Chapter 251: The Lady of White Flowers Mi Hyoran. (1)

‘Why?’

What on earth is this situation?

Rubbing my eyes, I carefully lifted my head while still kneeling.

Sip.

I saw the person drinking tea in front of me.

As I watched the woman sitting upright and drinking tea.

It feels completely foreign.

Is it because she’s someone who shouldn’t be in my room?

That must be it.

The Lady of White Flowers Mi Hyoran.

The head of the rather famous Baekhwa Merchant Group, and the mother of Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonso.

The current mistress of the Gu family was sitting in my room, drinking tea.

Her appearance is a young and beautiful face, unbefitting her age, making it clear where Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonso got their beauty from.

At the same time, she was a woman with somewhat fierce eyes, not losing out even when compared to the Gu family’s lineage.

Thump.

The sound was heard as the sipping teacup was placed on the desk.

Perhaps because the room was filled with silence, even that small sound seemed loud.

Madam Mi’s gaze turned towards me.

At those sharp eyes, I flinched involuntarily.

“It’s been a while.”

It’s quite a blunt voice.

Unlike the fiery Gu sisters’ personalities.

Madam Mi is the type of person who maintains such an endlessly cold attitude.

‘Father feels that way too. Who on earth did Gu Huibi take after to be like that.’

It wasn’t really my place to say that.

If we’re talking about bad tempers, Gu Huibi and I are probably similar.

After hesitating for a long time, I pouted my lips.

I said to her.

“…It’s been a while since I last saw you….”

Halt.

Upon hearing my greeting, Madam Mi inexplicably stopped moving.

A different light flickered in her gaze as she looked at me.

It’s a strange reaction. Why is she reacting like that?

“…How curious.”

“Huh?”

“Receiving a greeting from you, I mean. How long has it been?”

“…”

Was that so.

Well, even when Madam Mi stayed at the Sega family manor.

I used to greet her, even if it was uncomfortable.

But even that stopped after my mother disappeared.

I was too broken down to do that for anyone.

And then, Madam Mi left the Sega family.

However, it wasn’t the time to get sentimental.

I tried to ignore it halfway and asked Madam Mi a question.

“…May I ask why you came to see me?”

Could she have any reason to look for me like this?

I was curious about that.

Was my question strange?

Madam Mi’s gaze seemed to change subtly.

“I heard you’ve changed a lot, and it certainly seems so.”

“It’s been a while since we last met, so I should have changed.”

“Is that so? Was it such a long time for you….”

After drinking the last sip of tea.

Madam Mi stood up.

“I just came by, so I only came to see your face. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“…Huh?”

“We’ll have a proper greeting later. For now, your father will be looking for you.”

Saying that, Madam Mi turned and headed for the door, and I couldn’t help but stare at her back in confusion.

Is she really just leaving after seeing my face?

I didn’t know what expression to wear in this bewildering situation.

‘What is this?’

While wondering if there might be some other reason.

It was difficult to judge easily by looking at Madam Mi.

To me, she was…

Not someone I disliked or feared.

But rather someone who felt burdensome and heavy.

Just as Madam Mi was about to open the door and leave.

Creak!

The door opened, and someone entered my room.

“Little sibling! Again! You’re skipping meals….”

The culprit was none other than Gu Huibi.

Gu Huibi, who burst into the room, ran into Madam Mi, who was about to leave.

Gu Huibi’s expression, which changed upon facing the situation, was quite a sight.

It was a face flushed with both bewilderment and fear.

“M-Mother?”

“…This is amusing.”

Madam Mi’s reply, following the trembling words, was…

Still as nonchalant as before.

Seeing this, a bead of cold sweat trickled down Gu Huibi’s cheek.

“…This mother clearly told you to conduct yourself properly.”

“It’s not that… I just wanted to look after my little sibling.”

“Are you making excuses for your own fault?”

“…”

With a few cold words, Gu Huibi was silenced.

It had always been like this, but Gu Huibi was particularly weak against Madam Mi.

Perhaps ‘crushed’ would be a better word than ‘weak’.

Unlike the heroic woman who commanded fearlessly, setting fires and ruling.

She turned into a meek lamb before her own mother.

“…Actually, I was planning to visit you and Yeonso later, but it seems I have a lot to say to you starting now.”

“M-Mother… that is…”

“Follow me.”

At Madam Mi’s words, Gu Huibi looked towards me as if shocked.

Her expression seemed to plead for help.

‘What am I supposed to do?’

There was no way I could help.

In the end, Gu Huibi was dragged away without being able to resist Madam Mi’s grasp.

Right after the storm had passed.

I was left staring at the door they had left through, unable to fully regain my senses.

---

My relationship with Madam Mi in my previous life…

Felt neither particularly good nor bad.

If anything, I was the one unilaterally avoiding her.

I found her difficult and feared her at the same time.

One day, while strolling through the garden with my mother.

There was a day I happened to run into Madam Mi.

No, more accurately, it would be correct to say Madam Mi came looking for us.

That was the garden of the residence where my mother, Gu Ryeonghwa, and I stayed.

Wasn’t it around then?

Seeing Madam Mi’s eyes glance at me even briefly.

There was a time I became intimidated and shrunk back without realizing it.

The presence of the legal wife, faced as the child of a concubine, is heavier and more difficult than expected.

Not only did I not know how to treat her properly.

Even if I showed courtesy, there was no way she would look favorably upon me.

What’s more.

Especially if it was becoming almost certain that the child of a concubine would grow up to take the position of the family head.

Could she possibly look favorably upon me?

I thought she wouldn’t.

Right after my mother left, when I resented everyone in the Sega family.

I resented Madam Mi as well.

If you ask why I resented her.

Well, perhaps it was just because I was immature.

I was at the point of resenting the world itself.

Even if it wasn’t her fault, I just wanted to resent something.

Besides, even when Madam Mi resided at the Sega family manor.

She rarely showed her face at the manor due to her busy schedule with the merchant group.

Because of that, Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonso often visited our residence and spent time there.

‘Perhaps she didn’t like that either?’

It’s possible.

My mother and I spending time with her daughters.

It’s possible she didn’t particularly like it.

No matter how much I thought about it.

There wasn’t a single reason for her to look favorably upon me.

That’s why it’s even more inexplicable.

Right after I fell into disgrace as a demonized person.

Along with becoming a target for eradication by the Martial Arts Alliance.

And around the time the Central Plains were thrown into chaos by the appearance of the Demonic Cult.

The one entity that cooperated by donating its wealth through sponsorships and resource contributions here and there was none other than the Baekhwa Merchant Group.

At a time when other merchant groups were holding their breath to survive, focusing only on their own gains.

Everyone wondered why she made such a choice.

Mi Hyoran, the head of the merchant group at the time, said with a nonchalant expression:

-My son committed a wrong, so as a mother, I am simply finding a way to take responsibility.

Mother and son.

It was too bland a statement to come from Madam Mi’s lips.

‘…Why?’

Given that public attention was focused on the situation.

If it was a lie told merely to put a good face on things, I could respect that.

However, if one were to consider whether Madam Mi was the type of person to act merely because public attention was bothersome.

I couldn’t be sure.

Although I don’t know her in detail.

I had the thought that she wasn’t that kind of person.

She kept her word, exerting her influence afterward.

Even after her children lost their lives later on.

And even if the Baekhwa Merchant Group faced turmoil.

She maintained her resolve.

‘Does she truly not resent me?’

Could that be possible?

Me, who had driven her children and husband to their deaths.

How could she not resent me?

I am the child of a concubine, with no blood relation to her.

Even if it was undone through regression.

She still remains a heavy and difficult figure to me.

Is this guilt?

It was hard to say yes.

But it was also ambiguous to say no.

It was that kind of feeling.

“…Yes.”

I looked up at the voice that suddenly rang out.

The not-so-small banquet hall.

And everyone filling this room were all members of the Gu family bloodline.

Starting with Father at the head seat.

Even Gu Yeonso, whom I hadn’t seen recently, was seated.

It was a banquet to celebrate the return of Gu Huibi and myself, but…

As always, it wasn’t lavish.

The people here didn’t particularly enjoy such things.

I heard Gu Ryeonghwa had returned to Geomhu and Hwasan, so her absence was natural.

Instead of Gu Ryeonghwa, a face I hadn’t seen in a long time was seated there.

‘It’s been a while.’

The person sitting in front of me.

Meaning my second older sister, Gu Yeonso.

Gu Yeonso was still avoiding my gaze.

She didn’t seem keen on attending this banquet either.

But since her own mother was attending, she probably had no choice but to come.

‘What has she been up to?’

Glancing at her, I could see she had grown compared to before.

Both physically and in terms of the energy within her body.

‘Around the third to fourth level, perhaps.’

From a quick glance, it seemed about that much.

Should I say she’s at the level of being close to breaking through a barrier?

She must have put in considerable effort.

Meanwhile, Gu Yeonso’s eyes occasionally met mine.

But each time, she’d turn her head away, still seeming to find me awkward.

“I heard you’re engaged to the Namgung family.”

Stir.

At Madam Mi’s words, I felt Gu Huibi, who was eating next to me, stir.

If anyone should be surprised, it should be me! Why is this person acting like this all of a sudden?

‘Did she get severely scolded after going back?’

Judging by how she was dragged away earlier, she must have been told off.

Did she hear something there?

“It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s planned.”

If things proceed as I heard.

I’ll probably head directly to Anhui soon to conduct the engagement ceremony.

“The Namgung family… Not a bad family.”

Madam Mi seemed lost in thought for a moment, her eyes calm.

It was somewhat surprising that she said the Namgung family wasn’t bad.

They are one of the Four Great Families, after all.

“Is the child you’re meeting… alright?”

“…Huh? Ah, yes… Al… alright.”

I was momentarily flustered by Madam Mi’s question.

I hadn’t expected her to ask me something like that.

Perhaps she was satisfied with my answer.

Madam Mi nodded.

“…I heard you’re staying at the Sega family manor.”

“Yes.”

She’s probably sleeping right about now.

Since this gathering was for family members, Namgung Bi-ah was not present.

It would be an uncomfortable situation for her.

Although she seemed eager to come herself.

I couldn’t just call her over and have her sit here.

Not because it would be uncomfortable for her.

But because it would be uncomfortable for me.

It was too quiet to be called a banquet.

Father is naturally quiet, but…

Gu Huibi, who should be noisy at this point, was also silent, creating a very uncomfortable atmosphere.

Slurp.

Amidst the continuing silence.

Madam Mi took a sip of tea, just like before, and continued speaking.

“I also heard you’re serving as a daughter of the Moyong family.”

I looked around at the sound of her voice.

Wondering who she was asking.

‘Hmm?’

But looking around, no one answered.

Seeing that Madam Mi’s gaze was also directed at me.

‘She’s asking me.’

I felt like I was going to choke.

This feeling is like nothing I’ve felt since the first day I returned.

“That is correct.”

If she had heard, she would have known long ago.

What does she want to hear?

“…We also tried approaching them, but were rejected every time. Yet, the Tang family and the Moyong family are collaborating in Shanxi…”

Ah.

Is she perhaps blaming me?

The Moyong family has considerable capabilities in business, so any merchant group that collaborates with them can generate significant profits.

That’s why even the Baekhwa Merchant Group’s approach was rejected.

And yet, the Gu family succeeded unexpectedly.

The Baekhwa Merchant Group is one thing.

And the Gu family is another, so it was a potentially awkward situation.

‘It’s not like I need to apologize.’

Still, as I looked at Madam Mi with a slightly awkward feeling.

Madam Mi nodded and said to me.

“I heard you put effort into this. You worked hard.”

“…Huh?”

I was so taken aback by the sudden praise that I couldn’t speak.

I never expected her to say something like that.

“Hmm…”

Madam Mi, who had just spoken.

Had a thoughtful expression on her face, as if pondering something deeply.

It seemed like something wasn’t going as planned.

Or perhaps she was thinking about something else.

‘…I wish she wouldn’t pay attention to it if possible.’

I still couldn’t shake off the discomfort.

‘Why did she return?’

Madam Mi left the Sega family manor right after my mother disappeared.

In my previous life, the time she returned to the Sega family manor again was…

Around the time I turned sixteen.

Probably…

‘Around the time I took the position of Young Master?’

That’s roughly it.

‘Is there some reason?’

If there were problems with the merchant group, she probably wouldn’t have come to the Gu family specifically.

Even if a problem had occurred, Madam Mi’s actions didn’t seem urgent.

Of course, as someone who had been an capable merchant group head for a long time.

Her ability to hide such processes would also be outstanding.

‘I haven’t heard any news about something happening at the Baekhwa Merchant Group either.’

…Besides, even recalling the events of my previous life.

So much had changed, possibly due to my troublemaking, that it was useless now anyway.

As the uncomfortable time dragged on a bit longer.

The banquet reached its end, and everyone began to stand up.

Father, who had been silent throughout the meal, stood up first.

Following him, Madam Mi and the Gu sisters left.

For reference, Gu Huibi was practically dragged out, held by the arm.

Even as she left, Madam Mi glanced back at me before exiting.

As I happened to meet her gaze while secretly eating dumplings, I almost choked.

I managed to swallow them down with water and put on a blank expression.

“What is this all about…?”

I still couldn’t figure out her intentions at all.

I wondered if she expected something from me.

But since she didn’t say anything, I couldn’t know.

---

A short while later.

Whoosh-!

Namgung Bi-ah, who was practicing her swordplay under the moonlight in her residence, encountered a sudden visitor.

It was someone Namgung Bi-ah had never seen before.

“Nice to meet you.”

Immediately after hearing about her identity, Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t help but sharpen her dazed eyes.

Then.

To the tense Namgung Bi-ah, the visitor asked in a calm voice.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

Namgung Bi-ah thought.

She worried if there were refreshments in her residence.

Then she worried if there was tea ready for the guest.

There was no way there would be, so she had to despair.