Late Night Revelations
“It's late, so the door should be locked.”
“Really? But how do we get inside?”
“Simple—open the door and walk in. We're not guests. We're the master's own people.”
Yeo U-hui shrugged and stepped up to the gate, then began knocking vigorously. It was clearly immoral conduct at midnight, but she acted as though the impropriety didn't even cross her mind. She raised her hand and started counting on her fingers.
The moment seven fingers were raised, a clattering sound came from inside. The door burst open, and men wielding sharp weapons charged out, their faces grim.
“What in the world? An intruder… Wait, are those the chief master's men!?”
“Seven seconds to open the door. Not bad at all. You weren't asleep, were you?”
“Hah, hah ha… With the guards standing right there, how could we possibly dare…?”
“If you had a record, you wouldn't even try. Haha…”
Their fierce appearance had given way to awkward expressions. The man scratched his head, and Yeo U-hui flashed a smile.
“Move aside. Make way for the newcomers.”
“Ah, yes. Of course. But the gentleman behind us…?”
“You don't have to worry about that.”
“That would be difficult. All outsiders entering the estate since the time of the clan head have had their names recorded in the ledger. You know that too, Chief Master.”
“Exactly. No need for any of that since you're not an outsider.”
The words “outsider” made the man glance at Yoo Eunhyeon.
Of course he would. Compared to other great families, the Uiseon Suga had far fewer members on staff.
Even so, because he had never seen the face before, the hesitation was only natural.
“I'll take responsibility for the rest. Don't worry.”
“If that's how you feel… Haha. Please convey my greetings to the internal chief.”
The man gave an embarrassed smile, as if waiting for Yeo U-hui's approval. But a different voice rang out from behind him.
“You needn't trouble yourself. He came here himself.”
The voice that broke the silence was slightly strained. The man who had quietly joined them now held a lantern that was far too bright for the dead of night.
“U-jong? Still painting, I see?”
Yeo U-hui turned to the man, clearly surprised. True to her word, colorful dyes stained his clothes everywhere.
“U-hui, you really haven't changed.”
“Aww, I wouldn't do that on purpose. I had no choice but to be here at this hour. Don't be upset, okay?”
Yeo U-hui waved her hand with a cheerful smile, but the man frowned at her, clearly tired of her antics.
“Why are you here so late? This concerns the director too, so watch your words.”
Unlike Yeo U-hui's unflinching demeanor, the man's tone was sharp. She let out a small sigh. The Uiseon Suga had always been a household that accepted outsiders with caution. Such wariness was only natural.
“Eunhyeon?”
“Yes, Aunt.”
The man's eyes widened the instant he heard the title “Aunt.”
“Aunt? Did you pick up a child somewhere?”
“Given your way of speaking… I can't believe you'd say that to someone with no blood ties in their veins.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
The man asked, bewildered, but Yeo U-hui merely shrugged. Then she turned to Yoo Eunhyeon.
“Eunhyeon, this fellow here is Won U-jong, the painter. Let me see… You two are going to be uncle and nephew.”
“Uncle?”
Yoo Eunhyeon asked, but Won U-jong's voice boomed even louder.
“Uncle? What nonsense… Who is whose uncle?”
“You are. Your sister's husband is my sister-in-law's brother.”
“Jiseon's brother-in-law…? What? Su Hwa-seon's son? Really?”
“Why would I lie to you? And there she is—right here!”
Yeo U-hui declared triumphantly. Won U-jong had no choice but to stay silent. He still doubted it, but Yeo U-hui was not the kind of person to fabricate something so obvious.
If it were true, Yoo Eunhyeon was no outsider at all. In fact, he was a direct descendant even closer than Won U-jong himself.
“I've heard about Su Hwa-seon getting married… Good. We'll know the details tomorrow anyway.”
In the end, Won U-jong raised his lantern to examine the pair's faces, then simply let them pass. As he departed, Yeo U-hui clicked her tongue and spoke to Yoo Eunhyeon.
“That fellow is the same as ever. Well, what shall we do? It's quite late, but… it would be better to head straight to where Hwa-seon is.”
“Yes, Aunt. Thank you for bringing me here so far.”
“Huhu. I had a lot of fun. And we won't be out of touch soon, so no need to mention that. Come, let's go. I'll take you myself.”
Yeo U-hui moved quietly under the moonlight, as though she knew every path inside the estate.
Not long after, the two arrived before a building.
“This is the Suwonjeon. It's where the head resides. We can't enter casually at night, but…”
Indeed, it was the largest building in the estate. Yeo U-hui guided Yoo Eunhyeon toward it.
Instead of knocking lightly, she called out at the gate. A servant appeared and, after Yeo U-hui spoke to him, disappeared inside.
“She'll be out soon.”
Before the words had even left her mouth, the door opened again. Su Hwa-seon stepped out, looking slightly disheveled.
“U-hui, even if you have news, you're late. You should have rested and told me tomorrow. What precious thing did you bring at this hour…?”
Muttering to herself, she noticed Yoo Eunhyeon behind Yeo U-hui and froze. No matter how dark the night or how faintly lit by the moon, she could not mistake her own son.
“…My son?”
“Mother.”
Yoo Eunhyeon and Su Hwa-seon approached each other slowly. Without hesitation, they locked eyes and embraced. Yeo U-hui turned away, waving her hand.
After stroking her son's back for a long time, Su Hwa-seon pulled him out of her arms and asked.
“Eunhyeon, what in the world happened? Why are you here?”
“It's a long story.”
“Hmm? Come inside first. I never imagined you'd visit your in-laws at this hour….”
It was far too late, and the place was hardly suitable for a conversation, so Su Hwa-seon led him inside.
“Young lady? Who is this man?”
“My son. Prepare the bedding so he can sleep with me in the same room.”
“Ah, so that's her son? Understood.”
At the command, the servant startled and stared at Yoo Eunhyeon intently.
Yoo Eunhyeon, watching the exchange, let out a bitter smile. Had he been forgotten so thoroughly that even his own family reacted like this?
“Listen. It's well known that I got married, but that I have a child is known only to a select few within the estate, and this is the first time anyone's seen him.”
“I'm not upset. They probably wouldn't know anyway. There are others who hid it completely, after all.”
As he spoke, Yoo Eunhyeon looked up at Su Hwa-seon. The moment she realized who he meant, she coughed and turned her head.
“How long has it been since I've held my son in my arms? And here he is, abandoning farming and coming to find me.”
Su Hwa-seon led him inside. Yoo Eunhyeon had no intention of lingering outside, so he followed her without resistance.
“Be careful not to trip.”
Time had passed, and the house was dark, but Su Hwa-seon moved with the familiarity of someone who knew every corner, like finding a path through a maze, until they reached a room.
“This is your mother's room?”
“Yes. The one we lived in since we were very small. Now that I've married, I should have cleared it out… but my father-in-law asked me not to until he passed. Thanks to that, it still gets used properly.”
Although the room had been empty for a long time, there was no trace of dust, as though it was meticulously maintained.
Soon the servant brought bedding. The space was more than enough for two people to rest.
“Here. Tell me what happened. The peaches are ripening right now—how could you abandon them all to come here? There must have been something important.”
Su Hwa-seon asked with a playful smile. Yoo Eunhyeon, though it was late, was wide awake, so he began recounting the events of the past few days, sighing as he went.
“So, that day it was raining….”
Yoo Eunhyeon's story continued until the sky began to lighten just before dawn.
He had told everything—learning the Gungsimbeop from Sa Unsik, the Mudong Hwanmu from So Biwon—without holding back. That was why it took longer.
Throughout the telling, Su Hwa-seon had kept a gloomy expression. Only after the story ended did she speak in a slightly strained voice.
“I'm the one who put you through all that hardship. Even after enduring it, here I was, not a care in the world… No wonder you'd be resentful.”
Su Hwa-seon came from the grand Uiseon Suga, so she knew something of the world outside Murim. But Yoo Eunhyeon had never left the estate before.
A son might be grown, but to a parent he would always remain a child. Seeing her son in that state must have been heartbreaking.
And in such a situation, the first duty of a parent was to protect and comfort their child—yet she had been absent. The guilt was almost unbearable.
Even if Su Hwa-seon had left Murim long ago, she knew the weight of the people Yoo Eunhyeon had encountered. It was only natural that she worried about what lay ahead.
“No, actually, it turned out to be quite enjoyable.”
After sharing everything with Su Hwa-seon, Yoo Eunhyeon felt lighter and spoke with a carefree smile.
Su Hwa-seon, unwilling to ruin their reunion with heavy topics, smiled lightly in return.
“Hmm. Really? I suppose so. It sounds like there were some interesting things. What about that girl Sa Yeo-un? How are you planning to handle her?”
“Handle? Did you not hear what I said? If you get caught, you die.”
“True. In Murim, it's best to avoid getting tangled in anything that looks dangerous. That's a good attitude, isn't it?”
“I have no thoughts on the matter.”
“Yet will things truly go as planned…? Because I don't know what kind of person Sa Unsik is. He's the sort who never compromises when he wants something.”
Su Hwa-seon spoke with a worried expression, and Yoo Eunhyeon, recalling Sa Unsik, nodded gravely.
“He did seem quite imposing.”
“This is one option among many, but you could simply meet him honestly. If you can't avoid it, you'll have to confront him and resolve it, won't you?”
“Let's think about it if we meet by chance later. Even if we do, we might not survive, and there's no need to go looking for trouble.”
As he spoke, Yoo Eunhyeon frowned and changed the subject. There were worries about Sa Yeo-un, and other issues still remained.
“Speaking of martial skills… is that alright? I lied to Aunt.”
“No, you did well. The fewer who know, the better. As for the Gungsimbeop you learned from Sa Unsik… well. For now, rest and consult your father-in-law about this.”
“Father-in-law?”
Yoo Eunhyeon's eyes widened. Su Hwa-seon smiled gently and nodded slightly.
“Yes. Right here, in the Uiseon Suga, is the head himself.”