When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 142
Chapter 142
It would be better to serve her one pot at a time so she could enjoy it while it was still warm.
Perhaps she preferred cold tea?
It was a strange request, but the young lady before her was a precious guest whom she had to serve with utmost care.
And since it wasn’t a difficult task, the maid quickly left the room and prepared the tea.
She placed the pots on a tray one by one, handed it to another maid, and hurried back to Sehwa’s room.
“My lady, I’ve brought the tea you requested.”
At Sehwa’s gesture, eleven teapots were lined up on the table.
“The aroma is much stronger like this.”
“I’m glad you like it. Please, try some. It feels clean on the palate and has a fragrant aftertaste.”
“Alright. Then pour some from the pot closest to me and drink it.”
“What?”
The maid blinked, surprised by the unexpected order.
“Me? You mean me?”
“Yes.”
Sehwa’s gentle smile and casual tone made it seem like the most natural request in the world.
‘Ah! Is she worried about poison?’
It was a sudden thought, but it made sense.
Regardless of what happened between the Clan Head and her, their previous relationship was that of enemies.
It was understandable for her to be wary.
The maid nodded and, without further questions, poured the tea into a cup and drank it all at once, without even letting it cool.
‘This should reassure her.’
She smiled, showing Sehwa the empty cup.
Even after demonstrating that the tea wasn’t poisoned, Sehwa simply nodded calmly.
“Did you choose this tea?”
“Yes, my lady. I thought this Hyangra tea, precious and expensive, would be suitable for our esteemed guest, who must be tired from her long journey—”
“Good. Then drink more.”
“What?”
“You’re tiring me with your constant questions. I said, drink all the tea you prepared for me.”
“B-But I prepared this for you…”
“But I’m not thirsty, so what am I supposed to do? You’ll have to drink it.”
What was she talking about? She had asked for ten pots, and now suddenly…
But the maid, having experienced such whims while serving in the Ju Clan territory, simply nodded.
‘Typical Ju Clan behavior.’
“My lady, if it’s inconvenient for you to have so many teapots here, I can take them away…”
“I told you to drink it.”
Sehwa’s voice turned cold.
Her captivating smile remained, but her melodious voice was now icy.
“You can’t leave this room until you’ve finished all ten pots.”
“…What?”
The maid didn’t mean to keep questioning her.
But she couldn’t help it, hearing such unbelievable things.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Sehwa’s voice sharpened. “You said this was tea. Did you think I wouldn’t know that your Jae Clan uses this to wash their hands and feet?! You brought me footbath water and called it precious tea?!”
“…!”
“A cup or two might be fine, it’s fragrant and refreshing. But after seven pots, it makes you feel bloated and suffocated, and consuming too much at once can severely damage your internal organs. And you knew that, yet you brought me this much?!”
“H-How… M-My lady, I…”
“Youngsun.”
At her name, Youngsun instantly appeared and pinned the maid’s shoulders to the floor.
“Agh!”
As her arms were twisted behind her back, she saw Youngchae and Youngmoo subduing the other nine maids and forcing them to kneel.
“H-How…”
She knew it wasn't the time to ask, but she couldn’t help it.
How…
How did this young lady know about the Jae Clan’s secret?
It was a secret only known to the Jae Clan.
Sehwa chuckled at the maid’s bewildered question and answered casually, “I’ve experienced it myself.”
“W-What… Experienced… me…?”
Sehwa smiled, remembering the maid’s disdainful gaze following her.
“You should have at least tried to stop me from drinking all ten pots at once. Then I wouldn't be so angry.”
‘Though I knew you would do this…’
“That idiot kept drinking that footbath water until she went home.”
“I know, right? It might smell and taste good, but it messes up your insides. And she didn't even realize it.”
“Well, we didn't give her anything else to drink. What was she supposed to do?”
“That's true. But it makes your skin so soft and white! Her insides must be sparkling clean now! She should be thanking us!”
Laughter filled the room.
The maid, Jae Ulji, sneered, her chin raised, “She didn’t even know it was harming her body. Such an idiot.”
While it was true that excessive consumption could cause digestive problems, it also temporarily alleviated symptoms while drinking it.
So that girl had probably treasured that footbath water as a medicinal tea throughout her stay at the Baek Clan.
Sehwa clearly remembered Jae Ulji’s mocking laughter.
How much she must have resented the enemy’s daughter.
She must have been jealous and resentful of Sehwa, who lived comfortably in the Ju Clan while the missing children were nowhere to be found.
Knowing that, Sehwa had overlooked their mockery and abuse in the past.
But the more she tolerated it, the worse it got.
‘Spoiled food and having filth dumped on my head were nothing compared to the five years of torture I endured in my clan later.’
If turning a blind eye to their actions would help calm those who truly hated and resented the Ju Clan, she wouldn’t mind doing it again.
But…
“We were so worried that that Ju Clan bitch would try to seduce our Clan Head with her pretty face.”
“Indeed. Those promiscuous Ju Clan members… it’s only natural that she would try something like that. Thankfully, we stopped her.”
“We were concerned that the Clan Head seemed to be paying her special attention, but now we can finally rest easy.”
“Rest easy? We have to find a suitable Lady of the House from the Baek Clan bloodline now! We won’t have time to sleep, even if we stay up all night!”
“You’re right. We’ll be even busier now than when we were dealing with that bitch. Haha.”
It would be a different story if there were other reasons behind what they did to her.
But recalling the words of the Baek Clan elders on the day she left, she felt like laughing at how much she had endured.
Sehwa, remembering the past, her eyes cold, gestured with her chin.
The three sisters, who had been waiting, immediately understood the signal and tied up the maids.
Just as they were about to drag three of the maids, including Jae Ulji, away…
One of the maids, her face pale and trembling, knelt and bowed her head to the floor. “My lady, please forgive me! We didn’t know! We just did as she told us, we were only following her orders!”
She then glared at Jae Ulji and shouted, “You bitch! How dare you drag us into this and insult the lady whom the Clan Head brought here?! This is all your fault! You damned bitch!”
Another maid, pinned down by Youngmoo, also nodded vigorously. “That’s right! We thought she just needed more hands to carry the teapots…”
“So you didn’t know?”
Sehwa sat back down in her chair by the window and gently swirled the teacup in her hand.
“No! We really didn’t! How could we do such a terrible thing to the lady whom our Clan Head brought here?!”
“We truly didn’t know! We were tricked!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! It’s true!”
“I see. Well, if you didn’t know, then you’re not at fault.”
The maids’ faces brightened at Sehwa's words.
“But I don’t trust them, so you tell me.” Sehwa’s gaze turned to Jae Ulji. “Did they really not know?”
Jae Ulji looked at the other maids for a moment, then slowly nodded. “…Yes,” she said, her eyes downcast. “The thing about the Hyangra tea is a secret only known to the Jae Clan. The Baek Clan doesn’t enjoy Hyangra tea, which is known to have a cooling effect on the body, because winters are long here, so very few people know about it.”
“Very few? Then who are the others?”
“......”
“You should know by now that it’s not wise to remain silent before me.”
“......”
“Well, if you don’t want to talk, that’s fine too. Youngsun, tie them up and throw them in the back. Let’s see how long they can last without a drop of water.”
“Oh my, my lady, but you have to attend the Mystic Ruler’s inauguration ceremony in a week.”
“You’re right, I almost forgot. Considering the travel time and the duration of the ceremony, we’ll have to make them endure for at least a month.”
“I’ll check if we have any paralyzing drugs. I’m sure we packed some, but I’m not sure if we have enough.”
“If we don’t have enough, so be it. They’ll endure if they want to live.”
“Yes, they can last for about two months if they consume their own Spirit Orbs. But should we put them in a box or something? They might soil themselves.”
“Yes, we have quite a few chests, don’t we? Empty a few and put them inside.”
“Yes.”
“!”
“…!!”
The maids, their limbs bound, stared at them, their lips trembling.
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