If it had been up to her, she would have cut Gong-hui loose as well, but it was impossible.
Soye was famous back at the main family for refusing to eat unless it was food from her nanny, and refusing to wear clothes unless her nanny dressed her.
Seeing how she acts here, it isn't an entirely baseless rumor.
"I will take custody of the maid."
The boy stood up.
His expression made it clear he wouldn't accept any opposition.
"What if we use the black gold as bait to uncover the mastermind?"
"They must have already cut ties."
The boy looked down.
It was only because he had caught a lucky break and quietly entered the village that the maid survived.
Whoever was behind the poisoning would have slaughtered everyone involved the second the boy showed up.
Perhaps even that little girl.
He had lived surrounded by conspiracies and political struggles since before he was born.
Still, he couldn't help but find the situation exhausting.
"My apologies."
"It is fine."
Despite his youthful appearance, an undeniable dignity emanated from him.
Soso was also quite a mature child, but she was nothing compared to the boy in front of her.
The branch head lowered her gaze.
Children raised in the palace always have short childhoods.
The only silver lining was that the opponent showed no signs of trying to tear the village apart.
"I will leave shortly."
There was no longer any reason to remain in the village.
The boy stepped out of the pavilion.
The sun was dazzling.
As he walked, the boy paused.
A small child was approaching him.
"Benefactor young master! Young lord, benefactor!"
As if worried he might not recognize her, she called out random titles.
She ran toward him, waving her arms so frantically it looked like she was bound to fall flat on her face.
The boy, who had only ever seen his sisters walking gracefully, was taken aback.
"Slow down!"
Even as he spoke, his feet hurried forward to meet her.
Soye, who usually brought to mind a bright yellow flower, was wearing a light green skirt today.
"Where are you going?"
"I should go home too."
"Ah."
Soye blinked.
Somehow, she felt a bit disappointed.
Since her benefactor hadn't left the village, she had looked into it. Apparently, the ordinary maids and servants only knew him as a distinguished guest from the outside.
They didn't know where he was from, and everyone seemed to know a different surname for him. It was obvious someone had intentionally muddled the information.
A boy who hides his identity and the purpose of his visit.
Casting her eyes down, Soye recalled the day the boy visited the village.
The accusation by Geum-a the maid, the porcelain gourd containing poison, and the nanny being dragged away.
The branch head had a private meeting with the boy afterward, and Soye's benefactor ended up staying in the village.
As expected, the poison for my training must have been used in an assassination attempt. He probably stayed to watch how things unfolded.
As an outsider, he had to guard against the chance that the Tang Clan might shirk responsibility and sweep the poison leak under the rug.
Seeing that such a young child came, maybe a family member was hurt.
Since she had received his help, she wanted to help him in return.
"Do you... trust your nanny?"
The young master suddenly threw out a question.
"My nanny? Why?"
When she blinked innocently, the boy smiled bitterly.
"Forgive me. I said something foolish."
Without any evidence, how is a young child supposed to react when told to suspect the person closest to her?
It was then.
"Geumo Bank."
Soye spoke abruptly and smiled prettily.
"On the day we went out, Nanny said she was going there."
She liked that the boy suspected her nanny yet still worried about her.
His intuition was extraordinary.
Even if she only dropped a tiny hint, he was bound to figure something out.
"What?"
"Since you brought me home."
Soye held out her hand.
"Thank you."
They said she was weak, but she speaks remarkably clearly.
The boy spoke on impulse.
"I am Ran Juhyeok."
The boy gave Soye's fingers a gentle squeeze before letting them go.
"If you ever need help... look for me," he whispered.
* * *
"Young lady!"
The nanny whimpered.
"What on earth did we do to deserve this? Oh, just look at this dress!"
As Gong-hui embraced Soye, her hand craftily snipped open the seams.
Though the nanny's trick was clever, to Soye—once hailed as the Divine Thief, the best under heaven—it was obvious as a child's play.
"Even if this nanny wasn't around, how dare they dress our lady in such ragged clothes?"
Just then, Soso appeared.
"I dressed her."
Before the nanny could say anything, Soso looked at Soye and said:
"The matriarch of the Tang Clan has arrived."
At those words, a sharp pain shot through Soye's head.
So suddenly?
Of course, she had expected someone from the main family to come sooner or later if she brought the nanny's matter to the surface.
However, she hadn't expected the Poison King to show up so quickly.
Could it be because of the leak? Was the poisoned person someone so important that the matriarch came in person to handle it?
For now, it was hard to tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
If it had been before she lost her memories, it might have been different, but to the current Soye, the Tang Clan matriarch was closer to a stranger than a grandmother.
"Let's go," Soso instructed.
"You mean me? Is it really okay if I go?"
Soye felt a sudden wave of reluctance.
She was aware of the existence of her grandparents, but the thought of actually facing them made Soye pause.
"I'm sure she wants to see how you've been."
"Nanny, are you coming too?"
Turning her head suddenly, Soye stared intently at Gong-hui.
"Of course. This Sa Gong-hui will go and report everything about how our young lady has been doing to the matriarch without leaving anything out."
With those words, the nanny shot Soso a pointed look.
Why is she picking a fight with a child who barely reaches her waist?
Soye clicked her tongue inwardly.
Nevertheless, her feet were faithfully following Soso.
In the branch head's courtyard, an old lady accompanied by guards walked through the outer gates without hesitation.
Dressed in a simple green court robe and keeping her back straight, she looked remarkably healthy.
Only her graying hair told of the years she had lived through.
"Greetings, Matriarch!"
Soye watched the Poison King with bated breath.
She looks a bit familiar.
Her features reminded Soye of someone from her past.
Frowning, Soye belatedly recalled a connection from her past life.
Ah. Is she Tang Yiseo, the sister the Poison Demon kept talking about?
A strange feeling washed over Soye once more.
The Poison Demon, Tang Yirak.
He was a man she had met while staying in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Even though he was from the Sichuan Tang Clan, he had joined the Demonic Cult, making him a traitor to the Orthodox sects.
Having somehow formed a friendship with him, Soye had even fulfilled Yirak's last wish.
The Poison Demon died long ago, yet snow has settled soft and thick on his sister's hair.
It finally hit her—she really had died and been reborn.
Striding across the yard, Yiseo glared at the nanny and then turned to the branch head.
"I have heard the news that the Tang Clan's secret arts have been leaked."
Her voice was frigid, cold as frost poison.
The branch head bowed deeply.
Her stomach ached at the thought of disappointing the matriarch.
"Since we are already entangled in a complicated matter, we must keep a tight rein on the inside and outside of the Tang Clan village for the time being."
The Poison King's words sounded on the surface like an intention to lie low and reorganize the clan.
In reality, however, it was an excuse to hide it from the outside while the investigation was underway.
The boy who came to the village to find the source of the poison was from the Imperial Palace.
They couldn't afford to let a single rumor leak until the inquiry was finished.
Doing so was no different than handing their enemies a pretext to attack them.
For the branch head, it was a relief that it wasn't a reprimand.
"I will return to the main family with my granddaughter today, so be aware of that."
"Yes."
Soye blinked.
This quickly?
She had thought she might go to the main family someday.
But she didn't expect the Poison King herself to appear and carry things out so swiftly.
Suddenly, her mind grew tangled at the thought of her biological father, whose face she didn't even know.
She'd barely gotten the nanny situation halfway sorted out before the next problem hit.
In the past or now, living an easy life sure is hard.
"Since it will be chaotic with investigators coming in and out for a while, the branch head's children shall come along as well."
"Matriarch."
The branch head looked taken aback for a second, but quickly conceded.
The poison that escaped the Tang Clan happened to get entangled with the Imperial Family.
No matter how much the martial world and the imperial court didn't interfere with each other, there was no telling when political backlash might strike.
"I leave them in your care."
Soye noticed Soso's eyes widen in shock.
It seemed her connection with these siblings would continue longer than expected.
"Soye."
Soye, who had been standing off to the side like a forgotten sack of barley while the Poison King spoke with the branch head, raised her head when addressed.
Yiseo's gaze examined her granddaughter's face.
Was that concern? Or scrutiny?
"Let's go back now."
Though her phrasing was gentle, the old woman's expression was stiff.
Soye knew this wasn't a suggestion she could decline.
I was worried she'd ask how I'd been or say she missed me. Should I be relieved?
Soye nodded awkwardly.
"Yes."
Still, seeing that the Poison King acknowledged her, it seemed she really was her granddaughter.
The next moment, Soye was startled.
Yiseo bent down and scooped her up.
As expected of a martial artist, the arm supporting the child's bottom was sturdy.
Soothed by the feeling of security, Soye instinctively wrapped her arms around Tang Yiseo's neck and blinked.
The cozy warmth felt unfamiliar.
But Gong-hui was warm too.
Could she trust Tang Yiseo?
She couldn't be sure just yet.
Still, unlike her nanny, the Poison King had no reason to use a child her age.
Well. If I think about it that way, it's reassuring.
Soye completely relaxed her mind and leaned against the grandmother she was meeting for the first time.
In fact, it also helped that Yirak had always talked about his sister, so Yiseo didn't feel like a total stranger.
"And you."
Yiseo turned her head toward the nanny.
"See me on the way back."
At the razor-sharp gaze, Gong-hui gulped.
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