Chapter 38
He forced a steady voice and bowed to Danri Mookran.
"I apologize, Aunt. As her older brother, I couldn't simply ignore Soyo's curiosity, could I? Anyway, we'll be on our way. Please take care of the guests, Heemyeong."
Namgung Jeok-myung's movements were a bit rough as he stormed out of Bukcheong.
He yanked Yeo-il's hand roughly, as if he were going to throw her down, but then he remembered she was blind and immediately slowed down.
Around that time, Yeo-il, needing to calm him, pretended to trip and fell forward.
"Soyo!"
Instead of snapping at her and asking what she was doing, Namgung Jeok-myung was startled and helped Yeo-il up.
"Are you okay? I was too... sigh. Let's see if you're hurt."
Of course. She fell hard enough that it wouldn't be surprising if she had been cut badly.
But Yeo-il was tougher than she looked and wouldn't be seriously injured by a simple fall.
Namgung Jeok-myung slightly—very slightly—lifted the hem of Yeo-il's skirt up to her left knee and sighed in relief.
"Luckily, it's just a scrape. You might get a little bruise, so be sure to show a servant."
"Yes."
"Can you walk?"
She considered milking it and getting carried, but she didn't feel like going that far, so she just nodded and limped noticeably.
He helped Yeo-il over to a quiet spot by a stone wall. After a moment of silence, he let out a deep sigh and scolded her.
"You were trying to ruin things, weren't you? What are you up to now?"
"It seems to me that you're the one up to something, Jeok-myung Oppa. I haven't been able to sleep a wink these past few days, wondering if you'd ditched me."
Namgung Jeok-myung looked a little flustered by her quick answer, as if she'd been waiting for this.
"I thought you were quiet because you understood what was going on."
"Oppa."
""
"I didn't follow you to listen to excuses. I could turn around and leave right now. I could even expose the fake for you, Oppa, since you're dragging your feet."
"Can you change my mind?"
Namgung Jeok-myung crossed his arms and remained silent for a while.
He didn't say anything else, but this was essentially Yeo-il's last chance with him. Sure, she needed his information, but she could also get it from Namgung Chu-myung.
"The reason I mistook you for Salmak..."
After a long silence, he finally spoke, starting with a rather surprising truth.
"The person who brought Soyo, who was practically a newborn, to the family... was Salmak."
This was the first time she had heard this story.
But just because it was news to her didn't make it strange.
"Salmak doesn't share intel."
"Salmak assassins only knew who was taken out and where, based on the kill lists they sometimes received. They never knew which assassin did it or how."
If the mission was something other than assassination, they would have no way of knowing. Like today.
"I apologize for making you wait. I was just trying to be extra sure about the secrets I knew before sharing them. I didn't have any ulterior motives."
Excuse or truth? Either way, it didn't matter. As long as they stuck to the plan and used each other as they had agreed.
"I guess I didn't realize that this information, gathered so slowly and secretly over years, might be frustrating for others."
"It's not slow; it's painfully slow."
"Yeah, well, ever since I met you, time's been flying by. Too much has happened too fast, and it's been a lot to handle."
The way he just ignored her and continued talking showed that Namgung Jeok-myung was pretty stubborn.
'Salmak brought the child.'
Not taken to another place, but brought from another place?
"Oppa, don't tell me I'm not even Father's daughter..."
At that moment, Namgung Jeok-myung hurriedly covered Yeo-il's mouth. He looked around and scolded her in a stern voice.
"Watch it, Soyo. I'm being careful, but you never know who might be listening... Ow!"
He recoiled and removed his hand after Yeo-il bit his palm.
"I'm being careful, so back off."
"I understand what you're curious about, but I'm not going to tell you any more than that. Not after realizing how easily you blurt things out."
"Fine. I won't push it. So, what's this big secret that turned you, Oppa, into such a frustratingly slow person?"
"Before I answer, I have a question for you, too. What was written on the paper in that bamboo tube a while ago?"
Was he worried she was talking to outsiders? Too bad, she wasn't about to spill the beans.
"That information is worth eight hundred nyang. Pay up if you want to know."
"Eight hundred nyang? Seriously?"
The answer to his question came from above her head.
"No, I'm not."
Suddenly, a heavy weight landed on Yeo-il's shoulder. A tall guy, completely leaning on this delicate woman, started talking in a sugary-sweet voice.
"If you want the full scoop, come find this young lady~♡"
""
"It was basically a love letter, gushing with passion and all that, for our Miss Namgung. That's what it said, Young Master."
Jin Cheong-ak had zero chill and no manners.
She tried to shake him off by tilting her head back, but he was like a rock. Too annoyed to push him, Yeo-il gave up and just leaned her head against Jin Cheong-ak's arm.
Namgung Jeok-myung, who'd been staring at Yeo-il, finally questioned Jin Cheong-ak's words.
"Find a young lady, you say?"
"Does gender even matter when you're crushing on someone? You're pretty uptight for a young master, Young Master."
Yeo-il ignored Jin Cheong-ak's whisper asking for agreement, "Right?"
"So, all that stuff about Yulim was a lie. How are you going to handle it when this blows up in your face?"
"Yulim isn't as uptight as you, Young Master. He'll play along for a while, since I'm his benefactor. If not, oh well. We'll just have to run off with our Miss Namgung. I'm cool with that."
Jin Cheong-ak added a second later, "Oh, and of course, Miss Namgung is, too."
Namgung Jeok-myung, sighing for the third time, asked Yeo-il, his voice full of distrust.
"Is he someone you can trust?"
He meant to ask if it was okay to reveal secrets in Jin Cheong-ak's presence. But even to that question, Jin Cheong-ak's answer was much faster than Yeo-il's.
"Just assume I'm trustworthy and speak freely. I've sworn my life to protecting Miss Namgung, so I'd never betray her."
Yeo-il nodded calmly to reassure Namgung Jeok-myung.
"I trust him."
Namgung Jeok-myung's hesitation was short.
"Do you know of Yeonghwangyuse?"
"I don't know it well, but I've heard of it."
"That makes things easier. The people behind the fake are Yeonghwangyuse. And basically, they came from Salmak.”
