Volume 1 Chapter 14 – He Who Comes Has No Good Intentions

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Jeong-ah realized that she had never properly thought about the concept of ‘loyalty’ until now.

After being sold to the Sword Family, there were many people she was grateful to until now.

And she thought she had been faithful to repaying their kindness or gratitude.

Those actions basically stemmed from the thought of repaying as much as she received.

She realized that she had been approaching the Eldest Young Master in the same way.

Thinking that if she did this much for the Eldest Young Master, the Eldest Young Master would protect her.

But how would it be from the Eldest Young Master’s position?

* * *

When Jeong-ah returned, she could see Yeon So-hyeon leaning back leisurely and reading a book.

This time, it was a medical book.

Jeong-ah first announced her return and pulled out the Second Young Master’s letter.

“Here is the Second Young Master’s letter.”

“Is that so?”

As soon as he received it, he threw it into the hearth nearby.

With a whoosh, the flames flared up for a moment, emitting black smoke, and the letter instantly turned to ashes.

“E-Eldest Young Master…?!”

This time, even Jeong-ah could not hide her surprised look.

“Why?”

Yeon So-hyeon turned the page as if nothing had happened.

“That letter is a letter the Second Young Master sends to you, Eldest Young Master.”

“I heard you.”

An indifferent reply.

“Ah, that, I assume that letter is probably related to me as well.”

“To you?”

Another page turned.

“Yes… I think it was probably a letter that the Second Young Master sent to you, Eldest Young Master, regarding my whereabouts.”

“Is that so.”

Another page turned.

Jeong-ah licked her dry lips and spoke again.

“Is it alright not to read it?”

“Yeah.”

Another page turned.

“Ah, yes… I understand, Eldest Young Master.”

Only then did Yeon So-hyeon add briefly.

“If it is really important, he will come himself.”

At those words, Jeong-ah’s mouth parted slightly and she did not know how to close it.

“…….”

Yeon So-hyeon waved his hand over the book.

“Bring some tea. Refreshments too.”

“Yes, yes. I understand, Eldest Young Master.”

Jeong-ah was trying to hastily collect herself and withdraw, when Yeon So-hyeon asked.

“If you were that curious, why did you not read it beforehand?”

“What do you mean by those words…?”

Jeong-ah looked at him, but he still kept his eyes fixed on the book.

“I asked why you did not read it in advance if you were that concerned.”

Jeong-ah hastily knelt down.

“How could this humble girl dare to do such a thing!”

His finger, which was turning the page, stopped for a moment.

“…Is that so?”

“Of course!”

Jeong-ah carefully raised her anxious eyes and looked at Yeon So-hyeon.

But she still could not see his expression.

“Bring the tea.”

* * *

She could not understand.

Asking why she did not read it in advance if she was curious, Jeong-ah, who was waiting for the water to boil, let out a sigh as her head became complicated.

‘What does he mean, on earth…’

If it were a story told by someone else, it would be fine to just listen to it as a joke or gloss over it.

But it was said by none other than the Eldest Young Master.

Although she had only seen him directly for a day, even then, it was hard for her to imagine that the Eldest Young Master spoke words without much thought.

“…….”

In her vision drifting in the empty air, the table set for meals placed in the corner came into view.

It was the table where the Eldest Young Master and she had eaten.

“…Hmm?”

Jeong-ah stood up abruptly and began to look closely at the food placed on the table.

And she recalled Yeon So-hyeon’s actions she had seen during meal times since yesterday.

What came to mind next was the story told by the expert who had become the liaison by Yeon So-hyeon—the person in charge of the main gate.

‘…I see, so that was it.’

After quickly finishing her preparations, she left the spot.

* * *

“Eldest Young Master, the tea and refreshments are ready.”

“Okay.”

Jeong-ah carefully approached Yeon So-hyeon and began to brew the tea with familiar hand movements.

“May this humble girl drink together with you?”

“Okay.”

Nodding slightly, Jeong-ah finished the preparation for her share as well.

“The tea is ready.”

“Okay.”

Yeon So-hyeon answered, but he seemed absorbed in the book.

Trying not to be conscious of Yeon So-hyeon as much as possible, Jeong-ah drank her tea in an elegant posture.

It was an excellent fragrance.

Then, Yeon So-hyeon’s hand groped for the teacup, and he began to drink the tea without even taking his eyes off the book.

Jeong-ah subsequently began to enjoy the refreshments one by one along with the tea.

And she gained certainty.

‘It was indeed so.’

The Eldest Young Master, Yeon So-hyeon, only ate after Jeong-ah ate anything first.

What she had just seen on the meal table was also that.

As Jeong-ah had to leave her seat in the middle of the meal, was the dish that she had made with effort and not even tasted not left as it was?

And that dish was food made by Jeong-ah, not Yeon So-hyeon.

Would he have stealthily appeared and helped every time she prepared a meal because he had nothing else to do?

‘Poisoning…’

He did not trust her at all.

No, to be precise.

He regarded the relationship between himself and Jeong-ah as just a relationship where giving and receiving were clear.

Even if she had read the Second Young Master’s letter first, Yeon So-hyeon probably would not have minded much.

Because that letter was a story about her.

Instead, a letter important to the Eldest Young Master himself would not be shown to her in the future.

Come to think of it, Yeon So-hyeon had not even asked why the subordinates of the Third Young Master and the Second Young Master visited.

When her thoughts reached that point, words escaped from her mouth like a sigh without her realizing.

“…This humble girl was also just another uninvited guest.”

Yeon So-hyeon’s hand turning the page stopped.

“…Is that so.”

Then, the page turned again.

Jeong-ah smiled hollowly and said.

“I am late in reporting, but after the one called the Three Absolute Warriors of the Third Young Master, the one called the Howon butler of the Second Young Master came.”

“Is that so.”

“And I sent them all back. I arbitrarily made an excuse that you said you would not receive guests, Eldest Young Master.”

“Is that so.”

The words inside Jeong-ah’s heart began to burst out like that.

“I am a foolish wench.”

“Is that so?”

“I have acted so smart, as if I knew everything, but I did not know what was truly important.”

This time, there was no reply.

Only the sound of pages turning was heard.

However, Jeong-ah felt much more comfortable that way.

“I also think that perhaps I was only busy surviving until now. And I also think that perhaps the problem was that I worked for a long time in the Guest House where there was no one to truly serve. The beginning was since I was sold to this Luoyang Sword Family.”

Her story began from when she first came to the Luoyang Sword Family.

Now, even the sound of turning pages did not ring out, but Jeong-ah did not care anymore.

And the story she rattled off reached the stories of the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master.

“…In that way, the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master came to know of my existence. Of course, at first, nothing happened. But soon…”

In that way, the story continued to how a pride battle over Jeong-ah began between the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master, how that battle began to intensify, and eventually how she came to Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment with the help of the head butler.

She also confessed everything about the conversation she shared with the head butler.

She also spoke in detail about with what thoughts and judgments she had sought out Yeon So-hyeon.

She even laid out what she thought in front of the subordinates of the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master today.

And lastly, she finished all the stories about her ‘eyes’.

“…Eldest Young Master.”

“Is that so.”

At some point, Yeon So-hyeon had set down the book and was looking at her silently.

Jeong-ah asked, looking into Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes, whose thoughts she could not read.

“If this humble girl says even now that I will devote all to offer loyalty, will you accept me?”

She wanted him to reply as simply as before, with ‘is that so’ or ‘yes’.

“…Hmm.”

However, unlike until now, an answer did not easily flow from Yeon So-hyeon’s mouth.

Instead, Yeon So-hyeon asked back to Jeong-ah, who looked disappointed.

“Can you remain loyal to me no matter what happens, no matter what you find out, and no matter what danger there is?”

Jeong-ah nodded resolutely.

“Of course.”

But Yeon So-hyeon added one more question with a subtle smile.

“Do you know about my father?”

It was an absurd question.

“Is he not the Grand Patriarch? I heard that he currently secludes himself due to illness, and handles all major and minor affairs from his bed…”

The reason why the Eldest Young Master’s father was the Grand Patriarch rather than the Family Head was also there.

The Family Head, who could no longer engage in normal activities, stepped back as the Grand Patriarch, and currently, the position of the Family Head of the Luoyang Sword Family was vacant.

At that moment, a flash of light went off in Jeong-ah’s head.

“Could it be…?!”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded.

“It is not an illness. My father has been in a state of unconsciousness for a long time due to poisoning.”

“How could that…?!”

The medical book that Yeon So-hyeon had cast aside entered Jeong-ah’s eyes.

“Forget major and minor affairs, he is not even conscious. Currently, the Luoyang Sword Family is practically run by the highest decision-making body.”

“…….”

Jeong-ah could not dare to say anything to the enormous secret she suddenly came to know.

It was a secret among secrets that was allowed to be known to only a very small number of people in the Luoyang Sword Family, which one had to die just for knowing.

“I have solved my food and drink in Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment like that since I was young.”

“…….”

It was a possible thing because it was Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment, which boasted a vast area and could grow crops in any season by the barrier.

“Even so, how many times do you think there have been poisoning attempts until now?”

“…This humble girl cannot dare to even guess.”

Yeon So-hyeon gave a bitter smile.

“Well, after I achieved success in medicine and pharmacology, poisoning attempts did not even carry meaning, but it became a habit.”

Moreover, he was now the chosen one of the ancient monster, the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens.

He slowly drank the cooled tea and spoke again.

“You did not know until you told me just now that I am still only eating what others have touched.”

“…….”

He asked, rolling the empty teacup on his palm.

“What I told you just now is only a fragment of the darkness that this Luoyang Sword Family harbors. Even so, will you serve me?”

Jeong-ah answered, pressing down her trembling hand with her other hand.

“…Please allow me to serve you as my master.”

Yeon So-hyeon still did not answer her words.

Instead, he pulled out a bundle of documents from his sleeve.

“Look at this.”

Jeong-ah respectfully accepted the document and carefully opened it.

The moment she saw the contents, she felt as if her breath stopped.

That document was none other than a report of sorts sent by the head butler to Yeon So-hyeon.

In it, all matters that the head butler had grasped about Jeong-ah were recorded.

Even matters she herself did not remember were mentioned, but it was not just facts that were recorded.

Going to the pages behind, there were also analysis and evaluation of Jeong-ah in various aspects.

“Read the last page aloud.”

Jeong-ah opened the last page with a trembling hand.

“…Therefore, if this child confesses all of the above facts honestly, take her in and use her like a beast of burden.”

Cold sweat ran down Jeong-ah’s forehead.

“If she cannot discard her innate disposition and tries to make a deal with you, Eldest Young Master…”

Her voice began to tremble.

“…I recommend you quietly kill her and eliminate her, so that your peace, Eldest Young Master, is not threatened by other Young Masters.”

The bundle of documents fell from her hand with a thud.