I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 24

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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 24

I got dressed with Sawol’s help.

“I want to eat moon cakes. Could I ask Sawol for a favor?”

“Yes? But I need to accompany you, Miss…”

“Okxiang is here, so it’s fine. I want moon cakes more than that…”

“I understand. I’ll ask the cook to make them.”

“Please do. And tell them to make a lot. Let’s eat them together when you return.”

Sawol readily headed to the kitchen where the cook would be.

In the meantime, I headed to the forest where Yeonriri was training with Okxiang.

Since Okxiang was with me, I couldn’t openly check Yeonriri’s energy.

I waited quietly for Yeonriri to finish training while lost in thought.

‘But what was that vision I saw in the armory yesterday?’

It was definitely part of Chung-rin’s memories remaining in this body.

It was strange that she, who had been confined to her residence, was strolling by the lakeside that particular day.

‘Moreover… I felt extreme despair.’

This was before witnessing Yeonhopyeong with the Blood Flame Flower, so it wasn’t despair because of him.

‘What on earth happened to Chung-rin?’

Considering the sequence of events, Chung-rin was later chased by Yeonhopyeong and threw herself into the lake.

It didn’t mean she threw herself into the lake simply because she disliked Yeonhopyeong.

Someone else was involved in her death.

Since I had a suspicion about this part, I deliberately wanted to meet Yeonriri.

Before I knew it, a gentle heat was enveloping the area around the bushes.

It must be because of Yeonriri’s Fire Demon Art.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have fallen into demonic possession, as her internal energy was calm.

Yeonjo, sometimes called the Flame Demon by people, was not only not her real father but also her parents’ enemy. Even though she must have been confused after realizing this fact, she endured well.

Even though her basic temperament was calm, since she had learned the Fire Demon Art, it must have been difficult to control her surging emotions.

‘Her real father, Yeonjeok, was said to be someone with an unusually calm personality even within the Yeomhwa Family.’

Fire Demon Art generally makes a person’s personality rough, but Yeonjeok wasn’t consumed by such dangers of the Fire Demon Art.

‘Seeing Yeonriri’s condition today, she might have obtained Yeonjeok’s martial arts manual.’

Learning the manual left by Yeonjeok would produce more certain effects than learning advanced martial arts from Yeonjo.

Before I knew it, flames rose from a corner of the bushes.

Hot flames spread vigorously. However, instead of growing larger, the fire instantly turned only two trees on one side to ash and then died out in a moment.

It was clean internal energy control.

This meant that Yeonriri had overcome another barrier.

‘If Yeonhopyeong had seen this, he would have become anxious.’

That’s how demonic arts are.

Compared to the slow and orthodox martial studies of righteous sects, the speed is fast, but once you reach a certain level, more effort is needed to rise to the next stage.

Yeonhopyeong received the full support of the Yeomhwa Family but fell into demonic possession, and to escape this state, he chose the Blood Flame Flower.

On the other hand, Yeonriri had been suppressed all along but bloomed the flower of Fire Demon Art with her real father’s manual.

If this fact became known, it would cause an uproar within the Yeomhwa Family.

That’s why Yeonriri was deliberately hiding and training.

‘It’s still far off, but since her achievements are fast, Yeonjo will soon notice Yeonriri’s changes too.’

Yeonriri’s growth was proceeding more perfectly than my plan.

This also meant that I had judged Yeonriri as a person well.

However, this situation wasn’t necessarily good for Yeonriri.

Because Yeonjo would try to check Yeonriri, who could threaten the position of Minor Family Head.

A moment later.

“Miss Chung.”

A smile appeared on Yeonriri’s face when she discovered me, for the first time in a while.

Despite achieving great success, her expression was utterly calm.

“That flame earlier, did Miss Yeon create it? It was impressive.”

I admired the Fire Demon Art flame that had burned exactly two trees and checked her expression.

“I still have a long way to go. I’m barely at the 2nd level.”

It would still take time for her to reach the 10th level and achieve mastery.

I just nodded and continued with greetings.

“Have you been well? I was going to come yesterday, but something came up so I couldn’t.”

“Yesterday, I heard the Family Head visited your residence with the Minor Family Head? Today too, the Minor Family Head came to your residence to have breakfast with you.”

“I had no appetite so I didn’t eat. Being with that guy makes me lose my appetite too.”

When I openly showed my dislike, Yeonriri smiled as if troubled.

“Then would you like to come to my residence for tea? I’m also a bit hungry after training.”

Seeing Yeonriri ask casually, she definitely had something to tell me.

I decided to visit her residence right away.

In her residence, the buds of Snow Magnolia were giving off a deeper fragrance. Since it was a flower that only lived in Cheonsan where demonic energy was strong, looking at those buds gave me a strange feeling.

“I found out about Yuhwa, who was your maid.”

“What happened to Yuhwa?”

“…She disappeared. It was three years after she was assigned to Seocheonggwan.”

Chung-rin came to the Yeomhwa Family from Seolsan with two maids.

One of them was as good as killed by Yeonhopyeong, and the other was framed for theft and driven away to a remote place.

Chung-rin always wondered if she was alive, and if so, whether she was well.

Related words remained in her notebook too.

[Yuhwa.]

[Life or death unconfirmable.]

She seemed to have tried to find out in her own way but ultimately couldn’t find her.

But recently, the second son Yeon Ho-ryeong mentioned Yuhwa while taking a walk with me.

He even asked if I wanted to meet her.

Chung-rin would have heard those words too.

Judging by how he made such a request using Yuhwa as a hostage, Yeon Ho-ryeong must have had something he wanted from Chung-rin.

“You can’t even know if she’s alive or dead?”

“No. It wasn’t recorded. They said Seocheonggwan where she worked was famous for its harsh work. Perhaps there she…”

She meant she might have died while working.

Without realizing it, I gripped the teacup tightly.

I hoped that Yuhwa, who was Chung-rin’s precious friend, was alive, but the possibility wasn’t very high.

It seemed that to properly know about Yuhwa, I had no choice but to contact Yeon Ho-ryeong.

“Young Master Yeon Ho-ryeong mentioned Yuhwa.”

I deliberately brought this up to Yeonriri.

“Brother Ryeong did?”

“Yes. I’m not sure why he said such things.”

I held back my words for now.

According to information from Chung-rin, it seemed Yeonriri wasn’t on particularly good terms with Yeonhopyeong and Yeon Ho-ryeong.

Those two seemed to unconsciously distance themselves from Yeonriri, who had outstanding qualities.

Still, since I couldn’t completely trust Yeonriri yet, I made a cautious choice.

“I’ll look into it.”

Yeonriri said she would investigate more, being favorable toward me.

I was confident that the more she knew about Yeonhopyeong and Yeon Ho-ryeong, the more advantageous it would be for me.

“Will that be okay? You’re busy preparing for the wedding ceremony. And that day, you looked unwell, so I wondered if you were sick.”

“There was just something confusing, but I’m fine now.”

“Really? Then that’s a relief.”

When I asked seriously, Yeonriri quietly stared at me. As if responding to her gaze, I added a word.

“Even if I can’t help Miss Yeon, I can listen to your worries, so tell me anytime you need to.”

Ripples formed in her reddish-brown eyes.

“And Miss Yeon, you can call me Chung-rin.”

“Should I?”

She was known as the precious daughter of the Yeomhwa Family, but in reality, she had been confined and isolated.

“Chung-rin. When we’re alone, I’ll call you that.”

“Yes. I am…”

“Just call me Miss Yeon. If you don’t like that, sister is fine too.”

She was smiling faintly.

‘She must have figured out my real name too.’

Her real name was Yeonhyeonbi.

Since Yeonjo had forcibly renamed her Yeonriri when he adopted her, she couldn’t use the name Hyeonbi.

Perhaps that’s why she didn’t want me to call her Riri.

“Alright. In private places, I’ll call you sister.”

“That sounds good.”

The secret history of the Yeomhwa Family had clearly shaken her heart.

Right now, she couldn’t clearly distinguish who was enemy and who was ally.

Yeonjo was the killer of her birth parents, and Yeonjo’s wife had no interest in her. She might even be an accomplice in killing her birth parents.

Yeonhopyeong and Yeonhoryeong were actually her cousin brothers, but they weren’t close. Rather, they were the ones who had taken her place.

I had penetrated into her empty heart as she became isolated in an instant.

Having been captured by the Yeomhwa Family and having lost most of my memories, I was the only person she didn’t need to be wary of.

The heart is like a solid fortress wall. But once you remove suspicion and open the door just once, the wall crumbles surprisingly quickly.

This was exactly the situation in which I had penetrated her heart.

Yeonriri played an important role in my plan. So I intended to put effort into becoming close with her.

“Chung-rin. Eat more of this. You’re too thin.”

Yeonriri piled refreshments in front of me. They were soft snacks that wouldn’t upset my stomach.

I thought I was merely using her, but I found this time facing her pleasant.

I felt a pleasant warmth in a corner of my chest.

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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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