Just like Dang Iheon said, the liquor bottle set at the Young Master’s seat looked different from the others. Dang Iheon whispered low enough for only me to hear.
“That wasn’t the bottle I checked before the banquet started. There’s no reason to swap it out, unless something’s up.”
Since I’m family, my seat was naturally near the head table with my supposed fiancé. Thanks to that, I could see exactly which bottle he was talking about.
The ones at other tables were plain, glossy white porcelain. The one in front of the Young Master, though, was subtly gilded and carved with delicate patterns.
You could argue they’d prepared something special for the guest of honor—but either way, we couldn’t just ignore something this sketchy.
“That’s the one you mean, right? I’ll go find out who brought it.”
Without hesitation, I quietly got up from my seat. Dang Iheon looked like he wanted to come with me, but I waved him off. We’d draw more attention together.
My plan was to slip away, grab the bottle without anyone noticing, and inspect it. But right then, Moyong Muhyeok caught my eye. Just as he was about to speak, he smiled at me.
“Come here, Ahwa.”
Of course, now everyone’s eyes were on me. Damn it. This was the worst timing. He didn’t even know I was killing myself to save his ass.
I forced a smile through clenched teeth and slowly made my way over, cursing that clueless Young Master in my head the whole way.
Among the warm glances were some sharper ones. No need to check—I could already tell they belonged to Moyong Pae’s side of the family. Whatever. Moyong Muhyeok gave me a gentle smile and said,
“To my cherished little sister, and all of you who came here today to celebrate with me—I thank you. To share this joy, I raise a glass.”
Shit. I hadn’t managed to switch the bottle yet. I needed to swap it out now, before he drank from it, if I wanted to trace its origin.
I quickly scanned the area. Then I grabbed the nearest Elder’s bottle. Smiling sweetly, I said,
“To celebrate my dear big brother’s birthday—and another great occasion—this little sister would be honored to pour your drink.”
I felt the Elder glance at me in confusion, surprised I’d snatched his bottle. But he didn’t protest. It’s not like we were low on alcohol or anything. He had no reason to raise a fuss.
Moyong Muhyeok seemed delighted and nodded in approval.
I slowly filled his cup. As I did, I subtly tightened my grip. The ring Hyangah had given me scratched a faint mark into the porcelain.
It was to help me confirm later if someone tried switching it again.
“May glory be with all the sects and noble clans.”
Moyong Muhyeok raised his full cup and downed it in one go. The crowd burst into cheers and applause.
I stared at him for a moment, then quietly let out a breath of relief.
I slipped the suspicious bottle under the table as I returned to my seat and handed it off to Dang Iheon. He whispered,
“Yeonhwa, that was smooth.”
“Of course it was. Who do you think I am?”
I gave him a proud little shrug. Then, just in case, I shot a sideways glance toward Sohae and Moyong Gyeom.
If they were the ones behind this, they’d just seen their plan fall apart. I figured there’d be some reaction.
But surprisingly, they didn’t seem to react at all. Moyong Gyeom looked drunk off his ass already, his flushed face leering shamelessly at every woman in the room.
As for Moyong Sohae… she was staring this way. Or rather, not at me—but at Dang Iheon. He didn’t notice, since he was looking at me.
If she’d noticed me swiping the bottle, her expression would be different. That wasn’t it. Her eyes looked complicated. I’ve never been in that situation myself, so I can’t say for sure… but maybe Sohae really has feelings for this bastard. Like, actual affection. The romantic kind.
“Hey, Iheon. By any chance…”
“Yeah, Yeonhwa?”
“…Never mind. Forget it.”
His earnest eyes were too much. I looked away. I felt… off, somehow.
We’d already agreed to break off the engagement. If Sohae and he got together, that’d actually be ideal. It’d help the breakup go down with less noise.
So why did it bug me? Why did I not want him to be with her? Maybe because, as much as they annoyed me, Dang Iheon and Dang Choye were good people. And Sohae, well… she was like me.
In a bad way.
Even I have a shred of a conscience. I couldn’t wish for decent people to get tangled up with someone like her.
Just then, Dang Choye asked worriedly,
“Are you feeling okay, Young Lady Yeonhwa? You look a bit pale.”
“It’s nothing. Just tense, I guess—too many people.”
I brushed it off with a sigh. It wasn’t exactly normal to be stressed over this, when we’d already decided to end the engagement.
“Congratulations again!”
Once the food and drinks had been served and refilled a few times, guests started lining up to offer gifts to Moyong Muhyeok.
“Since this is a double celebration, I worked hard to find something truly worthy. Ha ha ha.”
Some were shamelessly boastful.
“Ah, my gift is nothing much… But my heartfelt congratulations come with it. Please accept.”
Others handed over ridiculously lavish gifts while pretending to be modest.
“This cloak is made of white fox fur and lined with tiger hide. It’ll stop more than just arrows—it can take a glancing sword, too.”
Some acted like they were selling their goods at market.
Everything looked rare and expensive. If this weren’t a prestigious Martial clan but just some rich guy’s house, everyone breathing in here would’ve been dead by morning and the place looted clean.
Hell, I’d have looted it. Damn. My eyes were practically sparkling. I mentally bookmarked a few items—figured I’d beg Moyong Muhyeok for them later.
Even Moyong Sohae stood up with a gift in hand. I saw her sharply nudge Moyong Gyeom’s shin with her toe. Probably her sweet way of saying “get your ass up.” Gyeom cursed under his breath with a pained grunt.
“We’ve brought silk from across the seas. Only five bolts have made it into the Central Plains—two went to the Imperial Family. The remaining three, we offer to the Young Master. May he one day have garments befitting his stature.”
Three bolts of white silk with a faint silvery sheen. A closer look showed the silver came from fine threads embroidered into ornate, intricate patterns. Absolutely priceless stuff.
Moyong Muhyeok stared down at the silk. Then, to smooth over the awkward pause, Paeng Soan smiled gently.
“It’s an exquisite gift. The color is lovely.”
Only then did Moyong Muhyeok smile and nod.
“It is. Thank you, Sohae. And you too, Gyeom. This silk is beautiful.”
“We’re glad you like it. Our grandfather went to great lengths to obtain it.”
Moyong Sohae beamed with a graceful smile. You’d never guess this was a family with internal strife just by looking at them.
Then she added, blushing a little.
“Of course, Young Lady Yeonhwa’s gift is probably far more impressive… Still, we’re glad you’re pleased with ours. It saves us some face. Thank you.”
And why, exactly, am I getting dragged into this now?
I sat there scowling in stunned silence. Sohae met my gaze with an innocent expression, like she hadn’t just lobbed that grenade.
And now everyone’s eyes were on me again, clearly curious about what kind of present I’d brought. Everyone here knew the Moyong siblings were unusually close.
I sighed and stood.
“It was tough picking a gift, honestly. My big brother already has everything—even the perfect bride-to-be.”
Everyone laughed and nodded. Clan Master Paeng and Young Lady Paeng Soan laughed especially loudly. The rest of the family beamed at me.
I picked up the wrapped item I’d prepared and walked over to Moyong Muhyeok.
“For a warrior, one more blade is always welcome, even beyond his treasured weapon. So what I brought is a spirit sword. No—the spirit sword. Happy birthday, big brother.”
I pulled back the blue silk covering the sword and presented it to him. No martial artist worth their salt would fail to recognize this blade’s value. Moyong Muhyeok’s eyes widened with surprise.
“Ahwa, where did you get something this precious…?”
“I worked hard for it.”
I’d fought tooth and nail for it, really. But I smiled, keeping that part to myself. Either way, Moyong Muhyeok looked thrilled.
“Thank you, truly. I love it. I’ll take this sword with me even to the grave, since it’s from my beloved sister.”
Are you fucking kidding me? I’m out here busting my ass trying to save your life, and you’re talking about your grave? I gritted my teeth and forced out a reply.
“Don’t say such ominous crap. Just draw the damn sword already.”
“Ha ha, alright, alright.”
He half-unsheathed it, and the blade caught the lantern light, flashing with a soft, prismatic glow. The rarer the sword, the more vivid and varied its reflection. Gasps echoed all around.
“As expected of the Moyong Clan. I’d heard their youngest daughter didn’t train in martial arts, but she clearly knows quality when she sees it.”
“I heard she started training recently.”
“That makes this even more touching, doesn’t it? To give away such a treasure without hesitation!”
With everyone fawning like this, Sohae’s smile started to crack. Her plan to hype up the audience only to let them down had clearly backfired.
Moyong Gyeom, on the other hand, looked practically drooling, his eyes gleaming with envy. Greedy bastard.
“Now then, the night is still young. Please enjoy the festivities to your heart’s content.”
Moyong Muhyeok raised his glass with a broad grin. I quickly checked the liquor bottle. The one I’d swapped earlier was empty, and a servant had already brought out a new one.
Shit. I didn’t think of that. The drinks would keep flowing all night.
“This is yellow wine, is a gift from the Jang Clan Manor House—one of the Paeng Clan’s branch families in Hebei.”
If it came from one of the Paeng branches, it probably wasn’t suspicious. If the Paeng Clan thrived, so did the Jangs.
But yellow wine… That detail nagged at me. It had more color and a richer scent than clear liquors—perfect for masking something.
While I was deep in thought, Moyong Muhyeok’s cup filled with yellow wine. Should I knock it over? I instinctively reached out. But he’d already raised the cup.
My hand awkwardly hung midair, drawing attention. I gave a sheepish smile.
“Oh, um, the scent caught me off guard. I thought you were giving it to me. Awkward.”
“Ha ha! Want a drink too, Ahwa?”
He laughed and asked for a fresh cup for me. Guess he didn’t know I couldn’t hold my liquor to save my life. Not that I could say no now, after what I just said.
He personally poured the yellow wine into my cup. It smelled amazing—but I couldn’t drink it. I racked my brain for how to destroy both cups at once.
Didn’t have to. Something else beat me to it.
“Uwahh!”
A scream rang out beside us.
The next moment, someone crashed into the table with a loud thud. Everything flipped—the two cups, the food, all of it scattering messily.
“Are we under attack?” someone cried—but the hall quickly fell silent.
The one who had shoved both me and the guest of honor and faceplanted onto the table was… Sahyeon. Still wearing his bumbling servant disguise.
“S-sorry! I tripped… P-please forgive me!”
He dropped to the floor and banged his forehead against it. That’s just skin and bone—had to hurt.
Even as I stood with Moyong Muhyeok’s help, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sahyeon’s forehead. I’d figured he was hiding nearby, and sure enough, he came to the rescue just in time.
“Sahyeon.”
Moyong Muhyeok let out a deep sigh as he muttered his name. I quickly spoke up.
“I’m fine.”
“Good. No one’s hurt, so that’s all that matters. Get up.”
Since Sahyeon was usually clumsy anyway, Moyong Muhyeok didn’t seem too suspicious. I let out a quiet breath. That bought us some time, at least.
He really did have a hell of a nose for trouble. I thought he was off doing shady shit somewhere, but he’d seen I was in a bind and jumped in.
I’d have to patch up his forehead later.
Then something suddenly caught my eye—and I immediately scowled.
The liquor bottle—made of gods-know-what, tiger bone maybe—was sturdy as hell. It hadn’t even cracked. It sat there spinning in place, half full and heavy, still perfectly intact.
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