Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 225 - Imperial Noble Consort Seo (1)

Chapter 225 – Imperial Noble Consort Seo (1)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“My lord, surely not?”

“Yes. It seems this young lady is the true artisan.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s meaningful words, Song-ah, who had been called the daughter of the artisan of Hongbong Meat, wore a stiff expression, then let out a long sigh.

“Hoo. Seeing as things are, it seems you would not believe me no matter what I said.”

“No. I am certain that you are the true artisan.”

Mok Gyeong-un remembered everything he saw.

That was why he also remembered the palms of every single person in the Hongbong Meat slaughterhouse.

Most of them had rough hands full of calluses, but anyone could see that those had become that way through long years of slaughtering.

Only Song-ah’s palms had been different.

The condition of her palms was not one that could be formed through slaughter work.

They were palms that could only come from doing delicate work or handling things like glue a great deal.

Mok Gyeong-un smiled at her and said,

“Is there any point in trying to hide it any longer?”

At that, Song-ah shrugged and replied,

“That is true. Up to now there has never been anyone who stared at my palms that intently, so I was caught properly.”

At her frank attitude in not denying it, Seop Chun asked as if he could hardly believe it,

“Are you truly the artisan, young lady?”

“Why? Is it hard for you to believe because a young woman is making human skin masks?”

“That is not what I mean. It is only that it was unexpected.”

“Unexpected. Well, that may be so. You may think that work with the title of artisan should be done by an older and more seasoned man, but unfortunately I am that artisan.”

Since the matter had already been discovered anyway, she revealed the truth frankly.

Then she looked at Mok Gyeong-un and said,

“It is not that I deceived you on purpose. Since doing this work, my life has been threatened more than once or twice. And there have also been many who coveted this skill and tried to forcibly drag me into their fold.”

“So it was for the sake of protecting yourself.”

“Yes. Then how else was I supposed to protect myself? I have not learned martial arts like you people, nor do I have power like that Embroidered Uniform Guard sir.”

Hiding herself while putting forth a false front was precisely the self-protective measure she had devised.

Since he could understand that, Seop Chun nodded and said,

“That is entirely understandable.”

“Then can you keep my secret?”

“Your secret?”

“Yes. My secret. If my identity becomes known, I will once more have to suffer threats.”

“Ah. Of course we will keep it. Our purpose is only to commission human skin masks, not to threaten you or make things difficult for you.”

“Then that is good. You can keep the secret too, correct?”

Song-ah turned her gaze toward Mok Gyeong-un and asked.

At that, Mok Gyeong-un folded his arms and answered with a faint smile,

“That is not difficult. But such requests are always accompanied by a price.”

“A price? The price is that I take your commission…”

“The work you were already meant to do cannot itself become the price.”

“Ha! Then what exactly do you want?”

“Personally, I would like you to grant me one request.”

“A request?”

To the questioning Song-ah, Mok Gyeong-un stepped close and whispered quietly by her ear,

“I merely wish to watch while you make a human skin mask. Would that be all right?”

“……..”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Song-ah sneered inwardly.

She thought she understood his intention.

It seemed he wanted to know how she made human skin masks.

But unfortunately, this was not something one could imitate simply by watching.

One needed to be born with delicate manual skill, and furthermore, if one could not discover the formula for the medicines known only to her, even preserving the skin itself would become difficult.

So she replied readily,

“As you like.”

Watch to your heart’s content.

What could you possibly do by doing that?

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“Thank you for permitting it. And this is merely simple curiosity, but may I ask something?”

“What is it?”

“Is it possible to peel off a person’s face skin and use it as it is for a human skin mask?”

“What?”

“Ah. I was just thinking that would be much more efficient.”

‘!?’

At the sight of Mok Gyeong-un smiling and saying something so revolting as though it were nothing, a chill ran down her spine for a moment.

* * *

Toward sunset,

after safely finishing the commission related to the human skin masks and taking a short rest in the afternoon, Mok Gyeong-un and his party were following Gan Yang, who stood in the position of leader of the advance party, toward somewhere.

That place was a restaurant located not very far from the outer walls of the imperial palace.

Large in scale and splendid in appearance, this restaurant was famous for its fried duck dishes and was such a high-class establishment that not only great officials but even imperial relatives visited it.

Pointing from a distance toward the restaurant wall where numerous lanterns were lit, Gan Yang said,

“Yu Bong has likely rented the entire place.”

“Rented the entire place?”

“Yes. Her Ladyship the Imperial Noble Consort does not like having her meals disturbed. And there is nothing good in letting what is discussed today enter other people’s ears.”

To rent the entire place meant exactly that, to hire the whole restaurant.

Since it was such a famous restaurant, it must have cost quite a lot.

Looking at the several dozen soldiers in armor guarding the vicinity of the restaurant wall, Mok Gyeong-un said,

“There are many guards.”

“That is still within the ordinary range. If she goes only a little farther from the palace, there will be hundreds of guards following.”

“The Emperor’s favor toward her is indeed no small thing.”

“Yes. That is part of it, and she also has the status of Imperial Noble Consort and mother of the Crown Prince, so that much attention is paid to her.”

“I suppose so. Then shall we go?”

“Ah! Before that there is one thing I must say again.”

At Gan Yang’s words, Mok Gyeong-un stopped walking and turned his head.

Gan Yang lowered his voice and said,

“This matter is extremely important. No matter what Her Ladyship the Imperial Noble Consort says, you must not become agitated or respond emotionally.”

That was why he had left the vow-breaking monk Ja Geum-jeong behind at the lodging.

In truth, because Ja Geum-jeong was so notorious as one of the Three Mad Ones, he had also separated him just in case some kind of trouble broke out.

But the one Gan Yang was truly worried about was Mok Gyeong-un.

‘This worries me.’

He thought that the one who truly could not be controlled was not Ja Geum-jeong, but Mok Gyeong-un.

Unlike Mong Mu-yak or Seop Chun of the rear group, he had a strong tendency to move according to his own will, so Gan Yang feared he might provoke Imperial Noble Consort Seo for no reason.

That was why he was warning him once again.

Mok Gyeong-un smiled faintly at him, as though telling him not to worry.

“Since you said you would handle it, Gan Yang, I will simply watch.”

“……..Understood.”

If he truly did that, it would be a great relief.

Thus they headed toward the restaurant.

When they reached the main gate of the restaurant, the soldiers guarding the front blocked their path.

“This place has been rented out today, so you cannot dine here. Turn back.”

Gan Yang took the prepared token from his breast and showed it.

At that, the soldiers bowed as though they had been waiting for them.

Even so, they were not simply allowed to pass through.

“We will hold your weapons for a while.”

“Your weapons?”

At those words, Gan Yang and Ok Gi of the advance party, as though they had expected this to some extent, handed over the weapons they carried to the soldiers.

By contrast, Seop Chun, Mong Mu-yak, and the others did not look pleased at the thought of surrendering their personal weapons.

But since they could not provoke the displeasure of the Imperial Noble Consort, they had no choice but to hand over all their personal and carried weapons.

“You there, hand over that sword as well.”

The soldier pointed at Mok Gyeong-un’s Evil-Answering Sword as he spoke.

At that, Mok Gyeong-un handed over the scabbard of the Evil-Answering Sword and gave a warning.

“I will say this just in case, but do not draw the sword from the scabbard.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It is only because I am worried.”

At those words, the soldier who had received the scabbard of the Evil-Answering Sword let out a dumbfounded snort.

Mok Gyeong-un then leaned close to the soldier’s ear and whispered,

“It is a cursed sword, so if you draw it carelessly, you will regret it.”

“What are you saying no…”

“If you are truly curious, you may draw it. But you must bear the consequences yourself.”

“………”

At those unpleasant words that sounded like a threat, the soldier frowned.

However, knowing these people were guests of Imperial Noble Consort Seo, he did not show any more of it and stepped aside.

Thus, after leaving their weapons behind, the party entered through the main gate.

As they went in, the aroma of fried duck that had already been drifting out from outside, together with the smell of various spices, grew even stronger and stimulated the appetite.

“You have arrived?”

A familiar face was waiting in the front garden of the restaurant.

It was Yu Bong, one of the advance party.

His face was powdered even more heavily than when they had parted earlier in the day, so that he looked like a eunuch, and he came to receive them.

“Her Ladyship the Imperial Noble Consort is waiting.”

At those words from him, Gan Yang asked carefully,

“What is Her Ladyship the Imperial Noble Consort’s mood?”

“Hohoho. Fortunately, it is a restaurant she greatly enjoys, so she is in good spirits.”

“That is fortunate.”

Since the success or failure of their request depended on the Imperial Noble Consort’s mood, that was extremely important.

“Then please come this way.”

With quick little steps, Yu Bong guided the party toward the guest chamber where the Imperial Noble Consort was.

In front of it was a small pond, and before that pond stood a pavilion.

Around the pavilion hung thin blinds made of ramie cloth, screening the inside, but through them they could see the silhouette of one person who seemed to be Imperial Noble Consort Seo and two shadows that seemed to be palace maids attending her.

-Suk!

Mok Gyeong-un swept his eyes over the surroundings.

There were a great many hidden presences that could not be seen.

‘Around thirty, perhaps.’

They all seemed to be first-rate masters who had trained in martial arts, and they were on a wholly different level from the soldiers outside.

And before the pavilion stood two middle-aged men who did not seem ordinary.

One wore a black official robe and had not a trace of beard. Seeing that his face too was powdered like Yu Bong’s, he seemed to be a eunuch.

The other middle-aged man wore a neat gray official robe and had a willow-leaf saber at his waist.

‘Is that eunuch one of the junior supervisors of the Eastern Depot?’

Gan Yang had told Mok Gyeong-un in advance that there was a eunuch of the Eastern Depot who guarded the person of Imperial Noble Consort Seo.

The head of the Eastern Depot eunuchs was called the chief eunuch.

Beneath that chief eunuch were two junior supervisors.

He had heard that both of those junior supervisors were men who had learned the secret martial arts handed down in the imperial palace, and certainly the force they gave off was no ordinary thing.

But he could not tell who the other middle-aged man in the gray official robe standing at the left side was.

‘Who is that?’

Gan Yang too seemed not to recognize him.

At that moment, Yu Bong announced,

“Your Ladyship, the guests have arrived.”

With those words, Yu Bong gave Gan Yang, Mok Gyeong-un, and the others a look.

At that, led by Gan Yang, they gathered both hands and bowed their heads in greeting with a clasped-fist salute.

“We pay our respects to Her Ladyship the Imperial Noble Consort.”

“………”

They greeted her like that, yet Imperial Noble Consort Seo, seen in silhouette through the blind, showed no reaction at all.

He had expected some kind of light verbal reply, so this was unexpected.

As a result, all of them had no choice but to remain standing with their heads bowed.

‘What is this?’

Yu Bong had certainly said that Imperial Noble Consort Seo was in a good mood.

Then how had this come about?

The silence stretched on, and the atmosphere had become extremely strange.

Then the junior supervisor of the Eastern Depot standing at the right side of the pavilion opened his mouth.

“Insolence. What sort of place do you think this is, to greet Her Ladyship in such a manner? Should you not kneel at once and render proper courtesy?”

‘!?’

At those words, Gan Yang, with his head still lowered, frowned.

He had not expected that they would find fault with etiquette from the very beginning in this way.

‘They mean to seize the initiative.’

Gan Yang clicked his tongue inwardly in difficulty.

He had already predicted to some extent that Imperial Noble Consort Seo, who had maintained this relationship from her days as a Guiren onward for so long, might wish to alter it, but the very start had already become a true obstacle.