Chapter 569: Why Don't We Set the Stage Together?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 569: Why Don't We Set the Stage Together?
"Sigh... Fuck..."
Lee Jae-won let out a deep, heavy sigh.
No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't find a solution.
Though Zhuge Ju-kyung’s false testimony had helped him clear a critical hurdle, the seeds of doubt had already been sown in the minds of the leadership. If even a shred of further evidence was discovered, he would be cornered as the culprit with no way out.
No! Fuck, this can't happen!
Lee Jae-won screamed inwardly.
This place was a paradise he had spent decades building. It was a sanctuary where everyone looked up to him, supported him, and would even lay down their lives at his word.
He didn't want to lose it. He refused to let decades of effort go to waste.
Crunch, gnaw, crunch, gnaw.
Lee Jae-won began to bite his fingernails incessantly.
It was an old habit born of anxiety—one he thought had vanished after he fell into the world of this martial arts novel. The fact that it had resurfaced was proof of just how psychologically unstable he had become.
It was while he was trembling with anxiety, gnawing on his nails, that it happened.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, someone began to rap on his door.
"Who is it?"
Lee Jae-won snapped, his face contorted in a sharp, irritable scowl.
"Husband, it is I."
A seductive voice drifted in from outside.
Tang Jin-seol?
Lee Jae-won’s expression shifted to one of confusion. He recognized the voice immediately.
"What is it?" he asked, forcing a dignified tone.
"I have something urgent to discuss with you. That is why I have come to visit."
Hearing her words, Lee Jae-won glanced around the room.
The place was a total wreck. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed, holes were punched through the walls, and the floor was cracked in several places. To top it off, furniture and various items lay shattered and scattered everywhere. It was hardly a space fit for receiving guests.
"......I am quite tired today. If it isn't an emergency, perhaps we could speak another time?"
Lee Jae-won spoke with a hint of hesitation. He couldn't bear the thought of her seeing him in such a state.
"It is truly urgent, Husband."
"Phew... Fine. I shall head to the reception hall. Wait for me there."
"Husband, if you are worried because the room is a mess, it is quite alright. The setting is of no importance."
Tang Jin-seol’s voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Wh-What do you mean by that?!"
Lee Jae-won’s face paled with bewilderment. Her words were entirely unexpected.
How does she know the room is a mess?
He stared at the door with suspicion. Usually, when he trashed his room to vent his anger, he made sure to deploy a Qi Barrier first. He did this specifically so no one would hear him breaking things. Afterward, he would always entrust the repairs to a reliable worker to restore everything to its original state.
So how could Tang Jin-seol possibly know the room was in shambles? He couldn't help but feel blindsided.
No, maybe she just meant it’s untidy...
He quickly regained his composure, thinking she might just be making a general assumption about his lack of organization.
Fuck, I'm getting sensitive over everything.
Lee Jae-won shook his head from side to side.
"Hahaha... My apologies. My room is a bit disorganized at the moment," he said, his voice sounding forced and awkward.
"It’s quite alright. I understand completely. With all the furniture smashed to pieces... how could you possibly tidy up so quickly?"
A chill ran down his spine.
"..............."
In that moment, Lee Jae-won felt the blood drain from his face.
No... how...
Panic began to cloud his eyes. He realized then that she knew everything.
"I understand perfectly. So, it is fine to speak in your room."
Tang Jin-seol’s soft voice drifted in again.
"......Come in."
Lee Jae-won finally granted her permission. He felt he had to face her—this woman who knew his shameful secrets.
Creeeeeak.
As soon as he gave the word, the door slowly swung open.
A mature, voluptuous beauty with an alluring aura stepped into the room. It was his Third Madam, Tang Jin-seol.
"I greet the Alliance Leader."
Upon entering, she offered him a graceful bow.
"Come... sit."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a stiff, uncomfortable expression.
After her greeting, Tang Jin-seol slowly scanned the room.
"You must have been very angry today... seeing as it's even worse than usual."
She let out a seductive smile as she spoke.
"............How did you know?"
Lee Jae-won’s face was set like stone.
"Know what?"
"That my room was a mess."
His eyes flashed dangerously.
"I couldn't help but know. The girls who clean your quarters every time have always been children I planted there."
"What?!"
Lee Jae-won gasped in shock. This was a truth he had never anticipated.
She had planted people? What did that even mean? If that were true, did it mean she knew every single one of his movements in detail?
"You planted spies on me?!"
Lee Jae-won’s brow furrowed deeply as he roared. Fury surged through him at the realization that he was being watched.
"I had no choice, Husband."
Facing his murderous gaze, Tang Jin-seol maintained a look of pity.
"I didn't want your weaknesses to be exposed to others."
"What on earth are you talking about?!"
Lee Jae-won demanded, his confusion mounting. He couldn't understand her logic. What did planting spies have to do with protecting his weaknesses?
"How can a human being always be perfect? When one has private time, their imperfections are bound to show. I was simply worried about that and prepared a safeguard of my own."
"......And that safeguard was planting spies?"
Lee Jae-won glared at her with cold eyes.
"Yes, that's right. By planting my own people, I could ensure that my beloved husband's embarrassing moments wouldn't leak out."
Tang Jin-seol gave him a bright, radiant smile.
"And how can you be so sure your people are safe?"
Lee Jae-won’s eyes remained narrowed in suspicion.
"They have to be safe. I've had the tongues of all the girls who clean the Alliance Leader's quarters cut out."
Tang Jin-seol delivered those chilling words with a refreshing, innocent smile.
"Wh-What?!"
Lee Jae-won stood frozen in shock. He had never imagined she would go as far as cutting out the servants' tongues.
He quickly searched his memory, trying to recall if he had ever interacted with those who cleaned his room. He realized then that he had never once come face-to-face with them. He couldn't have known they were tongueless because he had never even seen them.
......What a vicious bitch.
Lee Jae-won was struck by Tang Jin-seol’s ruthlessness. He knew she was sharp and prickly, but he never imagined she was this cold-blooded.
"Is your curiosity satisfied now?"
When Lee Jae-won remained silent, Tang Jin-seol continued with a gentle smile.
"............It is."
Lee Jae-won replied in a flat tone.
"Then, do you intend to scold me?"
"......No. It was for my sake, after all... If anything, I should be grateful."
Lee Jae-won expressed his thanks. While the fact that she had planted spies was unpleasant, in the end, she was the benefactor who had covered up his erratic behavior. How could he possibly scold her?
"As expected, my husband is truly broad-minded. I was so worried I might be scolded that my heart was racing."
Tang Jin-seol lightly clutched her ample chest as she spoke.
Bullshit.
Lee Jae-won dismissed her words internally. How could someone whose heart was supposedly racing look so perfectly composed? She was a total fox.
"Hahahaha, how could I ever be angry with you? You are my beloved wife."
"I am overwhelmed by your kind words."
Tang Jin-seol let out another captivating smile. With every grin, a thick sense of sensuality seemed to ooze from her.
If only her ass and tits weren't so small, I'd have given her a standing fuck right here... What a waste.
Lee Jae-won swallowed his disappointment. Tang Jin-seol was a woman who radiated an aura that triggered a man's primal instincts. If not for his specific physical preferences, he would have pinned her to the bed and taken her right then and there.
"That aside, what is it you wanted to say? You mentioned it was urgent..."
Lee Jae-won trailed off, his curiosity piqued. He wondered what kind of emergency would bring her to him.
"Ah, it's nothing else but this recent incident. I have something to say regarding it."
At his question, Tang Jin-seol’s expression turned uncharacteristically serious.
"..........."
Lee Jae-won’s face darkened slightly. She was the one who had committed perjury for him, claiming they had been spending passionate nights together—even though they hadn't slept together in decades.
He could guess what she was going to ask. She was going to ask if he was truly the one who had massacred the Gu Clan.
........Dammit...
Lee Jae-won cursed inwardly.
"Speak," he said slowly.
"Why don't we set the stage together?"
Tang Jin-seol suggested with a fresh smile.
"Eh!?"
Lee Jae-won stared at her blankly. Set the stage? What the hell did that mean?
"What do you mean? Set the stage?"
He looked at her, completely lost.
"A stage where you can escape the list of suspects, Husband."
Tang Jin-seol’s smile turned even more alluring.
"What!?"
Lee Jae-won blurted out in surprise. He had never expected her to offer a proposal instead of an interrogation. She was going to help him clear his name?
".....Tell me... in detail."
"Your current situation is quite dire. Although you cleared a dangerous hurdle thanks to Zhuge Ju-kyung’s wit, the leadership hasn't fully accepted it. That is why I am making this proposal. A way for you to be removed from suspicion entirely."
"............"
Lee Jae-won remained silent, his lips pressed firmly together. He didn't know what to say.
She wasn't wrong. The situation was bad, and if left alone, it was obvious he would be framed as the culprit. After all, there were no other masters in the Profound Realm who held a grudge against Gu Ja-yeop.
However, he couldn't just jump at her offer. He didn't know what her ulterior motive was.
She hadn't even questioned him. If she had believed he wasn't the culprit, she would have interrogated him or moved to find the truth. Instead, she simply offered a way to escape suspicion.
What did that imply? It meant she was already certain he was the culprit.
That was why he couldn't accept the proposal so easily. He feared it might be a scheme to hold everything over his head and manipulate him from the shadows.
Lee Jae-won agonized over it in silence, trying to calculate the best move.
After a long moment of deliberation...
"Husband, there is no need to be afraid."
Tang Jin-seol spoke in a soft voice, watching the silent Lee Jae-won.
"I am always on your side."
Her voice was filled with an almost motherly warmth and affection.
"..........How... how do you intend to clear me of suspicion?"
Perhaps because her gentle tone had caused him to lower his guard, Lee Jae-won finally asked the question.
"It’s simple... we just need to create another suspect."
"Another suspect?"
Lee Jae-won asked, puzzled.
"Yes. If we create another suspect, the doubts focused on the Alliance Leader will be dispersed."
"That's impossible."
Lee Jae-won shook his head. To name a suspect, they would have to be at least a master of the Profound Realm to be convincing. How could they just 'create' another suspect like that?
"No, it is possible."
Tang Jin-seol’s smile deepened.
"If it is the one once known as the World's Greatest Demon... the Yin-Yang Demon."
The smile on her lips grew even wider. And as Lee Jae-won met that smile, his expression turned sour.
He had never expected that old monster's name to come out of her mouth.