Chapter 52
After moving his lips for a long while, he finally managed to speak.
“S-sorry, we’re out of alcohol.”
The method he had come up with was just to change the subject by claiming the alcohol had run out.
Yu-hwa’s gaze turned cold as she looked at such an incompetent opponent.
“Hey, serve more drinks to the guest.”
Yu-seongmunju commanded Sibi with a mixture of disdain and irritation.
Soon, several bottles of clear liquor, sloshing in the gourds, were brought out.
Humiliated, Myeo Jung-san drank continuously by himself in a corner.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands trembled as he held his cup.
Then his gaze fell upon Hong-seol, who was sitting holding the golden mouse.
“Is that really so enjoyable?”
“Hehe, yes!”
Hong-seol smiled brightly at Nam-goong Baek’s gentle question beside her.
Seeing this, Myeo Jung-san gritted his teeth.
“Those unbearable pests, together…”
Completely drunk, Myeo Jung-san suddenly stood up and bellowed.
“Isn’t that victory originally Eun-myeong’s?!”
“Pardon?”
“You little rat!”
The drunk Myeo Jung-san staggered back and forth.
Fuming with anger, he didn’t even seem interested in using his inner strength to sober up.
“To rely on someone’s help to win is cowardly!”
“What did you just say?”
Bing Yu-hwa’s voice rang sharply. Then Myeo Jung-san escalated further.
“I said it’s cowardly!”
“What?”
“Uh, um…”
As Bing Yu-hwa tried to speak again, someone grabbed and shook her sleeve.
It was none other than Hong-seol, disguised as the enemy.
Taking a brave step forward, Hong-seol spoke to Myeo Jung-san.
“W-well, if you put it that way, didn’t Myeo Geum-myeong and Myeo Eun-myeong also help each other? The difference between them and us is…”
Hong-seol looked at Nam-goong Baek and smiled innocently.
“The only difference is the skill in martial arts.”
A corner of Nam-goong Baek’s mouth curled without him realizing. Bing Yu-hwa, whose tension had drained, couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“The third young master of the Nam-goong family has grown so mature in just a year!”
“Look at that precise way of speaking. Even if she were a scholar, she’d be a top-ranking candidate!”
Everyone present was busy praising Hong-seol.
Meanwhile, Myeo Jung-san, who had started this confrontation, flushed with anger and embarrassment.
Sitting down, he gripped his cup with his large, palm-sized hand, as if to crush it.
A dark, heavy aura seemed to rise from the cup.
“That little pup dares to—!”
The drunken Myeo Jung-san flung the cup toward the corner in a single motion.
Crash!
Unfortunately, a sharp shard of the cup flew toward Hong-seol’s cheek.
“……!”
Caught off guard, Hong-seol froze with wide eyes.
Just as the shard neared her face—
Flap!
A graceful hand quickly snatched the shard. Its owner was Nam-goong Baek, his expression stern and cold.
“Myeo Dae-hyeop! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Yu-seongmunju shouted.
Nam-goong Baek glanced at the shard briefly before slamming it to the floor without hesitation.
Thud!
Everyone saw the sharp piece pierce the wooden floor.
Had it struck the cheek of the youngest Nam-goong heir…
The thought alone sent shivers down their spines.
Flames seemed to burn in Nam-goong Baek’s eyes.
“Does the Myeo family’s branch dare harm the direct heir of the Nam-goong family?”
Even without a threat, his aura radiated extraordinary authority.
Faced with Nam-goong Baek’s resolute presence, Myeo Jung-san seemed to sober up instantly.
“It-it was a mistake.”
“Mistake? No. That offense will be accounted for right here.”
“I, Young Master Nam-goong…”
Yu-seongmunju tried to intervene, but it was useless.
Indeed, the Nam-goong family heirs were known to be capable of anything if they set their mind to it.
Especially when the right and wrong were so clear.
At that moment, Bing Yu-hwa’s urgent voice rang out.
“Baek-ah!”
She shielded Hong-seol’s face with her wide sleeve.
Seeing this, Nam-goong Baek’s eyes widened.
He had caught the shard, but not the liquor inside the cup, leaving Hong-seol’s face soaking wet.
“Wait, you weren’t the enemy? You were Hong-seol?”
Nam-goong Heuk’s voice erupted the moment they boarded the carriage.
Clatter, clatter!
The carriage started toward the Nam-goong estate.
Amid the lively clatter of hooves, Hong-seol buried her head almost between her shoulders.
“I still can’t believe it…”
In front of Hong-seol were Nam-goong Heuk, mouth agape, Nam-goong Baek casually looking out the window, and Bing Yu-hwa, arms crossed.
“They must be very angry, huh?”
Hong-seol squeezed out a tiny mosquito-like voice.
“I-I’m sorry.”
Having deceived her entire family and caused chaos at an outside event, there was no excuse left even if she were scolded at home.
Bing Yu-hwa sighed.
“But at least you weren’t discovered in the end.”
Fortunately, no one at the Myeo estate recognized Hong-seol’s true identity.
Thanks to Bing Yu-hwa’s sleeve covering her face.
“She got so startled. Excuse me, we’ll take our leave first.”
Yu-hwa’s words left Yu-seongmunju at a loss.
“It was entirely my fault. If the next <Anhui Doha> is hosted by another sect, the Myeo estate shall not be invited.”
It wasn’t just Yu-seongmunju—other sect representatives nodded in agreement.
“Then, we shall take our leave.”
Yu-hwa smiled politely and turned around, still carrying Hong-seol whose face remained hidden by the sleeve.
“Consider yourself lucky. Next time, things won’t end this easily.”
At Nam-goong Baek’s icy glare, Myeo Jung-san froze like a statue, unable to utter a word.
With those words, Nam-goong Baek followed Nam-goong Heuk and Bing Yu-hwa and disappeared.
Myeo Jangju’s only daughter, Deung So-so, gazed after him with regret.
And thus, this year’s <Anhui Doha> came to an end.
Hong-seol, slumped in the carriage seat, bit her lip and finally lifted her head slightly.
“Um… did Master Ui-yak know I wasn’t the enemy?”
Bing Yu-hwa sighed, arms crossed.
“…Yes.”
“Really? W-when did you know?”
“Hmm…”
Hong-seol’s eyes widened in surprise.
“So you brought me along knowing from the start that it was me…”
Bing Yu-hwa only smiled awkwardly.
‘She knew I wanted to see Mom…’
Hong-seol felt tears welling up.
Although she didn’t get to meet her mother today, knowing Yu-hwa’s thoughts made her just as happy.
Suddenly, Hong-seol got down from the seat and bowed.
“Thank you, Eun-gong!”
“Careful!”
Clunk!
The carriage jolted over a large stone in the road.
In the next moment, Hong-seol was back in Bing Yu-hwa’s arms.
Baek and Heuk held Hong-seol’s arms.
“Child, you must be careful.”
Feeling Yu-hwa’s warm and gentle touch, Hong-seol’s nose tingled again.
Her embrace was warm and carried a sweet scent.
Snuggling briefly like a spoiled child, Hong-seol lifted her head.
“But… how did you realize?”
“The reversal magic of Changcheon-dae isn’t that easy to copy,” Bing Yu-hwa said with a small smile, stroking the mask on Hong-seol’s face.
“Besides, this mark on your arm remained.”
Yu-hwa playfully poked the red snowflake-shaped mark on Hong-seol’s arm.
“R-really?”
Hong-seol looked at Nam-goong Baek.
“Did you notice too, oppa?”
Nam-goong Baek, looking out the carriage window, quietly nodded.
“You noticed the mark too, oppa?”
“I just saw it and knew.”
“R-really?”
Hong-seol’s mouth dropped open. His eyes were truly perceptive.
‘So Oppa knew I wasn’t the enemy, and still helped me win?’
To receive the golden mouse as the prize.
Not only that, he didn’t let Geum-myeong and Eun-myeong, who had bullied her, get the better of her.
Of course, he might not have known they bullied her specifically, since she never mentioned it.
‘By coincidence or not, Oppa really gave them a hard time.’
Her nose tingled, and she quickly rubbed it.
“Hic.”
She felt like her nose might wear away from all the recent emotional moments.
“You knew I wasn’t the fake enemy too…?”
Trying to hold back tears, Hong-seol looked at Nam-goong Heuk.
“No, I had no idea.”
He scowled in frustration at the thought.
Hong-seol, teary-eyed, said brightly,
“That’s a relief!”
“Relief?!”
Hehe.
Bing Yu-hwa barely restrained her laughter. Nam-goong Baek also quietly shook his shoulders while pretending to look out the window.
Feeling relieved, Hong-seol laughed softly.
Then she suddenly covered her mouth with her tiny hands.
She realized it wasn’t time to laugh freely yet.
Nam-goong Ho’s scolding awaited her at Changcheon-gak.
