Surviving as the Dang Clan’s Handmaiden

Chapter 3

In a panic, I scrubbed my hands rigorously in clean water. The boy burst into laughter.

“Haha! You’ve been kneading the poison like dough all this time. What a strange child you are.”

“Am, a-am I gonna die? Sh-should I take some kind of antidote?”

“Why? You’re fine. You haven’t been poisoned.”

The boy shrugged. Then, he grabbed the lethal robes I had just flung away.

“We don’t wash poisoned clothes—we burn them. The laundry you’ve been carrying around should’ve all been discarded. The question is, why were you given all this to wash?”

He narrowed his eyes. I fumbled a reply.

“I do not know.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Someone is playing a cruel joke on you, one that can possibly kill you.”

The boy’s dark blue eyes sparkled dangerously. His chilling voice sent a shiver down my spine.

Why me?

When the blood drained from my face, the boy playfully flicked my forehead.

“It’s a joke.”

“Pardon?”

“What would anyone gain from killing you? The other servants must have been pulling a prank on you. They probably expected you to burst into tears and beg for your life. Instead, you obediently carried out their orders, so they continued their ruse.”

“Oh…”

Is that what it was?

That explained why no one else was around whenever I washed the clothes.

Why, they should be punished for hazing!

Seeing my dumbfounded look, the young master smirked and imparted some advice to me.

“You have no tact, child. You should know when to give in if you want to get along with the rest of the group.”

It all made sense now. During the first three days, no one had called me by my name. In fact, no one even talked to me except Songji. As the boy pointed out, Sohye, the girl I had transmigrated into, was being ostracized.

I need to finish the laundry, though…

But when I looked at the robes sprawled on the ground, anger bubbled up from inside me. How could anyone give me poisoned clothes to wash out of spite? It was wrong.

This is attempted murder!

My temper flared. When I angrily jabbed at the dirty clothes, the boy held his stomach and laughed.

“Ahaha! I can read you like a book! That is why they hate you.”

Songji had said something similar. Perhaps it was obvious when I was cursing in my mind.

After a long bout of laughter, the boy said, “You don’t need an antidote, so don’t fret.”

“Are you sure, Young Master?”

“You know the answer best. You don’t feel ill, do you? I must admit, even I was amazed how you could go on wringing these poisoned clothes for days without batting an eye.”

So that’s why he’s been hanging around me? I thought it was because he was bored.

Seeing the astounded look on my face, he clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk. Why, even that dumbstruck look on your face looks just like Hwayeon’s. It is no wonder I am drawn to you.”

He was talking like some old man. He rested his chin on his hands and looked at me like I was pathetic before slowly beginning his explanation.

According to him, it was difficult to survive in the Dang Clan if one didn’t have a resistance to poison. Although the poisons were studied and crafted deep within the manor, it was difficult to stop the poison from seeping out through the air. Hence, the servants of the Dang family were trained to become resistant via an herbal concoction that was distributed once a week.

“I had some yesterday,” I said.

“You don’t need it anymore. It’s a waste of herbal medicine. You have better resistance than most martial artists already.”

So it was poison all along? No wonder it tasted awful.

As a result, many servants quit along the way. No matter how high the pay was, not many people were willing to work at the cost of regularly poisoning themselves. After a thorough screening and weeding out process, the servants consisted of distant relatives of the Dang Clan, wandering illegitimate children, and the offspring of current retainers.

There was a disturbing rumor that the Dang Clan paid civilians to experiment with different levels of poison on them. Seeing as how they were feeding poisons to their own servants, this rumor didn’t seem entirely ridiculous.

“Is it true?”

“No. That rumor’s groundless. The poison technique is used against other martial artists. What would we gain from experimenting on ordinary people?”

Can I take his word for it?

Although the thought was unsettling to say the least, I decided to trust him for now.

“Then do you also take poison, Young Master?”

“I believe I did when I was young.”

“I’m sorry? When you were even younger than you are now?” I asked, horrified.

The boy shrugged. “It’s all right. Our clan has a tome that details the appropriate amount of poison based on a person’s age and build.”

He tried to reassure me, but if anything, it had the opposite effect.

How did they discover these techniques in the first place? So the rumors are true after all! Your family did test the effects of poison on people!

“My ancestors recorded them over hundreds of years as they trained new disciples, so you can take my word for it.”

“I-is that right?”

In other words, your ancestors poisoned their own families to observe the effects.

How could he not be disturbed by the fact that they experimented on living people—on their parents, siblings, children, relatives, and grandchildren, no less? Clearly, something was seriously wrong with the Dangs—every single one of them.

I politely brought my hands together.

I’d better not clown around Young Master just because we’ve gotten a little close.

The boy’s eyes curved into a smile as if amused by my reaction. His soft laughter was gorgeous, and it seemed like flowers were blooming behind him. But this made him all the more terrifying.

I think he could smile as he poisons me.

“Here. Have some of this.”

After chuckling for a while, he took something out from his sleeve and offered it to me. The mysterious lump was wrapped carefully in a sack cloth.

Don’t tell me it’s actually poison.

I wiped my wet hands on my clothes and hesitantly accepted the lump. I peeled back the white cloth to reveal a wheat cookie soaked in honey. It was a confectionary, something I’d only heard of before.

Oh, thank goodness. It’s not poison.

I quietly chuckled in relief. The young master carried snacks in his sleeves while speaking like an old man.

He’s surprisingly adorable.

Giggling, I split the cookie in half and offered a piece to him.

“Here, Young Master. Share it with me.”

“I’m quite all right. You may have it.”

“Come on, let’s eat. I cannot finish such a delicacy on my own.”

When I offered it again, the boy scratched his head and then popped the morsel into his mouth. Based on how he munched on it with a scowl, I guessed that he wasn’t a fan of sweets. I watched him puff his cheeks out as he adjusted his sleeves and became curious.

“Young Master, may I ask you something?” I asked suddenly.

“You may.”

“Why do you carry things inside your sleeves? Wouldn’t it be more secure to keep them in your waist pocket or your inner breast pocket? I think it would be uncomfortable to walk around like that.”

He didn’t respond. My unexpected curiosity appeared to have stunned him. He spaced out at length before finally managing a reply.

“I have my ways.”

“Aha.”

The thought must have never occurred to him until now.

I decided not to press the issue. The boy changed the subject when I feigned a nod of understanding.

“In any case, someone is pulling tricks on you. Go tell Lady Jin. The Dang Clan’s poisons aren’t something to be taken lightly.”

Chewing on the cookie, I nodded. I wasn’t planning on continuing the unnecessary, dangerous work anyway.

* * *

After talking to the boy, I looked around for Lady Jin while holding an armful of poison-stained clothes. I found her poring over a ledger with the housekeeper. When she saw me, she grimaced and covered her nose.

“What is that terrible stench? Is that dirty laundry you have there? How dare you bring it inside?”

“I smell oleander. All robes tainted with poison must be discarded. Is there a reason you brought them here instead?”

The housekeeper interrupted Lady Jin from scolding me and looked straight at me.

He could tell what was up before I even mentioned anything? What a quick-witted man.

Startled by the revelation, Lady Jin stepped back in fright. I nodded politely.

“Yes, my lord. The laundry I was given to wash is covered in poison, but no one would listen when I told them, and I cannot deal with it alone. So I am here to seek your guidance.”

In other words, I was saying, Help! I’m being bullied by the other handmaidens!

I was trying to speak like a character in a martial arts story, but I wasn’t sure if I was pulling it off.

Am I supposed to call him “my lord?” Or is it “sir?” Which one’s right?

While I wondered, Lady Jin’s face turned pale.

“My lord, I have never ordered for contaminated clothes to be washed. There must have been a misunderstanding among the servants.”

Lady Jin rambled her excuse. The housekeeper’s eyes arched menacingly. He stepped closer to inspect the laundry.

“Do you need an antidote?” he asked me with a sigh.

“No, I— Well, yes. I would be grateful.”

I quickly backpedaled. Even though I was fine now, who knew if I might feel the noxious effects later? Holding on to a remedy could come in handy later.

With a nod, the housekeeper rummaged through his sleeves and took out a small wooden box. I received the box with a deep bow and smelled a whiff of something strange. It was probably the antidote.

After I carefully tucked the box away in my pocket, the housekeeper asked, “What is your name?”

“Sohye, my lord.”

His eyes widened in surprise. Lady Jin was just as shocked. Her mouth agape, she turned to the housekeeper, who was at a loss for words. His lips moved to say something, but nothing came out.

Finally, he muttered, “Ahem, I see. You may leave those there. You don’t need to wash them. Lady Jin?”

“Yes. I will look into it and sort things out appropriately. You needn’t be concerned.”

The housekeeper nodded and gestured with his chin. It seemed he was telling me to leave. I gathered my hands together and bowed. Then, I turned around.

There! That’s the end of my scrubbing poison off dirty laundry!

Feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, I walked out of the housekeeper’s office. However, just as I was about to leave, Lady Jin rushed over and grabbed me.

“Just a moment, Sohye.”

“My lady?”

She awkwardly held my sleeves, then, in her restlessness, grabbed my hand. Her demeanor was certainly different from when she had sternly scolded me only minutes ago.

I awkwardly licked my lips.

What’s gotten into her?

“Are you really Sohye?”

“Yes.”

“Are you really Sohye, Choryeon’s daughter?” Lady Jin asked in a muffled tone.

Tears glazed her eyes. Her sable eyes were filled with longing and grief.

I’m not sure about that… because I’ve never even seen my mother. This is tricky.

I wished that I could shake away Lady Jin’s hold on me.