Chapter 5
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Part 5: Fragments of the Past
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After Young Master Yeon So-hyeon chased the servants away, the Steward’s Department—which bore full responsibility for those who could be called "the underlings"—was turned upside down.
Arguments over accountability, debates on who should be reassigned, and decisions regarding the punishment of the servants cast out by the Young Master; a fierce back-and-forth ensued.
In the end, it was the Head Steward, whom the Young Master had personally singled out, who stepped forward. Only after he dismissed the sluggish meeting could silence finally return to the conference room.
"Hoo..."
At the long conference table, even though everyone else had left, the middle-aged Head Steward sat at the head of the table, clutching his graying head.
"I knew something like this would happen eventually, but..."
There was no one left to manage the underlings at the Won-gak Pavilion, the Young Master’s residence. Furthermore, the Young Master’s temperament was gentle. How could he, the Head Steward of the Great Luoyang Sword Clan, not have known that the underlings would eventually cross the line?
"The only saving grace is that the Young Master did not report the servants for insubordination or espionage..."
If he had, it would not have ended as a mere problem for the Steward’s Department; he could clearly foresee the entire Sword Clan being turned upside down.
"...Ugh."
Out of habit, he reached into his drawer and chewed on some dried medicinal herbs known to be good for a sour stomach.
The main family of the Luoyang Sword Clan was a place where dozens of people who considered themselves big shots in the Central Plains came and went every single day. Managing the underlings in such a place was always a gut-wrenching task, but lately, it had been exceeding all bounds.
All of it was because of the "succession problem" of the Luoyang Sword Clan.
Even after swallowing more than the allowed dosage of medicinal herbs, the pain did not subside.
“……In the end, the time when one could remain safe just by watching from the sidelines has passed.”
The Head Steward’s complexion had calmed significantly, and his eyes shone with a piercing intensity. Having regained his composure, he called one of the maids over and whispered into her ear. Watching the maid bow deeply and retreat, he turned his gaze away and sank back into deep thought.
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A short while later, the Head Steward welcomed a maid into his office with a warm smile.
“Head Steward, the heavenly maiden Jeong-ah offers her greetings.”
“You have come.”
The woman called Jeong-ah was merely a maid, but her beauty was extraordinary. The moment she stepped into the room, it felt as if her presence alone had brightened the entire space. Her long, ebony hair was neatly tied back, and her flawless, snow-white skin seemed to possess a natural luster. Her thick eyelashes accentuated her large, clear eyes, her nose was petite yet refined, and her lips, lightly touched with rouge, were full and plump. Yet, rather than appearing seductive, those full lips held a calm, composed smile.
“Have you been well all this time?”
Above all else, what truly captured one’s attention were her eyes. Her irises were so light in color that they transcended brown, appearing almost golden. Combined with her beauty, those eyes exuded an exotic and mysterious charm. At the same time, her gaze was profound, preventing anyone from daring to treat her as a frivolous woman.
“How could someone in my position hope for a life without trouble? Still, I am maintaining my health well enough.”
“Anyone you ask would say that health is the most important thing. Seeing that you are well, Elder, puts my heart at ease.”
The way the woman called Jeong-ah bowed deeply to the Head Steward was the perfect etiquette of a subordinate. Yet, even such formality could not conceal the elegant grace she possessed. Even in a maid’s uniform, her beauty did not fade in the slightest. A smile of pride touched the Head Steward’s lips. Jeong-ah was a child he had personally taken in from the streets long ago. Now, to him, a man without children, she was as precious as his own flesh and blood.
“……Jeong-ah.”
“Yes, Elder.”
Jeong-ah felt a sense of unease as the Head Steward called her but struggled to bring up the main topic. If it were a matter that a high-ranking official of the Luoyang Sword Clan could not easily voice, it was certainly no trivial affair. She sat quietly, lowering her eyes and waiting for him to speak.
“……Haa.”
The Head Steward let out a deep sigh at the sight. Was the decision he was about to make truly the right one? No matter how much he pondered it, he could not foresee the outcome.
“……How old are you this year?”
“I am twenty-one this year.”
Indeed, she was a woman in the prime of her youth.
“Do you know why I have held you in such high regard, yet kept you only in the Reception Hall and never found a master for you?”
“I am dull-witted and do not fully understand your profound intentions, Elder.”
In truth, it was impossible for her not to know the Head Steward’s deep inner thoughts. However, because she had been trained to close her eyes, ears, and mouth regarding the internal affairs of the Luoyang Sword Clan, she had avoided answering. The Head Steward read Jeong-ah’s thoughts and felt satisfied.
“I have cherished you like a daughter, which is why I have been cautious—exceedingly cautious—in choosing your master.”
“I am always grateful for your deep consideration, Elder.”
Jeong-ah bowed her head deeply, filled with gratitude. However, instead of accepting her thanks, the Head Steward beckoned her to sit closer. And instead of speaking, he picked up a brush and began to write down his intentions. Although he had issued strict orders that no one was to approach his office, he was a man who had grown old in the life of a steward. In the heart of the Luoyang Sword Clan, where masters abounded, speaking in a low voice was by no means a secure way to hold a secret conversation.
‘The Second Young Master is suited to be the ruler of a sect, but he is overly calculating and clear-headed, possessing a cold nature.’
The steward paused for a moment to check his surroundings once more.
‘The Third Young Master has exceptional martial arts and many warriors who follow him, but his nature is violent and greedy, making him a dangerous figure. The Fourth Young Master is the most decent of them, but he is too young and has few followers. He is far from the position of Clan Leader.’
Jeong-ah was startled by the contents the Head Steward was scribbling with a single stroke of the brush. He was a man who had served the Luoyang Sword Clan with nothing but loyalty for many years. But if words evaluating the Young Masters were to leak out during such a sensitive time, it was certain that he would face a catastrophe. Despite Jeong-ah’s shocked expression, the Head Steward did not stop his brush.
‘The young ladies of the main family all have good characters. However, the maids for the young ladies are the responsibility of the Head Steward of the Inner Court. He selects them personally, picking and choosing from among the children he raised himself. Even if I dared to suggest someone, it would be to no avail.’
It was only natural that the surroundings of the daughters of a prestigious family were managed as if they were being thoroughly bleached. The Head Steward moistened his parched lips with cold tea.
‘Naturally, I had not even considered the Young Master. He is currently in seclusion.’
The movement of the brush, which had been writing without hesitation, stopped there. After a long pause, the Head Steward bit his lip, and his brush began to move again.
‘Do you know why the Young Master is called The Swordless One?’
Jeong-ah cautiously picked up another brush.
‘Firstly, it is because the Young Master does not hold a sword and has no talent for martial arts, and…….’
Secondly, it was because he had failed to show the demeanor befitting a future Clan Leader. Had he not been in seclusion for nearly ten years now? There were other rumors, but none that she found credible. As she set down her brush, the Head Steward picked his up.
‘As an answer to that, I shall now tell you the hidden story.’
His fingertips trembled, and his hand moved even faster.
‘It happened over a dozen years ago.’
It was clearly a story that must never leak out, even more so than anything he had told her before. Jeong-ah focused even more intently, following the tip of his brush.
‘Most of the main family believes that the Young Master has no talent for martial arts and has never held a sword, but that is not the case.’
“……!”
Jeong-ah’s mouth opened slightly before she could stop herself.
‘I was there on the day the Young Master first held a sword.’
He continued the hidden story of that day.
‘I still cannot forget it. The sight of him holding a sword for the first time and taking his initial stance.’
He moistened his lips, which were drying up from the cold tea. Jeong-ah waited anxiously for his brush to move again.
‘That appearance—it was the appearance of a Sword Master who had already reached the pinnacle. I could not even breathe because of the aura emanating from him.’
“……!”
A Sword Master—a master of the sword. It was a title for one who had established a school of their own. It did not refer to the level of internal energy that gossips easily bandied about. It was a realm that transcended the intent and form of the sword, a state where one had built a world of their own. And yet, to describe a child holding a sword for the first time as a Sword Master.
‘I was ordered by the Clan Leader at the time—that is, the current Supreme Clan Leader—to keep that matter a secret. For some reason, after that day, the Young Master himself never held a sword again.’
“……?!”
It was a story that transcended Jeong-ah’s imagination.
‘And secondly.’
It was a rebuttal to the assessment that he had failed to show the demeanor befitting a future Clan Leader.
‘Until the Young Master went into seclusion, the people the then-Clan Leader’s closest aides feared most was none other than the Young Master.’
It felt as if thunder and lightning were striking inside Jeong-ah’s head.
‘Because the Young Master did not conduct many affairs in his own name at the time, only a very few remember it now.’
His brush moved without rest.
‘There are still those in the Imperial Palace who remember his name.’
What on earth had the Young Master done when he was merely a child for his name to have reached even the Imperial Palace? Jeong-ah managed her chaotic emotions and picked up her brush.
‘What is the reason you are telling me this?’
In the current situation of the clan, this was a story that must not leak outside. The Head Steward sighed deeply.
‘The Second Young Master and the Third Young Master are now demanding that I hand you over. It seems a competition has broken out between the two.’
“……Ah.”
Jeong-ah had always been considered the "First Flower" among the reception maids, drawing the attention of every visitor. There had even been a ridiculous incident where a direct descendant of a prestigious family had fallen for her and proposed marriage. That, too, had been a major event at the time. But for the two people currently receiving the most attention as the next Clan Leader to compete over her was a matter of a different dimension. Jeong-ah, momentarily dazed, bit her lip and picked up her brush.
‘Do you wish for me to go to the Young Master, Elder?’
Whatever the Young Master of the past had been like, would the current Young Master truly protect her once she entered his roof? Would he, a man rumored to have a gentle nature, protect her from two younger brothers filled with the desire for power? Instead of answering, the Head Steward wrote down in detail what had happened today at the Won-gak Pavilion, the Young Master’s residence.
‘Has the Young Master’s nature changed?’
The Head Steward was about to nod at her question, but then shook his head.
‘I am not sure if it is correct to say it has changed. I would dare say that this current matter is actually more suited to his original nature.’
‘Then……?’
‘Perhaps. Perhaps he has finally made up his mind.’
It was a judgment worthy of the Head Steward of the Luoyang Sword Clan, known as the First Family of the Central Plains.
‘And if he is the Young Master I remember…….’
His eyes flashed.
‘……The succession structure of the Sword Clan is bound to change significantly from here on out.’
The Head Steward looked at Jeong-ah’s face for a moment and bit his lip. Her face was blooming with mature beauty, but in his eyes, he only saw the face of the young girl who had been so precious to him.
‘The judgment is yours to make. However.’
The Head Steward stopped his brush and looked at Jeong-ah.
Jeong-ah also raised her head to meet his gaze.
Her eyes, delicate and refined, were such that no one could find a single fault in them. Yet, deep within those pupils—reminiscent of golden eyes—lay a secret that only she and the Head Steward knew.
‘With those eyes of yours, you will be able to judge better than anyone whether the Young Master has truly changed his heart.’
The brush was placed upon the inkstone.
Silence filled the office.
He gathered all the papers they had used to exchange their written conversation, and one by one, he slowly and meticulously tossed them into the brazier.
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A short while later, a maid who had stepped out of the Head Steward’s office hurried off toward somewhere.
Toward his new residence.
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