༺ The Demon Sword (5) ༻
We ended up spending the night at the lodge, and it was now morning.
Well, technically speaking, it was still nightti—midnight, to be precise. But we needed to be up and ready around this ti if we wanted to make it to the Tang Clan’s estate before the end of the day.
I stepped out of my room while trying to get rid of the grogginess that accompanied one who had just woken from sleep and was watching the surroundings with an amused gaze when Wi Seol-Ah erged from the servants’ quarters to the side.
She seed to have also just woken up , as she was still drowsily rubbing her eyes, and so I walked over to her and gave her a flick to the head.
“Ow!”
“Wake up. Hurry and go and wash your face.”
“It huuuurts…”
“Don’t be so lodramatic. And what kind of servant gets up after ?”
“The servant sisters left without waking up…”
“You need to learn to wake up on your own.”
“Sorry…”
After our small exchange, Wi Seol-Ah went downstairs with small steps.
I wondered how long it would take until we could get going.
Around two hours…?
– Creak
I turned my gaze towards the door that had just opened and found that it was Namgung Cheonjun.
He was dressed up and seed ready to depart already.
However, I frowned as our eyes t.
‘Do I still need to greet him?’
After what had happened yesterday, I honestly didn’t feel like I needed to.
His gaze turned sharp upon seeing , and he opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say sothing-
But right at that mont, Namgung Bi-ah stepped out of her room.
At her appearance, Namgung Cheonjun’s expression imdiately changed. His visage instantly morphing back to that of the kind and friendly older brother he had shown when we first t.
“Young Master Gu, you’re up early. How was your night?”
“…Ugh.”
I couldn’t help but be impressed upon seeing Namgung Cheonjun’s sharp switch. Where the hell did the Namgung Cheonjun who seed to want to cut down in two halves with his gaze disappear off to?
I was suddenly reminded of Peng Woojin. I had thought that he was a lunatic at first, but after seeing the Namgung Young Master before , I felt a bit bad for labeling him like that.
He might have been insane, but at the very least, he was a nice guy.
This Namgung Cheonjun, however, was just a straight-up lunatic.
Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head in confusion at my response and then at the fact that we were together. From her eyes, I could tell that she was wondering what exactly was going on.
“I coincidentally t with Young Master Gu after waking up. You look like you just woke up.”
“Ah… Yeah…”
“We will be leaving soon, so you should start getting ready. I’ll send a servant to your room.”
“…Alright.”
After their little exchange, I felt that Namgung Cheonjun was definitely a pro at cutting off people’s sentences. The ease with which he consistently cut off his sister mid-sentence showed that this wasn’t the first ti he had done this.
Namgung Bi-ah gave a short yawn and then returned to her room. And Namgung Cheonjun’s expression switched once again the instant the door to her room was shut—the sharp gaze he had shown monts before returned.
He spoke.
“The warning I gave you yesterday, don’t forget it.”
And went downstairs imdiately after.
As I looked at his departing back, I couldn’t help but wonder; was the guy known in the future as the Lightning Sword always like this?
Before Namgung Bi-ah went crazy and wiped out her clan, he had been known as a man who would protect the world as the Lord of Namgung in the na of justice.
The people of Namgung were certainly crazy; whether it was their Lord or his offspring. The experiences of both my lives did nothing but reaffirm this fact to .
‘He is fated to be the center of Namgung when he’s like that? What a world…’
I went downstairs shortly after.
The Gu Clan servants were already gathered together on the first floor.
Muyoen, seeing co down, imdiately walked towards .
“Young Master, would you like to eat?”
“Hm… I’m not really hungry…”
“The dumplings are really good.”
“Very well then, I’ll eat.”
The word ‘dumpling’ seed to trigger sothing within .
Wi Seol-Ah, who sohow still looked sleepy, was letting the other servants take care of her hair.
“Seol-Ah has such nice hair.”
“Don’t you think it’s because she’s young? I also had nice hair when I was young…”
“Pfft, nice? Your hair was such a ss that your brother said that it could be used as a mop!”
“…Don’t bring that up. I scratched his face when he first told that.”
“Oh? I asked him where the scar on his face was from, and he told that it was from a cat. So that cat was actually you, huh?”
“Sister Hongwa’s hair is a mop?”
“Seol-Ah, don’t learn to use those bad words!”
They also seed to be engaging in aningless conversation, with the half-asleep Wi Seol-Ah contributing from ti to ti.
But… why does she have a dumpling in her hand? Does she eat even while sleeping?
I shook my head at the picture before and then followed Muyeon to where the dumplings were kept.
Upon taking a seat, I grabbed one and took a bite…
‘Delicious…’
– Scrape
As I ate, I heard a chair being dragged to my side. When I looked to the side, it was Namgung Bi-ah. She seed to have freshened up… but that wasn’t the problem right now.
‘Why are you sitting next to !?’
“…I think you should be sitting over there, not here.”
The mbers of the Namgung Clan had gathered on the other side of the room, and logically, Namgung Bi-ah should have been there with them.
The fact that she was here instead caused the clan of crazy bastards to focus their gazes on , with fire threatening to spew out of their eyes.
Namgung Bi-ah, who seed oblivious to the situation, grabbed at a dumpling. A grab I quickly intercepted with my chopsticks.
“Lady, this dumpling belongs to . And, why are you sitting here again?”
“… I just sat wherever the closest seat was.”
“Your brother’s stare is about to burn a hole through .”
“…?”
Namgung Bi-ah turned her eyes to her brother in a bid to confirm my words, but all she saw was a kind smile on his chaleon-like face.
“What a lunatic.”
Why is he treating like shit? Did I actually do sothing that offended him?
Namgung Bi-ah gazed back at , and I could tell that she was wondering what exactly the problem was. I decided to let her be.
‘But stop taking my dumplings, you stupid bitch…’
I stood up after shoving the last dumpling into my mouth.
Namgung Bi-ah remained seated, a forlorn look in her eyes as she gazed at the bowl where the last dumpling used to be, but what could she do about it?
As she sat there, looking desolate and disappointed, Wi Seol-Ah randomly appeared with more dumplings. However, I suspected that the dumplings were hers.
It was a sight for the ages, seeing one so crazy about food offer her food to soone else. Particularly in this situation where neither individual would end up satisfied after eating the food.
Namgung Bi-ah, seeing Wi Seol-Ah’s gesture, patted her head and then accepted the dumplings.
Wi Seol-Ah gave a bright smile in return and ca over to sit by my side shortly after.
She tilted her head towards , seeking pats after doing what she believed was a good thing.
I flicked her head instead.
“Ow!!”
“What are you seeking complints for?”
“Grandpa told that it’s nice to offer food to a hungry person…”
“She would get more than enough food from others even without you! Now go and eat more dumplings.”
“…Kay.”
Bearing a saddened visage, she walked back to the other servants, who dutifully fed her more dumplings.
I sighed after all of this had occurred and then closed my eyes to rest… Muyeon ca not long after.
“Young Master, it seems like we’ll be leaving soon.”
“We’ll be leaving sooner than expected. Is everything ready for the journey?”
“Yes. As soon as we finish our als, we will bring the necessities and store them in the carriages.”
It would probably be after noon by the ti we arrived.
Thankfully, we were still more or less on schedule.
“Well then, let’s get read-“
As I spoke, I noticed that Muyeon’s focus was elsewhere.
I followed his gaze, and I saw Namgung Bi-ah staring at his sword.
Sigh… This girl.
“…Lady Namgung, we already said that we wouldn’t accept your duel, so stop staring. Your gaze is making my servant uncomfortable.”
Following my words, I released Muyeon, unable to continue our conversation in such an atmosphere.
Muyeon quickly paid his respects and then disappeared, seemingly relieved at being dismissed.
“Why are you so obsessed with Muyeon?”
I turned my gaze to Namgung Bi-ah after Muyeon’s dismissal, my gaze understandably irritated.
“There are many others you can et.”
“He is a strong swordsman… I feel like I’d learn a lot from him if I exchanged swords with him.”
“Then go do that with your brother who’s staring at like a lunatic.”
“Cheonjun is…”
Namgung Bi-ah paused at that mont, causing to frown.
Shouldn’t the Lightning Sword be really strong? Currently, he should be above Gu Yeonseo and Gu Jeolyub, I don’t know about Muyeon though.
Namgung Cheonjun was at a level that I couldn’t beat even if I used the sa tactic I’d used against Gu Jeolyub.
Upon thinking up to this point, I paused as I realized sothing.
‘Co to think of it, shouldn’t Namgung Bi-ah be a well-known na as well?’
The Demon Sword was an incomparable swordswoman.
Before she beca a demonic human, she was already an insanely strong person. So…
‘There’s no way that her crazy talent for swordsmanship hasn’t blood by now.’
I couldn’t tell their exact levels, but I was sure that she wouldn’t be far behind the crazy guy who was currently giving a death glare.
There’s also the fact that she was given the title of “Demon Sword”.
She should have already spread her na as a swordswoman strong beyond her years by now.
So… why isn’t that the case? Of the ranks, she should at least belong among the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
Is there sothing I’m not aware of…?
“I should stop being curious.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Enjoy the rest of your dumplings, I’m getting up.”
I quickly rose to my feet and went outside. Wi Seol-Ah followed as if she had been waiting. She had two dumplings in her hands and looked like she was about to eat them.
“You’re going to eat two? You might get sick if you keep eating.”
“One is for you!”
“Oh. That’s a nice thought.”
We walked toward the carriages while eating dumplings together.
It seed like my appetite was also increasing, as Wi Seol-Ah would always give sothing to eat.
I was gaining so fat around my hips… It seed like I would need to increase my training as well.
* * * *
Namgung Bi-ah kept staring at the backs of the boy and girl who had stepped outside.
She couldn’t take her eyes off of them.
Why was that the case? She asked herself. But she already knew the answer.
Namgung Bi-ah then suddenly perceived a horrible stench.
She wanted to cover her nose, but she knew it wasn’t a sll that would go away just by covering her nose.
“Sister.”
Namgung Bi-ah slowly turned her head to look at her little brother.
It was a thick stench. How co her brother always had that horrible stench on him?
She couldn’t figure it out.
She didn’t want to be close to her father, the elders, or even her brother.
Her brother treated her nicely, but that alone couldn’t change her feelings.
She couldn’t tell if she felt guilt towards her family, or just pure hatred….
‘…I want to run away.’
She wanted to run away from the horrible stench.
“All of us are over there, so how co you sat here?”
Namgung Cheonjun asked.
Because the sll is worse when everyone is gathered together like that.
Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t say that, though.
“…This spot was just the closest to .”
“You can cause trouble for others if you act like this. Co sit at the right spot next ti.”
“Yeah… Sorry.”
She saw Namgung Cheonjun’s smiling face, but she felt frustrated instead.
‘I want to run away, but to where?’
Namgung Bi-ah asked herself. Then she thought of the boy.
The boy she coincidently ran into surprisingly had no stench around him.
There was no sll on him. It was the first ti she had felt such a thing.
The man nad Muyeon had a bit of a sll, but even his sll would go away when he went near the boy.
She couldn’t figure out the reason why the boy felt annoyed around her and wanted to keep his distance from her, but even then, she felt comfortable around him.
After being around him, after experiencing what it felt like not to have to bear the sll, she found it particularly hard to bear the stench coming from her brother.
She quickly rose to her feet.
“Sister? Where are you going?”
“The carriage… I’ll be going first.”
Namgung Bi-ah left her little brother and quickly followed Gu Yangcheon.
Namgung Cheonjun, who was left behind, stared at Namgung Bi-ah, his expression slowly morphing.
From his nice and kind little brother facade, he went back to his cold face.
“What’s the problem?”
– Crack-crack.
Namgung Cheonjun had a habit of cracking his fingers.
Sothing was wrong, Namgung Cheonjun could tell this much. Such a thing had never happened before.
“I hate disruptors.”
The sound of cracking stopped, and Namgung Cheonjun slowly turned around.
Namgung Cheonjun’s eyes, after he turned around, were filled with the desire to kill.
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