When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 50
Chapter 50
The sunlight streamed warmly into the dining hall, filling it with the enticing aroma of food.
The large dining table was laden with a variety of delectable dishes.
The colorful ingredients were artfully arranged, making the food as pleasing to the eye as it was to the nose.
However, the atmosphere among the three people seated around the large table was incredibly awkward.
“I am truly grateful that you saved my daughter. Please, eat your fill.”
“Don’t mention it. I will enjoy the meal. It seems my appetite has returned now that I’m not taking that medicinal concoction.”
“Did you not like the medicine? I put my sincere efforts into it, you see.”
“No, what a misunderstanding. I misspoke. My health has greatly improved thanks to Elder Myoungyoon's sincere efforts.”
“Oh. Then you should eat more. I’ll have plenty more brewed and sent to you.”
“No, that’s not necessary. I’ve recovered now, so it seems you should drink it instead, Elder. It was very effective. You shouldn’t just give such a good thing to me; please make sure to drink it too, Elder.”
“You are far too considerate. You didn’t have to go to such lengths.”
Sehwa paused her meal to carefully observe the subtle tension between the two men.
‘Even though Baek Giha is the head of a clan, why does he seem to be yielding to Father?’
Sehwa tilted her head in confusion.
‘Plus, he helped me with my exuviation, so shouldn’t he be considered a benefactor?’
However, she couldn’t point out his attitude while Baek Giha was present.
So, she was stuck just eating, but with her mind elsewhere, she didn’t end up trying a variety of dishes properly.
As she kept picking at what was directly in front of her, a hand smoothly pushed the plates of food closer to her.
It was Baek Giha.
Without missing a beat, he immediately added to Ju Myoungyoon as if making an excuse: “It seemed like my lady liked those dishes, so I just moved them closer.”
“Ahem.”
Ju Myoungyoon cleared his throat quietly, like someone who was very uncomfortable with something.
Soon, Myoungyoon's large hand pushed another plate in front of Sehwa.
“Sehwa. Why do you only have dishes that you don’t like in front of you? Try this. Don't you like this meat?"
“Haha, Father, you are being silly. It’s from ages ago. It seems my lady prefers this red seasoning rather than these bland, pale ones…”
Baek Giha trailed off mid-sentence as he caught Ju Myoungyoon's gaze.
“…Have you dined with my daughter before?”
“……No. There is no way that could have happened.”
“……”
“But it seems like the young lady might like this red-seasoned meat better. Here, have some more of this.”
“What are you saying? My daughter has a hard time after eating such spicy seasonings. You’re making strange assumptions.”
“Then what about this non-spicy one? It seems like she might like this.”
“I do not understand why you keep doing this. Whatever the case, how can a guest be so concerned? I will take care of my daughter's meal. Baek Clan Head, please just continue with your own meal. Someone might think that I am an incompetent person who doesn’t properly treat my guests.”
“What are you saying, Father? Even this action of mine stems from respect for Father.”
“I'm the one who feels awkward receiving such words from the Divine Beast of Baek Clan. Please, let’s stop this.”
In the middle of their exchange, Sehwa could only feel extremely uncomfortable.
‘From listening to their conversation, it seems like Father has realized that I am acquainted with Baek Giha?’
Then where should she start and stop when explaining him to her father?
Deciding on the scope of what could be revealed was giving her a headache.
It was then as she was using her chopsticks without knowing if the food was going into her nose or mouth that a maid quietly came in and reported something to them.
Sehwa, in disbelief, asked, “Just now, who did you say it was?”
“The Young Lord has arrived. Where should I seat him?”
The gazes of the two men, who had been exchanging compliments while bickering, along with Sehwa’s gaze, all turned towards the maid at the same time.
Young Lord Ju Kyunghyun’s mood was far from pleasant.
‘Surely, they must have heard that I had arrived, yet no one has come out to greet me.’
Moreover, even though over a quarter of an hour had passed since he entered the reception room, still no one had shown their face.
The maid who had guided Ju Kyunghyun to the mansion's reception room fled, saying that she would report the situation, as his expression gradually became more hostile.
The Young Lord, with an ominous expression, asked his guard, Cheonryeong, again:
“Didn’t you say that they were eating?”
“Yes, the maid I planted inside clearly said that the three of them were having a meal.”
“I see. So they are so busy stuffing their faces that they are making me wait this long?”
“Young Lord, if the Baek Clan Head were to hear this…”
“Let him hear it if he wants! Do I need to fear him?!”
“But, you came here with a purpose, didn’t you?”
At those words, Ju Kyunghyun’s handsome face twisted with fatigue.
He had come to see if Baek Giha had already heard that Ju Sehwa was going to the Baek Clan, and if he hadn’t yet, to silence Sehwa and the entire Myoungyoon Elder’s family.
‘Judging by how they’re both acting already, it seems like they already know.’
His long, sturdy fingers tapped on the armrest at a steady pace.
‘If Baek Giha were to find out first, how would he react? What if the Baek clan sent a signed agreement that specified me as the one to go to the Baek Clan first?’
The thought made him increasingly anxious.
The dissatisfaction among the rebels was already soaring to the heavens, and they were even ready to start a war with the Ju Clan.
‘Who knows what I might have to face if I go there.’
But it was different for Ju Sehwa, wasn’t it?
Of course, even if that child went, she wouldn’t be able to live a normal life. But how much could they torment a girl who had just completed her exuviation?
‘At most, they might break a few bones.’
Perhaps they might torture her into revealing what she knew, but even that wouldn't last long. They would soon realize she truly knew nothing.
‘Since the situation is so different than if I were to go, the best choice is for that child, Sehwa, to go.’
The rhythm of his fingers tapping on the armrest grew faster then slower, showing his troubled heart.
‘In any case, the Baek Clan Head must still think that it’s me who’ll be going to the Baek Clan, so I have to hope Sehwa doesn’t carelessly open her mouth about it.’
However, that wasn’t all.
How long had it been since the maid had left, saying that she would bring an update? It had been over an hour and still, no one had returned.
Even the tea that was in front of him had gone cold, and there wasn't even a maid to prepare a new one.
“Ha!”
‘Now I see that it wasn’t just Sehwa who had gone mad.’
Ju Kyunghyun’s large hand gripped the armrest tightly, his teeth clenched.
‘It’s clear that Ju Myoungyoon has turned disloyal.’
He had been thinking that it couldn’t be possible until the very end, but if not, how could their attitudes, which were normal just a few days ago, change so drastically in an instant?
Suspicion bloomed like a ripe fruit.
“Call them here right away. If they refuse to come, drag them here by force.”
Ju Kyunghyun, his jaw set, commanded Cheonryeong, his teeth clenched.
“Make it clear that I will no longer tolerate this kind of behavior.”
But before the guard could even take a step—
“There’s no need for that. I’m already here.”
A calm voice answered in place of the guard.
Light footsteps echoed through the corridor and appeared in front of Ju Kyunghyun.
He was ready to unleash his anger. How dare you forget your place and keep me waiting like this?
Ju Kyunghyun, who was about to lash out, froze.
“……”
After staring blankly at the person before him for a moment, forgetting his words, he barely managed to utter,
“……Sehwa… is that you?”
Unable to understand the meaning of his question, Sehwa frowned slightly.
What kind of nonsense was he saying after suddenly showing up like this?
‘Then, who else would I be?’
But even then, Ju Kyunghyun's Adam's apple bobbed dramatically.
‘W-what is this?’
His wide eyes also trembled intensely.
‘…That’s Sehwa? Really?’
Unable to believe it, he blinked several times.
He had thought that something would be different since she had completed her exuviation. It was usual for mystic beings to shed their baby fat and grow more mature after completing their exuviation.
The shape of their face and body would also change drastically, giving a different impression than before.
‘B-but this is…’
Even though she was standing with her back to the sunlight, her transparent, milky-white skin looked as if it had been coated with pearl powder.
Every time the sunlight streamed into the room caught her eyes, they sparkled with a deep, crimson-purple color, like wine.
Ju Kyunghyun, without even realizing it, focused on the person before him with a terrifying intensity, engraving her image in his eyes.
What about the crimson lips set within the perfectly beautiful curve of her jawline?
Her features were as delicate as if they were carved by a craftsman, her slender white neck, and the sensual curves of her shoulders. She captured his eyes like the world’s most precious jewel.
Even as she looked at him with an irreverent expression, he was unable to say a word.
His rising anger disappeared, and his face, which had failed to unleash that anger, flushed faintly red.
‘Th-this is…’
The glimpse of her collarbone between the folds of her neatly fastened garments was so shocking that he felt as if his feet would fall from under him.
It felt as if everything around him had suddenly lost its color.
‘This doesn’t make any sense. How... how could someone's appearance change so drastically from mere exuviation?’
This was an entirely different person.
Sehwa, who had been watching Ju Kyunghyun with an indifferent expression, pressed on, “Didn't you say you came because you had something to say? Speak.”
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