Chapter 29
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“...Yes, I was the one who told Hong-seol to wear those clothes.”
Namgung On's hands, resting on the tea table, trembled. He barely managed to squeeze out the words in a strained voice.
“Why would you do such a thing?”
“It was because I hoped you would finally come to your senses.”
Namgung Ho looked at his son with pity in his eyes.
“Three years have already passed. How long will you keep clinging to the memory of your lost child, treasuring silk clothes that have no owner?”
At those words, Namgung On's lips twitched.
He knew his father was saying this out of concern for him. But his wounds were still too raw to accept it.
“It's time to think of the people who are still in this house. From Baek's health to mending your relationship with Yuhwa, you have much to do here.”
He said this out of pity for his son, who would often leave home at the slightest pretext to forget his painful memories.
But in that moment, an unidentifiable heat surged up from within Namgung On.
‘You say that, Father, but aren't you still missing Mother!’
Namgung On, about to shout those words, froze.
He had sensed the presence of the small child who had come with a guard outside the door.
‘The child named Hong-seol has arrived.’
If he were to shout with his Inner Energy infused in his voice, the child would surely jump in fright.
“Haaah...”
Namgung On struggled to suppress his anger.
Seeing this, Namgung Ho wore a bitter expression.
‘As I thought, he's too kind.’
His son was the spitting image of his wife's gentle nature.
And that kindness, along with his prudence, was why he had made Namgung On the Clan Lord.
‘Although Yeol's martial prowess surpasses On's...’
Though they were brothers born from the same womb, Namgung Yeol's methods were uniquely cruel.
He was famous for stopping at nothing to win a duel. It was less severe in official duels against the scions of reputable martial families.
In a street fight, he wouldn't hesitate to throw sand in his opponent's eyes to gain the upper hand.
If his opponent was from the Black Path with no backing, he wouldn't just beat them senseless; he would cut off their arms, legs, and tongue, crippling their martial arts.
And that wasn't all.
If even a small scuffle broke out in a tavern, he would claim collective responsibility and force even the young waiters to kneel on the cold floor.
‘I cannot entrust the Namgung Clan to a man like Yeol.’
He had also hoped that Namgung On's brilliant strategies would compensate for his lack of martial skill.
But the elders seemed to think differently.
The resentment grew even louder, especially as he was seen losing to Namgung Yeol in the annual duels.
‘Did I make a mistake?’
People valued what they could see with their own eyes more than he had expected.
That was why his defeat on the dueling stage was talked about more than his merit in repelling a horde of pirates.
“Come in.”
Creaak.
The moment she stepped inside, Hong-seol was so startled she felt her tail might just pop out.
Namgung On's dark eyes were fixed squarely on her. The emotion in his gaze could in no way be called friendly.
‘That man is the Clan Lord of the Namgung Clan!’
Her tiny hands, clutching the hem of her clothes, trembled uncontrollably.
But before Hong-seol could even offer a greeting, Namgung Ho's puzzled voice rang out.
“Wait, Seol-ah, you...”
Hong-seol was not wearing her usual silk clothes, but a set of worn-out, tattered garments.
They were the clothes she had received as a gift from Elder Namgung Muyeong not long ago.
“Why on earth... Never mind. First, offer a formal greeting.”
At Namgung Ho's call, Hong-seol hesitantly approached them. With her hands neatly folded, her nervousness was palpable.
“My name is Ho... Hong-seol.”
Hong-seol's eyes darted back and forth.
She was trying to figure out for herself the proper way to show respect to the Clan Lord of the Namgung Clan.
But having grown up out of favor with her parents, all Hong-seol had seen and learned in the Namgung Clan was...
“It is an honor to be in your presence, Clan Lord!”
Hong-seol wrapped her small fist in the palm of her other hand and bowed her head low.
It was the fist salute of the Azure Sky Unit, the pride of the Namgung Clan.
Namgung On was dumbfounded.
‘That's a greeting young girls rarely use, isn't it?’
It was clear she hadn't been properly taught, but was merely imitating what she had seen and heard from the warriors.
‘She's just an innocent child who knows nothing.’
The thought that he had been angry at such a child made him feel so pathetic that his tension drained away.
Namgung On asked in a slightly softer tone.
“Why did you come dressed like this?”
This was her first time greeting the Clan Lord. It was only proper to wear the finest clothes one owned.
“Th-that's because...”
His tone wasn't scolding. But startled by his question, Hong-seol ducked her head low. Though unseen, even her toes were curling inside her shoes.
“B-because the silk clothes Grandfather gave me aren't mine.”
“What?”
“I heard today.”
Hong-seol mumbled with her head still lowered. Her small shoulders had slumped.
“That there was a baby who was the original owner of those silk clothes...”
Though now she can never wear them.
“If I had known, I would never have worn them so carelessly. I-I'm sorry.”
Namgung On was stunned into silence for a moment.
‘What on earth have I been clinging to...?’
It was his father, Namgung Ho, who had given the silk clothes to this innocent child.
And yet, if he were to blame the child before him simply for wearing them...
‘...How truly pathetic.’
Namgung On had already heard of this child's pitiful circumstances through a letter.
To think that a living child was now walking on eggshells around him because of the shadow of a dead one.
It didn't sit well with him.
Namgung On managed to force out his voice and soothe the child.
“Yes, thank you for telling me.”
He let out a faint sigh and continued.
“That is enough of a greeting. You may leave now.”
Even though she had been dismissed, Hong-seol hesitated, unable to take a step.
“Is there something you wish to ask?”
“Y-yes. Um, by any chance... may I continue to stay at Azure Sky Pavilion?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I heard that the Clan Lord is the highest authority in the Namgung Clan. I was afraid you might hate me for wearing the silk clothes... and if you did, I wouldn't be able to stay in the Namgung Clan starting today...”
As she spoke in a soft, low voice, the child was so nervous she couldn't meet his eyes at all.
It was obvious she had been worrying about this for a long time, and for a moment, Namgung On's chest felt heavy.
“Why on earth would you think such a thing?”
“...Because I felt sorry.”
“To whom?”
Namgung On asked in a voice thick with emotion, but in truth, both the one asking and the one who had to answer already knew the answer.
The child who died without ever seeing the light of day.
“I felt sorry for her. She was the one who should have been happy wearing those silk clothes... I felt like I had taken her place...”
Even staying at Azure Sky Pavilion felt like I was stealing what was rightfully hers.
Crystal-clear tears fell drop by drop from Hong-seol's eyes.
“...”
After a long silence, Namgung On let out a sigh and comforted the child.
“You are the Grand Patriarch's guest. I would never drive you out of Azure Sky Pavilion.”
At his words, Hong-seol seemed to calm down a little. Watching her, Namgung On added without thinking.
“Unless you're an enemy of our clan, that is.”
At those words, Hong-seol's face suddenly turned deathly pale.
“Hic!”
She even started hiccuping, and couldn't stop.
At that, Namgung Ho called for the maid, Maeran, who was standing outside the door.
“Quickly, take Seol-ah and calm her down.”
Namgung On couldn't take his eyes off Hong-seol's back as she followed the maid out.
It was a long while before he noticed Namgung Ho's gaze fixed upon him.
“You startled me. Why are you staring at me like that, Father?”
“What do you think of Seol-ah?”
After a moment of silence in response to his question, Namgung On spoke.
“...She is a pitiful child. But you will have to teach her manners again. To come for a greeting in such shabby clothes.”
“It is my fault for not seeing to her wardrobe properly. And those were not just any old rags.”
“Pardon?”
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