Having a high position often meant being entangled in unimaginable matters.
In Ha Yeon who had lived as the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace for many years had grown accustomed to such situations. Though young in age, her wealth of experience allowed her to remain calm in most circumstances.
She was someone who could maintain her calm even in life-or-death situations.
Such control was a prerequisite for setting an example for all women and upholding her dignity.
And yet, at this moment, In Ha Yeon was leaning against a pillar beside the porch of the Hwalseong District and struggling to cool the heat rising to her face.
I… I can’t quite figure out what my Vice General wants…. Ha…. Summoning me to his room in the dead of night…. what could that possibly mean? If anyone overheard… it would sound as if….
Her connection with Seol Tae Pyeong was a long-standing one.
Though he carried an air of boldness, he wasn’t the type to act so recklessly without considering the circumstances.
More often than not, his actions reflected a thoughtful consideration for others, to the extent that observing his behavior would sometimes reveal an unexpectedly deep nature.
Yet now, this sudden and abrupt call that he said so casually left her flustered.
In Ha Yeon, who had kept her composure even in front of a swarm of demonic spirits, found her head spinning from a single call from that man. It was no wonder, as she hadn’t anticipated this in the slightest.
Yes, I can’t say I’ve never harbored personal feelings. But even so, for it to happen so suddenly….
In Ha Yeon had relinquished her position as the Vermilion Princess of the Vermilion Bird Palace because she believed herself unfit for the role.
As a daughter of the Jeongseon clan, she had chosen to join the Hwalseong District, thinking it was the best way to contribute to her family.
Every decision In Ha Yeon had made carried its own justification. Principles, duty, and morality. She had always weighed such considerations and convinced herself that her choices were right.
But could she truly claim she bore no hidden feelings for Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong?
In Ha Yeon, who had lived all her life as a cherished young lady surrounded by the tranquility of a flower garden, had never abandoned the notion of duty to be honest with her feelings.
Yet, could she truly claim that she had never, even for a moment, thought of letting go of everything and pursuing Seol Tae Pyeong?
…I suppose I’m not in a position to complain about him being sudden or forward.
After all, when bodies draw closer, so do hearts.
While working as his adjutant at the Hwalseong District, sharing time and emotions, it wasn’t entirely impossible that their relationship might grow in an unforeseen direction, as many human stories often do.
In Ha Yeon had to admit it.
Her heart was brimming with evil secret desires!
Each time she had seen the candid and audacious intentions of the Azure Princess during tea gatherings, she would swallow dryly. She now realized that she, who had pretended to be above such things, was nothing more than a hypocrite.
It hadn’t been long since In Ha Yeon had stepped down from her position as the Vermilion Princess.
If, immediately after relinquishing her role as a crown princess consort, she were to throw herself into the arms of another man, how frivolous would she appear?
If it were only her own reputation at stake, she might have been willing to bear the consequences. However, her actions would inevitably reflect on the entire Jeongseon clan’s honor. And so, she had no choice but to restrain herself for the time being.
Still, she had thought that spending a year or two as his adjutant might allow her some time to get to know him better but to think he would charge forward so recklessly.
Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong. A man who knew nothing but charging straight ahead.
She had never imagined he could be so direct.
“Excuse me… Lady In Ha Yeon….”
At that moment, someone called out to In Ha Yeon and broke her thoughts as she tried to quell the rising heat in her face.
“Huh?!”
“……”
“Oh, it’s you, Yeon Ri…. Yes, well…. I was just lost in thought for a moment….”
“You don’t look well….”
It was Yeon Ri, one of the mansion maids.
Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong had permitted only one person, aside from his adjutants, to enter his private mansion freely.
This person was someone who supported him by traveling between the Hwalseong District and his mansion. Since their days in the White Immortal Palace, she had been known for her excellent household skills and had always stayed by Seol Tae Pyeong’s side.
“Ah, your face seems quite flushed… Perhaps you should rest in your room for a while.”
“Y-Yes… Thank you for your concern.”
In Ha Yeon tried to calm herself quickly and was fanning her face with her palm.
It seemed she couldn’t shake off the command Seol Tae Pyeong had just given her, as her eyes darted around restlessly.
Then, her gaze settled on senior maid Yeon Ri.
“……?”
She watched as Yeon Ri gathered the fallen tea utensils and held them in her arms and noticed how unexpectedly elegant the maid’s appearance was.
The maids all wore modest attire and maintained neat appearances, but those with outstanding features inevitably stood out.
Maid Yeon Ri did not need elaborate adornments to shine. Her delicate features exuded charm, and at times there was an understated maturity in her gaze that suggested an elegance beyond her years. She was the kind of beauty that young warriors might have pursued.
She had been a maid who accompanied Seol Tae Pyeong since he was just an apprentice warrior in the White Immortal Palace.
While Seol Tae Pyeong allowed no one else into his private mansion at the Hwalseong District, he had completely opened his heart to this one maid.
In Ha Yeon swallowed hard at the thought.
“You… You’ve served the Vice General for a long time, haven’t you?”
“Huh? Ah, yes… I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but we’ve been colleagues since the White Immortal Palace days. Of course, the Vice General is now in an incomparably higher position.”
“Th-Then, may I ask you something?”
If anyone knew Seol Tae Pyeong well, it would be Yeon Ri, second only to his sister, Seol Ran.
In Ha Yeon glanced nervously around the hallway with beads of sweat forming on her brow and then lowered her voice.
“You’ve probably heard, but the Vice General summoned me to his inner chambers at the Hwalseong District mansion tonight.”
“……”
“Wh-What do you think that means? Is it alright for me to interpret it the way I’m thinking?”
Hearing this, Yeon Ri felt her breath catch.
At that moment, Yeon Ri realized she had two choices.
Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong wasn’t the type of person to wield his authority recklessly or make such unreasonable orders. So, she should wake from her delusion. He most likely had something serious to discuss, exactly as he said.
That was one option: to explain this rationally.
The other option was to feign ignorance and escape with a vague, “I’m not sure.”
Truthfully, Yeon Ri herself was still flustered by Seol Tae Pyeong’s words.
It was undeniable that someone like the former Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon could momentarily captivate any man’s attention. She was beautiful enough to turn heads, and on top of that, she had the unwavering support of Seol Tae Pyeong’s sister, Seol Ran.
It wasn’t entirely impossible that Seol Tae Pyeong had momentarily lost his senses and decided he wanted to have In Ha Yeon, even just once.
However, in this critical situation where they had yet to find the Plague Demonic Spirit, could he really afford to let his attention wander elsewhere?
In this situation, the only person who could comfortably satisfy his own selfish desires would be Yeon Ri, who had gone through endless cycles of reincarnation.
For that reason, Yeon Ri couldn’t help but think there must be another meaning behind Seol Tae Pyeong’s words.
But even so—
“P-Please… answer me…”
In Ha Yeon’s gaze, brimming with passion as she looked at Yeon Ri, made it incredibly hard to deliver the harsh truth.
The wild fantasies of a maiden were uncontrollable; even a mere spark of hope could cause them to ignite uncontrollably.
She might already be envisioning what furniture to bring into their new home by tomorrow morning, where to build it, and how many children they would raise together.
Crushing those expectations and dashing her hopes into the mud… was no easy task.
But it had to be done.
After all, wasn’t she Yeon Ri, the senior maid who served Seol Tae Pyeong?
As one of his attendants, it was her duty to do whatever she could for him!
“I-I’m not sure… Normally, he wouldn’t issue such instructions.”
I’m sorry, Tae Pyeong-ah!!!!
Yeon Ri berated herself for never being truly helpful to Seol Tae Pyeong in moments like these.
It was a fact she had to reflect on.
“I-Is that… so…?”
“Y-Yes…”
“It must be true if it comes from someone like you, who has served as the Vice General’s maid for such a long time.”
“Th-That is true, but…”
Yeon Ri glanced at In Ha Yeon, whose face was flushed with heat, and sensed that something was amiss.
Had she just let the last chance to rein in the rampaging In Ha Yeon slip by? The thought crossed her mind, and she briefly considered taking back her words, but…
“Come to think of it, you’re the only maid allowed to enter the Vice General’s mansion, aren’t you?”
“Ah, y-yes… That’s true, for the most part. It’s just that the other maids were too busy with the Hwalseong District, so I was sent to help in the meantime…”
“You… hmm… no, never mind…”
The way In Ha Yeon looked at Yeon Ri was anything but ordinary.
With a woman’s intuition, Yeon Ri recognized the nature of that gaze. There was a rising unease in it, along with a subtle but unmistakable hint of jealousy.
Not long ago, In Ha Yeon had been the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace, a position that no one within the palace could easily challenge.
Because of that, no matter how high Seol Tae Pyeong’s rank rose, there was nothing he could do to In Ha Yeon.
She had always held the reins in their relationship, and Seol Tae Pyeong had always been the one to accommodate her.
In Ha Yeon had only ever seen him as a loyal and devoted general.
But how had Seol Tae Pyeong acted in front of Yeon Ri, the palace maid?
The more she thought about it, the clearer it became. Yeon Ri was definitely beautiful, had spent a long time by his side, and might have even seen parts of his innermost self that In Ha Yeon had never glimpsed.
The thought made In Ha Yeon unconsciously swallow hard. Was she really harboring jealousy toward a mere maid?
She, who had once risen to the peak of the Vermilion Bird Palace, feeling jealous of a mere senior maid?
In Ha Yeon quickly shook her head to dispel the thought, forced a calm smile on her face, and spoke again with her usual refined air.
“Well, in any case, an order is an order, and it must be obeyed. I am, after all, the Vice General’s adjutant now.”
“Yo-You’ve always worked so hard….”
“No, no, Yeon Ri. You’ve endured a lot as well. You weren’t burned when you dropped the teapot, were you?”
“N-No, I’m fine… truly.”
“That’s good… I’m relieved to hear that. You may go now.”
***
No matter how restless the heart is, the moon rises when the time comes.
Night falls as it must, and on a winter evening cloaked in darkness, the cold settles in.
Knock, knock.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Manager In Ha Yeon.”
“Ah, please come in.”
The Vice General’s mansion, late at night.
When In Ha Yeon knocked on the middle gate, the Vice General’s maid Yeon Ri opened the door for her.
The moment Yeon Ri saw In Ha Yeon, she swallowed dryly.
Clueless men might never notice, but from a woman’s perspective, it was easy to see how much effort In Ha Yeon had put into her appearance.
There was a certain art to applying makeup.
Flaunting an air of “Look at me, I’ve dressed up extravagantly today!” while adorning oneself with an excess of flashy ornaments was actually an unrefined act.
Instead, In Ha Yeon appeared to be dressed casually and was wearing a beautiful set of embroidered cuffs as if they were her everyday clothes. However, every detail of her outfit and her careful movements betrayed the tension she was carrying.
It was like the commanding spirit of a general who had steeled herself and was now heading to the battlefield.
Manager In Ha Yeon had… already drawn her sword.
“P-Please, come inside. The weather is terribly cold tonight.”
“Y-Yes…”
In Ha Yeon replied hesitantly.
“Um, well….”
“What is it? I-is something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing….”
Whatever happened in the inner chamber of the Vice General’s mansion tonight, she was prepared to accept it all.
Of course, it would be a big problem for a woman who had just given up her position as the Crown Princess to act this way…. but wasn’t it something she could find a way to endure?
If it came to it, she would muster her courage. Courage, after all, had always been the value In Ha Yeon held most sacred throughout her life.
With that resolve, In Ha Yeon clenched her teeth and stepped into the vice general’s mansion within the Activation Hall.
As she walked down the corridor, her heart pounded so violently that she could barely endure it. Even in the face of demonic spirits brandishing claws at her throat, she had never trembled like this.
Still, she lowered her head, took a deep breath, steadied her mind, and finally stood before the paper door.
Beyond this door was Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong.
“Phew…”
After adjusting her outfit and once more regulating her breathing, she pushed the door open.
Slide
“Did you summon me, Vice General?”
“Ah! Vermil…no, Miss Ha Yeon… this… um…”
There, sitting at the table laden with drinks and side dishes, was Manager Ha Si Hwa.
“……?”
“…….”
“…….”
The soft light of an oil lamp flickered gently in the inner chambers of the Vice General.
Before Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong who was dressed in a simple hemp robe sat a modestly prepared table of drinks and food.
Surrounding the table, seated in a circle, were Adjutant Bi Cheon, Black Moon Leader Cheong Jin Myeong, and Manager Ha Si Hwa.
In Ha Yeon froze at the sight and couldn’t move for a moment.
Behind her, senior maid Yeon Ri who stood silently couldn’t help but hold back tears.
To plot against the head of the Jeongseon clan was an unforgivable crime of the highest degree.
Naturally, such schemes could only be discussed quietly in secret, away from prying eyes.
“You’re a bit late… It’s cold outside, so come in and sit.”
Who could she blame for this?
Though she knew Seol Tae Pyeong was not the kind of man to give such unreasonable orders, it had been her own panic that led to this.
For a fleeting moment, In Ha Yeon wished she could disappear.
She had pretended to be noble, to be righteous, but the one with the most rotten thoughts was none other than herself.
“Well then… Now that everyone is gathered, it’s time we talked.”
As In Ha Yeon fought back the tears that threatened to spill and sat down on the edge, Seol Tae Pyeong spoke in a low steady voice.
But that strange sense of loss lasted only for a brief moment.
“I plan to attack the Ministerial Appointment Records of the Jeongseon clan.”
The words he uttered, with the noble daughter of the Jeongseon clan seated right there, were nothing short of shocking.
As the statement hung in the air, a faint tension rose among the gathered people.
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