Silence Descends
Silence descended. The men's laughter died away, leaving only So-yeon's trembling breaths hanging in the air. The woman had slowly removed her veil.
“Heh…”
“Ugh…”
The air seemed to freeze in an instant. Her snow-white skin glowed softly beneath the moonlight, while her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, radiating a faint chill. When she tilted her head slightly, her long lashes trembled and her gaze flowed gently. The corners of her lips curved upward in the faintest smile. Anyone would have been entranced by that smile, their breath stolen away.
The woman looked down at So-yeon, whose mouth hung open in shock. Her voice was low and soft, almost a whisper.
“So-yeon.”
So-yeon's shoulders flinched violently. At the single word of her name, her eyes wavered.
“What would you like to do?”
The woman's hand slowly covered the back of So-yeon's hand. It was terribly cold.
So-yeon shook her head vigorously, lowering it deeply. She could not speak. Only her shoulders trembled faintly.
One of the men, who had been swallowing hard while entranced by the woman's beauty, forced a boastful tone.
“W-what? Putting on an act? They say a newborn pup doesn't fear the tiger. Well, this is perfect. I'll have to teach you what a real man is!”
“Hey, look at that girl. She's already terrified. Looks like she's about to cry!”
“Ahem, let's get started. We don't have time.”
Their wariness toward the stranger vanished in an instant, replaced by faces flushed with desire. So-yeon's body curled inward even more. Her hands clutched tightly at the woman's sleeve as tears streamed down her cheeks.
The woman's face, which had been smiling faintly, hardened for a moment at the sight of those tears. She gently stroked So-yeon's hair with a kind smile, then slowly raised her head to look at the men. Her gaze remained soft, yet an endless chill lurked within it.
“It wouldn't be proper for a child to see this…”
So-yeon's trembling body collapsed. The girl, struck at a vital point, lost consciousness at once.
“…I had hoped to avoid bloodshed.”
The woman's once low and gentle voice changed. The air grew cold and heavy. In that instant, the men's laughter erupted again, louder and more mocking than before.
“What? No bloodshed?”
“Hahaha! Look at this bitch, trying to joke around!”
“Arrogant whore… This gentleman will personally educate you.”
The woman still wore her smile. It had not changed in the slightest. She moved slowly, her robes flowing like water. As she took a single step forward, the air inside the carriage seemed to freeze ever so slightly. A chill spread outward in a gentle wave.
“You all…”
Her hand rose slowly. A cold energy began to swirl softly from her fingertips, spreading outward.
“…have terrible luck.”
In the next moment, the woman moved. Her waist curved gracefully, her robes fluttering. Her palm sliced through the air, extending forward as gently as if caressing flower petals. The men, who had been thinking she was desperately acting to escape, smirked and reached for her.
Shhhk!
With the sound of air being cut, the foremost man collapsed without a sound. A small hole had appeared in his neck.
“Huh…?”
“W-what?”
He did not rise again. The men's laughter ceased. Bewilderment washed over their faces. The woman had not moved a single step. She slowly turned her gaze to the next man, her eyes flowing gently. She raised her fingertips to cover her lips and smiled softly—an enchanting smile that left the trembling men dazed once more.
“I still have questions to ask, so I'll let one of you live. Who knows the most?”
A low whisper. Even in the face of their comrade's death, the men who had been entranced by her beauty finally came to their senses. One of them, who had been pretending to be a scholar, gritted his teeth and drew his sword.
“You fucking bitch! I'll make sure you cry beneath me!”
He charged. His movements were disciplined, suggesting he had trained in martial arts. Yet the woman's body flowed like water, effortlessly deflecting his blade. She moved as if dancing even before the sword, making it seem as though he were the one being toyed with. Their bodies crossed, and the man collapsed. His expression showed he did not even understand what had happened to him.
Only then did the remaining two men stumble backward in terror.
“W-what is this…”
“She's an expert! Run!”
Watching them flee, the woman slowly raised her hand. Cold energy swirled from her fingertips once more.
“I wonder who knows more.”
The men ran with every ounce of strength they possessed, yet one man's legs suddenly froze solid. He screamed and fell. The woman approached silently and brushed her hand over his chest. With that single touch, his heart stopped.
Only one man remained. He could no longer run. Trembling, he dropped to his knees.
“P-please spare me… I-I was only following my sister's request…”
“Ah, so you were the one leading this? What exactly did your sister ask of you?”
There was not a trace of anger in her voice. The man felt a faint spark of hope and answered in a shaking voice.
“Money… It was for money. We were going to kidnap the girl from the Zhuge Clan and demand ransom… My sister works as a servant there and told me. She said the child is the clan head's illegitimate daughter, treated poorly, and no one would come looking for her… that the higher-ups would cover it up…”
The woman's smile deepened ever so slightly.
“And your proof?”
“My sister… She said the girl had an affair with the young clan heir! Yes! That's how she knows everything!”
“I see… So there is someone who knows even more.”
The woman nodded. Her hand rose slowly. The man's face turned deathly pale.
“P-please spare me… I told you everything…”
Her gaze flowed gently.
“Of course. I keep my promises.”
Her fingertip pressed against the man's vital point. His body stiffened, and he fell forward, only his eyes blinking. He was not dead. What would happen if he remained unable to move in this place for an entire day… that depended on his luck.
***
“Hmm~ hmm~”
A clear humming sound reached her ears. A gentle breeze blew. A kind hand brushed her bangs aside. So-yeon did not want to wake from this dream. It had been so long since she had felt anything like this. She rarely experienced such warmth anymore—unless it was a dream of her mother, whose face she could barely remember. After exhausting days, even dreaming had become a luxury.
“Mmm…”
“Oh my, did I wake you, So-yeon?”
So-yeon opened her bleary eyes. Her mind resisted waking, but her body, conditioned to shake off sleep in dangerous situations, forced her awake. Yet no water was splashed on her, nor did any contemptuous gaze fly her way.
“Ah…”
Instead, what filled her vision was an impossibly beautiful smile. It was the kind of smile that would make even her half-sisters, whom she had once thought the prettiest in the world, seem like fireflies. It was like gazing at the moon itself.
“Did you have a good dream?”
The woman gently stroked So-yeon's hair. Only then did So-yeon realize the touch on her head was no dream. And belatedly, she noticed she was sitting atop a horse.
“Huh…? W-wait…”
“Hehe, we're on our way to Yicheng. Those kind gentlemen lent us their horses.”
The woman spoke as she continued stroking So-yeon's hair, making the girl blush faintly.
“May I ask you for one favor?”
“U-um… yes…”
So-yeon was utterly confused about what was happening, yet she found herself wanting to keep listening to this woman.
“Would you call me ‘sister’?”
“…Pardon?”
“That would be enough.”
“Uh…”
After a moment of hesitation, So-yeon nodded vigorously.
“Hehe, thank you. This is my gift to you.”
The woman removed a hairpin from her own hair and gently placed it in the girl's. She looked genuinely pleased.
“Ah…”
“You must never lose it, all right? It's very precious.”
“Y-yes…! Th-thank you, Sister…”
“Hehe, how adorable.”
The gift came from such a beautiful sister. So-yeon could not suppress her excitement and grinned foolishly. Strangely, the moment she received the hairpin, her chest also felt strangely warm.
“Now, we've arrived. Where were you planning to go, So-yeon?”
While they talked, the two had already reached Yicheng. The woman dismounted first and helped So-yeon down with natural movements, as if soothing a younger sister. So-yeon blushed, unsure how to react. She had never been treated this way since entering the Zhuge Clan.
“The Jeong… Manor…”
So-yeon pulled out a crumpled letter from her robes. She made a distressed face upon seeing how wrinkled it had become.
“The Jeong Manor… Very well.”
“…?”
“Shall we go?”
The woman took the letter from So-yeon's hands and tucked it into her own robes. Holding the reins in one hand, she took So-yeon's hand with the other.
“Um, Sister, are you… also coming…?”
“Oh, am I not allowed to come?”
So-yeon shook her head quickly.
“That's a relief.”
So-yeon gazed quietly at the woman's hand holding hers. Unlike her own small, unkempt hand, it was far more beautiful than even her sisters'—pale, slender, and long, making it feel as though a real sister were holding a child's hand. So-yeon's face flushed. She squeezed the hand a little tighter.
The woman looked down at her fondly. Then, sensing a gaze, she suddenly lifted her head. But when she looked toward the source, no one was there.
As expected. So there was still interest after all.