Chapter : 8
“…The maid insists that she received the gift directly from the young lady, but the young lady herself says that never happened.”
Doyul cast the maid a brief sidelong glance before continuing.
“I believe it would be best to inspect the maid’s quarters personally and determine the truth.”
At that suggestion, all the color drained from the maid’s face.
“L-Lord Tang! I…!”
“Silence.”
Tang Socheol cut off the maid’s frantic attempt to explain.
Even if the Northern Sea Ice Palace held leverage over the Sichuan Tang Clan, the Ice Palace’s name was no empty reputation.
So the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace has already realized that this maid stole his wife’s belongings.
What a troublesome situation.
Why couldn’t that girl just keep quiet until she left for the Ice Palace? Why did she have to make such a fuss…?
After glaring coldly at his daughter, Tang Socheol clicked his tongue and turned to Doyul.
“Very well. We shall investigate.”
“In that case, Clan Lord Tang, would it be possible for Miss Yerin and me to be present as well?”
“…The two of you?”
“Yes. More importantly, Miss Yerin is the victim in this matter.”
As he spoke, Doyul looked toward Yerin, who appeared even smaller as she stood buried among the crowd.
Her tiny face was soaked with tears.
Her shoulders were hunched as though trying to disappear.
And…
…I hate seeing Miss Yerin make that expression.
If that was to change, then Yerin’s innocence had to be revealed before everyone.
But Clan Lord Tang himself had long ignored the fact that Yerin was being mistreated.
Considering everything he had done until now, Doyul couldn’t fully trust him to handle this fairly.
“Therefore, I believe Miss Yerin has every right to witness the investigation.”
With those words, Doyul bowed deeply.
“So that the truth may be revealed clearly, and no innocent person suffers injustice.”
“…Palace Lord.”
“I ask that Clan Lord Tang make the wisest decision.”
Yerin stared at Doyul with mixed emotions.
After all, it was only her claim that the maid had stolen from her.
Doyul knew there were signs that she had been abused, but that alone wasn’t enough to prove everything she said was true.
And yet…
Doyul believes me.
Otherwise, he never would have openly asked Clan Lord Tang to search the maid’s room and expose the matter.
Besides…
…The Palace Lord is bowing to Clan Lord Tang?
Although the Northern Sea Ice Palace had declined compared to its former glory, the Lord of the Ice Palace and the Lord of the Tang Clan still held equal status.
In other words, it was something that should never have happened.
As proof, a satisfied smile spread across Tang Socheol’s lips.
“Very well.”
“Thank you, Palace Lord.”
Watching the scene, Yerin clenched her fists so tightly they trembled.
I… I never thought I’d see my favorite character bow his head to someone like Tang Socheol…
Do you know how hard I worked to build up the Northern Sea Ice Palace?! How did it end up collapsing this badly?!
But more than anything…
…He’s enduring this humiliation because of me.
Yerin gritted her teeth.
Her eyes blazed fiercely.
That’s it. The moment we return to the Northern Sea, I’m rebuilding my clan from the ground up!
***
The maids stood gathered together, unable to hide their astonishment.
“W-What’s going on all of a sudden?”
“Why has Clan Lord Tang suddenly come to our quarters?”
One maid spoke suspiciously.
“And… aren’t the two people behind him the Palace Lord and Miss Yerin?”
“You’re right!”
Everyone in the Tang Clan already knew that Clan Lord Tang openly oppressed his illegitimate daughter, Tang Yerin.
So seeing Tang Socheol together with Tang Yerin…
And even the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace…
The maids couldn’t hide their confusion.
Thenā
“Isn’t that… Myung?!”
All their eyes widened.
The tearful maid being dragged in by the guards was someone they all knew.
Myung.
The servant who had volunteered to stay by the neglected illegitimate daughter’s side.
At that moment, Tang Socheol gestured toward her.
“Which room belongs to that maid?”
“I-If you mean Myung… this way, Clan Lord Tang.”
One terrified maid hurriedly led the way.
Tang Socheol, Yerin, the Palace Lord, and the guards followed behind.
Soon, they arrived in front of Myung’s room.
A cold command rang out.
“Search every inch of the room!”
Bang!
The door flew open.
The guards stormed inside and searched every corner.
And what they found…
“…Hah.”
Whether it was admiration or disbelief, even Tang Socheol couldn’t hide the sound that escaped his lips.
Hidden gaps inside the walls.
The inside of drawers.
Beneath loose floorboards.
Treasures poured out from every imaginable hiding place.
At a glance, it was obvious.
They were nearly all of the few belongings Yerin had possessed.
“Well…”
Stroking his beard, Tang Socheol smiled coldly.
“I sincerely apologize, Palace Lord.”
“…Clan Lord Tang.”
“Even after hearing your words, I honestly doubted such a thing could happen. Yet…”
His sharp gaze shifted toward Myung.
“To think there was a rat hiding within my own household.”
“P-Please spare me!”
Myung’s face turned deathly pale as she threw herself flat onto the floor.
“I-I’m sorry! I was blinded by greed for just a moment…!”
“I believed I kept my servants under strict discipline.”
Tang Socheol slowly walked toward her.
“It seems I was mistaken.”
He raised his foot.
“Now that we’ve found the rat…”
“…it should be crushed. Don’t you agree?”
“AAAGH!!”
His kick, empowered with internal energy, slammed violently into Myung’s back.
Blood burst from her mouth.
“Cough! Cough! Guh…!”
But Tang Socheol didn’t stop.
Bang!
Thud!
Bang!!
He continued kicking her relentlesslyā
As though he intended to beat her to death.
W-What do we do…?
She’s really going to die at this rate!
The surrounding maids shuddered.
Yet something about the scene was strange.
Tang Socheol never once looked at Myung as he beat her.
His gaze remained fixed solely on…
“…”
…Doyul.
As though he wanted to prove before Doyul exactly how cruel he could be.
As though he wanted Doyul to fear him…
To recognize his place…
And quietly back down.
“Kugh… Hah… C-Clan Lord…!”
Unable to endure any longer, Myung grabbed Tang Socheol’s leg.
“P-Please… at least spare my life…”
“My life? You dare beg me for mercy?”
Tang Socheol merely narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
“Because of one insignificant woman like you, the discipline of the Tang Clan has been shaken.”
“Clan Lord… please!”
“And this disgrace was exposed before the Palace Lord! How do you intend to answer for that shame?”
Another kick flew.
Bang!
“AAAHHH!!”
With one final scream, Myung lost consciousness.
Doyul quietly bit his lip.
Clan Lord Tang is deliberately acting even more brutally to intimidate me.
He found the man utterly revolting.
But with the Ice Palace’s food supply held hostage, Doyul couldn’t openly oppose him.
The only thing Doyul could do now…
I don’t want to see Miss Yerin get hurt ever again.
…was protect Yerin.
So he spoke.
“I have one more matter to report. May I speak?”
“Go ahead.”
“I believe Miss Yerin has suffered countless hardships at the hands of the maids.”
“Hardships? What do you mean?”
“When I shared a room with Miss Yerin, I discovered numerous scars covering her body.”
After choosing his words carefully, Doyul continued firmly.
“And Miss Yerin told me that every one of those scars was inflicted by the maids.”
For a brief moment, something flickered across Tang Socheol’s eyes.
Surely even the Palace Lord doesn’t know what those scars truly signify.
Forcing his abused daughter to become the mistress of the Northern Sea Ice Palace…
It was nothing more than a way to trample the Ice Palace’s pride.
Although Doyul was young, he was far too perceptive not to understand that.
Yet he never mentioned the humiliation the Ice Palace had suffered.
Instead…
He placed all the blame for Yerin’s abuse on the maids.
So he chose to protect Yerin… instead of defending the Ice Palace’s pride.
Tang Socheol silently studied him.
Even beneath that heavy gaze, Doyul never flinched.
He simply continued speaking calmly.
“The Sichuan Tang Clan is considered one of the greatest clans in the martial world.”
“That is true.”
“So should such a great clan really tolerate maids who don’t even understand basic decency?”
Doyul’s voice was unwavering.
“You must restore the clan’s discipline by ensuring these people never set foot inside the Sichuan Tang Clan again.”
“You mean…”
“I have no concern, as I will soon be connected to the Tang Clan through marriage.”
“But what if outsiders were to witness this?”
Doyul looked directly into Tang Socheol’s eyes.
“Wouldn’t everyone say that even your own servants are beyond your control?”
After finishing his words, Doyul quietly clenched his teeth.
