Chapter 81

Jung-yeong approached Ryeon, who was standing in a corner of the training ground, with quick steps.

"Young master, I have carried out your order."

Ryeon's command was a single word.

Investigate.

They needed to find evidence that Danmok Jun had committed this act.

But he didn't expect to find it so quickly. He certainly didn't expect to see Danmok Seong appear and force Danmok Jun to kneel.

"How did you find it so quickly?"

While Ryeon was alternating his gaze between Danmok Seong and Jung-yeong, Danmok Seong first bowed to Danmok Cheon-gi with his hands clasped.

"Grand Patriarch! I apologize for making him kneel before greeting you, as this person attempted to harm others within the Danmok Manor."

Attempting to harm others was no small matter. Danmok Cheon-gi raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"What?"

"Seong! What do you mean by that?"

Upon closely examining Danmok Seong, he noticed sweat on his forehead, indicating that he had likely rushed here after finding the evidence.

Danmok Jun's face alternated between pale and red, finally turning to a face filled with anger as he pointed.

"That, that guy!"

Upon closer inspection, a strange servant with a tear-streaked face was almost prostrating behind Danmok Seong.

In the meantime, Jung-yeong whispered quietly to Ryeon.

"Hwa-ryun... While fetching the carp rice, he noticed the commotion in the guest hall kitchen and investigated."

"Ryeon...?"

Ryeon was genuinely surprised and opened his eyes wide.

He had never seen Hwa-ryun show interest in anything other than her or Danmok Bi.

"The servants ate leftover stir-fried chicken from the guest hall kitchen, and within a few hours, they all started vomiting or..."

Jung-yeong couldn't bring himself to describe the repeated vomiting and diarrhea in front of the young master and changed the subject.

"Anyway, the kitchen manager, Mr. Jeon, was also in a panic."

"Oh! They all shared it!"

The physician and Seo Geulim, who were listening, also changed their expressions.

"Goodness. How many people ate it?"

"About four or five, but it wasn't that severe for those who didn't eat much. When I confirmed, the physician had already examined them, so there's no need to worry."

"So? What evidence did you find?"

"Mr. Jeon, after tasting the problematic dish, realized that the meat was not just spoiled but had been rotten from the start..."

Jung-yeong glanced at the servant behind Danmok Seong, who was trembling and looked like he wanted to faint on the spot.

Despite the many people's gazes, Danmok Seong spoke confidently.

"Upon investigation, I found that several people had been vomiting, having diarrhea, and suffering from high fever and dizziness. They said they had shared the leftover food from the guest hall. The dish in question was made by this servant in the guest hall kitchen!"

Danmok Jun, with a pale face, shouted.

"Y-Yes! He made it! I, I didn't know about it!"

Then, Danmok Jun tried to approach the servant standing beside Danmok Seong on his knees.

With a threatening gesture, the servant clung to Danmok Seong's clothes and almost simultaneously cried and confessed.

"Y-Young master gave me some meat with a strange smell and told me to make a stir-fried dish with it!"

"I never did that! I don't know anything about it!"

Meanwhile, Danmok Jun's servant prostrated himself.

It was now a competition of confessions, almost a matter of life and death.

The servant who had survived by reading the room spoke first.

"I told him the meat seemed strange, but he said it was a rare delicacy brought for nourishment with a friend. He said I, a lowly servant, wouldn't understand... But even I can tell the difference between rotten and rare meat... But I couldn't refuse the young master's order..."

"Who is this friend?"

At Danmok Cheon-gi's low voice, the room held its breath. Everyone trembled like rabbits before a tiger.

"Who is this friend? Speak up!"

Bang!

Danmok Cheon-gi lightly struck the table to regain attention, but the sound was like thunder.

Danmok Jun, startled, began to cry. The servant quickly spoke.

"It's Young Master Seo Geulim!"

Seo Geulim, observing the situation, took a detoxifying pill given by the physician and slowly stood up.

Danmok Cheon-gi, who had been staring at Seo Geulim with a piercing gaze, turned his eyes back to Danmok Seong.

"Then, if both of you ate the same dish, why did only one get sick while the other remained fine?"

"Y-Young Master Jun didn't eat it..."

"No! That's not true!"

Danmok Jun vehemently denied it.

"It was the servant's doing alone!"

"Why would I secretly bring rotten meat and serve it to the young master?"

"I don't know! You, you've always envied and hated me, hoping I would fail in this test! You must have been secretly mocking me from behind!"

"Enough!"

As Danmok Cheon-gi looked down with a cold gaze and sighed, Seo Geulim, who had risen from his seat, walked to the dais and bowed to Danmok Cheon-gi.

"Grand Patriarch, today Danmok Jun secretly brought some nourishing meat and invited me to have lunch together. There was a dish of stir-fried chicken. Unlike usual, Danmok Jun didn't eat the meat and kept offering it to me."

"Was your delay due to that?"

"Yes, I apologize."

Seo Geulim looked even more exhausted, his face paler. Seeing the situation, Danmok Jun quickly changed his story.

"Grand Patriarch! It's a misunderstanding. I invited Seo Geulim to the meal because I thought the meat was good!"

"Then why didn't you eat it?"

"Because it was such good meat, I wanted to... yield it to Seo Geulim..."

"If you two are so close, why did you leave Seo Geulim, who was severely vomiting and in pain, and come here alone?"

"Seo Geulim suddenly disappeared. I couldn't find him... But I couldn't be late for the test..."

At that moment, a small, trembling voice was heard.

"I saw this person stealing chicken yesterday."

"Danmok Wan!"

A small, tense girl with a pale face pointed at Danmok Jun.

Everyone's gaze, including Danmok Cheon-gi's, focused on her, but Danmok Wan spoke as calmly and clearly as possible.

"Yesterday morning, I saw him sneak into the kitchen and take out a wrapped lump. I thought he was hungry..."

At that moment, the head steward whispered to Danmok Cheon-gi.

"Yesterday morning, the dish served in the guest hall was chicken porridge."

"Do you have any evidence? Proof that you did this...!"

As Danmok Jun vehemently denied it, Danmok Seong suddenly produced a piece of cloth.

Danmok Hyun-yo, who had approached her daughter, took the cloth and, with a face that almost screamed, turned to Danmok Cheon-gi.

It was an old, faded piece of cotton cloth. It was sticky and emitted a strange smell, similar to overcooked eggs.

"This is the cloth that wrapped the chicken. It has a name embroidered on it. Danmok Jun!"

"Wow!"

"My goodness..."

As sighs of disbelief spread among the people, Danmok Hyun-yo, frowning at the smell of the rotten chicken, turned to Danmok Seong with a trembling voice.

"Seong, how did you find this...?"

Danmok Seong turned to Ryeon with a serious face.

"Actually, all of this was investigated by Ryeon's servants and warriors on Ryeon's orders."

"......!"

Suddenly, everyone's gaze turned to Ryeon. Jung-yeong subtly lowered his eyes and whispered to Ryeon.

"Actually, it was mostly Hwa-ryun who did it..."

His voice was slightly dejected.

Meanwhile, the matter was quickly resolved. Danmok Jun, who was still protesting, was dragged away, and Seo Geulim, who had been holding out, was moved to the medicine hall.

In the midst of the chaotic atmosphere, the last person ascended the training ground. It was Danmok Wan, who still looked tense but had a more composed demeanor.

Ryeon, who had seen Seo Geulim off and returned to his seat, smiled.

Danmok Wan demonstrated her skills in front of Danmok Hyun-woo and then descended the training ground with a proud expression, as if a weight had been lifted.