Monopolizing Fortunes (90)
Monopolizing Fortunes (90)
Do Tong-dal forced his mouth open with difficulty.
"I'm not thinking about marriage yet...."
Baek Ha-ryeon easily cut off the words Do Tong-dal had forced out.
"What do formalities matter? What matters is how the two people involved feel. Do you dislike Seol-rin?"
"It's not that, but...."
"Then it's settled. You like her, Seol-rin likes you, and there's no one in our family who would oppose the two of you marrying...."
Mid-sentence, Baek Ha-ryeon looked at Namgung Baek-jung and Namgung Sang-yeon. From her eyes, a threat that said "Just try opposing it!" scattered like killing intent.
So even if the two of them had any thought of opposing it, they had no choice but to keep their mouths firmly shut.
"You're already as good as a son-in-law of the Namgung Clan."
At this point, for Do Tong-dal to say "I am not marrying Seol-rin" would be the same as declaring war on the Namgung Clan.
Do Tong-dal was wise enough to know that silence was better than stirring up trouble with pointless words.
Thankfully, Namgung Seol-rin rescued Do Tong-dal from the crisis.
"Father, you still haven't caught the person who poisoned my brother, have you?"
"We've been watching closely, but we haven't found any clue to identify the culprit yet."
"Then leave it to Tong-dal."
She shoved him into a new crisis.
"Hm? To my son-in-law—no, to Do Tong-dal?"
Namgung Seol-rin burst out laughing at Namgung Baek-jung's "son-in-law" slip, then spoke.
"In all the Central Plains, you won't find a more capable investigator than Tong-dal."
Do Tong-dal, now the focus of everyone's gaze, let out his words like a sigh.
"You must have narrowed down the suspects."
"Taking the characteristics of Blue Snake Poison into account, we identified eight people. They're all people who could have fed Blue Snake Poison to Cheol-hyeon at any time."
"People who handle the food or attend to him, then."
"Correct."
"First, I'll need to meet them."
"Wouldn't collecting solid evidence come first?"
"Once we identify the culprit, finding evidence will be easier."
"If you put them on unnecessary alert, they might destroy evidence."
"After they meet me, they won't even have time to destroy evidence."
* * *
After dinner ended, Namgung Baek-jung and Namgung Sang-yeon met separately.
"Can we trust Do Tong-dal and Seol-rin's confident claims?"
"I have my own concerns as well."
"If we're careless, we might only heighten the culprit's alertness and lose the evidence."
That was exactly what they had feared, which was why they had only watched from a distance and never dared to interrogate anyone.
"If Do Tong-dal fails to catch the culprit, only one option remains."
They would have no choice but to seize all eight and torture them. The innocent would suffer unjustly, but if that was the only way, they would have to bear the criticism.
"What do you think? Does Seol-rin's confidence seem credible?"
At Namgung Baek-jung's question, Namgung Sang-yeon shook his head.
"Catch the culprit with just a few words? Where in the world is there anyone with such an ability?"
"I think the same. Seol-rin is overestimating Do Tong-dal."
"And Do Tong-dal is overestimating himself. The abilities Do Tong-dal has shown so far have exceeded our expectations, but this doesn't seem like one of those cases."
"Nothing to be done, then. Prepare the next plan."
* * *
There were six people working in the kitchen and two attendants who brought tea and food to Namgung Cheol-hyeon.
Five men and three women. Do Tong-dal slowly swept his gaze over them as they sat in chairs.
They were in their mid-twenties to early thirties, and their expressions could not have been more uneasy.
With Namgung Baek-jung, Namgung Sang-yeon, Namgung Seol-rin, and even Do Tong-dal present, their unease was only natural.
Do Tong-dal opened his mouth.
"You eight have some idea why you're gathered here, don't you?"
No one answered. Even without an answer, he could tell from their expressions.
"Those two over there don't even have a guess."
It was one attendant and one man who worked in the kitchen.
"Wh-why are we here?"
At the kitchen man's question, Do Tong-dal stared blankly at the two of them. Then he gestured.
"You two may leave."
At Do Tong-dal's words, the two looked to the Clan Head, Namgung Baek-jung. Only after Namgung Baek-jung nodded did the two leave their seats.
After a brief silence, Do Tong-dal spoke.
"I suspect the culprit is among the six of you here...."
"I-I really don't know anything!"
"Me neither! Why would we poison the Young Head?"
Anyone with even a little sense could guess that the kitchen workers and attendants would come under suspicion for Namgung Cheol-hyeon's poisoning.
"Even if it isn't you, there must be someone here you find suspicious."
The six looked at one another. Do Tong-dal, following their gazes, pointed out one person.
"Why is everyone suspicious of you?"
It was an attendant in her early twenties.
"What? Th-that can't be! I really don't know anything!"
"But there must be a reason you're under suspicion."
Do Tong-dal asked a woman in her early thirties who worked in the kitchen.
"What's the reason you suspect that attendant?"
"W-well... she suddenly bought expensive jewelry... and lately she seems to be spending quite a bit of money...."
Everyone nodded in agreement with the woman's words.
"Th-that money just came to me! It has nothing to do with the Young Head's poisoning!"
"Where did the money come from?"
"W-well...."
Do Tong-dal leaned close to the attendant's ear and whispered.
"If you don't tell the truth, you might be tortured."
The word "tortured" made the attendant's shoulders flinch.
"Th-the truth is... I've committed a crime worthy of death! I laid hands on the mistress's jewelry!"
After her confession, the attendant burst into tears. Disappointment flickered in the eyes of Namgung Baek-jung and Namgung Sang-yeon, which had been full of expectation.
In truth, Do Tong-dal already knew that the attendant had not poisoned Namgung Cheol-hyeon. And none of the people here had poisoned Namgung Cheol-hyeon.
"You may all go."
Namgung Sang-yeon asked in surprise.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Because none of them is the culprit."
"You can know that so easily?"
"There's nothing difficult about it. Their entire bodies are screaming it. We did catch the attendant who stole the jewelry, so it's not entirely without results."
"Is the jewelry the issue right now? The problem is that the culprit should be among them and you failed to catch them!"
"So are you going to torture them? Oh-ho! You are thinking of doing that."
Namgung Sang-yeon said nothing.
"It's not as if there's no history of torturing the innocent, so it wouldn't be anything new. But let me be clear: those people have nothing to do with Cheol-hyeon's poisoning. If you torture them, things between me and the Namgung Clan will become quite serious."
"Are you threatening the Namgung Clan right now?"
"Are my words frightening?"
"Not at all."
"Then it isn't a threat. When I threaten someone, it's truly frightening."
Namgung Seol-rin hastily stepped in.
"Uncle, if Tong-dal says there's no culprit, then there isn't one."
"How can you be so certain of that?"
"Because I know Tong-dal better than anyone. Don't waste time holding onto those people for nothing. And don't torture them. If you torture them, things between me and the clan will become quite serious."
Namgung Sang-yeon made a dumbfounded expression.
"Are you threatening me too?"
"Are my words frightening?"
"Yes."
"Then it's a threat... Was it scary?"
"If you talk like that, even your father will be frightened."
Namgung Baek-jung nodded.
"Then it's settled. We need to find other suspects besides those people."
In the end, all the summoned kitchen workers and attendants returned to their places. Except for the attendant who had stolen Baek Ha-ryeon's jewelry.
The investigation the Namgung Clan had been conducting on its own—though it had really only been surveillance—returned to square one.
"We have no choice but to wait until Cheol-hyeon comes to his senses."
Do Tong-dal's words were the most realistic. Objectively speaking, they had examined everyone who could possibly have poisoned him.
But if there was no one, then only Namgung Cheol-hyeon's subjective perspective remained. That wait felt short to some and endlessly long to others.
Three days passed like that.
As soon as Do Tong-dal heard that Namgung Cheol-hyeon had awakened, he ran over. This time, he agreed with the physician in black that much of Cheol-hyeon's color had returned.
Namgung Baek-jung and Namgung Seol-rin were already there, and not long after Do Tong-dal arrived, Namgung Sang-yeon joined them as well.
In the meantime, Namgung Cheol-hyeon had heard the account of what poison he had been afflicted with and how he had recovered.
"I owe you my life again."
"This time, I really did save your life."
Do Tong-dal and Namgung Cheol-hyeon conveyed their sincerity with a light embrace. Everyone talked about how relieved they were that Namgung Cheol-hyeon had recovered, while the physician in black made sure everyone knew how much of the credit was theirs.
"Who was it that poisoned me?"
He asked Namgung Baek-jung, but his expression suggested he wanted Do Tong-dal to answer. If the culprit had been caught, Do Tong-dal would have been the one to catch them, after all.
"We haven't identified them yet. Do Tong-dal here released the possible suspects, saying they weren't the culprit, so we're at a complete dead end."
"If Tong-dal says they aren't the culprit, then they aren't."
Namgung Baek-jung and Namgung Sang-yeon could not understand the two siblings' blind faith in Do Tong-dal. Even fanatics deep in a religion would have weaker faith than these two.
Do Tong-dal spoke.
"Blue Snake Poison has to be administered little by little over time. In other words, the most likely possibilities were that the poison was added when your food was prepared or slipped in when it was brought to you. There were eight such people, and none of them was the culprit. That means there's someone else only you know about."
Without even needing to think long, Namgung Cheol-hyeon let out an "Ah!"
"You have someone in mind?"
"I do, but... there's no way...."
"Who is it?"
"Jeongun Hall Master Han Seok-yeong. After I finished my training, she often brought me tea. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste, but the aroma was good, so I kept drinking it."
Namgung Sang-yeon spoke.
"There's no way Hall Master Han would do such a thing. She entered the Namgung Clan at sixteen and has served loyally for twenty-five years."
"Of course I think the same. But aside from the kitchen workers and attendants, the only person who steadily fed me anything was Hall Master Han."
"We'll know once we summon Hall Master Han."
At Namgung Seol-rin's words, Namgung Baek-jung asked.
"You're saying you can uncover the truth just by summoning Hall Master Han?"
"Tong-dal can."
That faith was an incurable disease.
"Do Tong-dal, can you really find out?"
"If you can bring her here."
"Of course she'll come if summoned."
"If I were Han Seok-yeong, I would already have fled."
"What?"
"The kitchen workers and attendants who were under suspicion were released as innocent. In the midst of that, Cheol-hyeon woke up. She could guess that the arrow of suspicion would fly toward her, so there's no way she would stay in place."
"That's only if Hall Master Han is the culprit."
"Then go and check."
Namgung Sang-yeon hurried out. After two ke had passed, Do Tong-dal could guess that Han Seok-yeong had disappeared. And after another two ke, that guess proved true.
"What? You can't find Hall Master Han?"
"They say she left the clan one shichen ago, saying she had urgent business."
"Then we'll have to wait."
Do Tong-dal spoke.
"Rather than waiting, how about sending a pursuit squad? Though if it's been one shichen, she's probably already fled far."
"A pursuit squad when it hasn't even been confirmed that Hall Master Han is the culprit?"
"If Han Seok-yeong returns to the clan, it will have been a waste of time. But if she is the culprit, the result will be letting the person who tried to kill Cheol-hyeon get away. Which would be the greater blow?"
There was no need to put it on a scale. Namgung Baek-jung said to Namgung Sang-yeon.
"Form a pursuit squad immediately and track Hall Master Han's trail."
"Understood."
Do Tong-dal did not expect much from the pursuit squad that left the Namgung Clan like that. One shichen was enough time to flee anywhere.
She would have prepared to flee at any time just in case, so finding her trail would not be easy either.
Sure enough, around nightfall the pursuit squad returned empty-handed. Since she had not returned to the clan by then, they had no choice but to accept that Han Seok-yeong was the culprit.
"Heh-heh! In the end, everything Do Tong-dal said turned out to be right."
At Namgung Baek-jung's deflated remark, Namgung Sang-yeon nodded as well.
"Indeed. Until this morning, I believed the culprit was among the eight we initially suspected. I thought Do Tong-dal and Seol-rin were making absurd, unreasonable claims."
"Just what method did Do Tong-dal use?"
* * *