Chapter 14

His title was none other than Poison Sovereign.

If someone with a title like that existed in the martial world, even a woodcutter living deep in the mountains would know of him…

‘So why don’t I?’

I had never even heard the title before.

It had only appeared occasionally in storybooks as the title of some villain. I never imagined a real person would actually be called that.

“The Poison Sovereign?”

Gong-myo nodded vigorously.

“He’s a hero. A war hero who stood against the Heavenly Demon himself…!”

She enthusiastically explained the Poison Sovereign.

The Poison Sovereign, Tang Mu-seon.

A living legend said to be one of the figures who ended the long war against the Demonic Cult thirty years ago.

‘Ah, I know now!’

I inwardly slapped my knee in realization.

There was no way I wouldn’t know one of the greatest war heroes.

The Poison Sovereign was known in the Murim Alliance as one of the Four Kings.

A man infamous for using extreme poisons and carrying out sinister deeds.

To think he was actually from our clan.

‘The Tang Clan had a war hero too?’

So within the clan, he was called the Poison Sovereign.

But just how sinister had he been for even a hero to receive such a frightening title?

“Can I meet him?”

Tang Dam shook his head.

“He no longer leaves his residence.”

Tang Dam’s gaze drifted toward the mountains beyond the fortress walls. Was he living there?

Never leaving home, huh. After accomplishing something so great, he just stayed shut inside? Maybe he’d been poisoned like me.

“Yeon-ah?”

While I was lost in thought, a familiar voice called from behind me.

At this point, I should probably say I was sick of hearing it.

I turned my head to see Gyogyo standing not too far away.

“So this is where you were! You really must be fully recovered now.”

Gyogyo clapped her hands lightly and smiled delicately.

A hairpin I had never seen before was neatly tucked into her hair.

I stayed silent.

‘I thought she’d still be pretending to be an unjust victim….’

But she could act like this too.

Bright and innocent, as though nothing had happened.

She was even more shameless than I expected.

As I stared blankly at her, Gyogyo’s expression twisted slightly.

‘Did she expect me to climb down from Tang Dam’s shoulder and greet her?’

Eventually, Gyogyo walked over toward us. The ornaments on her hairpin bounced lightly.

Tang Seo-o probably gave her that.

I stretched my neck out to look at the path Gyogyo had come from.

‘She came from that road….’

A narrow side path branching right from the right fork.

From Tang Dam’s shoulder, I could barely see the end of the path.

‘There’s nothing there though?’

Nothing except an abandoned watchtower that looked neglected for years.

“Put me down.”

When I lightly tugged Tang Dam’s sideburns, he carefully lowered me to the ground.

I dusted off my wrinkled skirt and looked up. By then, Gyogyo had already approached closely.

The moment she came within three steps of me, Tang Dam stepped in front of me.

“Eek?”

Startled, Gyogyo stepped back and looked up.

“How dare you stand in my—!”

She was about to rage over a mere bodyguard blocking her path, but then her eyes widened.

Just like me, Gyogyo seemed intimidated by Tang Dam’s face and couldn’t easily continue speaking.

“Lady Gyogyo may not approach.”

Tang Dam said flatly.

“Why?”

Tilting her head, Gyogyo met my eyes.

Then, as though realizing something, she let out a ridiculous laugh.

“Ha ha. You still believe that delusion was real? That I deliberately poisoned you?”

“It’s not just me who believes it.”

I answered with wide innocent eyes, and Gyogyo’s face crumpled.

“Right. Your brothers have been stirring things up everywhere too.”

Hah. She spoke as though she wasn’t afraid of my brothers at all.

Even though she looked ready to faint whenever she was around Gwiheon.

“But Grandfather said they couldn’t find anything.”

As though she had never been displeased in the first place, Gyogyo regained her confidence.

She stepped closer and whispered into my ear.

“How strange. A man as brilliant as him. Could it be because I’m truly innocent?”

I was trying hard not to frown when I caught a familiar scent from Gyogyo’s venomous smile.

‘Hm?’

“Young lady. Please do not approach.”

Tang Dam blocked us once more.

Gyogyo stepped back and glared at him sharply.

‘That’s right. I may not have a grandfather, but I do have a bodyguard!’

I deliberately smiled brightly and spoke.

“I really hope unnie didn’t do anything wrong either.”

“…Why?”

Gyogyo asked in a displeased tone.

“So Father won’t scold you when he comes back.”

I spoke with genuine concern in my voice.

But Gyogyo merely tilted her head casually.

“The Clan Head is returning? Grandfather said he definitely wouldn’t.”

“Well, that’s because then unnie would—”

“And do you really think the Clan Head returning would be a good thing for you? Truly?”

Cutting me off, Gyogyo’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“I think good things would happen for me.”

I immediately understood what she meant.

You think I’ll take your place.

For whatever reason, Gyogyo truly believed that.

‘Originally, I probably believed that too….’

But not anymore.

The vivid memories still stirred anxiety inside me, but still—

‘I want to trust Father a little more.’

Steeling my heart, I looked at Gyogyo.

Then I deliberately slumped my shoulders as though dejected.

“You’re right. Father… left me behind after all….”

Seeing the reaction she wanted, Gyogyo’s lips curled upward.

Pretending to feel discouraged, I continued.

“I hope you’ll be loved properly, unnie…. And make sure to brush your teeth so they don’t smell like poop.”

“You—! I told you they don’t smell!”

“Maybe today they don’t? Let me check. Sniff—!”

I leaned close and inhaled near her face.

As expected, it was that scent.

Dried peach blossoms and cnidium.

“Wow, you smell nice?”

The moment I said that, Gyogyo’s face stiffened immediately. Panic was obvious on her face.

When I grinned, the corners of her eyes twitched.

“!”

I instantly dashed past Gyogyo.

Gyogyo, who had been staring after me in shock, saw where I was headed and finally turned pale as she chased after me.

‘Right. You hid it there.’

As Gwiheon’s investigation dragged on longer and longer, she must have grown anxious and wanted to move the hallucination herbs elsewhere.

With workers everywhere making things chaotic, and me busy as well, today was the perfect opportunity.

“Catch her! Hurry and catch her!”

Gyogyo shouted with a deathly pale face while the maids gathered up their skirts and ran after us in confusion.

But I had Tang Dam.

Without understanding what I was thinking, Gong-myo and Tang Dam followed closely behind me.

Gong-myo seemed to think this was some kind of game.

As for Tang Dam, I had no idea what he was thinking.

“Stop right there!”

Seeing me lagging behind, Tang Dam suddenly picked me up.

Held in his arms, I pointed toward the abandoned watchtower.

“Over there!”

No doubt about it. She hid it there.

Tang Dam kicked off the ground, and we arrived in front of the tower in an instant.

“Where’s Gong-myo?”

“Ah.”

I forgot about her.

Well, if we had tried to bring both of us along, we would’ve been too late.

As I reached toward the closed door, Tang Dam asked,

“This place is in ruins. Must you truly go inside?”

“Yes. I have to.”

When I answered firmly, Tang Dam stared at me closely.

Was my expression too serious for a child?

“Gyogyo unnie hid something inside. It might even be sweets!”

“……I will enter first.”

Had he been convinced? Tang Dam opened the door first.

Dust rose into the air, and I covered my nose with my sleeve.

Carefully stepping inside, I heard rustling sounds.

Rats and insects hiding from the light.

‘Ugh, creepy….’

Suppressing the urge to run out immediately, I looked around.

Tang Dam inspected the straw scattered across the floor and the beams between the pillars.

Nothing. At least not on the ground floor.

I tilted my head upward toward the top of the tower.

There were countless beams and pillars leading all the way to the top. Plenty of places to hide something.

“Can we go up there?”

When I pointed upward and asked, Tang Dam gauged the height for a moment before nodding.

“It is dangerous, so I will go alone.”

“Ah….”

I hesitated.

How could I let him go alone when he said it was dangerous?

“Stay here.”

But before I could stop him, Tang Dam kicked off the ground and leapt upward.

Wind swept through the tower, scattering the straw.

‘I’m worried….’

I looked up at Tang Dam, who had already become smaller than a dot.

The sunlight forced my eyes to squint.

“Are you trying to get your guard killed?”

A deep voice suddenly echoed nearby.

“Huh?!”

Someone had appeared right in front of me without warning.

‘Where did he come from?’

I hadn’t sensed even the slightest sound or movement of wind.

Even Tang Dam caused wind when he moved.

I stumbled backward.

‘Even if I couldn’t sense it, Tang Dam should have.’

There was no way a master like Tang Dam wouldn’t notice someone approaching me.

At the very least, he should’ve heard this man’s voice.

“What, did someone smear honey on top of this collapsing watchtower?”