If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 93

The eldest Minister of War’s wife spoke to Yuseol as if she had been waiting.

“How delightful. I heard you treated the young lady very well at Museolwon.”

Yuseol smiled leisurely and said what she should say.

“I’m also pleased that the young lady was satisfied.”

Meisa sat down first and said.

“Please sit.”

The women took their seats one by one. Yuseol sat in a seat close to the door.

The Prime Minister’s wife, Lady Seo, examined Yuseol’s styling. More precisely, she was trying to gauge the face beyond the veil. An expression followed that it would be difficult to be certain.

“I’ve heard much about you. You’re a beauty just as I imagined.”

Yuseol gripped her teacup with both hands to avoid showing signs of nervousness. Deok-eun’s dazed gaze touched Yuseol’s hands.

Yuseol couldn’t erase the feeling of being naked under Deok-eun’s gaze. It would have been better if they hadn’t met this way. The tea she barely tasted was particularly bitter.

“I’m embarrassed since everyone has outstanding beauty.”

Yuseol answered quietly and gently placed her teacup on the table. Soon she placed both hands on her knees, clasped them together, and smiled. She was deliberately making her voice as low as possible. No one could rashly be certain that she was Yuseol, and they were busy exploring.

Among them, Lady Seo particularly pretended to praise Yuseol while clearly examining her face.

“Your styling is glamorous as I heard. The red color of the fabric is beautiful, and your white skin and black hair color are harmonious too. The red radiance around your eyes is especially striking.”

Yuseol also faced Lady Seo directly without shrinking back, not just for today. If she had planned to act passively like before leaving the palace, she wouldn’t have returned either. Yuseol’s eyes, which were kind when she smiled, became coldly unfamiliar like a stranger’s.

Lady Seo, who met those eyes, slightly averted her gaze and put down her teacup. Then she exchanged strange glances with the women and said.

“I heard you’re covering your eyes because of Hongui tribe tradition? I wonder what tradition is—it’s regrettable that such a beautiful face is hidden. Since it’s a gathering of just women, how about removing the cloth and showing off your beauty?”

Most of the women nodded as if agreeing with those words.

Yuseol carefully recalled the conversation between Kim Seon and Mu-yeong from the past.

“Are you saying the trading company’s customs are more important than the king’s command?”

“The fate of a Hongui tribe woman who shows her face to a man other than her husband is suicide, Your Majesty.”

Mu-yeong had refused even the king’s command like that. His lover refusing for the same reason wouldn’t be a particular problem.

Yuseol looked each of the women in the eyes and said.

“Though it may be presumptuous to say, for a Hongui tribe woman to reveal her eyes is the same as taking off her clothes. I think I should hear my fiancé’s opinion.”

Lady Seo continued the conversation with a dissatisfied expression.

“Come to think of it, you entered the palace together with your lover?”

“That’s right. His Majesty the King summoned us, so I’m enjoying such luxury.”

“Thanks to that, everyone’s looking forward to having a chance to see the man who was only the subject of rumors.”

“Rumors?”

“I heard your lover is handsome enough that once you see him, you keep thinking about him. Moreover, since he’s someone with great influence even in the capital, we can’t help but have expectations.”

Though there were personality problems, aside from that, Mu-yeong was a man who could satisfy everyone’s expectations in external aspects. Yuseol answered matter-of-factly.

“Luckily, I met someone beyond my deserving.”

Deok-eun, who had been listening carefully to the conversation throughout, asked.

“What connection brought you together?”

Everyone’s attention focused on Yuseol. Meisa added a word with an expression that she didn’t like that.

“I’m curious if it’s a more amazing connection than my meeting with His Majesty the King.”

Lady Seo shook her head as if such a thing wouldn’t exist.

“There probably isn’t a more fateful connection than His Majesty the King and the young lady’s meeting.”

The gazes returned to Yuseol again. Yuseol, who had endured well until now, felt for the first time the urge to kick her seat and leave. It was because the meeting between Kim Seon and Meisa was drawn before her eyes. The image of herself endlessly waiting for Kim Seon at Museolwon came to mind, and miserable feelings rose.

Meisa smiled as if fanning those emotions.

“I agree too, but I’d still like to hear the story.”

Yuseol looked around at the women while suppressing the surging emotions.

“We’re simply a relationship where affection gradually grew as time passed. There’s no particular incident I could tell you about.”

Deok-eun, who nodded as if understanding, carefully asked.

“I heard he’s very taciturn—is he different when you’re alone together?”

It seemed rumors had spread here too that he was indifferent despite his upright appearance. Yuseol unconsciously let out a hollow laugh. And she had a blank expression for a moment. She couldn’t remember when she had laughed like this, even in this way.