After digging up the mugworts, Yeo Ha-ryun disappeared.

‘Tsk, tsk. He’s still a child. He ran away because he got tired.’

Jin Cheon-hee looked to the side with a bitter smile.

Making mugwort tea isn’t as simple as just boiling the mugwort. It requires a process to turn mugwort into tea. And the result of that process was next to him.

What is that process?

Wash the mugwort and separate the leaves from the stems.

Then, dry the washed mugwort in the shade and lightly roast it over a fire.

Cool and dry it again.

This process needs to be repeated several times to complete the mugwort tea.

From the meticulous preparations to the involvement of the people from the Gongson family, they had to put all their effort into it. The shape was roughly preserved enough to boil it into tea, but he couldn’t guarantee the taste.

‘It doesn’t matter. The important thing is Gongson Yeong’s sincerity.’

Gongson Yeong had intervened and made it by hand throughout the entire process.

Rather than doing it properly, it felt like she was ruining the work of others, but that wasn’t really important.

After the preparations was complete and they could finally boil the tea.

Gongson Yeong smiled brightly.

Jin Cheon-hee thought her smile was beautiful, but he didn’t say it out loud.

“I hope my sister likes it.”

“She will. Noona.”

“Our Eun-in is such a sweetheart! He says all the nicest things.”

She smiled broadly and gently patted Jin Cheon-hee’s head.

Her large hand covered all of his hair.

It was a warm hand.

This tedious process was done by Gongson Yeong, a member of the Gongson lineage, and that too without showing any signs of dislike.

The servants had bright expressions when they looked at her. It was as if they were looking at the sunlight on a spring day.

She was a person who continued to inspire energy while you are with her.

Gongson Yeong was such a presence.

‘That’s why Gongson Hyeon was so fond of her.’

It was a small person’s affair to be jealous of someone who possesses what they don’t have. Compared to that, Gongson Hyeon was magnanimous.

After the mugwort tea was complete, Gongson Yeong took out an ink-colored tea ware.

There were many pretty white and blue wares, but Gongson Hyeon insisted that she liked the black ones.

She poured hot water and brewed the tea, then poured it out.

The first brew was discarded, and the second brew, brewed with fresh water, had a deeper aroma and better taste.

After pouring the second brew, she personally picked up the tray.

She immediately headed to the room where Gongson Hyeon was staying.

“Hyeon-ni, I made tea!”

Soon, a small voice replied.

“I’m not feeling well right now…”

It was clearly an excuse. Gongson Yeong smiled playfully.

“I knew you would be like this, Hyeon-ni.”

Saying that, she opened the door without permission.

‘She was excessively informal. No, she was more carefree. So, should I follow her in?’

As he hesitated, she lightly kicked him with her knee.

“It’s okay. Come in.”

Inside, there was a bedroom with thin gauze curtains.

Through the curtains, the silhouette of a woman could be vaguely seen. She was wrapped in black clothes.

“You won’t drink my tea?”

“…Yeong.”

“I made it by digging mugwort with Eun-in. I also added things that are good for the body with the help of Baek Rin Eui-seon. ”

She pushed through the gauze and approached even closer, revealing a pale and thin woman sitting there.

Her body was so emaciated that the outline of her spinal column could be seen through her neck.

She bent her back and sat like a cat, making her thin body even more eerie.

Gongson Hyeon, the Black Ice Poison Dragon.

She was called that because of her love for black, her occasional smiles, lack of laughter, and her rare presence were like poison.

There was a go board at the head of the bed, and the black and white stones were entwined like mud.

The unruly battlefield on this informal half-table somehow gave chills.

She put down the go stone.

SFX: TAK-

‘What could she be thinking on this half-table?’

Perhaps if Jin Cheon-hee hadn’t read the novel, he would have simply seen her as she appeared.

If Gongson Yeong seemed like a bold and lively person, Gongson Hyeon was like a bookkeeper.

It was not the same as Zhuge Liang or Zhou Yu.

Soon-moon-yak (Sun-wook).

It was strange. The woman in front of him was the person people called the Poison Dragon.

She didn’t even give a slight smile, nor did she approach people.

She put away the go board.

“You’ve come. I’ve been wanting to meet you, but I apologize for showing you this appearance.”

‘If it were usual, you would have invited me to a formal setting. But now, whether you say it or not, Gongson Yeong barged in without permission.’

Gongson Yeong smiled like a large dog and handed the tea to her sister.

SFX: Zzzz-

The sound of the tea flowing was oddly loud.

Jin Cheon-hee spoke.

“No, please feel free to speak comfortably. Gongson Yeong-noona is also treating me comfortably.”

“This fool… Sigh…”

Gongson Hyeon glanced at her younger sister and let out a sigh.

T/N: Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu are both prominent historical figures in ancient China. They were both Strategists and they were Rivals and Good friends.