I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 62

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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 62

 

Chapter 12. Cheonmu Festival

 

“This is what the Third Prince’s wife, Chung-rin of Seolsan Chungga, brought yesterday after their wedding ceremony.”

 

“Seolsan. Seolsan, you say…”

 

Mahu hastily stood up and opened the box.

 

Inside was Chungga’s secret treasure, the spirit pill called Jeokseolhwan.

 

The clear fragrance of Jeokseolhwan instantly filled the training hall.

 

A single tear rolled down Mahu’s cheek as she gazed at the Jeokseolhwan for a long while.

 

“You’ve returned… You’ve finally returned.”

 

Lady Molyeon was greatly surprised by Mahu’s reaction and approached her.

 

This was the first time she had shown such intense emotion since losing her son.

 

The air in Eunyangung trembled slightly.

 

The frozen years, like ice, were beginning to thaw just a little.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

Unlike Yeonjo who was imprisoned in Naeok, Yeonriri stayed in a safe house belonging to Cheopyeongdang.

 

She had prepared herself for harsh interrogation since Cheopyeongdang was handling the investigation, but Simjung, the head of Cheopyeongdang, said something unexpected.

 

“Miss Yeon, if you answer the interrogator’s questions truthfully, there will be no harsh treatment.”

 

Hearing this lessened her worry, but it was still too early to feel relieved.

 

Yeonriri spent the night sleepless, thinking about what lay ahead.

 

The door that had been firmly shut while confining her only opened well past the next afternoon.

 

A man sat across from her, his ornate sleeves fluttering.

 

It was Third Prince Wicheonso.

 

“Did you rest a little last night?”

 

He possessed an otherworldly beauty, but to Yeonriri, even his appearance seemed to have lost its humanity. Just facing him made her shoulders tremble.

 

Wicheonso, having received authority from Cheonjon to immediately eliminate apostates, had personally beheaded Yeonhopyeong right in front of Yeonriri.

 

So it wouldn’t be strange if he beheaded her today as well.

 

He asked several perfunctory questions with an expressionless face.

 

Did she know from Yeonjo that Wicheonso was searching for the Bloodstone Flower?

 

Was there anything suspicious about Yeonhopyeong?

 

Was there anyone who sympathized with Yeonhopyeong?

 

If there were any relatives close to Yeonhopyeong, please tell him about them.

 

The questions continued, and Yeonriri calmly told only what she knew.

 

Wicheonso quietly listened to all her answers, then added one final question.

 

“What was your reason for stopping Yeonhopyeong?”

 

“Because it was the natural duty of a follower of the Heavenly Sect.”

 

“Natural, you say… Sometimes that word becomes a frightening one.”

 

Even while meeting Wicheonso’s red eyes, Yeonriri held her head high with dignity. She believed she had done nothing wrong.

 

“Before Yeonhopyeong came to Gyojeon, he killed his younger brother, Prince Yeon Ho-ryeong. Is Prince Yeon Ho-ryeong also related to this incident?”

 

“I don’t know much about that. I wasn’t on very good terms with my brothers.”

 

“I understand. I’ll have you sent home soon. However, until you’re completely cleared of suspicion, all members of the Yeon family, including you, Miss Yeon, will be under house arrest and won’t be able to attend the Cheonmu Festival.”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

She had expected to be confined for a long time, but the interrogation ended unexpectedly quickly, leaving Yeonriri with a bewildered expression.

 

Wicheonso brushed off his clothes and stood up.

 

Due to his ornate clothing, he seemed to be the only one radiating light in this dreary space.

 

“Miss Yeon was confined immediately after Yeonhopyeong’s death, so you probably don’t know much. Let me explain further. I’m sending you home as a special favor for the sake of my wife, Chung-rin.”

 

Yeonriri looked up at Wicheonso with an expression as if she’d been struck.

 

Wife, Chung-rin…

 

It meant that the wedding ceremony, which she thought would naturally be canceled after Yeonhopyeong’s death, had been held.

 

And it meant that the groom was Wicheonso.

 

“Did Chung-rin… ask you to look after me?”

 

Wicheonso let out a hollow laugh.

 

“She didn’t. However, it seems you were the only one in that household who took care of my wife. So please continue to treat my wife well in the future.”

 

“Ah…”

 

She never would have imagined that the Third Prince, famous in the Heavenly Sect for being capricious and cruel, would say such things, so Yeonriri couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.

 

“I, I will.”

 

Her mind went blank, and Yeonriri answered without even being conscious of what she was saying.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

That night, Wicheonso did not return to the bridal chamber. It was because of a mission he had received from the Sect Leader.

 

Thanks to receiving advance notice that Wicheonso couldn’t come, I was able to concentrate on training my mental cultivation technique in the bedroom.

 

Thanks to practicing energy circulation whenever I had time, my internal energy had also stabilized considerably. If I continued like this, I would be able to smoothly remove the third needle.

 

When I opened my eyes after practicing energy circulation until dawn, it was already the hour of the Rabbit (5-7 AM).

 

As dawn was faintly breaking, I thought I’d go outside Cheonyanggung to stretch my body.

 

There I saw Wicheonso standing in red clothes.

 

His clothing was well-groomed without the slightest dishevelment.

 

His long hair fluttered in the dawn breeze.

 

His red eyes, resembling the deep color of sunset, turned toward me.

 

“You woke up early, I see.”

 

“When did you arrive?”

 

“Just now. It doesn’t seem proper to leave a bride alone right after the wedding, so I thought we might have breakfast together.”

 

“Ah…”

 

I didn’t know that Wicheonso, who was said to have a capricious nature, was someone who cared about such etiquette.

 

“If it’s alright with you, I’ll have breakfast prepared. The path to the rear garden is open at this time, so shall we take a leisurely stroll before then?”

 

I called out to stop him as he was about to step away from me.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

As if he hadn’t expected my question, Wicheonso’s eyes widened round before narrowing into thin crescents.

 

“Are you asking because you’re worried I might cut down my wife? Don’t worry. I have no reason to draw my sword today.”

 

The moment he smiled, something chilling passed through the end of that smile.

 

It felt like a thin, hidden blade passing beneath silk touched by fingertips.

 

I unconsciously brushed my chest.

 

Perhaps because the sun hadn’t risen yet, or because I remembered when we were alone together in the bridal chamber, I felt a little tense.

 

Worried that being alone with him again might make me unnecessarily nervous, I quickly changed the subject.

 

“Did you find the apostate?”

 

“My subordinates are quite capable. As a result of the investigation, we found the identity of the courier who delivered the Bloodstone Flower to Yeonhopyeong.”

 

“Then the Bloodstone Flower incident must be resolved.”

 

“Unfortunately, that person drank poison. There weren’t many clues.”

 

“Has the investigation gone back to square one?”

 

“Not quite. Only five of the elders in this Gyojeon can approach the Bloodstone Flower, so if we check their movements, other clues should emerge.”

 

The Bloodstone Flower was a treasure of the Heavenly Sect cultivated in Hyeollyeongdong.

 

Since only a few people in the main sect were permitted to enter Hyeollyeongdong, evidence might be found by backtracking their movements.

 

What could be the reason for deliberately leaking the Bloodstone Flower?

 

If properly absorbed, the Bloodstone Flower could become an opportunity to increase one’s martial prowess without leaving a trace. Like I had done.

 

But I wondered why they had specifically targeted the ‘Yeonhwa Family’ to introduce the Bloodstone Flower.

 

“What are you thinking about?”

 

“It’s a bit strange. Why did they specifically give the Bloodstone Flower to Yeonhopyeong?”

 

“We’ll have to investigate further to find that out.”

 

I didn’t tell Wicheonso, but I had more questions.

 

The point was that Yeon Ho-ryeong, the second son of the Yeonhwa Family, knew about the prophecy of Seolsan Chungga, which only the Sect Leader and a very few others knew about.

 

Since even Yeonhopyeong didn’t know about this prophecy, he couldn’t have heard it from Yeonjo, the head of the family.

 

‘It means someone approached Yeon Ho-ryeong and taught him about it.’

 

The person who approached Yeonhopyeong and the person who approached Yeon Ho-ryeong might have been the same person.

 

Since both Yeonhopyeong and Yeonhoryeong are dead, it would be difficult to know the reason.

 

“Miss Yeonriri has returned to the Yeomhwa Family. No, to be precise, I sent her back.”

 

“Is the interrogation already finished?”

 

“You could say that. Since Yeonriri stopped Yeonhopyeong at Gyojeon, I judged that she wasn’t in league with him. Still, she won’t be able to leave the Yeomhwa Family’s manor for a while, and she won’t be able to attend the Cheonmu Festival either.”

 

“I see.”

 

I had expected Yeonriri to be confined until after the Cheonmu Festival, but she was released surprisingly quickly.

 

“Since she’s the only person my wife was close to, when the Cheonmu Festival ends and we return to Cheongwolgung, you should invite her over to exchange greetings.”

 

It was a strangely benevolent suggestion.

 

‘When did Wicheonso investigate my social relationships?’

 

A chill ran down my spine.

 

Perhaps this man knew more about me than I thought.

 

Still, it was ultimately a good thing, so I simply nodded.

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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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