
She was a woman who revealed an intensely red and powerful beauty.
Looking straight ahead, she quietly asked:
"How did you know I was coming here?"
Choi Jangmyung, who had been staring at Sehwa with a dazed expression, answered belatedly.
"...Since my father personally manages these clan gatherings, I too pay attention to the guest list. Instructions were already given this morning about a special guest arriving."
"What's so special about me that requires such instructions."
"News about Young Lady has been causing quite a stir among the guests already inside."
"Is that so? Have many arrived?"
"Usually the banquet hall doesn't fill up until late afternoon, but today, footsteps have been quite busy since morning."
With a worried face, Choi Jangmyung quietly added:
"I'm not sure if I should tell you this in advance, but I waited because I think you should know... When I looked around the banquet hall earlier, there seemed to be prevalent negative perceptions about you."
"..."
"You may consider this overstepping, but please be careful. When clan gatherings are held, we only allow carefully selected servants into the banquet hall. If anything happens, please tell them. They will quickly relay the message to me."
Sehwa's indifferent yet slightly puzzled gaze turned toward him.
Even if they had promised to form a contract, she hadn't yet taken him as a retainer.
But he was already acting as if the contract had been formed.
Though aware of her gaze, Choi Jangmyung whispered without explaining his old memories of her:
"And there's one woman who seems to harbor particularly strong resentment toward you. She arrived just earlier. Someone who appeared to be her companion called her Sa Yeonju."
"Seemed to harbor resentment?"
"As I've been guarding this place all morning, I happened to witness it, but she repeated your name with unsettling emotion. Though her expression changed when she joined those who came to greet her."
'That child.'
Her eyes curved into crescents.
'She's desperately trying to change the surname in front of her name. Then shall we first remove her from the Ju clan's protection?'
"Thank you."
"Not at all. I'll guide you to the banquet hall."
"Very well."
Anticipating what was to come, she walked proudly into the building.
In the infinitely spacious banquet hall, clan members were already seated in small groups, each with a drinking table before them, engaged in conversation.
Dancing girls were swaying their transparent sleeves in the garden to the rhythm of the zither that heightened the mood.
Despite their beautiful movements, the dancers' expressions were completely rigid.
Though they had eagerly come after being offered high compensation, they had instinctively sensed that these clan members, who were unusually unrestrained today, were not human.
Most of those present were young clan members who hadn't undergone exuviation, but even their presence was more than ordinary people could bear.
And the clan members who were dispersing enough spiritual power to make the dancers pale were bright-eyed with expectation and excitement.
"So when exactly is she arriving?"
Whenever someone new entered, every eye in the banquet hall briefly turned to the doorway.
In their homeland, the mystic realm, a depressed atmosphere had spread throughout the territory due to the payment of reparation spiritual power and war-ending negotiations.
Therefore, it was impossible to hold boisterous banquets there at the moment.
Whether the war ended or not was largely irrelevant to these young ones.
In that situation, with reparation spiritual power payments still remaining, if they carelessly underwent exuviation while in the mystic realm, wouldn't they too have to expel spiritual power?
So they had crossed over to the human realm early, seeking daily pleasures they couldn't enjoy in their homeland.
And now their greatest source of interest was the Elder's daughter's departure to the Baek clan.
According to Sa Yeonju, who was close to the Elder's daughter, despite being so proud, she had such pathetic spiritual power that one could hardly believe she was a Ju clan member.
Of course, Sa Yeonju hadn't referred to her cousin sister in such terms, but regardless of what gentle words she used to wrap it, that was essentially her assessment.
What could be the reason for her suddenly rushing to participate in social events now, when she would be leaving in a month—she who had barely attended banquets before, acting aloof and as if she were somehow different from her peers?
"Tell us more. You must know something."
"Yes, Sister Yeonju. What's so extraordinary that you need to protect such information?"
"Right. Who here doesn't know how much the Young Lady Sa loves her cousin sister? You don't need to maintain such silence when we all understand those feelings."
"I heard she fainted from shock when she heard about going to the Baek clan. Is that rumor true? What happened?"
"They call her a representative, but isn't it essentially the same as being offered as a tribute? Who knows what bizarre things she'll endure there?"
Comments
Post a Comment