Chapter : 7
And so, at last, what unfolded before Doyul’s eyes was…
“…I asked to be taken to Lady Yerin’s residence. Are you certain you’ve brought me to the right place?”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct.”
The maid bowed deeply as she answered.
Doyul couldn’t hide the look of disbelief on his face.
“This… is really the pavilion where Lady Yerin is staying?”
If the building had merely been old and shabby, he wouldn’t have been this shocked.
He already knew that Yerin had been treated poorly within her family.
It was only natural to assume that her residence wouldn’t be particularly luxurious.
But…
This looks like it would collapse if someone merely poked it with a finger.
To begin with, he had never imagined that a place like this even existed within the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Even the Northern Sea Ice Palace, which had been suffering from food shortages lately, didn’t have buildings this decrepit.
Watching Doyul’s expression, the maid cautiously spoke.
“Um… perhaps it would be better if you returned for now…”
“No. I’m going in.”
Shaking his head, Doyul stepped inside the pavilion.
Creak… Creeeak…
Every step he took caused the rotting wooden floorboards to groan unpleasantly beneath his feet.
And that wasn’t all.
Every corner where people rarely passed was covered in a thick layer of white dust.
Do they not clean this place at all?
Without realizing it, Doyul found himself thinking of Yerin.
Even a healthy person would surely fall ill if they stayed somewhere like this for long.
And Yerin was far thinner and more fragile than someone her age should be.
If she had truly been living in this place all this time…
This is practically the same as wishing for her health to deteriorate.
A deep crease formed between Doyul’s brows.
After walking down the long corridor, he finally arrived in front of the room where Yerin was staying.
The room looked no different from the rest of the pavilion he had passed through.
In other words, it was just as old and run-down.
“Ahem…”
After clearing her throat a couple of times, the maid announced his arrival.
“The Palace Lord has arrived.”
Slide…
The door opened.
The instant she saw him, Yerin hurriedly lowered her head.
“Palace Lord… you’ve come?”
“…”
Doyul remained silent.
The sight of her shrinking into herself so timidly was deeply unsettling to witness.
After a moment, he let out a quiet sigh.
“You don’t need to bow your head like that.”
“…But…”
“Lady Yerin, you are the woman who has become my wife through marriage.”
Doyul bit his lip before continuing with another sigh.
“So… I would prefer that you not make yourself so small whenever you’re in front of me.”
“Yes… Palace Lord.”
Even as she answered, Yerin still couldn’t bring herself to look him directly in the eyes.
Doyul’s mood sank even further.
When we were together earlier, she wasn’t this frightened.
He remembered the innocent sparkle in Yerin’s eyes when she had asked him whether he had been the one to remove her wedding robes.
Yet now…
She looked completely crushed.
Could something have happened with that maid while I was away…?
First, I should separate Lady Yerin from that maid as quickly as possible.
With that thought in mind, Doyul stepped toward her.
“Let’s go.”
“Ah, I’ll escort both of you to the Clan Head.”
The maid standing beside Yerin immediately stepped forward.
“…”
In an instant, Yerin’s complexion darkened.
It was almost as if she were genuinely afraid of the maid.
Just what exactly is with this servant…?
Doyul’s expression hardened.
Still, without the maid’s guidance, they wouldn’t know how to reach the Clan Head’s residence.
And since she had already volunteered, it would be awkward to reject her by saying, Never mind. My own attendant will guide us instead.
Thus, the three of them headed toward Tang So-cheol’s pavilion.
Then—
Clang!
With a clear metallic chime, an ornamental pendant slipped from the maid’s sleeve and fell onto the floor.
That…
The temperature in Doyul’s gaze instantly turned icy.
He recognized it immediately.
It was a pendant crafted from the finest lapis lazuli, woven together with gold thread.
Picking it up, Doyul glared at the maid.
“Why do you have this?”
“I-I…”
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
Gripping the pendant tightly, Doyul questioned her again.
“This pendant was part of the bridal gifts sent from the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“…W-What?!”
The maid jumped in shock.
Doyul enunciated every word coldly.
“So why is it that you, instead of Lady Yerin, are carrying such a valuable item?”
“Th-This pendant!”
Terrified, the maid nearly screamed.
“Young Lady gave it to me!”
“…Lady Yerin?”
“Yes! She said it was a reward because I’ve loyally served her all this time!”
Then she hurriedly turned toward Yerin.
“R-Right, Young Lady?!”
Her eyes were filled with desperate pleading.
Hurry. Tell him I’m right. Save me from this terrifying killing intent.
And Yerin…
I’ve got her.
She desperately suppressed the corners of her lips from curling upward.
After taking a small breath, she put on a resigned expression before looking at the maid.
“…You’re truly too much.”
“Y-Young Lady?”
“I know you’ve been stealing my belongings all this time.”
…What?
The maid’s eyes flew open.
“But the reason I kept pretending not to notice…”
Yerin’s voice trembled.
“…was because I trusted you and depended on you like a mother.”
Her lips quivered, and a sorrowful voice escaped her.
“So even when you threatened to leave me… and secretly pinched and beat me…”
At the same time, Yerin lowered her gaze slightly, avoiding the maid’s eyes.
To anyone who didn’t know the truth, it looked exactly as though she was too frightened of the maid to even meet her gaze.
“…I endured it all.”
The maid’s face turned deathly pale.
Has this girl gone insane?!
But Yerin’s confession continued.
It was pitiful enough to melt even the hardest heart.
“And yet… even now, after your theft has been exposed…”
Yerin squeezed her eyes shut.
“…you’re still trying to make it all my fault.”
“W-What are you saying…?!”
At this point, it became impossible not to realize it.
The maid instinctively knew she had fallen into a trap.
“Young Lady! What in the world are you talking about?!”
She shouted hysterically.
Yerin flinched, her shoulders stiffening as she took a step backward.
Her large black eyes widened in fear, and crystal-like tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Y-You’re yelling at me?”
“N-No, wait! That’s not what I—”
Only then did the maid realize her mistake.
Grinding her teeth, she desperately tried to persuade Yerin again.
“You really did give it to me! Why are you doing this to me?”
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Yerin simply looked back at her with tear-filled eyes.
“I may be young and naive… but there’s no way I would give away the precious bridal gifts sent by the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
Then—
A voice filled with fury cut into their conversation.
“Is everything the Young Lady said true?”
“P-Palace Lord!”
“I asked whether everything Lady Yerin said is true. No…”
Doyul slowly shook his head.
A razor-sharp smile had appeared on his lips.
“…Of course it is.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t know?”
Doyul growled.
“I have eyes of my own. I am perfectly capable of making my own judgment.”
“Th-That isn’t…!”
“It seems all of you think I’m an idiot.”
The maid frantically darted her eyes around, unable to think of a way out.
Meanwhile, Yerin said nothing more.
She simply continued crying.
The endless stream of tears soaking her collar completed the image of a pitiful, helpless young woman.
Then—
“What exactly is going on here?”
A cold voice echoed through the pavilion.
A middle-aged man strode inside with long, confident steps, his displeased gaze sweeping over Yerin and Doyul.
It was none other than Tang So-cheol, Dang Yerin’s father and the current Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
He was also the very man who had proposed the humiliating marriage alliance to the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
“I wondered why you hadn’t come for breakfast together.”
Tang So-cheol narrowed his eyes.
“So you’re causing a disturbance on the very day after your wedding?”
The moment Yerin met his fierce gaze, her entire body instinctively stiffened.
Seriously… this is humiliating.
Yerin bit her lip.
It seemed the original Dang Yerin had feared her father to an extraordinary degree.
The instant she stood before Tang So-cheol, her whole body trembled like a mouse before a cat.
Then a voice came to her rescue.
“Clan Head.”
It was Doyul.
Tang So-cheol turned toward him, his expression still indifferent.
“Palace Lord. Do you have something to say?”
“My apologies for interrupting, but this disturbance is not Lady Yerin’s fault.”
After opening calmly, Doyul continued.
“That maid was found in possession of the bridal gift sent by the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“…What did you say?”
In an instant, Tang So-cheol’s face twisted with rage.
