Three Thousand Court Ladies - Chapter 97

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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 97
Sam-cheon stepped through the door beside the kitchen hearth. Tomorrow’s ingredients lay in mountainous piles, already prepared.
She ran her gaze across the materials, picking them up one by one to smell them. She’d heard that Bigaecho carried a bitter, astringent scent, but she couldn’t quite place it.
Sam-cheon gave up trying to distinguish and set down the cabbage she’d been holding.
‘Seems roughly organized. Now I just have to wait, I suppose.’
“Yes. I’ve done everything I can for now.”
Though she’d made thorough preparations, her mind wouldn’t settle. The image of soldiers bleeding, collapsing, kept flickering before her eyes.
‘This is infuriating.’
“Pardon?”
‘Even though things are going well, I keep thinking about it.’
“…Me too.”
‘You must have been so anxious all this time. I only thought it fortunate that I had the dream—I never imagined you were working so hard alone.’
The simple fact of I-re’s understanding eased her heart.
“Now that you’re here, I think things will be all right.”
‘I don’t know how it happened, but something good is something good. Hmm? Someone’s coming.’
Sam-cheon’s gaze shifted toward the entrance.
The physician who stayed at the military camp appeared through the doorway with short, hurried steps, his face still heavy with sleep.
Upon spotting Sam-cheon, he lowered his head.
“You called for me, my lady?”
“I’m sorry for waking you. I wanted to ask if you could check whether any poison has been mixed into the food supplies.”
The physician’s confusion gave way to recognition—this was an emergency.
“P-poison? I’ll examine them at once.”
The physician inspected the ingredients meticulously. He inserted silver needles to observe their reactions, soaked portions in ash-colored water, and examined even the vessels and water with great care before finally speaking.
“I find nothing amiss.”
Sam-cheon could breathe again at last. According to Yeong-hwa’s account, the poison should have been delivered early this morning. But she couldn’t fully trust her word, so she’d had it verified.
“Wait a moment, please. I’ll be bringing you the poison itself soon. I need someone to examine it.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Just then, Yong-yong returned from outside the camp. He approached Sam-cheon and held out a colored glass vial no larger than his palm.
“This is it.”
As Sam-cheon turned, the physician stepped forward at once. The moment he smelled the powder inside the vial, his face drained of all color.
“This can’t be…”
“Can you identify what poison it is?”
The physician withdrew various powders from his bag, mixed them, and inhaled once more.
“I’ll need to study it further, but the scent resembles Bigaecho’s distinctive aroma. It’s an extreme poison—instantly lethal upon ingestion. May I take this amount to examine properly?”
“Please do.”
“Bigaecho appears to be correct, but it’s so difficult to obtain and so expensive that I find it hard to believe someone could gather this quantity.”
“What would the price be if it is Bigaecho?”
“One could likely purchase three or four buildings at the crossroads of the south gate avenue in Sabi Fortress.”
This meant the mastermind behind this plot had made no small investment for today.
If so, the suspects narrowed considerably.
Either the royal family or the Eight Great Houses.
It was possible that Silla or Goguryeo had moved against them, but the likelihood was low.
A foreign power would never have used such an expensive extreme poison. If they staggered the timing so symptoms appeared hours later, they could kill everyone.
The culprit had only targeted a portion of those receiving the initial distribution.
Then the target wasn’t the entire Gyeon Hwon Army.
If a poisoning incident erupted within the camp, how would things unfold? Responsibility for the management would fall on Gye-san, possibly leading to a change in command.
Was the goal to seize control?
“Keep today’s matter secret for now. Tomorrow, when light breaks, I’d like you to inspect the food storage as well.”
“I’ll examine it thoroughly.”
The physician bowed and moved toward the food storage.
Once he was out of sight, Yong-yong lowered his voice and spoke.
“We captured the perpetrator coming from Yeong-hwa’s house, but he took his own life.”
“What about Yeong-hwa?”
“We’ve arrested and detained her. But something odd came up. There were a boy’s belongings in the house, yet the neighbors testified they didn’t know any child lived there.”
“They didn’t know she had a child?”
“They thought she lived alone. We asked around with other neighbors just in case, and none of them knew about the child’s existence.”
How could the neighbors not notice an eight-year-old boy?
Moreover, Yeong-hwa came to the camp early in the morning and returned after dinner prep ended. It made no sense that a child left alone during all that time never left the room.
Yeong-hwa had joined when the Gyeon Hwon Army was first established. Sam-cheon remembered how Deok-sim had shown her various kindnesses, having heard she was a widow raising a son alone.
She’d given her leave to return home early because of the distance, and when dishes came that a child would enjoy, she’d sometimes send food home with her.
“…So she deceived everyone from the start.”
“I suspect she infiltrated as a spy when the Gyeon Hwon Army was formed.”
It meant even the tears she’d shed calling her son’s name from that past that had become a dream were all performance. Sam-cheon felt her chest tighten.
As she gripped her throbbing head, the shadows of Gye-san and Geum stretched long in the doorway. Gye-san, looking exhausted, stepped forward and asked.
“Where is Yeong-hwa?”
“We have her secured.”
Yong-yong answered awkwardly.
Sam-cheon grabbed Geum’s arm, who stood stiffly, and pulled her away.
“Geum, shall we step out for a moment and talk?”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
The two withdrew, making it clear they were giving the others space. Yong-yong, watching them go, opened his mouth.
“There’s something I need to say. It won’t take long—please hear me out.”
Geum and Sam-cheon, who’d been walking away in faltering steps, stopped and turned back abruptly.
“…I am a member of the Wol-rang Corps. I infiltrated to protect you, Sam-cheon.”
Yong-yong exhaled once and continued.
“I want to say it wasn’t my intention from the start, but… it’s true I approached you deliberately from the beginning.”
Yong-yong’s shoulders sagged as he spoke.
He’d agonized over these few words for so long. With his head bowed, he braced himself for blame and resentment—but no one spoke.
Were they so shocked?
When he looked up nervously, his eyes met Gye-san’s. They were perfectly clear and kind, with no trace of resentment or hatred.
“I suspected as much.”
“I thought you would. You must have found it suspicious, yet you didn’t press me about it. I’m grateful. I know you were waiting for me to speak first. I apologize for all this time.”
Gye-san shook her head at his words.
“Not everything was a lie. You’ve protected even me with sincerity, and you’ve taught us. You’re training the soldiers well too.”
She was right.
From the moment Yong-yong first extended his hand until now, every moment had been genuine.
“Still…”
“So it’s fine.”
Gye-san’s words soothed Yong-yong. They were so tender, spoken with such affection, that he wanted to believe everything truly would be all right.
But Yong-yong carried a greater secret still.
The reason he could not stay in one place for long.
“I don’t age.”
Yong-yong squeezed his eyes shut, dreading what reaction would come.
“I thought that was the case.”
A response delivered as though it were obvious.
At this unexpected reply, he opened his eyes to find Gye-san’s face perfectly unmoved. Yong-yong, who had agonized over this question for so long, was bewildered.
When he turned to look, he saw Geum and Sam-cheon’s bright faces too. They showed no alarm whatsoever—they had suspected it all along.
Realizing his existence had been accepted, Yong-yong felt tears threaten.
Yet the most difficult confession remained. The words lodged in his throat like something he could not expel.
“The reason Samdol’s group fought was because of me. Apparently someone said I was a demon or some such creature, and it came to blows. He was someone who worked as a palace servant. Before things got worse… I think it would be best if I left.”
“No. If you leave, who will train the soldiers?”
Gye-san cried out immediately.
“Please leave it to Dam-no. I learned from him too, actually.”
“Still, no.”
Though Gye-san refused firmly, Yong-yong’s expression remained unchanged—he looked ready to depart at any moment, and Sam-cheon’s heart sank.
Gye-san’s lips trembled as she cried out.
“I’m bored. Don’t go!”

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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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