If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 48

Suddenly wind blew. Yuseol’s gaze that had been directed at the ground glanced sideways at Mu-yeong’s fluttering dopo.

But she couldn’t see the color or texture of the dopo and instead felt the hot and firm sensation she had experienced last night.

She quickly exhaled to reject the rising breath. Her fingertips, filled with strength, gripped the tree tightly.

For some reason, the sensation of when she had pushed against his chest last night began to revive at her fingertips. As the large ribcage and the muscles that had been too firm became vivid, she hastily removed her hands from the tree.

The weather was chilly, yet she was sweating coldly. Feeling like she would dry up and die, Yuseol looked at her quarters. She wanted to return to her room immediately. However, the moment she took one step, sharp pain shot up from her ankle.

“Ah….”

He began approaching closer. She could see him coming from a distance, two steps away, almost right in front of her nose.

Yuseol froze with tension. A sudden gust of wind shook the tree branches. Red camellia petals fell down.

Her vision was tinted red. Yuseol faced Mu-yeong visible between them. He had a cold and arrogant face. It seemed like he would approach and act arbitrarily just like yesterday.

A sharp ringing sounded in her ears. Anxiety appeared on her pure face.

At that moment, he passed by Yuseol coldly like someone he had never met. Only the hem of his fluttering navy dopo brushed against her slightly.

Clang clang. A clear sound spread. It was the sound of the silver dagger newly attached to Mu-yeong’s waist ornaments. It seemed like a trophy from a toy he had played with for amusement. Since he was satisfied to that degree, he wouldn’t even spare a glance today.

Should she consider it fortunate?

Yuseol shook her head and gripped her skirt hem that was fluttering in the wind tightly. Beyond harassment, even being treated as less than a folding screen. It was truly an infuriating feeling.

How had things come to this?

“If you’re that curious, go find Sahwa.”

“Sahwa…?”

“Yes, it’s a pretty name, isn’t it? It’s also what he hasn’t been able to let go of until now.”

Why does he keep that person called Sahwa….

Yuseol’s murky eyes swept the ground. She could see the worn straw sandals from wandering around searching for Geon. Unlike the fair and clean hands of yangban ladies, her hands bore sword marks. She lowered her head deeper in her shabbiness and pulled her sleeve with her thumb to hide the sword marks.

Gray clouds gathered in the sky. She began walking like an animal that could only move at that moment.

Limp, limp. The faint shadow rose slightly and then lowered.

She went into her room while touching her heated ears. For a while, she sat in front of the writing desk and stared at the candlelight. Her lips, which had started to chafe from habitual rubbing, began to sting.

Then a shadow appeared at the door and a young woman’s voice was heard.

“Lady, I’ve come to change the herbs on the affected area.”

“Come in.”

A girl entered the room carrying a tray. She was around Yuseol’s age. Her impressively abundant hair was beautifully braided and her crescent eyebrows were striking.

Yuseol turned her body while sitting on the cushion and extended her leg. Then she just remained dazed. Jiwoon’s words circled endlessly in her head.

“If you’re that curious, go find Sahwa.”

Sahwa….

Suddenly a beautiful landscape unfolded before her eyes. Bright yellow stars gathered in the dawn sky without a single cloud.

Below that, there was an ancient tree so massive it made people infinitely small. Pure white camellia flowers were falling slowly like quiet snowflakes.

A man was visible. Emptiness emanated from him wearing dark silk clothes.

For some reason, sharp pain began surging toward her chest area. It was when Yuseol pressed her chest with her hand and exhaled long.

The girl looked at Yuseol with a worried face and asked.

“Lady? Lady, are you perhaps feeling unwell?”

The sound of grinding herbs seeped into Yuseol’s drowsy ears. Startled, Yuseol looked at the girl and shook her head. She couldn’t understand why her heart was pounding as if she were ill.

“No, I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”

Yuseol, who had been dazed, looked around the room.

Had she just seen a vision? But why did she have a premonition that the man she saw looked like Mu-yeong….

“…I must have been concentrating too hard.”

“Don’t worry about it. I sometimes have moments like that too.”

The girl put more herbs in the small mortar and began grinding. Then, as if she had something she wanted to say today, she began glancing at Yuseol.

When she met eyes with such a girl, Yuseol spoke first.

“I see you often lately. What’s your name?”

The girl grabbed a handful of herbs and put more in the mortar while answering.

“It’s Yanghui.”

She seemed tense as if meeting someone difficult to deal with. In a situation where asking about Sahwa would make her more uncomfortable, Yuseol only observed the mood.

In that state, only the candlelight on the writing desk flickered. Yanghui spoke first, carefully.

“But I… heard that you’re looking for a large dog, Lady.”

Yuseol’s pupils that had lost focus for a moment looked at Yanghui.