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Chapter 249: The Return

“You’re back?”

As I spat those words at Gu Huibi, a certain face flashed through my mind.

A woman bearing the features of both Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo, yet radiating an air of unmatched dignity.

The White Flower Master, Mi Hyo-ran.

Leader of the Gu Clan.

The legal wife of Gu Cheolun, the esteemed clan’s leader, and the mother of Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo.

And.

The face of the current matron of the Mountain West Gu Clan.

‘Why…?’

There should still be a while until she returns to the clan.

I should have been well past my youth by now.

‘It’s strange to be worrying about this now, though.’

With everything having changed so drastically,

Even if something odd happened, it wouldn’t be surprising at this point.

Yet, strange was still strange.

The Gu Clan hardly strayed from Mountain West.

Maintaining their noble name without special hunts or sponsorships,

And while they may not boast the military strength of other clans, they somehow managed to sustain abundant resources.

All thanks to Mi Hyo-ran, undoubtedly.

If the first upper house was the Heavenly First Upper House,

The White Flower Upper House, led by Mi Hyo-ran, wasn’t quite at that level, but I knew.

I knew how much hidden wealth that family possessed.

In terms of money, they could very well buy the Gu Clan if they wished.

‘For such a woman to return to the clan.’

It was quite an extraordinary occurrence for a matron to be away from her rightful place.

Ultimately, this was my father’s folly.

Though I hadn’t heard the details,

He had admitted his wrongdoings himself.

‘I didn’t pry, but it must be related to Mother.’

There was a notable difference in how he treated the legal wife and the concubine, bordering on favoritism.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Lady Mi was furious.

Fury.

‘Is fury the right word?’

As I thought about Mi Hyo-ran, my mind wandered.

Regardless, the fact that the matron was living outside the clan for this long was indeed accurate.

Even when Gu Huibi earned the title of the Sword Peak,

Or when Gu Yeonseo excelled at the Dragon Meeting,

Mi Hyo-ran only sent a few letters and never actually made an appearance at the clan.

Always using being busy as an excuse.

Conversely, Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo would occasionally visit over the years.

Something that was beyond my comprehension.

‘So the matron returning to the clan…’

Did that mean something significant was afoot?

Whether it was due to the upper house or Mi Hyo-ran herself.

I refocused on Gu Huibi, who was delivering the message to me.

“I know Lady Mi has returned… but why are you telling me this?”

I understood that the matron had come back to the clan, but what was the reason for her sudden message to me?

In response, Gu Huibi handed me a letter from nearby.

“What’s this…?”

Upon unfolding the letter, a single brief line caught my eye.

– The First Prince must return immediately. ”

The script was my father’s, and the seal also bore the clan leader’s emblem.

The fact that it had an official seal indicated that it wasn’t just a prompt to hurry but an outright command.

‘What the hell, that’s scary.’

This letter was directed at me, and observing Gu Huibi’s reaction, it seemed she had received a separate letter of her own.

The problem was.

I couldn’t find a connection between her return to the clan and my immediate need to head back.

“Is it just me?”

“Maybe?”

“Maybe? You should give me a proper answer!”

I pressed eagerly for clarity.

Gu Huibi merely shrugged.

“I wasn’t told to come back.”

My goodness… how can one be so irresponsible?

“Sis, you said we’d go back together last time.”

« ” …

“After all that ‘I love my little brother’ talk, how can people change so fast?”

At that moment, I would have preferred to go back alone.

However, now I found myself needing Gu Huibi more than ever.

“…Little brother.”

“Yeah?”

“People inherently change.”

As she averted her gaze while speaking, I noticed the distinct tremor in her eyes.

‘Damn.’

I knew perfectly well that the Great Lady Gu Huibi couldn’t easily traverse between the front lines and the clan.

Yet it was strange that, despite the return of Lady Mi, Gu Huibi would remain behind while I was to go back alone.

‘What exactly is going on?’

I didn’t know how things had developed, but one thing was clear: this situation was not favorable for me.

‘Lady Mi.’

As the child of a concubine, with my status in the clan seemingly solidified as the Lesser Clan Leader, my relationship with Lady Mi—who, as the legal wife, had strong backing—was quite delicate.

Of course, there was more to it than that.

I was also somewhat burdened by my feelings toward Lady Mi.

‘This is troublesome…’

Thus, I prayed that I could avoid facing her if at all possible.

So this letter bearing the clan’s seal was more than just bothersome for me.

After concluding my conversation with Gu Huibi,

I tucked the letter into my bosom and stepped out of the barracks.

I had roughly finished reporting the events that transpired in the central area, but because of the unexpected news regarding Lady Mi’s appearance, it wasn’t treated with much significance.

As I swept my hand through my hair and stepped outside, I found—

“Were you waiting for me?”

Nangong Bi-ah was squatting down in front of me as if greeting me.

With perfectly fine chairs around, why on earth was she sitting there like that?

“…So, did you do well?”

My question, though it seemed lacking, wasn’t something I could confidently ask.

She nodded.

Nangong Bi-ah gently rose and came closer to me.

I was curious about what she was planning, so I stood quietly and observed.

Suddenly—

“…Huh?”

She grabbed my cheeks with both hands, pulling them.

Though there wasn’t any real strength behind her grip, I couldn’t fathom the meaning behind her actions.

After a while of repetitive tugging, she released and quickly walked ahead.

“What’s up with that?!”

I frantically called out to Nangong Bi-ah, but she showed no signs of stopping.

Earlier, she had insisted that if I came out, I must explain myself.

As I considered whether to follow her, I sensed that she paused and turned to face me.

“…Not me.”

“What?”

With that, Nangong Bi-ah suddenly leaped away and vanished from sight.

Our meeting was far too brief compared to what I’d been waiting for.

Honestly, at that speed, I could have caught up if I wanted to.

But given the atmosphere we just shared, I felt that following her would genuinely make her angry.

So I remained still, staring in the direction she had disappeared.

“…Not me?”

What does that even mean?

I expressed my confusion while puzzling over what Nangong Bi-ah might have meant.

I hesitantly began to move in the direction she had gone.

Although the distance wasn’t vast, the oddly quiet atmosphere felt strange.

To be honest, it wasn’t truly quiet around me, but I was undoubtedly feeling internally conflicted.

As I traversed through the woods, I finally arrived at an open plain.

I hadn’t sought that location for any particular reason; it simply felt like the right place to be.

“Is that someone squatting too?”

Just as I suspected, someone was sitting in a similar position to Nangong Bi-ah, motionless.

It was Moyong Hi-ah, who had vanished along with Nangong Bi-ah earlier.

‘What’s with the mood here?’

An indescribable prickliness surrounded the scene.

Was it the current atmosphere of Moyong Hi-ah, or did a chill circulate faintly around us?

‘She shouldn’t be doing that if she wants to maintain her health.’

In order to recover her condition, one ought to avoid exuding an intentional chill.

This was something I learned through the process of exchanging heat over the past year.

…

!..

It was only because she aimed to recover her condition that the heat she cultivated would fail against the resistance posed by Moyong Hi-ah’s chills.

Because of that, Moyong Hi-ah had been unable to train properly for the entire year.

For a martial artist, a break from training was nothing less than a death sentence.

Especially for someone at the late stage of their talents, and even more so as a member of a noble lineage.

While it may be for healing, the time she currently spent was miraculous yet also a burden for Moyong Hi-ah.

That aside, why was the atmosphere like that?

It resembled how friends might act after an argument,

Especially after losing a verbal tussle.

‘That can’t be right?’

Seolbong was someone recognized for her skills in negotiation and handling people.

There’s no way the high-level talents of the central plains, like Nangong Bi-ah, could lose a verbal dispute!

As I stared at Moyong Hi-ah’s back, I hesitated to speak.

“Over there…”

I was about to ask what she was doing.

But before I could finish my question, Moyong Hi-ah shot up to her feet.

She whipped her head from side to side as if shaking something off.

I had no idea why she needed to do that.

Does she have a headache?

Coo,,

Moyong Hi-ah’s unusual behavior was too intense for me to approach.

I merely stood there, staring in silence.

After a moment, it seemed she calmed down and turned to face me again.

Our eyes met—an accidental encounter.

Coo,,

“…Huh.”

She must have not sensed my presence, for she appeared startled to see me.

And then—

‘…Hmm.’

I, too, was surprised.

Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes were red and swollen, and it looked like there were some remnants of tears on her cheeks.

Clearly, her expression screamed ‘I just had a big cry.’

“What…?”

What happened to her for her to look so devastated?

Nangong Bi-ah, on the other hand, seemed unbothered.

She looked a bit sullen, but nothing compared to Moyong Hi-ah.

Realizing the odd demeanor of her face, Moyong Hi-ah quickly covered it with her hands.

“Why, why are you here?”

“They said to check in.”

“…Who said?”

“The girl you fought with.”

“”

As I divulged this about Nangong Bi-ah, I saw Moyong Hi-ah jump in shock.

That much was evident.

It seemed something had indeed happened.

“…Was it Jeom Mu-hee?”

“Yeah.”

Ah…

Hearing that caused Moyong Hi-ah to let out a deep sigh.

“…When it was time to beat down someone, that was a different story.”

“Beat down? What? You really fought?!”

It wasn’t some verbal argument.

Did they actually engage in a brawl?

If so, there’s no way Moyong Hi-ah would be standing here right now…!

Nangong Bi-ah was rather aggressive in fights and sparring.

“It wasn’t like that…! It was just, just…”

Moyong Hi-ah started speaking then suddenly fell silent, her lips moving almost nervously.

“…I just lost.”

“So you did fight after all?!”

“Not fighting, I lost without even a single blow.”

What does that even mean?

‘Is she beginning to sound like Nangong Bi-ah?’

Her explanation was so convoluted that it was impossible to make sense of.

Nevertheless,

It was clear that this was characteristic of Moyong Hi-ah, who seemed to intentionally avoid sharing details.

As such, I couldn’t pry any further.

Noticing my puzzled expression, Moyong Hi-ah averted her gaze and mumbled.

“…Next time, I won’t lose.”

“Um, okay… Stay strong.”

With her eyes still red and swollen, those words were more of a wish than an encouragement.

Not at all reassuring given the circumstances.

If she didn’t fight, then why would she claim she’d win next time?

Had she lost a verbal dispute?

No matter how much I racked my brain,

I couldn’t picture anyone capable of outtalking Nangong Bi-ah.

As I saw her stuttering and grimacing, something strange hit me.

‘Is there something I’m unaware of?’

Perhaps Nangong Bi-ah wasn’t just putting on an act in front of me after all.

Rubbing my head awkwardly, I watched as Moyong Hi-ah wiped her eyes with her sleeves.

Not bothering to wipe her nose, it seemed like she didn’t realize it.

Just pointing that out would be inappropriate, so I stayed silent.

“Please tell Jeom Mu-hee… thank you.”

“Thank you? After losing a fight and asking for thanks? That seems a bit odd, doesn’t it?”

“I just want to avoid apologizing.”

That was a rather perplexing pride.

“It’s not hard to do. Anyway, there’s something more important.”

“Yeah…”

Moyong Hi-ah looked at me as if expecting some relief or favor.

But, alas, I didn’t have the right words for her.

There was still a crucial matter pending.

“I think I need to pack up.”

“…Huh?”

“I believe I’ll need to return home right away.”

“•?”

At my words, Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes widened in surprise.

The rounded expression didn’t quite fit her, and I unintentionally broke into a smile.

Seeing my smile, Moyong Hi-ah rubbed her eyes even more.

By the time night fell,

I had expected to depart a few days later, but given the urgent message from the clan, it was imperative to prepare for my return.

My personal attendants hastily began to pack, and since a few guards were pulled back, I had to quickly coordinate with the Five Sword Team.

Naturally, since I was returning, I needed to make arrangements for Moyong Hi-ah’s return as well.

Because of that, the following morning was packed with activities.

The issue was amidst all this—

– Your Highness.

“Yeah.”

– As you instructed, I’ve brought her.

At this late hour, a guest had arrived.

I had predicted they might come and relayed my greetings beforehand, but—

“Let them in.”

Swoosh.

As soon as my order was given, someone slipped into the barracks.

Though the interior of the barracks was not particularly cramped, it suddenly felt crowded with one more person in it.

The man was so large that he had to bow his head to avoid bumping into the ceiling.

I slowly raised my gaze to assess the guest and spoke.

“You’re quicker to act than I expected.”

“Nice to meet you.”

He averted his gaze, avoiding eye contact, but it was undeniably Huangbo Cheok’s brother, Huangbo Cheolwi.

 

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