If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 71

***

“The purpose isn’t to make her beautiful, but to make her look like a different woman. You must remember that.”

It was already the third concern. Yanghui nodded while looking at Myoyeon, who couldn’t control his worry at all.

“Yes. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

Until just before, Yanghui had been trimming vegetables to put on the lunch table. Then, called by Myoyeon’s confidant Cheol, she climbed the mountain that wasn’t in her schedule and arrived at the cave. Though she didn’t understand the reason, she knew she had been called for important business. She had vaguely heard from the women about the situation Yuseol had experienced yesterday.

Yanghui put strength into her hand holding the brush and asked Myoyeon.

“If the purpose is to make her look like a different woman, how about changing the direction of her hair part too?”

Myoyeon examined Yuseol’s face and nodded.

“Yes, change it without burden.”

Then Myoyeon’s confidant Cheol ran into the cave and whispered.

“I’ve prepared the silk clothes you mentioned. Hongi and Suni worked in perfect coordination and decorated them in the most colorful way possible to distract attention. The clothes are hidden in the abandoned house under the single-log bridge.”

“Good, now you can go back and catch your breath.”

Cheol carefully left the cave carrying a basket and sickle like someone who had come to gather medicinal herbs.

Yanghui concentrated again and drew angular peaks on Yuseol’s crescent-shaped eyebrows. Then she lifted the corners of her eyes to create a sharp impression. She also applied thick makeup to her lips, which had looked delicate because they were thin, giving them a seductive feeling.

Soon Yanghui filled a small seed bowl with water to wash the brush. Unlike her usual smiling appearance, she looked serious. She was like an artist absorbed in art, or rather, a young craftsman. Pure obsession appeared in her gaze looking at Yuseol’s face. She seemed to be checking whether there was even a slight error in the work she had made to suit her taste.

Myoyeon widened his eyes with his arms crossed.

“Really amazing. How can she change like this?”

Hearing those words, Yanghui smiled with relief. She was satisfied having beautifully adorned the object she had been coveting.

“I think faces can also be painted on. With a beautiful bare face as the base and just this brush, there’s nothing that can’t be done.”

Myoyeon, who had been anxious throughout, let out a sigh of relief.

“Then I’ll supplement any shortcomings when we get back.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

When Yanghui stood up, Myeongi, who had been watching nearby, stood behind Yuseol as if she had been waiting.

“Then now I’ll help with the lady’s hair.”

Time passed. Yuseol’s hair, which had never been braided into anything but hair ribbons since birth, was tied up high. The hair near her forehead was decorated with splendid pearl ornaments. The white silk attached to the pearl ornaments slightly covered Yuseol’s eyes.

When the grooming was finished, Myoyeon sent Yanghui and Myeongi away with a somewhat relieved expression.

Only Myoyeon and Yuseol remained in the cave where people from Museolwon had been coming and going since early. Noon had already passed. Myoyeon met eyes with Yuseol, who was standing up while feeling awkward about the unfamiliar hairstyle. Though the woman changed by adornment was unfamiliar, he seemed relieved.

“Hair braided to one side would be familiar to people’s eyes, so I asked them to style it like the women of Museolwon. The outfit was also prepared that way.”

Yuseol gently touched her hair with her hands to gauge its shape, then looked toward the cave entrance. Mu-yeong and Jiwoon had left before Yanghui arrived, and Geon still hadn’t returned. She had asked the people who had been coming and going about Geon, but since no one had seen him, he didn’t seem to be nearby.

Yuseol’s voice, which had become gloomy, echoed in the cave.

“Even if I move locations, Geon will find me on his own, right?”

Myoyeon handed Yuseol a green sseugaechima and answered.

“If he realizes you’re not here, won’t he follow the scent back to the village? We need to depart now. We have to stop by the abandoned house on the way to find and put on clothes.”

She received the sseugaechima, put it on her head, and began leaving the cave following Myoyeon.

She had only walked a few steps, but her palms were clammy with cold sweat. She didn’t know if she could really deceive everyone. Her eyes turned yellow with fear because she might be discovered due to her voice.

“Unless they’re court ladies who shared hardships with me in the palace, they wouldn’t recognize me at once, but they would recognize my voice. What should I do?”

As Yuseol squinted in the light while leaving the cave, Myoyeon offered a fan and answered.

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

Then he opened a small pouch from his waist.

“These are young mint leaves. They’ll be very bitter, but if you keep chewing and swallowing them, your throat will become hoarse and you’ll have a lower voice than now.”

Yuseol took mint leaves from the pouch and put them in her mouth.

“I never thought of such a thing.”

When she chewed the leaves, a sharp scent was followed by a bitter taste. At the hot scent that spread afterward, she swallowed the tears that had trickled out.

“Ugh… So this is what raw leaves taste like.”

“If you eat them too quickly, you might get sick, so eat them slowly.”

They climbed the steep path until their breath rose to their chins, crossed the wooden bridge, and arrived at the abandoned house. While Myoyeon kept watch, Yuseol changed clothes and came out of the abandoned house with her face covered by the sseugaechima.

“I didn’t know how to wear these clothes, so I just put them on as they were. I think I need to meet Myeongi again to wear them properly.”

“I’ve prepared a palanquin at the entrance to the rocky area, so let’s go there.”

The short journey continued a little more like that.

When they arrived at the village, Yuseol was exhausted to the limit. In addition to returning by rough paths that outsiders didn’t know well, she had squeezed her body into the secret space under the palanquin even after getting on, so her whole body ached.

Still, fortunately, she safely arrived at the inner room of the inner house and received grooming from Yanghui and Myeongi again. When she had become a completely different person, Myoyeon entered the room and explained the situation.

“My lady, I introduced you to the chief secretary as the daughter of a trading company and Lord Mu-yeong’s lover. I also added that you’re suspicious and not gentle in personality, so if you face a difficult situation, frown or show your temper. I, Lord Mu-yeong, or other people will see that and help tactfully.”

Yuseol was grateful and reassured by Myoyeon, who considered and planned even the smallest details. However, showing temper in front of Kim Seon was difficult even in thought.

“Still, if I act irritable in front of His Majesty… I’m worried about facing backlash because of me.”

Myoyeon answered calmly as if telling her not to worry.

“His Majesty is a young king who hasn’t been on the throne long, and Lord Mu-yeong is still a shadow power holder with solid support throughout the regions. His Majesty must also feel burdened by that point.”

“…….”

“So endure the situation, and if you reach your limit, it’s fine to storm out. Leave the aftermath to me.”

“But….”

“It’s better to avoid the situation than to have your identity discovered.”

Yuseol, who had hesitated briefly, belatedly nodded.

“Yes…. If that’s the right answer, I’ll try my best too.”

“Then I’ll go watch the situation in the banquet hall.”

When Myoyeon left the room, Yuseol, left alone, stood in front of the black mirror for the first time today. Because she had too many things to worry about and couldn’t look in the mirror, she was quite curious about her changed appearance.

Then the door opened again.

Yuseol’s gaze turned to the door reflected in the black mirror. A man dressed splendidly was entering the room.

It was Mu-yeong.