Chapter 8
[And finally, there's Namgung Jeok-myeong... even though he's the eldest son, he's got the worst reputation. He's the most outstanding among the brothers in terms of appearance and martial prowess, but in reality, he's a good-for-nothing who is crazy about women and liquor. It's said that if Namgung Jeok-myeong becomes the next head of the family, the clan will surely decline. He has no sense of money and no desire to learn, so he's kinda clueless...]
A faint scent of alcohol lingered around Yeo-il's nose. It was a scent emanating from Namgung Jeok-myeong, so it was clear that he was devoted to liquor, if not women.
"Now, show me your left arm. We need to clean the wound before the physician arrives."
When the makeshift bandage was removed, a sharply cut wound was revealed. Namgung Jeok-myeong clicked his tongue briefly and touched the area around the wound with a cloth soaked in water. Displeased with the careless touch, the second son pushed the eldest son away.
"Brother, how can it be clean if you wipe it like that? Let me do it."
"Ah. As expected, our second brother is good at things like this. Yes, indeed."
Namgung Chu-myeong's touch was much more skillful than his older brother's.
A brief silence followed.
"By the way, Soyo."
Namgung Jeok-myeong asked.
"How were you able to arrive here alive?"
Yeo-il calmly listened to his composed voice without any agitation.
It was a pity that she couldn't open her eyes at times like this. With just his voice, it was unclear whether he meant 'how did you survive?' or 'why are you still alive?'
"If all the escorts sent with you are dead, they must have been more than ordinary assassins."
Yeo-il replied gently.
"A wandering warrior happened to be passing by and saved us."
"A wandering warrior?"
"Although I cannot see, I could feel the assassins falling like leaves in the autumn wind and running away in a flurry when he appeared."
"You were truly lucky. And did you ask for the benefactor's name?"
"He said he was just doing the right thing, and after burying my maids and guards who were killed, he just vanished."
"He doesn't seem to be an ordinary person. A blind child caused a big stir as soon as she returned. We'll hold a memorial for the servants who died protecting you soon."
Yeo-il nodded quietly.
Suddenly, the third son, Namgung Hee-myeong, who had been watching their conversation with a displeased expression, spoke loudly.
"So, who the hell attacked her? Sending assassins is practically a declaration of war against the Namgung family! We need to nip this in the bud! Chu-myeong, got any ideas?"
"Well, Hee-myeong, like you said, hardly anyone inside or outside the family even knows Soyo exists. It's gotta be someone close to us."
"Good thing the wound isn't too deep. Ah, is Doc Jang here? I gotta run, so take good care of Soyo."
Perhaps thanks to the loud outcry about the assassin attack, a physician rushed in and sat facing Yeo-il.
"Yeah, don't worry."
"Taking off? Where are you headed, brother?"
At the third son's bewildered question, Namgung Jeok-myeong replied with a good-natured smile.
"Sorry, got a thing I gotta do. I'll probably be back tomorrow morning, so just a heads-up."
As if it were an unexpected remark, Namgung Chu-myeong hurriedly pushed back his chair and stood up.
"You're not going to Gyeonru again, are you? Seriously, brother! Soyo just got back today!"
"Haha. A man's gotta keep his word to a lady, right? Don't look at me like that. I pushed the date back to today 'cause I thought Soyo would be here yesterday. Doc Jang will patch her up, no problem."
"We're talking assassins here! You should be looking into this, brother!"
A deep annoyance flashed in Namgung Jeok-myeong's eyes as he looked at Namgung Chu-myeong, who was blocking the door.
He let out a loud sigh and gently pushed Namgung Chu-myeong's shoulder.
"Chu-myeong, what more can we find out here? Soyo's at the main house now; she's safe. Look, if you're so worried, you handle it. I won't get in your way."
Leaving those words, Namgung Jeok-myeong abruptly left the room.
'The rumors are quite accurate.'
But something was strange.
What was strange was that someone who was supposed to be the young lord of the Namgung family was so self-indulgent.
If his disgrace had spread so widely as to become the laughingstock of the world, the family head would have personally stopped him.
Namgung Chu-myeong shook his head and leaned back in his chair.
"When will he ever get his act together..."
"Hmph, don't hold your breath. Didn't I tell you? Big bro is totally head over heels for that Cho-hong girl at Gyeonru. He'd give her anything at this point."
Namgung Hee-myeong, after bad-mouthing Gyeonru for a while, said he was going to go meditate and then crash.
After the physician's treatment was finished, the second son, who remained alone among the brothers, sighed and patted Yeo-il's shoulder with a sorry face.
"Sorry, Soyo. It's getting late, so get some rest."
"Thanks, Chu-myeong."
Namgung Chu-myeong, who was about to get up, turned back to Yeo-il.
"Why so formal? We're family. Just call me 'brother'."
"Thank you for your words. But... where's Dad?"
"...We'll talk about that tomorrow. Here, take my hand. I'll show you to your room."
So, it was as she thought.
'Something has happened to the head of the Namgung family.'
That's why the young lord was welcoming the illegitimate daughter who had returned home, and the brothers were expressing concern about the young lord's misconduct.
'If the family head is absent, there will be no one to control the young lord.'
Then, what on earth happened to the family head?
The next morning.
As soon as the sun rose, Chang-ah rushed into Yeo-il's room.
She slapped her own cheeks hard with a blank look, and only after Yeo-il reached out and stopped her did she murmur with an incredulous face.
"This... feels like a dream, Master. This isn't a dream, is it? We're really back, right?"
"Calling me 'Master' when I'm Namgung Soyo now makes it sound like you're the one dreaming."
"Oh! Sorry, sorry, Miss Soyo. Yes, Master is Miss Soyo now. I won't mess up again."
Then, she focused on cleaning the room without being asked, looking very nervous.
"Chang-ah."
"Yes?"
Yeo-il put a small piece of confectionery into Chang-ah's bewildered mouth.
Chang-ah, who was chewing with a surprised face, jumped up and down, looking at the colorful confectionery on the plate.
"Wow, these treats are so pretty, I almost don't want to eat them! And they're so sweet! Miss, you gotta try some! The tea smells amazing, and the dishes are all super fancy. The food's gotta be amazing too, right? I wish the others were here to try this..."
Chang-ah's voice faded, and she started cleaning again, looking all sad. I guess moving around helps her calm down, so I just let her be.
It was understandable that she was anxious. They were currently pulling off a major con on the Namgung family.
'Today's the day I meet the Namgung family, so Chu-myeong will probably come get me before noon.'
But, even though Yeo-il expected it, Chu-myeong didn't show up, even when the sun was high in the sky.
And it wasn't just Chu-myeong.
Neither of the other brothers, nor even the head of the family, showed their faces. Actually, Seol-yeong, who'd gone out at dawn to snoop around the market for information on Soyo's mom, got back first.
Of course, she didn't find anything useful either.
"Total bust. There's not even a whisper of a rumor about Soyo's mom."
"No one?"
"Yeah, no one's even seen anyone who knows Soyo. Maybe that's why yesterday's craziness is such a big deal. Rumors are flying around like crazy, like the abandoned daughter's back to use the family's power, or they finally found the lost daughter..."
"It's weird that no one knows her. It sounded like the four siblings spent at least a little time together.”
