Chapter 154

When Mantian was sleeping at the Jiegal Family’s villa.

At the Sima Family villa, in Yeonghwa’s room.

Her peach-colored, pure white skin with a faint red glow, and her beautiful black hair that reached her waist.

A graceful figure that captivated those around her, with jewel-like red eyes and a charming smile.

Sima Yeonghwa sat on the upper seat.

She smiled gently at the two people in front of her, Poong Ran and Jang Sam-i.

“Huhu~ Shall we begin then? My first session—’I really like my brother…’.”

Yeonghwa paused mid-sentence.

The term “brother” was something only she, as Mantian’s sister, could use—only she, who shared the same red blood, could say it.

She was different from the concubines, a sister and wife destined by heaven.

A symbol of the sacred marriage, the main wife.

So, she naturally adjusted her expression.

“…A gathering of women who really like Sima Mantian.”

Her curved eyes slightly lifted, and a red light flashed in them. She turned her gaze to the two women who had approached her brother in a household where a sister existed.

Yeonghwa, who had already grasped the internal information of the Sima Family.

Jang Sam-i, whose true gender as a woman had been discovered, sat in her original form after releasing her disguise.

“Hahaha… I wonder if it’s okay for me to join the conversation of young ladies.”

She exchanged nervous glances with Poong Ran, who had also been summoned, and cautiously observed Yeonghwa’s expression.

‘Hey! What’s this gathering of people who like the young master! Why was I called too!?’

‘I, I also just heard about it for the first time! But, but it seems like it’ll be fun! Sis!’

‘That’s… definitely… no! This isn’t the time for that! Are you out of your mind?’

Yeonghwa’s smiling face was beautiful even to another woman.

Her gentle face, with a slight curve at the corners of her mouth and eyes. A perfect smile that naturally drew admiration from those who saw it.

“Huhu~ There’s not much difference in our actual ages. Don’t worry about it.”

Yes, it was a well-crafted fake smile.

Jang Sam-i felt a strange sense of déjà vu, a familiarity with that mask-like smile.

“But who would have thought that my brother’s ‘trusted’, ‘reliable’, and ‘close’ friend and servant would be such a beautiful lady.”

Yes, it was the same smile Sima Bu would wear when hiding his true intentions and testing others.

“…Should I call you Miss Sambung? Or should I call you sister?”

This is why proper upbringing is important. She only picked up the bad habits.

If she were to naively say, “Hehe~ Then please call me sister!”, she’d be the biggest fool.

“Haha… Just call me as usual. As Miss Yeonghwa said, I’m just a ‘close’ servant.”

…And as Yeonghwa said, she was just a close servant.

Unless she was actually dating the young master.

What good would it do to fight the master’s daughter head-on?

Jang Sam-i lowered her eyes and forced an awkward smile, avoiding a confrontation with Yeonghwa.

A hot yet cold atmosphere flowed through the room where the girls had gathered.

“Then~ I’ll call you as usual.”

With Jang Sam-i’s surrender, Yeonghwa’s red wolf-like gaze turned to the next target… Poong Ran, the innocent-faced vixen who had seduced her brother.

Jang Sam-i had been dragged along unintentionally, but the real target was Poong Ran.

The true purpose of the first session—the gathering of women who really like Sima Mantian—was surprisingly.

To discipline the concubines of the main wife, Yeonghwa.

If Guhae and Sososo had heard, they would have challenged her with, “What right do you have?”—but that’s beside the point.

Anyway, that’s not important.

Even if it’s education to maintain order in the household, it’s ultimately a fight over the man between the main wife and the concubines.

That’s why Poong Ran was summoned when Mantian wasn’t home.

She didn’t want to show her ugly side to her beloved brother.

Yeonghwa observed Poong Ran, who was tilting her head innocently. Behind her gentle smile, her red eyes turned cold.

‘Good girl… I thought we were friends. But you’re a vixen who deceived me with that innocent face and got close to my brother!’

Having no close friends her age, Yeonghwa had secretly considered Poong Ran a close friend, so she felt betrayed.

When she heard Poong Ran had been kidnapped by the Blood Church, she had genuinely worried. But in the meantime, she had grown close to her brother and become his lover.

‘She clearly has no heart. A vulgar woman.’

As Yeonghwa’s opinion of Poong Ran plummeted to rock bottom, Poong Ran spoke up.

“Um, I still think Miss Yeonghwa is the one who suits the young master the most.”

“…Huh?”

“What did you say?”

Completely caught off guard, Yeonghwa blinked her eyes. Jang Sam-i also looked at Poong Ran in surprise.

“Well, since this is a gathering of people who like the young master.”

Poong Ran, though nervous, continued with a bright smile.

“I thought we could start by discussing who looks best with the young master.”

She didn’t think her feelings for Mantian were genuine.

Because love isn’t something you can measure.

But externally, Yeonghwa seemed to be the best match for Mantian.

To Poong Ran, Mantian was a kind prince.

And Yeonghwa was like a graceful, elegant princess from a foreign land in a story.

They seemed to suit each other the most.

“Ah… Well… Thank you.”

At Poong Ran’s sincere compliment, Yeonghwa covered her mouth with her hand and slightly turned her head.

‘This is unexpected.’

She wondered if Poong Ran was testing her, but there was no sign of that.

‘Well, of course, I’m the one who suits my brother the most… but your taste isn’t bad.’

As Yeonghwa thought this, Poong Ran delivered the final blow.

“The young master also said that Miss Yeonghwa is the most precious ‘sister’ in the world.”

“Huhu~ Is that so? I’m glad.”

Yeonghwa’s opinion of Poong Ran soared again.

‘She’s a pure and good girl! So kind-hearted!’

She hadn’t planned to drive Poong Ran away from the start.

As the main wife and sister, she only wanted to educate the women her brother had brought home.

If Poong Ran treated Yeonghwa as the main wife, there was no need to be harsh.

As a result, instead of a catfight among the women.

The first session—the gathering of women who really like Sima Mantian—proceeded.

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“Ran, you’re from Goryeo? But where is Goryeo?”

“It’s a country here.”

At Yeonghwa’s question, Poong Ran unfolded a map and pointed to Goryeo’s territory. Yeonghwa’s eyes widened in surprise.

“That’s… Silla, isn’t it!?”

“It’s Goryeo now. But how do you know about Silla, miss?”

“That’s right.”

Poong Ran and Jang Sam-i expressed their curiosity.

“Huhu~ Of course I know. Zoroastrianism and Silla are very closely related, like brothers.”

Yeonghwa’s eyes sparkled as she took out one of the scriptures she had brought from the Zoroastrian church.

“This is another tale of the Zoroastrian hero, Faridun.”

『Kushnameh』

“In the past, there was a great incident where Zahhak, the incarnation of the evil three-headed dragon Aži Dahāka, killed the Persian royal family.”

Yeonghwa’s beautiful voice echoed, and puppets made of flames danced, performing a puppet show.

‘Ah… something’s starting.’

‘Something’s starting! Sis!’

Jang Sam-i looked annoyed, while Poong Ran looked excited.

The story of Kushnameh went something like this.

When Zahhak invaded the palace and killed the Persian royals.

The crown prince, Abtin, fled to Tang to escape Zahhak.

But Tang was also in chaos.

So Abtin took his retainers and fled further east to Silla.

There, Abtin was warmly welcomed by King Taehur of Silla, and they hunted, dined, and even went to saunas together, settling in this foreign land.

Two events then occurred.

Abtin fell in love with the beautiful Silla princess, Prarang, and Tang launched an invasion against Silla.

Abtin joined the Silla army under King Taehur and fought against the Tang forces.

After a fierce battle, the war ended in Silla’s victory.

Returning from the war, Abtin married Princess Prarang and lived a happy newlywed life.

But one day, in a dream, the Zoroastrian creator god.

Ahura Mazda appeared and prophesied, [Abtin, return to your homeland. Your son will kill Zahhak].

Abtin returned to Persia with his family and retainers.

But unfortunately, the prophecy’s subject wasn’t Abtin. It was his son, Faridun.

Abtin fell into Zahhak’s trap and died.

But the son born to the surviving Silla princess, Prarang, Faridun, grew up and defeated Zahhak, avenging his father and the Persian royals.

This was the general story of the Kushnameh.

The flame puppets faded and disappeared. Yeonghwa stopped the puppet show and offered a devout prayer as a Zoroastrian follower.

“Ran, I had no idea you were from Silla. This is fate.”

“Uh… technically, it’s Goryeo, the country that emerged after Silla fell.”

Perhaps because the distance in their hearts had lessened.

After that, Yeonghwa and Poong Ran continued to discuss Mantian’s good points and various stories.

The girls’ night deepened.

And so, the Sima Family servant, guard, and assassin.

‘…Why was I dragged into this?’

Jang Sambung was forcibly included in the girls’ pajama party.

It hadn’t even been a day since Mantian left…

‘Young master… I miss you.’

Jang Sam-i desperately missed Mantian.