Chapter 252: Lady Of White Flowers, Mi Hyoran (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 252: Lady Of White Flowers, Mi Hyoran (2)
How long had it been?
It hadn't been long at all since this began. Judging by the moon's position, midnight had only just passed.
It was far too late for a visitor, yet Namgung Bi-ah could not bring herself to complain. After all, her guest was… special.
“…”
As Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes wandered, the lady seated across from her sipped the tea she had somehow procured with an air of profound grace. Despite her age, she maintained a striking beauty, and her attire was clearly extraordinary, something Namgung Bi-ah could discern at a mere glance.
The silence stretched on, growing heavy.
Should I say something?
Namgung Bi-ah cursed her own taciturn nature. As she fidgeted, reluctant to break the quiet, the lady spoke first.
“I apologize for calling on you so late at night.”
A light smile accompanied her words, brimming with an indescribable elegance that only tightened the knot in Namgung Bi-ah’s stomach.
“Oh… I… I was training anyway… so… please, don’t worry.”
“Thank you for your understanding. Training, you say… Do you always train at this hour?”
“…Ah, yes…”
“I see. How diligent.”
After this brief exchange, the lady began writing on a piece of paper she had laid out. “…Training… at night,” she murmured softly.
She seemed to be noting something important. Namgung Bi-ah was intensely curious but dared not peek.
Noticing her attention, the lady cleared her throat gently. “My apologies. I just had to jot something down.”
“It’s no trouble…”
“Is it alright if I call you Young Lady Namgung?”
Namgung Bi-ah nodded in response—and instantly regretted it. She should have answered verbally. Was it nervousness that made her brain feel so sluggish?
“You can just call m—”
The lady suddenly cut herself off, as if she had struggled to find the right words. “…Lady Mi. Yes, that will do. You may call me Lady Mi.”
“Understood…”
“I truly am sorry for the late visit. I heard a blood relative of the great Namgung Clan was here, and I wished very much to speak with you.”
Namgung Bi-ah nodded, but she doubted that was the only reason. The lady seemed to want to talk, but surely not just because she was from the Namgung Clan.
…Why?
She didn’t know why she thought this, but the feeling was strong. Her intuition was rarely wrong.
“Young Lady Namgung is remarkably calm.”
“…Ah.”
Was that a polite way of saying she was too quiet? Boring, even? If so, Namgung Bi-ah wished she could change it, but she had no idea how. She simply wasn’t a talkative person.
“It would be nice if my daughters… had taken after you in that regard.”
“Huh…?”
Was she hearing correctly? Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t follow the flow of the conversation.
What is happening?
Struggling to suppress her nerves, she observed the lady more closely.
…The stench is… faint…?
It was so faint she wouldn't have noticed unless she focused. This subtlety was a testament to her own heightened sensitivity, yet the lady’s presence remained incredibly light. That realization alone was somewhat comforting.
But the silence returned. Namgung Bi-ah, never one for conversation and utterly unsure how to treat a guest, found herself at a loss. Considering Gu Yangcheon was born of a concubine and the woman before her was the legal wife, her role in this complicated social situation was unclear.
She remembered something Gu Yangcheon had once told her.
-You need to study common sense sometime.
Was this a situation where common sense was required? If so, she should have listened to him. Especially if she had known she would end up in a spot like this.
“That child.”
Lady Mi’s voice broke the silence again, and Namgung Bi-ah tensed.
…What…?
‘That child’ could only mean Gu Yangcheon.
Criticism…?
When a legal wife spoke of a concubine’s child, it was rarely positive. Namgung Bi-ah had witnessed it many times before. Was she about to criticize Gu Yangcheon for past misdeeds, real or imagined? How should she respond if that happened?
Should I… be angry?
Under normal circumstances, she might have drawn her sword without a second thought. But now, she had to be careful. Reckless actions would have consequences, and she was the only one who would bear the responsibility. Any action she took must not harm Gu Yangcheon. If she wanted to stay by his side, she couldn’t afford to be impulsive.
Bracing herself, she tensely awaited Lady Mi’s next words.
“Does he treat you well?”
“…Excuse me?”
“That child. Does he treat Young Lady Namgung well?”
The question was so unexpected it left Namgung Bi-ah’s already blank mind even more blank.
Does he… treat me well?
She pondered it.
Lately, things had improved slightly, but he still avoided her when she approached. He promised he wouldn’t disappear, yet he often did so without a word. Then he would return seriously injured. He spoke rudely. He had no sense…
…?
The more she thought about it, the stranger she felt.
As her expression grew increasingly perplexed, Lady Mi spoke with a gentle smile. “I can tell just by looking at your face.”
“…Ah…! It’s…” A mistake. She should have controlled her expression better. Namgung Bi-ah hated herself for letting her guard down.
“He’s a child covered in thorns, as you well know.”
Hearing this, Namgung Bi-ah stopped herself from making excuses.
“He cloaks himself in thorns to hide his scars. Please, do not hold it against him. The fault lies with the adults, not with him…”
Her voice was steady and calm, devoid of emotion yet filled with a certain coldness. Strangely, with each word she heard, Namgung Bi-ah felt herself growing more at ease. This woman was nothing like she had expected.
“Thank you for receiving me so late. I should not take up any more of your time. I shall take my leave.”
Lady Mi stood and offered a slight bow. Namgung Bi-ah quickly rose to her feet, but Lady Mi gestured with her hand, indicating there was no need to see her out. Yet, Namgung Bi-ah felt she couldn’t just remain seated.
Had she really come all this way for such a brief conversation? Did Lady Mi simply want to see what kind of person Namgung Bi-ah was? Their meeting was too short, and Namgung Bi-ah lacked the understanding to be sure, but she felt she couldn’t let the lady leave like this.
“…He’s… a good person.”
Lady Mi’s steps halted abruptly at the words Namgung Bi-ah barely managed to utter.
“Young Lady?”
“Even though he acts like he doesn’t care… he looks after everyone around him.”
As she spoke of Gu Yangcheon, Namgung Bi-ah’s previously hesitant speech began to flow more smoothly. It was fascinating, how much she changed when talking about him.
“…Even when he seems to be acting recklessly, it’s always for someone else’s sake.”
His temper was harsh, his actions sometimes extreme, and he daily proclaimed he lived only for himself. But Namgung Bi-ah knew his concern extended beyond his own skin. She didn’t understand why his gaze sometimes held guilt and regret when it fell upon her, but since he never spoke of it, she never asked. Whatever the reason, knowing he cared was enough for her.
“…He’s a good person.”
She stated it clearly, yet her quiet nature still failed to convey everything she wanted to say.
Lady Mi fell into deep thought after listening, then offered a faint smile. “…Is that so.”
With those words, she slowly walked away, her figure melting into the night.
Left alone, Namgung Bi-ah felt as if she had weathered a storm. She finally allowed herself a deep, relieved breath. Later, she would reflect that this day had been the most tense of her life.
Mi Hyoran walked the night path.
The moonlight was out, yet the world remained dark and difficult to see. For an ordinary person without qi, navigating without a light would be impossible. But Mi Hyoran walked calmly. She knew this path well, having tread it many times before.
A flower used to bloom on the left.
It was no longer there, but she remembered it. She hadn't memorized its name, only that it was a white flower.
The grass was long from neglect, and the trees grew in an ugly, unkempt manner, but Mi Hyoran paid it no mind. She already knew why her husband did not maintain this path. It was because he did not wish to touch the garden she had made.
A man of regrets.
That was her feeling.
As she walked slowly through the garden, she spoke aloud. “Mujin.”
Suddenly, a voice answered from nowhere. …Yes, Leader.
Unfazed, Mi Hyoran asked calmly, “How is it?”
…As reported, it seems much has changed.
“Such as?”
For instance… I believe my presence was detected.
A spark of interest flickered in Mi Hyoran’s eyes. He was detected?
“Are you certain?”
Yes. To be precise, I believe he noticed me from the moment I encountered you, Leader.
He had sensed Mujin’s presence from within Gu Yangcheon’s room? That child?
Because of that, I could not approach easily. But from a distance, he seemed vastly different from before.
“…Hmm.”
Mi Hyoran fell into thought, grappling with the emotions swirling within her. Was it joy? Confusion? Or perhaps regret? It was difficult. Emotions remained a complex matter for her.
She was deeply concerned about the child’s growth. Had he overcome the scars of his past? For Mi Hyoran, could this be considered… hope? It was hard to put a name to what she felt.
“I see. So, he is called the True Dragon?”
Yes. The name has spread throughout the Central Plains.
She had heard the child had been granted a title. She knew he was much discussed among the young prodigies and had carved out a place in their minds.
That child has achieved such a thing.
She wondered when the broken child, who had been so crippled by his scars, had transformed like this—all in her absence, as if she had fled.
While Mi Hyoran was lost in these indescribable feelings, Mujin was reflecting on their earlier encounter. He hadn’t mentioned it to his Leader, but Gu Yangcheon had done more than just sense his presence.
I can’t believe I was caught.
The moment he realized the other had detected him, he thought to put more distance between them. But then, Gu Yangcheon had looked directly at him with an expression of pure annoyance.
Their eyes had met. From an incredible distance.
Then, a voice spoke directly into his mind. [You are rather bothersome. Please stop.]
Mujin had been utterly shocked. …How?
The last time he had seen his Leader’s son, the boy had seemed irreparably shattered—mentally, not physically. But now?
It’s light.
Contrary to his clear presence, the impression he gave was too shallow to discern his true nature. This meant Gu Yangcheon was highly skilled at concealing his power.
How is this possible in just a few years?
His Leader had left the clan only a few years prior. Yet, in that short time, Gu Yangcheon had transformed everything about himself. Had he truly managed it all alone?
Or did he have help from another quarter?
Mujin abruptly erased the thoughts. After all, there was no way his Leader was unaware of what he pondered.
“I see. Good work.”
…Not at all.
Mi Hyoran began walking slowly again and decided to ask a different question. “Now that I think of it, is your son doing well?”
Ah…
Mujin seemed momentarily flustered, unprepared for his Leader to remember such a thing. After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, he responded in an awkward tone. He seems to be doing well.
It appeared his son often spent time near the Leader’s son, and judging by his expression, he was doing fine.
“…That’s good to hear.”
Leader.
“Hm.”
May I ask how your meeting earlier went?
Mi Hyoran stopped walking at once. “Interesting, that you would ask me a question.”
…My apologies if it is a sensitive matter.
“No, there is no need to apologize.”
Her expression shifted. The fleeting emotion on her face faded, replaced by her usual cold composure.
“She did not seem to be the best.”
She was speaking of Namgung Bi-ah. The girl possessed extreme beauty, but she seemed… lacking for a scion of a noble clan. She had talent and a title of her own, but this was not enough to satisfy Mi Hyoran. The world was full of talented individuals; in this matter, something other than martial prowess was more important.
I was going to take action myself.
The Namgung Clan. They stood at the center of the Four Noble Clans from the prideful Orthodox Sect, but they were also deeply entangled in countless dirty deeds. The darkness festering there was so dense that Mi Hyoran could have ended the engagement if she wished. The White Flowers merchant association had ample leverage in such matters. For Mi Hyoran, who was awkward in expressing herself, this was the most she could do for her children.
She could have stopped this engagement.
-…He is a good person.
But after hearing what the Namgung child said at the end, Mi Hyoran paused her plans.
“She may be lacking, but she is not a bad child.”
Having said that, Mi Hyoran continued her slow walk. She heard no response from Mujin, but she didn’t mind.
“…It’s still difficult.”
She wished she could do for her other children what she did for her daughters, but she found it exceedingly hard. She didn’t know if she even dared to try. Because she was not their biological mother.
Moving slowly, she looked again toward the spot where the white flowers had once bloomed.
“…”
Not so long ago.
She remembered a child being pushed forward by a friend’s hand, his face full of fear. He had a face so similar to her husband's that she found it almost funny, despite the tears welling in his eyes. Reaching out a small, trembling hand toward her, the child had stammered:
-L-Lady Mi… this…
In his hand was a white flower. One that her friend had grown in her garden.
She wondered what response she had given as she accepted the flower from his shaky hand.
Did I say thank you?
There’s no way I said such a thing.
If I had, he wouldn’t have run back to his mother in tears.
“How disappointing.”
Mi Hyoran didn’t know what she was disappointed in, even as she said the words. They had simply come out on their own.