An Unexpected Reunion
It was a memory from her childhood.
To be honest, it was a time she preferred not to remember.
Her older brother, collapsed before her.
His face, utterly broken, looking up at her through a veil of tears.
The suffocating weight of the eyes watching from all directions.
Even the blood staining her own hands.
The day she had fled, overwhelmed by the emotions of that moment.
On that day, she had run through the pouring rain to hide in the forest.
Fortunately, the heavens had unleashed a torrential downpour, washing away her tears.
Shivering in her soaked clothes, she hadn't even felt the cold, her body burning with a fever brought on by sheer distress.
Then, a shadow fell over her, shielding her from the storm.
"So, this is where you were."
"..."
At the sound of the voice, Dang Ye-ran tried to scramble away, but the sight of the face before her made her freeze.
The old man who had found her was smiling.
"Ye-ran."
"Grandfather..."
"You must be freezing. Come, let us go home."
"But..."
"Do not worry. I will not take you back to where those bastards are."
Then where were they going? As the young Dang Ye-ran looked up with silent questions in her eyes, the old man reached out his hand.
"It is a secret place known only to your grandfather. I will show it to you, but you must promise to keep it a secret, alright?"
A secret place. At those words, Dang Ye-ran had tentatively taken the old man's hand.
*Creak—!* The door opened.
Dang Ye-ran stepped through the gap.
"Ugh, the dust..."
How could it be this dusty? Perhaps because she hadn't visited in a while. She made a mental note to clean it up later.
"Hmm."
Dang Ye-ran walked slowly down the passage.
The space was familiar to her now.
Though she hadn't visited recently, she had frequented this place countless times over the past few years.
Come here whenever you are sad.
As if obeying those lingering words, Dang Ye-ran sought out this place whenever she was distressed. Today was no different.
A place where no one, absolutely no one, could find her. That was why she had come here so often.
*Creak.*
She descended the stairs for a long while. After a short walk, she reached her destination.
A small door appeared before her. Dang Ye-ran reached out and opened it naturally.
As she stepped through the fully opened door, the hidden chamber revealed itself.
It was a dimly lit space. Being underground, there were no windows to speak of.
It was pitch black, but Dang Ye-ran didn't mind. She had been here so many times that the lack of light meant nothing to her.
She walked confidently through the darkness and sat down.
She couldn't see an inch in front of her, but everything was familiar.
Sitting comfortably, she gently swung her dangling legs. And then, she spoke.
"You know, Grandfather..."
She spoke aloud as if someone were listening. It was an old habit of hers.
"I failed again today."
A monologue directed at someone who might, just might, be listening.
"I wonder what the problem was. I really don't know."
Dang Ye-ran calmly poured her recent troubles into the empty air.
"I've tried this and that... but nothing is easy. I want to give up, but you'd be disappointed in me, wouldn't you, Grandfather?"
Dang Ye-ran laughed self-deprecatingly. The sound of her laughter echoed softly in the quiet chamber.
"So I should work harder... but I don't know if I can do it. Honestly, sometimes I think I should just do what the family wants and get married."
She knew that would be more beneficial to the clan.
Ever since that fateful day long ago, her role within the family had been set in stone.
"...Ah."
Remembering something, Dang Ye-ran spoke up again.
"Speaking of marriage, I actually confessed to someone recently."
She recalled proposing to a young man around her age—likely even younger than her.
"He's incredibly handsome. Honestly, I was shocked."
She had never seen anyone so good-looking.
Although he had somewhat sleepy eyes and clearly wanted nothing to do with her, his looks were outstanding nonetheless.
Half of her proposal had been driven by that sheer visual appeal. Furthermore...
"I also wanted to shock Father a little."
Her father, who had turned his gaze away from her and disapproved of everything she wanted to do.
She had been curious to see how he would react if she got involved with that young man.
After all, the youth was the son of her mother's first love. If she had succeeded, it would have been highly entertaining.
Yes, it was just for fun. That was all Dang Ye-ran had wanted from him. At least, that was what she had thought at the time.
"...But things got a bit complicated."
Dang Ye-ran scratched her cheek with a troubled smile.
"It's gotten really awkward."
This wasn't supposed to happen, but she found herself thinking about him.
"...It makes no sense, right?"
Even she found it ridiculous.
How many days had they even known each other? Sure, he was exactly her type, but this was too much.
They had barely exchanged a few words, and there was no emotional connection. Yet, she couldn't get him out of her mind.
"This is bad. Why is this happening?"
Was it because he seemed to recognize her worth? Or because he was surprisingly decent despite his aloof appearance? Or perhaps...
There's just something about him that keeps making me curious... Oh, heavens.
Dang Ye-ran buried her face in her hands.
What was wrong with her? Every thought she had turned into a reason. Feeling genuinely flustered, she shook her head vigorously.
"No... that's not it."
While those could all be valid excuses, none of them were the real reason. The truth was...
"He reminds me of Grandfather."
She was seeing someone else in him.
He reminded her of the person she missed so dearly.
It was absurd.
They look nothing alike.
Their appearances were completely different. In fact, they were polar opposites. Yet, there was a resemblance.
Perhaps it wasn't their physical appearance, but rather...
The vibe?
The aura they carried. The feeling of being truly seen. And...
...The way he appears right when I need him.
Showing up when things are hardest, when she wants to give up.
They had only met a few times, yet she felt that way. However...
"I'll just think of it as a coincidence."
Everything was a coincidence. She was just exhausted lately, which made her overthink things. That was how she decided to view it.
"Whew."
Having said her piece, Dang Ye-ran stood up.
That was enough venting. Now that she had poured out all her bottled-up thoughts, she felt lighter.
Was it because she had released her emotions? She felt refreshed, but also a bit silly. The things she had just muttered to herself were ridiculous.
Remind me of Grandfather? What nonsense.
Even she found it absurd after saying it aloud. To think that the young master of the Bang family resembled her grandfather.
"I must have really lost my mind."
What had she said? That the problem was him appearing whenever she needed him?
That was just a coincidence, too.
A complete coincidence.
"It's not like I can afford to focus on this anyway."
Knowing that dwelling on such feelings would only lead to trouble, Dang Ye-ran shook her head. Yes, it was just a coincidence.
But...
What if it wasn't a coincidence?
What if he really was someone who appeared in her moments of need, just like her grandfather used to?
Would he appear right now?
Would he show up even now, when she was so utterly exhausted?
Dang Ye-ran stood still, looking around the dark room as the thought crossed her mind. Then, she let out a soft chuckle.
"Of course not."
How could anyone suddenly appear in this sealed, underground chamber—
*Rumble. Thud!*
"...Huh?"
Dang Ye-ran tensed at the sudden noise.
*Clack. Rumble...*
The wall in front of her began to slide open.
"...Uh?"
"...Ah?"
Bang Seong-yeon stood there.
Seeing him, Dang Ye-ran heard another sound. A heavy, echoing crash.
It was, most likely, the sound of her own heart skipping a beat.
Our eyes met out of nowhere. As I stood there with a blank expression, utterly dumbfounded by her unexpected appearance...
"Young Master Bang...?"
Her soft, trembling voice snapped me back to reality.
"...Lady Dang?"
The woman was indeed Dang Ye-ran.
Unless I was hallucinating, it was definitely her.
Is this real life, not an illusion?
Actually, it would be more problematic if it weren't real.
Why on earth was she here? This was supposed to be a completely sealed, inaccessible space... right?
Unable to comprehend the situation, I stared at her.
"How... how did you get here, Young Master Bang?" Dang Ye-ran asked, her eyes wide with equal bewilderment.
Pulling myself together, I replied, "...I was about to ask you the same thing. What are you doing here, Lady Dang?"
"Pardon...? What do you mean... Well, that is..." Dang Ye-ran trailed off, hesitating.
Looking at her expression, it seemed she knew a thing or two about this place. Furthermore...
...And why is that old man here?
I spotted Dok-jon standing behind Dang Ye-ran. I had wondered where he had wandered off to, and it turned out he was here.
But...
Why is he glaring at me like that?
Dok-jon's gaze was unusually intense.
He already had a terrifying face, but now he was glaring at me as if he wanted to murder me.
What's his problem?
Why is he acting like that?
I wondered if I was just imagining things, but...
No, that's definitely real.
He was without a doubt shooting daggers at me.
Did I do something wrong? I couldn't think of anything. Even after racking my brain, I had no clue.
Deciding to ignore him for now, I kept my eyes on Dang Ye-ran, when suddenly—
"Second Young Mistress."
"Whoa, startled me...!" I gasped, jumping slightly at the voice right next to my ear.
It was the Poison King.
Having appeared out of nowhere, the Poison King stood beside me, looking at Dang Ye-ran.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"...Father...? How did you get here...!" Dang Ye-ran stammered, quickly bowing in respect.
"Greetings, Father..."
"Answer my question. How did you get in here?"
"..."
"Second Young Mistress."
When Dang Ye-ran failed to answer, the Poison King asked again. His second question carried a heavy, suffocating pressure—a dark, dense internal energy that made even my knees feel weak.
Dang Ye-ran bit her lip before finally confessing.
"This place... Grandfather showed it to me."
"What?" The Poison King's eyes narrowed. "...He showed you this place?"
"...Yes."
"Then why did you not report this until now?"
[This insolent brat...]
Dok-jon, who had been glaring at me, snapped his gaze toward the Poison King.
[Why should she tell you about my private chamber?! You disrespectful little bastard...!]
"..."
Dok-jon spat out his fury, clearly displeased with the Poison King's attitude, but of course, the living couldn't hear him.
"...I apologize... I kept it to myself because I wanted to use it as a sanctuary when I felt overwhelmed..." Dang Ye-ran explained, offering no excuses.
...A sanctuary?
When did Dok-jon die again? It had been at least five years. That meant she had been coming here since before his death. How was that possible?
Well... I don't even need to think about it.
I already knew there wasn't just one secret passage. If there was an entrance in the guest quarters, it wouldn't be strange for another path to exist elsewhere.
"You..." The Poison King started to say something, but stopped himself.
"...We will discuss this matter later. Step aside, we have work to do."
"Father...!" Dang Ye-ran tried to speak, but the Poison King brushed past her and entered the room.
Dang Ye-ran watched his retreating back with trembling eyes.
Hmm.
I rubbed the back of my neck. Who would have thought Dang Ye-ran would show up here? I certainly hadn't expected to run into her inside the Secret Vault.
...To think Dok-jon had told Dang Ye-ran about the Secret Vault.
Still, what were the odds of us meeting like this? It was a bizarre situation. With that thought, I glanced at Dang Ye-ran.
"...!"
Dang Ye-ran flinched as soon as our eyes met. What was wrong with her now? She was hanging her head low and actively avoiding my gaze. What was going on?
"Lady Dang."
"Y-Yes?" Her reaction grew even stranger when I called her name.
"...Where are you looking?"
Despite my call, she kept her eyes glued to the floor. I could see her ears turning red.
"Is something wrong? Did I do something to offend you?"
"...No...? No... You didn't do anything."
"Then why...?"
"I was just a bit startled. I didn't... didn't expect to see you here."
"Well, that's true, but..."
Still, did she have to react like that? Ah, wait.
Is she embarrassed about getting scolded just now?
If she was upset about the Poison King's reprimand, that would make sense. Maybe I should look away to give her some space? Nodding to myself, I turned my head. I was about to look at Yoo Chun-gil to ask what to do next, when...
Huh?
Something caught my eye as I looked back. Further down the hall, the men the Poison King had brought along—the mechanism expert and the formation master—were exchanging glances and doing something suspicious. They were communicating with subtle looks, hand gestures, and even silent mouth movements.
"..."
I couldn't decipher everything, but one thing was certain.
What is that fishy smell?
Something smelled incredibly fishy.
Sensing something amiss, I tried to focus on them more closely, when—
[Turn your head. You will get caught.]
"..."
At Yoo Chun-gil's warning, I immediately looked away. The moment I turned my head, I felt their gazes snap toward me.
[Do not look back. You might arouse suspicion.]
"..."
I swallowed hard without replying. Hearing the old man's warning confirmed it.
Something is definitely... going down.