Chapter 52
After Hyang-a served the tea and left, Ye Haesin was alone for quite some time.
“- The young lady wishes to see you.”
“- Ah… ah… the young lady…?”
“- Didn’t you receive the meal earlier? She is the youngest lady of the Seol family. She is looking for you.”
“- Ah… no, surely such a noble person wouldn’t seek someone like me?”
“- Yes. Follow quietly.”
At first, Ye Haesin wondered whether it was So-gyo, who had visited the Hwaryeong Guesthouse, recognizing her. But she didn’t worry too much.
Rather than awkwardly trying to change her appearance, it seemed more natural to act as though she had quit being a fortune-teller and become a worker.
Next, she thought of Seol Wonyoung, the lady of the Seol family. It wasn’t So-gyo, but the lady herself who sought Ye Haesin.
Since both had referred to her as “the young lady,” it was clear that Wonyoung had orchestrated this situation.
But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why. What reason would a noble lady have to seek a mere worker?
When she had investigated the Seol family, there was nothing unusual about Wonyoung.
She had never left the Seol residence due to her weak health, and she was still very young. The only notable thing was that she had recently recovered from a serious illness.
“Was my preparation insufficient…?”
Ye Haesin checked her own appearance again. She raised her hand to her face—her disguise was flawless. Her clothes, though shabby, did not look out of place.
She had properly created a background suitable for a spy of the Hao Sect and had infiltrated naturally.
Then… did she let her guard down? No, that wasn’t it either. She had practiced extensively to make her behavior and speech natural.
“Now I’m just like Wang Sam… this Ye Haesin isn’t Ye Haesin, but more like Wang Sam… what the heck.”
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out.
“Could it be that they discovered I’m from Hao Sect…?”
No, that was impossible. Ye Haesin shook her head and dismissed the thought. Except for a few at Hwaryeong Guesthouse, no one knew her.
Her mind was racing, and naturally, she felt increasingly tense. Ye Haesin exhaled and calmed herself.
Creak. With a sound, the doors to the reception hall slowly opened. The hinges were well maintained, so the sound was faint.
But to the anxious Ye Haesin, it seemed deafening, accompanied by a heart-dropping tension.
She jumped to her feet, clasped her hands together, and bowed. The most polite posture she could manage.
Tap-tap. Small footsteps approached.
“If she’s a noble young lady, I should at least do this much.”
Thud. The footsteps stopped. Wonyoung was standing there.
Ye Haesin didn’t lift her head, but glanced up with her eyes.
She had been told she was ten years old, but she looked even younger due to her small frame.
The child was beautiful. Her small face had delicate features, yet her eyes were sharp and unnaturally mature for her age.
One corner of Wonyoung’s mouth curved slightly, and her eyes bent elegantly.
“Hello. Are you Wang Sam?”
Ye Haesin lowered her eyes and stammered.
“Y-yes, I am Wang Sam… it’s an honor to meet you, young lady.”
“Good. Nice to meet you. Shall we sit and talk?”
“Yes, yes. That would be fine.”
Wonyoung spoke lightly and sat down. Ye Haesin hesitantly sat down again, eyes darting.
“Hyang-a, please bring some tea.”
“Young lady… it’s quite late.”
Hyang-a pouted. More than the time, it was clear she disliked that Ye Haesin would be drinking tea with the young lady.
Wonyoung glanced at Hyang-a and smiled with amusement.
“It’s fine. Hyang-a, please. And So-gyo, wait outside the door. Tell the nanny we’ll be back shortly.”
“Young lady, that’s not allowed.”
This time, So-gyo opposed it, for a different reason than Hyang-a. Though unspoken, she must have wanted to warn of danger. After all, her priority was Wonyoung’s safety.
“It’s okay, So-gyo. We’re just going to have a conversation. And you’ll be right in front of us.”
“Yes, young lady.”
Sigh. Who can stop the young lady’s stubbornness? So-gyo nodded resignedly, and Hyang-a grumbled as she left.
In the now quiet reception hall, Wonyoung focused her gaze on Ye Haesin.
Wonyoung rested one arm on the chair’s armrest, leaning slightly, a playful smile on her lips.
“Well, since no one’s watching, shall we greet properly again?”
Her tone was playful, but the words were not ordinary. Ye Haesin flustered.
“W-what do you mean, young lady?”
“Oh my, that tone of yours must be very uncomfortable, isn’t it?”
“Eh?”
“Ye Haesin. That’s your name, isn’t it?”
Ye Haesin’s eyes went wide. Her mouth opened as far as it could, yet no words came out.
They say when a person is extremely surprised, even a small sound cannot escape. That was exactly Ye Haesin at that moment.
“Is it strange that I know your name?”
It was strange.
But Ye Haesin could not speak. She froze stiffly.
For someone to know the name of Hao Sect’s disciple, Ye Haesin, was the same as knowing everything about her.
Where had this information leaked from?
In the brief moment, Ye Haesin’s mind raced.
She retraced everything in an instant but could not determine anything.
Wonyoung watched Ye Haesin with an intrigued gaze and continued speaking.
“Those who deal with information all make the same mistake—they think they’re the only ones who possess it.”
The information Wonyoung had was special; no one could know its source.
Now, she needed to capture Ye Haesin’s interest. Ye Haesin was obsessed with both the Hao Sect itself and information.
To build future relations with the Hao Sect, Ye Haesin would become a good starting point.
“Why do they think the information they know is all there is? You included. Isn’t it fascinating?”
Having the advantage of information—this was something Wonyoung, in the past, had never experienced, especially with Ye Haesin, who was usually the one providing information.
“This is… actually fun. Though she doesn’t seem like it.”
A small, low smile spread across Wonyoung’s face.
“Hahaha. I’ve caught one. Just as you said, young lady. This is truly fun.”
Ye Haesin’s face changed instantly, and she burst into laughter. Then she rose from her seat.
She brushed off her clothes and straightened her posture. Though in shabby attire, her demeanor and presence rivaled that of a noble’s child. Standing with poise, she spoke:
“I greet you again. Ye Haesin of Hao Sect meets the young lady of the Seol family.”
Wonyoung smiled with satisfaction. Ye Haesin’s quick grasp of the situation and adaptation pleased her.
“Wonyoung of the Seol family meets the disciple of Hao Sect.”
Wonyoung also saluted in return.
“Would you refuse to answer if I asked how you know about me?”
Ye Haesin sat down again and asked lightly, changing her tone.
The battle for information was just beginning.
Wonyoung smiled and replied in a teasing tone:
“Of course. That’s something you need to figure out yourself, isn’t it?”
She swallowed her thought that Ye Haesin would never discover it.
“Probably. Though it might not even be that important…”
Ye Haesin tapped the table lightly with her fingers.
“So, the question remains: why exactly did the noble young lady seek the Hao Sect, going so far as to reveal a spy’s identity?”
“A spy? It’s more like a double agent.”
Wonyoung pursed her lips and continued.
“What other reason would there be? It’s about information.”
“If you had that much information, you wouldn’t need the Hao Sect.”
“The more, the better, right? The more sources of information, the better.”
“Cross-verification, perhaps?” Ye Haesin smiled slyly and nodded.
“Exactly. And there are tasks to handle as well.”
Wonyoung had many tasks for Ye Haesin in the future—handling another agent, finding helpers outside.
There was no place better than the Hao Sect to delegate these tasks. It had been the same in the past.
“Good. What will you pay for it? I don’t need to say Hao Sect’s information isn’t cheap, right?”
“That much… I can offer, but in information.”
“Information?”
“Yes. Information.”
“What kind of information?”
“That depends on what you can provide, doesn’t it?”
“Hm. The information you know probably won’t be enough to balance the scales.”
Ye Haesin, as an information dealer, started by haggling the price down—it was typical of a merchant.
But Wonyoung, as a merchant’s daughter, could not lose in bargaining.
“How about this?”
Wonyoung’s lips twitched, barely holding back a smile, then slowly spoke:
“Zouhuo Ruma (Running Fire into Demonic State).”
At that moment, Ye Haesin’s carefully maintained composure and smile shattered completely.
