The iron workshop was locked down tight.

Four guard martial artists moved in a patrol unit, and you couldn’t go inside unless you wrote your name and purpose of visit in the entry logbook.

Even direct-line blood relatives weren’t exempt. Tang Juhee took the logbook the guard held out and scribbled in her purpose of visit.

Tang Juhee, here to see Chohui.

Then she handed me the brush.

“Here. You write too.”

“What do I write?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Does Deokju have to write too?”

“Tell her to wait outside. If she comes in with us and something goes missing, it’ll be a headache.”

“That’s what she said, Deokju. It’ll take a while—do you want to go back to the annex?”

“Yes, young lady.”

Deokju answered obediently and stepped back.

Seeing even stubborn, by-the-book Deokju not insist on coming in, it looked like entry to the iron workshop was restricted to authorized personnel only.

While I hesitated over what to write, I put my name under Tang Juhee’s.

Sohae, tagging along with Tang Juhee.

The guard managing the logbook clamped his lips shut. He looked like he was fighting laughter.

Was that not it?

Curious how other people wrote theirs, I flipped the pages and saw neat handwriting.

Tang Hwayeop, taking out a whetstone and eight iron caltrops for throwing-knife maintenance.

...So that’s how you’re supposed to write it. Okay. That was worth laughing at.

I handed the logbook back, pretending I didn’t care, and the guard bowed his head and opened the door.

“This is ridiculously strict.”

“Metallurgy is the Tang Clan’s lifeline. Of course we have to keep it from leaking.”

Tang Juhee answered like it was obvious, then pointed at the top of the wall.

“Those are all Mechanism Array Formations, so don’t even think about climbing over. They’ve smeared the Eight Great Extreme Poisons on them, so if you get hit wrong, you die. Though... you might be fine?”

So they wouldn’t let intruders off easy. Looks like everywhere’s the same—touchy about their techniques getting out.

The moment I stepped into the iron workshop, heat hit me so hard it didn’t even compare to outside. It felt like standing in front of molten rock.

“It’s always summer in here.”

Tang Juhee grumbled and strode deeper inside. I followed behind her.

The scrape of iron being dragged across the floor, the roar of bellows, the hiss of red-hot metal plunged into water—everything tangled together and echoed.

CLANG! CLANG!

Following the bright, rhythmic hammering for a long while, I finally saw Tang Chohui—beads of sweat rolling down her as she struck heated metal.

“Chohui. Your sister’s here.”

Even at Tang Juhee’s call, Tang Chohui didn’t stop hammering.

Tang Juhee acted like she expected that and perched on a stray crate. Crossing her legs, she crooked a finger at me.

“Come sit here too, Youngest. It’s going to take a while.”

“How long is ‘a while’?”

“About four hours.”

Four hours in this heat? Couldn’t I go do literally anything else?

I only grumbled for a moment before I got pulled in by what was right in front of me.

Every time Tang Chohui’s hammer fell, the iron on the anvil bloomed with bright yellow sparks.

When the sparks—glittering like stardust—faded away, the shape of the iron had changed.

Sometimes hard, sometimes light.

Even at a glance, the way she shaped the heated metal with practiced efficiency wasn’t normal.

When I couldn’t tear my eyes off the anvil, Tang Juhee smiled.

“Good, right?”

“Huh?”

“Chohui.”

“Yes. It’s incredible.”

To belittle that kind of talent as “playing blacksmith”... I swear, her father had his eyes bolted to his ass.

“She hasn’t even been holding a hammer for half a year. She ran off to the iron workshop saying she’d rather make hidden weapons than pretend to be some virtuous wife, and then—surprise—she found her talent.”

“Half a year? At that point, isn’t she a genius?”

“You hear that, Chohui? She says you’re a genius.”

Tang Juhee cackled. Tang Chohui’s face flushed as she snapped back, irritated.

“Stop saying useless things. Why are you here?”

“To drink tea, the three of us.”

“No.”

“We waited an hour.”

“You waited on your own.”

Even with that ice-cold answer, Tang Juhee didn’t wilt. She smiled confidently and pulled something out of her sleeve.

“Guess what this is.”

“......Where did you get that?”

“I’ll give it to you if you drink tea with us.”

“I asked you. Where did you get Kunwu Iron?”

Tang Chohui slammed her hammer down and glared. Under that sharp stare, Tang Juhee only shrugged.

“Uncle got it for me so I could make a Claw Knife.”

“White Wind Trading Company really is something. Even the elders in the iron workshop said it’s been a long time since they’ve seen Kunwu Iron.”

“They’re just pretending they don’t have it. Looks like Uncle’s having a little contest of pride with Father.”

Talking like it was someone else’s problem, Tang Juhee tossed the iron ingot over. Tang Chohui caught it easily and furrowed her brow.

“Father didn’t give you money?”

“It’s probably the commission cut. It’s not like it’s new. So? We going to drink tea now?”

“...Fine.”

After nodding once, Tang Chohui looked at me. Her eyes flicked up and down over me, then she gave a short jerk of her chin.

“Hand.”

“Pardon?”

“Open your hand.”

Tang Juhee made a little nasal sound, like she’d found something entertaining.

“Hm. Chohui, are you giving Youngest a present? Our Chohui’s all grown up?”

“Shut up.”

I held my hand out awkwardly, and Tang Chohui dropped something into my palm.

A thin piece of metal shaped like a butterfly.

“What is this?”

“A Butterfly Dart.”

“You made it?”

“Yeah.”

And then she stared at me, unblinking. Her face looked like it wanted something.

“...It’s awesome.” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“.......”

Wasn’t she fishing for praise? I panicked and grabbed at whatever words I could.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. Haha... what do you use it for?”

“Throw it.”

“Throw it?”

“It’s a hidden weapon. Of course you throw it.”

Tang Chohui answered and took the Butterfly Dart from my hand.

She slid it between her index and middle fingers, spun it once, then extended her arm with a graceful motion, like she was dancing.

The Butterfly Dart fluttered out lightly like a real butterfly—and sank into the edge of a wooden box. At the same time, the box burst apart.

“Ooh.”

A gasp slipped out on its own as sawdust flew. Maybe it was because she did smithing work every day, but her strength was no joke.

“If someone gives you poison, don’t take it like an idiot. Plant a Butterfly Dart in their face.”

So... plant it in your brother’s face. That’s what you’re saying.

Tang Chohui tossed out that terrifying line like it was nothing, retrieved the Butterfly Dart, and placed it back in my hand.

I’d thought she didn’t care about me at all, but it seemed like me getting poisoned had been on her mind.

“Were you worried about me? Thank you, Sister.”

I smiled brightly and met her eyes. Tang Chohui frowned and snapped her head away. The back of her neck had turned red.

So she wasn’t cold—she was just embarrassingly shy. Okay. I could work with that.

“Sister. I’ve never held a Butterfly Dart before. Will you teach me how to throw it, too?”

“......Sure.”

Tang Chohui answered awkwardly.

Grinning, I tucked the unfamiliar hidden weapon close.

******

Tang Juhee’s chatter started with how Suzhou silk differed from the Shu Brocade made in Sichuan, then rolled straight into the quantity and market price of the silk White Wind Trading Company brought in, and ended with her bragging that she was going to have summer clothes made out of Suzhou silk.

...What do I care about silk?

I knew she talked a lot, but I hadn’t expected this much, so my head spun.

Tang Chohui looked fed up too, poking at the snacks with her finger. She looked like she wanted to bolt at any moment.

So this was why she didn’t want to drink tea.

“You need summer clothes too, Youngest. You don’t have a nanny—who’s taking care of that? Is Madam Jin doing it? Did the seamstress come measure you?”

“Haha, I think the clothes you gave me are enough.”

“That’s winter clothing. You say you’re hot even now. In midsummer you’ll be roasting. Should I call the seamstress? Yeah. Let’s do that. We’ll take your measurements and go buy silk. I’ll pick colors that suit you.”

“She said it’s enough. Let her handle it herself.”

“Chohui, you come too. Get some new clothes made. What is that look? Soso, bring the seamstress. And send word that we’re going to the trading company to look at silk.”

“Yes, young lady.”

At Tang Juhee’s order, the attendant who’d been serving tea hurried out. Tang Chohui made a disgusted face.

“I’m not going. I’m going back to the iron workshop.”

“Chohui, think about the clan’s prestige. We’re basically the Tang Clan’s signboard. If we look shabby, people will misunderstand and think the Tang Clan’s fallen on hard times. Right, Youngest?”

“Huh? Um... I guess that could happen.”

That was shockingly reasonable.

Yeah. I’d seen Namgung Hwi’s outfit and immediately thought, The Namgung Clan must be swimming in money.

If you put it that way, it did make sense to at least keep from smearing the clan name...

...Did I really need to? I was an illegitimate child. If anything, people would just think I wasn’t treated well. Whatever.

Tang Chohui seemed to be thinking something similar, digging in her ear like she didn’t care.

“With an idiot dumping money into brothels every day, who’s going to misunderstand anything?”

“Pfft.”

I burst out laughing.

Tang Yeongho was a born fool, and Tang Juyeop was a moron.

From the way they talked, I could tell—well, not the same mother, but they were definitely sisters who’d grown up together. They clicked.

When I laughed, Tang Juhee poked my cheek.

“Oh, Youngest smiled.”

“I’d smile a lot more if you weren’t so annoying.”

“When am I annoying? I’m just trying to play with you.”

Tang Chohui cut in like she couldn’t stand the nonsense.

“You just want to play.”

“No I don’t. Youngest also—”

Tang Juhee’s giggling vanished. She stared at empty air with a hard look.

“What. Why are you here?”

“Father is summoning you.”

The deep voice startled me. When I turned around, an unfamiliar man was standing there.

“Father? Why?”

“How would I know. He called, so I came to tell you. Maybe your wedding date got set.”

The man brushed his hair back like it wasn’t his problem. Tang Juhee bared her teeth and mocked him.

“Well, thanks a lot.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Like he was used to sarcasm, the man tossed it back smoothly. Then his gaze landed on me. He tilted his head and spoke.

“But... there’s a face I haven’t seen before.”

He narrowed his eyes, swept over me, then curled one corner of his mouth like I disgusted him.

“With a face that pretty, I know who you are. Everyone must be overflowing with free time, huh? Time enough to mingle with an illegitimate child.”

“Listen to that trash coming out of your mouth. Worry about yourself.”

Tang Juhee answered with a look like he was ridiculous. Tang Chohui frowned too.

A guy who showed up and immediately started chanting “illegitimate child” without even saying hello—I didn’t need to ask who he {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} was.

The especially high-quality green robes. The face that looked like Clan Head Muheok’s twin. A direct-line Tang who could casually sneer “illegitimate child” at me.

The last brother whose face I hadn’t seen yet.

It had to be Tang Hwayeop.