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Chapter 1: Arrival at Sichuan

The first place we arrived at, after departing with Moyong Hi-ah, was not far from the city center.

I wondered why I had been dragged out here, but in reality, there wasn’t anything particularly special going on.

“The sales have dropped a bit.”

At her light comment, the man in front wiped the cold sweat from his brow and replied.

“Uh, that’s because… a new shop opened nearby…”

Swish…

Moyong Hi-ah didn’t even glance at the man, her focus solely on the letter densely filled with writing.

“Are you saying it’s because of a competitor, dear Innkeeper?”

“That’s correct. It seems that the inn operated directly by the Alliance is drawing some customers away.”

“Hmm.”

Even with the man’s explanation, Moyong Hi-ah still only examined the letter.

“That makes sense. I have heard information that some of our guests have started visiting a few famous inns as well.”

The famous inns were currently being directly operated by the Martial Alliance in Hanam.

“Thus, while I won’t blame the drop in sales solely on you, still…”

Swish.

After Moyong Hi-ah finished reading the last page of the letter, she finally looked at the man, and her gaze seemed unusually cold.

“There’s something odd going on, isn’t there?”

“…!”

The man flinched at Moyong Hi-ah’s words.

I could clearly see the cold sweat flowing down his thick neck.

“I understand that fewer guests mean decreased sales… but in contrast, the number of drinks sold has increased, especially the high-end liquors? Is there a particular reason for that?”

At Moyong Hi-ah’s inquiry, the man swallowed hard and immediately blurted out.

“Haha, we’ve been receiving more big spenders at the inn lately.”

“Big spenders? Any related information?”

“Here it is.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the man pulled out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Moyong Hi-ah.

She immediately unfolded it, revealing a few names written on it.

“Mi Hyeon Sang, Gu Hyun Bang…”

These weren’t the leaders of renowned organizations, but they were names I’d heard echoed somewhere recently.

In other words…

“Just a bunch of new money!”

With the emergence of the Red Demon Beast, they were the ones exporting weaponry through the openings in the market.

As the era of peace shattered, the importance of weaponry grew the most, so those who had prepared early could reap hefty profits.

“Lately, we’ve been seeing an influx of such esteemed individuals. Thanks to them, our sales haven’t dropped significantly…”

“Hmm… I see.”

Listening to the man’s words, Moyong Hi-ah nodded slightly.

Perhaps feeling relieved, a hint of comfort flickered across the man’s expression.

“Regarding the drop in sales… I’ll make an effort to find a way to recover it…”

“No, it’s okay.”

Moyong Hi-ah interrupted the man’s words with a smile.

Did she sense something? His eyes shook slightly.

“It’s difficult to place the blame for the drop in sales solely on you, so there’s no need to strain yourself over it. Just continue operating as you have been.”

“Ch-chief Branch Leader…”

In that instant, a look of gratitude blossomed in the man’s eyes at Moyong Hi-ah’s words.

It was an unexpectedly warm sentiment.

“I-I will continue to operate diligently from now on…!”

“Yes, please do.”

With the innkeeper’s exclamation, Moyong Hi-ah replied with a smile.

Carefully folding the letter in her hand, she moved and stepped out of the inn.

Watching her back, I couldn’t help but wonder.

Could it be that she hadn’t noticed anything strange?

I had thought so at one point, but…

‘…This is already the third time.’

Recalling the events leading up to now, such concerns had long since vanished.

Even now, look!

Moyong Hi-ah, who had just been smiling, now had a cold, hardened expression as she deftly handed the letter to the person next to her.

Then she said,

“Dispose of this.”

She added in a chilling voice.

Was she telling them to discard the letter or to get rid of the Innkeeper?

I harbored no doubts. I already knew the answer.

“I heard you were somewhat clever, yet you’re acting so foolishly while embezzling funds.”

Her expression resembled that of someone recalling a pest.

The contempt was unmistakable.

“Do you think writing these in a ledger and fooling around with the liquor would go unnoticed?”

So pathetic.

Moyong Hi-ah’s voice made her disdain evident.

“Dispose of this lowly Innkeeper and report back to the organization. Also, pay special attention to those mentioned.”

“Understood.”

The man, now aware of the situation, cautiously took the letter.

“I’ll bring back a list of new candidates for the Innkeeper within two days.”

“Please do. Oh, and particularly for Mi Hyeon Sang, we have a few caught weaknesses…”

Everything flowed smoothly.

With just a few words, the owner of a somewhat famous inn in Hanam was about to change.

“I’ll report separately to the Clan Leader, so just take care of the things I’ve requested.”

“I will make sure of it.”

Once the conversation ended, the person who had taken the letter slowly faded from view.

“Haah.”

Finally, Moyong Hi-ah exhaled deeply and began to fan herself.

Noticing this, I asked.

“Is it over?”

Moyong Hi-ah looked my way.

Her captivating eyes, reminiscent of a cat, sparkled.

The light makeup she wore accentuated her striking aura.

I could feel the gazes of others around us.

Even though she was subtly obscuring her energy, it still drew attention.

‘Bihyeonhwa feels rather insignificant now.’

If we were to judge solely by allure, Bihyeonhwa and Moyong Hi-ah might carry similar vibes, but there was a distinct quality difference.

While Bihyeonhwa attempts to appear more alluring, emphasizing her looks…

Moyong Hi-ah emanates an aura that stems from her very existence.

She exudes nobility and grace.

It felt akin to viewing a beautifully crafted gemstone.

As I unknowingly fixated on Moyong Hi-ah, she finally responded to my question.

“We’re halfway done.”

Halfway?

“Halfway…?”

“Yes.”

From early morning until now, it had become noon.

Time had passed that much, and we were still only halfway?

As my expression turned blank, Moyong Hi-ah burst into laughter.

“Prince, you have such a funny look right now!”

“…You’re saying it’s only halfway? We haven’t even eaten, and it’s already lunchtime?”

“Well, did you think the work would wrap up quickly?”

“At the very least, I thought we would have time to eat.”

“There’s food here and there, you know.”

Circling back to lunchtime, Moyong Hi-ah began walking ahead.

Curious, I followed her to one of the food stalls lined up ahead.

It looked like they were selling skewers.

“Can I have two?”

“Uh… yes, of course!”

Seeing Moyong Hi-ah approach suddenly seemed to surprise the vendor, causing them to hesitate.

It seemed they didn’t expect such a lady to come to their humble stall.

…Well, I’d be shocked too.

‘If it were me, I’d be surprised too.’

At a glance, Moyong Hi-ah was clearly of noble lineage.

Especially so, since a woman exuding such grace requested skewers from a street vendor, many onlookers displayed subtle surprise.

“H-here you go…”

“Thank you.”

She accepted the two skewers handed to her with trembling hands and then offered one to me.

Looking at it, I asked.

“…Is this lunch?”

“Why? Isn’t it delicious? Do you not like this, Prince?”

There are indeed some nobles or aristocrats who dislike street food.

Though I could understand if they were concerned about hygiene. Most of them were rather picky.

I had been like that when I was younger, too.

“Who doesn’t love tasty food? It’s just that I’m questioning if this can fill me up.”

I’ve been through too much in life.

Such frivolities were long gone from my life.

Accepting it, I took a bite.

Seeing me eat, Moyong Hi-ah took a bite as well.

“It’s tasty.”

“Right? I might need to eat a couple more.”

It might not be a proper meal, but who cares? Filling my belly was what mattered.

Thinking that anything was better than nothing, I nodded.

“True. Oh, by the way, Prince, I didn’t bring any money with me.”

“…Huh?”

“Please pay for me.”

Her bold tone made me chuckle.

“What am I supposed to do if I don’t have any either?”

“Well, I didn’t think that far.”

Fortunately, I had some money with me.

After consuming a few more, I paid the vendor and we moved on.

While we moved, I noticed Moyong Hi-ah eat more items. Watching her, a particular thought crossed my mind.

“You eat surprisingly well, don’t you?”

“Is that so?”

She was eating far better than I expected.

Naturally, she might not rival Wi Seol-Ah, but she was devouring a variety of foods.

“It’s delicious. It’s been a while since I’ve had this.”

“When was the last time?”

“Well… it’s been about half a year.”

“Why did you hold back for so long? If you like it, just eat it.”

Half a year? That’s quite a long time to go without.

“It’s not that I have a grand reason. I just tend to hold back when it comes to things I really enjoy.”

“Why bother?”

“If you try to grasp everything you want and devour it all, you might grow bored of it quickly. That’s a bit undesirable.”

As she looked at me, there seemed to be a strange glow in her eyes.

“So, I hold back. It’s a precious emotion, after all.”

Does that mean she saves delicious things for moments later?

That seemed to be a good enough interpretation.

“What about you, Prince?”

“What about me?”

“Why are you so obsessed with meals?”

“…Huh?”

That was an unexpected question.

“You seem particularly concerned when I mention not eating.”

“Did I do that?”

“Yes, quite a lot. You often ask whether I’ve eaten or not.”

“Uh-huh.”

Thinking about it, that might be true.

“You could just eat and get on with your day. Why do you care so much?”

Moyong Hi-ah spoke as if in disbelief.

Looking at her, I found a hint of weariness in my gaze.

“Why do you look at me like that?”

“It’s nothing.”

I couldn’t help it.

I never expected to hear such words from Moyong Hi-ah.

If I had developed a fondness for meals, I can assure you that…

‘It’s probably your fault.’

Right in front of me was Moyong Hi-ah. Or more precisely, it would be due to Seolbong.

 

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