Blooming even in the mud - Chapter 27

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Mud-Blooming Lotus Chapter 27
 
 
 
Unsure of how to face Gyeong Won-ui at that moment, Yoo Seo-hwa pressed a hand over her wildly fluttering chest and bowed deeply. The other maidservants, only noticing Gyeong Won-ui belatedly due to her reaction, hurriedly stepped off the path and bowed as well.
“…….”
Gyeong Won-ui’s gaze shifted askance toward Yoo Seo-hwa. The beautiful, elegant grace of Princess Sukjeong was completely gone, leaving only a shabby woman in its place.
‘The tables have turned.’
Gyeong Won-ui twisted his lips into a mocking smile.
He, who had been imprisoned in the Imperial Prison covered in blood and subjected to torture, was now a proud Meritorious Official and a great general, while his splendid former lover who had ruthlessly abandoned him had fallen into a wretched slave.
Perhaps sensing Gyeong Won-ui’s gaze fixed upon her, her lowered head and shoulders shrank back further and further.
‘She is the child of the enemy I could not kill.’
Since he could not take revenge on the father, it was only right to extract it from the child.
Veins bulged on the back of Gyeong Won-ui’s hand as it gripped the stones piled around the well.

Even after driving his mother and sister to their deaths, she was a woman who had mocked him.
If he had killed her when they reunited at the Princess’s Residence, he would never have been trifled with by her detestable, deceitful words.
‘Killing her would have been easy.’
Both when they reunited, and when he was clutching the letter that mocked the deaths of his mother and sister, he could have killed her if he had simply set his mind to it.
Even if he were to seize her throat and snap her neck right this second, no one would care about the death of a mere slave.
And yet.

The trembling, fearful eyes when he had grabbed her chin, and the familiar scent of her body that he had once eagerly breathed in, confused him.
As if the past five years had been nothing but a terrible nightmare, and she was still whispering that she was his lovely sweetheart.
Gyeong Won-ui bit his lip and turned away. As he walked, splashing through the water, he could hear the restless movement of the maidservants heading toward the well side. Only then did the chill of the water soaking his body strike his skin with an eerie sharpness.
He utterly did not know what to do with this woman whom he should have killed but failed to.
 
‘No matter how much I think about it, it’s suspicious.’
Since the life and death of a slave depended entirely on the master, slaves had no choice but to be adept at reading their master’s expression and catering to their whims. The Head Slave who managed the slaves, Deok-sun, was no different.
‘There definitely seems to be something between the Master and that nameless woman. What could it be?’
Deok-sun’s eyes followed Yoo Seo-hwa as she worked diligently while he pondered deeply. He hadn’t kept an eye on that slave from the very beginning, the one he had mindlessly started calling “No-name” because she wouldn’t even reveal her own name.
Were there only one or two aristocrats who ruined their lives and fell from grace during the reign of the late Emperor Xuanwen? Countless nobles had suddenly been reduced to slaves, and Deok-sun had dealt with them all.
‘The attitude of noblewomen or young ladies who become slaves overnight is usually similar.’
First, they couldn’t adapt to reality. Still thinking they were highborn masters, they would throw tantrums or take to their beds with illnesses brought on by stress. In those cases, Deok-sun’s method of handling them was simple. He would subject them to a harsh hazing or starve them.
‘Only after realizing that they had to work to get even a meal fit for dogs just to keep from starving to death did those proud noble lords finally surrender. Every single one of them.’
They either accepted reality or gave up. Of course, there were some who took their own lives in the middle of the night or were caught by slave hunters while attempting to escape.
‘But No-name was compliant from the very start. I’ve never seen a noble like that before.’
Deok-sun tilted his head in puzzlement.
Yoo Seo-hwa had been remarkably submissive from the moment she crossed the threshold of the mansion. With her head deeply lowered and a face heavily steeped in resignation alongside her sorrow, she never resisted no matter what she was ordered to do.
It was a highly unusual attitude for someone from an aristocratic background whose pride usually pierced the heavens.
‘I overlooked it as nothing special at the time, but thinking about it now, she was definitely different from the others.’
Deok-sun also knew that Dal-rae and the other servants of the house had bullied Yoo Seo-hwa. It wasn’t Yoo Seo-hwa’s fault. To the slaves, it didn’t matter who the noble was, as long as it was someone who used to lord over their heads and had now fallen to the same lowly rock bottom as them.
It was only less severe when Kkot-bun, who always shielded her, was by her side. Despite everything, Yoo Seo-hwa never once whimpered or complained.
‘That must be why the other girls found No-name to be even more of an eyesore.’
No matter how badly they treated her, she remained detached, and an aura of nobility that could not be hidden even by her shabby, destitute clothing emanated from her. That appearance had likely provoked the slaves even further.
“No-name, come over here for a moment.”
“Yes, I will be right there.”
Yoo Seo-hwa, who had been mixing vinegar with lye made from burned animal bones, wiped her hands on her skirt and walked over with hurried steps.
Deok-sun scrutinized Yoo Seo-hwa for a moment.
The bullying from the other slaves had abruptly stopped not too long ago.
‘Before half a day had even passed, every single slave came to know the news that the Master, who had returned to the mansion after a long absence, had singled her out and taken her away, so it’s a natural reaction. Even a girl like Dal-rae wouldn’t dare touch her mindlessly.’
Even without that, the slaves had been on high alert because their new master rarely showed his face.
‘The unfamiliar Master showed signs of knowing No-name. It’s only natural that everyone is carefully watching their step.’
On that day, Yoo Seo-hwa had returned only after a very long time had passed. Even after seeing her swollen eyes which made it obvious that she had cried, he had asked nothing.
Since their relationship wasn’t clear, Deok-sun had let it slide for that day, but after hearing about what happened at dawn today, he could no longer stay still.

Recalling the chattering voice of the maidservant, Deok-sun asked point-blank.
“What kind of relationship did you have with the Master in the past?”
“……!”
Yoo Seo-hwa didn’t answer immediately, but her shoulders flinched. Believing he was right, Deok-sun continued his questioning.
“Since there are no hereditary servants who served the Master closely from before, the only thing I know is that he was implicated in a treason case five years ago. I don’t know what his family relations were like, nor do I know about his acquaintances or relatives.”
“…….”
“Judging by your manner of speech, it seems you lived in the Capital City all along. Have you known the Master since five years ago?”
“…….”
“You need to give me an explanation so that I know how to handle things on my end.”
Yoo Seo-hwa, who had remained silent, barely parted her lips.
“……With the Master.”
As if the word ‘Master’ was extremely awkward, she rolled the unfamiliar pronunciation on the tip of her tongue and swallowed hard once.
“I have no relationship with the Master.”
Deok-sun knitted his brows. It wasn’t the answer he wanted, nor did it seem to be the truth. However, since she herself denied it, there was no sign that she would speak honestly even if he pressed further.
“Sigh, I understand. I’ll take care of it myself. Is there nothing else you want to say?”
“There isn’t…….”
Yoo Seo-hwa, who was about to answer reflexively that there was nothing, bit her lip once and changed her words.
“There is one favor I would like to ask of you.”
 
Gyeong Won-ui woke up around the time the eastern window began to be dyed with the cold light of dawn. Because he was someone who woke up at a set hour, maidservants were already waiting outside the door in a timely manner even without him pulling the bell cord.
He washed his face with the basin water brought by the maidservants and wiped himself with a silk handkerchief. After lightly eating his early morning gruel, he rode his horse around the training grounds or loosened up his body in the cool morning air.
Returning to wash again and have breakfast, it was then time to head to the government office.
Since he had come to reside in the mansion, most of his days began that way. Throughout the time he stayed at home before going to the office and after returning, Gyeong Won-ui was attended to by various servants.
In the past, he had never paid close attention to the faces of the slaves, except for two or two servants who had served him closely since childhood.
Lately, however, Gyeong Won-ui was subconsciously scanning the slaves. Especially the female slaves.
‘……Not today either.’
Watching the maidservants approach to serve his meal, Gyeong Won-ui unconsciously furrowed his brow. Then, realizing that he was looking for ‘someone’ again, his expression hardened with displeasure.
Even though he had no idea what he would do or how he would act if he actually found her.
Since their encounter by the well, Yoo Seo-hwa had vanished from Gyeong Won-ui’s sight, as if she had completely vanished into thin air.
 
* * *
 
“Won-ui.”
A visitor came to the government office. It was Chu Se-gu, who was consolidating his power in the Imperial Court as a Meritorious Official of the Coup.
Calling out to Gyeong Won-ui familiarly as he entered, Chu Se-gu made a sly show of bowing.
“Oh my, you are a proud general now, yet my old habit slipped out.”
“Since you were a long-time friend of my father, you are no different from a parent to me as well. Please speak comfortably.”
“Haha. Then I shall treat you comfortably just as before.”
Gyeong Won-ui politely greeted him and offered him a seat.
In the past, when Gyeong Baek-jong was imprisoned, Chu Se-gu had submitted a memorial to save his life, and he had also helped him when he was hiding in the shadow of King Ning. Thanks to that, he also connected with King Ning, responding from within and becoming a Meritorious Official of the Coup.
Because of this, Gyeong Won-ui held no great resentment toward Chu Se-gu. Although a gap of five years meant they were not as close as before, Chu Sim-yang was also his close friend.
Chu Se-gu did not decline and seated himself first.
“If Gyeong Baek-jong, that old friend of mine, could see you now, how delighted would he be? It is truly a wonderful thing that you have risen to an even higher position than before.”
“…….”
Without a word, Gyeong Won-ui poured the tea brought by a soldier for Chu Se-gu. Although he held no great resentment toward Chu Se-gu, it did not mean he held any affection for him.
From a long time ago, Gyeong Won-ui had always found Chu Se-gu strangely uncomfortable.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————