Chapter 62
“We greet the First Young Lady.”
The heirs of the Six Great Demon Clans arrived exactly on time. As if they had rehearsed in advance, they all spoke in unison and bowed to me.
“I am also pleased to meet you. I am Shin Seol-ha.”
I greeted them with the proper courtesy and respect befitting their status.
“Before the meal, I would like to serve you tea first. Please have a seat over here.”
It seemed they didn’t come empty-handed, as the hallway was stacked with gifts they had brought.
Just thinking about unwrapping each one and preparing return gifts already felt exhausting.
Should I hire a secretary?
Would that even be acceptable as the Heavenly Demon’s disciple?
While these thoughts ran through my mind, I kept my smile intact and sat down at the table with my guests.
The table had already been set with a luxurious tea set.
“I watched your duel yesterday. I was truly amazed by your martial prowess, First Young Lady. Congratulations on your victory.”
“Thank you. By the way, may I ask your name…?”
Since this was our first meeting, I had no way of knowing who was who.
The young man in his twenties with a warm demeanor—whose household was he from? I needed an introduction.
“Oh, my name is Tak Seung-myeong.”
Oh, so he’s the grandson of Tak Joong-hak, the patriarch of the Hyunma Tak Family.
It seemed my efforts to study the genealogy of the Six Great Demon Clans had paid off.
Knowing that he was the family of someone who had shown me kindness immediately raised my impression of him.
“I have heard of the renowned Hyunma Tak Family since childhood. I am honored. I have been invited by Patriarch Tak and will be visiting your household soon. I hope to see you again then.”
“Would you believe me if I told you my grandfather has already begun preparations to welcome you?”
“Really?”
“Thanks to you, the entire household is bustling with excitement. We are all eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
“Seung-myeong, can I come along that day too?”
The young girl sitting next to Tak Seung-myeong didn’t need an introduction—I could tell who she was right away.
“You must be Cheon Gang’s younger sister, correct?”
“Oh! Yes, First Young Lady! If I was being rude, please forgive me. It’s just been so long since I last visited the Tak Family, and I got carried away…”
As Cheon Hwa-young hastily apologized, I waved my hand dismissively, letting her know it was fine.
She was Cheon Gang’s younger sister, whom he had often mentioned during our trip to Sichuan.
We were the same age.
“If you do come, make sure to say hello.”
“Thank you! Oh, I’m Cheon Hwa-young.”
“Yes.”
Even though I had already heard about her from Cheon Gang, I pretended not to know and simply smiled.
“I am Pyo Mun-gwang.”
“So the Young Master of the Poisonous Pyo Family has come.”
He was the nephew of Pyo Jin-yang, a Sorcerer from the Medical Wing of the Demonic Cult, and a cousin to Jeok I-geon.
He seemed to be a man of few words, simply nodding silently after introducing himself.
“I am Shim Yong. It is truly an honor to meet you, First Young Lady!”
Next was Shim Yong, from the Demonic Shim Family.
At sixteen, he was the youngest among the heirs gathered here today, but as the eldest son of his family, he was already their designated heir.
“Thank you for coming. I hope you enjoy your time here today.”
“I am Yeo So-min.”
As soon as I shifted my gaze away from Shim Yong, who had the energy of an adorable younger brother, I locked eyes with someone sharp and piercing.
The girl had strikingly heavy makeup for her age, but she was undeniably beautiful.
If only she didn’t have such a malicious glare, she would have looked even more stunning.
It was obvious without even interacting with her—she had an awful personality.
…Wait.
Did she just say Yeo So-min?
Then that means…
Was she the same woman Jeok I-geon strangled to death while she was pregnant in the original story?
‘Oh god.’
Even though her role in the original novel was minimal, the event itself was horrifying enough that I remembered it vividly.
Jeok I-geon had mercilessly killed her, despite the fact that she carried his child. His sheer madness in that moment had sent shivers down my spine.
So-min, you must avoid him in this lifetime.
You were crying blood as you died back then.
Ugh, and Jeok I-geon is coming here later too… This is bad.
“Do you not have anything to say to me?”
Huh?
I had been so caught up in my thoughts that I forgot to respond when she introduced herself.
Hurriedly, I forced a smile and greeted her.
“Thank you for coming.”
Her stiff posture was a bit annoying, but I let it slide.
Knowing how someone would die in the future was an unsettling feeling.
“The last guest must be from the Goru Wi Family.”
“Correct. I am Wi Gun-seong. It is an absolute honor to meet you, First Young Lady.”
“I hope you have a pleasant time today. Now, shall we have tea?”
I had been smiling so much that my facial muscles were starting to cramp.
But I endured it and kept up my welcoming expression.
“Sister! This younger brother is heartbroken!”
At that moment, Jeok Hui-gyeom, who had sent a letter earlier that morning, made his grand entrance.
His loud voice filled Yeong-eun Pavilion as he strode inside.
“I thought you would wait for me, but you started without me?”
Why would I wait for you?
You were the one who unilaterally decided to come.
If you wanted to join, you should have arrived on time.
Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud, so I just responded with a forced smile.
“You’ve arrived.”
“We greet the Third Young Master.”
At Jeok Hui-gyeom’s entrance, the heirs of the Six Great Demon Clans all rose from their seats simultaneously.
He accepted their greetings as if it were natural and walked over to take the empty seat beside me.
“It’s been a while, everyone. I thought I’d come and offer my help in case my sister felt uncomfortable, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all, does it?”
“Did it never occur to you that your presence is what’s making things more awkward?”
“Second Young Master!”
The one rebuking Jeok Hui-gyeom was none other than Jeok I-geon.
The moment she saw him, Yeo So-min let out something close to a shriek.
What the?
Her expression changed in an instant.
Could it be that she already had feelings for Jeok I-geon at this point?
Oh no, what do I do with this girl?
I can’t just tell her the future… this is insane!
‘She doesn’t even realize how precious her life is…’
The Yeo So-min who had acted so haughtily toward me suddenly turned into a simpering mess in front of Jeok I-geon.
Not that it mattered—he showed absolutely no interest.
Well, this was certainly an amusing sight.
“Move.”
Jeok I-geon commanded Jeok Hui-gyeom.
Even though there were plenty of empty seats, he insisted on taking his brother’s.
I saw Jeok Hui-gyeom’s face twist in irritation.
But he wasn’t reckless enough to go against his older brother.
In that regard, he and I were quite similar.
As soon as Jeok Hui-gyeom stood up, Jeok I-geon coolly took the seat beside me.
And in that moment, I saw it.
Yeo So-min clenched her fist and bit her lip.
Hey, hey, that’s not it.
Don’t misunderstand, okay?
Her gaze toward me grew noticeably sharper.
Well, considering that the man she liked had blatantly taken a seat next to another woman, I suppose it was a reasonable reaction.
But the reality was far simpler—Jeok I-geon just couldn’t stand to let Jeok Hui-gyeom have his way.
I really wished people would understand that.
Not just Yeo So-min, but the other heirs were also looking at Jeok I-geon and me with curiosity.
Didn’t he say that everything we did today would be relayed back to the Six Great Demon Clans?
Shouldn’t he be the one behaving properly, then?
I barely held back my urge to reprimand him and instead forced a bright smile.
“Hahaha! It seems the Young Masters are all taking care of me. I grew up as an only child, so I wasn’t familiar with this, but I suppose this is what sibling affection feels like.”
“It’s a pleasant sight. It would have been even better if the First Young Master were here as well. Where is he?”
“Does the Young Master of the Goru Wi Family always receive information so late?”
Jeok I-geon’s sharp gaze turned to Wi Gun-seong.
“Or are you asking despite already knowing?”
“Second Young Master, what do you mean…?”
“Of everyone here, is there anyone unaware that my older brother committed a crime and was ordered into seclusion by our father?”
Jeok I-geon had a way of suffocating a room just with his presence.
Now that he was openly being aggressive, even I found him terrifying.
The atmosphere became so heavy that I almost felt bad for the others, who could only sit there frozen, trying to gauge the situation.
“I truly didn’t know. If I have offended you, please forgive me!”
“A Young Master of a noble house not knowing such a thing? How ignorant.”
Even as he mocked him, Wi Gun-seong simply lowered his head and apologized again.
I had thought he was a well-mannered man, but apparently, he was just a snake.
There was no way he didn’t know—too many eyes had witnessed what had happened that day.
What was he hoping to achieve by bringing up Jeok Wi-baek now?
“Second Young Master, today is meant to be a celebration for the First Young Lady. Perhaps it would be best to let go of your anger and change the subject.”
It was Tak Seung-myeong who spoke up.
As expected of someone from the Hyunma Tak Family, he had a knack for easing tense situations.
“That’s right, Second Young Master! There are so many things I’ve been wanting to ask you. Have you made progress in your martial arts?”
“Why would you be curious about that?”
Jeok I-geon’s dark eyes now locked onto Yeo So-min.
“I believe I’ve told you before—stay out of my business.”
Oof. That must have cut deep.
Tears welled up in Yeo So-min’s eyes.
Even I felt sorry for her.
But more importantly—what was I supposed to do about this atmosphere?
This was my first-ever social gathering, and it was an absolute disaster.
And it was all because of Jeok I-geon.
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