In an unfamiliar room on an unfamiliar bed, there wasn’t really any thought of discomfort.
After all, a martial artist must be able to sleep well anywhere.
So even though it was the day after a drinking spree, she could always rise at her usual time.
“Ugh…”
With her hair messily tied up, Chaeran struggled to sit up from the bed. It was too much trouble to wear Moonjeong’s clothes, so she just threw on something comfortable and yawned widely before opening the window.
Could it be that the late summer heat had eased a bit? The morning air felt pleasantly cool.
In Cheongho, where Moonjeong was, the mornings were always filled with mist and humidity, but here in the village at the foot of Mount Yeongsan, the morning air was simply refreshing.
Thinking it was nice to greet a fresh morning after a long time, she stretched like a cat, shook off the lingering drowsiness, and trudged down to the inn’s first floor.
On the first floor, she spotted some workers enjoying their breakfast here and there.
And in an empty seat, there was a familiar face.
“Elder Sister.”
“…Why are you up so early?”
“Huh? I always get up at this time!”
Naturally approaching, Chaeran sat down in front of her. As she stared intently at Chaejin, Chaeran tilted her head.
“What?”
“No, um, there are other Moonlight members—I was just thinking of going to them…”
“Hm? Are you eating with Chae Soje today?”
Just then, a man appeared with a simple dish. It was Yu Wol, who had been serving Ogumhee earlier. Chaeran, alternating her gaze between the simple breakfast in Yu Wol’s hand and Chaejin, suddenly jumped up from her seat.
Oh no.
How could someone like me make such a mistake!
“No, I’m going to eat with the members. But, what’s that?”
“It’s called Seomha-po. The Moonjeong people have a different meal…”
“Oh! I’ll have that, please.”
Having ordered the Seomha-po, Chaeran headed to a corner. A few of the Moonlight members who had come down sat near her and greeted her, but she was only half-paying attention, stealing glances at Chaejin.
As Yu Wol busied himself attending to Chaejin, cleaning dishes, and moving between the kitchen and the dining area, he effortlessly took care of Chaejin, who sat alone.
And each time, Chaejin responded with a gentle smile, striking up conversations with Yu Wol and bursting into laughter over trivial matters.
‘Oh my, what’s that expression? If only I had a mirror to show her.’
Who would have thought I’d live to see my Elder Sister make that face again?
Of course, I already knew this, but the more I watched, the more it was an amusing and fascinating sight.
It was a thread, but the more you look at it, the more entertaining and fascinating it becomes.
That’s why Chaeran grinned and stole glances at her sister.
Honestly, if you don’t see this, what will you see?
So after breakfast ended and Chaejin finished teaching Yu Wol the Tai Chi, Chaeran took the resting Chaejin outside.
“Ah. Why?”
Even after going to the tea house in the village, Chaejin frowned at Chaeran, who was staring at her without saying a word for a long time.
Chaeran smirked at her.
“Sis, what happened with the hairpin yesterday?”
“Uh? That? It’s…”
“Did you show it to the innkeeper?”
“Uh? Uh. They said it suited me well. Hey, thanks.”
As Chaejin spoke shyly, Chaeran smiled contentedly. It was worth the effort.
“That’s great. But I saw the innkeeper and you two were really suited for each other…”
“R-Really?”
This is Chaejin we’re talking about!
Seeing her visibly happy at a single remark, Chaeran smiled with satisfaction.
Anyway, Yu Wol doesn’t seem to meet anyone, and besides her sister, it doesn’t seem like she has any close ties, so if she helps just a bit, things might go better.
With her confidence soaring, Chaeran exited the tea house with Chaejin and headed back to the inn.
“…Huh?”
She spotted Yu Wol talking to Hongryeon in the inn’s backyard.
“Oh? When did you arrive?”
“…You said you went out?”
“Hehe, the guards should arrive quickly.”
Chaejin, who was just next to her a moment ago, swiftly joined the conversation and started laughing.
On the surface, it seemed like a warm atmosphere, but Chaeran, who knew her well, caught on.
Chaejin was grinding her teeth internally.
Of course, she knew that Hongryeon was Chaejin’s rival. But the way she treated her now seemed a bit different from before.
If before was the attitude of a martial artist facing an opponent to overcome, now it almost felt like watching an enemy approach her food.
Certainly, it’s not something someone of her level would notice, but having observed Chaejin for so long, Chaeran immediately recognized the difference.
As she alternately looked at her, Hongryeon, and Yu Wol, tilting her head, Chaeran shuddered at a thought that flashed through her mind.
Wait a minute.
No way?
“…Wow.”
Could it be that the leading disciples of Hongseong and Moonjeong have both fallen for her?
Chaeran couldn’t contain the admiration bursting inside her.
And then.
“…This won’t be easy.”
She sensed that her sister’s love life would not be a walk in the park.
It seemed she would have to stay here a bit longer.
As the scorching heat of late summer finally faded away and a cool breeze took its place, it had been about ten days since Chaeran and the Moonlight Guardians visited my inn. With the summer heat dissipating, the air grew progressively cooler, and the grains in the fields began to ripen to a golden hue.
While everyone was jubilant, I couldn’t allow myself to be too cheerful. This was because I had to focus all my senses on watching the changing circumstances.
There were many tasks to tackle, but I couldn’t simply ignore them.
I organized the documents while sipping on the drinks that Yohwan brought. After taking a whiff of the fragrant pouch from Hongseongmun to freshen my mind, I turned my eyes back to the paperwork.
“Yu Seonsaeng, do you have a moment?”
“Yes.”
It was Gi Noya and Wiyeol. As they entered, I greeted them with a smile. They took seats naturally, wearing relaxed expressions.
“I just got back from patrol with the soldiers, and it seems the number of thugs has increased recently.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, so I led the soldiers and wiped them out completely. Hehe. No need to praise me. After all, I’m a soldier eating the Empire’s rations.”
“Just caught a few ruffians and now you’re acting all high and mighty.”
“Who are you calling a brat?”
I chuckled at the bickering duo. Even though they only seemed to play the role of patrons at the inn, they were nonetheless subordinates of Cheonilhwa and military officers.
Perhaps that’s why they had been aiding the Hyeonryeong in patrolling the area and taking down bandits.
“Thank you.”
“Uh, I wasn’t really looking for thanks. By the way, can I ask Yohwan to whip up some dishes for me today?”
Nodding at his subtle request while fiddling with the documents, I noticed he seemed quite fond of the herbal cuisine and medicinal wine. If that’s all he desired, it was nothing I couldn’t provide, so I nodded in agreement.
Hiring skilled folks like Gi Noya and Wiyeol would be worth it for that much.
“Hehe. Then I appreciate your help.”
Once they left, I turned my focus back to the paperwork. As I calculated the yield for this year and the plans to survive the winter with it, I heard a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
“You seem busy. Here, have some of this while you work.”
Perhaps due to the increased workload, Yohwan had been providing me more vegetable juice lately. I smiled at Chaekin, who brought it in.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. But how long will you be this busy?”
“Well… If I can just get through this current situation safely, it should calm down for a while.”
Once Part 1 concludes, there will be a winter event and a New Year event before Part 2 starts—until then, there shouldn’t be any real threats.
Of course, this is the storyline of Heavenly Bright Moon, and since things have become tangled with the fall of Hongseongmun, I have no idea how it will unfold, but isn’t it better to think positively at least?
It’s the storyline of the bright moon, and since things are already tangled up with preventing the downfall of Hongseong, who knows how it’ll unfold? But isn’t it better to think positively, at least?
As I said that, she looked up at me and gently raised her hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“Are you pushing yourself too hard lately?”
Her hand was gently cradling my forehead. Soft and cold. I smiled back at the worry reflected in her dark eyes.
“I’m fine. I’ve taken some tonic with the herbs sent from Hongseong, so I’m feeling better.”
“Is that really effective?”
“I heard from Cheonghoe Merchant Guild recently that it sold out so quickly in Gaebong that people couldn’t even buy it. It must be effective.”
And who do you think grew those herbs? Just that alone gives me courage.
“Still, if you’re having a tough time, don’t hesitate to tell me.”
“I’m always grateful. If it gets too hard, I’ll lean on you, so don’t worry.”
With that little grin, Chaejin left, satisfied.
I returned to my seat. Whether the enemy comes or not, harvest season is approaching, and there’s a mountain of work to do.
While I was going through the paperwork…
– Knock, knock.
I heard a sound tapping on the window.
Peeking out, I saw familiar faces.
A beautiful woman with striking red hair and a girl with gray hair that I recognized.
It was Hongryeon and Sayoon.
I smiled at the two waving their hands and went downstairs.
“You two are on patrol today. It’s been a while, Sayoon.”
“Yes! It’s been a while! We haven’t seen each other since last time, right?”
I heard that there was another special class with the Sword Saint again. It’s a pity, but what can we do?
Still, it seems like they’re getting stronger day by day, so it eases my mind.
“I heard there have been many bandits lately. But… Innkeeper, are you free tomorrow?”
At Sayoon’s question, I smiled and nodded.
Time is something you have or don’t have, right?
Delaying work for a day or two isn’t a problem.
If push comes to shove, I can work a night shift.
“That’s great!!”
Hongryeon beamed, handing me a piece of paper. I took it, puzzled.
“What’s this?”
“The renovations for the Hongseong buildings are complete. So we wanted to invite the Innkeeper for a meal…”
“An invitation?”
“Please don’t decline. We prepared a lot for you. Don’t feel burdened; just think of it as visiting!”
I smiled back at the two ladies filled with expectation.
Ah, how could I refuse going to Hongseong?
It would be a perfect break for me.
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