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Dining at the Inn

We started our meal after renting the entire inn.

Of course, my father was seated in the head seat.

Beside him was Lady Mi, and the apparent empty spot looked to be Elder Lee’s place.

Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo were also seated, but Yeonseo’s eyes were notably red, as if she had been crying.

That was fine.

Crying is something that can happen.

Whether she was crying because she hadn’t seen Lady Mi in a while or for some other reason didn’t really matter.

The problem here was,

‘Why are those guys here?’

What bothered me was something else.

It was supposed to be a family meal, yet there were some unexpected faces present.

Specifically, why were those people here?

First of all,

‘Why is Nangong Jin here…?’

The head of the Nangong Clan, Wang of the Azure Sky Sword Nangong Jin.

He was suddenly sitting near my father. I honestly thought I was seeing things.

Why on earth was he sitting here?

Not to mention, Nangong Bi-ah was sitting next to him.

Nangong Bi-ah waved at me with a smile when she entered through the door.

‘Okay, that’s fine.’

Since she was engaged to the Nangong Clan, it made sense for her to be here.

It wasn’t exactly expected, but it was acceptable for a family meal to include an engaged clan.

Up to that point, I felt it was manageable.

‘…But why is she here?’

The problem was with Wi Seol-Ah sitting next to Nangong Bi-ah.

Seeing Seol-Ah’s expression brought a wave of emotions.

She looked as if she didn’t even understand why she was here.

Our eyes met. Her eyes were shaking like crazy.

Her expression screamed for help.

‘Looks like she was dragged here against her will.’

But who brought her along?

Even if she was brought here, it was strange that my father allowed it…

‘…Ah.’

My father must have known that Wi Seol-Ah is the granddaughter of the Sword Sovereign. Is that why?

But it wasn’t as if my father formally invited her.

At that moment.

-…I brought her.

A voice echoed in my ear. It was Nangong Bi-ah.

-You brought her? Wi Seol-Ah?

-Yeah….

-Why?

-Is that a problem?

Nangong Bi-ah asked me as if there was no issue.

But I was more curious about why she thought it was okay.

-…No, this is….

-I got permission.

-Permission? From whom?

-From my mother….

I couldn’t help but frown at Nangong Bi-ah’s words.

Lady Mi allowed this?

‘Why would Lady Mi do that?’

My gaze instinctively shifted to Lady Mi.

The moment I locked eyes with her, she looked back at me.

Just as I was about to ask her why, she spoke first.

“Were you planning to stand there all day?”

“…I was just about to sit.”

I moved and pulled out the chair opposite Nangong Bi-ah to sit down.

It was the only vacant spot that appeared to be available.

Wi Seol-Ah had unfortunately found herself sitting next to Gu Huibi.

Because of that, Gu Huibi slowly leaned toward Wi Seol-Ah and struck up a conversation.

“You….”

“Y-Yes?”

“We’ve met, haven’t we?”

“…!”

Wi Seol-Ah flinched at Gu Huibi’s words.

And how could she not?

She had indeed faced Gu Huibi in the past.

It was right around the time I returned to the Gu Clan after finishing my journey to Sichuan.

It must have been when Gu Huibi returned home while working as part of the Sword Team.

It hadn’t even been a year since I had reincarnated.

When Gu Huibi saw Seol-Ah, she said to me.

-Give her to me.

Gu Huibi had asked for Wi Seol-Ah, who was acting as my attendant.

At that time, I had laughed it off and told her no, nearly ending up with all my hair set on fire.

It was quite a threatening memory, not something to lightly reminisce about.

Gu Huibi, who remembered that moment, stared at Wi Seol-Ah and said.

“Hey cutie. Don’t you remember your big sister?”

“J-Just a moment!”

“It’s nice to see you, but why is our little cutie here?”

With that, Gu Huibi embraced Wi Seol-Ah as if she had found a delicious snack, starting to pet her all over.

Seol-Ah sent another look pleading for help.

But that was something I couldn’t interfere with.

Then, Nangong Bi-ah spoke up suddenly, looking at Gu Huibi.

“…Um.”

“What?”

Gu Huibi frowned at Nangong Bi-ah’s words.

She didn’t seem to particularly like her.

I suppose it wouldn’t be wrong to say she felt uncomfortable around her.

Even while I was being punished and rolling around on the front lines, Nangong Bi-ah stuck close to Gu Huibi.

Gu Huibi would make a disgusted face, but Nangong Bi-ah didn’t mind at all. She would insist on sticking with her, exploring the front lines or fighting off demon beasts alongside her.

Was it that Nangong Bi-ah secretly had some interest in Gu Huibi?

Her?

‘Why…?’

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out, but that was the reality.

“…I want to be petted too.”

“What?”

Nangong Bi-ah leaned forward as if asking for a pat on the head, causing Gu Huibi to momentarily freeze.

Seeing that made me freeze up too.

I never expected her to ask for that.

And upon hearing those words, Gu Huibi squinted her eyes in immediate displeasure.

“I don’t want to. You won’t be cute when you grow up.”

“…!”

She flatly rejected her request and then returned to petting Wi Seol-Ah.

Meanwhile, the look on Nangong Bi-ah’s face was priceless as she appeared shocked, her expression going pale.

Looking at it, I thought.

‘Being big must refer to height, right?’

It had to be that.

‘No, this isn’t what’s important.’

I seemed to had momentarily forgotten the important aspect of this ridiculous situation.

Immediately, I sent a message to Nangong Bi-ah.

-So… you called her too?

Nangong Bi-ah looked at me with a blank expression, as if trying to comprehend the situation.

She seemed to be asking who I meant by “her.”

I pointed at the person sitting at the table.

There was a handsome young man with a bright smile, looking like he was in a joyful mood.

He was the one I least expected to see.

“Wow, I was so hungry, and I’m really looking forward to this.”

The cheerful young man showed no signs of discomfort, acting as if the awkward atmosphere didn’t affect him at all.

That was the sleeping dragon, Woo Hyeok.

Just how flabbergasted was I by this?

Why the heck was this guy, who should be eating at the Wudang Sect, sitting here now?

I was wondering why this crazy guy showed up just like that when Lady Mi seemed to have picked up on my confusion.

“I called Prince Woo here.”

“You did, Lady Mi?”

Lady Mi brought in this sleeping dragon?

“I heard Yangcheon is your friend. Isn’t that right?”

“…Y-Yeah.”

Feeling perplexed, I realized that Lady Mi was the one who had summoned him after all.

Wait, did my father really permit this…?

Since Cheol Jiseon had given the green light too, I could understand for Woo Hyeok’s presence, but…

With the head of the Nangong Clan also here, was this permissible?

“Lord Nangong seemed happy about it, so he readily permitted it.”

“Oh, okay…”

Lady Mi casually cleared up my final doubt.

The reason why Lord Nangong hadn’t found any issue with it was apparent.

‘That guy….’

Nangong Jin must be in a position where he has to make me happy.

So he likely just nodded in agreement.

The family dinner had seemingly transformed into quite the unexpected affair.

Crack!

Suddenly, the door behind us opened, and Elder Lee appeared.

“Oops, I almost missed it.”

“…Elder Lee?”

“Hmm?”

Elder Lee looked toward me with a questioning gaze as if asking what was going on.

The reason I called for him was simple.

Because I was wondering.

‘Why the hell is that on your shoulder?’

Elder Lee had Cheol Jiseon draped over his shoulder like laundry.

“What’s going on there…. Never mind.”

I had tried to ask but ended up biting my tongue.

At this point, I figured it was better to just roll with the punches.

I decided to resign myself to the absurdity and focus on filling my stomach first.

The meal passed with little incident.

After all, how much could go wrong when it was just food?

However, the presence of so many people made conversation quite lively.

It was mainly my father and Nangong Jin conversing.

How is Heavenly Lord doing?

Why didn’t Nangong Cheonjun join us today?

Oh, as a side note, Nangong Cheonjun not being here was because he couldn’t make it to Shinryong Temple.

I had given the order to avoid getting too close to Nangong Bi-ah, so for Cheonjun, visiting Hanam would be out of the question.

In the midst of that, Gu Huibi was still holding Wi Seol-Ah in a tight embrace.

She seemed rather fond of her.

Despite hearing that Wi Seol-Ah was the Sword Sovereign’s successor, Gu Huibi didn’t change her attitude at all.

Amid it all, what stood out was Woo Hyeok.

While Cheol Jiseon was cautiously trying to be polite, in stark contrast, Woo Hyeok was just carefree and fully engrossed in his meal.

‘…Please, you crazy man….’

At least, saying that a person limitlessly devouring chicken legs just wasn’t the best image for someone claiming to be a martial artist.

Even my father, who usually showed little concern for others, couldn’t help but keep a close eye on Woo Hyeok.

Yet, despite my father’s watchful gaze, I refused to confront him over his gluttony.

The thing is, Woo Hyeok’s condition didn’t seem great.

He appeared just as sleepy-eyed as usual, with a dazed expression.

But I could sense something was slightly off.

It was peculiar for someone who was supposed to be with the Wudang Sect to be here doing this.

‘It’s also weird that our family allowed this.’

I had no clue what was going on, but it was clear that Woo Hyeok was indeed not in good spirits.

He had just recently lost his sworn siblings in that ambush.

It was hard to shake off the dark shadow lurking over him.

He would sometimes smile and play it off whenever we spoke, but the facade was something only I caught onto.

It was a smile that felt more like a mask for the pains he carried.

Throughout the meal, whenever I attempted to speak with him, he would respond, saying he was fine.

‘Something feels off.’

No matter how I looked at him, it just didn’t seem right.

After the meal ended, Woo Hyeok simply said his goodbyes and vanished.

Wait, did he truly come only for food?

‘What a shock.’

Watching that unfold made me feel I had been overly worried about him.

I thought he had something to say to me.

In any case, the dinner had concluded without much important conversation.

At least one topic did arise.

While we were eating, Nangong Jin asked my father a question.

-When do you think we should arrange the wedding?

Hearing that almost made me choke on my food.

Did he really just ask that?

It wasn’t an issue. I was at the age where a marriage wouldn’t be a problem for me.

As for Nangong Bi-ah, unless she was a martial artist, the comments about it being late wouldn’t be out of place.

From Nangong Jin’s perspective, it was a perfectly reasonable question to bring up, but he hadn’t expected the atmosphere to turn sour as it now had.

Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes widened in shock, as if there had been an earthquake.

Gu Huibi was glaring fiercely at Nangong Bi-ah.

Meanwhile, Nangong Bi-ah showed no visible reaction, only gazing straight at me.

Her eyes were laden with a heavy burden.

Although she wasn’t exactly expecting an answer, the pressure of the situation felt heavy on my shoulders.

At that moment, my father replied to Nangong Jin.

-Our child is still busy, so let’s think about this when the time is right.

Fortunately, it was a rejection for the moment.

He was elegantly dodging the question, attributing it to all those ridiculous rumors about So Yeomra and the fact that I had plans to head to Sichuan soon.

‘Someday, though.’

One day, a serious discussion would come up regarding this.

What would I do then?

Also, ‘What about the Lesser Clan Leader position?’

This time, I had obtained the title of Gu Family’s Lesser Clan Leader shortly after turning a certain age in my previous life.

As long as I avoid major issues, it should be plausible once again this time.

Perhaps it would be designated even sooner.

‘Is that why I’m thinking about running away?’

After facing the situation until now, everything had become overly complicated—especially with the unknown truths in the mix.

I had realized that our family was tied up in a multitude of circumstances.

I found it nearly impossible to escape from this mess now.

Given all of this, is there anything else I can do?

‘If there was another way, I would have considered it sooner.’

At this moment, nothing else seemed viable.

Time was ticking away, mere years remaining.

In this timeframe, I had responsibilities that needed attending to.

‘Does it feel like they’re piling up as I go?’

If that’s only an illusion, I wish it were.

Unfortunately, I knew it wouldn’t be.

“Hah.”

Taking a breath, I inhaled the night air. The night view of Hanam was still vibrant.

“Ugh…”

Just then, someone emerged from the area outside the inn, looking tired. It was Wi Seol-Ah.

Upon seeing her, I inquired.

“Are you alright… or not alright?”

“…I’m fine.”

She looked slightly worn out, perhaps because of Gu Huibi’s relentless pestering throughout the day.

“You didn’t seem to eat much.”

“No, I did… eat a lot.”

“Liar. You barely finished one bowl.”

She might have been used to finishing five bowls at least under normal circumstances.

“Did she… was it Nangong Bi-ah who brought you along?”

“Ah, yes. She suddenly said she had somewhere to be and brought me here. I’m sorry. I must have been a bother.”

“…You weren’t a bother, so don’t worry about it.”

I didn’t believe she was a nuisance, at least not to me.

Hearing that made her blink once, as if relieved.

“Then I’m glad to hear that.”

As I observed Wi Seol-Ah’s smile, I averted my gaze.

Both Nangong Bi-ah and Wi Seol-Ah’s smiles were such rare sights that it made them hard to look at for long.

“I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“Was your grandfather not able to come?”

“…”

The moment I mentioned the Sword Sovereign, Wi Seol-Ah fell silent.

I had sensed something before, but whenever I brought up the Sword Sovereign, her expression turned gloomy.

‘It seems she doesn’t know either.’

The ambusher had been none other than the Black Dragon Sword.

Given that he had some connection to the Sword Sovereign, I figured that he might join this meeting.

However, the Sword Sovereign did not attend.

In that context, I questioned her.

“And what are you going to do now?”

“I….”

“Are you going back or…”

Would she be coming with me?

Though I wanted to ask, it wasn’t something that could simply be decided by my question.

Wi Seol-Ah was also hesitating, unable to respond promptly.

Perhaps she was hoping I would suggest she come with me.

“Think it over.”

I felt that my question was rather pointless.

Above all, it was crucial to respect Wi Seol-Ah’s choice.

After a considerable wait, Wi Seol-Ah looked as if she wanted to say something but suddenly.

-Cutie, where did you go?

“Eek…! I’ll head out first, Prince!”

“Uh, okay, see you later….”

Ignoring my response, she darted away at the sound of Gu Huibi’s voice.

She must have been thoroughly worn out.

Seriously, how bad was her day?

I followed her swift departure with a sigh.

“Hmm.”

Once again, someone else approached me.

“Have you been well…?”

It was Nangong Jin.

I had noticed he had been watching me for a while, but I’d been pretending not to see him.

“…Ah, yes. It’s been a while.”

“Hmhm….”

Seeing Nangong Jin again felt oddly different.

The annoying smugness that was usually present had diminished.

He felt a bit dulled, perhaps.

‘…Or could he be here to ask me something yet again?’

That thought felt highly concerning.

The knowledge I had to share with him was something I didn’t fully comprehend myself.

Initially, it was Shin Noya who informed me first.

Then, I had merely shared bits and pieces I overheard from the Demon Sword Queen.

Beyond that, I had nothing else I could possibly offer to Nangong Jin, which made it all rather awkward.

During that interlude, Nangong Jin spoke up.

“Firstly, congratulations.”

“For what?”

“I heard you received a new title.”

“…Oh, yes.”

Was that really a valid congratulatory statement?

Somehow, it felt like it was a backhanded compliment.

Along with the awkward feeling swimming in my head, Nangong Jin stepped closer and said.

“Um…”

“I have a prior engagement with the Clan Leader, so let’s chat later.”

I fled before he could get his words out.

It would be highly problematic if he were to catch me.

Though it would inevitably cause further issues down the line, right now was not the time for that.

I had simply escaped using my father as an excuse.

I never thought he’d actually pursue me, and thankfully, it appeared he wouldn’t.

I kept an eye on Nangong Jin’s presence as I made my way to the location agreed upon with my father.

And so,

Nangong Jin, left behind, quietly turned his gaze toward where Gu Yangcheong had just walked away.

He focused on the entrance of the inn.

After watching for a brief moment, he opened his mouth quietly.

“Would it be okay if you didn’t go together?”

Upon his utterance, someone appeared.

It was none other than his daughter, Nangong Bi-ah.

Nangong Bi-ah approached Nangong Jin, her lips moving.

“…He has his own matters to attend to.”

“Indeed.”

A short silence ensued.

The relationship between the father and daughter didn’t seem to have progressed much.

It seemed both of them had long since been stuck in this dull state.

Either Nangong Bi-ah or Nangong Jin refrained from addressing this issue, it seemed.

“Lady Bi-ah.”

“Yes?”

Responding to Nangong Jin’s call, Nangong Bi-ah replied.

“…I have conveyed your thoughts to him.”

“…”

“Before we head to Hanam, he will provide an answer.”

Nangong Bi-ah’s expression shifted slightly at her father’s words.

It seemed clear that the “he” her father was referring to had a significant identity.

“Your great-grandfather wishes to see you.”

One of the Three Eminent Beings.

Heavenly Lord, Nangong Jeolcheon.

He was the one seeking to connect with Nangong Bi-ah.

Leaving Nangong Jin behind, I headed toward a vacant lot in Hanam.

I had already settled on meeting my father here.

So all I had to do was wait quietly for his arrival.

I wondered how long it would be until he showed up. He shouldn’t take too long.

If I end up speaking with my father, what should be my starting point?

‘Should I begin by asking where Mother is?’

That was currently the most pressing question.

Anything regarding the beast inside me or the advice about harnessing the energy of the Divine Sword was all tied to her.

Moreover,

-The Abyss is also within you.

That was told to me by the Blood Demon.

Does that mean that the beast is a being so significant it uses respectful language?

What on earth was my mother’s intention for putting something like that inside me?

To find that out, ultimately, I needed to meet my mother, who was still alive somewhere.

‘And the Blood Demon is an issue too.’

The Blood Demon, who often descended while taking over Jang Seonyeon’s form, had done so before.

But this meeting felt markedly different.

There was even a correlation with the swelling skin on my arm.

‘He referred to that pain as hostility.’

The Blood Demon had clearly associated the pains I had experienced during the meeting with himself—meaning he was aware of it.

‘Did he say something about altering his plans upon seeing my condition?’

What could the Blood Demon be planning or thinking?

As I questioned all of this, an unsettling presence approached from behind.

‘Is it my father coming?’

He arrived sooner than I expected.

Upon turning around to confirm, I was met not with my father.

The presence I sensed was completely out of the blue.

Dressed in a pale blue martial robe adorned with intricate embroidery, he presented himself elegantly.

With a sword at his waist and expensive-looking decorations hanging beside it, the shabby, unkempt figure I once knew was nowhere to be found.

Before me stood a clean, mature gentleman.

“Nice to see you.”

He greeted me.

“…What are you doing here?”

Swish.

The man, Baek Cheon-gyeomju, slowly drew his sword, eyeing me intently.

“Are you ready to share your name with me now?”

“…”

I couldn’t help but frown at his unexpected question.

 

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