Chapter 001: The Blooming Soul, Fading Away
I am alive, so I shall fear neither the raging winds nor the scorching sun.
And once I die, even if a flood covers the heavens, what does it matter?
Han Sado personally sent someone to escort her to the detached villa. On the surface, it was to ease Seol Inang’s melancholic heart, but Makri knew better.
The truth was far simpler—and far crueler: it was a scheme to keep her away for a while.
“Madam, we’ve arrived.”
The carriage halted, and an elderly servant’s voice called out from outside. Makri stilled her thoughts, took Hongdu’s hand, and stepped down.
Before her stretched a serene landscape: a lake embraced by snow-covered scenery. Exhaling a misty breath, she murmured,
“After all these years, it hasn’t changed. That lake must be frozen over by now.”
“It has. It began freezing last month, and the ice is nearly a foot thick now,” Seol Inang, who had come out to greet her, replied with a smile.
“No wonder the swallow drawn at Bulgwangsa yesterday was the highest fortune. It seems it was all thanks to you, sister.”
“You’re here too. Be careful in this cold weather.”
The icy ground beneath them was treacherously slick.
Makri glanced at Seol Inang’s visibly swollen belly, then, supported by Hongdu, walked toward the villa’s entrance. She spoke lightly,
“Han-ya mentioned that you’ve been having frequent nightmares lately, but you look well today.”
“Perhaps it’s because you’re visiting, sister. I slept unusually well last night—my mind was at ease.”
As they entered, Seol Inang stole glances at Makri. Amid the silver-white snow, the crimson silk of Makri’s robe stood out vividly. Embroidered with gold-threaded blossoms, the flowing sleeves enhanced her natural beauty.
The bright red rose like a cloud pierced Seol Inang’s eyes sharply.
It was a new gold-threaded silk from the Jinsoolim collection. Only the red hue was available, so no matter how envious or covetous Seol Inang felt, she couldn’t have a garment made from it.
“Madam greets you,” said the attendants and older women who had been waiting at the door, bowing in unison as Makri ascended the steps.
“Your daughter’s wedding is soon, isn’t it? I brought two pieces of treasure brocade—embroidered luxury silk—today. Use them for her trousseau. After all, she served in my house for several years.”
Makri paused and addressed the attendant closest to her. Liu, the older woman, froze momentarily before bowing deeply, moved to tears.
“To have you remember even such a small matter, Madam… truly, my daughter is blessed.”
Makri nodded, then turned to the other two attendants.
“I heard your husbands caused trouble last month, drinking and gambling in the village. Have they stopped? If they cause problems again, I will have no choice but to report them to the authorities.”
“Yes, Madam! They… they’ve stopped drinking,” the two women replied, their faces pale as they bowed hurriedly.
Rumors had long suggested that this mistress was formidable, but seeing her today confirmed it. Even the servants, who had once considered underestimating her, now withdrew such thoughts. Her beauty and dignity were striking, but it was her calm composure, measured words, and unspoken authority that pierced to the heart—who would dare defy her?
Hongdu pursed his lips, suppressing a smile. She must have thought she could deceive Madam, playing along with Seol Inang. How foolish! Trying to mislead her is a grave miscalculation. How could she think Madam knows nothing? Han-ya has built so much of his household thanks to her support over the years!
Sensing the subtle tension, Seol Inang interjected with a playful smile.
“I can see why people say you have a keen ear, sister. I’ve been too busy lately to manage the household properly, yet you even worry about the servants. I’m sorry.”
She deliberately pushed her belly forward, nudging Hongdu aside, then linked arms with Makri and gestured to the servants.
“Now that you’re here, let’s postpone these minor matters. Let’s go inside and have a warm cup of tea first.”
Once Makri moved further in, the servants quietly exhaled in relief.
Yet their eyes remained on the mistress. They had long admired Seol Inang’s beauty, but only upon seeing Makri did they truly realize that some people simply stand above the rest.
In appearance, the two were comparable, but Makri combined gentle grace with natural authority—a refinement Seol Inang could never rival. Anyone with eyes would recognize it.
It was almost unbelievable that they were cousins.
Even after many years, the tale of Han Sado taking both sisters—one as wife, the other as concubine—remained a story often recounted in the district of Ping’an.
Makri had originally planned to stay in the villa for a few days, show obedience to her husband, then return home and speak with him properly.
She had never imagined that the moment she stepped into the villa, she would no longer be able to return.
All of this had been arranged by her husband, whom she had long regarded as a benefactor.
He intended to eliminate the wife to favor the concubine.
The sun dipped behind the western hills, casting a crimson glow across the sky.
What had begun as a casual stroll guided by Seol Inang toward the scenic view ended with a trap set solely for her.
“The famed Madam of the Han Household! Look at you now!”
Seol Inang, usually gentle, revealed her true nature, laughing heartily as she looked down at Makri struggling in the icy water.
“Pathetic, pitiful, and ugly, aren’t you?”
“Y-you…!”
Makri clung to a precarious ice shard, but as she spoke, cracks began forming beneath her.
“Why?” she gasped.
Seol Inang smiled triumphantly.
“Because it’s time to claim your rightful place. Thank you for managing the household and delivering Han-ya’s fortune faithfully. Don’t worry—I’ll inherit it and enjoy it well. Your ten years of labor won’t be in vain.”
“You… you…”
Makri’s trembling hands gripped the ice as it creaked and split beneath her. She flailed helplessly, sinking slowly into the freezing darkness.
She tried to call out for help, but the sound that emerged was barely audible—a whisper smaller than a mosquito’s buzz.
Poison… in the teacup! The tea I drank earlier… it was poisoned!
“Don’t struggle. The more you move, the faster you’ll sink. And the servants you brought have already been secured by others. Don’t worry, sister. Since we share a bond, I’ll see you off properly.”
Seol Inang, standing two fathoms from the icy pit, slowly withdrew her laughter, slipping her hands into a sable-fur warmer, a faint smile on her lips as she observed Makri nearing death. Her eyes flashed with envy, greed, and cruelty.
“You… you think Han-ya wouldn’t know? Aren’t you afraid…?”
Makri’s vision blurred. Her limbs numbed and stiffened.
When she had learned that her cousin Seolrim was pregnant, she had reluctantly but willingly allowed her husband to take her as a concubine.
She had always been aware of Seol Inang’s simmering resentment, yet she had never imagined such cruelty. Seol Inang even exploited her unborn five-month-old child.
As Makri fell, clutching her belly and screaming, she instinctively tried to save her but was shoved into the water instead.
“Han-ya?”
Seol Inang suddenly began laughing.
“How could a sister so clever all her life be so foolish in the final moment? Even at death, you don’t realize whose will this truly is?”
“….”
“We’ve lived under one roof for seven or eight years. I often had grievances against you, but did I ever defy Han-ya’s will? Tsk, tsk. How could someone so clever fail to see it? Who brought you to this villa, do you think?”
“You… you…”
The water rose to her chin, her body long frozen. Yet suddenly, a deafening clarity rang in Makri’s mind.
“Han-ya said that a woman too clever is poison. And you couldn’t give him a son or daughter all these years. And though you are a Mak by name, you have no relatives like a prefect. The eastern estate’s mulberry fields and Jinsoolim now belong to the Han family, yet you still cling to them, wanting to give even a fraction to Makseol. You’ve truly made things difficult for Han-ya.”
Seol Inang smiled sweetly, locking eyes with Makri. With her uncle’s promotion last month as the prefect of Yongzhou, it was Seol’s family’s time to rise. Naturally, Seolrim had no intention of enduring life under others any longer.
“Ah, yes. But for our sisterly bond of years, I’ll tell you everything before you leave.”
Seol Inang’s eyes narrowed, her sly smile filling Makri’s vision.
“Ten years ago, when you were broken off from the Yang family, then your uncle died, and soon after your family was persecuted by the Mak patriarch—it was no coincidence.”
Makri’s eyes trembled. Seol Inang laughed seductively and arrogantly.
“Han-ya planned it all in secret. Makri, Makri, you’ve lived deceived your whole life. Serving an enemy as a benefactor, dedicating your family fortune… ahaha!”
As the water reached her nose, Makri struggled to lift her gaze toward the desolate sky.
