I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11

‘Third Prince, Wicheonso.’

The only man among the Sect Leader’s three disciples who had not married.

To be precise, he had held a wedding ceremony but killed his bride.

I recalled Wicheonso’s background that I had received from Chung-rin.

After it was suddenly revealed that Wicheonso was the Sect Leader’s disciple, he received all the attention from the believers.

Then, three years ago, he rose to the position of Third Prince.

His subsequent actions were even more radical.

He received full authority from the Sect Leader to execute apostates. This meant he had the Sect Leader’s trust.

However, the Third Prince showed no interest in the Sect Leader’s position. So within the sect, they speculated that whoever received his support between the First Prince and Second Prince would become the Young Sect Leader.

It made sense.

The First Prince and Second Prince were already those who had their own forces even ten years ago when I was active.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the possibility of Third Prince Wicheonso surpassing them to become the Mageyo Sect Leader was nonexistent.

At least that’s how it appeared on the surface.

‘But that man… isn’t someone who would be satisfied with the Third Prince position.’

His inscrutable appearance, constantly watching and testing me, bothered me.

From my perspective, he was seeing something that others couldn’t see.

‘The reason Wicheonso is interested in the Yeomhwa Family.’

Perhaps finding out that reason could be helpful to me.

If I could just create a connection with Wicheonso, I might be able to change the direction of this wedding ceremony that’s pressuring me.

‘Let’s block marriage with marriage.’

Only someone at the Third Prince level would be able to intercept the Yeon family’s marriage.

It’s still just in the planning stage, but if I plan it well, it might become quite a good picture.

So I immediately wrote another letter.

I have thought about what you said to me.

Although I am confined, I believe there may be a way to repay your kindness.

As soon as the ink dried, I sealed the letter tightly.

“This one is for the Third Prince.”

“Understood.”

Okxiang put the letter in her bosom.

I took a short breath and organized my thoughts.

With Sangteon-dang’s intelligence network, they would also find a way to contact the Third Prince.

This was a good start.

Not long after, when Sawol returned and filled the seat beside me.

There was a knocking sound from outside along with a servant’s voice.

“Young Master Yeomnhoryeong has arrived.”

Yeomnhoryeong visited my quarters after a week.

“The young lady is currently resting.”

Sawol skillfully raised her voice to convey her intention to turn away Yeomnhoryeong.

Probably whoever sent her here had ordered her to prevent Yeomnhoryeong from meeting me.

I raised my hand to stop Sawol’s action.

“Sawol. Tell Prince Ryeong that I’ll come out to see him soon.”

“What? Will you be alright…?”

“Don’t worry too much. He’s going to be family soon.”

Of course, I had no intention of becoming family.

Sawol nodded with a displeased expression.

“Young Master. The young lady says she will change her clothes and come out.”

It became quiet outside the door. My answer seemed satisfactory.

I changed into outdoor clothes. Sawol’s hands moved busily to neatly arrange my hair.

My appearance in the mirror was neat.

But strangely, a cold energy rose from deep in my abdomen.

This wasn’t my emotion as Chung-rin.

The sensation of wanting to escape that was imprinted in Huirin’s memories.

Instinctive fear spreading from the heart.

It was the sensation toward Yeomnhoryeong, whose name I didn’t even want to speak.

I suppressed Huirin’s emotions.

I had to leave only Chung-rin’s sharp judgment that pierced through people with information, read intentions, and devised schemes.

Because right now, Yeomnhoryeong is a necessary existence to me.

As soon as I finished dressing up, I came out of the door.

Yeomnhoryeong, who was standing in front of the garden flower bed, turned his head.

Those eyes stopped when they saw me.

As if he was seeing me like this for the first time, he couldn’t continue speaking for a while.

“Young Lady…, you are truly beautiful today.”

My body trembled finely at Yeomnhoryeong’s voice. Still, I ignored my body’s reaction.

Right now, I had to face Yeomnhoryeong and confirm the current state I was in.

“It’s really nice to meet you outside, Young Lady. Even the flowers blooming in the flower bed seem to pale in comparison to your beauty.”

He seemed to act politely, but couldn’t hide his expression mixed with ulterior motives.

I didn’t avoid that gaze.

“I don’t really like being compared to flowers.”

As if it was an unwanted answer, Yeomnhoryeong’s brow furrowed slightly.

But that was only for a moment.

Yeomnhoryeong smiled again.

“…Have your memories returned somewhat?”

“No.”

“…”

As if he thought it was another unexpected answer, Yeomnhoryeong’s smile disappeared from his lips.

“Perhaps because you lost your memory, you feel unfamiliar to me, Young Lady.”

Yeomnhoryeong persistently stood close beside me.

“Shall we go see the duck family at the pond near the main building? Seeing familiar things might bring back your memories.”

“I’ll decline. I’m sick and tired of water now.”

“I, I see. How about the 100-year-old Hwaryeong tree in the center of the main building? It’s a sacred tree containing the energy of Cheonsan…”

“Rather than that, I heard the Evergreen Magnolias bloomed beautifully.”

When I cut off Yeomnhoryeong’s words and answered like this, a flustered expression clearly appeared on his face.

Before he could open his mouth, I gestured to Sawol.

“Sawol, could you guide me to where I can see the Evergreen Magnolias?”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

Sawol quietly guided me.

Yeomnhoryeong reluctantly followed beside me.

The place where Sawol stopped was a flower bed near Yeonriri’s quarters.

“Those flowers there.”

Purple flowers were blooming on black tree trunks and black branches.

Evergreen Magnolias were a rare species that only bloomed in Cheonsan, flowers that bloomed in winter’s cold and disappeared with the short spring.

“They look exactly like purple snow clusters hanging on the tree.”

Although I had received many reports about Cheonsan, this was the first time seeing Evergreen Magnolias directly.

Evergreen Magnolias were flowers that could only be seen in Cheonsan, and only in the Seven Great Families, the prestigious families.

“Since spring is short, I thought they would have already fallen, but they’re still blooming. Since the Family Head only planted Evergreen Magnolias near Riri’s quarters, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen them this close.”

Yeomnhoryeong added this explanation.

“I was worried because Riri dislikes people coming around the Evergreen Magnolias, but fortunately that child doesn’t seem to be here today.”

This time Yeomnhoryeong spoke quietly to Sawol.

“I have something to say to Young Lady Jeok, so please excuse yourself for a moment.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Sawol glanced at me briefly, then stepped back.

Only Yeomnhoryeong and I remained in front of the Evergreen Magnolia.

“Have you perhaps remembered anything about ‘Yuhwa’?”

The moment that name left Yeomnhoryeong’s lips, ripples spread through my heart.

It meant that Yeomnhoryeong had stirred Huirin’s emotions.

I calmed my pounding heart and asked back as if it were nothing.

“Is she someone I should remember?”

“Yuhwa is a maid who came down from Seolsan with the young lady.”

Yeomnhoryeong carefully approached me and brushed my wrist with his fingertips.

“She was punished for the crime of stealing my belongings and sent to a harsh place.”

At that moment, fragmentary memories of Yuhwa surfaced.

“I really didn’t steal it. It was just lying near the residence, so I brought it thinking it was the young lady’s…”

“I’ll accept any punishment. Please just let me stay by the young lady’s side.”

She was a maid with a youthful face, the same age as Huirin.

As Yeomnhoryeong said, she was beaten according to family law, then banished to the harsh lands.

For the next four years, Huirin couldn’t meet Yuhwa.

In such circumstances, Yeomnhoryeong had mentioned Yuhwa.

If I were truly Huirin, I would have asked about Yuhwa’s life or death, but I deliberately put on an indifferent expression and pretended to ignore Yeomnhoryeong’s words.

“Don’t you want to know about Yuhwa?”

When Yeomnhoryeong’s voice reached my ear, a chilling sensation rose from my spine.

My heart beat violently and cold sweat seeped into my palms.

“If you want to meet Yuhwa, please tell me. Just like that day…”

Though his words were gentle, it was clearly a threat.

He was trying to extract something from me using Yuhwa as leverage.

The moment he tried to grab my hand, I pushed him away.

“…Young Lady Jeok?”

Yeomnhoryeong furrowed his brow in confusion. When anger showed on his flushed face.

“Brother Ryeong?”

A familiar voice made him stop.

The sound of fabric rustling in the wind could be heard as a woman walked toward us.

Yeonriri had finished her training and returned to the residence.

“Riri. It’s been a long time.”

Upon facing Yeonriri, Yeomnhoryeong returned to his gentle expression.

“I heard you’ve been busy preparing for the wedding ceremony lately.”

“I’m the one seeing Brother Ryeong after a long time. But what brings you all the way to my residence?”

Yeonriri’s gaze fell on me.

She seemed curious about why I was with Yeomnhoryeong.

I bowed in greeting, then approached her side. My fingertips, which had nearly touched Yeomnhoryeong, trembled slightly.

“Young Lady Jeok said she wanted to see the Evergreen Magnolia. So we came out for a brief walk together.”

Yeonriri looked between me and Yeomnhoryeong once each, then turned to me with an expressionless face.

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