If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 10

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, it seems your body is weak, and you’ve been seeing things.”

…Was it an illusion shown by Museolwon? It was a strange experience, but thanks to it, she had resolved to continue living, so she was just grateful.

Thanks to the good weather today, they decided to eat on the porch. Yuseol, with the servant’s assistance, painstakingly sat in the center of the porch.

Her gaze turned towards the charming courtyard. A camellia tree stood proudly in the center of the yard, showcasing its elegant and strong presence. It was as if it was telling her to be strong, as she too was enduring the harsh cold and living on.

Yuseol silently nodded, then looked inside the main hall. Several inner rooms were arranged in a tiered fashion. The neat and elegant old house blended with the mountain scenery, looking like a painting. No, it felt like a secret paradise. Just the feeling of being hidden away, safe from the royal decree, made her feel like she could finally breathe a little.

Suddenly, she recalled the beautiful palace where she had lived until now. Always bustling with people, it was a battleground for ministers’ debates, a torture chamber, and a place of fierce infighting among court ladies. Large and small incidents erupted daily, making it unsettlingly quiet when they didn’t. It was like the underworld.

She wanted to be grateful for being expelled from the underworld and finding herself in this paradise-like place. With a newfound sense of calm, her eyes now looked up at the sky.

The sky, though clear, began to sprinkle a light rain. Myoyeon, greeting the servant bringing the meal, quickened his steps.

“It’s raining suddenly from a clear sky. Is it the day the tiger gets married?”

Is that so?

Yuseol’s weak eyes found the raindrops. Fine droplets painted patterns in the air, carried by the wind. The sight, visible on a clear, sunny day, felt somehow unfamiliar.

Was it common here? She looked at Myoyeon’s slender back as he came up onto the porch.

“But why do they say the tiger is getting married?”

Myoyeon glanced at her.

“That’s… because it’s the tears shed by the fox marrying the tiger.”

Then wouldn’t it be more accurate to say it’s the day the fox gets married, not the tiger?

Yuseol, deep in thought, gazed at the empty air again.

“Why would she shed tears on her wedding day?”

“Well… only the fox would know that.”

…Were they tears of joy?

The sound of rain mingled with the faint whisper of the wind. It exuded an exquisite charm all its own.

As she was intently focused, Myoyeon sat opposite her. His fair, handsome face was clouded with worry.

“I boiled the rice porridge with water infused with chimanocho. It might be bitter, but it will greatly help your recovery.”

Yuseol had no appetite, but for Myoyeon’s sake, she began to eat the porridge. It was warm and soft enough to swallow easily, making it surprisingly comfortable to eat.

However, she still hadn’t seen the guest from the sarangchae who had brought the chimanocho. It might be a coincidence, but she wanted to express her gratitude to him, as he had, in essence, saved her life.

“By the way, I haven’t been able to see the guest from the sarangchae at all. How long will that person be staying here?”

“That’s not certain yet.”

Could the man she met by the waterfall earlier also be a guest here? Her dark eyes met Myoyeon’s.

“The day before I was ordered to take the potent poison, I met a man swimming in the river below the cliff waterfall.”

“…….”

“He seemed accustomed to swimming without even wearing a changui…. His face was very beautiful, and his voice was unusually deep. I somehow feel like I saw him on the day the government officials came…. Is he also a guest here?”

Myoyeon tilted his head, pondered deeply, and then replied.

“If you mean the person who swims in Museol River… the guest from the sarangchae tends to get very hot. Perhaps that’s why they enjoy swimming in ice-cold water when staying at this mountain lodge.”

Myoyeon, seeing Yuseol’s bowl completely empty, smiled contentedly and continued,

“That is the guest from the sarangchae who brought the chimanocho. It seems you’ve already met.”

“Ah…”

So the person who brought the chimanocho was the same person who took Geon….

They were the same person.

Yuseol’s expression became quite confused.

“I see….”

First, she should meet him and express her gratitude. And she wanted to ask him why he took Geon and where he was. Somehow, she felt he had his own reasons. He was the kind of person who gave her that feeling.

“If it wouldn’t be rude, I’d like to meet him and offer my greetings.”

As Yuseol finished her meal, Myoyeon rose from his seat and replied,

“I’ll have to ask for his consent first.”

Swish, swish. A servant began to sweep the courtyard. It was a peaceful morning, as if nothing out of the ordinary would happen. From the distant downhill path, the sound of horses galloping briskly began to be heard. A clear bell rang once from around the center of the village, beyond the wall.

Myoyeon went down to the courtyard and looked at Yuseol with a welcoming expression.

“It seems the guest from the sarangchae has arrived.”

The quiet village began to come alive with the sounds of people. Myoyeon, as if he had been waiting, went outside the main gate.

Yuseol painstakingly stood on the porch and looked out over the wall. Because of the high elevation, she could clearly see outside. Men were entering the village’s main gate right on time.

The men looked around at the people greeting them and then walked up the stone wall path. The distance between them grew shorter and shorter. Yuseol’s heart beat strangely fast. Was it an after-effect of the potent poison…?

At that moment, a man of unusually grand stature entered the main gate of the mansion where she was staying. It was the same man she had met at the waterfall river a while ago, and the guest from the sarangchae.