The Love They Never Had: The Chase

Chapter 207: The Lady Min

"Young Master Nam! May I come in?" The Lady Min made herself at home before she even gave me a chance to reply to her request, which just added to my bad mood. I put myself in such a state that I was unable to explore those mysteries quarters and now I needed time to sober up before I went there again, if any of these crazy ladies let me out of their sight, that was. "I have been worrying about you since the events of yesterday, did I frighten you at all?" "My Lady, I have seen worse torture than what you put that maid through. Well? Is she dead?" "She seems to have survived so far, but she is hanging on to dear life. I hope that you will forgive me for my sudden forwardness, but I did have your best interests in mind." "This seems to be going too far for a ingle meeting in a war that I partook years ago? Why did you harm her so?" "That maid is very troublesome to you indeed, and I can prove it. She is a shallow and arrogant person, far more for her downgraded status. You may think that condoning her behaviour has no significance, but all of the maids would follow suit from now on and be filled with false hope to seduce you and will cause you nothing but even more stress and cause greater trouble eventually." "Well, what can I say to that? I appreciate your prudence and consideration. I should have been the one to have punished her instead. Nobody here will dare to grow conceited over favour again." "We do not want any of these female servants to plot something over you again and..." "again? What does that mean? Again?" The only woman I have ever met who could make her emotions was Yeon and nobody could hold a candle to her. The maid was right, myself and my woman had been caught in someone's trap and by the looks of their reactions, she was closer to me than I had realised all of this time. But I could do nothing as long as this woman was here and by my side.

I am just afraid of more unsavoury and inappropriate woman making more moves on you, and clinging onto you shamelessly ands gratitude as a way to get closer to you. And the only way to counter this is through marriage..." "Excuse me?" What did you just say?" "As a rising star in the palace, maintaining one's image is important. But there are also people of importance that fill their heads with the image of immoral men and women all day long. So to them, everyone looks immoral, no matter what they do. And this is an unfortunate reality that we have to live in." "Well, you came here and tried to kill the only form of help that I have in my residence. Will that also not make us enemies after this?" "It will not." "And how are you so sure?" "The unhealthy behaviours of women can never really be cleaned up, they can only show temporary restraint at the most. Maids like her are usually recent, but she tried to bring closer to herself as soon as she was left alone with you. She really was 'the quiet dog that bites', which just brings us all bad luck. But you have my support against that."
"Forgive me but I have no idea what you mean at all." "Young Master Nam, are you telling me that you have no idea abut your maid's family? What her father has done? Recently, I mean?" "My Lady?" "Her father has been recently exposed to have extorted over 80 million pieces of silver and several houses for chupo (woven hemp cloth). Why else were they dragged down by debt for so many years? The Emperor is really angry this time, that is why the family is currently imprisoned, but that is far too lenient of a punishment, so my sister.." "Your sister?" "Forgive me, I made an error in speech. I already prepared a punishment for the maid in advance, that is why..." "So, is all of her family imprisoned then?" "No, not all. The maid has a legitimate half-brother who was due to inherit the family fortune if they hadn't fallen as a family. But the stepmother was repeatedly cruel to him and the father was neglectful, they have no idea where he is right now."

"In 3 years, a clean county head can make 100,00 taels of silver, but 80 million is excessive, no wonder he is to be punished. He must have been cheated out of all of it, like the idiot that seems to be." "The Emperor doesn't care for being cheated or not, you should know that. He was already stripped of his position long ago but now they are just imprisoned until the Emperor comes up with a final verdict and the females in the family have lost favour long ago." "Was His Majesty already angry? It desk't sound like him to just confine them in the palace like this, that rarely happens." "I think hit his wife was close to the Third Prince's mother and the family was only given the county head due to this alone, but he is embarrassed to deal with this huge case of fraud." "Naturally, so this is linked to the Third Prince once again..."
"As her Master, you have to do away with her quickly before anyone finds out your connection to this family. The maid is kneeling for you to attend to her, even in her most horrific condition.""I must not accumulate a cruel reputation, it is late at night and the wind is especially cold tonight, and kneeling in this weather is so improper." "She hasn't eaten or had anything to drink since yesterday , nor has she slept to take a rest and we cannot prolong her punishment anymore. Self-harm of a child of a curial family is self-sabotage, she wouldn't dare to do that."