Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 45

“If Fourth Madam’s words are true, that young fellow is quite something,” Madam Lee said, her brows slightly furrowed, responding in a relaxed manner.

“Without a doubt, he seems stronger than that fake. That young master Oh was completely entranced by my Heavenly Fox Great Magic [a type of mind-affecting technique], wasting an entire day before barely returning to normal. But this fellow seemed to be entranced at first, yet he immediately regained his senses. It’s a rare mental fortitude. He’s no ordinary person,” Third Madam added, hesitating for a moment before revealing her thoughts. With that, the room fell silent again, everyone lost in thought. Breaking the silence, Madam Eom spoke, “I don’t know if that person’s greatness will be a blessing or a curse for the Moon family.”

“Didn’t you realize it as soon as you saw the secret letter?” Before Madam Eom could finish her words, Madam Oh’s cold voice was heard as she slowly entered the room. “I’ve searched everywhere, and there are no outsiders. Still, I’ve ordered the guards to double their vigilance.”

Madam Eom and the other madams nodded at Madam Oh’s words. “You all remember what our husband said before he left. If the person who comes to deliver the news hands over an ordinary letter, then there’s nothing to worry about, but if the letter is a secret message with hidden meaning, then there’s a high chance it contains important news, so we should be prepared.”

“We all saw it. It was clearly a secret letter with something hidden by our husband. Whether it’s good news or not, we need to know. Let’s quickly examine what it says.”

“Indeed. Since everyone is prepared, let’s find out our husband’s true message.” Madam Eom also didn’t hesitate any longer and boldly took action. She approached the table, picked up the teapot, and poured clear water into a teacup. Then, she took out the dragon-shaped ring, and unexpectedly, the ring separated, revealing a white powder inside. Madam Eom carefully mixed the powder with water and looked at the other madams. Madam Lee was the first to rise. She approached the table with light steps and carefully poured the powder hidden in her similarly shaped ring into the teacup. The water began to turn reddish. Following her, Third Madam and Fifth Madam also took out their rings and added yellow and black powders, respectively. After everyone had finished, Madam Eom lightly stirred the teacup, and the liquid, which had been displaying various colors, slowly turned transparent.

“The revealing water is ready. Now, since you are the most skilled, it would be best if you handled the letter, sister,” Madam Lee smiled at Madam Eom’s humble words and, without refusing, accepted the potion and the letter, bowing her head and concentrating on her work. While Madam Lee was treating the letter with the potion, the other madams remained silent, watching her. As time passed, the tension in the room grew.

“It’s done. The letter is well-treated, so now Fifth Madam needs to step in. Can you dry the letter with your inner energy?” Madam Lee wiped the sweat from her brow and stood up. Madam Oh nodded and quickly received the letter, which was soaked in the potion. Madam Oh extended her hand and began to circulate her energy, and a faint heat began to emanate from her palm. Then, with her other hand, she placed the letter on her palm and slowly dried it as if she were baking it. Soon, the moisture in the letter disappeared, and the ink-black letters left by Master Moon also vanished, revealing faint red letters. This was the message that Master Moon had painstakingly prepared to send to his wives, secretly from Han Li.

* * *

As soon as Han Li had barely unpacked his luggage in the back quarters of the Moon family, Moon Chae-hwan immediately left. Since Han Li didn’t know how the people of the Moon family would truly view him, he didn’t fall into a deep sleep but took a light nap on the bed. The next morning, while still groggy, he heard a knock on the door. ‘Surely that fiend hasn’t come back? That quiet knock can’t be Moon Chae-hwan, so who is it?’ He was about to frown but immediately shook his head. When Han Li opened the door, a young man with thick eyebrows was standing outside. The young man greeted Han Li enthusiastically. “You must be Junior Brother Han? I’m Yeon Ga. You could say I’m your senior brother.”

‘Yeon Ga!’ Han Li immediately recognized the name of Master Moon’s eldest disciple. “Haha! Although I’m the master’s first disciple, my talent isn’t very good, and I only bring shame to the master.” Han Li was drawn to Yeon Ga’s honest and easygoing demeanor. “Greetings, Senior Brother Yeon. Please, come inside and let’s talk.”

“No need for that. The madams are looking for Junior Brother Han.” Yeon Ga waved his hand and smiled. Han Li nodded, and he and Yeon Ga began to walk side by side. Yeon Ga showed great interest in Han Li, asking him questions without hesitation, and he also wanted to know about the unique characteristics and customs of the Yue Province. As the two were about to pass through the back garden, they unexpectedly encountered Moon Ok-ju and Oh Geom-myeong, whom he had seen from afar yesterday. They noticed Yeon Ga and Han Li and approached them first. Oh Geom-myeong looked at him with suspicious eyes. “Senior Brother Yeon, are you up? I don’t recognize the person with you. Is he a disciple of some master?”

“…” Han Li was waiting for Yeon Ga to come up with an excuse to hide his identity, but even after waiting for a while, he didn’t hear anything. Han Li was flustered and glanced at Yeon Ga, only to see that his senior brother was staring at Moon Ok-ju with a dazed and passionate gaze. How could he possibly answer Oh’s question when he was so lost in thought? “I am a distant nephew of Third Madam, and I’ve come to greet her on my parents’ orders,” Han Li had no choice but to make up a lie that he hadn’t planned, deliberately acting foolish and bowing his head several times. “Ah, is that so?” With that, Oh Geom-myeong completely lost interest in Han Li. After all, Han Li didn’t have any striking features, and he didn’t show any signs of having practiced martial arts. Turning his head again, Oh Geom-myeong’s mood soured at Yeon Ga’s intense gaze towards Moon Ok-ju. After all, wasn’t this beauty his fiancée? Since Han Li was standing close to Moon Ok-ju, he could see her expression clearly. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, revealing her displeasure. Yeon Ga’s blatant and public display of affection made her uncomfortable. “Senior Brother Yeon, if you have nothing more to say, Oh Geom-myeong and I will take our leave,” Moon Ok-ju’s red lips parted slightly as she spoke coldly to Yeon Ga, then she gracefully left the area. Oh Geom-myeong snorted, loud enough for Yeon Ga to hear, and followed her without saying a word. Watching the two disappear, Han Li looked back at his senior brother, who was still staring at Moon Ok-ju, lost in thought. Han Li sighed. Yeon Ga was truly smitten with her. Only after Han Li forcefully slapped his shoulder did he flinch and wipe away his dazed expression. “I’m sorry. I showed you an embarrassing sight in front of you, Junior Brother Han.”

“It’s nothing. It’s natural to admire a woman, so there’s nothing to be sorry about.” “Junior Brother Han, Ok-ju and I have been like childhood friends since we were young. But unfortunately, even as adults, Ok-ju only sees me as a brother. I’ve confessed my feelings many times, but I’ve been rejected. I only wish for her to meet a good husband and live a happy life. But whenever I stand before her like this, I can’t help but show such an ugly side of myself.” At Yeon Ga’s confession, Han Li silently observed him. He had only heard of such passionate feelings of love in books and stories, and this was the first time he had witnessed it firsthand. Han Li didn’t know whether to admire the depth of his feelings or to call him foolish. As they walked again, Han Li deliberately changed the subject. As they laughed and chatted, they arrived at the place where the madams were gathered.

* * *

Before Yeon Ga could even knock on the door, Madam Eom’s voice was heard from inside the room. “Is that Han Li and Yeon Ga?” “Yes, Madam!” Yeon Ga quickly stopped walking and responded respectfully. “Yeon Ga, you may leave. Only Han Li is to enter the room.” At Madam Eom’s cold voice, Yeon Ga went down from the second floor without hesitation. He merely glanced at the door, focusing his senses to assess the situation inside the room. He had no intention of being cut to pieces by hidden soldiers as soon as he opened the door. The room was peaceful, and there weren’t many people. Only the sounds of a few people breathing and their heartbeats were detected, which relieved Han Li. As soon as Han Li opened the door, the scene before him made him stop in his tracks. The objects in the room were the same as when he had left the night before. The only difference was the madams’ clothing. Master Moon’s wives, including Madam Eom, were all wearing white mourning clothes. How could he feel at ease when they were all staring at him like that? Han Li’s complexion turned slightly pale, not because he was afraid of the situation, but because he was furious at the deceased Master Moon. Master Moon had clearly left a message in the letter that only those old foxes could understand. It was as he had expected. They had received the news of Master Moon’s death and were gathered, waiting for the enemy who had killed their husband to enter the room. Han Li took a deep breath and returned to his original calm expression. Then, he strode into the room and sat facing them. Without saying a word, he simply looked at the madams, waiting to see what they intended to do. Han Li’s composed demeanor disrupted the madams’ plan to unmask him. And the faces of the madams, who had consistently maintained a cold expression, showed signs of agitation. Madam Lee’s face turned pale. She was furious at Han Li’s arrogant behavior of staring at them, when just yesterday he had called them ‘Madam.’ She couldn’t tolerate a fellow who didn’t know respect and duty towards his master. Unlike Madam Lee, Third Madam Ryu showed no signs of anger. She was merely staring at Han Li with great interest. Due to her peculiar aura, Han Li couldn’t look at her for long and quickly moved on to the next person. Madam Eom, similar to Madam Wang, who always had a cold expression, was simply looking at Han Li with a calm, chilly gaze. “Our husband’s disciple has quite the audacity,” After a long silence, Madam Eom finally spoke. However, the mockery in her tone was obvious to anyone. “Madams, if you have something to say or a story you want to hear, please get straight to the point. I have no desire to engage in pointless chatter.” Han Li’s face showed no emotion. It was difficult enough to argue with one woman, let alone several. Han Li thought it was best to get straight to the point. Moreover, since the opponents didn’t seem to have any armed masters hidden in the room, it seemed that the madams didn’t have any immediate plans to harm him. It was determined that they had something to hide or something to ask of him. In that case, why should he yield? After all, Master Moon’s death was his own fault, so Han Li had no reason to feel guilty.

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