A Lingering Shadow of the Past
"Watch Seo Jang-gyeong until he leaves the Thousand Death Alliance."
When Banya ordered him to watch without intervening, no matter what the man did, and to report everything at once by nightfall, Ma Ryun cleared his throat.
"...I trust you remember that my rank is second only to yours, Alliance Leader. What I mean is, as the Vice Alliance Leader, the sheer volume of administrative work I must handle is considerable."
"Heavenly Killing Star, I have a wonderful idea." Banya smiled brightly. "As of this very moment, you are relieved of your duties as Vice Alliance Leader."
"..."
"Without the title, your burden will be lighter. And you can focus entirely on the task I've assigned you."
"..."
"What do you think?"
After staring blankly at his master for a rather insolent length of time, Ma Ryun spoke in a thoroughly deflated tone.
"Honestly, I didn't expect any better..."
"You can do it, right?"
"Yes, yes."
"Answer only once."
"Yeees."
At the reminder that his mission began immediately, Ma Ryun bowed respectfully and withdrew.
Exactly fifteen minutes after his right-hand man left the reception room, Banya began waiting for him to return with a report.
"Perhaps I should have told him to report every two hours."
Yeongso called over one of the older maids.
When she asked if there were any vacant rooms near Yeong-hyeok's quarters, the maid replied that there was one, but it would take some time to clean.
"Then, while Young Master Seo's... ahem, while Young Master Seo's room is being prepared, I will show you around the Alliance."
Yeongso looked up at Yeong-hyeok with an awkward smile.
"Is that alright, Brother?"
"Why wouldn't it be? Let's go. There is no rush, so please take your time preparing it," Yeong-hyeok added.
At Yeong-hyeok's considerate words, the maid, who was well over fifty, blushed. Seeing this, Yeongso shook her head slightly.
"Are you going to keep doing that while you're here?"
"Doing what?"
"Speaking so sweetly to women."
Yeong-hyeok replied as if he had no idea what she meant.
"What I just said was sweet? I merely told her there was no need to rush. Don't put words in my mouth, Baekri Yeongso."
"Ah, you still don't realize your own problem, Brother."
Yeongso continued in a mock-serious tone, teasing that it was quite a grave matter for a twenty-six-year-old man to remain so oblivious.
"Even the most ordinary words sound exceptionally sweet when my third brother says them. Don't tell me you've already forgotten the massive brawl that broke out among the young maids back at the clan estate because of you?"
"How long ago was that? Why are you still bringing it up?"
"The problem is that similar incidents happen wherever you go."
The siblings' playful bickering continued for a while. It was hard to believe they were reuniting after three long years; Yeongso and Yeong-hyeok chatted endlessly without a single pause.
After some time had passed, Yeong-hyeok stopped in the middle of a corridor.
"I believe we are far enough from the reception room now."
"Hmm?"
"How is your body feeling?"
The playful man who had been smiling just moments ago was gone. Yeong-hyeok's expression was now stiff and grave.
"The news that you coughed up blood due to an aphrodisiac has spread all the way to Hadong Province. You didn't mention anything about coughing up blood in your letter to me. Do you have any idea how shocked I was?"
So the news has already reached that far.
She had coughed up blood purely to achieve a more dramatic effect, but only now did she realize that to her family, it must have sounded like the sky was falling. Yeongso felt a sudden pang of guilt.
"As always, you explained things to Mother and Father on my behalf, right, Brother?"
"I would have to know what actually happened to explain it."
Even as he grumbled, Yeong-hyeok would have used all his wit to soothe their parents. The fact that she hadn't heard any news of her mother, Gang-ssi Buin, storming the Red Flower Palace with her spear in hand was proof enough.
In the future, I must be more mindful of my family when I orchestrate these schemes.
Yeongso tried to smooth things over with an embarrassed laugh. But Yeong-hyeok's thoughts seemed to lie elsewhere.
"No matter how shocked you were by our sudden appearance, you haven't spoken a single word to Jang-gyeong. Not even a basic greeting."
Yeong-hyeok asked directly.
"Is it because of your husband? Does he make you walk on eggshells to that extent?"
"B-Brother, what on earth are you talking about?"
She had tried so hard to pretend she didn't notice Jang-gyeong following behind them. Why else would she have chattered so relentlessly with her own brother? Had she looked a bit too desperate for it to pass as mere excitement? Yet, with that single question, all her careful efforts crumbled in an instant.
"Hurry up. Young Master Seo's room must be more than ready by now."
"You can't even bring yourself to say his name."
"Of course not...!"
Flustered, Yeongso quickly scanned her surroundings, terrified that someone from the Thousand Death Alliance might have overheard her raised voice. Fortunately, the corridor was empty.
"I am a married woman. I was raised to never carelessly speak the name of any man who is not my husband or a member of my family."
Yeongso glared at Yeong-hyeok, her fists clenched tight.
"If your goal is to put me in a difficult position, then by all means, keep talking like that."
Confronted by his youngest sister's iron wall, Yeong-hyeok's momentum softened. From long experience, he knew that when Baekri Yeongso took this stance, there was nothing to do but back down. If he provoked her any further, she might actually cough up blood and collapse.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things difficult for you. I was just... curious to see if you were living in peace here."
"As you can see, I am perfectly healthy." Yeongso lifted her small chin. "Even on the day I was poisoned with the aphrodisiac, I felt much better soon after the physician visited."
"I'm glad to hear that, then."
"Now, let me actually show you to your rooms." Yeongso shifted her gaze to Jang-gyeong. "I apologize for the delay when you must be exhausted, Young Master."
Offering a barely perceptible smile, Yeongso quickly turned around before he could reply.
The rooms for Yeong-hyeok and Jang-gyeong had been prepared in the outer guest pavilion. Yeongso had intended to show her former fiancé to his room first, but geographically, Yeong-hyeok's room was closer.
If I leave him here, it feels like I'm neglecting a guest. But if I go out of my way to escort Brother Jang-gyeong to his room first, it will look too... obviously like I'm avoiding him.
Either way was a breach of etiquette. Left with no choice, Yeongso saw her biological brother into his room first.
"If you need anything, send word to Chocho in the inner courtyard. She is my personal maid."
As she walked side by side with Jang-gyeong toward his room in the opposite pavilion, Yeongso wished the ground would swallow her whole. Her husband's words from before kept echoing in her ears.
She had assumed Banya's remarks about Jang-gyeong were entirely fabricated just to test her. The claims that Seo Jang-gyeong lived like a grieving widower, refusing to take even a single concubine. She had believed it to be impossible. Given the kind of person Jang-gyeong was.
Jang-gyeong was the second son of a prestigious noble family; he did not even need to sit for the imperial examinations, as his father could easily secure him an official post by petitioning the Emperor. Yet, early on, Jang-gyeong had proudly declared his intention to take the military examinations. The elders of his family had laughed heartily, telling him to do as he pleased. After all, there were few in the capital who could match Jang-gyeong in martial arts and military strategy.
And as far as Yeongso knew, such a prominent clan would never allow a young man with such a brilliant future to remain single. She had firmly believed that, even if the news hadn't reached her ears, he must have betrothed himself to one of the beautiful young ladies of the capital.
In truth, I was avoiding the thought of him on purpose.
She was already Hwa Banya's wife, and that could never be undone. Even as Banya's three-year mourning period drew to a close, Yeongso had actively tried not to think of Jang-gyeong.
At this point, I... I believed I had no right to dream of a new future with Brother Jang-gyeong.
Their ties had been severed long ago. It would be enough for her to return to her clan, live quietly by her parents' side, and spend the rest of her days embroidering. She had truly believed that, but what was with the look in Jang-gyeong's eyes right now?
It is far too obvious...
His gaze was so filled with yearning and deep affection that even someone three miles away could have read his feelings. If he was going to keep looking at her like that, she wanted to beg him to just walk around with his eyes closed.
You mustn't fan the flames of Banya's murderous intent.
That was Yeongso's sole, agonizing concern.
"I apologize for not sending word in advance. Brother Yeong-hyeok suggested we should at least give you a warning, but I was stubborn."
It was Jang-gyeong who broke the silence first.
"I wanted to see for myself how the Alliance Leader of Cheonsaryeon treats you, Sister Yeongso... and whether he is a man capable of showing at least basic courtesy even when I appear out of the blue."