Chapter 279 – Thank Goodness It’s Not a Fever (1)
“No-ya, please wait a moment.”
“Move aside! Isn’t Lord Horyeong inside?”
Hwang Du-myeong, an old man who used to be a member of the Ma-gyo but had since left, had a pale, haggard face as he spoke in a gruff voice.
“Well… Lord Horyeong is very busy at the moment. Please come back later…”
The man guarding Horyeong’s residence, who could be considered one of the leaders of the Eunryeong Society, had a look of helplessness on his face.
“You’re answering without even checking if he can receive guests? I don’t know what kind of important business he’s dealing with, but does this old man look that ridiculous to you?”
If he had been in a situation where he could put in a request, he would not have hesitated to do so. But the old man, whose anger had turned his eyes, seemed to have no intention of considering the man’s circumstances.
Creak.
At that moment, the door to the residence opened, and the two men’s gazes turned in that direction.
But instead of the dignified figure of Horyeong, a delicate woman appeared, and Hwang Du-myeong’s gaze sharpened as if he had guessed the situation.
The woman was taken aback by their stares and hurriedly stepped back, revealing Horyeong’s figure behind her.
“Oh, Hwang no-sa, what brings you here without an appointment?”
“…May I have a moment to speak with you inside?”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s anything urgent. I’ve been wanting to taste the next top courtesan from Hyeonhwa-ro for a while now.”
Even though there was no one who looked like a thug who had put on a tiger mask, he said it as if he were disappointed.
But he didn’t seem to have any intention of dragging it out, and he quickly turned his body and went inside. Hwang Du-myeong, who had recognized the subtle gesture beyond the mask, followed him.
As they went inside, the scent of male and female pheromones grew stronger, but Hwang Du-myeong, who had already guessed the situation, didn’t even bat an eye.
No, he went a step further and said, “If you need a courtesan, would you like me to call a few from Hwalak Palace?”
“What are you talking about? Hwalak Palace?”
Horyeong, who had just sat down, knew what he meant and said again as if he knew what it was.
“Oh, aren’t they all women who have spread their legs for someone else at least once? Don’t say unpleasant things.”
Wasn’t that woman just now not a courtesan? Hwang Du-myeong, who was momentarily speechless, soon remembered that her face was quite attractive.
“So… does that mean you only want women who haven’t had their first time yet?”
Chapter 279 – Thank Goodness It’s Not a Fever (1)
“I thought you were just here to see a woman, but now you’re talking about virgins. What a useless realization,” Hwang Du-myeong muttered inwardly, his brow furrowed.
“Well… what brings you here?” Horyeong asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“Yes, it’s about the order you gave to Eunho…”
“Oh, you came because of that brat, Gang Yoon, who can’t even die properly!”
Horyeong laughed and slapped his knee. Hwang Du-myeong felt a surge of anger, but he didn’t show it and continued speaking.
“You promised me that I would be in charge of dealing with him, did you not?”
It was just a minor issue, not even worth mentioning, but Hwang Du-myeong had managed to secure the promise.
He had vowed to take revenge on Gang Yoon, who had ruined his life’s work, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
But then he heard the news that Eunho had sent someone to kill Gang Yoon.
“Oh, he’s been bothering me during meetings. But don’t worry, it seems Eunho failed and he’s dead now.”
“I’ve heard.”
Hwang Du-myeong had learned about the attack on Namgung Se-ga through Jukho.
But there was something about Horyeong’s nonchalant attitude that didn’t sit right with him.
“He’s dead, but you don’t seem particularly upset.”
Eunho was a top-ranked master, and Hwang Du-myeong couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Losing such a master should have been a significant blow, but Horyeong seemed unfazed.
But Hwang Du-myeong didn’t want to be too verbose, so he spoke politely but firmly.
“However, please do not touch him again. I will… take care of him.”
With a few words, the leaders of the Ma-gyo, including Horyeong, were reduced to ashes, all for the sake of his revenge.
If they had destroyed the meaning of his life, then they too deserved to suffer.
Horyeong nodded lightly.
“Understood. But before No-sa dies, he won’t be targeting that person again.”
Hwang Du-myeong felt disappointed by the empty response, but at least he had received an answer.
But Horyeong wasn’t done speaking yet.
“However, something seems strange.”
“…?”
“He didn’t seem to have planned to interfere with No-sa’s work, so why does he hold such a grudge?”
Hwang Du-myeong was at a loss for words. It wasn’t because he found the content of the conversation convincing, but because it went against the principles of the Ma-gyo.
He had no idea what the other party’s intentions were. But if they interfered with him, he wouldn’t just sit back and watch.
That was the principle of the Ma-gyo, and he would only endure it when it would bring greater benefits or when he lacked the strength to fight back.
Horyeong seemed to notice Hwang Du-myeong’s gaze and opened his mouth with a smirk.
“I didn’t plan on reciting the words of a gentleman who says, ‘Forgive him, for he had no ill intentions…’ However, in my opinion, No-sa’s grudge against that person seems excessively obsessive.”
“Obsessive…?”
“I think Hwang No-sa has his reasons, but from what I heard from No-sa, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to hold such a grudge.”
The meeting with Horyeong ended with those words, but Hwang Du-myeong continued to mull over them in his head.
But he didn’t feel like they disappeared at any moment.
As soon as he returned to the clinic, Lady Seong-yeon and Lady Yang-ha-jung were led by Gang Yoon to a special area they had never been to before.
“Lady Mother!”
One of the guards who had stayed at the clinic was surprised to see her, but he followed the Lady’s orders and went out to find the team leader and his colleagues who were searching for her.
Hwang Du-myeong had thought they might be punished for searching for her after she had fainted and then recovered, but it might be better for them to gather quickly.
Meanwhile, Lady Seong-yeon, who was used to a luxurious lifestyle, could tell at a glance that this special area was more carefully crafted than the general area.
“Wow… this is quite well-made…”
Objectively speaking, it was a level below her father’s house where she spent her childhood, but it was not much worse than the house she was living in now.
Compared to the clinic, which was either using the original building or repairing it, this place had undergone a major reconstruction.
“Are we supposed to stay here?”
“Yes. I’m not sure how you feel about it, but…”
Of course, she was satisfied. There were countless people who showed such sincerity, but they were all for the Hwang family, Lady Seong-yeon’s family.
But what was the meaning of giving her this place after they had indulged in her body to their heart’s content? It meant that this was not for the Hwang family, but for her as a woman.
It was hard not to be pleased with that recognition.
It wasn’t entirely wrong, but she realized that there was a slight misunderstanding after some time had passed.
“I greet Lady Mother.”
“And you are…?”
Although she was a woman of power, the lady bowed her head politely upon seeing the lord. The woman, who was no less beautiful than Lady Seong-yeon, exchanged a brief glance with the men before lowering her head even further and speaking in a clear but humble voice.
“I am So-yeong, a woman of Jinju, and…”
Pausing for a moment, she continued, “I am the wife of Gang Yoon, a member of the Sohyeop.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the lord’s face twisted as if he had been slapped. Gang Yoon simply nodded his head, not denying the woman’s words.
“What in the world…!”
The lord was about to explode in anger, but he noticed that Lady Yang-ha-jung was not saying anything. Something clicked in his mind.
The lord remembered the words the man had said to him last night.
“…Did Lady Aunt also know?”
“Yes, my lord mother.”
The lord’s tension eased as he listened to Lady Yang-ha-jung’s words, her head still bowed.
He may have had a hunch all along. A man with endless energy and lust, he must have touched every woman except for Lady Yang-ha-jung. In fact, from the woman’s perspective, she might have been the intruder.
The position of Guryong was given only to unmarried men, so they may not have announced it to the public, but the woman clearly stated that she was his wife, and the man did not deny it.
In the end, it was his own fault that he had become involved with her, and he had to accept the consequences.
Looking at the woman named So-yeong with a guilty conscience, she smiled softly and spoke.
“Did my lord mother also get caught by him? Please do not worry.”
Caught, she said. It was a very accurate word.
Even in this situation, the lord was unconsciously thinking of ways to not let him go.
If he had a conscience as a human being, he should apologize politely and step back, but he was still trying to find a way to use his power.
Feeling embarrassed by So-yeong’s gentle words, the lord spoke hesitantly.
“Um… can you really stay here? Isn’t he your husband?”
“Of course, my lord.”
The woman’s answer was still as gentle as ever, and the lord replied hesitantly.
“In that case, I will be in your debt for a while. I promise that during your stay here, I will never use your status to oppress you.”
“You are too kind, my lord.”
It seemed like everything was ending nicely, but it was also a misconception.
As he watched the women pouring out behind So-yeong, Seong-yeon’s face began to show anger.
And that anger was directed towards the man who was nodding his head as if he was not the culprit, with a smug expression on his face.
