Three Thousand Court Ladies - Chapter 38

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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 38
Hui would have preferred to go to Jeong Hyeon Fortress, but there was no chance she’d send herself into uncertain danger. So she set about finding what could be done here in Sabi.
“Both His Majesty’s plans and the bandits’ schemes have come to nothing. Perhaps things have unfolded as Gyesan intended.”
It was more hope than prediction—Hui’s own anxiety speaking. Baek, the senior concubine who understood her worry, answered with an obstinate expression.
“I hope so as well. The transaction was sound, so she should return safely.”
At Baek’s mention of the transaction, Hui’s face twisted.
“Did the Hae family’s daughter inform you of this?”
“Must one be told? When you trace the shape of how things unfold, there are always things that become clear.”
Baek was a woman who could see the whole picture from scattered fragments. Hui realized that Ha Bin had not confessed anything, and her voice softened.
“But Mother, there’s something strange. A palace attendant close to Secondary Consort Hae has vanished.”
“She’s gone missing.”
“What?”
I’ve been searching Sabi Fortress thoroughly—supposedly to find her—and it’s impossible not to notice. Of course, she may have been disappeared on purpose, with someone merely pretending to search. The Hae family’s circumstances aren’t particularly good these days.”
Hui asked back, surprised by something so unexpected.
“And yet His Majesty’s favor toward her remains unchanged, does it not?”
“His Majesty’s greatest affection is reserved for the Queen. Secondary Consort Hae is merely a comfort. If she fails in her role and brings him only worry, he’ll simply seek another ‘comfort.’ That’s how these things work.”
“Was it truly Hae who sent those bandits to attack Gyesan?”
“It’s only rumor for now.”
“But didn’t the situation worsen because of it?”
“Every venture of the Hae family has encountered problems. As if someone deliberately targeted them. When funds dry up, maintaining dignity becomes impossible. Power flees with the money. And in that gap, old sins—ones thought long forgotten—may yet come to light.”
Baek gazed at the gold with a serene smile.
They moved with joy and strength and freedom. Though they followed Wol-ya’s orders with perfect discipline, each made judgments and handled situations flexibly on their own.
One group confirmed the houses where the trapped children had been kept, and when the exact location was uncertain, they narrowed the possibilities based on testimony.
Others moved through the mine searching for hidden criminals. Despite the cave’s considerable size, they found those concealed within with remarkable skill.
The largest of them dragged several criminals into an unseen recess. The sound of pleas for mercy that carried out suggested he was interrogating them.
Meanwhile, Wol-ya coordinated the situation from the mine’s entrance. His subordinates came in turn and reported their progress in detail.
Thanks to this, Samcheon could grasp the situation as it unfolded. She leaned close to Gyesan and whispered.
“I guess dreams are only half right. I wonder if he’d ever need to ask me for help.”
It was far more than just the gap between adult and child.
Wol-ya had command and authority written into his very bones. The silk he wore shimmered with luster—black so as not to stand out, yet unmistakably fine.
His subordinates were much the same. Their clothing was impeccable, their appearances striking. Each possessed a charm and bearing befitting their years.
As for their skill—it was as if sixty had come, not six.
“They don’t seem ordinary.”
Gyesan agreed.
Just then a strong wind swept past, rippling the veil. The thin cloth fluttered, and for a moment the features beneath were exposed. It was but an instant, yet the face was so finely beautiful it burned itself into the mind.
Gyesan and Samcheon’s lips parted without thinking.
“Did you see?”
“Yes.”
Even as the veil covered him again, they couldn’t look away.
Wol-ya turned as if sensing their gaze. Eye contact alone sent a chill through their bodies.
Only then did Samcheon come to her senses and press her lips firmly shut.
For now, Wol-ya and his group were playing the role of kind adults helping troubled children, but they could turn at any moment.
“There must be a reason for wearing the veil?”
“There must be. To be shown kindness yet still need to be wary—I really do hate weakness. I have to grow stronger soon.”
“It’s only a matter of time before you become Baekje’s Greatest Swordmaster.”
Samcheon answered plainly, as if stating the obvious. Yet Gyesan caught the problem hidden there.
“But to become Baekje’s Greatest Swordmaster, I’d have to be stronger than my benefactors.”
“That’s… true.”
…….
Their movements were barely visible. A flicker and the villain crumpled with a crash. A swish and blood sprayed. One thing was certain: these people were many times stronger than Gyesan’s swordsmanship teacher.
Just as Gyesan was beginning to grasp this reality, Samcheon spoke.
“When you come of age and reach your peak strength…”
“Mm?”
“…their peak will have already passed.”
Gyesan marveled at such keen insight.
“That’s right. Time defeats all.”
“I believe in you. You can do it.”
“You… you really think so?”
“Of course.”
Gyesan’s smile had just returned when—
One of the subordinates approached Wol-ya and spoke in a lowered voice. The gravity of the report made her uneasy.
Anxiety rising without cause, she twisted at her skirt as Wol-ya strode directly toward Samcheon.
“This is an unregistered iron mine. A large quantity of iron ore has been discovered in the storage chamber inside.”
Samcheon’s eyes went wide.
“An iron mine?”
Samcheon gazed carefully at the ore fragments scattered beneath her feet. But they looked like nothing more than dark stones.
“Iron ore is buried deep within the mine. By law, all iron mines belong to the state. A family with mining rights manages them, but ore removed must pass through the soldiers at the entrance. The iron is used to forge swords and other implements.”
As Samcheon listened to this explanation, understanding dawned.
“Could this place be connected to the Jin family?”
“If we search further, evidence may come to light. Do you want that name to surface?”
The implication was clear: if she wished, he would arrange for it to appear.
“I want the truth.”
At Samcheon’s words, Wol-ya’s eyes curved into a smile.
“Children testified that they saw the young lord of the Jin family. Those men were sending the children deeper into the cave to check whether they would survive.”
There had been someone who, even in her dreams, had ordered the insertion of Samcheon into those crevices.
“So it was as I thought.”
Even knowing it, anger surged upward.
“What would you like to do now?”
He was offering her a choice.
When Samcheon turned, Gyesan nodded to signify consent.
“We should follow the law. With the kidnapped children rescued and this revealed as an unregistered mine, you could receive a great reward. Moreover, this is Princess Gyesan. The merit of rescuing a member of the royal family is not insignificant. I’d like to send word to the investigation team at Jeong Hyeon Fortress. They’ll be searching for you too.”
Even with Gyesan’s revelation of her status, Wol-ya showed no surprise.
“I have no wish to come forward. Let it be credited to you. You can accept the reward as well.”
“What? Who would believe that? All of them saw you.”
“Tell them I was briefly hired as a bodyguard. First, send someone to Jeong Hyeon Fortress to report the situation. It will look better if the official guards see the children home.”
Samcheon asked carefully.
“And what of you, Wol-ya?”
“Once I confirm the soldiers have set out in this direction, I’ll depart. Don’t worry about them—they won’t be able to draw a sword.”
Given that he kept his face hidden, perhaps there were reasons he had to decline the reward. There was no way to press an benefactor for answers, and frustration accumulated.
Then it suddenly struck her: Wol-ya had never raised his speech level toward Gyesan. Even after her identity was revealed, it remained the same. It had been so natural she hadn’t noticed the dissonance until now.
‘Could he be royalty from another realm?’
Just as her mind grew muddled with questions, a loud voice rang out from deep within the cave.
“Commander! You need to see this. A ledger has been found in a hidden chamber!”

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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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