Chapter 9 Hadn't Namgung Chu-myeong clearly said so? That they had met when she was very young, so he thought she had completely forgotten—but she remembered.
"Hm. In her childhood, was she raised almost as if imprisoned in a room?"
"The Namgung Clan's Gaju lacks nothing—why would he hide an illegitimate daughter? Having an illegitimate son or daughter in a clan isn't even a stain."
And yet they had kept that illegitimate daughter hidden so tightly, then suddenly brought her back—and she was attacked on the way home.
Was the goal, from the start, to assassinate her on the road back?
That did not make sense either. An illegitimate daughter with no right to inherit the position of Gaju was not worth assassinating, and even if one insisted on killing her, it would have been simpler to quietly visit the house where she had been staying and cut her throat.
"Chang-a, were you maids the only household members who lived with Namgung Soyo?"
"No! There was an uncle and an aunt, one each, but before we left that place, they returned to their hometown ahead of us."
"Do you know where their hometown is?"
"Ah, th-that… I don't really…"
The fact that the other household members' whereabouts were unknown was a perfect situation for hiding Yeo Il's identity.
In the end, the only one who knows Namgung Soyo's birth mother is the Namgung Clan's Gaju.
But the Gaju was someone she had not even glimpsed so much as a hair of.
Perhaps she had been frustrated from staying indoors the whole time. After glancing at the simple garden outside the window, Chang-a asked Yeo Il,
"Young Lady Soyo, do we really just keep staying in this room?"
"For now, that's the plan. It seems better to stay in the room than to run around digging into everything."
At the very least, the Namgung Soyo Yeo Il had to act was a quiet, meek young lady.
"Yes, understood. If you ever want a walk, please tell me anytime! I'll support you properly."
At Chang-a's cheerful smile, Yeo Il smiled back.
For now, it would be best to live quietly and shake off the attention around her. For now.
That day, the sun set, and a dark night came with even the moon hidden behind clouds.
The guest Yeo Il had been waiting for came to her room.
Only, the route was a little unusual—approaching not by the corridor, but across the roof.
Only one presence. And with no hesitation coming down this way…
So the goal is to assassinate Namgung Soyo.
After stuffing the blanket with a pillow, Yeo Il hid her body in the shadow.
Not long after, a man in black arrived before the bed, suppressing his footsteps, and drew a dagger—
At that moment, Yeo Il's figure shot like an arrow behind him.
"Ghk."
With no warning, the assassin—his acupoint struck—lost consciousness and collapsed.
After confirming the man's face, Yeo Il spoke softly toward the door.
"Seol-yeong, wake up."
Soon a small rustling sound came, and Seol-yeong opened the door and sauntered in.
"Yaaawn. What is it all of a sud—huh? What's that black bastard? Did you bring in a new servant already?"
"I was going to, but he didn't suit me, so I decided to throw him out. Take him and dump him in the rear garden."
With sleep still in his eyes, Seol-yeong blankly asked,
"Uh… you don't have to kill him? At least breaking his arms and legs would be easier."
"He won't regain consciousness for a while, so it's fine. Leave him to open his eyes and run away on his own. If he can't wake up by sunrise, slap him a bit."
"Hah, honestly—this catch-and-release… If you let him go, he'll definitely come again. Well, I'll do as you say for now."
After confirming Seol-yeong carrying the assassin out like a sack, Yeo Il lay back down on the bed.
Those steps had been taken with perfect understanding of the building's layout. In other words, he had infiltrated knowing Namgung Soyo's room location precisely.
As expected, the enemy is inside the clan.
Such persistent assassination attempts.
Perhaps Namgung Soyo was not a normal illegitimate daughter after all.
The fourth day staying at the Namgung Clan.
Today as well, not a single clan relative showed their face.
Unable to stand it, Chang-a took it upon herself to bring news from outside.
"I heard the Sogaju (Clan Heir) is busy enjoying himself outside the clan yesterday and today, and the second son is busy running the clan's affairs in the Sogaju (Clan Heir)'s place, and the third is shut up in the house practicing martial arts."
"The Gaju?"
"Even the maids looked like they didn't know at all about him. …At this point, wouldn't it be better for us to go find the Sogaju (Clan Heir) ourselves? Sigh… We've been living too quietly, so it feels like everyone forgot you even exist, Young Lady…"
Yeo Il had been about to move soon anyway. She patted Chang-a's weary head and pointed toward the door.
"Let's wait and see only through today. How about going out to breathe some outside air for a bit?"
"Ah… yes! I already memorized all the nearby layout. I'll take you to the quietest place."
Eyes closed, supported by Chang-a, Yeo Il left her room for the first time since returning.
This place was quiet overall.
Normally, a great clan like the Namgung Clan would have extended family gathered together, but the only faces she passed in the corridors were maids, servants, and escort warriors.
She had heard that the only adult living in the clan was the Gaju's sole sibling, so it made sense that there were few presences.
At some point, as she focused on Chang-a's voice vividly describing the scenery, the cry of a blade slicing the air caught Yeo Il's attention.
The sound of a sword.
Listening carefully, Yeo Il turned her body toward the source.
"Chang-a, let's go over there, beyond that wall."
"Huh? But that way is Young Master Namgung Hui-myeong's bedchamber…"
"It's fine. We'll just take a look and come back."
After slipping over the wall and quietly opening her eyes, she saw a boy beneath a peach tree, alone and focused on sword practice. It was Namgung Hui-myeong, his long hair tied up, his impression somewhat fierce.
Since she was peeking anyway, she carefully observed the third son's body and swordsmanship.
It was surprising—he displayed martial skill overwhelmingly superior to his peers. They said children of prestigious clans received body-tempering and marrow-cleansing in their youth to break through the wall of mastery more easily; Namgung Hui-myeong seemed to be such a case.
And yet she had heard that despite Hui-myeong's martial bone and talent being that outstanding, he still could not compare to Namgung Jeok-myeong, the Sogaju (Clan Heir).
Suddenly, she became curious about the Sogaju (Clan Heir)'s martial arts.
Just then, Namgung Hui-myeong—who had been continuing his sword practice in a state close to trance—stopped moving.
"Hoo…"
A heavy sigh followed.
From the dissatisfied twist of his expression, it seemed something did not sit right with him.
He steadied his breathing and immediately swung his sword again, only to stop once more and clench his fist—then repeat from the beginning.
The rapid succession of sword techniques itself radiated a domineering spirit beyond what was necessary. Yet the more he repeated, the more it looked as if the sword was controlling him.
Is it a problem of the mind?
The image of the boy grinding his teeth and forcing himself to focus on the sword pulled up a past memory Yeo Il did not welcome—horrific memories from more than ten years ago, when she was made to walk the path of a martial artist.
Perhaps because of that memory, Yeo Il's tightly closed lips parted.
"Why are you so impatient?"
"…Who is it?"
Namgung Hui-myeong stiffened and turned a sharp gaze on Yeo Il.
Swallowing a laugh at his fierce momentum, she spoke in a steady voice.
"I can feel urgency in your movements. The sound of your sword is like the sound of swinging a club. Is there any need to hurry like that? Your sword will not run away anywhere, Young Master Hui-myeong."
"What? Who are you? What do you know to spew nonsense like that?"
At the cutting rebuke, Yeo Il lowered her head obediently.
"If it was presumptuous interference, I apologize. I… having lived blind my whole life, have the habit of grasping another's heart through sound. I will be careful in the future."
At that, his savage aura began to settle little by little.
"…Hey. You don't know jack shit about the sword. So how are you reading my state of mind from the sound of me swinging it?"
"Is there anything special about the sound of a sword? An object is only an object. Even if you held a teacup instead of a weapon, Young Master Hui-myeong, I would have told you the same thing."
"Then how did you read it?"
"Ah, are you curious?"
Namgung Hui-myeong gave a loud snort, sheathed his sword, and crossed his arms.
"Do I look like I'm not curious? Speak. Let's hear what kind of bizarre nonsense you'll spout."
"Well, the method by which I read your state of mind is…"
"..."
"The method is…"
"..."
"It is this girl's secret."
"…Huh?"
"If you truly wish to know, then live with your eyes closed for over ten years like me. You'll learn it in an instant."
Before Namgung Hui-myeong's quick temper could erupt fully, Yeo Il grabbed Chang-a's hand and turned away.
Back in the room, fleeing as if in escape—
After that, she sent Chang-a out now and then to watch Namgung Hui-myeong's movements.
"After you left, he devoted himself to sword practice for over one sijin. I heard Young Master Hui-myeong spends most of the day drilling swordsmanship."
One sijin.
Her interruption should have broken his focus, yet he swung his sword for one more sijin?
The advice I gave in passing might have helped.
For now, it was better to exclude the third from the suspect list. He looked like the sword was all he could see—Namgung Soyo and everything else did not even enter his eyes.
Then one of the remaining ones was surely the one sending assassins after her…
Now, do I just wait and see who comes to find me first?
Who would it be?
Smiling quietly, Yeo Il took a bite of a pretty red sweet decorated with flower petals and swallowed.
That night.
A second assassin came to Namgung Soyo's room.
It must have been from that day onward that a rumor began to spread through the Namgung Clan—that "every night, a horrifying scream can be heard from Young Lady Soyo's room."
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