Chapter 38
He forced himself to speak calmly as he bowed to Danri Mukran.
“Forgive me, Aunt. As her older brother, how could I possibly ignore my dear sister’s innocent curiosity? Regrettable though it is, Soyo and I will take our leave first. Then… please take good care of our guests, Heemyung.”
Namgung Jeokmyeong’s stride as he left the hall was heavy and forceful, his steps sharp and loud.
He was practically dragging Yeil away by the hand, as if ready to throw her to the ground — but then suddenly slowed down, as if remembering that she was blind.
Sensing his agitation, Yeil deliberately stumbled forward, pretending to lose her footing and fell hard to the ground.
“Soyo!”
Rather than snapping at her for being careless, Namgung Jeokmyeong looked genuinely alarmed and hurried to help her up.
“Are you all right? I— damn it… Let me see if you’re hurt.”
No doubt there would be. The way she fell, it would’ve been no surprise if her skin had split open.
But Yeil’s body was tougher than most — far too resilient to be injured from just one fall.
When Namgung Jeokmyeong cautiously lifted her skirt hem to her left knee, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“Thankfully, it’s just a scrape. It might bruise, so make sure to have Sibi look at it later.”
“Yes.”
“…Can you walk?”
For a moment, Yeil thought of pretending to be hurt worse, just to lean on him — but she didn’t want to go that far. She simply nodded and exaggerated a limp.
He guided her to a quiet spot beside a stone wall where few people passed. After a moment of silence, he sighed and scolded her softly.
“You really meant to ruin everything, didn’t you? What trick are you playing this time?”
“I think the one playing tricks is you, Brother. I’ve been wondering if I’d been cast aside by you. I couldn’t even sleep properly these past few days.”
Her smooth, unhesitating reply caught him off guard.
“…I thought your silence meant you understood my situation.”
“Brother.”
“…”
“I didn’t follow you here to hear excuses. I can turn my back right now and go wherever I please — even strip the mask off that fake myself if you insist on dragging things out.”
“…”
“So, can you change my mind?”
Namgung Jeokmyeong folded his arms and fell silent for a while.
He said nothing, but Yeil knew — this was the last chance she was giving him. She did need his information, yes, but she could just as well obtain it through Namgung Chumyeong instead.
Finally, he spoke.
“The reason you were mistaken for a member of Salmak…”
He paused, then revealed something truly shocking.
“It’s because the one who brought infant Soyo into the Namgung household… was none other than Salmak itself.”
A story she had never heard before.
But that wasn’t strange.
Members of Salmak never shared missions.
Its assassins only knew who had been killed, not by whom or how. And if the mission wasn’t an assassination — like today — there was even less chance of finding out.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting. I only wanted to make sure the confidential information I know was accurate before I shared it. There was no other ill intent.”
Excuse or truth — either way, it didn’t matter. As long as they could cooperate and use each other as promised.
“…I suppose I didn’t consider that the information I gathered over the years, quietly and carefully, might seem unbearably slow to others.”
“It’s not slow, it’s painfully slow.”
“Perhaps. But since meeting you, time has been slipping away faster than ever. So much has happened — so much truth has unraveled — that I can barely keep up.”
He wasn’t listening to her tone at all. Clearly, Namgung Jeokmyeong was as stubborn as they came.
“Brought here by Salmak…”
Not taken away — but brought here?
“Brother, does that mean I’m not even Father’s real daughter—”
Before she could finish, Namgung Jeokmyeong hastily covered her mouth, glancing around sharply.
“Watch your words, Soyo. Even if I’m being cautious, there’s no telling who might be listening— ow!”
He flinched as she bit his palm, forcing him to let go.
“I’m being cautious enough myself, so please keep your distance.”
“…I understand your curiosity, but I don’t intend to say more — not after realizing how easily you can let things slip.”
“Fine. I won’t rush that part. So then, what is this grand secret that’s turned you into such a slowpoke?”
“Before I answer, I’ll ask you something. That scroll from earlier — what was written inside?”
Ah, so he suspected her of outside contact. Too bad she had no intention of telling him.
“That was information worth eight hundred nyang. If you want to know, pay up first.”
“…Eight hundred? Are you joking?”
The answer came from above her head.
“Yes, it’s a joke.”
A weight suddenly settled on her shoulder — the tall, utterly shameless man resting his body against hers spoke in a teasing, lilting tone.
“If you want more details, you’ll have to come see me yourself, my lady♡”
“…”
“…That was what it said — a passionate plea to seek out our dear Namgung lady, full of heartfelt emotion. One could even call it a love letter, young master.”
Jin Cheongak — a man with neither dignity nor manners.
Yeil tilted her head back, trying to push him away, but he didn’t budge. In the end, too tired to resist, she simply leaned her head against his arm comfortably.
Namgung Jeokmyeong, watching her quietly, frowned slightly and asked with suspicion:
“A message asking to find the lady?”
“Since when does love care about gender? You’re more narrow-minded than I thought, young master.”
Yeil ignored Jin Cheongak’s whisper that seemed to ask for her agreement — “Right?”
“So everything about Yulim was a lie. What do you intend to do when the backlash hits?”
“Yulim isn’t as uptight as you are. For saving his life, he’ll at least play along for a while. But if he doesn’t, well — guess I’ll just have to run away with our Namgung lady here. I’d enjoy that.”
He paused for dramatic effect, then added lightly,
“Ah, of course I meant our Namgung lady would enjoy it.”
Namgung Jeokmyeong sighed for the third time — this time, in a tone stripped of all trust.
“Can this man be trusted?”
He meant: could he speak of secrets in front of Jin Cheongak?
But Jin Cheongak was faster to answer than Yeil herself.
“Yes, sir. You can speak freely. I’ve already dedicated my life and sword as her bodyguard. Betrayal isn’t even a dream I could afford.”
Yeil nodded calmly to reassure him.
“You can trust him.”
Namgung Jeokmyeong hesitated only briefly.
“Do you know of Yeonghwang Yuse?”
“Not well, but I’ve heard of it.”
“Then this will be easier. The ones standing behind the imposter are none other than Yeonghwang Yuse. And their predecessor…”
He paused, meeting her gaze.
“…was, in simple terms — Salmak itself.”
