As Moyong Sohae stormed out of the tea house like she was running for her life, only one thought filled her head.
Moyong Yeonhwa, that bitch…!
She sprinted around to the back where the carriages were, but her own coachman was nowhere in sight. Yeonhwa’s carriage sat there alone. She stomped over and yanked open the door.
Of course. No one inside. Just a half-full bag of peanuts, left sitting there like a taunt.
Sohae stared holes into the grease-stained bag. Her shoulders started to shake. Then, from between her carefully tinted lips, a cold laugh bubbled out.
When you’re angry enough, the heat drains away and the brain turns icy. Moyong Sohae laughed for a while. A bone-deep, chilling laugh that echoed into the void.
Once she’d had her fill, she finally turned away from the carriage. Her face was frozen stiff, like she’d never laughed at all.
“This time, I got played. Big time.”
* * *
Now that I’d acquired a new teacher, I was all ears. Super serious. Dang Choye, encouraged by my rapt attention, got extra enthusiastic with her examples.
“Alright. Let’s say someone runs into Young Lady Yeonhwa after a long time.”
“Are they my mortal enemies?”
“Mm… Not that close. Not that distant either. Just… someone you’ve exchanged polite smiles with before. They show up to visit after something bad happens in your family.”
I wasn’t really getting it. Why would someone who barely knows me come over when something bad happens? Who even does that?
Dang Choye didn’t care about my confusion. Her eyes went wide, switching into full drama mode.
“You look much healthier than I expected. Seeing that rosy complexion of yours, I doubt anything in the world could rattle you! Anyone would find it hard to believe something terrible happened, just looking at you.”
“……”
“So, what does that make you feel?”
I thought about it for a second before saying:
“Well, not bad. She’s got a good eye. Recognizing my resilience like that.”
Both siblings sighed in perfect sync. Dang Iheon even gave a sheepish laugh, eyebrows raised like he was looking at a toddler trying to solve calculus.
“Yeonhwa, you really think that’s what she meant?”
“What else could she mean?”
“Ahem. Listen closely, Young Lady. I’ll explain.”
And so the great master dropped the answer key.
“You went through hell, and yet you look totally unbothered. Are you just that thoughtless?”
“That’s kind of rude.”
“She’s just saying it… politely.”
My vision went a little blurry.
Sure, I knew there were assholes who took joy in others’ misery. I used to run with the unorthodox clans. I’ve met plenty.
But to go through the trouble of visiting and then gift-wrap that insult in a bow? Wouldn’t it be better to just point and laugh?
“Okay, next one. This time, Young Lady Yeonhwa is a married woman with a son. She’s meeting another woman she sees often. That woman also has a son, around the same age.”
“Are our sons enemies?”
“Uh… they could be, but let’s say they’re just… fine. Cordial.”
Right. If the kids hated each other, it’d be hard for the moms to hang out all friendly. Makes sense.
I imagined the two noble ladies in my head. Dang Choye puffed up proudly this time and pulled out a fan, fluttering it delicately as she raised her eyebrows and spoke with a refined tone.
“Oh dear, I wish my son would learn a thing or two from yours. He couldn’t care less about making money—always has his nose buried in books. He’s of marriageable age and won’t even glance at a woman. And now he’s getting into martial arts too… At this rate, I don’t know when he’ll finally settle down and start a family.”
I hesitated, then replied carefully.
“That’s unfortunate. But if he’s into martial arts, at least he’s healthy. And health’s the most important thing. Is the household well off?”
“…Are you giving me life advice right now?”
“You said you were worried…”
For a second, her eyes screamed, “This girl is going to make me lose my mind.”
Honestly, I was the one losing it. She said she was worried, so I offered a genuine response. What the hell did I do wrong?
Dang Iheon finally stepped in.
“Try to think about what she was really saying, Yeonhwa.”
“She’s at her wits’ end because her son’s a shut-in bookworm who won’t carry on the family line?”
“Your son’s busy chasing skirts day and night? My son’s a genius, gracefully studying and mastering martial arts.”
“Okay, but what the hell?”
Now I was getting a headache.
I thought all those refined people who spoke so politely were just better at holding in their temper, but no. Turns out they just use all those fancy words to throw punches.
“…Master, your pupil is completely lost.”
I clutched my head and banged my forehead lightly against the table. The thunk was louder than I expected—Dang Iheon flinched and checked if I was okay.
I was fine. The table too.
Dang Choye chuckled.
“You don’t have to speak like that yourself. Just try to question it when someone hands you a sugar-coated comment. Wonder what’s underneath.”
“I’m not confident.”
“If it’s too hard, I can reply for you. Don’t worry.”
Dang Iheon gently rubbed my forehead with his thumb as he said it.
What kind of weird line is that?
“Why you? If someone’s picking a fight with me, I’ll deal with it.”
“But…”
He looked like he wanted to argue, then gave up halfway. Dang Choye was watching him closely but didn’t say anything.
I downed the rest of my tea. Honestly, when it came to getting the point across, the unorthodox clans were way more straightforward. I kinda missed that.
* * *
Late morning, quiet as a whisper.
Someone dashed across the Moyong Clan estate, barely holding back a full sprint. Too undignified to run, too urgent to walk. He was one of Elder Pae’s men.
As soon as he slipped out of sight, he broke into a sprint and reached Moyong Pae’s residence. Didn’t even wait for permission before bursting in.
Moyong Pae, in the middle of pouring tea, raised one sharp eyebrow.
“What is the meaning of this ruckus?”
The subordinate bowed in haste and blurted out:
“E-Elder! There’s a strange rumor going around since this morning. And to make matters worse, even the Beggars’ Union seems to have picked it up…”
“A rumor?”
“Well, it’s, um…”
“Is your tongue broken? Spit it out!”
“Moyong Sohae of the Moyong Clan not only covets her cousin’s betrothal but has now, in broad daylight, been caught… f-flirting with Young Lord Dang Ri, the younger cousin of Dang Iheon…”
“What?! Who the hell is spreading this filth! Drag them here this instant! How dare they gossip about my granddaughter!”
“E-Elder, the problem is… too many people saw them meeting secretly yesterday at Cheongo Tea House. We can’t catch them all.”
Moyong Pae’s greying beard twitched.
How far had this rumor spread if even the Beggars’ Union was reporting it?
Sure, their intel included everything from wild tales to deadly serious news. Still, for their local branch to report it up the chain… they must’ve thought it was worth flagging.
“What about the Sichuan Dang Clan?”
“It probably hasn’t reached them yet. But since the Beggars’ Union is involved… it’s only a matter of time.”
Moyong Pae’s vision blurred for a second. If things kept snowballing, even if Moyong Yeonhwa got rejected, the Sichuan Dang Clan might never agree to a marriage between Dang Iheon and Moyong Sohae!
Grinding his dark lips, Moyong Pae finally snapped—he swept his arm across the table.
Ceramic shattered. Tea ware scattered everywhere.
Even then, his rage didn’t subside. He stood there huffing, while the servant froze like a statue, eyes nailed to his boots.
Eventually, Moyong Pae’s breath slowed. His face turned deathly pale. Cold. Ruthless. His eyes gleamed with malice.
“Eye for an eye. That little bitch Moyong Yeonhwa’s clearly up to something bold.”
The servant hesitated, troubled.
“C-Couldn’t it be a coincidence? She’s learned a little martial arts, sure, but she’s still a sheltered girl who’s never left her father and brother’s protection…”
Everyone under the Moyong Clan roof knew Moyong Yeonhwa’s sunny naivety. Her family coddled her so much, it was almost unnatural.
A girl like that, plotting revenge so quickly and executing it this smoothly? The servant figured Moyong Pae was just blinded by rage.
But Moyong Pae didn’t even blink. He just clicked his tongue like the man was an idiot.
“Grow a better set of eyes. That girl’s not as harmless as she looks.”
“…”
“Well, once my elder brother dies, the strongest rope binding her will snap. That stuck-up nose of hers will finally come down.”
He looked out the window, stroking his ashen beard.
“The Young Master’s birthday is coming up. Make sure preparations are perfect.”
“…Yes, I already passed along the instructions.”
“And the gift… make it silk. Useful for burial clothes.”
“I’ll prepare it.”
The servant bowed. Moyong Pae waved him off, then suddenly called him back.
“Keep Sohae confined for the time being. She’s been acting up lately, and now she’s gotten tangled in this idiotic scheme. It’s easier to just lock her up. Tell the Sichuan Dang Clan I’ll handle it myself.”
Not a shred of concern for his granddaughter in his voice. Just a cold, calculated order.
The servant felt a faint pity for her. Then something hit him—and his face went pale.
“Um… she actually went out this morning…”
Moyong Pae whipped around.
“What?”
“She was invited to a noble ladies’ tea tasting. Left early, very flustered. I-I was going to inform her when she returned…”
Crash.
This time it was the inkstone. Smashed into the wall. A priceless gift, now garbage. Not the first thing—or person—to vanish like that in Moyong Pae’s rooms.
“I can’t fucking kill her, either!”
And so the angry howls and curses of Elder Pae thundered through the Moyong Clan estate.
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