---

EP.70 Sleeping Together…? (2)

In the middle of the night, with the moon high in the sky, I lay on the mat.

A single candle flickered, casting a small light in the room.

And beside me were a man and a woman.

There was no way I didn’t know what this meant.

It wasn’t like I had no experience from my previous life. I could tell what kind of situation this was.

The only problem was who I was with.

“…What are we doing here?”

Nangong Bi-ah looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if she didn’t understand my question.

No matter how you looked at it, she seemed to have intended and prepared for this situation, but the person involved was none other than Nangong Bi-ah.

That clueless girl mustn’t have thought about this situation in various ways.

I asked her.

“Didn’t they give us two rooms? Why are we here like this?”

“…They said there’s no room…?”

“Who did?”

“The Sect Leader…”

Maehwa Seon?

This wasn’t just some small sect in a remote area; there couldn’t be only one detached house, could there?

Just as my doubts intensified, Shin Noya barged in.

[The leaders of Hwasan have always been quick on the uptake, both in action and speech.]

‘…Didn’t you just ask what the Hwasan Sect was a moment ago?’

[…That’s just how life is, you know.]

Looking at Nangong Bi-ah, she had changed her clothes and her hair was slightly damp.

Bathed in moonlight, her already fair skin seemed to glow.

Perhaps it was because of the situation, but she looked even more stunning.

“…Sigh.”

So, why was she acting like this?

Even if she was dense, could she really not understand the situation?

In front of me, Nangong Bi-ah was still expressionless. Watching her, I thought.

‘…She’s really annoyingly pretty.’

Sitting calmly on the mat and bathed in moonlight, Nangong Bi-ah was excessively beautiful.

In my previous life, I had felt the overwhelming cold and cruel aura that the Demon Sword Queen emitted.

But her current innocence and grace possessed a different charm altogether.

‘Her face is a weapon.’

Despite denying everything, I could not deny one thing: Nangong Bi-ah was undeniably beautiful.

Especially since we were making eye contact…

If my past self had faced off against Nangong Bi-ah at this age, I wouldn’t have been able to maintain my sanity.

I might have just lost it and been grinning like an idiot.

‘And now?’

Am I still holding it together now?

I couldn’t be sure.

Nangong Bi-ah was just that mesmerizing at this moment.

Caught in thoughts that kept resurfacing, I frowned and turned away.

It felt like staying any longer would be a mistake.

“…It seems something’s wrong. So, Young Lady, you should sleep here, and I will sleep with the guards.”

I could just ask for one more room tomorrow; it’s still Nangong, so surely they wouldn’t refuse.

[Crazy….]

Knowing what Shin Noya would say, I didn’t bother listening.

I just wanted to leave this place quickly; that was all I could think.

Then I felt a tug on my sleeve.

I turned around to see Nangong Bi-ah holding my sleeve tightly.

It was such a firm grip that I couldn’t easily pull away.

“What are you….”

“Don’t go.”

Her eyes were resolute as she said this.

What was I supposed to say?

What could I even say…?

“If that’s the case, should we at least sleep together…?”

“No.”

“Why not…?”

“Because you’re my fiancé….”

Even while saying this, it seemed Nangong Bi-ah was uncertain, as her expression turned ambiguous.

After contemplating for a moment, she said with trembling lips,

“Just hold my hand while we sleep….”

“Huh?”

What? …Did I mishear that?

What exactly did I just hear?

I stood frozen in shock, while Nangong Bi-ah looked calm.

Shouldn’t she have been the one saying such things from the opposing side…?

Realizing something was odd even to herself, Nangong Bi-ah asked again.

“…Is that not okay?”

“Lady, where did you hear that from…?”

“…Hongwa said it would be fine.”

Hongwa must be the name of the attendant who always stuck with Wi Seol-Ah, right?

When did they become so close…?

Perhaps it was because we couldn’t understand each other, but seeing Nangong Bi-ah deep in thought was slightly amusing.

The fact that she casually said something she had no clue about.

And the fact that I was the one hearing it.

Because of that, I let out a laugh without meaning to, causing Nangong Bi-ah’s eyes to widen.

“You laughed….”

“…I’m sorry; it just caught me off guard for a moment.”

“You laughed at me.”

“No….”

She could have taken it the wrong way, so I was about to come up with an excuse, but I ended up just keeping my mouth shut.

There was no helping it.

Because Nangong Bi-ah was smiling.

Just a little, but enough for me to see her smile clearly on her face.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but touch her cheek with my hand.

It was an instinctive move on my part.

What the hell am I doing?

Startled by my own action, I tried to pull my hand back immediately, but I couldn’t.

Nangong Bi-ah gently held onto my hand that touched her cheek.

I felt warmth emanating from her hand.

Even though her cheek was cold.

My hand was always warm due to the skillful techniques within my body.

Yet, contrasting with her cold face, her hand clasping mine felt even warmer.

The subtle emotion visible on her face made me stumble even as I tried to ignore it.

Nangong Bi-ah, resting against my hand, said,

“…Let’s sleep together.”

Her cheeks were flushed differently than usual.

Time had swiftly passed.

Exhausted from the day of running around, the night was still hard to sleep through.

Moonlight streamed in through the slightly open window.

That faint light gently brushed against the hair of the sleeping Nangong Bi-ah.

I was gazing at her face.

[You fell asleep quickly, huh.]

Shin Noya, who had been silent for a while, suddenly appeared.

At that, I smiled silently.

‘Where did you go?’

[I didn’t go anywhere, just took a quick nap.]

‘It seems you slept well.’

[Yeah, I slept very well.]

Shin Noya can’t sleep or hide anywhere.

He just stays quiet.

Knowing that made it hard to tell whether I should be grateful or bewildered.

As the situation awkwardly progressed, Shin Noya, who had been quietly observing, found that the scenario he wanted didn’t unfold.

He never thought there would be hidden meanings in Nangong Bi-ah’s intentions.

She had simply said she wanted to sleep together.

In fact, Nangong Bi-ah fell asleep swiftly after lying down.

If that were the case, wouldn’t it have been fine for us to sleep separately?

‘…She surely fell asleep quickly.’

Her usual clueless expression made me wonder if that was simply due to being sleepy.

That thought brought a slight smile to my face.

[What are your thoughts?]

‘What do you mean?’

[About the girl sleeping next to you.]

Suddenly hearing that, I found myself at a loss for words.

It was something I couldn’t easily respond to.

Shin Noya sensed that but continued the conversation nonchalantly.

[I know you feel more guilt than affection towards her.]

‘…’

[At your age, I don’t know what crime you have committed that would weigh you down, but I don’t think you could miss what that girl’s gaze toward you is saying.]

I couldn’t dare say otherwise.

Amidst Nangong Bi-ah’s actions, gradually drawing closer, and the looks she sometimes gave me, I could piece a bit of it together.

Why.

Why is Nangong Bi-ah so intent on being involved with me even in this life?

Why would she develop such feelings for someone who had nothing to her in the past?

Gazing at Nangong Bi-ah, who was softly breathing, I slowly reached towards her.

I wanted to brush away the hair tickling her face.

As my hand touched her hair,

-…Is the moon still out…?

I heard a voice that was annoyingly familiar.

With that voice piercing my heart, my hand that had been reaching for her fell back into my embrace.

The rain that had been falling was still not here.

I wanted to avoid situations like that from happening.

The moon shining outside the window remained unchanged.

As night fell, thoughts of her gazing endlessly at it came to mind.

Her last moments in my embrace were vivid.

‘Not yet.’

I was slowly realizing that Nangong Bi-ah was different from her previous life.

Speaking of which, it also meant I was realizing that there would no longer be a Demon Sword Queen.

Thus, I couldn’t easily get closer.

If I were to say whether my heart had begun to feel something, the answer was no.

In the past, I was never in a position to let anyone in, and I was overwhelmed with other concerns.

‘So what about now?’

I asked myself.

Am I the same as back then?

The answer quickly came to mind, but my thoughts were still unsettled.

It was clear that hesitation lingered within me.

After all, having lost everything, I was afraid to reach for anything.

‘…Am I still scared?’

What I went through might have left me a bit apprehensive.

Whatever it was, I had to avoid making foolish assumptions.

Otherwise, it was clear that I would miss out again.

Especially since I heard it was a situation where I might not know when danger could strike.

I flinched.

Nangong Bi-ah stirred beside me.

She seemed to be having a nightmare, as her brow furrowed slightly, prompting me to poke her forehead with my finger.

“…Mmm.”

She made a strange sound and turned again.

Seeing this, I involuntarily raised the corners of my mouth.

It had only been a few months since I returned.

Still a long way to go.

Before I knew it, night passed, and morning broke.

I heard the distant crowing of a rooster.

Nangong Bi-ah groaned as she sat up.

Her tendency for heavy sleep made it hard for her to wake up.

Through her foggy mind and blurry vision, she spotted someone.

“Are you awake?”

Gu Yangcheong sat on the porch outside the door.

‘…Ah.’

Seeing him, Nangong Bi-ah realized she’d fallen asleep next to Gu Yangcheong last night.

Thanks to that, she was able to sleep without any foul smells.

She hadn’t experienced any nightmares, and waking up this morning felt easier than usual.

This was the peace she could only have after meeting him.

Since we had fallen asleep much closer than usual, today’s sensation was particularly strong.

Gu Yangcheong looked at Nangong Bi-ah and said,

“I didn’t expect you to fall asleep so quickly.”

“…I was sleepy.”

“First, wipe the sleep from your eyes.”

“…!”

At that, Nangong Bi-ah hurriedly rubbed her eyes, but oddly, she didn’t feel anything.

Gu Yangcheong, watching her, chuckled.

“It’s a lie. Nothing’s on your face.”

“…?”

As she glared at him, sensing something strange, Nangong Bi-ah noticed that something felt different.

Was it just the feeling? No, it couldn’t be…

What was different?

As she pondered, Gu Yangcheong asked her,

“Are you going to eat? Do you want some?”

“Eat… Ah!”

Only then did Nangong Bi-ah realize what was strange.

He was using informal speech.

Since when had Gu Yangcheong started using familiar language with her?

The sharp feeling she usually felt and the forced distance had vanished overnight.

Nangong Bi-ah recognized this and felt her heart pounding.

‘…Why is this happening?’

What kind of feeling was this?

Nangong Bi-ah was unable to decipher it.

“Why?”

At Gu Yangcheong’s question, Nangong Bi-ah vigorously shook her head.

Fearing that if she mentioned it, he might change his tone again, she kept quiet.

Then Gu Yangcheong slowly rose to his feet.

It must have been time to eat, so that was likely the reason.

Seeing this, Nangong Bi-ah tried to rise as well.

“Young Master! I’m here…”

“Ah….”

Wi Seol-Ah, who had not been seen yesterday, suddenly burst through the door.

Joyfully bouncing in, she froze upon seeing the two of them.

Gu Yangcheong also stiffened, locking eyes with Wi Seol-Ah, as if he had turned to stone.

A trickle of cold sweat could be seen on his forehead.

Caught in that chilling atmosphere, only Nangong Bi-ah’s face remained calm.

 

---