Chapter 14
Did her words make him think of Namgung Choomyung's smug face?
Seolyeong covered his mouth with his fist and turned away sharply. A dry heave could be heard.
"Sorry, Sister. My stomach just...ugh..."
"So innocent."
"I'm not that innocent..."
"Anyone would be shocked seeing that for the first time. Don't be embarrassed."
Yes, even Yeo-il was quite shocked. It had been a long time since she'd seen a human skin mask.
People who could make those skin masks were incredibly rare. There were hardly any of them, and nobody knew their whereabouts, so even assassin groups had a hard time acquiring them.
Which meant...
Someone shady had infiltrated the Namgung family.
Who was wearing Namgung Choomyung's skin mask, where were they from, and what were they doing hiding here?
With everything going on, Yeo-il couldn't help but suspect the Assassin Clan.
But they were said to have vanished without a trace.
For the past six months, Yeo-il had been traveling around Gangho and had seen it for herself.
The Assassin Clan really had vanished.
She'd even tried to dig up information on the Assassin Clan, but nothing came of it. It was all just rumors.
So, she didn't think the fake Namgung Choomyung was one of them. Besides, sneaking in like that, so brazenly it made you grit your teeth, wasn't their style.
So, did Namgung Jeokmyung know the current Namgung Choomyung was a fake?
This is way more complicated than I thought.
It was too early to be certain about anything.
But one thing was clear.
A huge, silent storm was brewing in the Namgung family.
A few days later, Namgung Jeokmyung sent someone to Yeo-il.
"We looked into it and found your mother's relatives in a village near Hubei. We're sending people over soon, so the Young Master asks you to wait patiently."
He got results fast and even informed her directly. Totally unexpected.
I figured he'd just mess around and stall.
That was good news for Yeo-il.
"Tell Jeokmyung I'm going with them."
Namgung Jeokmyung's servant asked, his voice filled with surprise, "You mean you, Young Miss Soyo?"
"Yes. I'm anxious to see my mother's relatives with my own eyes."
"Yes, I understand."
The servant bowed low and left, only to return in less than an hour.
"The Young Master says he understands, but you're in no condition to travel for four days. He insists you stay put."
Yeo-il burst into tears.
The servant, flustered, bowed repeatedly. Yeo-il cried silently for a while, then started gasping and coughing, and finally collapsed.
"Oh, Young Miss! Young Miss Soyo!"
Changa rushed over and helped Yeo-il. With the servant's help – he was also panicking – they got Yeo-il into bed. Changa started fanning her, tears welling in her eyes.
"Oh dear, what are we going to do with our Young Miss? She's so sensitive; once she starts worrying, it goes on for ages..."
Changa wiped her eyes and pleaded with the servant.
"Couldn't you please put in a good word for her? She was cast out of the family when she was young and had to live all alone. After she finally returned to Anhui, all she's done is wait for news about her mother. That's all she desires!"
"..."
"Now that we've finally found something... Oh dear, what if she gets even sicker?"
"Ugh... Fine. I'll tell them she collapsed."
That day, Yeo-il cried all night long.
Hic, sob.
Of course, half of that was Changa, not Yeo-il.
Changa, who'd been fake-crying while snacking on the treats Yeo-il gave her and looking at the pictures in the books, finally finished her 'crying' shift and went to sleep around 10 PM (22:00).
Had the rumor spread that Namgung Soyo had collapsed from worrying so much?
That night, the fourth assassin in three days appeared.
"If you just give up, it'll be painless... Ugh."
Of course, Yeo-il took him down easily and was about to ask, 'Who sent you?' as usual.
But then she noticed something strange in the assassin's eyes.
He was obviously shaken, but also calm. He wasn't acting like he was fighting for his life.
It was as if he knew she wouldn't hurt him.
Yeo-il's eyes turned cold.
"Who are you?"
...
"Who told you I'd let you live?"
The assassin's eyes widened.
Yeo-il struck a pressure point, knocking him out cold.
Seolyeong strolled over from the shadows, clicked his tongue, and frowned at the unconscious assassin.
"What now? Toss him in the garden like the others?"
Yeo-il looked down at the assassin and slowly shook her head. "No. I'm thinking."
"Ugh. These guys are relentless. This is the fourth one today. They keep sending assassins even though they keep getting their butts kicked... Do they even want to kill you?"
"There are only two possibilities. Either someone's getting rid of the assassins before they can report back, or, as you said, they don't actually want me dead."
Seolyeong's eyes, which had been a little sleepy, snapped wide open.
"Looks like it's the second one. This guy knew I'd let him live."
"So...some jerk is sending assassins after you 24/7, even though they don't actually want you dead? And that jerk is Namgung Jeokmyung?!"
"Who knows?"
Yeo-il thought for a moment, then grabbed some paper and a brush and started writing.
"Stick this on the assassin's chest and dump him in the garden as before. But hide nearby and watch to see if anyone approaches."
"And if someone does? Should I grab them by the scruff of their neck and drag them here?"
She shook her head at his usual question and explained what to do next.
Around 1-3 AM, in the dim, pre-dawn light when the full moon was hidden by clouds.
A loud shout ripped through the silent Namgung estate, where everyone was asleep.
"Intruder! Intruder! Some extremely shady intruder killed someone and ran off!"
It was loud enough to wake the dead, just as she'd asked, and Yeo-il smirked in bed.
Yep, nobody could draw attention like Seolyeong.
Someone had been snatching up the assassins I let go, without a trace.
But this time, they messed up, so whoever's behind this must be panicking.
Soon, lights started turning on all over the estate, and the sound of people running around could be heard.
But Yeo-il didn't rush out like everyone else. She just sat in a chair and waited.
How long had it been?
Footsteps echoed down the hall, getting closer and closer. Listening to them as if they were some kind of music, Yeo-il thought about the note she'd stuck on the assassin's chest.
I killed your target.
Nobody would understand that. Except for one person: the one sending the assassins after Yeo-il.
Thud
