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EP.63 Not Yours. (2)

Arriving in Hwaeum-hyeon, where the Hwasan Sect is located, I expected to go straight up the mountain. However, it was already deep into the night when we arrived, so we hastily secured a lodging.

It must be because Hwaeum-hyeon is centered around the Hwasan Sect, but as soon as a scholar in a Plum Blossom Robe appeared, not only Jeomsosoi but even the innkeeper came out to warmly welcome us.

Thanks to that, I was able to easily get a room.

After making arrangements for a comfortable lodging for Shin Hyeon and his group, they said they would come back tomorrow to pick me up, leaving behind a few disciples.

When I asked if it wouldn’t be better to head directly there due to the treasure, they said it would be safer this way.

I didn’t quite understand what that meant, but I went along with it, agreeing.

Feeling tired, I decided to keep my mouth shut and rest instead of tackling that high mountain right away.

“Dumplings are out~!”

Sitting at the table, the food we ordered started coming out little by little.

Without any need to be too picky, I filled my belly first.

I grabbed and chewed on a couple of dumplings when Wi Seol-Ah passed me a glass of water.

She had been particularly eager to do things lately.

“Thank you, but you should eat some too.”

“I-I’m full.”

“…?”

I looked at her as if to say, “What kind of nonsense lie is that?” and saw Wi Seol-Ah puffing out her cheeks.

It was so funny that I pinched her chubby cheeks.

Poo-! A silly sound erupted from her.

Seeing that made me laugh out loud, only to have Wi Seol-Ah sulk immediately.

“C-Chee!”

“Sorry, sorry, I won’t do it again.”

That was a lie.

Of course, I would do it again. It was too amusing.

As I continued to tease Wi Seol-Ah, someone sat down next to me with food in hand.

It was Yeongpung, holding some noodles.

“…It’s a pity. I should have recommended a tastier place.”

Was he talking about the dumpling place he mentioned last time that claimed to have the best dumplings in the province?

Honestly, I found that disappointing, but my desire to finish quickly and head back was stronger, so I didn’t mind.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go up with us?”

When Shin Hyeon and others went up first, Yeongpung volunteered to stay by my side.

I figured it made sense since the treasure was important, but he didn’t seem to have that kind of energy about him.

“It’s fine…”

I sensed an uncomfortable feeling radiating from Yeongpung’s eyes.

Thinking it wasn’t really my business to ask, I let it slide.

When I felt somewhat full, I looked over at Wi Seol-Ah, who was still diligently putting food into her mouth.

As I watched, Nangong Bi-ah sneakily placed something into her bowl and huffed, “Hmph!”

Lately, I had always felt this strange tension in the air.

The issue was she seemed to be casting furtive glances at Nangong Bi-ah, seemingly apologetic for having done so.

Why do that if she was going to act like that…?

Wi Seol-Ah pretended to disapprove but then stealthily ate what had been placed in her bowl.

She seemed a bit confused about it all.

It looked like there was something she didn’t like, and she was trying hard to feign indifference.

Her kind heart seemed to be making it hard for her to do even that.

[Isn’t that rather cute, how obvious it is?]

‘…Hmm.’

As I watched her struggle, I absentmindedly placed my hand on Wi Seol-Ah’s head.

To be honest, that was an excuse; I just wanted to pet her.

As soon as my hand made contact, Wi Seol-Ah flinched.

Thinking she might dislike it, I quickly pulled my hand back, but then—

Gotcha!

Wi Seol-Ah prevented my hand from escaping with her own.

‘…Does this mean she wants it?’

Assuming it wasn’t a rejection, I gently stroked her hair.

As I did so, a soft smile bloomed on Wi Seol-Ah’s face.

[Looks like this guy is really something.]

‘What are you suddenly talking about?’

[Are you pretending not to know? Your heart seems honest about this.]

Focusing on Shin Noya’s words, I noticed my heart was thumping faster than usual.

Is my body reacting differently from my mind?

Ignoring it as best I could, I continued stroking her hair, but suddenly, I felt someone’s gaze piercing me.

“…Huh?”

Next to Wi Seol-Ah, Nangong Bi-ah was leaning in with dazed eyes, staring at me.

Actually, it seemed she was watching my hand that was petting Wi Seol-Ah.

“What are you looking at like that?”

“…”

Nangong Bi-ah didn’t respond to my question.

She simply stared at my hand.

It was pretty nerve-wracking.

As she silently observed me, her gaze gradually lowered and caught the top of her own head.

[…Whoa.]

Shin Noya let out a somewhat astonished exclamation.

“What are you doing….”

As I continued to watch, it suddenly struck me: ‘Could it be that she wants me to pet her too?’

No way; it couldn’t be.

But dismissing it felt weird, especially with her doing that all of a sudden.

‘Oh come on, no way.’

Curious, I reached my hand from stroking Wi Seol-Ah to Nangong Bi-ah.

After a moment of hesitation, I took the plunge.

“Ah….”

Wi Seol-Ah let out a sound, sounding a bit disappointed.

Just as my outstretched hand was about to touch Nangong Bi-ah’s head—

“Who’s on the second floor?!”

We heard footsteps coming up the stairs toward us.

“Is that voice….”

Yeongpung flinched next to me.

It seemed someone was coming, so I withdrew my hand, causing Nangong Bi-ah to turn to the stairs.

Judging by Yeongpung’s reaction, did he know this person?

As I looked up, I recognized the clothes of those ascending the stairs.

They looked familiar, like Yeongpung’s.

‘Are they from Hwasan Sect?’

Could a scholar from Hwasan descend this late?

I didn’t know much about the sect, but wasn’t this a potentially problematic situation?

“…What’s going on? Is there someone other than us…?”

The young man at the front suddenly halted upon seeing us.

More precisely, he stopped after spotting Yeongpung sitting next to me.

Yeongpung, in turn, immediately stood up upon seeing him.

“…Sage.”

‘Hmm.’

Seeing Yeongpung refer to him as “sage,” I gathered he was among the three great disciples as well.

Excluding Yeongpung, this was the first one of the three I had met.

Now that I looked at him, he seemed relatively younger compared to the other disciples.

“…Yeongpung.”

The young man looked bewildered, seemingly surprised to see Yeongpung. Why was he so taken aback, meeting a fellow sect member?

“Why are you like this?”

“There’s someone here….”

The other scholars following behind also froze, glancing at Yeongpung just like the young man.

What in the world was this atmosphere?

In the midst of this peculiar tension, the young man asked Yeongpung, “…Did you complete your task?”

“Yes….”

“Where are the other seniors?”

“They went up first since they had business to attend to, and the groups of Shinbyeok and Shinseok are on different floors.”

“I see….”

“….”

“….”

A pause ensued in our conversation.

Although I lacked awareness, I could tell this situation was quite uncomfortable.

[…Wow, it seems you do have some awareness after all.]

‘…Shin Noya.’

As Yeongpung hesitated for a moment, he shot me a glance and quickly regained his composure.

“Oh, this is Gu Yangcheong from the Gu Clan. A very important guest of Hwasan.”

At Yeongpung’s words, the young man finally turned his attention toward me.

No, more precisely, he first looked at Nangong Bi-ah, then Wi Seol-Ah, before finally landing on me.

This guy…?

“Uh, yes…. I am Hwasan’s third great disciple, Yeongseong.”

Yeongseong’s voice trembled slightly.

He was visibly glancing at Nangong Bi-ah, much like Yeongpung had before.

[Don’t just look at her, take notice of your fiancée too.]

‘Huh?’

At Shin Noya’s abrupt statement, I turned to look at Nangong Bi-ah, who was glaring at Yeongseong.

…Glaring? That clueless one is glaring at someone?

It was quite subtle.

But since I’d been around long enough to recognize the small change in expression, I knew for certain she was indeed glaring.

Realizing he had crossed the line, Yeongseong cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to speak again.

“There must be a reason the seniors entrusted you with this guest… So, since the seniors are here, we should head over to greet them.”

“Yes….”

“I will take my leave first. Please, rest comfortably.”

As Yeongseong bowed in Pogo, I followed suit and returned the gesture.

The moment the salutations ended, the departing scholars carried a sense of multiple meanings.

I could feel the solemn tension reflected in Yeongpung’s expression beside me.

Only then did I recall what Yeongpung had once told me.

“Other disciples don’t enjoy sparring with me much.”

I pictured Yeongpung’s shadowed face when he said that—Was he being ostracized? The Sword Dragon of Hwasan…?

It felt like Shin Noya was reading my thoughts as I heard his voice.

[…It’s an experience that comes from being too talented.]

‘…Huh?’

[You might as well say, a dragon appeared in a lake where only carps swam; it would be no easy mix.]

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand his words.

The outstanding Sage and the fact that Yeongpung had achieved the Plum Blossom Sword Technique at a very young age undoubtedly brought pressure, envy, and potentially negative sentiments from others.

So, was he facing some sort of bullying as a result?

Tsk, I could hear Shin Noya clicking his tongue.

[Even so, to think it would come to this. Surely those in charge must be aware…. The sect is in such disarray! It didn’t used to be like this in my day…!]

‘Why do you always end up steering the conversation back to that?’

[Ugh…. Tch.]

While sharply clicking his tongue, I could sense the hidden disappointment in Shin Noya’s tone.

I sighed internally and glanced subtly at Yeongpung.

As expected, his face seemed a little darker.

Had he noticed I was looking at him? He awkwardly forced a smile.

“Let’s continue your meal!”

Though he tried to say it brightly, our meal concluded all too quickly.

I had eaten enough to feel satisfied, and since Nangong Bi-ah didn’t eat much either, the situation was bound to end up like this.

Wi Seol-Ah wasn’t one to miss the awkwardness either, so she refrained from eating more.

After finishing up, Yeongpung left to meet with the other disciples.

I rose to leave my seat and head to my room, but before I could, Nangong Bi-ah stepped in front of me.

“Nangong Soja?”

Curious what was up, I called out to her, but she just kept staring at me as if she had something to say, yet she hesitated to voice it.

[Come on, just reach out your hand.]

‘Huh?’

[Don’t waste your mind. Just extend your hand without thinking.]

Responding to Shin Noya’s advice, I reached out my hand.

For some reason, it felt like he would get mad if I didn’t follow his suggestion, so I did as he said.

As my hand slowly stretched towards Nangong Bi-ah, I noticed her eyes widen.

As my hand approached, she even lowered her head.

Just as my fingertips were about to touch her, another hand darted out and patted Nangong Bi-ah’s head.

It was Wi Seol-Ah’s fair and soft hand.

“…?”

As Wi Seol-Ah ruffled Nangong Bi-ah’s hair, she momentarily displayed a look of surprise but ultimately adjusted to the situation, lowering herself even more in response.

Since Nangong Bi-ah was relatively tall for a girl, yet Wi Seol-Ah was still small, it seemed almost pitiable how they were tiptoeing in contrast.

After a good while, Wi Seol-Ah finally stepped back from patting Nangong Bi-ah.

Once Wi Seol-Ah broke away, Nangong Bi-ah raised her head again.

With a proud expression, Wi Seol-Ah exclaimed, “I did it for you!”

In response, Nangong Bi-ah gently rubbed Wi Seol-Ah’s cheeks.

Then Nangong Bi-ah turned back to me with a dazed expression. Was stopping me for this?

“…Next time…”

As she began to speak again, her voice fell silent.

It seemed as though she had more to say but decided to hold it back and dashed into her room.

What on earth just happened?

[Did you see her ears?]

Shin Noya abruptly chimed in.

‘Her ears?’

[They were bright red, like a glowing ember.]

Nangong Bi-ah’s ears?

I hadn’t been able to pay attention to subtle details like that amidst all the commotion.

As I was pondering the situation, I overheard—

“…I like my sister, but…”

“Huh?”

From the corner of my ear, I could hear Wi Seol-Ah mutter to herself, standing lost in thought.

“But I won’t give her to you.”

That sounded quite resolute.

It seemed Wi Seol-Ah abruptly switched topics, or was she saying something strange again? Before I could question her, she quickly shouted, “Goodnight!” and dashed away.

Presumably headed to the room where the servants gathered.

“…What was that?”

I stood alone in the now empty space, a bit bewildered.

Had they both overheated, or were their actions becoming increasingly unpredictable? It was tough to adapt.

After staring off into space for a while, I finally made my way to my room.

I was so exhausted that my mind was barely functioning.

As soon as I entered, I buried my face into the plush bedding visible before me.

I had made it this far.

Now, all that was left was to finish my tasks and head home.

I needed to return the treasure and see my younger sister; a lot remained to be done, but—

I decided to think about that tomorrow.

For now, I just needed a good night’s sleep.

[Ugh.]

I could hear Shin Noya sighing, but I didn’t have the energy to ask why.

I would find out when I woke up…

With that thought, I quickly succumbed to sleep’s embrace.

Chirp! Chirp!

I slowly opened my eyes to the sun streaming through the window and the morning chorus of birds.

How deeply had I been asleep? I hadn’t even had my usual nightmares.

Thanks to that, I woke up feeling clean and refreshed.

How long had it been since I had such a comfortable sleep?

As I lifted my sluggish body, I heard cracks emanating from my joints.

“…Ah, refreshing.”

“Did you sleep well?”

That voice, I naturally thought it was Shin Noya asking.

“Yes, did you sleep well, Noya?”

“Of course, I’m old and sleep longer than usual.”

“What do you mean, a ghost doesn’t sleep….”

As I began speaking, I suddenly shut my mouth.

Something felt off.

Had Shin Noya’s voice always sounded like this?

Typically, his voice echoed in my mind, but today he spoke so distinctly.

‘…What’s going on?’

I wasn’t quite awake enough to comprehend the situation, but then, Shin Noya appeared.

[…Not me.]

…?

Cold sweat began to trickle down my back at his words.

Feeling a chill running down my spine, I turned my head towards the source of the voice.

There sat an elderly man wearing a gentle smile.

…Of all places, in my room.

“Who are you?”

At my inquiry, the old man chuckled lightly.

“I’ve lived quite a while, but being treated like a ghost is a first for me….”

With each word he spoke, even the slightest gesture caused a stir in my Lower Dantian.

[…This is bad.]

Simultaneously, I could hear Shin Noya’s panicked voice. It felt as if the Plumb Blossom’s energy, which I had tried to restrain, was seeping out.

Was it my imagination?

The sunlight streaming in felt unlike any ordinary beam but rather intertwined with a faint plum blossom fragrance.

The old man calmly stroked his beard.

As I began to fully awaken, I realized—

The sweet scent filling the room wasn’t just from outside; it emanated from the old man himself.

“I hear you’re here on an errand from Gu Ryoon.”

At the mention of Elder Lee’s name rolling off the old man’s tongue so naturally, I swallowed hard, trying to hide the cold sweat.

Noticing my reaction, the old man wore a subtle grin.

He then lowered the hand that was stroking his beard, and I suddenly noticed the plum blossom pattern on his chest.

Seeing that made my eyes widen with surprise.

“H-Hello, I’m Hwasan’s Sect Leader, Dohwa,” he introduced himself.

With that introduction, I gulped again.

…What on earth is he doing in my room?

 

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