“Because the successor hasn’t been decided yet. Father has many sons.”

“Ah.”

In the end, it seemed the succession dispute hadn’t been resolved, and that’s why the corpse hadn’t been buried.

‘It seems there’s a fierce dispute over who will become the head now.’

The fact that the head wife changed multiple times meant that any son could claim legitimacy. In the martial arts world, the strongest person should lead the family, but the elders supporting someone might not necessarily be a strong person.

‘So, they’ll probably just let the remaining person die comfortably. They need to settle things down a bit so that the remaining people don’t fight.’

Thinking about the head of Namgung Se-ga, whose face I didn’t even know, I shook my head slightly.
While we were chatting, the chief summoned us, bowing his head respectfully.

“Please come this way.”

So, we bid farewell to Jegal Min and Danmokbi and followed the chief. The designated room was not far from the guesthouse. I grinned.

‘This seems like a guesthouse too.’

It lacked the familiar feeling of the frequently used rooms. It felt like entering a well-organized new house.

My intuition proved correct; I realized it as soon as we opened the door and found Namgung Ryeo, throwing herself onto the bed. Lying on her stomach, facing the ceiling, she spoke.

“This room is amazing. Much better than my room.”

“Really?”

“Yes! My room always had mold, and mice roamed around.”

Hearing those words, I was astonished.

‘Really awful people! They even went to the extent of discrimination like that?’

A room with mice. They wouldn’t assign such a room to a member of the family.

Boiling with anger, Namgung Ryeo, with a childlike, sunny smile, pressed her cheek against the clean pillow.

“Ah, nice. The bedding is clean, and the pillow is new.”

Why did her appearance seem so pitiful? Approaching her, I asked.

“Can I hug you, Ryeo?”

“Huh?”

Despite looking bewildered, Ryeo got up from the bed without hesitation. I spread my arms wide, tightly embraced her, and patted her back.

“You’ve been through a lot. How much time did it take for you to smile so brightly?”

Leaning against my chest for a moment, Ryeo burst into laughter.

“Yeon is truly like a mom. I can feel the unaged homelessness.”

“Eek.”

It’s true that my mental age is higher than it looks! But still, being called a mom. Did I reveal it too much?

When I loosened my arms awkwardly, Namgung Ryeo smiled slyly and, this time, pulled me tightly from her side before letting go. Then, rising from the bed with light steps, she said.

“I told Sibi to prepare bathwater when I came in. Go ahead and wash up first. You should change into clothes suitable for condolences.”

“Huh? What about you? Aren’t you resting?”

“I need to greet the family.”

What family, and what kind of family is that? Worried that Namgung Ryeo might get hurt again, I pursed my lips. Whether she knew or not, Namgung Ryeo shook hands gracefully, seemingly knowing me or not.

“Rest well.”

Namgung Ryeo’s face, coming out of the room, turned cold. Walking familiarly along the familiar path, she chuckled softly.

‘How long did it take for her to laugh so brightly?’

Jegal Yeon’s words echoed in my mind. I couldn’t help but feel guilty as long as I met those eyes. Namgung Ryeo twisted her lips.

‘It’s simple to be able to laugh. Because I thought I would kill them all someday.’

Since she realized that she could destroy this place that made her miserable with her own hands, Namgung Ryeo could laugh indifferently.
With her brisk yet neither fast nor slow steps, she headed towards none other than Namgung Siga’s wife’s room.

Without a word of greeting, she opened the door and entered. A woman with a pale face, who was untangling her hair without any makeup, looked up.

Leaning against the doorframe, Namgung Ryeo spoke with a nonchalant and teasing tone.

“It seems my poison worked very well. Isn’t that right?”

The woman who had started trembling at the sight of Namgung Ryeo suddenly, screamed in fright at Namgung Ryeo’s words.

“P-Poison! I didn’t say such a thing! What’s going on all of a sudden?”

In response to her protest, Namgung Ryeo widened her eyes and casually asked in a calm and indifferent tone.

“What’s going on? It’s difficult for me if you suddenly clam up like this, Mother. I received a letter urging me to be sent away as soon as possible.”

Saying that, she turned her head confidently toward the door. Only then did the lady of the house realize that the door was open, and she jumped up in surprise.

“Ryeo, Ryeo. Quickly close the door and come in. Come.”

“I don’t want to. I don’t know what you might do to me, Mother.”

“What would I do? You’re my daughter.”

Speaking as if she were a daughter. Namgung Ryeo openly scoffed.

In her expression, the lady knelt on the floor again, whimpering and said,

“I just… I just don’t like that man trying to bring in another woman as the lady of the house… So…”

Ah, that’s how it was. Since the poison and the aphrodisiac were deliberately given together.

I wondered when she would be mentally anxious like this and secretly switched to feeding her medicine. It was given to her faster than she expected.

Namgung Ryeo smirked cunningly and whispered in her ear.

“If you stay quiet, the secret will be well kept. I don’t have any ambitions. It’s not good to rival with you and your mother.”

Then, she pushed her towards another hell as if nothing had happened.

“It’s too pitiful if my younger sister is left alone on the streets without her mother, isn’t it? If her mother had just stayed still, she would have become the daughter of the house.”

“Daughter…?”

The woman, who had now ignited with anger in her eyes, lost her temper. Pushing her away and coming out, Namgung Ryeo sighed at the tip of her nose.

‘Yeon seems to know a lot about me, but at the same time, she doesn’t.’

She hugged me saying I had suffered.

‘If you return what you’ve made me go through, that would be enough.’