FIB Ch 8 part 4

PR by neji

“Ah.”

As the traces left behind by Heon brushed against her clothes, a low groan burst out of MoonWon’s lips.

The days that seemed difficult to get through had passed, and now three weeks had gone by. The servants still glared at her with sharp eyes, and even Hong-yeom wasn’t able to find a way inside. She was left all alone, but she still grit her teeth and endured.

“Ouch…”

Deep in the night, he would silently come to her room and embrace her. At first, she was afraid and pushed him away. However, as time wore on, she stopped pushing away his one-sided advances.

Heon pretended to be calm, but his eyes trembled. She could see the despair twisting inside him.

There was no evidence to back up her claims of innocence. Although she felt that her situation was unfair, there was nothing she could do to reveal the truth.

Having already been betrayed by his mother, MoonWon’s betrayal wasn’t something that would be washed away easily. When she saw his despair, she realized that he was enduring this too. Instead of rejecting him, she decided to accept him.

“You’re up early. Why are you scowling like that? You don’t have anything to do anyway.”

The servant frowned as she brought in MoonWon’s breakfast. She stared at MoonWon and clicked her tongue. MoonWon’s face stiffened at the servant’s behavior.

The old servant was now serving her after MoonWon had recovered from her cold.

“Humans need to eat in order to move.”

“I don’t feel like eating. Take the table away.”

“If we bring back your meals untouched, the ones who will get in trouble by Junghwan-nim and Yusun-nim are us servants. Whether you like it or not, pick up your spoon and eat.”

“Are you telling me to eat something that cannot be eaten?”

“Then did you expect to be treated well by the servants after going out and doing something so dirty as that?”

MoonWon’s brow trembled as she watched the servant sneer at her. She glanced down at the food in front of her. She took a spoonful and put it in her mouth.

“Ugh.”

She didn’t know what they put in it, but the rice gave off a nauseating odor. Unable to take another bite, MoonWon quickly threw up the rice she had just eaten.

The servant watched MoonWon’s reaction with glee before she took the table of food back out as if nothing had happened.

“Don’t you think your picky behavior is only serving to make the Master worry even more? Either way, I’m going to tell Yusun-nim that we gave you your breakfast but you didn’t eat it.”

MoonWon wanted to say something to the sneering servant, but her weak stomach was rolling over with nausea, so she couldn’t open her mouth.

Reveling in MoonWon’s discomfort, the servant turned around.

“If you’ve endured this much, then you should just leave this place with your own two feet. How dare you stay here and play the role of the mistress.”

MoonWon swallowed the bile rising in her throat and pounded her chest with her fist.

She was still okay.

Even if it was difficult to breathe, even if the ice cold hostility caused her whole body to tremble, she had to endure it all.

“Ugh.”

She held back the frustrations that threatened to burst out of her lips. She felt that this was all so unfair, but she could still endure her suffocating surroundings.

“Huu.”

The day her household collapsed, she believed that nothing would be more terrifying than what her family was going through. During those scary times, she didn’t have anyone to talk to or lean on.

Had she been too selfish? Was that why she was being punished now?

“Mistress.”

MoonWon turned her head when she heard the small voice coming from the window.

When she saw that it was Hong-yeom, she struggled to get up from the floor. She quickly wiped away her tears and approached the window.

“Hong-yeom.”

Hong-yeom’s lips stiffened when he saw her bloodshot eyes. MoonWon smiled at him to reassure him that she was okay.

“I wasn’t able to find anything that would absolve you of your guilt just yet, Mistress.”

Hong-yeom wanted to find the evidence and bring it to Heon as soon as possible, but the strangers who spoke with Yeori had disappeared without a trace. He had even snuck into Yeori’s room, but there weren’t any letters or evidence left. 

Even if he tried to ask around, now that MoonWon, his only source of support, had collapsed in authority, all the other servants treated him like they used to. 

He was already used to their mistreatment, so he wasn’t fazed by it. Instead, he was incredibly vexed by the fact that he could not help MoonWon at all.

“Don’t overwork yourself. If you get dragged into these vicious rumors, it won’t do you any good.”

“I’m alright. And I also heard that your father was released, Mistress.”

MoonWon’s eyes widened at the unexpected news. Hong-yeom watched as some color returned to her face and continued.

“I heard that the Master pulled some strings to make it happen. They said that your father returned home around three days ago.”

Tears began to well up in MoonWon’s eyes once again.

She was grateful that YongUn had been released from prison. Her heart had been twisting inside her chest at the thought of something bad happening to her father, so she was very thankful that he was safe.

MoonWon cautiously stroked Hong-yeom’s hair through the window.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Light began to shine into her fearful heart once again.

The precarious situation had now produced an answer. She knew what she needed to do.

“You don’t have to come here anymore. I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me, so…”

“You’re saying that because you plan on going to your father, right?”

His piercing remark caused MoonWon’s mouth to close shut.

She was grateful to Heon for saving her father, but the most important thing she needed to do now was to go and see him.

Heon had warned her that she would lose her life if she ever left the bamboo grove. However, there wasn’t anything she could do from here.

“Are you going to tell the Master, Hong-yeom?”

By leaving the bamboo grove, she would be breaking Heon’s trust. If she went off on her own, Heon would never forgive her.

Although it wouldn’t be an easy task, it wasn’t impossible. However, if she escaped the grove, she might destroy the last shred of trust Heon had in her.

“Or would you like to escape with me?”

Even if she could never return, as long as she was with her family, she could live anywhere.

She’d done it once before, so she wasn’t afraid to do it again.

“Let’s go together.”

Hong-yeom grinned at MoonWon’s words.

His hand no longer hesitated as it went through the window and closed around MoonWon’s cheek.

“Leave this place.”

All of her efforts had been repaid in betrayal. There was no need for her to stay here any longer. If she stayed here, she would die before her name was cleared of the false accusations.

“Get out.”

* * *

“I’m not leaving.”

MoonWon asked Hong-yeom to go with her, but he merely shook his head and told her to go on her own. She wanted to take him with her no matter what in fear of what Heon would do to him when he found out. However, Hong-yeom remained as stubborn as MoonWon.

“When the Master returns, he will immediately begin searching for you. If we both leave and get caught by the Master, you won’t be able to see your father.”

“How can I leave you here alone?”

“The Master won’t kill me.”

If he had planned on killing Hong-yeom, he would have done it long before Hong-yeom began working under MoonWon. As a cursed, blue-eyed child, there were many who wanted him dead for his mere existence. 

He couldn’t bring himself to become a burden to MoonWon as she left everything behind to return to her father. 

“I wanted to reveal the injustice you have received to everyone here.”

If he couldn’t expose the truth, then the next best thing he could do for MoonWon was to help her get back to her family.

“In return, once everything has settled down, please come back for me. I will follow you wherever you go, Mistress.”

Unable to delay her departure any longer, MoonWon ultimately left Hong-yeom behind.

The things she had learned to better manage the household activities were now being used like this. MoonWon did her best to move with caution.

All she had to do was wait for the stable hands to change shifts. However, when she arrived at her desired location, MoonWon furrowed her brow.

“Ah!”

The stable was usually empty at this time because the stable hands were rotating shifts. However, today must have been a day when they received goods because it was filled with workers.

“You mustn’t leave.”

Startled by the voice behind her, MoonWon turned around. It was Yeori.

MoonWon’s shocked eyes began to fill with rage. The rage transformed into hatred.

As numerous emotions flashed through her, MoonWon finally managed to calm down and asked Yeori a question in a miserable voice.

“Are you going to tell them I’m here?”

“It’s a trap set by Consort Yu. She sent assassins to lie in wait near your father, Mistress. Once you arrive, she will try to kill you.”

MoonWon didn’t know why Yeori was telling her this after having stabbed her in the back.

“Did you receive an order to keep me from leaving?”

Yeori’s brows trembled at MoonWon’s question. Her wandering eyes lowered to the ground.

“If I were to follow Her Highness’s orders, I need to let you go. But… I can’t. You mustn’t leave. You’ll die, Mistress.”

Even if it was the Consort’s order, Yeori couldn’t do it.

When she heard the doctor say that MoonWon might not live, Yeori did not leave her room for days. The other servants burst into laughter as they claimed that MoonWon was being rightfully punished for her crimes. In the midst of all this, Yeori was the only one who knew the truth. And because of this, she could not sleep.

‘That foolish mistress told me she’d trust you!’

She tried to forget, but she could not.

Who would ever hold a lowly servant in such high esteem?

“Please… Don’t leave.”

“……”

“Once this all passes, I’ll tell the Master. I’ll take any punishment, even death, so please do not leave.”

Yeori knelt on the ground.

If she didn’t follow orders, Consort Yu might try to kill her. But she couldn’t let MoonWon die. She did as she was told and passed over the letters and lowered MoonWon’s position.

And that was the last of her duties to Consort Yu.

“Just a few days… The Master will return in just a few days. When he returns, I will tell him everything and receive my punishment, Mistress.”

“If you were in my position, Yeori, would you wait in the inner residence as well?”

“Pardon?”

MoonWon didn’t think Yeori was lying to her right now. No, it didn’t matter even if she was. 

MoonWon had already made a decision from the very start.

“Didn’t you do what you did because of your mother?”

Taken aback, Yeori quickly turned her head away. MoonWon could see the guilt overflowing from her eyes. One could never completely understand another person’s heart. Although she had resented and hated Yeori, now that she saw her like this, MoonWon couldn’t say anything more.

Now wasn’t the time to stew in her anger.

“My father was definitely at death’s door, but he was released. I don’t care if the Consort tries to kill me too.”

“……”

“My mother told me everything was fine and not to worry. But she took her own life that very night. She did it because she didn’t want to become a burden to her daughter. Although my father and mother did not have a very good relationship, their personalities are the same.”

It was very likely that YongUn would take his own life before the Consort killed MoonWon. Although this was currently the worst case scenario, nothing was impossible.

Her current situation and her father.

“I can endure being called an adulterous woman who refuses to admit to her crimes.”

There was nothing more important than a person’s life.

It might even be useless for her to go to her father now. It might not make a difference. However, MoonWon was the only one who would listen to YongUn now that he had fallen and collapsed. That was why she needed to go.

“I cannot watch my father leave like that.”

“Mistress!”

“Even if I don’t go, the Consort will still kill my father, right?”

“……”

“I’ll receive my punishment from my husband after I’ve saved my father.”

Yeori hid her face behind her hand. Tears trickled out from between her fingers and dripped onto the ground.

She bit her lips so hard that they began to bleed. She looked up at MoonWon once more.

“If you exit through the western gate that is only used by the servants, there will be a horse waiting for you. Consort Yu’s men are waiting for you at the eastern gate, so you must leave through the western gate no matter what.”

MoonWon smiled.

Right now, nothing else mattered. The hatred towards this girl who had betrayed her, the disappointment in her husband for failing to see her true intentions, and the disgrace piled on top of her name… None of it mattered to her.

As always, she was going to do her very best. That was all she could do.

MoonWon hurriedly made her way to the western gate.

* * *

A servant sighed as their shoulders flinched. There was nothing they could do to change what had happened.

“Why did she have to leave today of all days?!”

“Watch your mouth! Do you want your head to fly?”

Another servant tapped the grumbling servant before lowering their head. The servant who went to bring MoonWon her breakfast said they thought she was underneath her blankets and returned. However, once it was discovered that it was actually Hong-yeom underneath the blankets, everything descended into chaos.

Heon’s eyes darkened as he looked around the empty room.

The room was spotless as if no one had ever lived there in the first place.

“How difficult is it to watch over one person?”

“I’ve failed you, sir.”

Yusun lowered her head. She had been the one who stayed behind as Heon and Junghwan went out for business. Her attention had been focused on receiving all the goods to prepare for the coming winter, so she wasn’t aware of what had happened until it was too late.

She frantically sent people out to search for MoonWon, but MoonWon had already escaped by horse.

“I’m sorry, Master.”

“Where is the blue-eyed child who was here in the Mistress’s stead?”

Yusun turned around when she heard Heon’s question. A few moments later, Hong-yeom was dragged in front of Heon by the other servants. He was brought to his knees before him.

“Even if you slit my throat, I cannot tell you where the Mistress went.”

Although Hong-yeom was on his knees, his eyes held no fear. 

What could be said of this situation? MoonWon, the woman who claimed she could endure it all, had disappeared.

“How dare you look at the Master like that? Lower your eyes when you speak!”

“I know the Mistress isn’t someone who’d do something like that. But you don’t know that, Master.”

Bewildered by Hong-yeom’s behavior, Junghwan stepped up to stop him, but Heon blocked him. When Heon looked at him as if he wanted him to continue, Hong-yeom bit his lips.

He was so scared that he could barely breathe. However, he was the one who had refused MoonWon’s offer to go with her.

“If she’s being served food she cannot eat, then shouldn’t she leave even if it makes her look shameless?”

Heon’s eyes traveled to the servants standing in a line. Their pale faces turned away from his gaze and were filled with fear. Heon glared at them before shaking his head from side to side.

Who’s fault could it be? The Master of the house had turned away from the Mistress, so it was only a matter of time before the servants began to mistreat her as well. 

“So you’re saying this is why you acted on your own and sent the Mistress out of the residence?”

“All she could do was remain silent and pound her chest in frustration inside her room. I thought that it would be better for her to go to her father’s side rather than die here.”

“How dare you! Shut your mouth!”

“If you claim the Mistress to be innocent, do you have any proof?”

Hong-yeom’s face grew pale when he heard Heon ask this question right after Junghwan’s rebuke. Heon did not raise his voice nor claim that Hong-yeom did not know what he was talking about. 

He asked in a calm voice, but Hong-yeom couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth.

“I couldn’t find it, so I don’t believe you could have either.”

Hong-yeom lowered his head to his chest. Heon turned his eyes away from Hong-yeom nonchalantly.

He looked into MoonWon’s empty room with eyes full of an indescribable emotion and examined each and every one of her possessions she’d left behind.

She hadn’t even been here for a year. However, the things she’d left behind were carved into his eyes.

“If the accusations were false, then there should have been more witnesses and evidence to prove it.”

Junghwan swallowed his breath at Heon’s words.

However, Heon did not stop there.

“If she had truly wanted to be with JaeHoon, she wouldn’t have run away as soon as Father-in-law was released from prison. She would have run away before then.”

Although he looked calm on the outside, a storm was gradually brewing within him.

Whenever he recalled JaeHoon and MoonWon together, he felt like he would go insane. Instead of breaking every object in his path, he continued to bury those emotions.

If MoonWon could not immediately provide any evidence of her innocence, then all Heon could do was defuse the situation to the best of his abilities.

“Because if the result was not to her satisfaction, the Consort would have made another move to get what she wanted.”

Because of this, Heon had met with the Emperor in private and suppressed JaeHoon’s authority. However, he did not do anything when it came to the Consort. Knowing Consort Yu’s personality, she would make another move if she didn’t get what she wanted.

And that alone would prove MoonWon’s innocence and honor.

“Even if you don’t tell me where MoonWon went, I already know.”

Unpleasant thoughts flew through his head before subsiding in a flash.

He had momentarily lost all reason due to his jealousy.

He had forgotten. If it were MoonWon, the same MoonWon who would grit her teeth as she swore to endure everything, she would have first and foremost done anything to save her family. 

Although it stung to think about it, Heon had nothing to lose. YongUn had everything to lose.

And she had chosen the latter.

“But who brought the horse that MoonWon took with her? This boy does not have the authority to get one for her.”

“That is…”

“Master!”

Just as Yusun began to speak, a man covered in dirt raced over to Heon.

“My goodness!”

Behind him, something covered in blood and a bloody Yeori were being dragged over on a straw mat.

When the straw mat was completely flat on the ground, it revealed what it was carrying. Yusun gasped.

“It’s the couple who forged the ledgers and stole various things out of the warehouse. They copied the handwriting in the ledger, so they weren’t caught earlier, but they were kicked out once we purged the servants who harmed the Mistress.”

The frozen time began to race once again.

The evidence he had been frantically searching for appeared before his very eyes once MoonWon had disappeared.

He glanced at the corpses of the couple with cold eyes before turning to the bloody Yeori.

“The assassins were trying to kill her, but I managed to bring her here.”

Although her condition was serious and she was in dire need of a doctor, Heon’s eyes did not hold an ounce of compassion. The blood dripping from her wounds soon formed a puddle underneath her.

“I am not… scared to die… How can… I dare hope… to live… after doing… such a… horrible thing? I only… ask that… you let me… die in front… of my Mistress…”

“Do you have any right to stand before her?”

Heon’s piercing, cold voice caused shivers to run down the spines of the servants. Yeori looked like she was on the verge of death as she silently shook her head.

“Junghwan.”

“Yes, Master.”

Heon’s voice lowered an octave.

He had just heard that YongUn’s residence was surrounded by the Consort’s assassins. He had planned to lure the Consort to the bamboo grove, so he had been negligent about the security at YongUn’s home. This ultimately came back to bite him.

“I’ll leave on my own first. Send the quick-footed to follow after me.”

“Master!”

If it was MoonWon, she would have gone to her father even if she knew that he was under the Consort’s surveillance. She was a woman who had married him to save her family despite his reluctance.

Although she was stronger and sturdier than anyone he knew, when it came to taking care of herself, she was negligent.

A few moments later, a herd of horses left the residence, steam puffing out of their nostrils.