I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 69

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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 69

 

The information about Mahu and Young Leader Gwon Yun was content I had discovered through classified documents during my time at Sangteon-dang.

 

Young Leader Gwon Yun, who was the son of the Leader and Mahu.

 

He had left Seolsan with the bloodline of Seolsan Jeokga to start a family, and the two had children together.

 

However, when Gwon Yun and his wife died, their child seemed to have died as well.

 

Since Mahu Seoyeonwol was someone living in the past, this information must have felt as vivid as if it had just happened.

 

Anger awakened her heart and made her move toward the Cheonmu Festival.

 

I couldn’t be certain how Mahu would act afterward, but I was sure that the Leader would be relieved by this incident.

 

Thus ended the first day’s events of the Cheonmu Festival.

 

The sacred fire burned perfectly and even Mahu participated in the ritual, making this Cheonmu Festival an unparalleled success.

 

“Chung-rin.”

 

The Leader slowly opened his mouth.

 

His expression seemed to be smiling, yet also appeared angry.

 

“Did you summon Mahu?”

 

Perhaps due to the lingering effects of using the time-stopping ability, my heart felt like it was falling to the ground under the Leader’s killing intent.

 

“I report to Cheonjon. I merely offered Mahu a gift from Seolsan, and requested nothing whatsoever.”

 

I answered respectfully with my head bowed.

 

Mahu Seoyeonwol only glanced at me briefly, neither defending me nor denying it.

 

“Your contribution to conducting the Cheonmu Festival well is great. From now on, I will honor you by making you the mistress of Cheongwolgung and call you Cheongwolgungju.”

 

Following Hyeoncheonggungju and Hwaumgungju, I had become Cheongwolgungju.

 

This also meant I had risen to a position where I could lend strength to Wicheonso.

 

The Leader placed great significance on Seolsan Jeokga. So my backing wouldn’t fall short of Hyeoncheonggungju and Hwaumgungju’s maternal families, Yohyeonseoga and Nohwaseoga.

 

Even at the Leader’s declaration, Wicheonso kept his gaze quietly downcast. His eyes were so calm that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

 

The altar stirred.

 

Yuhwa’s lips turned white with tension, and Nosoggun’s eyes wavered.

 

They seemed shocked that I, who still had Sugungsa remaining and hadn’t even performed the harmony ritual, had received the same title of ‘Gungju’ as themselves.

 

They momentarily examined each other’s gazes. Suspicion was embedded in the looks they gave each other.

 

It was thanks to Jinwongyeom understanding my intentions well.

 

“I want you to recreate the incident that occurred at the Cheonmu Festival 12 years ago. Make Yuhwa and Nosoggun suspicious of each other through this incident.”

 

“Are you telling me to deliberately put my wife in danger to use a divisive strategy?”

 

“Yes. Crisis creates opportunity, after all.”

 

Even though he was a man who didn’t trust me, he followed my wishes.

 

Jinwongyeom imitated the handwriting of both Yuhwa and Nosoggun, inducing their forces to try to kill me.

 

While I had proposed the divisive strategy, it was Jinwongyeom who devised the method.

 

Since Jinwongyeom knew more about the current Gyojeon, Seven Great Families, and Cheonsan than I did, he showed quite a meticulous side.

 

Although I had to use the time-stopping ability to block the arrow shot by the priest, the results were satisfactory.

 

The leisurely masks of Yuhwa and Nosoggun were shattered.

 

Yuhwa turned her head away, and Nosoggun silently covered her mouth with her fan.

 

Rather than Wicheonso and me not performing the harmony ritual, they were more concerned about this situation where the other party had acted arbitrarily and fallen into crisis.

 

As I had hoped, the two had become like broken pottery that could never return to how they were before.

 

Before long, the sacred fire had wrapped around the black gold stone of Bongsungdae, and not even a single breeze could disturb its surroundings.

 

At that level, it would burn for more than three days.

 

With this, I had completed everything I could do at the Cheonmu Festival.

 

“Cheongwolgungju, you may come down now.”

 

Following the priest’s suggestion, I descended below the altar.

 

Thinking I had achieved everything I wanted, my legs felt weak.

 

Even though I had removed two needles so far and even consumed the Bloodstone Flower and Jeokseolhwan, I couldn’t seem to escape the price of using abilities.

 

“My wife.”

 

Wicheonso extended his hand toward me.

 

A faint smile appeared on his face, but unlike usual, it reminded me of a mask.

 

The moment I grasped his hand, my body collapsed like waterlogged cotton.

 

My vision flickered briefly, then darkness swallowed me as if I had been consumed by blackness.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

Wicheonso caught Chung-rin as she collapsed.

 

Since she hadn’t shown any signs of tension, he hadn’t expected her to collapse like this.

 

Wicheonso was flustered but hid his emotions.

 

He silently held Chung-rin in his arms and asked the Leader for permission.

 

“My wife seems very fatigued. If you permit it, I would like to take my wife and withdraw first.”

 

Gwon Museong nodded.

 

The priest who had attacked Chung-rin was sent to Cheopyeongdang. This was to confirm whether he was related to the Bloodstone Flower incident or if it was something else.

 

Wicheonso laid Chung-rin down in the bedroom of Cheonyanggung.

 

The maids removed her ceremonial robes and changed her into comfortable clothes.

 

Chung-rin was sleeping as if dead. Her breathing was unusually shallow, which was worrying, but he didn’t show it until Jinwongyeom arrived.

 

As soon as Jinwongyeom entered, Wicheonso entrusted him with Chung-rin’s medical care.

 

This was because he judged that he couldn’t call just any physician to treat her, given that she had consumed the Bloodstone Flower.

 

Jinwongyeom took Chung-rin’s pulse to examine her condition.

 

“It’s just accumulated fatigue, so you can rest assured.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Wicheonso tilted his head disapprovingly.

 

“Didn’t I clearly tell you to assist my wife?”

 

“Third Prince, I assisted her with all my might. But I couldn’t stop my wife from preparing for the Cheonmu Festival without even sleeping.”

 

During the Cheonmu Festival preparation period, the concentration Jinwongyeom witnessed from Chung-rin was remarkable.

 

To kindle the sacred fire at the Cheonmu Festival, she consumed Jeokseolhwan, Seolsan’s spiritual medicine, and practiced energy circulation every night.

 

“Indeed. She kindled blue sacred fire and obtained the title of Cheongwolgungju just five days after the wedding ceremony.”

 

Wicheonso’s tone was dry, but there was a strange vitality in his voice.

 

“Honestly, I was surprised too. Since she had lived confined for 10 years, I thought she would be a woman ignorant of worldly affairs. But… she was hard to read.”

 

Wicheonso knew that Jinwongyeom didn’t trust Chung-rin.

 

He had placed him by Chung-rin’s side because he was curious about how she would act.

 

Unlike his loose-lipped and careless appearance, Jinwongyeom was calculating. Moreover, he had such a meticulous personality that he would predict all changes around Wicheonso and try to eliminate variables.

 

“I didn’t expect my wife to use herself to create discord between Yuhwa and Nosoggun.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

Light flashed in Wicheonso’s red eyes.

 

“The priest waiting below the altar was someone planted by either Yohyeonseoga or Nohwaseoga. I imitated both their handwriting to make them attempt to assassinate my wife.”

 

At that moment, Wicheonso’s brow furrowed.

 

“I clearly told you to protect my wife.”

 

“Please calm your anger, Third Prince. It was my wife’s will. You wouldn’t make me a sacrifice for the Hwanma technique, would you?”

 

Jinwongyeom raised both hands, hoping Wicheonso would regain his reason.

 

“She also said that crisis creates opportunity.”

 

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Wicheonso’s mouth.

 

He hadn’t expected Chung-rin to cause such an incident using herself as bait.

 

“Also, deliberately showing Sugungsa was… probably a device to show the believers present the Third Prince’s weakness.”

 

Evidence that although Chung-rin had successfully completed the Cheonmu Festival, the Third Prince couple hadn’t truly become one.

 

Revealing this would have served to ease the elders’ tension.

 

“If they judge the Third Prince as a strong candidate for Young Leader, the First Prince and Second Prince will unite to try to bring down the Third Prince. So it had to be done simultaneously with the divisive strategy.”

 

Make Yuhwa and Nosoggun suspicious of each other.

 

Since they were originally in an adversarial relationship rather than being close, there would be almost no chance of them clearing up the misunderstanding.

 

“Yuhwa and Nosoggun will think: to put their husbands in the Young Leader position, they need to join hands with Cheongwolgungju. And they can naturally approach the Third Prince that way.”

 

This meant that was better than the First Prince and Second Prince joining hands to oppose Wicheonso.

 

“Still, even I didn’t expect her to draw out Mahu.”

 

At Jinwongyeom’s admiration, Wicheonso let out a short breath.

 

“That goes for me as well.”

 

“All of this is Madam’s strategy. Isn’t it remarkable?”

 

“Jinwongyeom, this is the first time I’ve seen you acknowledge someone like that.”

 

“I’m surprised at myself too. It truly feels like the Third Prince has finally gained a proper strategist.”

 

Jinwongyeom swept his chest as if relieved.

 

Until now, he had been filling that position.

 

But Jinwongyeom knew his shortcomings well. He wasn’t from a special family like Chung-rin, nor would he sacrifice himself as an offering to accomplish great things.

 

“I think I’ve fallen for Madam. I have a thing for women with sharp minds…”

 

“There you go again, running that loose tongue of yours.”

 

The corners of Wicheonso’s eyes curved sharply, and his pupils blazed like flames of sacred fire.

 

“I dare spoke carelessly about the Third Prince’s wife. I apologize.”

 

Jinwongyeom pressed his lips tightly with both hands and stepped back.

 

Only then did Wicheonso withdraw the smile from his lips.

 

Even after Jinwongyeom retreated, he continued to gaze at Chung-rin for a long while.

 

“Madam.”

 

Wicheonso’s low voice called to her.

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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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