Chapter four

In fact, compared to the East Courtyard, the West Courtyard’s location was more remote. Even sunlight barely reached half of what the East Courtyard enjoyed. There was nothing particularly impressive about it. Only Kim Xin seemed cheerful all day, convinced he had scored a great bargain after claiming the empty land. Both Kim Xin and Kim Furen came from a military lineage, and their tastes were simple. The white walls and black tiles were austere, in stark contrast to the delicate, elegant designs of the East Courtyard.

Taehyung had once envied the East Courtyard’s beauty and charm, blaming Kim Xin in secret. But now, seeing the simplicity of his own surroundings, he realized there was merit in it. Though plain, every corner of the West Courtyard reflected an openness and strength that the gilded but hollow East Courtyard could never match.

After walking through a long corridor and passing a manicured garden, Taehyung finally arrived at the entrance of Rong Jing Tang.

Rong Jing Tang was elegantly decorated, designed to radiate scholarly refinement. A plaque with the name Zhu Xin Ya Yi hung above the door, and the crane-and-pine copper handles were finely crafted.

“Fifth Young Master has arrived,” Xi-er announced, bowing slightly by Old Kim Furen’s side.

Taehyung stepped inside.

Inside Rong Jing Tang, the atmosphere was lively and harmonious. Almost everyone was present. The Second Household’s Furen, Ren Wan Yun, and the Third Household’s Chen Rou Qiu stood near Old Furen. Kim Qing carried a plate of snacks and sat beside Old Furen, while Shen—sorry, Kim Yuan Bo, the young brother of the Second Household, barely five years old, randomly grabbed snacks and fed them to Old Furen, causing him to laugh heartily.

No one seemed to notice Taehyung’s entrance until Kim Yue smiled and asked, “Why is Fifth Younger Master only arriving now? Seventh Younger Brother has nearly finished eating the sugar-steamed cheese.”

Taehyung inclined his head slightly. “Most likely my body has not fully recovered. After a few steps, I felt dizzy, so I rested along the way.”

A hush fell over the room.

If Kim Yue had meant to scold him for arriving late, she would not have hesitated. Old Kim Furen had always used the seniority of the household as a lever, showing no concern for his youngest Omega’s health when sending attendants to check on him.

After a moment, Ren Wan Yun smiled faintly. “It seems Little Five is still fragile. The physician visited twice over the past few days. Fortunately, he is alright now.”

“Are you feeling better?” a hoarse, stern voice rang out, carrying impatience and authority.

Taehyung raised his head to look at Old Kim Furen.

The matriarch’s smile had vanished. Even at seventy, she held herself with an arrogant, commanding posture. Her thin, pink, tightly buttoned gown bore green jade buttons at the collar, and a forehead cloth embroidered with white orchids framed her face. Silver hair coiled neatly in a bun adorned with jade beads.

Taehyung’s sharp eyes swept over her, noting every meticulous detail. Old Kim Furen had always been exacting about appearance. In Taehyung’s previous lifetime, he had been fascinated by her refined elegance, but now… it felt more ridiculous than awe-inspiring.

Old Kim Furen’s background was complex. The first wife of the Old General, Taehyung’s grandmother, came from a prestigious lineage, a true lady. She had passed away in middle age. Later, the General had rescued a street-born songstress, who became the Second and Third Household’s mother, eventually rising to status as Old Furen. Despite the change in title, the bones of her lowly origins never fully vanished.

Taehyung recalled that in the previous lifetime, Old Furen had forced him into a sham marriage with the weak Prince of Yu Zhou, just to pave the way for Kim Qing.

Now, looking at her aging face, Taehyung could see the once-sharp eyes had softened into protruding silver orbs. She refused to yield gracefully to age, clinging to bright lipstick and rigid posture—a spectacle more comical than majestic.

Taehyung, with the experience of an Empress from his past life, assessed her silently. After taking the medicine, my body is much better. I thank Grandmother for her concern.

Before he could settle his posture, Old Kim Furen’s voice rang out, sharp and shrill:

“Ungrateful child! Still not kneeling!”

Taehyung did not move.

Everyone froze. Kim Xin was often away, and Taehyung had been raised under Old Kim Furen’s strict gaze. Normally, he obeyed without question—weak, obedient, never daring to contradict. And yet, today… he remained standing.

Was it that, whenever it concerned Prince Yoongi, he could summon courage beyond reason?

“ZuMu… I do not know what wrong I have done,” Taehyung said, voice calm yet carrying a subtle authority, the Omega scent of restrained heat brushing faintly against the room, unnoticed by most.

Kim Yue’s eyes flickered with unease. “Could Fifth Younger Master still be muddled from the fever? ZuMu was angry but did not truly wish to punish you. Now is the proper moment to admit fault—why so stubborn?”

With a single sentence, the charge of disobedience and disrespect was cast upon him.

“Presumptuous! This is defying Heaven itself!” Old Kim Furen’s shrill voice cut through the room. Her anger made her sit straighter, sharp and commanding. Kim Yuan Bo, chewing on a sugar-steamed cheese, dropped it in fright and immediately began to cry.

“Seventh Son, do not cry!” Ren Wan Yun stepped forward, scooping him up. Her eyes flicked toward Taehyung, full of disapproval. “Fifth Younger Master… who taught you to contradict your elders?”

Taehyung’s gaze met hers steadily. Ren Wan Yun, tall and well-rounded in a dark blue silk brocade, radiated maternal authority. Her fair, plump cheeks and soft voice usually commanded respect, and many in the residence trusted her judgment implicitly.

But Taehyung had long learned that “fairness” often masked control. The dowry his family had sent for his first union had been sequestered by Ren Wan Yun herself. When he had arrived at Prince Yoongi’s residence, the lack of dowry had led to disdain from everyone there. The so-called “fairness” of Second Aunt had cost him dearly.

“Second Aunt… you also think I have done wrong?” Taehyung asked softly, voice deceptively gentle, yet the underlying pheromones hinted at suppressed frustration, a warning to anyone too close.

“Idiot!” Old Kim Furen shrieked, unable to contain her rage. “You are shameless! To spy on His Highness Prince Yoongi—you have disgraced the Kim residence! How dare you speak back? Who taught you rules? How shameful!”

Taehyung inwardly sighed. Old Kim Furen’s words had the authority of age but the vulgarity of a petty trader. In a previous life, he might have been fascinated by her ostentation. Now… the tone was beneath notice. He had endured far greater storms as an Empress, commanding palaces and armies. Speaking to her now felt like lowering himself to a trivial exchange.

“Spy on His Highness Prince Yoongi?” Taehyung tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly, and the faintest scent-marking instinct stirred under his controlled restraint, unnoticed but stirring tension in the room.

Kim Yue stepped closer, voice cautious. “Fifth Younger Master… even though you love His Highness Prince Yoongi, falling into the water while spying has indeed embarrassed the residence. His Highness may be displeased. Perhaps you should apologize to him at the next chance.”

Apologize to Prince Yoongi? Love Prince Yoongi? No Omega willingly sacrificed pride in front of the one they desired. In a subtle but undeniable ripple, Taehyung’s scent of suppressed heat brushed lightly through the room, invisible but palpable to those sensitive to it.

He only glanced at Kim Yue, whose soft, polite demeanor masked a mind always calculating, always watching. The gentle smile did not deceive him. She had never truly understood Taehyung’s endurance, his past, or the authority he had borne in the shadows of war.

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