Chapter 24
“Songyo, why on earth…?”
Unyeong ran over to Songyo in surprise. Songyo was kneeling on the floor.
“What are you doing? Get up, quickly, come on.”
Unyeong grabbed Songyo’s arm to help her stand, but Songyo only bowed her head lower.
“No, my lady. I apologize for not contacting you in advance. Please forgive me…”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Ugh, this is exhausting.”
As Unyeong spoke with a hint of exertion in her small arms, Songyo reluctantly straightened her knees and stood up.
“Songyo, you sit down for now. Nanny, would you please go to the reception hall and check on our guest? Take Hyang-ah with you.”
“Yes, miss.”
To speak privately with Songyo, Unyeong needed to send the nanny and Hyang-ah away. The arrival of a guest was a convenient excuse.
“And ask Young Master Jegal if he’s available to meet in Sinsi. Prepare a spot for him in the main room of the reception hall. For tea… hmm, do we have any Huangshan Maofeng?”
“Huangshan Maofeng? That’s a rare tea… but I think we have some.”
“Then prepare that tea, please.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Though puzzled by Unyeong’s detailed instructions, the nanny responded willingly.
“And ask Cook Wang if we’ve received any good fish recently. If they’re fresh, send them to the reception hall.”
“Excuse me?”
“That man likes fish dishes. He’s got annoyingly picky tastes, but he’ll eat fish…”
As Unyeong was quickly giving orders, she abruptly stopped mid-sentence, sensing the shift in the atmosphere around her.
Both the nanny and Songyo stared at Unyeong with surprised expressions.
Perhaps it was because she’d encountered Jegal Dam again—she had suddenly remembered how much he liked eating fish.
“I think I heard it somewhere. From who, though? Was it Hyang-ah? Anyway, fish is delicious, right? Haha.”
Unyeong laughed it off and quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, Nanny, just take care of it. I’m sure Steward Wi will manage well, but still… he’s an important guest, after all.”
As she mentioned the “important guest,” Unyeong pouted slightly.
“Yes, my lady. Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Alright. I’m counting on you, Nanny.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, miss. Don’t worry—I’ll handle everything.”
Watching the nanny’s retreating figure, Unyeong let out a small sigh.
Sigh… I really need to be more careful going forward. Wait, did he actually like fish that much?
Unyeong was reminded again of how long she’d spent with the Hwayong Sword Ghost.
She knew very well that Jegal Dam liked Huangshan Maofeng.
—“This is Huangshan Maofeng. It was sent by my aunt’s family. Isn’t the aroma wonderfully rich?”
Yes, there was no way she wouldn’t know.
It was the tea Jegal Dam always brewed while praising its scent.
Even during the war against the Heavenly Palace, she had chided him for drinking such luxury tea in such grim times.
But she also understood.
Jegal Dam, as the Chief Strategist, bore immense burdens and waged a grueling war.
—“A tea this clear and golden is very rare. Even after steeping it all night, it leaves no residue in the bowl. It’s truly fine tea.”
She also knew that having tea was the only moment of rest he ever allowed himself.
The more often they had tea together, the more Unyeong came to enjoy Huangshan Maofeng herself.
And fish… well, he did seem to eat it often.
Unyeong realized she knew even these small details without being consciously aware of them.
It struck her anew.
“My lady, this…”
Once the nanny’s presence had completely faded, Songyo pulled an envelope from her robes and handed it to Unyeong.
“Ah, right. This is from Mangum Trading Hall?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Unyeong opened the envelope and checked the promissory notes inside. It was thickly packed with bearer notes—enough to buy several estates even in the expensive city of Wuhan.
Yet Unyeong wasn’t shocked by the staggering amount. She calmly returned the notes to the envelope and asked Songyo,
“Was there any danger?”
“No. Nothing unusual happened.”
“Really? Well, that’s good, then. Hmm…”
As Unyeong trailed off in thought, Songyo remained silent.
She had stayed in Wuhan for two more days on Unyeong’s orders, but nothing had occurred.
“Did you meet Young Master Jegal before going to Mangum Trading Hall?”
“Yes. I thought it best to send the letter first…”
If they had known Songyo met Jegal Dam, that would’ve made sense.
Wuhan, home to the Martial Alliance, was teeming with people who bought and sold information. Spying or sneaking around wouldn’t have been effective—buying intel came first.
Even though Songyo believed she moved quietly, eyes were everywhere:
Beggars, clerks, coachmen, pickpockets, porters, courtesans—even unnamed ones.
“Hmm. I got help without even meaning to, huh?”
“Ah… I see.”
Though a skilled martial artist, Songyo had only ever lived at the Seol household. She now understood what Unyeong meant.
“Since you traveled with Young Master Jegal, no one could follow you. They wouldn’t want to cause trouble.”
“I see.”
Once again, Unyeong was reminded of how powerful the name of one of the Five Great Clans truly was.
Something potentially dangerous had been resolved so easily.
All the more reason to raise the Seol household to the status of the most powerful clan in the world.
“Alright, then. I’ll start from when the Young Master came to find me.”
Songyo began to explain how Jegal Dam had suddenly visited and how they came to travel together.
“No need. I already know.”
“Excuse me?”
“If he arrived that quickly, then… hmm. When you went to Deungcheon Escort Bureau, he must’ve been there to escort the goods, right?”
“Ah, yes. How did you know… He accepted the cargo.”
Yang Cheol-woo was someone Unyeong knew well.
She’d clashed with him more than once in the past. He was always lecturing her about manners.
And yet, for someone so obsessed with etiquette, he had shown the least courtesy to Unyeong herself.
—He made such a fuss about showing proper respect to the Chief Strategist. What an annoying guy. The master and the guard were exactly the same.
Still, he was someone who would obey Jegal Dam’s orders without hesitation.
“Right, and then Young Master Jegal suddenly showed up where you were staying, didn’t he?”
“Wait, how did you…?”
“Come on. It’s obvious.”
Songyo looked surprised. Unyeong shrugged and continued.
“It was my mistake not to anticipate that Jegal Dam might be in Wuhan. You probably didn’t have any answers when they questioned you.”
“Ah…”
“Even if you had known something, I know you wouldn’t have answered.”
“My lady…”
Unyeong gazed at her with warm eyes.
“Young Master Jegal probably invited you to accompany him right before you left Wuhan. Said it in a way you couldn’t refuse.”
“Yes, he was waiting outside the inn.”
“Right. That’s why he was so rude even after arriving here. So, there’s no need to thank him.”
“Is that really alright?”
“Why not? If he’s the Young Master of the Jegal clan… well, I’m the young lady of the Seol household. This is our home. What’s he going to do about it? It’s fine. Smile, Songyo.”
With a playful grin, Unyeong lifted the corners of her mouth.
Seeing Unyeong’s confidence, Songyo felt all her lingering worries melt away.
She smiled back.
Yes, there was nothing to worry about.
This was the Seol household, after all.
*
Unlike when they had met outside, Unyeong was now dressed in formal robes and skillfully brewed tea with her small hands.
“This is Huangshan Maofeng. It’s a refined tea with a noble fragrance.”
Before she even introduced it, Jegal Dam recognized the tea. It was his favorite—of course he knew it.
A noble fragrance, indeed…
He had to nod in agreement.
As Unyeong gently pushed the teacup toward him, she spoke again.
“They say its color is so clear that even after steeping it overnight, it leaves no trace in the cup.”
“Is it a tea you like?”
“Hmm…”
Unyeong’s eyes deepened as she trailed off. Then she continued softly.
“It was the favorite tea of a close… friend.”
In that moment, Jegal Dam saw the longing in Unyeong’s eyes. She was looking at him—but also as if at someone far away.
“A close friend… I see.”
Jegal Dam said no more and took a sip. The rich fragrance delighted his nose, and the subtle sweetness pleased his tongue. As expected, it was a fine tea.
The turmoil within him began to settle.
“Today, shall we let this conversation flow like this tea—like Huangshan Maofeng?”
Internally, Jegal Dam scoffed.
Unyeong had the face of a ten-year-old, but there was nothing childlike about her—neither her words, nor her behavior, nor even her expressions.
And she had served his favorite tea. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
Someone making no effort to hide their scheming was now asking for a transparent conversation?
Still, with a smile curling his eyes, he replied smoothly.
“That doesn’t sound bad. Clear and transparent—”
“—Without leaving a trace.”
Unyeong smiled back, eyes twinkling.
