Chapter 12
“Young miss, young masters. You mustn’t say such things.”
When Unyeong froze in place, staring at Seol Dopyung and Seol Yohong, the nanny stepped forward, pale with worry.
“Stay out of this. How dare a lowly servant butt in?”
“What’s wrong with calling a half-wit a half-wit?”
They shoved the nanny aside, screeching venomously.
They really are insane. Unyeong had been trying to watch and see how far they would go, but this was the limit.
Seeing them insult the nanny lit a fire in her eyes.
How did I put up with them until now?
Smart children often mature early. Unyeong was one of them. Even without anyone telling her, she had understood her situation quickly.
She realized early on that Seol Wonpyeong, the head of the house, didn’t like her; that Seol Jadan found it painful to even look at her; and that even Seol Dojin, though kind, must have had mixed feelings about her existence.
So Unyeong rarely left Yeonhongwon, staying quiet and out of the way.
That is, until just before she had fallen ill recently, when she was ten.
They were the ones who told me bad things about my mother… especially about where she came from.
There were many people in her quarters, but only the nanny, Sogyo, and Hyang always stayed close.
They did everything they could to protect her and kept their mouths shut about her mother.
Unyeong still remembered the sorrowful expression the nanny had made when she once asked about her mother. Since then, she never brought it up in front of her again.
But that didn’t erase the longing. She must’ve felt lonely too. That might be why she tried to befriend the children who came to Yeonhongwon.
After all, she was just a child.
So she listened closely to what Yohong and Dopyung said.
It started very small.
— “Did you know? My mom said your mom was really beautiful.”
At first, the children spoke cautiously about her mother, drawing Unyeong in.
I just wanted to hear something about her… because I missed her so much.
Slowly, the stories turned sour.
— “I heard she was a courtesan. A noble daughter who lost everything and ended up that way. Doesn’t matter how she got there—what matters is, she was one.”
— “I heard she was a slave. Just a lowly wench with a pretty face, caught the young master’s eye with her charms.”
As Unyeong kept listening without reacting, their words grew crueler—now aimed at her.
— “If your mother was lowborn, that makes you lowborn too. Not like us.”
— “You were born sick because your mom sinned. That’s why you’re a cripple.”
— “They say you’re stupid because of her too. Bad blood.”
— “How did someone like you get born into the Seol family? Poor Lord Dojin.”
They learned that they could say anything without consequence.
Unyeong never told Seol Jadan or Seol Dojin about the things they said or did.
Because I didn’t want to cause trouble…
She believed staying quiet and enduring was the right thing to do.
She even made the nanny and the maids promise to stay silent. She didn’t want to make things harder for Seol Jadan.
Maybe she was afraid.
Seol Wonpyeong cherished his nephew, Seol Jacheong.
He had brought him into the inner house after he lost his parents young, and even after Jacheong married, he didn’t make him move out. He gave him a position at the bodyguard agency and let it be known that Jacheong would inherit it someday.
Though technically of a collateral line, Seol Jacheong was treated almost like direct family.
So when Unyeong thought of the possibility of conflict with Jacheong’s family, she feared neither Seol Wonpyeong nor Seol Jadan would take her side.
So she endured it all. Over and over again.
Unknowingly letting it rot her young heart.
Now that I think about it, they were right. I was a cripple. I couldn’t even talk back when they insulted me.
After her illness, things got worse. Her body and her heart both grew weaker.
To those with ill intentions, someone emotionally vulnerable made for an easy target.
After being declared terminally ill, the distance she felt from her family likely wasn’t unrelated to them.
Well… I was a fool. I should’ve stood up to them no matter what they said. Why didn’t you, past me?
Why had they been so cruel?
Unyeong knew that the children weren’t the only ones behind it.
It was probably Seol Jacheong and his wife.
I do have my suspicions… but that’s for later. First, I need to deal with these two. Start with what I can do.
Unyeong briefly considered how to handle them.
Meanwhile, Yohong and Dopyung kept squawking like ducks, full of themselves.
Pretending to scratch her ear, Unyeong stepped forward and spoke to the nanny.
“Nanny, step back.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“A few steps more.”
“But, my lady…”
“It’s okay, nanny.”
Her voice was colder than usual.
Unyeong emanated a faint presence. It wasn’t the killing intent she once wielded as a swordswoman, but it was enough to make the children flinch.
She pushed the nanny behind her and looked Yohong and Dopyung up and down as they fumed.
Though her stamina was gone and her inner power depleted, Unyeong could still easily handle the two of them if she wished.
But physical violence was for the unrefined. It wasn’t that she lacked strength—no, if she hit them, she’d just have to keep hitting.
“W-Why are you staring like that…”
Dopyung stammered, sensing something in her gaze.
The bravado they had until moments ago vanished completely.
Unyeong took a step closer and spoke in a whisper—loud enough for them, but too quiet for others nearby.
“Well… just look at you.”
“What? What did you say?!”
“I said I’m looking at your ugly mug. And listening to you squeal like a pig being slaughtered. I couldn’t look away.”
They were all still kids. Even if she insulted them here, no one would make a big deal of it. At most, they’d be lightly scolded.
It wouldn’t hurt them in the slightest.
Then I just have to make sure this isn’t treated like a kids’ fight. I’m the precious young lady of the Seol family, after all.
Smiling sweetly at the flustered children, Unyeong whispered again.
“Yohong, you really take after your mother. You’ll grow up just like her.”
“What… what do you mean?”
“Oh my, what’s wrong? You don’t like being told you look like your mom?”
“Hey, how dare you speak like that?! Lowborn trash!”
Unyeong knew Seol Yohong hated being compared to her mother, Jin So-ok, who wasn’t known for her looks.
And as for Seol Dopyung…
“No, I’m not done yet. Dopyung, you’re so… small. You look smaller than me. I doubt you’ll grow much. How can you ever learn martial arts like that?”
Dopyung had always been short. Even after several years, he hadn’t grown much.
He was even shorter than Unyeong, despite being a year older and her being naturally petite.
“Y-You… you little—lowborn—!”
As expected, Dopyung reacted to being called small.
He raised his hand toward her.
Seol Jacheong had been training his son in martial arts—bragging that he had a great teacher and natural talent.
Typical of someone like you.
Dopyung’s movement was slow. Or maybe, for a child his age, it was fast.
But to Unyeong, it was sluggish. Every motion was clear as day. It was the kind of attack one couldn’t get hit by even if they tried.
She watched as his fist came toward her cheek… then casually dodged her head at the last moment.
But she pretended to get hit and collapsed. As she fell, she quickly pressed a pressure point on her nose.
If she had inner energy, it would’ve been easier, but even without it, the method worked.
If I press here… that’s right. The blood flows.
To onlookers, it would appear as if she had been punched and was now bleeding from the nose.
She didn’t forget to smile at Dopyung before slowly closing her eyes.
“My lady!”
“Lady Unyeong!”
The panicked nanny ran over and held her. And from the garden, where he had been sensing things unfold, the Seol household steward, Wi Jeong-gon, came running.
Everything was going according to plan.
Unyeong apologized silently to her nanny.
Nanny, I’m sorry for making you worry again. Just this once… please forgive me. But why… why is it…
She only meant to fake the fall, but her body was weaker than she thought. She really lost consciousness.
This body is trash. When will I recover? When?!
Even as Unyeong collapsed for real, Seol Dopyung stood frozen.
He couldn’t come to his senses even as steward Wi Jeong-gon picked her up.
He was sure his punch hadn’t connected. Not even grazed her.
There had been no sensation—but she had fallen.
I didn’t feel anything. Or… did I hit her? Did I? Maybe I’ve improved? Did I unleash a hidden force?!
Dopyung looked down at his own fist in confusion.
While he stood there dumbfounded, Yohong screamed at him.
“Hey, you idiot! What have you done?! She’s sick, remember?!”
Ah, that’s right. They’d heard she was ill. Maybe even that she was dying.
Seol Dopyung’s face turned pale.
