A Sibling's Devotion
Banya's mother-in-law was a renowned heroine who could never tolerate injustice. She was not the type to let herself be wronged, nor was she someone who would ever commit adultery; she would sooner leave her clan or take her own life. Recalling his mother-in-law's sterling reputation, Banya quickly discarded his half-sibling hypothesis.
"Then how about this? They were switched at birth. While the wet nurse was distracted for a split second, someone swapped the babies."
It wasn't like such things were unheard of. Especially in a wealthy family like the Baekri Clan, wouldn't someone want to secretly swap their own child with a noble one? As Banya rambled on, he noticed his right-hand man staring at him with a deeply concerning look. Banya let out an irritated sigh.
"Cheonsalseong, do you think I've lost my mind too?"
"No."
"You answered way too fast."
"..."
"But I'm not having these delusions without any basis. If you have eyes, just look at those siblings."
Banya pointed a finger toward the inner quarters. "What kind of brother in this world refers to his sister's cheeks as summer peaches?"
"That is a bit..."
"Baekri Yeong-hyeok coddles his sister so much that I, her actual husband, can't even get close to her." Banya's voice grew increasingly heated. "At this rate, he's going to start meddling in our marital bed!"
And what about Baekri Yeongso? She attached 'dear brother' to the end of every single sentence, to the point where his ears were practically bleeding. Banya gnashed his teeth.
"If this were the Sapa, rumors would have already spread that biological siblings were shamelessly sleeping together. But I guess this kind of behavior is perfectly acceptable in the Jeongpa?"
"Even if you ask me, I am Sapa to my very bones, so I wouldn't know."
"Cheonsalseong, didn't you have a sister?"
Since Banya's only sibling was Hwa Mujin—whom he wanted to tear into ten thousand pieces—he redirected the arrow to Ma Ryun, demanding an answer from someone who actually had a sister. "Could you look at your sister with eyes full of adoration, asking if she wants a blanket, or offering to brush her hair like you did when you were kids?"
"Ah, I did have a sister. She's dead."
"She's dead?" This was news to Banya. He asked, "When?"
"I heard she was murdered a year ago," Ma Ryun added, looking rather disappointed. "Of course, she was a piece of human trash who could have been killed at any moment. She had far too many enemies. But still, I went to kill her myself the moment I got out of prison, so you can imagine how absurd it felt to hear she was already dead."
"...Right. I remember now. You two didn't get along."
"It wasn't just a matter of not getting along, Renju. Even calling us sworn enemies would be an understatement." Ma Ryun clenched his fist tightly. "I will find the one who killed my sister and make sure they die the slowest, most painful death possible. I must punish them for daring to steal my turn."
Now this is more like it. This was how normal siblings behaved. Looking at Yeongso and her brother had deeply shaken Banya's worldview, but Ma Ryun's words finally restored the axis of his universe.
"Good. Then how do we separate Baekri Yeongso and her brother?"
"..."
"How?"
"...Was I supposed to answer that?"
Banya stared at Ma Ryun in silence. For Ma Ryun, who preferred slicing off heads to plotting schemes, this was undoubtedly a highly uncomfortable moment.
"And if I say I don't know a way?"
"You had better find one."
"Very well," Ma Ryun replied readily. "But I will need some time to think."
Before Banya could even set a time limit, his damn subordinate used a lightfoot technique to vanish from his sight in the blink of an eye.
"Did he only learn how to read the room in prison...?"
"Thank you." Absurdly, though the man had vanished, his voice still lingered. It echoed from a distance, but it was clear enough to understand. It seemed Ma Ryun was also afraid of the consequences of simply running away.
"In my opinion, if you wish to achieve your goal, Renju, you should use a woman."
If he was going to say that, he might as well have said it to his face. Banya spoke to the empty air, "Explain in more detail."
"Well, I still need that time after all..." With those final words, Ma Ryun's voice was heard no more. Should I kill him? Banya wondered.
Yeongso had already compiled a list detailing the ages, specialties, desired occupations, and preferred residences of the ninety-nine servants from the annex, as well as Garan, the assassin staying in the basement of the inner quarters. Her plan was to group together servants with similar wishes for their relocation.
For example, if someone was originally a farmer's daughter and wanted to continue farming in her new job, but wished to be as far away as possible from Nagan-seong where Jeokhwa Palace was located, Yeongso would assign her to the most distant farm owned by either the Baekri Clan or the Duke of Wonik.
This person would then travel in the same group as someone who didn't care what kind of work they did as long as they received a steady, safe wage and were far away from Nagan-seong. There were also servants who wished to return to the embrace of their original families, even if it was risky.
"This person's hometown is Tanzhou. There's barely any influence from Jeokhwa Palace there, right?"
"If I recall correctly, they do have one large shop there. However, Jang-gyeong's second cousin likely lives in Tanzhou. It's not as if we have no one on our side to watch over them."
"Then, if we first secure a maid position at Young Master Seo's cousin's estate and provide financial support for them to move their home closer to their workplace..."
Yeong-hyeok quietly gazed at his younger sister's face, which had not rested for a single moment. Belatedly noticing her brother's gaze, Yeongso tilted her head.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You look a bit pale."
"Ah... Here we go again, brother."
"Roll up your sleeves. I need to take your pulse."
"I told you, I'm really fine."
"And that's exactly what I want to verify."
The more stubbornly his sister refused to have her pulse taken, the darker Yeong-hyeok's expression became. Is she trying to hide something?
He had heard plenty of rumors that the Alliance Leader of Cheonsaryeon, Hwa Banya, never left his wife alone. Though they were enemies, Banya's biological father and half-brother were notorious lechers who couldn't resist women, so he doubted the apple fell far from the tree. If his sister was being cautious because of marks left from their marital relations, he could understand.
But if she's doing this to hide bruises from being beaten...
Yeong-hyeok recalled Banya, who had shown no intention of hiding his possessiveness over his wife. There was a very real possibility that the man had physically punished Yeongso after yesterday's banquet concluded.
"Baekri Yeongso."
"It always makes me anxious when you call me by my full name like that, brother."
"Then... Soso."
When he used her childhood nickname, Yeongso let out a bitter chuckle. "What's with the sudden change?"
"If you don't want to roll up your sleeves, I'll take your pulse over the fabric. Alright?"
"Why are you so obsessed with taking my pulse? I'm fine."
Could she have been beaten badly enough to suffer internal injuries?Yeong-hyeok's face darkened.
Because the yin energy in her body was too strong, his younger sister had been destined to die at a young age and had never once been punished while growing up. Her health had gradually recovered only after their mother defied the elders' opposition to bring in a master from outside the clan.
Yet even after her health improved, Yeongso remained under the unconditional protection of her parents and siblings. In everyone's hearts, the youngest was forever a fragile, precious child.
If she overexerts herself, she might cough up blood and collapse at any moment, just like when she was little. That fear was deeply ingrained in the family's hearts.
Our parents raised her without ever uttering a single harsh word.
She was the gentlest, kindest child in the world. How had such a sister caught the eye of the ruthless Hwa Banya and ended up sold to Cheonsaryeon? Whenever Yeong-hyeok recalled Yeongso leaving for her wedding three years ago, his blood ran cold.
"I've just soundproofed this room, so you can speak freely. Did your husband lay a hand on you? Are you trying to hide your injuries from me?"
Yeongso stared at Yeong-hyeok, utterly at a loss for words. Then, she let out a long, heavy sigh.
"No, brother. You've let your imagination run wild."
"If not that, then..."
"The reason I'm refusing to have my pulse taken..." Yeongso rolled her eyes. "...is because of your extreme hypochondria on my behalf."
She shook her head, as if asking how he still hadn't realized this. "You act like a slight breeze will make me collapse and die on the spot."
"Don't speak of death so lightly."
"See? This is exactly what I mean. I was just using a metaphor."
"Even so, you shouldn't say it." Yeong-hyeok remained firm.