To Dang Eun-bi, Dang Gyu-young was technically a cousin, but felt more like a real older sister.
Just as her older brothers cherished Dang Gyu-young, Dang Gyu-young had also cared deeply for her.
She was also someone Eun-bi looked up to.
With talent so outstanding that the entire clan praised her in unison, along with a charm and charisma that captivated those around her, there was no doubt she would one day take on a central role.
But one day, Dang Gyu-young suddenly left the Dang Clan.
For the sake of a free life, she gave up everything that had been within her grasp.
Dang Eun-bi did feel some disappointment, but unlike the other family members, she didn’t come to resent Dang Gyu-young.
She simply hoped that wherever she was, she was doing well.
And so time passed…
As usual, Dang Eun-bi was in the medical hall, researching the combinations of various poisons and medicines.
Then, unusually, her older brothers came to see her and said,
“Gyu-young has returned.”
“Wh-What? Unnie is here?!”
Dang Eun-bi’s eyes widened in shock.
Her brothers responded one after another,
“Why are you so surprised?”
“You must have already heard the news.”
“We were waiting in front of the annex early on.”
“So we got to see her right away.”
“You should go too.”
Dang Eun-bi immediately dropped what she was doing and stood up.
“I’m going!”
Then she ran straight to the annex.
After sending word and waiting briefly, the cousin she had missed so much opened the door.
She had grown a lot and looked different, but she was still the same person Dang Eun-bi remembered.
To hold back her tears, Dang Eun-bi clung to Dang Gyu-young and whined,
“Why did you come only now… I missed you…”
After the emotional reunion, it was time to introduce each other.
When she saw Seo Ye-in, Dang Eun-bi let out an inward exclamation.
Wow…
She was truly as pretty as a doll.
On top of that, her slightly drowsy appearance seemed to add an air of mystery.
But what about this man named Kim Ho?
The first words that crossed her mind when she saw him were:
What a bad guy. A total bad guy.
Objectively speaking, he could be considered handsome, but overall he gave off a rather sinister impression.
His eyes, in particular, looked especially nasty.
I shouldn’t judge based on appearances alone.
Whether he was truly a bad person was something she would only know after getting to know him more.
Still, what could she do? She simply didn’t like his first impression.
The problem was that the relationship between the three of them didn’t seem ordinary.
Dang Gyu-young had described Kim Ho as “someone a bit closer than a junior” but in reality, they seemed far closer than that.
The honey-dripping looks in their eyes only strengthened that suspicion.
My unnie…!
With a guy like that!
As if that wasn’t enough, Seo Ye-in also seemed to show interest in Kim Ho.
She stayed right next to him, as if she didn’t want to be apart.
My senior…!
With someone that evil!
Of course, there must be a reason they were so close.
But even if she could understand it logically, she couldn’t accept it emotionally.
I can’t accept this.
Dang Eun-bi felt her dissatisfaction toward Kim Ho growing stronger.
And she wasn’t the type to quietly endure when she disliked someone.
Even if he’s a guest…
It should be fine to mess with him a little.
In the Dang Clan’s own way.
***
That evening.
By the clan leader’s orders, a formal dinner was held, attended by both the Dang family members and their guests.
Normally, it would have been lively and bustling, as if a banquet were underway, but the atmosphere in the hall was stiff and heavy.
Most of the conversations being exchanged were little more than quiet whispers among those close to each other.
In fact, the clinking of tableware was louder.
The cause, of course, was Dang Gyu-young who had returned after several years.
The only ones showing goodwill toward her group were the siblings Dang Il-bi, Dang Han-bi, and Dang Eun-bi, along with a very small number of family members. The rest couldn’t hide their discomfort.
At this, Dang Eun-bi let out a sigh inwardly.
She glanced briefly at the clan leader seated at the head of the table and thought,
Did it really have to go this far?
It was obvious that the atmosphere would turn hostile.
And yet, he had still arranged this formal dinner and gathered all the family members in one place.
Of course, she understood the intention to some extent.
It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Better to deal with it all at once rather than drag it out.
Still, wasn’t this a bit too much?
At the seat beside her, other cousins were busy talking behind someone’s back.
– She’s really got some nerve.
– She ran off like that, and now she comes back like nothing happened.
– How can she even eat right now?
– She must’ve realized after struggling out there. That this place was heaven.
Sparks flew in Dang Eun-bi’s eyes.
It had been a long time, but she remembered how well her unnie had treated them. How could they say such harsh things?
That’s enough.
There was a limit to how much she could tolerate.
Quietly, Dang Eun-bi lowered her hand beneath the table.
When she raised it again, a thin ring was now on her index finger.
Click,
As she lightly twisted the ring, a faint vibration was transmitted.
And along with that faint vibration, a tiny hole revealed itself.
With her index finger still raised, she gave a light flick, and droplets of a translucent liquid flew one by one onto her cousins’ plates, seeping into the food.
The poisoning was so subtle and swift that they showed no sign of noticing at all.
They continued to badmouth Dang Gyu-young as they picked at the food on their plates.
– Apparently, there was even talk of expelling her outright.
– Honestly, that would be right. She doesn’t use poison, doesn’t study the arts, abandons martial arts and switches to magic. In what way is she even a Dang?
The effect appeared immediately.
The cousins tried to speak, then stopped, their faces turning ashen as they looked at one another.
“Hey, wait a second……”
“Me too……”
Their bodies trembling, they pushed themselves up and staggered away from their seats.
Watching them at a glance, Dang Eun-bi let out a scoff.
“Hmph.”
Her next target was Kim Ho, seated across from her.
No matter how many times she looked at him, she found him unpleasant, so she intended to carry out her original plan.
Still, considering that his offense was lighter than that of the cousins from before, she decided to use a relatively milder poison.
Click.
As she turned the ring, a different hole was revealed.
Inside it was,
A poison that caused uncontrollable sneezing.
It would make him sneeze nonstop, drawing everyone’s attention in the hall and leaving him overwhelmed with unbearable embarrassment.
Just then, Kim Ho was being pressed by Dang Il-bi and Dang Han-bi together.
“I don’t understand.”
“The annex is spacious and has plenty of rooms, so why use just one?”
“Where are you planning to sleep?”
“Don’t tell me it’s one bed.”
“Do you want to be melted into a handful of bloody water?”
It was something she herself had been quietly wondering about as well.
Judging by the disheveled state the three of them were in when they first met, it seemed as if they had just gotten up from lying down.
…This isn’t what matters right now.
Right now, rather than satisfying her curiosity, it was time to focus on poisoning.
Dang Eun-bi watched her target’s every move, waiting for the right moment.
And just as Kim Ho replied with an awkward expression,
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. The truth is—”
She lightly flicked her index finger.
A droplet, smaller than a grain of millet, cut through the air and fell straight into the center of Kim Ho’s teacup.
Once again, it was a clean execution, but not enough to deceive her older brothers.
Dang Il-bi and Dang Han-bi exchanged subtle glances.
Eun-bi’s up to her little mischief again.
What doesn’t she like this time?
Either way, we should stop it for now.
We can’t have him put in an awkward spot on the very first day.
For now, letting him know was the best option.
They moved to stop Kim Ho just as he picked up the teacup.
“Wait.”
“It’s fine.”
But Kim Ho casually brought the cup to his lips and drank it down in one go.
At that, a triumphant smile spread across Dang Eun-bi’s lips.
Got him.
Soon, an endless fit of sneezing would begin.
Three, two… one, until the poison took effect.
One, one, one! One?
But no matter how many times she counted one, Kim Ho showed no signs of sneezing…not even the slightest twitch of his nose.
As if nothing had happened, he simply continued speaking.
“It’s difficult to explain in detail, but I possess a rather unusual trait.”
“…I see. If it’s a trait, then. But are you alright?”
“What do you mean? What do you mean by alright?”
“Never mind.”
The twins waved their hands dismissively.
She would have pressed further under normal circumstances, but the unexpected turn of events right before her eyes threw her off and broke the flow.
Of course, the most flustered of all was Dang Eun-bi, the one who had administered the poison.
Why is he fine?
What went wrong?
Did I use too weak a poison?
Or did I add too little?
Questions led to more questions, but there was no way she could find an answer.
There was only one way to figure it out.
Let’s try it again.
The only option was to increase the sample size.
A stubborn determination quietly took hold as well.
Click,
The ring turned again, switching the type of poison.
To ensure success this time, she chose something stronger.
A poison that makes you unable to stop laughing.
It would continuously tighten the abdominal muscles, making laughter burst out regardless of one’s will.
The atmosphere in the room was still far from pleasant, so if he started laughing uncontrollably, he would surely draw everyone’s glares.
It might even come off as mockery.
And with that unpleasant look on his face, it would only make things worse.
If he ended up drawing twice the hostility, it would be an even more entertaining sight for Dang Eun-bi.
Watching for her chance, she flicked her index finger once more.
A drop of liquid from the ring flew out and mixed into the teacup again.
And Kim Ho brought it to his lips once more.
Good, it went in properly.
Dang Eun-bi cheered inwardly.
Soon, he would start grinning like a fool.
However…
No matter how long she waited, the corners of Kim Ho’s mouth showed no sign of lifting.
With a perfectly ordinary expression, he continued conversing with Dang Gyu-young.
“Didn’t I tell you? It’s bound to come up.”
“You explained it well enough.”
“I don’t think we can say this is over just yet.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
As Dang Eun-bi watched them, a sense of suspicion began to rise within her.
…Did I mess something up?
Maybe she had mixed the poison incorrectly, or some impurity had slipped in without her noticing.
If that were the case, it was entirely possible it hadn’t worked properly.
Once the doubt took hold, she couldn’t suppress it any longer.
Unable to resist the urge, Dang Eun-bi decided to check right away.
She tapped the ring against the back of her hand, then licked up the single drop of liquid that fell onto it.
After waiting quietly for a moment,
…It really doesn’t do anything.
The tension drained out of her all at once.
To think she’d made such a pathetic mistake.
When I get back, I’ll have to check everything step by step from the beginning.
It was then.
Her abdominal muscles suddenly began to tighten.
“Hff—khh—”
She clenched her teeth and tried desperately to hold it in, but laughter kept slipping out against her will.
“Kh—hkhh—khk—”
As Dang Eun-bi started grinning like a fool, everyone’s attention in the room turned toward her.
Her cousins, the elders.
Some looked dumbfounded, while others shot her reproachful glances, as if to say, “Is this really the time to be laughing?”
As the situation spiraled further out of control, Dang Eun-bi abruptly shot to her feet.
“Excuse me—hehehe—”
And then she hurriedly ran out of the room.
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