Chapter 7. Warning
Standing outside the door was a beautiful woman accompanied by a maidservant.
She looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
The woman wore a jade hairpin and a gold dangling hair ornament in her hair, along with a pale pink silk skirt.
Golden and silver threads embroidered lotus flowers across the skirt, while even her embroidered shoes were decorated with jade beads.
She was truly beautiful and elegant, carrying the refined air of someone who had been raised in privilege.
Song Ji-shim had always been rather confident in her own appearance. However, the moment she saw this woman, she inexplicably felt inferior. She lowered her head and nervously fiddled with the somewhat worn hem of her clothes.
‘Is this what the noble ladies of Gyeongseong look like?’
‘We’re both wearing pink, but her clothes are made of far more expensive fabric than mine. The patterns are more sophisticated, and even the embroidery on hers is incomparable to mine.’
Song Ji-shim lowered her head, hiding the envy and inferiority reflected in her eyes.
‘One day, I’ll be just like that noble lady. I’ll dress in silk, adorn myself with gold and jade, and become the center of attention wherever I go in Gyeongseong.’
“Cheong-sa… How did you come here?”
Hyeong-un’s handsome face turned deathly pale.
He swallowed nervously, took a step toward Yeop Cheong-sa, and hurriedly explained,
“My leg was still bothering me today, so I only came to ask Miss Song to look after me for a little while.”
‘It’s true that my leg is still uncomfortable, so all I can do is hope Cheong-sa believes me.’
Ji-ui stood to one side with her back as straight as bamboo, her eyes filled with mockery.
‘A man like Hyeong-un will eat what’s already in his bowl while eyeing what’s in the pot.’
‘Fortunately, I realized what kind of person he was in time. If I had actually married him, things would have been much worse.’
Yeop Cheong-sa looked at him suspiciously, lightly biting her lip.
Suppressing her uneasiness, she asked again,
“Cheong-sa, how did you end up coming all the way to Chang’an Street?”
“I came to visit someone I know nearby. When I saw that this house was so noisy, I stopped by to take a look. I never expected to find Lu-lang here…”
Yeop Cheong-sa’s gaze swept over everyone one by one.
In the end, it settled on the Song sisters, and a trace of hesitation appeared in her eyes.
“Could that be the Miss Song who saved Lu-lang?”
The woman in pink looked gentle and kind, but there was something about the way she secretly observed others that made her seem petty and lacking in grace.
By contrast, the woman in the long white skirt had a clear and aloof air.
Her catlike eyes were alluring enough to draw people in, yet there was a coolness in her gaze, like glass. She certainly did not look like someone who would cling to a person who disliked her.
The two women had completely different auras, and there was hardly any resemblance between their appearances either. Yeop Cheong-sa could not immediately tell which one was Song Ji-ui.
Hyeong-un looked troubled as he glanced at Ji-ui.
“Cheong-sa, this is the person I told you about… Song Ji-ui, the benefactor who saved my life.”
“And these are her parents and siblings.”
“Greetings, Miss Yeop.”
The members of the Song family had never met someone of such noble status before, so they nervously greeted her one after another.
Ji-ui stepped forward and said,
“It is unexpected for Miss Yeop to come here personally. But for me, it is actually quite a welcome surprise.”
There was a smile on her face, but she did not bow.
Everyone living on Chang’an Street was nothing more than an ordinary commoner.
There was no way someone of Yeop Cheong-sa’s noble status would have come here simply to visit a friend.
She had obviously found out about me and deliberately come here to warn me.
If that was the case, there was no reason for me to put on a pleasant face for her.
A trace of displeasure flashed beneath Yeop Cheong-sa’s eyes. However, she continued to smile gently and demurely on the surface.
“So you are Song Ji-ui.”
She removed a jade hairpin from her hair and held it out to Ji-ui.
“You saved Lu-lang’s life, and in doing so, you also saved the marriage arrangement between the Yeop and Lu families. This jade hairpin is my token of gratitude. Please accept it.”
Yeop Cheong-sa slightly raised her chin.
A proud glint flashed in her deep eyes.
As soon as she heard the rumors, she had deliberately sent people to investigate Ji-ui.
If she overwhelmed her with her status, surely the woman would understand her place and back away!
This jade hairpin was nothing less than a warning to Ji-ui.
‘I am the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s residence, while this woman is merely the daughter of a farming family.’
‘There is a gap between us that she can never cross!’
When Madam Na and Song Ji-shim saw the jade hairpin, their eyes lit up.
Seeing this, Yeop Cheong-sa felt even more pleased with herself.
Ji-ui immediately understood her intentions and coldly refused.
“Madam of the Marquis of Anjing’s residence has already given me a gift in return. I’m afraid I cannot accept Miss Yeop’s present.”
‘In other words, you are saying that you don’t have the right to give me a gift!’
Yeop Cheong-sa’s eyes flickered with anger.
“Miss Song must have very high standards. Is this jade hairpin not good enough for you?”
‘My status is far above yours, and yet I personally offered you a jade hairpin. Shouldn’t you be grateful beyond words?’
Yet, unexpectedly, Ji-ui looked as though the hairpin was beneath her notice.
‘Hmph! Is she trying to pretend to be noble and virtuous in front of Hyeong-un?’
‘Or is she implying that whatever Hyeong-un gave her was better than what I gave her?’
Either possibility was enough to unsettle Yeop Cheong-sa.
Just as Ji-ui was about to speak, Madam Na quickly stepped forward with a smile.
“How could such a fine item not be good enough? I’ll accept it on her behalf. Thank you, Miss Yeop!”
Ji-ui’s expression darkened.
“Mother, I already told you that one should not accept benefits without having done anything to deserve them. Did you forget?”
Madam Na clutched the hairpin tightly in her hand, looking reluctant to give it up.
Her eyes were filled with resentment as she looked at Ji-ui, but she was intimidated by Ji-ui’s cold gaze and could only keep silent.
Song Ji-shim also spoke up.
“Mother, Ji-ui is right.”
‘That Miss Yeop clearly came here to show off her power.’
‘The moment we accept this jade hairpin, she’ll definitely treat us as inferiors from now on.’
Madam Na sighed and said,
“Miss Yeop, Ji-shim is right. We cannot accept this hairpin.”
Yeop Cheong-sa’s face twisted slightly.
Hyeong-un was already unable to handle the situation and avoided everyone’s gaze.
In a gentle voice, he said,
“Cheong-sa, everything here is settled now, so I think we should return first.”
‘I just brought up the matter of proposing to the Song family. I don’t know whether Cheong-sa heard it.’
He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, the Song family might say something they should not.
‘Let’s get out of here for now!’
Yeop Cheong-sa let out a frustrated breath and looked at Hyeong-un with a smile in her eyes.
“All right, Lu-lang. Father has been wanting to see you very much. Will you come with me to see him?”
“I was just about to go see my father-in-law as well.”
Hyeong-un’s heart pounded wildly.
He took Yeop Cheong-sa’s hand and calmly glanced at the members of the Song family.
“Uncle Song has only just moved in, so I’m sure he needs time to settle everything.”
“We’ll take our leave now.”
When Yeop Cheong-sa felt Hyeong-un’s large, sturdy hand holding hers, her heart finally settled.
She smiled and said,
“Lu-lang, don’t worry. Father has already found several renowned physicians in Gyeongseong for you. From now on, you won’t need to trouble Miss Song anymore.”
“Mm.”
Hyeong-un replied as though it were nothing.
“I’ll do as you wish.”
Ji-ui remained standing where she was.
“A-hye, see our guests out.”
The Song family was about to rise to escort the two of them, but upon hearing Ji-ui’s order, they sat back down.
A-hye stepped forward and respectfully said,
“Young Master Lu, Miss Yeop, allow me to see you out.”
Even after the two of them left, the Song family still felt heavy-hearted.
Madam Na said,
“Miss Yeop really is a noble lady of Gyeongseong. I’ve never seen such beautiful hair ornaments or clothes before…”
Song Ji-shim’s eyes sparkled. As though she had suddenly thought of something, she looked at Ji-ui.
“Ji-ui, if you marry Young Master Lu and become his concubine, then one day you’ll be able to wear such beautiful clothes and jewelry too.”
Seeing the greed in her eyes, Ji-ui gave a low scoff.
“I told you already. I’m not going to become a concubine. Besides, it would be difficult to get along with those two. Marrying into that family would only mean taking trouble upon myself.”
If she could choose again right now, she would rather have never saved Lu Hyeong-un in the first place.
Yeop Cheong-sa had an excellent reputation as the treasured daughter of the Prime Minister’s residence.
She had been raised in a grand household from childhood. There was no way she could truly be as gentle and innocent as she appeared.
She had brought up the matter precisely to warn Song Ji-shim.
Ji-ui looked at the members of the Song family, who were lost in their own thoughts.
“If anyone brings up Lu Hyeong-un again, I’ll personally take you all to the Marquis of Anjing’s residence. Then we’ll see whether the Lu family will accept you.”
“Why are you being so frightening? We just have to stop talking about him.”
Madam Na grumbled, but knowing that Ji-ui controlled the household finances, she did not dare argue too much.
Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something else, her eyes lit up.
She quickly approached Ji-ui with a smile.
“My daughter, I saw that the document said ‘nyang of silver.’ Just how much silver did the Lu family give you?”
“Did they really give you enough to make you reject such a wonderful marriage?”
Ji-ui answered casually,
“Five hundred nyang.”
“That much?!”
Madam Na exclaimed happily.
“Ji-ui, you’re still young and probably don’t know much about managing money. So give it all to me. I’ll keep it safe for you.”
“I spent two hundred nyang buying this house today, and another hundred nyang on furniture and household necessities.”
“That leaves only two hundred nyang.”
She took out a banknote worth one hundred nyang and handed it to Madam Na.
“Take this. I have plans for the rest.”
Even after putting the banknote into her clothes, Madam Na still grumbled unhappily.
“You even hide money from your own mother. I really did raise you for nothing…”
Despite her words, the entire family went off happily to choose their rooms.
Ji-ui looked around the house, now filled with laughter and excited voices, and sighed.
“A-hye, the things we bought today won’t be enough. Come with me. We need to buy more quilts.”
“Yes.”
A-hye answered and left the house with Ji-ui.
As they walked along the street, Ji-ui gradually became more and more uneasy.
“A-hye, do you know where we can find some capable guards?”
‘My home cannot be a place where anyone can simply come and go as they please, like today.’
‘I need to hire several skilled guards to stand watch at the entrance.’
“I do know of a market where you can find them, but if we go there…”
Before she could finish speaking, a needle suddenly flew out of the darkness and struck A-hye in the back of the neck.
“Miss… I…”
Before she could finish her words, A-hye collapsed helplessly to the ground and fell unconscious.
Ji-ui was startled and immediately looked toward the wall, on guard.
“Who is it?”
A gloomy shadow, like a ghost, flashed past behind her.
Then a hand strike came flying toward her, and everything before Ji-ui’s eyes went black.
The sky and earth spun around her.
Even as her consciousness faded, only one thought flashed through her mind.
‘I just arrived here, and I haven’t made any enemies. Who on earth is trying to hurt me?’
‘Damn it! If I survive this, I’m definitely hiring some capable guards!’
