When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 68
Chapter 68
Her wet face was still unbearably pitiful, and even the tears dripping down her chin looked heartbreaking.
Yet between those tear-soaked long eyelashes, her gaze was chillingly cold.
Sa Yeonju's chin trembled for a moment.
"S-Sister."
"Sit."
When Sa Yeonju hesitated to sit down, Ju Myoungyoon bellowed.
"Sit down this instant!"
"E-Elder."
"Do you think I've been turning a blind eye to your reckless behavior because I didn't know about it?! I overlooked your misdeeds thinking you were at least taking good care of your poor sister."
The Martial Elder's anger was not something Sa Yeonju, who didn't possess much spiritual power as a mystic being, could withstand.
"Yet you dare to shout about false accusations?! Follow your sister's words and kneel before her immediately! I too have evidence of everything you've done until now, separate from what your sister has. Do you still dare to deny it by crying false accusations?!"
As Sa Yeonju trembled uncontrollably, not knowing what to do under Ju Myoungyoon's thunderous rage, Sehwa gently intervened with her father.
"Father, please don't. It's my fault as her elder sister for not properly teaching her."
Sehwa lowered her head sorrowfully.
Tears as transparent as dew and sparkling like jewels fell continuously.
"I was afraid she might be thrown out, so without Father and Mother knowing, I not only spent all my money paying off her gambling debts but also depleted my spiritual power helping her to the point where my true form was damaged..."
"What? Is that why you underwent exuviation without any warning signs?"
"Yes. After meeting the Mystic Ruler, I kept collapsing because my body was in such poor condition. But when neither consoling nor reasoning worked, as her elder sister, though it pained my heart, I had to discipline her."
gasp
They had heard she collapsed from the shock and fear of having to go to the Baek clan, but it was actually from trying to pay off her cousin's gambling debts?
Sharp gazes from the listeners turned toward Sa Yeonju.
Everyone in the Ju clan knew that Ju Myoungyoon lived frugally after contributing military funds and supplies during the war.
In such circumstances, to pay off such large debts, it seemed she truly had no choice but to do what she did.
They clicked their tongues, thinking how much the young lady must have agonized, struggling alone when she could have told her parents.
Looking at those documents now, they could understand why she had done what she did.
"But that child harbored resentment and left home to buy poison to feed me. If I hadn't followed her that day thinking she was going to the gambling house again, I would have eaten it without knowing it was poison, and my heart drops just thinking about it."
"!"
To buy poison just because she was disciplined for such an obvious wrongdoing.
"..."
Ju Myoungyoon's fist clenched tightly on his knee.
Trembling, he asked.
"Is that why you started carrying the dragon scale needle?"
"Yes. Even after hearing what the apothecary owner said, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. I thought there might have been a misunderstanding, that she might have bought herbs instead, so I tried to detect any malice. But truly, all the dragon scale needles changed color..."
Sehwa firmly pressed and wiped her eyes. Her reddened eyes looked so pitiful that sighs escaped from those watching.
"First, I confiscated anything that could be used as funds to prevent her from doing more bad things, but that child harbored resentment for that too and kept..."
Wow. Sa Yeonju was dumbfounded, opening and closing her mouth before barely managing to continue.
"S-Sister, you're terrifying. You beat me until my face was torn and pulled out all my hair, yet you express it so innocently as just disciplining me? While piling these false accusations on me?"
"When did I ever?"
"W-What did you say?"
"I really don't understand how you can say such things... Worried that even the slightest scratch might mar your unmarried body, I've never hit or struck you even in jest, yet how can you make up such nonexistent stories?"
"W-What are you saying?! Sister, you took everything I had and drove me out of the family while tearing up my face!"
"Then why is your face so perfectly fine?"
"That's because I barely managed to heal using medicines from the Mystic Realm!"
"You just said I took everything from you. Where did those medicines come from? Your story doesn't add up."
"!"
Flustered, Sa Yeonju began to stammer.
"Ah, that's... well. First you beat me, so I got treatment, and then after that you took my things-"
"That's enough!"
When Ju Myoungyoon thundered again, her thin small shoulders flinched.
"I told you! I have evidence too! You still spread these lies after hearing that!"
Ju Kyunghyun, who had been watching the situation unfold with a grave expression, tried to restrain Ju Myoungyoon.
"That's enough. How can you directly involve yourself in children's matters?"
But even as he added his words, there was a bitter taste in his mouth.
Normally, he would never have intervened on the losing side.
But he instinctively realized. Once the Sa child, who seemed to have already lost the advantage, was finished here, he would be next.
'Earlier, that wench unnecessarily brought up my story... When Sehwa explains and mentions it again while clearing things up-'
His disapproving gaze turned toward Sa Yeonju.
Sehwa turned to the Young Lord to summarize the situation.
"Then how about having the Young Lord determine which of our words is true?"
"What? Me?"
"Yes. Since the Mystic Ruler is not here, isn't the Young Lord the most noble person present? So please pass judgment."
"..."
"Of course, I won't trouble the Young Lord with such a small matter. I have decisive evidence that everything I've said is true. You just need to verify that."
"What is it?"
"Please verify whether that child is carrying poison now or not."
"!"
"gasp She brought poison here?"
"Poison at the Mystic Ruler's banquet?"
Sa Yeonju's face, which had been anxiously watching what would come out of Sehwa's mouth, brightened.
She thought that would be fine.
The ceremonial clothes she wore today were prepared by Seowol.
She hadn't brought or worn anything of her own, so whether something was found or not, she couldn't be held responsible at all.
She had even thrown away the scattering powder she had brought just in case, so now there was nothing to worry about.
"Poison? Then should we call the Ju clan's maids to search her body?"
"No. Please call a physician to test her blood."
"!"
"!?"
Ju Kyunghyun frowned and asked again.
"Blood?"
"Yes. According to the confession of the apothecary owner who sold her the poison, an herb called Sosa turns into poison when consumed."
"What do you mean?"
"For example, if she did buy Sosa, she would have consumed it herself. The herb that entered her body would have seeped into her blood and turned into poison, allowing her to carry poison that she could use anytime, anywhere."
"You're saying she endangered herself to use poison on you?"
"No. Sosa only harms the consumer when the poison in the blood burrows into the flesh after three days, and there's no problem if the antidote is taken within that time."
"...Hm. So you think she consumed this Sosa?"
"Yes. She wouldn't have many chances to meet me anymore, but she would have known I would attend the Mystic Ruler's banquet, so I believe she must have consumed it."
Wiping her wet face, Sehwa turned to those gathered at the banquet with a regretful expression.
"I sincerely apologize for troubling your ears by revealing such shameful family matters. However, due to my lacking abilities, this child's actions have already become beyond what I as her elder sister can handle, so I hope you will all observe the situation, verify the truth of my words and the full story, and lend your help."
As if unable to bear how upset she was, she spoke to them in a trembling voice and lowered her head.
"Aren't we all one clan? Please treat me as your sister and help me correct this child's ways."
"..."
How pitiable.
Someone quietly shook their head.
'How much must that young lady have agonized to say such things.'
'As expected of the Elder's daughter.'
'My goodness, how could that cousin have such a wicked heart.'
'Shh. The poison hasn't been found yet. Let's wait and see.'
Sa Yeonju was so dumbfounded that she forgot she had been pretending to be weak and burst out laughing.
"Sister, you should think carefully. I don't know what you tried to feed me to create this situation, but I haven't eaten anything. So this confident attitude will become poison for you instead."
"To still say such things..."
As Sehwa started crying pitifully again, the observers' eyes narrowed into triangles even though poison hadn't been found yet.
Feeling those gazes, Sa Yeonju gritted her teeth.
'Fine. Test all you want. I don't know what you saw and are having delusions about, but Sosa has to be ingested orally to work as poison, right? Since I haven't eaten anything, it doesn't matter at all!'
Ever since being left alone in the Human Realm, she had barely even drunk water, too consumed with worrying about future events and burning with resentment.
She could guarantee that even if Ju Sehwa had tried to secretly feed her Sosa, there wouldn't have been an opportunity.
'Not even realizing her plan has failed. She'll have to face great humiliation to learn her shame.'
"Sa Yeonju. Do you agree to be tested as Sehwa suggests?"
"Yes!"
As soon as that answer came, two physicians were quickly summoned by Ju Kyunghyun.
Sa Yeonju confidently held out her hand to be tested.
"Please use this."
Sehwa held out the dragon scale needle she had brought.
The physicians nodded and took it, then brought the dragon scale needle to the small wound they had made on Sa Yeonju.
"gasp!"
"!!"
At that moment, the banquet hall instantly became chaotic. The part touched by the blood had turned pitch black.
"Th-This can't be. This can't be. This is impossible!"
Ju Kyunghyun gritted his teeth.
"You, you impudent wench, you dare bring poison to a banquet where the Mystic Ruler stays?"
"No! This, this must be! This must be that wench- no, Sister. Sister must have fed me something containing Sosa! I'm certain of it!"
Sa Yeonju, who had turned pale, waved her hands, but in her panic, she unconsciously let slip the word 'wench.' After hearing that, there was no one who would believe her words.
Sehwa drove in the final nail.
"You said with your own mouth that you hadn't eaten anything. Then you wouldn't have eaten anything I gave you either, so you should make statements that add up."
"Shut up! Whatever it is, it wasn't me! Really. Please believe me everyone. It wasn't me! I don't even know what Sosa is! It wasn't me!"
As if her heart ached too much to watch, Sehwa lowered her gaze.
On the floor where her eyes turned were the documents that had been torn and scattered by Sa Yeonju.
'Of course you wouldn't know about Sosa. Because it wasn't Sosa that turns into poison when eaten, but Lucent Venom that turns into poison when absorbed through touch.'
The corner of Sehwa's mouth twisted slightly.
She had known that when she took out those documents in front of Sa Yeonju, she would certainly grab and tear them.
That's why she had applied Lucent Venom, which is absorbed through the skin and becomes poison, on the documents.
She had deliberately brought up Sosa to divert any attention that might be directed at the documents.
At that moment, Sa Yeonju's venomous gaze turned to Sehwa before following where Sehwa's gaze was directed.
Sa Yeonju's gaze also turned to the scattered pieces of paper on the floor.
"Th-Those papers! That's it. The poison must have been on those!"
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