If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 94

She continued speaking belatedly.

“Even when he’s with me, he’s taciturn, but he’s the type to show consideration without words.”

Come to think of it, she had often felt that way. Even on the day he had entered her safe distance without warning, she hadn’t felt like he lacked consideration. Had there ever been a time when he showed genuine malice? Yuseol had only felt emotions that were difficult to explain in words from him. She suddenly felt like she wanted to know more about him.

Then Lady Seo suddenly asked with a sneering lift of her lips.

“He supports you financially quite a lot too, doesn’t he?”

Lady Seo seemed more comfortable thinking that the woman called Sahwa had a transactional relationship rather than emotional communication with an accomplished man.

If it had been before, Yuseol would have blushed and not known what to do, but she leisurely drank tea while looking at Lady Seo. She was acting like someone whose mood had become unpleasant. It was the image of Mu-yeong that suddenly came to mind.

Silence settled over the women’s quarters. Lady Seo couldn’t hide her bewilderment and laughed awkwardly. Meisa tried to raise her voice to help Lady Seo. Then Yuseol placed her teacup on the table and maintained her composure throughout.

“Unfortunately, I’m not interested in money.”

What she truly needed was the truth surrounding her father’s death. And she only needed her sister who was imprisoned. For that, she could even give up her life, but not money. If she could just leave enough money to buy flowers to plant on her grave, she could be satisfied with that.

She narrowed her brow while laughing as if it was nonsense.

“Even thousands or tens of thousands of gold wouldn’t be able to move my heart.”

Deok-eun nodded in empathy with Yuseol’s words, then hesitated and just stared at the table. Then she glanced at Meisa and said quietly.

“I’m envious that you don’t need money.”

Just as Yuseol was about to answer, Meisa stepped forward and changed the topic.

“But no matter how I look at it, it’s really surprising. Even with your face hidden by the cloth, doesn’t the appearance of the Han family’s youngest daughter show through?”

Now it was Yuseol’s turn to be visibly flustered and stammer. But she gripped the yakgwa with strength in her body so her tension wouldn’t show, acting nonchalant. The edge of the yakgwa trembled subtly, but people were only examining Yuseol’s face. (t/n: ‘yakgwa’ a traditional Korean honey cookie.)

Yuseol deliberately raised both eyebrows as if hearing this for the first time.

“It’s not pleasant to hear there’s someone who resembles me, but I’d like to meet them if I get the chance. If we really do look alike when I see them, I’ll have to acknowledge it.”

The women seemed more confused the more they saw Yuseol pretending not to know about the Han family. Yuseol wanted to drive in a bigger wedge when things got to this point. She began thinking of actions that Han Yuseol would absolutely never do. Soon she looked at the yakgwa in her hand with a blank stare and spoke without hesitation.

“This yakgwa looks really delicious. I’d like to go back and eat it together with my fiancé.”

Meisa bit her lower lip and forced a smile.

“Then I’ll pack some for you to take on your way back. But do you really not know about the Han family?”

Eyes that tried to read Yuseol’s subtle expression changes followed her. Yuseol swallowed lukewarm tea to suppress the tension that was surging again. Though she couldn’t melt her heart frozen with tension, she could organize her uneven breathing. She took a silent deep breath and spoke while pressing the floor as if hiding her trembling hands.

“I don’t know now, but if it’s a family I should know about, I’ll gradually remember from now on.”

Deok-eun’s lips twitched as she hesitated, then said quietly.

“The Han family’s youngest daughter was executed by sasa for treason. Her sister is also currently imprisoned in the Thousand-Year Cave prison behind the palace.”

At that moment, the Minister of War’s wife sitting next to Deok-eun was startled and whispered.

“You, stop talking.”

Meisa frowned at once and glared at Deok-eun.

“You’re suddenly talking too much.”

Yuseol was watching indifferently, but she was experiencing a silent war. Her heart was pounding as it rampaged through her chest. Her mind was distant because of the sound of her heartbeat rushing to her ears. Just the fact that she had learned where her sister was imprisoned did that.

Meisa continued the conversation as if she didn’t care either way.

“Since the topic came up, it’s upsetting that the prison is overflowing with vermin. There’s no reason to be hasty since we’re planning to execute them all as a closing event on His Majesty’s birthday.”

An anxious gleam appeared in Yuseol’s pupils as she quietly listened to the story.

“You’re planning to hold an execution on His Majesty’s birthday?”

She could hardly bear the trembling. An execution on the king’s birthday, which should be a feast where even those full of worries could set aside their concerns. What did the families of those who died at the execution ground hope to see each year on the anniversary? Moreover, how worthless must the lives of people here be that they could enjoy executions like entertainment?

In her rising indignation, Yuseol bowed her head and touched around her eyes. Come to think of it, Kim Seon’s birthday wasn’t far away.

Meisa looked at Yuseol with her hands clasped together and spoke joyfully.

“Among them, I’m thinking of executing the most shameless traitor in the most painful way. I’m pondering the method, so you can look forward to it.”

Yuseol’s eyes rippled with sorrow.