Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 63
>Chapter Title: Noble Consort Seo (1)
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“Milord, surely not?”
“Yes. It seems you are the true artisan.”
At Mok Kyung-un’s meaningful words, Song-a—the daughter of Butcher Hong Bong-yuk—stood with a stiff expression before letting out a long sigh.
“Phew. From the looks of it, you wouldn’t believe me no matter what I say.”
“Correct. I’m convinced that you are the real artisan.”
Mok Kyung-un remembered everything he had seen.
Thus, he also remembered the palms of everyone at Butcher Hong Bong-yuk’s place.
Most of them had calluses thick and rough, clearly from years of butchering work—anyone could see that.
But Song-a’s palm alone was different.
Her unblemished palm was not one that could come from butchering.
It was the kind of palm that came from delicate work or frequent handling of glue and such.
Mok Kyung-un smiled at her and said,
“Is there any point in hiding it further?”
Song-a shrugged her shoulders and replied,
“You’re right. No one has ever examined my palm so closely before. You’ve caught me properly.”
Seop Chun asked in exasperation at her bold attitude, which didn’t deny it.
“You’re really the artisan?”
“Why? Because I’m a young woman, it’s hard to believe I make human-skin masks?”
“That’s not what I meant. It’s just unexpected.”
“Unexpected, huh. Well, that makes sense. People might think a craft like this, worthy of being called an artisan, should be done by an old man with years of experience. Unfortunately, that artisan is me.”
Since she’d already been found out, she revealed her true feelings openly.
Then, looking at Mok Kyung-un, she said,
“I didn’t mean to deceive you on purpose. In this line of work, my life has been threatened more than once or twice. And plenty have coveted this technique, trying to force me under their wing.”
“It was to protect yourself.”
“Yes. How else am I supposed to protect myself? I can’t learn martial arts like you all, nor do I have power like a Golden Guard lord.”
Putting out a fake and hiding herself was her way of self-defense.
Understanding this, Seop Chun nodded and said,
“I can certainly understand that.”
“Then, can you keep my secret?”
“Secret?”
“Yes, a secret. If my identity gets out, I’ll be threatened again.”
“Ah, of course. Our purpose is simply to commission a human-skin mask. We have no intention of threatening you or putting you in a difficult position.”
“That’s a relief. And you, sir? Can you keep the secret too?”
Song-a turned her gaze to Mok Kyung-un and asked.
Mok Kyung-un crossed his arms, smiled faintly, and replied,
“That’s not difficult. But requests like this always come with a price.”
“A price? The price is me taking your commission...”
“That’s already your job, so it can’t count as a price.”
“Ha! So what do you want?”
“I have one personal favor I’d like you to grant.”
“A favor?”
As she echoed the word, Mok Kyung-un approached and whispered quietly into her ear.
“I’d just like to watch you make the human-skin mask. Is that alright?”
“......”
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, Song-a scoffed inwardly.
She had a feeling she knew what this man was after.
He wanted to learn how she made the human-skin masks.
Unfortunately, though, this wasn’t something one could replicate just by watching.
It required innate delicate handiwork, and without knowing her unique recipe for the preserving chemicals, even maintaining the skin would be impossible.
So she readily replied,
“Do as you like.”
Go ahead and watch all you want.
As if that would let you do anything with it.
But then Mok Kyung-un said,
“I’m grateful for your permission. And this is just simple curiosity, but may I ask something?”
“What?”
“Could you peel off a person’s facial skin and use it directly as a human-skin mask?”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, I just thought it would be far more efficient that way.”
‘!?‘
Song-a felt a chill run down her spine at Mok Kyung-un casually saying something so unsettling with a smile, as if it were nothing.
* * *
As the sun began to set,
Having safely completed the human-skin mask commission and taken a brief rest in the afternoon, Mok Kyung-un and his group followed Gan Yang—the leader of the advance party—to somewhere.
It was a restaurant located not far from the outer walls of the imperial palace.
This large, ornate establishment was famous for its fried duck dishes, attracting not only high officials and nobles but even imperial clansmen—a truly high-class eatery.
Pointing to the restaurant’s walls lit up with countless lanterns from afar, Gan Yang said,
“Yu Bong probably reserved the entire place.”
“The entire place?”
“Yes. Her Highness the Noble Consort does not take kindly to interruptions during meals. And today’s discussion wouldn’t be good if it reached other ears.”
Reserving meant renting out the whole restaurant.
Given its fame, it must have cost a fortune.
Looking at the dozens of armored soldiers guarding the walls near the restaurant, Mok Kyung-un said,
“Quite a few escorts.”
“That’s modest for them. If they go even a little farther from the palace, they’re accompanied by hundreds.”
“His Majesty’s favor toward her isn’t just a little.”
“Indeed. And as the crown prince’s mother and a noble consort, they naturally take extra precautions.”
“That makes sense. Shall we go?”
“Ah! There’s one more thing I need to tell you before that.”
At Gan Yang’s words, Mok Kyung-un stopped and turned his head.
Gan Yang lowered his voice and said,
“This meeting is extremely important. No matter what Her Highness says, you must not get excited or respond emotionally.”
This was why he’d left Monk Ja Geum-jeong at the inn.
In Ja Geum-jeong’s case, his notoriety as one of the Three Madmen made him likely to cause trouble, so he’d separated him just in case.
However, Gan Yang’s real worry was Mok Kyung-un.
‘He’s the concern.’
Gan Yang believed Mok Kyung-un was the one truly uncontrollable, more than Ja Geum-jeong.
Unlike the rear guard’s Monk Mu-yak or Seop Chun, he had a strong tendency to act on his own whims, so there was fear he might provoke Noble Consort Seo unnecessarily.
That was why he was emphasizing it once more.
Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly at him as if to say not to worry and replied,
“You said you’d handle it, Gan Yang, so I’ll just observe.”
“......Understood.”
If he did that, it would truly be a blessing.
With that, they headed to the restaurant.
Upon reaching the main gate, soldiers guarding it blocked their path.
“This place is reserved today, so you cannot dine here. Please leave.”
Gan Yang then pulled out a prepared token from his bosom and showed it.
As if they’d been waiting, the soldiers bowed their heads in salute.
However, they weren’t allowed through just like that.
“We’ll take your weapons for safekeeping.”
“Our weapons?”
At this, the advance party members Gan Yang and Ok Gi handed over their weapons to the soldiers, as if they’d expected it.
On the other hand, Seop Chun, Monk Mu-yak, and the others looked displeased at having to surrender their signature weapons, their expressions sour.
But they couldn’t risk upsetting the noble consort, so they reluctantly handed over their signature weapons and all other arms.
“You too, sir, please hand over your sword.”
The soldier pointed to Mok Kyung-un’s Demon Instant Sword and said.
Mok Kyung-un passed the sword’s scabbard to the soldier, adding,
“Just in case, but don’t draw the sword from the scabbard.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying it out of concern.”
At these words, the soldier taking the scabbard scoffed in disbelief.
Mok Kyung-un then whispered into the soldier’s ear,
“It’s a cursed sword, so you’ll regret drawing it carelessly.”
“What did you just say?”
“If you’re that curious, go ahead and draw it. Just know you’ll have to deal with the consequences yourself.”
“......”
Frowning at the ominous words that felt like intimidation, the soldier held back since they were guests of Noble Consort Seo and soon stepped aside.
Having surrendered their weapons, the group entered through the main gate.
Inside, the aroma of fried duck and various spices wafting from outside now filled the air even more intensely, whetting their appetites.
“You’ve arrived?”
A familiar face awaited them in the front garden of the restaurant.
It was Yu Bong, one of the advance party members.
More powdered and dressed up than when they’d parted earlier, he looked like a eunuch as he greeted the group.
“Her Highness the Noble Consort awaits.”
At his words, Gan Yang cautiously asked,
“How is Her Highness’s mood?”
“Hohoho. Fortunately, she loves this restaurant, so she’s in a good mood.”
“That’s fortunate.”
The success of their request would depend on the noble consort’s mood, making this crucial.
“Then, this way, please.”
Yu Bong briskly led the group to the VIP chamber where the noble consort was.
Ahead was a small pond, with a pavilion in front of it.
Around the pavilion hung thin silk curtains, and within them could be seen the silhouette presumed to be Noble Consort Seo and two shadows thought to be her attending maids.
-Swish!
Mok Kyung-un scanned the surroundings with his eyes.
There were quite a few hidden presences that weren’t visible.
‘Around thirty, perhaps.’
They all seemed to be first-rate experts trained in martial arts, a league above the outer soldiers in quality.
And in front of the pavilion stood two unordinary-looking middle-aged men.
One wore black official robes, beardless and powdered like Yu Bong, evidently a eunuch.
The other middle-aged man wore neat gray official robes and carried a willow-leaf sword at his waist.
‘Is that eunuch the Chief Deputy Director of the Eastern Depot?’
Mok Kyung-un had heard from Gan Yang beforehand about the Eastern Depot eunuch who guarded Noble Consort Seo’s person.
The head of the Eastern Depot eunuchs was called the Grand Eunuch.
Under him were two Deputy Directors.
These two deputies were said to have mastered secret martial arts passed down through the imperial palace for generations, and their auras were indeed extraordinary.
However, he didn’t know who the other man in gray robes standing to the left was.
‘Who is he?’
Gan Yang also seemed not to know him.
At that moment, Yu Bong announced,
“Your Highness, the guests have arrived.”
With that, Yu Bong signaled Gan Yang, Mok Kyung-un, and the others with his eyes.
Led by Gan Yang, they clasped their hands, bowed their heads, and performed the fist salute in greeting.
“We seek an audience with Her Highness Noble Consort Seo.”
“......”
As they offered their greetings with heads bowed, the reflection of Noble Consort Seo on the silk showed no reaction.
They’d expected a light reply in kind, but this was unexpected.
Thus, they all had to remain bowed in place.
‘What’s this?’
According to Yu Bong, her mood was supposed to be good.
So what was going on?
Silence flowed, creating a rather peculiar atmosphere.
Then, the Eastern Depot’s Chief Deputy Director, standing to the right of the pavilion, spoke up.
“How insolent. What manner of greeting is this to offer Her Highness? Kneel at once and perform proper etiquette.”
‘!?’
Gan Yang, head still bowed, furrowed his brow at these words.
He hadn’t expected them to nitpick etiquette right from the start.
‘They’re trying to seize the initiative.’
Gan Yang inwardly clicked his tongue in dismay.
He’d anticipated some desire to change the long-standing dynamic from her days as a lady-in-waiting, but starting off like this was a real setback.