TYDS 17

Chapter 17

Little by little, like the sun rising along the horizon, that person’s figure came into view.

A man draped in black robes.

His half-tied hair was disheveled, and cracked wounds split his lips.

Dark shadows lay beneath his eyes, and his gaze itself seemed dried out and exhausted.

“……”

I inhaled sharply.

Compared to the tension I had felt when facing Gwiheon, this was on a completely different level—my entire body tingled.

That languid, irritable face gradually became clearer.

I had thought I’d forgotten everything, yet his face felt as familiar as if I had seen him yesterday.

‘But he’s also very different.’

He wasn’t the same figure I had thought about every single day—the one I had desperately tried to forget.

The aura he gave off was certainly intimidating, but he didn’t look frightening.

‘He’s exhausted.’

This was the real Father.

“Inform the Hyungdang immediately!”

Gwiheon shouted as he pulled me tightly into his arms.

“The Clan Head has arrived…!”

His voice trembled ever so slightly.

“This is absurd!”

“Has the Clan Head forgotten what happened two years ago?!”

“The clan’s reputation is about to fall into the dirt!”

The furious shouts of the branch family faction echoed throughout the meeting hall.

‘Ugh. My ears hurt.’

Sitting on Tang Rim’s lap, I buried my face against his chest.

“Want to sleep a little?”

Tang Rim asked while patting my back.

I shook my head and rubbed my cheek against him instead.

I had thought those people would finally shut up once Father arrived, but I had been wrong.

‘There was a clan doctrine.’

I vaguely remembered hearing about it before.

Our clan had a doctrine they protected with their lives:

<The Sichuan Tang Clan does not leave debts unpaid.>

By repaying grudges and favors thoroughly, the martial world would never dare look down on them.

Yet remnants of the Demonic Cult had invaded such a clan, and Mother—the clan matriarch—had been killed.

I didn’t know all the details, but the clan’s prestige had fallen to the bottom…

“Wasn’t that why the Clan Head departed for the campaign in the first place?!”

I squeezed my eyes shut at the thunderous yelling.

Hearing the reason Father had gone to war left my heart unsettled.

To uphold the clan doctrine and show the world: The Tang Clan is still standing strong.

But rather than restoring the clan’s honor, it was clearly being used as an excuse to drive Father out.

“You’ve failed to wipe out the remnants even after nearly a year, yet you return over something as trivial as this?!”

“The Clan Head should never have been away this long to begin with!”

At last, people from our side snapped back.

The hand of a man wearing green robes had turned pitch black.

“Isn’t that exactly why the clan’s hierarchy is collapsing now?!”

I’d seen him briefly before. The Poison Hall Master, maybe? Probably.

“What did you say? We were trying to stabilize the clan—!”

Voices rose again.

Even the Vice Hall Master of the Hyungdang, who sat at the head overseeing the meeting along with me, was rubbing his temples from all the shouting.

Then—

Bang.

The doors swung open, and sunlight poured into the hall.

Father had returned after changing clothes.

Though “changed” only meant he had swapped the black outer robe for the Tang Clan’s green robes.

Father walked past us and ascended to the seat of honor.

Passing the Vice Hall Master, he sat at the very highest seat.

I looked up at him properly for the first time.

His eyes held weariness—

No, utter exhaustion.

Up close, it was obvious how tired and sensitive he was.

Yet his presence remained overwhelming, and the glimpses of scars covering his wrists forced everyone to watch their tongues.

‘Huh. Come to think of it…’

The meeting hall, which had been louder than a marketplace moments ago, had fallen silent.

Everyone was staring up at Father just like I was.

But Father said nothing.

He merely closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them again.

‘He looks so tired…’

I felt relieved just knowing Father had come, yet seeing him like this made my chest ache.

What kind of feelings had brought him here?

That was what I wanted to know most.

I couldn’t find even the slightest sign that he was worried about me.

‘Ah!’

Our eyes met for a moment.

Faced with those pitch-black eyes, I instinctively looked away.

Why did I avoid his gaze?

Like I was the one who had done something wrong.

I leaned against Tang Rim’s shoulder and pretended to doze off.

Was Father still looking my way?

While my heart pounded wildly on its own, the Vice Hall Master exchanged a glance with the steward who had entered alongside Father and began to speak.

“The clan assembly—”

He was about to officially declare the start of the meeting.

But before he could finish—

“One moment.”

Moonyak, standing beside Tang Seo-o, abruptly raised his hand.

“There is something I wish to ask the Clan Head. Have you abandoned the clan doctrine?”

The moment those words were spoken, Tang Rim’s face twisted.

While our side stirred in outrage, Tang Seo-o’s faction began speaking one after another.

“What became of the extermination campaign?”

“Did you truly return just for the clan assembly?”

I carefully observed Father’s expression amid the flood of questions.

Unlike Tang Rim, Father didn’t look angry.

Rather than welcoming him back or worrying about his condition, these people were immediately trying to force him out—yet he didn’t even seem offended.

Father remained silent until they finally stopped talking.

Then, when silence fell over the hall, he rested his chin on one hand and opened his dry lips.

“As you all know, until just now I was still on the battlefield. In the midst of such chaos, it became difficult to tell enemy from ally.”

His voice sounded very much like Gwiheon’s.

Languid and smooth.

Though the meaning behind his words was razor sharp.

“And since that still seems to be the case, I suggest you all be careful.”

That wasn’t an answer to their question.

‘He’s basically saying he’ll kill anyone who speaks carelessly.’

At Father’s warning, everyone immediately shut their mouths.

Moonyak, who had openly challenged him moments ago, turned pale and stepped back.

Once the hall quieted again, the Vice Hall Master resumed speaking.

“…Before beginning the clan assembly, I announce that I have been entrusted with authority by the Supreme Elder, who is absent today.”

At those words, I glanced around.

So Tang Museon hadn’t come.

Maybe he wasn’t part of the branch family faction after all.

“Therefore, any opposition raised during this assembly shall be considered opposition against the Supreme Elder himself.”

The moment the Vice Hall Master finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall completely sank.

Silence spread throughout the room.

‘Just how terrifying is that person?’

The pressure felt no different from the Clan Head openly threatening everyone’s lives.

Perhaps the intimidation from the two of them had worked well enough.

The clan assembly was finally able to begin properly.

The small ceremonial declaration signaling the start of the meeting passed in an instant.

Curled in Tang Rim’s arms, I blinked a few times, and before I knew it Gwiheon had stood up.

“As stated previously in the written report, today’s meeting concerns the events surrounding Fourth Young Lady Tang Huiyeon during the first half of last year.”

Gwiheon spoke while looking toward the seat of honor.

‘So he sent something more formal too.’

I had thought he only delivered my strange handwritten letter.

“During that time, our younger sister was emotionally fragile, and we brothers failed to stay by her side. The maids and physicians should have cared for her, yet instead they neglected her.”

At Gwiheon’s words, the Vice Hall Master narrowed his eyes.

Soon, two people stepped forward before the Clan Head’s seat.

They were a relatively young-looking woman and man.

“Hall Master of the Central Courtyard, Hall Master of the Medicinal Hall. As those responsible for this matter, explain yourselves.”

The Vice Hall Master addressed them sternly.

‘So they were Hall Masters.’

And ones directly connected to my wellbeing at that.

I hadn’t recognized them because it was my first time seeing them.

In other clans, Hall Masters were often blood relatives of the Clan Head.

But our clan had lost so many people during the war that the leadership couldn’t really remain connected by family lines anymore.

That was probably why there were so many unfamiliar faces.

The two lowered their heads deeply and spoke with trembling voices.

“Even if we had ten mouths, we would have no excuse.”

“This is entirely our negligence…”

“We are not asking for apologies.”

The Vice Hall Master clicked his tongue.

Even I shrank back at his irritated tone.

“We are asking how this happened. Explain why the direct descendant of the Clan Head was neglected.”

Pressed further, the Hall Master of the Central Courtyard hesitantly opened her mouth.

“…We had no time. After the former Hall Master—the Madam—passed away…”

The former Hall Master.

That meant my mother.

It was only natural for the Clan Head’s wife to oversee the household affairs.

Since Father obviously hadn’t remarried, someone else must have temporarily taken over the position.

After swallowing nervously, she continued.

“We were overwhelmed handling the backlog of affairs, along with the damage caused by the Demonic Cult remnants…”

The Hall Master of the Medicinal Hall also stepped forward and spoke.

“I as well… became fully occupied with recovery efforts and supplying the troops on the campaign, and thus…”

Dark circles stained the area beneath their eyes.

Their bloodshot eyes showed just how little sleep they’d gotten.

‘Wow. They really were busy.’

Resting my chin on my hand, I tilted my head.

‘But is that really true?’

It might have been a lie.

No matter how busy they were, it made no sense that no one knew how I’d been living for an entire year.

Unless the people reporting to them had deliberately hidden it.

‘Ugh, my head hurts.’

This was the kind of thing that could only be uncovered through a large-scale investigation into the branch family faction.

Better not think too deeply about it.

As I shook my head back and forth, Tang Rim gently stroked my hair.

“Sleepy? You can just sleep.”

“Mmm…”

How could I sleep when they were talking about me?

I was too curious to miss any of it.

Even if the hand stroking my hair felt incredibly nice.

The Vice Hall Master exchanged a subtle glance with Father.

When Father gave a slight nod, the Vice Hall Master spoke again.

“There will be punishment for failing to fulfill your responsibilities.”

The two bowed deeply, received permission to withdraw, and returned to their seats.

“We shall proceed to the next matter. Young Master Yi.”

The Vice Hall Master turned toward Gwiheon.

Gwiheon’s gaze briefly shifted toward me.

Without realizing it, I clenched my fists tightly and pressed my lips together.

I meant it as encouragement, though I wasn’t sure he understood.

Because Gwiheon quickly turned away again.

Suddenly I started feeling nervous and straightened my back.

Everyone else seemed to feel the same way.

Their expressions grew even more serious.

‘Now the real part begins.’

After clearing his throat, Gwiheon slowly rose.

“…And in the room of our neglected younger sister, poisonous plants were discovered.”