Everyone was momentarily at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, Youngsun quickly approached with the accessories.

“Wow! I was so worried when you said you wanted black, Young Lady, but now that I see you, it seems that my worries were for naught.”

Since black was used for mourning clothes in the Mystic Realm, no one would wear it to normal banquets.

That was why she had been so worried.

She had been more concerned than anything that the impression her young lady gave might be damaged as she was meeting her peers again after such a long time.

But even Youngsun’s voice as she put the accessories on Sehwa’s neck was filled with admiration.

‘Heavens. How can black look so lavish?’

Though the attire was plain, when it was combined with her mistress’s beauty, it looked so dazzlingly beautiful.

As expected, whatever her young lady decided, there was no way it could ever be wrong.

“It’s time, Young Lady.”

Although she had checked her appearance several times in the mirror, if she were to run into her father after going out in clothes of this color, she knew he would be very surprised.

Not wanting to cause him concern, she draped her veil over her shoulders, concealing her attire.

“Let’s go.”

Even after checking her appearance several times, it wasn’t enough.

Sehwa, who had checked every single part minutely and fixed even the smallest flaws, led her attendants, with Youngsun at their head, out of the annex.

As she was about to leave through the main gate, Ju Myoungyoon, having heard the news of his daughter’s departure, had come out to see her.

“Sehwa!”

“Father.”

“I heard that you’re going to attend the banquet. Are you leaving now?”

When she nodded, Ju Myoungyoon asked with a worried expression.

“You should have rested a bit more. Why are you suddenly going out? How can you go out when you’re not even well?”

His daughter had been bedridden for two days, unable to regain her senses.

It was impossible for him not to worry when he heard that his daughter was trying to go out without being able to rest.

“And if your body is like this, where did Yeonju go?”

‘Where on earth is that Sa Yeonju at such an important time?’

Ju Myoungyoon had not been oblivious to Sa Yeonju’s behavior until now.

But he simply had much bigger issues that he had to take care of.

Since he and his sons had had to go to war, and his wife had had to deal with all the big and small matters in the house in his stead, and had even ended up on the battlefield together with him, he had simply not been able to spare any time.

Therefore, even though he knew of the absurd things Sa Yeonju was doing, he had turned a blind eye.

He had felt sorry for his young daughter, who was not even an adult, who was always alone in the mansion, and she had also seemed to be devoted to his daughter.

But Sa Yeonju, who had clearly heard the news about Sehwa’s trip to the Baek Clan, was staying at the safehouse.

Having only confirmed that Sehwa was not well, she had left, and had not yet returned.

To make things worse, since she had decided to attend the banquet alone today, a sense of disappointment washed over him heavily.

“Father, don’t blame Yeonju too much. My sister also has her own things to do. She can’t be concerned about only my things.”

“Still, shouldn’t she be by your side when you’re unwell? You’ve always done so.”

“It’s fine. I’ve always been fine, and I always had Youngsun, Youngchae, and Youngmu by my side.”

‘That poor thing. What’s the point of saying that.’

Ju Myoungyoon’s eyes drooped with sorrow at his daughter’s words, as she tried to defend Sa Yeonju.

“By the way, what was decided about the Baek Clan’s Clan Head’s matter? What did the Clan Head say?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, your father has something to apologize to you about regarding that matter.”

“Apologize? What do you mean?”

Ju Myoungyoon, at a loss for words about how to explain it, hesitated for a moment.

He gently patted his daughter’s shoulder, filled with apology.

“I’m thinking of crossing over to the Mystic Realm and meeting Baek Giha. The Mystic Ruler has entrusted him to me. And so, it seems that I will have to stay in the Mystic Realm for a while.”

“He’s entrusted him to you, you say. Surely, the Clan Head isn’t not providing you with any support?”

Sehwa immediately realized what his words meant.

Her eyes turned cold in an instant.

‘To entrust the public enemy of all the members of the bloodline to my father alone.’

Hadn’t he just given him a task that was perfect for pushing the blame onto him?

In fact, taking advantage of this opportunity, he could use it as a means to remove both him and her father at the same time.

‘Is that old man planning on framing my father again?’

“Your father is fine. I’ve met him often on the battlefield, so I know him to a certain extent. He’s a good man. Even though he’s younger than me, I think that he’s worthy of my respect, if he hadn’t been our enemy. I don’t think that such a person would cause any problems.”

“Our family members might create a problem on purpose. They might stir him up on purpose, even if he is planning to stay quiet.”

“……”

‘And even though he’s not immortal, he’s coming to the middle of the Ju Clan’s territory alone. If someone finds out that he can die…….’

Just the thought of it made all of the blood in her body seem to run cold.

“Is he really coming to the Ju Clan’s territory without an escort or attendants?”

“Yes. Since the Mystic Ruler is also planning to hold a banquet for him, I’m afraid that he might stay for longer than we thought, which is why I am worried.”

A long sigh leaked from between the warrior’s firm lips.

“There are many people who are mourning the loss of their kin after the long war. And if some pointless discord is brought about, then I’m afraid that this short period of peace after the truce will be broken soon……”

“Isn’t it possible to not accept it? There isn’t a need to bring him into the territory. The Mystic Ruler and the Young Lord are both in the human realm, so it would be fine to see him there. Why is the Mystic Ruler trying to bring him to the middle of the territory?”

“I also said that it seemed that a meeting in the human realm would be more suitable, but what can I do when the Clan Head has made a decision.”

Ju Myoungyoon hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should tell his daughter that she had also been asked to attend the banquet for him, but decided against it.

And also the fact that the Baek Clan’s Clan Head, with whom she had previously had a marital alliance with, was entrusted to him.

And also about her trip to the Baek Clan.

‘If the Clan Head has made up his mind to use my daughter as a pawn.’

If he was trying to somehow bind her to the Baek Clan, as a father, he had no choice but to stop it at all costs.

There was no need to tell his daughter about all of this.

“Then, do I not need to go back? If you need me to go with you, please, tell me.”

“No. Since the Mystic Ruler has entrusted this to me, it seems that he will stay at our mansion if he comes to the Ju Clan’s territory.”

Ju Myoungyoon added in a serious voice.

“Therefore, you must not cross over and wait for me to send news from the human realm. Do you remember the conversation we had in the Clan Head’s detached palace? It would be best if you didn’t meet him.”

As father and daughter, their minds were only filled with plans to deal with the complicated situations, without knowing which of them was the right answer.

Even though they were situations that were best to be avoided, since the Mystic Ruler had already made an order, there was no way to not obey it for now.

As she suppressed the emotions that had surged up inside her, she tried her best to hold her father’s hand calmly.

“I’m very worried. Please be careful.”

“I will. Your father will be careful, for sure.”

“What about Uncle Danyoon? You’ll be together with him, right?”

“Yes. He already left through the gate early in the morning to greet Baek Giha. I won’t worry as long as he’s with me. There are many soldiers of the Ju Clan at the outpost as well, so you don’t have to worry.”

“……”

“Nothing will happen. You too……”

“……”

“You too……”

Ju Myoungyoon, who didn’t know what to say, repeated his last words and swallowed the rest of his words.

To him, this daughter was his most precious thing.

Although that was the same for his two adopted sons whom he had had to bring to the battlefields with him as well.

He had not been able to properly eat, play with, or watch her grow up while he had been investigating the missing person’s case for the first few years, and then when he had spent more than ten years directing the continued war.

Even so, how well this precious child had grown up.

Unlike other members of the bloodline, she had not enjoyed banquets and luxury.

She had remained at her house, worrying about her family who were risking their lives on the battlefields, and had lived modestly.

After his wife had left as well, she had been living alone while dealing with various matters of the household that she shouldn’t have had to deal with at such a young age.

‘Even compared to the Sa Clan’s child whom I had brought as a companion for her, I can’t help but see how exceptional my daughter is.’

That was the type of daughter she was.

And that was why it was so difficult to speak frankly with her.

‘After showing that I have always been loyal to the Clan Head my entire life, how can I tell my daughter now to be wary of the Mystic Ruler? That he might be planning to use you as a tool and that there might be poison hidden in his orders, so be careful?’

Ju Myoungyoon also had a sense of wariness about the Young Lord, who was approaching his daughter.

The Young Lord Ju Kyunghyun was always smiling gently, and so he seemed to have a different personality from his father, the Mystic Ruler.

But sometimes, the selfish nature and high pride that appeared on his face, and his coldness like an iceberg made Ju Myoungyoon’s heart turn cold.

Despite all of his worries, he ultimately couldn’t say anything further and only added this.

“Be careful.”

Keeping his daughter by his side was probably the best way for her to remain safe.

‘I have to quickly resolve the Baek Clan’s Clan Head’s matter and return to the human realm. When I’m by her side, even the Clan Head won’t recklessly make any moves.’

Regardless of what her father was thinking, Sehwa was more at ease, knowing that her father was going to leave the human realm.

Her father should not know about the many things that she was planning on doing from now on.

After seeing her father off, who had left to cross the gate to the Mystic Realm to meet with Baek Giha, Ju Sehwa immediately left towards her destination.

“Young Lady.”

“Hm?”

“I received a letter from the person we sent out. It seems that your cousin has left the safehouse and departed for the banquet venue first.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. And.”

Youngsun, who had been waiting beside the palanquin, looked around before whispering.

“One of the humans, who has been acting as your cousin’s errand boy, has changed his attire twice yesterday and gone out to the lower class villages to buy something from the apothecaries.”