**Chapter 112**
Dang Ga-ju had no intention of staying idle. He aimed to bring Yerin and the Northern Sea Ice Palace to his side to counter the Blood Cult. Putting aside old grudges, improving relations with the Northern Sea Ice Palace and especially with Yerin would be a great blessing for the Dang Clan. Instead of relying on his foolish son, Yerin could take the lead in their affairs, and most importantly, the limitations of the Xueluchao poison would be lifted. In a way, this was an opportunity.
Even the Northern Sea Ice Palace, which had always been a thorn in their side, was now genuinely following Yerin as their leader. Persuading them would be easier.
However, if Yerin refused the proposal…
“Then she must die.”
A murderous intent flickered in Dang Ga-ju’s eyes for a moment.
“Even a dead body can be useful in its own way.”
Dang Ga-ju let out a sneering laugh, his smile as sinister as a snake hiding in the shadows.
He couldn’t live forever listening to the righteous words of the Five Great Families or being a pillar of the orthodox faction.
The greatest family under the heavens.
If he successfully completed the new secret technique with the help of the Blood Cult, that title wouldn’t be just a dream.
* * *
Yerin and Doyul returned to their quarters. As they arrived, they were greeted by Somi, the Ice Spirit, who rushed out to meet them.
– ‘Why are you all so late?’
The spirit whined in a high-pitched tone. Yerin extended her arms and hugged the spirit.
“Sorry. Did you eat?”
– ‘Yes, I had an entire chicken today.’
Thanks to Yerin’s insistence that her “puppy” always be fed meat, the spirit seemed satisfied with its meal. After entering the room, Yerin checked to ensure there was no one else around and then glanced at Doyul.
“What did you think of today?”
“May I speak honestly?”
“Of course.”
As soon as she gave her permission, Doyul spoke firmly.
“It was suspicious.”
“In what way?”
“Many things, but mainly how firmly the Dang Clan believes they can become the greatest family under the heavens. That was the most suspicious part.”
Just as she thought.
Yerin nodded slowly.
“My father may be cunning, but he’s not a fool. If he’s that confident, it means there’s a solid reason behind it.”
“Then what do you want to do next, madam?”
“I plan to stay at the Dang Clan a little longer.”
“You mean…”
“I need to investigate this suspicion a bit more.”
Doyul looked at Yerin with concern.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Hmm?”
Yerin blinked.
Doyul spoke cautiously.
“I don’t mind, but lately, Dang Ga-ju has been showing you some favor, hasn’t he?”
“So what?”
“Well, he’s still your father. If things go wrong, it could strain your relationship.”
“Oh, come on, are you still worried about that?”
Yerin chuckled softly.
“It’s fine. I don’t have any affection for the Dang Clan, and if I wasn’t going to do anything, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
“…I really think I’ll die of worry because of you, madam.”
Doyul groaned in exasperation.
“You know how dangerous it is to snoop around Dang Ga-ju’s secrets, right?”
Yerin flinched, then hastily tried to reassure him.
“I-I know. I remember promising not to do anything dangerous. I’ll be careful, so…”
“At least I’m relieved to be by your side.”
Doyul sighed deeply and smiled wryly.
“I can’t imagine how anxious I’d be if we had to operate separately.”
“Ahaha…”
Yerin smiled awkwardly, gauging Doyul’s reaction.
“But I oppose handling this alone.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“We need to inform others.”
Doyul added decisively.
“So we can prepare for any contingencies.”
That made sense. Operating with just the two of them was very different from having multiple people involved.
However, there was a fundamental problem…
‘All external communication is strictly blocked.’
Yerin extended her senses. There were numerous presences not only around their quarters but also beyond.
‘All the servants in the Dang Clan must be acting as Dang Ga-ju’s eyes and ears.’
There was only one way to contact the outside world.
“….”
Yerin gazed intently at Somi.
The spirit flinched and whined.
– ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’
“Somi.”
– ‘…’
The spirit felt a chill run down its spine at the softness in Yerin’s voice.
– ‘Wh-why are you calling me that?’
“You like snacks, right?”
– ‘No way! Don’t even think about it! I won’t do it!’
“Come on, don’t be like that. You just need to deliver a message.”
– ‘No! I said no!’
The spirit protested vehemently but couldn’t resist Yerin’s barrage of treats. In the end, the Everlasting Ice Spirit reluctantly agreed to act as a messenger.
– ‘How dare you make a great spirit like me do such menial tasks!’ The spirit grumbled, clearly upset.
But with its mouth full of treats, its complaints lost much of their force.
“Safe travels!”
Yerin cheerfully sent off the spirit.
Meanwhile, watching the spirit run off, Doyul muttered in admiration.
“…Well, it seems you made the right decision, ma’am.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“If you hadn’t hidden the fact that you contracted with Somi, we couldn’t have used it to contact Hyuk Min-woo.”
Then, Doyul added with some dissatisfaction.
“Though, it would’ve been better if we never needed to use it as a messenger in the first place.”
Yerin’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh, are you finally admitting that Somi is useful?”
“Of course not!”
Doyul grimaced.
Yerin found his reaction adorable and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
* * *
Late at night.
“Woof!”
A dog barked.
Hyuk Min-woo, buried in work, looked up in surprise.
A moment later, a snow-white dog poked its head in through the window.
“Somi?”
Hyuk Min-woo’s face went blank with astonishment.
‘Why is Somi, who should be with Lady Yerin, here?’
Regardless of his confusion, Soma jumped in through the window. Hyuk Min-woo caught the spirit in his arms.
“Why are you here? Where are the Lady and Lord?”
“Woof woof!”
Sitting comfortably in Hyuk Min-woo’s lap, Somi displayed its neck proudly. There, a small note was attached.
“This is…?”
Hyuk Min-woo pulled out the note and unfolded it. The familiar handwriting was unmistakably Yerin’s.
…Why is she asking this?
A sense of foreboding filled Hyuk Min-woo.
He swallowed hard and continued reading the next part of the letter.
Hyuk Min-woo’s brows furrowed involuntarily.
‘That woman’s husband…’
He had indeed sent people to search for him. However, progress had been slow.
The woman and her husband were orphans with no family and had lived their lives in isolation. There were no relatives to investigate, and they had little interaction with their neighbors.
Millennium Snow Flower Pill?
Hyuk Min-woo’s eyes widened in surprise.
After Yerin found the secret technique for the Millennium Snow Flower Pill, she had resumed production. However, she hadn’t been able to significantly increase the quantity.
The materials were difficult to procure, and the production method was extremely complicated.
The letter concluded.
