If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 56

“It’s really true. I just helped with the makeup.”

A woman who had been watching from the window approached and sat in front of Yuseol. Then she examined Yuseol’s face thoroughly. Even while looking, she couldn’t help but admire in amazement. Soon she began praising Yanghui’s makeup skills extensively.

“I knew you had some expertise in makeup, but I didn’t know your skills were this good. It’s also partly because we had only seen the young lady from afar and couldn’t recognize her.”

Yanghui lowered her head as if embarrassed.

“I don’t know what to do with such praise.”

The woman smiled and looked at Yuseol’s eyebrows.

“Since you’ve transformed her so well, it would be nice to tidy up her eyebrows too.”

The tall woman with dark skin had an impressive hairstyle piled high.

Yuseol examined the woman’s hair ornaments. Large shell-shaped woven pearls were swaying luminously. She had seen such decorations in very old portraits. Just how long had these women been preserving traditions?

The moment Yuseol was lost in other thoughts, Yanghui picked up wooden tweezers.

“I must have been hasty in my eagerness to beautify you.”

Stray eyebrow hairs were plucked out one by one. To Yuseol, who was enduring the stinging, the woman spoke gently.

“I apologize for not recognizing you immediately. Since I only heard about the situation you were in after seeing the commotion when the officers came rushing in, I thought you were someone else.”

Yuseol looked at the woman and answered.

“It’s fine. I’m only embarrassed that I couldn’t show you a good appearance.”

The woman smiled bitterly.

“I heard that you received extreme punishment without even getting a proper trial, my lady. So I don’t think there’s any reason for you to be embarrassed.”

The woman looked at the other women as if seeking agreement. The women, who had been looking elsewhere, nodded as if they had been waiting for this moment.

“We all feel the same way.”

Yuseol looked around at the women with a slightly surprised face. It was the first time she had experienced understanding from strangers. She felt the illusion of seeing a ray of light in a cold, dark space.

Her heart pounded with unfamiliar excitement.

“I’m glad you understand.”

Yuseol’s eyes, examining the women, softened gently.

Then the woman with hair decorated with pearls spoke quietly.

“My name is Myeongi.”

The women each introduced their names. Myeongi, Hongi, Suni—most were single characters. Was this the trend in this village?

Yuseol tried to memorize the names entering her ears and opened her mouth.

“I’m Han Yuseol.”

Myeongi nodded and spoke in a comfortable voice.

“I came here after being divorced by my husband who committed corruption. It was to end my life, but after being discovered by Lord Myoyeon and saving my life, I’m living a new life, so I can understand you, my lady.”

The women in the room each carefully raised their voices.

“I also settled here with a similar story.”

“Me too.”

A new life gained while trying to end one’s life….

Yuseol’s gaze examining the women stopped on Yanghui’s face.

“Actually… the outside lady that our family had served for generations was exiled here for the crime of receiving bribes from merchants. My family and I were also dragged along, and we lived together in a house at the entrance of Museolwon, but… because the weather was cold and food was scarce, everyone died, and I was also dying. That’s when I met Lord Myoyeon and came to this place. Now I’m living alone in an empty house I obtained in the lower village.”

Was it coincidence that people with similar wounds met like this?

If it was fate, what had led people who tried to abandon the world to this place?

Then Hongi, whose bright brown hair was impressive, sat next to Yuseol and began drinking tea. Then, seeing the sword marks on Yuseol’s palm, she said casually.

“You have scars on your hands.”

Yuseol naturally turned her hand over to hide them and answered.

“They’re scars from gripping a sword.”

Hongi smiled as if she had expected as much.

At that moment, an elderly woman’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“My lord, what brings you to the women’s quarters?”

After a brief silence, Myoyeon’s gentle voice spread.

“I came to see Lady Yuseol.”

Yanghui stood up first and approached the door. Yuseol, who followed and stood up, stood behind Yanghui as she opened the door.

When the door opened completely, Myoyeon’s gaze passed by Yuseol and examined the inside of the room. Soon Myoyeon couldn’t bring himself to enter the women’s quarters and paced unsteadily, speaking to Yanghui.

“I don’t want to disturb the women’s time, but I came to ask if there were any inconveniences.”

Could he really take this long to say he was worried about Yuseol? Yanghui stepped aside to show Yuseol and bowed her head.

“If you came to see Lady Yuseol, she is here.”

Myoyeon looked at Yuseol with puzzlement. His eyes were tinged with wariness, as if looking at a difficult stranger.

He examined Yuseol’s eyes, nose, and mouth, then slightly averted his gaze before opening his dazed eyes clearly. Then he looked at Yanghui with an even more sensitive expression.

“If this is a joke, the timing isn’t good. Tell me right away where Lady Yuseol is.”