UGB Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Chapter 61.hing that bothered Lady Jang.
Her gaze slowly lifted.
A small mole beneath the eye irritated her. It was a tiny spot, but somehow it disrupted the balance.
Even without any added color there, as soon as one's eyes landed on that spot, the clear face seemed to lose some of its purity.
'I don't know what to do...'
Lady Jang didn't know how to fix it, so she finally lowered her hands.
At that moment, someone spoke at the entrance.
"Young lady, the Clan Head asked when you will arrive."
Unlike the stiff and tense Lady Jang, So-hwa answered calmly.
"It will be finished within half an hour."
"If you need more time, he said to come directly to Red Radiance Hall."
"Alright. I'll go directly to the Red Radiance Hall."
"Yes, I will convey that."
After the footsteps faded, Lady Jang whispered.
"But if everything is ready, why say you'll be late?"
Her voice was filled with frustration. So-hwa smiled gently, as if to soothe her.
"There will be no trouble for you, so don't worry."
At those words, Lady Jang sighed.
"Do you think I'm doing this because I'm afraid of the Clan Head?"
"Isn't that so?"
"... Of course, it's true I'm afraid of him."
Lady Jang pouted and held up a gold hair ornament. Even at a glance, it looked expensive.
"I do this because I understand the Clan Head's feelings."
Lady Jang approached So-hwa and fixed the loose side hair with the ornament.
"You know as well, don't you, young lady?"
How could she not know?
Her extravagant clothes and ornaments looked as if they were for a wedding ceremony.
There was no need to make such a fuss for attending the Alliance of Noble Clans, but her father paid attention to her dressing because of her origins.
The child of a controversial union.
Although the previous Clan Head had officially recognized So-hwa as a direct descendant, some outsiders dismissed her background. In fact, no marriage proposals came before she turned twenty.
That bothered her father, who encouraged her to attend the Alliance of Noble Clans. At that time, he also dressed So-hwa in expensive clothes and accessories for the event.
He didn't want her to simply look beautiful. He just wanted to show that he cherished her deeply.
Just as he was, it was the heart of a parent who wished for their child to be loved by others as well.
So-hwa left the pavilion with the hair ornament Lady Jang had finally placed still in her hair.
At the main gate, Han-won, who was waiting, frowned the moment he saw her.
"... Huh? Weren't you going to get dressed up? You look even simpler than usual."
Ignoring Han-won's reaction, So-hwa asked,
"Did you confirm it?"
"Ah, yes. It's the same. There is a seat for Namgung between the Peng and Zhuge clans, and their tables were almost touching. Well, the seating has been like this throughout the Alliance of Noble Clans. Why would it be different this year?"
"Did you also thoroughly check Namgung's side of the seating?"
"Yes, Ranhee went to see, and she said there is a man with a mole on his face sitting next to a man who looks as pretty as a woman. But, how do you even know about this?"
The young lady hardly mingled with other clans or even went out to Sichuan Street. Han-won thought she only relied on the information he brought her, but she even knew about the attendees of the Alliance of Noble Clans.
Sometimes, it was scary that such a person was his master.
Han-won swallowed dryly with a serious face.
'Could it be that she's watching me too? Ah, I spent some of the gold coin she gave me last time on errands on drinks... Should I tell her now?'
While moving to Red Radiance Hall, Han-won kept being cautious, but So-hwa did not notice.
The unusually loud bird songs today annoyed her so much that she couldn't think about anything else.
***
The garden of Red Radiance Hall, embracing a lake, was filled with guests and retainers.
Pleasant conversations never ceased. However, the retainers bustling between the groups were having a hard time. They were blocked by guests exchanging glances and hand signals.
One retainer standing by Namgung's table squinted and pulled a small colored slip from their waist. But just as they did, a guest with a mole on his face suddenly raised his hand, perfectly blocking the signal.
The retainer frowned.
'Was it the wine or the duck that ran out?'
The crowded people completely obscured the view of the table.
'I think it was red, but maybe it was purple...'
They tried to lean sideways to check again, but were completely blocked by a Peng Clan martial artist seated nearby.
'Ugh, this is driving me crazy...'
A sigh escaped naturally.
'Let's just bring the wine first.'
Since the event had only just started, it was certain that the wine would run out quickly. If guests exchanged cups and talked, the wine would be gone in no time.
'I'll sneak a look and bring some food too.'
Thinking this, the retainer headed to the outdoor tent where the cooks were.
While the capable retainers handled the situation well, not all were so adept.
The basics of hospitality were to keep the tables stocked before guests noticed anything was missing. So, retainers were divided into those who stayed by the guests' tables and those who quickly delivered food from the kitchen.
It would be best if the retainers had long experience working together, but since the group was mostly made up of good-looking youngsters, some less skilled retainers were mixed in.
One retainer glanced at Namgung's table.
'The braised pork belly is about to run out, and only vegetables remain on the duck dish? No, more than half of the other dishes are already empty. Why isn't the food coming?'
Just then, a retainer who had received the signal came out of the tent.
But the retainer's hands held a wine jar instead of food.
It seemed the signal had been misunderstood.
The retainer pulled out slips of paper indicating the missing dishes—green, purple, blue—but put them back again.
It seemed more efficient to go directly and restock for sure.
Although areas had been divided for a reason, this young retainer was on their first big event and made an independent decision.
The retainer glanced around. Fortunately, the Namgung's table was engaged in a long conversation because of the Peng Clan martial artists from the neighboring table. The food consumption would slow down while they talked.
After checking all the empty and nearly empty dishes, the retainer crossed the lake bridge to bring more.