Chapter 7
— — —
The next day, the Red Snake Family was bustling with preparations for the welcome party for Yeo-ryeong.
Red ribbons adorned with colorful lanterns were hung throughout the estate, and the kitchen was filled with the fragrant, rich scent of oily dishes.
Taking advantage of a lull, Madam Yeon sat down for tea with Yeo-ryeong.
This was the first time Madam Yeon had ever met Yeo-ryeong.
As someone who had always revered the Divine Priestess, she could not help but be overjoyed by this occasion.
"It is an honor to host you so closely, Divine Priestess. Did you sleep well last night?"
Yeo-ryeong offered only a faint smile in response to the woman’s excited tone.
There had been quite a commotion last night.
- The child is on the verge of death, Divine Priestess!
When Geum-geum, who had gone to fetch Arin, returned alone and deathly pale, Geum Do-gyeong and Yeo-ryeong had rushed to the Annex in a single breath.
And upon seeing the state of the Annex, they were left speechless.
'How could they leave a child all alone in a place like this…'
Do-gyeong sighed, his fists clenching tight.
Under the lush, blooming peach tree, Arin was struggling to draw breath.
The three of them carried the feverish Arin to a room and secretly summoned a physician.
'She is suffering from malnutrition.'
'Malnutrition?'
'It seems she has not been fed properly for quite some time. Her immune system is severely compromised, and her body has been badly damaged by prolonged exposure to the cold. To think no one looked after the child until it reached this point. It was nearly a tragedy.'
At the physician’s words, Do-gyeong’s discomfort was plain to see.
'This is truly unacceptable. One cannot treat a child this way.'
'Control your temper. There are many ears listening.'
In truth, Yeo-ryeong was also furious.
Geum-geum’s words had not been an exaggeration.
Arin had been abandoned in a truly wretched environment.
If Yeo-ryeong had visited even a little later, Arin would surely have died.
Yeo-ryeong quietly reflected on the Annex where Arin had been kept.
Completely isolated from the main estate, it was like a prison.
The door had been bolted shut, and it seemed they had been passing food through a hole in the wall.
On the dining table, left there by someone who didn't know Arin was gone, sat nothing but a small dish of soy sauce and some barley rice.
She could not even begin to imagine the time that young child had spent alone in a place that hadn't even been properly cleaned.
In contrast, the quarters where Madam Yeon stayed were spotless, without a speck of dust.
At that disparity, Yeo-ryeong’s gaze grew increasingly cold.
Just then, Madam Yeon spoke up, oblivious.
"Are you finding your accommodations comfortable? I gave strict instructions to pay special attention, but I worry if it isn't to your liking, Divine Priestess."
"It was a very fine room. It looked like a room that is swept and polished every single day."
"I am relieved you like it. That is a room we always keep empty and maintained for distinguished guests."
A room for guests who might never come was kept so pristine.
Yet, she didn't even care that the child she had birthed herself was staying in a place like a ruin.
Yeo-ryeong casually brought up the subject.
"I noticed an Annex near the west side. What is that place used for?"
At the mention of the Annex, Madam Yeon’s shoulders trembled slightly.
But only for a moment; she began to weave lies as if nothing were wrong.
"Ah, that place is not used by anyone. It is dangerous as there is much that needs repairing, so it is best not to go near it."
According to Geum-geum, Arin had been abandoned in the Annex for quite a long time.
They had hounded her for a year after she failed the Phantom Beast Transformation, only to abandon the child entirely.
"Hmph."
Yeo-ryeong could not hold back a bitter breath.
'What wretched parents she has.'
The Twelve Zodiac families were particularly obsessed with the Phantom Beast Transformation.
If one possessed strong power from the Twelve Zodiacs, it was common to adopt them into the main family as a successor, even if they were from a collateral branch.
Sometimes, this even led to bloody feuds as the direct and collateral lines were pitted against each other.
Yeo-ryeong considered such people to be no different from monsters wearing human skin.
Yeo-ryeong asked in a calm tone.
"Is there perhaps anything you would like to ask of me?"
"Pardon?"
"You welcomed me despite my sudden visit, so I was wondering if there was anything I could do for you."
As Yeo-ryeong opened the conversation, Madam Yeon blinked.
She briefly thought of Arin, who could not perform the transformation, but remembering Hong I-jin’s warning that the child must never be discovered, she swallowed the thought.
"Then, please look after our A-hyeon in the future. He has a stubborn streak like his father, so I worry whether he will get along well with his peers."
"And nothing for your daughter?"
"As you will see shortly, our So-so is a very bright and lovely child. I am grateful enough that you would show her affection while you are here."
So-so.
The moment So-so, not Arin, was mentioned from Madam Yeon’s lips.
She had lost the final chance Yeo-ryeong had given her.
Parents who ignore a child hovering between life and death deserve no kinship, regardless of blood.
Thinking quietly of Arin, Yeo-ryeong spoke.
"I see. I am quite curious myself."
* * *
The place Do-gyeong headed to was the Annex where Arin had stayed.
Because he had been in such a rush to take the child away yesterday, he hadn't been able to pack her belongings.
In the courtyard, the box of Yakgwa that had tipped over when Arin collapsed and her bundle of belongings were left sitting there.
Do-gyeong picked up the Yakgwa and put it back in the box, then gathered the bundle.
At the excessive lightness of the bundle, Do-gyeong’s eyes narrowed instinctively.
When he peeked inside, he found only a change of clothes, a wooden doll, and an unusually ornate lucky pouch.
Do-gyeong frowned as he looked at the few coins and the key inside the pouch.
"Strange."
Among the child’s belongings, the ornate lucky pouch stood out.
He turned the pouch over and saw a name written on it.
[Hong So-so]
"Ah."
It was the name of that very fake daughter whom Hong I-jin had newly registered into the family.
'Could it be that they were meeting?'
Just then, he heard the sound of someone hurrying toward the Annex.
Do-gyeong discreetly hid himself.
A moment later, a young girl peered over the wall to check inside.
"Hey! Are you in there?"
Judging by her small voice, she seemed to be looking for Arin.
When there was no answer from inside, the girl beyond the wall picked the lock of the Annex and stepped inside.
"Did she finally leave?"
At the low, muttering voice, Do-gyeong’s expression sharpened.
The girl went inside without even taking off her shoes, searching for someone.
And after confirming that no one was there, she smirked.
"I was going to give you a real piece of my mind if you hadn't left this time, but you’ve saved me the trouble."
A cunning smile spread across So-so’s face as she dusted off her hands as if relieved.
'This is truly a case of the rolling stone displacing the embedded one.'
To think someone so young could already act so maliciously.
Do-gyeong waited silently until So-so left the Annex.
Then, seeing the object in So-so’s hand, he narrowed his eyes.
'That is…'
* * *
Finished with her grooming, So-so carefully examined her reflection in the bronze mirror.
Today of all days, a smile never left So-so’s lips.
"Hehehe."
She even began to hum, prompting her maid to speak.
"Young Miss So-so, you seem to be in a very good mood today?"
"It’s the first time I’m officially greeting the Divine Priestess, isn't it? I heard that Brother A-hyeon is also meeting her for the first time?"
"That’s right. The Divine Priestess usually stays in the Village of the Twelve Zodiac Deities. Ever since you arrived, Young Miss So-so, only good things have been happening to the Red Snake Family."
So-so giggled at the maid’s flattery.
Furthermore, after confirming this morning that the Annex was completely empty, So-so felt as relieved as if a long-standing blockage in her chest had cleared.
'Now, the young lady of this house is me.'
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