The Ruler of Darkness

The triplet maids thought everyone would tremble at the visit of the Grand Young Master to the main residence of the Inner Court.

However, that expectation began to falter right from the entrance.

“Ah, it is an honor to greet the Grand Young Master of the main family.”

Upon notifying the guard at the main gate of his visit, a steward in charge of the gate soon appeared.

“This way, please.”

With exaggerated voice and gestures, he paid his respects to Yeon So-Hyeon and guided them to a side door.

At that, Jung-ah’s eyebrows twitched.

“How could you guide the Grand Young Master of the main family, who has graced you with a personal visit, through a mere side door?”

The aged steward’s eyes widened at her words.

The triplet maids chided him with incredulous tones.

“Shouldn’t it be natural to open the main gate and welcome him with proper respects, since the Grand Young Master, a direct descendant of the main family, is visiting?”

“And should it not be the ceremonial steward, not the one in charge of the gate, who steps forward to receive him?”

“Is it sane for a mere second-grade steward to be serving the Grand Young Master of the main family?”

The old steward had two tassels made of gold thread hanging around his waist.

Unlike other departments of the Luoyang Sword House, due to the nature of their work, most high-ranking members in the Inner Court were ‘stewards.’

Therefore, they used the number of tassels to clearly display their hierarchy.

The more tassels one had, the higher their position in the Inner Court.

“Ah, Grand Young Master, please overlook this just once.”

The flustered steward bowed deeply.

“Don’t you know that the Inner Court’s finances are difficult these days, and with staff reductions, it’s hard to offer proper respects?”

His exaggerated demeanor did not inspire belief.

Jung-ah sneered.

“Are you saying that the Inner Court, which should be serving the direct descendants up close, cannot even perform the proper ceremonies!”

Even at Jung-ah’s stern reprimand, the steward merely continued to grovel.

“Ah, I am so sorry. This is all due to my insufficiency…”

Yeon So-Hyeon waved his hand dismissively, as if bothered.

“That’s enough. Let’s move on.”

The steward, who had been groveling, straightened his back and cleared his throat.

“Hem. Since His Highness himself has spoken, there’s nothing to be done.”

The maids clenched their teeth.

“Come on, everyone, don’t look so sour and come this way.”

He snickered softly.

“Wrinkles are the enemy of beauty, aren’t they?”

“Stop the nonsense and just lead the way.”

Yeon So-Hyeon lightly chided him, and he bowed again, leading the group.

“Oh my, my foolishness…”

Yeon So-Hyeon and his party had to enter the inner courtyard’s massage yard, mixing with other visitors.

The visitors glanced at Yeon So-Hyeon, who was followed by beautiful maids, but none recognized him.

It was obvious that revealing Yeon So-Hyeon’s identity to such people would only spread embarrassment, so the maids kept their mouths tightly shut.

Jung-ah’s eyes, cold with anger, swept across the firmly closed main gate.

Inspecting the ground with her dragon’s eyes, the marks were clear; the gate had been opened several times recently.

It was evident that another direct descendent had visited.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Yeon So-Hyeon, as if knowing her feelings, smiled kindly and patted her on the back.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The party had to go around the wide massage yard, mixing with other visitors and staff, before heading towards the main building.

The main road cutting across the center of the yard was for the use of direct descendents only.

“You already know, but this is the main building of the inner courtyard.”

Upon entering the courtyard, they had already seen it, but the halls making up the main building of the inner courtyard were of an enormous scale.

Even if all the halls in Wongak Pavilion were combined, they would not make up half of the inner courtyard’s main building.

“Now, please come inside.”

This time too, like the others, they had to use the side door.

Upon entering the main building, a lavish space unmatched in splendor was revealed.

The bright sunlight coming through the high ceiling gracefully illuminated the opulent interior.

“Now, this way please…”

“Wait a moment.”

Jung-ah blocked the steward who was trying to lead them to the waiting room.

“Master wants to meet with the person responsible for rejecting the invoice from Wongak Pavilion. Bring that person out.”

Despite Jung-ah’s pressing, the steward feigned ignorance.

“The invoice from Wongak Pavilion, you say?”

“With rumors so widespread within the family. You dare claim ignorance?”

Even as she pressed, he remained unfazed.

“Is that so? Such an event happened, that is serious indeed.”

Unless she exerted her presence, intimidating the old steward, experienced in the ways of the powerful, seemed impossible.

“However, as you can see, our organization, Inner Court, is so vast and busy, with endless minor and major matters occurring constantly.”

Contrary to his words, there weren’t many coming and going from the Inner Court.

Nor did they seem particularly busy.

Their most important duty was to assist the Patriarch from close quarters.

But with the Patriarch incapacitated, it was unlikely their workload would be excessive.

“…Enough nonsense, can you not bring the person in charge right away?”

Even as the maids’ eyes became increasingly sharp, he just gave a bewildered smile.

“Hmm. I will do my best to find them now, but it might take some time. How about waiting comfortably in the waiting room…?”

His eyes briefly flitted to Yeon So-Hyeon.

Yeon So-Hyeon shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, if that’s the case, we can’t help it. Lead us to the waiting room.”

“Ah, thank you kindly. I will guide you this way.”

He repeatedly bowed his head, leading them to the waiting room.

“This is the finest waiting room befitting the dignity of the Grand Young Master. A steward in charge of receiving guests will arrive soon, may I ask you to wait just a little longer?”

“….”

The room was indeed a top-tier waiting room.

However, there was certainly a separate ceremonial waiting room for the direct descendents, yet he had led Yeon So-Hyeon here.

Moreover, it was only logical for the staff in charge of reception to be waiting already.

But before any dispute, the aged steward had already vanished.

Yeon So-Hyeon smiled at the trembling maids.

“That’s settled then. Bring out some tea.”

Yeon So-Hyeon sank into an extravagantly luxurious chair.

“Master. I am sorry but….”

“Hm?”

The triplet maids bowed to him.

“There is no tea left.”

“Not just tea, but the tea set as well…”

Yeon So-Hyeon burst into laughter.

* * * 

In an office within the main building of Inner Court.

A middle-aged female court lady who had been examining some documents set them down.

She was the very same court lady who had visited Wongak Pavilion over a matter concerning Jung-ah’s outing attire in the past.

“What did you say just now?”

Four golden tassels hung at her waist.

She was a fourth-rank court lady who belonged to the upper echelon, having her own office within the main building of Inner Court.

“The young master is currently in the main building’s waiting room.”

“That person?”

The servant shivered under her fierce gaze.

“Yes, that’s correct. I heard it’s because of the rejection of the payment request from Wongak Pavilion.”

A wrinkle formed on her forehead.

“…Because of that lowly broker?”

The conflict between the young master and Inner Court wasn’t new.

Each time, the young master leveraged his position as the heir of the family, and Inner Court, albeit reluctantly, would acquiesce to his demands.

“Any more details?”

The servant bowed again.

“I apologize, but the one who passed on the story isn’t from our faction…”

She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“The one currently in charge of the main gate is aligned with the 3rd Young Master, right?”

At that moment, a third-rank court lady attending her spoke up.

“Even though that person visited in person, is there anything for you to worry about?”

The other court ladies in the office hurriedly agreed.

“Perhaps it was caused by the rumors that had been circulating within the family.”

“Could it be that even that person has some dignity left?”

At this, one of the court ladies burst out laughing.

“Dignity, for a swordless man?”

“After dismissing all the servants and surrounding himself with maids as beautiful as flowers, one could say that he’s gained a semblance of face that he never had before, hasn’t he?”

Everyone laughed heartily, mocking Yeon So-Hyeon.

As their jokes continued, the female court lady of the fourth-rank waved her hand to dismiss them.

“Let’s limit the jesting to that. Who was in charge of that so-called book broker?”

A young maid raised her hand leisurely.

“Court Lady Seomun, it was me.”

The steward referred to as Seomun from of the fourth-rank turned her gaze to the young maid.

Two tassels hung from her waist.

Despite her young age, she was a woman of outstanding ability, capable enough to ascend to another realm, and was dearly regarded by Court Lady Seomun.

“You can handle this properly, can’t you?”

The young maid smiled with confidence.

“Please entrust it to me.”

Court Lady Seomun leaned forward.

“Complacency is forbidden. There might be a connection between the rumors about his seclusion and his visit to our inner court.”

The young maid nodded at Court Lady Seomun’s caution.

“Yes. I will take care of it properly to avoid any backlash.”

The other court ladies chimed in.

“We’re not about to confront him right now, what could possibly happen?”

“If there was some misunderstanding that caused an issue, calling the book broker again and paying him should settle it.”

“Could he be someone without any martial prowess? He’s the one who didn’t even bother to deal with the crazed underlings of Wongak Pavilion and simply dismissed them.”

If they had any inkling of what had transpired with Elder Yeom’s steward, they might have been a bit more tense.

But Elder Yeom was not so clumsy as to let his affairs leak out.

The young court lady smiled towards Court Lady Seomun.

“At worst, I just have to prostrate at his feet and beg, right?”

She covered her mouth, smiling.

“And if that’s not enough, a tear or two should suffice.”

Court Lady Seomun nodded.

“Alright. Then I leave the matter of him to you.”

***

The young maidservant, approaching the waiting room where Yeon So-Hyeon was present, could hear a high-pitched voice coming from inside.

“How can you prepare such inferior tea leaves for our Master?!”

“You all. As a reception maid, you lack the basics!”

“Moreover, to think that mere maids are serving the young master of the main house?! Call your supervisor immediately!”

As the voice of the triplet maidservants ended, the dismissed reception maids came pouring out in droves.

The women who ran into the hallway were all forcibly hiding smiles at the corners of their mouths.

Upon spotting the young court lady, they deeply bowed their heads as they passed by her side.

‘Not a single person among the inner court members thinks well of the young master.’

While they did not belong to the same faction as her, it would be the same for anyone in any faction within the inner court regarding Yeon So-Hyeon.

A smile appeared on the young court lady’s face.

‘This is going well. The groundwork has been perfectly laid.’

If she now enters and shows a sincerely apologetic demeanor, the situation is expected to resolve more easily than anticipated.

She concealed the confidence that threatened to show on her face and headed towards the door of the waiting room.

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