The return of the granddaughter of the Namgoong family

The Namgung family’s warrior guided Ilhwa directly to the inner courtyard.

I didn’t expect to be taken straight to the inner quarters.

The Namgung family estate was divided into two main areas: the inner courtyard, where the direct descendants resided, and the outer courtyard, where the collateral branches and others affiliated with the Namgung name lived.

Ilhwa had heard that anyone claiming to be the missing Namgung child would typically be screened in the outer courtyard first.

This path… leads to Cheonhojeon.

In her past life, Ilhwa had studied every aspect of the Namgung family in her quest to bring it down. She was well-versed in the estate’s layout and knew what Cheonhojeon was used for.

Seom Mu-gwang must have intervened.

Given the warriors who traveled with him, he had likely sent word ahead to the family. Without such preparations, she would never have been escorted straight to Cheonhojeon.

Either way, it saved Ilhwa the hassle, which was a relief.

***

Meanwhile, in Cheonhojeon, which the elders and direct descendants had recently vacated, three people remained: Namgung Mucheon, the head of the Namgung family; Namgung Mun, the chief steward; and Seom Mu-gwang.

“Bi Pung-geom, is the child here yet?”

Namgung Mun, sensing an opportunity, asked Seom Mu-gwang after the abrupt adjournment of the family meeting.

He had already heard the news that Seom Mu-gwang had found the Namgung head’s granddaughter, but he hadn’t been informed that the child would arrive today.

“Yes, she’ll be here soon. A feisty and adorable little thing.”

“So, I’ll finally see her.”

Namgung Mun had been curious about the child ever since hearing the news. Now, the moment was finally here.

As he nervously stared at the main gate of Cheonhojeon, footsteps climbing the stairs echoed closer, followed by the sound of lighter, deliberate steps.

She’s here!

Moments later, a warrior appeared, accompanied by a young girl.

Namgung Mun instinctively leaned forward, eyes fixed on the child.

Her hair was tied up, black as night, with slightly upturned eyes. Her pale face had a healthy flush, and her cheeks still carried a hint of youthful roundness.

A small, sharp nose and firmly closed lips completed her appearance.

The young lady…?

The child bore a striking resemblance to Namgung Seolhwa when she was young.

Though taller and more mature than his memories, the resemblance was unmistakable.

The memory of Namgung Seolhwa running to him, calling “Tonggwan Haljji! Na! Ana!” (Grandfather Steward, pick me up!), surged through him, and he was overcome with emotion.

His nose stung with an oncoming wave of sentimentality.

“Ha! I had a similar reaction the first time I saw her,” Seom Mu-gwang’s voice intruded. “But don’t jump to conclusions. Nothing’s confirmed yet.”

Hearing Seom Mu-gwang’s remark, Namgung Mun hurriedly composed himself.

He was right; it was too soon to be certain. This meeting was to determine the truth.

Until they confirmed this child was indeed Namgung Seolhwa, words and actions had to be chosen carefully.

***

The moment Ilhwa entered Cheonhojeon, she involuntarily flinched and stopped in her tracks.

It was because of the sharp, piercing gaze that struck her like an arrow.

Looking straight ahead, she saw him.

At the highest and most imposing spot in the grand hall of Cheonhojeon.

The Heavenly Dragon Sword Emperor… Namgung Mucheon.

His graying hair shimmered with streaks of silver, and his slightly upturned eyes lent his expression an intimidating edge.

His tightly closed lips revealed no hint of his thoughts, and his towering figure radiated a dignity so imposing it felt as though he stood above the entire world.

The vast and unfathomable depth of his power was impossible to gauge, but Ilhwa knew it well.

A master of the Hwakyung.

Someone who could manipulate objects without touch, whose body was as unyielding as armor, and who could walk on air.

An absolute master, one of only ten in the world.

Standing before him, she felt like a mere mouse before a mighty dragon.

A single gesture from him could end her life in an instant.

…What is this?

Ilhwa glanced down at her hands.

The moment she faced Namgung Mucheon, her hands tingled and itched.

Her chest pounded lightly, and the nape of her neck tingled.

It must have been nerves.

Is this what it feels like to be overwhelmed?

It’s fine. He’s not my enemy right now. It’s fine.

Clenching her fists, Ilhwa forced herself to step further into the hall.

The three pairs of eyes followed her every move as she approached.

Namgung Mucheon stood at the center, with Namgung Mun to his right and Seom Mu-gwang to his left.

When her gaze met Seom Mu-gwang’s, he grinned broadly, his teeth showing. Despite it being less than half a day since they parted, he looked genuinely delighted to see her again.

In response, Ilhwa offered him only a brief glance before focusing on Namgung Mucheon. She clasped her hands in a martial salute.

“I greet the head of the Namgung family.”

For the first time, she faced the person who had once been her distant enemy—not as an adversary but as a blood relative.

“Welcome.”

Even that simple word carried a resonating depth that sent shivers down her spine.

After bowing briefly again, Namgung Mun stepped forward, clearing his throat.

He spoke in a deliberately solemn tone.

“What is your name?”

Ilhwa naturally looked at him.

“Seolhwa,” she replied.

The chief steward’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but his face quickly regained its calm expression as he continued.

“I hear you claim to be the child the family has been searching for. Is that true?”

Ilhwa nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“The child we seek is a boy. Yet, as we can see, you’re a girl. Moreover, I hear the birthmark on your neck couldn’t be confirmed either. What do you say to that?”

“I don’t know about any of that. I just remembered living in Namgung as a child, so I came here.”

“Memories, you say….”

The steward stroked his chin, studying Ilhwa carefully.

Though he appeared composed and dignified, a trace of nervousness showed.

Could this child truly be the one Namgung had been searching for these eight years? He hoped she was.

This was the first child to so strongly remind him of the young lady he remembered from first impressions alone.

“Can you describe those memories in detail?”

Ilhwa nodded, having anticipated this question.

Taking a short breath, she lowered her gaze as if tracing the threads of memory.

As everyone waited in tense silence, she began to speak slowly.

“A path lined with poppies….”

Even that one phrase caused a small crack in the steward’s composed expression.

Ilhwa lifted her gaze to meet his.

“I remember walking along a poppy-lined path near a pond shaded by willow trees, holding someone’s hand. I don’t remember whose hand it was, but…”

She looked down at her own hands.

Her wistful expression was filled with longing.

“I recall that hand being large and firm. Very warm, too. I think all I could grasp was their thumb.”

Her calm voice seemed to pour cold water over the silence in the hall.

Feeling the chilled atmosphere, Ilhwa clenched her hands into fists.

It’s no surprise.

The path lined with poppies near the willow-shaded pond was part of the garden of the Namgung head’s residence.

So memories from my past life can be useful like this.

She had seen the poppy-filled garden when she attacked the Namgung family in her previous life.

At that time, she had killed all the remaining members of the family and entered the head’s residence, where the poppy-lined path triggered a strange memory.

The memory she had just recounted to the steward—of holding someone’s hand and walking along the flower path.

Back then, it felt so odd that I burned the entire flower bed to the ground.

Though the poppies were ornamental, she mistook them for poisonous plants.

She’d convinced herself that such strange visions couldn’t have been real memories.

But they were my own memories after all.

Silly, weren’t you, past me?

Scoffing at her past self, Ilhwa unclenched her fists and raised her gaze again.

“I lost all memories from before I was five, so this is all I can recall. Is it enough?”

The steward, who had been dazedly staring, suddenly snapped to his senses, about to speak hastily.

But Namgung Mucheon, who had remained silent until then, raised a hand to stop him.

In a low voice, he spoke.

“Poppies are flowers you can find anywhere in the Central Plains. Ponds and willow trees are things any wealthy man can plant for his leisure. Do you think such things are enough to prove you are a child of Namgung?”

Ilhwa raised her head to look directly at Namgung Mucheon.

She had expected that he would not easily acknowledge her claim to be a Namgung child.

Thousands of children had come forward claiming to be the lost child, some of them girls.

And with no birthmark to verify, his doubts were understandable. However—

“I fail to understand,” Ilhwa said plainly.

Namgung Mucheon’s eyebrow twitched.

“You fail to understand? What do you mean?”

“The one searching for the lost child is Namgung, is it not? Then why must I prove myself to you?”