Chapter 52
He clicked his tongue for a long while before finally managing to speak.
"I... I've run out of wine."
To think the best excuse he could come up with was to claim he had run out of wine.
Yuhwa’s eyes turned icy as she looked at an opponent who wasn't even worth her time.
"Someone, bring our guest more wine."
The Master of the Yuseong Gate ordered the maid with an expression of mixed pity and distaste.
Soon, several bottles of clear, shimmering wine were brought out. Humiliated, Myo Jung-san retreated to a corner and began to down the wine by himself. His eyes were bloodshot, and the hand holding the cup was trembling.
Then, his gaze landed on Hong-seol, who was sitting there holding the golden mouse.
"Are you that happy?"
"Hehe, yes!"
Hong-seol beamed at the affectionate question from Namgung Baek, who sat beside her.
Seeing this, Myo Jung-san gritted his teeth.
'Those eyesores, sitting there together...'
Drunk and unable to contain himself, Myo Jung-san jumped to his feet and roared.
"Isn't that victory supposed to belong to Eun-myeong!"
"Pardon?"
"You little rat!"
Myo Jung-san’s body swayed unsteadily from the alcohol. Furious, he didn't even seem to consider using his Inner Energy to sober up.
"To win with the help of your brother, how cowardly!"
"What did you just say?"
Yuhwa’s voice rang out sharply. Myo Jung-san only doubled down.
"I said it was cowardly."
"What?"
"U-um..."
Someone tugged on the sleeve of Yuhwa, who was about to say more.
It was Hong-seol, still disguised as Jeok.
Hong-seol bravely stepped forward and said to Myo Jung-san,
"I-if you put it that way, didn't the brothers Myo Geum-myeong and Myo Eun-myeong help each other too? The only difference between them and us..."
Hong-seol turned to look at Namgung Baek and smiled brightly.
"Would be the difference in our martial arts."
One corner of Namgung Baek’s mouth curled up involuntarily. Yuhwa, her tension suddenly broken, burst into a soft laugh.
"The third young master of the Namgung Clan has become so mature in just one year!"
"Look at that sharp way of speaking. Even if he pursued a literary path, he would have the talent to place first in the state examinations!"
The people gathered were busy showering Hong-seol with praise.
Myo Jung-san, who had gained nothing but humiliation for speaking up, turned beet red.
Sitting back down, he gripped the wine cup in his pot-lid-sized hand as if to crush it. A murky, ominous energy began to rise from the cup.
"That fledgling, how dare he!"
In a flash, the drunken Myo Jung-san flung his wine cup toward the corner.
Clink!
As fate would have it, a sharp shard of the cup flew straight toward Hong-seol’s cheek.
"...!"
Caught off guard, Hong-seol froze, her eyes wide.
The moment the shard reached the tip of her nose.
Flap.
A graceful hand snatched the shard out of the air. The owner of the hand was Namgung Baek, his face hardened with cold fury.
"Great Hero Myo! What is the meaning of this!"
The Master of the Yuseong Gate shouted.
Namgung Baek stared at the shard in his hand for a moment before slamming it into the floor without hesitation.
Thwack!
Everyone present saw the sharp fragment pierce through the wooden floor and embed itself deep.
If that fragment had struck the cheek of the Namgung Clan’s youngest young master...
The mere thought sent shivers down everyone’s spines.
Namgung Baek’s eyes seemed to burn with embers.
"Does a branch family member of the Myo Clan dare to harm a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan?"
Even without making a direct threat, the dignity radiating from his body was extraordinary.
Under the pressure of Namgung Baek, who acted far beyond his years, Myo Jung-san seemed to sober up instantly.
"I-it, it was a mistake."
"A mistake? No. I will hold you clearly accountable for this crime right here and now."
"Y-Young Master Namgung Baek..."
The Master of the Yuseong Gate tried to intervene, but it was useless.
In truth, there was nothing the scions of the Namgung Clan—who could even "bring down a flying bird"—could not do if they set their minds to it.
Especially in a situation where right and wrong were so clearly defined.
Just then, Yuhwa’s urgent voice rang out.
"Baek!"
She was covering Hong-seol’s face with her wide sleeve.
Namgung Baek’s eyes widened at the sight.
He had caught the shard, but he could not catch the wine that had been inside the cup.
Because of that, the face of Hong-seol, disguised as Jeok, was drenched.
* * *
"What? You weren't Jeok, but Hong-seol?"
As soon as they boarded the carriage, Namgung Heuk’s voice exploded.
Clatter, clatter!
Just then, the carriage departed toward the Namgung estate.
Unlike the cheerful sound of the horse’s hooves, Hong-seol’s head was tucked so low it was almost buried between her shoulders.
"I still can't believe it..."
In front of Hong-seol sat Namgung Heuk with his mouth agape, Namgung Baek looking out the window as if it were no big deal, and Yuhwa with her arms crossed.
'They must all be very angry, right?'
Hong-seol squeezed out a voice no louder than a mosquito’s.
"I-I am sorry."
She had deceived her entire family and caused a scene at an external event. At this point, she would have no excuse even if she were to get a spanking upon returning home.
Yuhwa said with a sigh.
"At least you weren't found out in the end."
Fortunately, no one at the Myo Clan had realized Hong-seol’s true identity.
It was all thanks to Yuhwa covering Hong-seol’s face with her sleeve.
"The child was very startled. If you will excuse us, we shall take our leave."
At Yuhwa’s words, the Master of the Yuseong Gate looked as if he didn't know what to do with himself.
"It is entirely my fault. If the next Anhui River Crossing is hosted by our sect, we will not invite the Myo Clan."
It wasn't just the Master of the Yuseong Gate. The representatives of other sects were nodding their heads, clearly intending to do the same.
"Then, we shall be going."
Yuhwa offered a polite, measured smile and turned away, still holding Hong-seol, whose face remained covered by the sleeve.
"Consider yourself lucky. If we cross paths again, things will not end this easily."
Under Namgung Baek’s cold, piercing gaze, Myo Jung-san couldn't even offer a retort and stood frozen like a stone.
Leaving those words behind, Namgung Baek followed Namgung Heuk and Yuhwa.
Deng Soso, the only daughter of the Master of the Deng Clan, followed Namgung Baek’s back with a look of lingering regret until the very end.
And so, this year’s Anhui River Crossing came to an end.
Hong-seol, who had been huddled in the carriage seat biting her lip, lifted her head slightly.
"Um, by any chance... did the Head of the Medicine Hall know that I wasn't Jeok?"
Yuhwa, arms still crossed, let out a long sigh.
"...Yes."
"Really? S-since when?"
"Who knows."
Hong-seol, who had been biting her lip in confusion, opened her eyes wide.
"So you knew it was me from the beginning and brought me along anyway..."
Yuhwa offered a troubled, faint smile instead of an answer.
'She knew I wanted to see my mother...'
Hong-seol felt like she might burst into tears at that consideration.
Although she hadn't been able to see her mother today, knowing Yuhwa’s heart made her just as happy.
Suddenly, Hong-seol climbed down from her seat and performed a fist salute.
"Thank you, Benefactor!"
"Careful!"
Jolt!
Perhaps there was a large rock in the road, for the carriage swayed violently.
The next moment, Hong-seol was in Yuhwa’s arms.
Baek and Heuk were holding Hong-seol’s arms.
"Child, you must be careful."
At Yuhwa’s gentle touch as she patted her, Hong-seol felt her nose sting once again.
Yuhwa’s embrace was warm and smelled of a sweet fragrance.
After breathing in Yuhwa’s scent for a moment as if acting spoiled, Hong-seol lifted her head brightly.
"But h-how did you find out?"
"The Art of Disguise of the Azure Sky Unit is not something that can be copied so easily."
Yuhwa chuckled and stroked the Human Skin Mask of Hong-seol lying beside her.
"Besides, this mole on your arm was still there."
Yuhwa playfully poked the red, snowflake-shaped mole on Hong-seol’s arm.
"Pardon? Really?"
Hong-seol turned her head to look at Namgung Baek.
"Did you know too, Brother?"
Namgung Baek, who had been looking outside through the carriage window, nodded quietly.
"Did you notice because of the mole too, Brother?"
"I just knew the moment I saw you."
"Ehh?"
Hong-seol’s mouth fell open. That was truly incredible observation.
'Brother knew it was me, not Jeok, and still helped me win?'
So that she could receive the golden mouse as a prize.
And that wasn't all.
Hadn't he flattened the noses of Geum-myeong and Eun-myeong, who had bullied her?
Of course, since she had never told him, Namgung Baek probably didn't know they had bullied her, but still.
'It must be a coincidence, but Brother Baek really gave them a harsh lesson.'
Her nose stung, so Hong-seol quickly rubbed it.
"Hing."
She felt like she was going to wear her nose down from being moved so easily these days.
"Did Brother Heuk also know I was a fake Jeok...?"
Hong-seol, struggling to hold back her tears, looked at Namgung Heuk.
"No, I had no idea."
He looked quite frustrated by that fact, his face crumpled in annoyance.
Hong-seol said brightly, her eyes brimming with tears.
"That's a relief!"
"What do you mean, a relief!"
"Pfft."
Yuhwa barely managed to suppress her laughter. Namgung Baek, pretending not to notice, looked out the window while his shoulders shook quietly.
Relieved, Hong-seol smiled.
But then, she quickly covered her mouth with her tiny hands.
She realized it wasn't the time to be laughing so carefree.
Namgung Ho’s scolding was waiting for Hong-seol at the Changcheon Pavilion.
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