I Became My Ex-Boyfriend’s Concubine - Chapter 59

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 59

Kang Sang-sik wrenched his captured hand free and threw himself flat against the ground.
The artisans behind him dropped their tools at once and lowered themselves in unison.
“It’s… it’s Dan-bi!”
“We pay our respects to the Noble Lady Dan-bi!”
With his forehead pressed hard against the floor of the Sangui-won, Kang Sang-sik swallowed dryly. The dust rising from the ground stung his nostrils, but that was the least of his concerns.
Could it truly be that the woman who had just seen his face, laughed brightly, and seized his hand in hers—could she actually be that Noble Lady?
The formidable woman who now monopolized the King’s favor?
“No, please, all of you get up. You’ll soil your clothes.”
Dan-bi, looking flustered, bent her knees and grasped Kang Sang-sik’s shoulders to pull him upright. Bewildered, he found himself face to face with her, his expression blank.
“By the way, Manager Kang, you’re just the same here too. So you were the master craftsman of the Sangui-won?”
Manager Kang? Could she possibly be addressing him?
Kang Sang-sik struggled to untangle his scrambled thoughts and got to his feet.
None of this made sense.
How could this woman, whom he was meeting for the first time, treat him with such familiarity as though they had known each other for years?
Wait.
A far more terrifying realization crept up his spine moments later.
‘I’ve just held the hand of the woman favored by the King himself—what in heaven’s name will come of this?’
Cold sweat poured down his back. If word of this got out, it could cost him his head.
Kang Sang-sik retreated step by step as though he had witnessed something forbidden, bowing so deeply the earth itself might have opened beneath him.
“I pay my respects to the Noble Lady Dan-bi.”
He needed to maintain distance above all else.
Within the palace walls, a careless word could mean death.
Should the King learn of this bizarre scene, there was no telling what punishment might follow.
A furrow suddenly deepened between Kang Sang-sik’s brows.
Before Dan-bi arrived, he had sworn to establish the dignity of the Sangui-won, to seize the initiative.
Yet the moment she stepped through the door, his resolve shattered completely.
Could this all be deliberate?
Yes, it had to be.
‘She’s pretending to know a man she’s meeting for the first time, casting my very soul adrift. It’s a scheme to seize the Sangui-won into her hands, all while riding on the King’s favor.’
It was as Kang Sang-sik steeled himself, fighting to steady his trembling nerves and draw up his sharp vigilance, that—
“Begging your pardon, Noble Lady, but what brings you to this humble place?”
All eyes turned toward the impertinent voice from behind.
It was Kwon, a man standing askew with an Iron Hammer in one hand.
Kang Sang-sik shot him a murderous look, but Kwon didn’t so much as snort in response. His usual manner of treating the master craftsman—as though he were some stray mutt—showed no sign of changing.
“Oh, before that, would it be alright if I introduced myself first?”
Dan-bi slowly looked around at the people of the Sangui-won.
“I’m Dan-bi. Starting today, I’ll be working here with all of you. I look forward to our time together!”
It was a manner of speech utterly devoid of propriety.
Rather than speaking down to her inferiors, she used polite speech with them, leaving the seamstresses bewildered as to how they should respond, exchanging only glances with one another.
Some of the artisans even wondered if their ears had deceived them, reaching up to scratch their heads in confusion.
Dan-bi paid it no mind and clasped her hands respectfully, then fixed her gaze directly on Kwon.
“You asked what I came for, didn’t you?”
Kwon’s eyebrows twitched with displeasure. Dan-bi placed her hands confidently on her hips.
“Obviously, I came to make clothes. Or rather, not clothes exactly.”
“Is it garments for His Majesty the King?”
Myeong-i, who had been standing beside Dan-bi, asked eagerly, her eyes gleaming. Dan-bi let out a faint smile.
“News travels fast, doesn’t it?”
“My goodness, so it really is—!”
“I’m afraid not.”
At her firm answer, Myeong-i’s head tilted in confusion.
The other seamstresses were equally puzzled. If not the King’s garments, then what in the world could she mean to have made?
“We’re going to make something very large. Many of them.”
“More so than a Ceremonial Robe?”
“Yes. Many more, and much larger!”
While everyone stood at a loss, Kang Sang-sik stepped forward and asked.
“More specifically, what exactly are we to…”
“The moon.”
Dan-bi’s lips curved into a clear smile.
“During the Rain Prayer Ceremony, we’ll create a large cloth moon to float above the ground.”
“The moon…… You mean to say?”
“Yes. We’ll weave several pieces of cloth together to make an enormous moon.”
Kang Sang-sik’s eyes widened.
Sangui-won was already consumed with preparations for the Rain Prayer Ceremony, hardly a moment to breathe.
Everyone was beside themselves arranging the Lord’s robes and the various garments needed for the rituals.
And now she spoke of sewing together dozens of pieces of cloth to create some massive moon.
There was barely a month left before the Rain Prayer Ceremony.
Perhaps sensing the craftsmen’s bewildered expressions, Dan-bi laughed brightly.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already sketched out the entire design. You all just need to assist me.”
At her words, Kang Sang-sik’s brow furrowed deeply.
It sounded as though lending her manpower wasn’t enough—she meant to seize control of Sangui-won itself and bend it to her will.
That much he could never abide.
Had he not sworn to himself before the noble lady arrived that no matter what happened, he would never relinquish Sangui-won’s authority?
Kang Sang-sik pressed his trembling lips together and spoke with deliberate care.
“However, Dan-bi, while I can certainly provide as many hands as you require, I’m afraid I cannot yield the authority of Sangui-won.”
Kang Sang-sik deliberately swept his gaze across the craftsmen standing behind him with solemn formality.
“These people are skilled artisans who have devoted their entire lives to needlework and forge labor. No matter how extraordinary your talents may be, I cannot allow such noble hands to toil in this harsh workshop.”
His words were respectful, but his meaning was unmistakable.
It was a blunt warning: don’t meddle, novice—stay out of the way.
Dan-bi’s lips closed for a moment. Kang Sang-sik, his head bowed, smiled with quiet satisfaction.
Surely she would give up and withdraw now.
He would have to go to the trouble of remaking the troublesome garment, but at least Sangui-won’s dignity would remain intact.
But Dan-bi’s response caught him completely off guard.
“In other words, you’re saying my skills are nowhere near adequate?”
Her blunt strike at the heart of the matter left Kang Sang-sik flustered, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly.
Just as he was about to launch into excuses, Dan-bi cut him off.
“I’ll prove it.”
“…… I beg your pardon?”
“I’ll show you my abilities firsthand.”
Dan-bi rolled up her sleeves without hesitation. She placed her hands on her hips and rolled her neck lightly from side to side.
She looked rather like a commander preparing for battle.
“So, what should I start with?”
“Dan-bi, if you injure your hands doing this, what will you do——!”
“It’s fine. Som-i, you just watch from the side.”
Dan-bi soothed the anxious Som-i and fixed her gaze intently on Kang Sang-sik once more.
Kang Sang-sik, initially caught off guard, began to calculate.
The turn of events was unexpected, but it worked in his favor. There was no way a woman raised as delicate as a flower could match craftsmen who spent every waking hour with needle and hammer in hand.
Kang Sang-sik reluctantly parted his lips as though consenting.
“Since you insist, I suppose I have no choice. Come this way, then.”
Kang Sang-sik led Dan-bi toward the workroom deeper inside Sangui-won. His lips curled upward as he turned away.
He would teach her exactly how costly it was to underestimate Sangui-won. She wouldn’t so much as place a single stitch properly in silk before she fled with her own feet.
Scraps of cloth scattered across the floor scattered further at the lightness of his footsteps.
He mentally sorted through the most notoriously difficult tasks Sangui-won was known for.
His eyes met Dan-bi’s confident gaze. He was certain her face would soon contort in distress.
But it was a grave miscalculation on Kang Sang-sik’s part.

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