As soon as I stepped into the room, I was hit by the bitter scent of rolling tobacco. Then came the smell of ink.
Mixed with the scent of paper was the fragrance of camellia flowers.
A variety of other scents tickled Hongryeon’s nose, making her heart flutter.
“Alright. Have a seat.”
After seating Hongryeon on a long bench, Yu Wol began to prepare tea with an indifferent demeanor. Hongryeon watched his skilled hands move with a dazed expression.
What do I do?
What should I say?
My head is a mess, and this room smells so sweet that I can’t think straight.
In the meantime, he finished preparing the tea and placed a cup in front of Hongryeon.
“Here. Have a cup and calm your heart.”
Only then did Hongryeon let out a sigh. But her lips wouldn’t open.
Fear and excitement had locked her mouth shut.
It was the first time she felt so uncomfortable in front of him.
Seeing her hunch her shoulders, Yu Wol smiled benignly.
“It seems you have something to say but are hesitating. If so, it’s fine to say it later.”
“Uh…”
“I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll always be waiting for your words.”
With those words, Hongryeon felt the tension melt away.
Ah, of course.
Being by your side is so comforting.
It was a delightful time.
Of course, the things she wanted to ask went unasked.
Still, drinking tea with him, chatting about this and that, seeing his smile, and hearing his voice up close was quite a joyful experience for Hongryeon.
After their meeting, as she returned to Hongseong Clan, she recalled the memory from earlier.
He was as calm as always, and she…
Felt quite flustered, didn’t she?
Plus, she had leaned against him.
His sturdy arms, broad chest.
She could feel the solid muscles beneath his clothing.
Ah… it felt so good…
“…What am I thinking?”
Hongryeon fidgeted with her flushed face as she sat down.
If I go up like this, the younger disciples and Master will worry.
She lifted her cold eyes to her face. After a few days of snow, she tried to cool her warm face and recalled what they had talked about earlier.
Surely…
Right. They had talked about purifying the Spirit Lantern on the night of the new moon.
He had said it would take about two days, so to prepare and come back…
Wait a minute. But spending about two days traveling means they’d be together at night, right?
Suddenly, memories from the ‘Travel Journal of the Sect’ that she had been reading came to mind.
A trip for just the two of them.
As night fell, sitting by the crackling campfire, the man and woman looked at each other…
“…Ugh.”
Her once-cold face began to heat up again. Hongryeon hastily covered her face with her hands.
As she pulled away from him, anxiety and a faint excitement began to rise within her.
What if he knows how I feel?
And if this trip is meant for that, what do I do?
Hongryeon placed her hand on her wildly racing heart. She could feel her heart pounding against her ample chest.
She counted the days left. There was still time until the new moon.
What preparations do I need to make until then?
Right. First, contacting the Murim Alliance is a priority.
According to Yujeong, the research department of the Murim Alliance studies artifacts, so I need to check if I can really enter the true opponent’s mirror realm using the Simhon Method.
But thinking about Yu Wol’s appearance earlier, I don’t think he had any idea. If he did, wouldn’t he have shown some signs of flinching when I was in his arms or facing him?
No, on second thought, that’s not it.
Yu Wol was always calm. Being the type of person he is, even if he knew my feelings, he might be able to maintain his usual composure.
Honestly, I couldn’t help but think of him as a dependable person at times like this.
And then, a hint of dissatisfaction slipped out.
I mean, I would have liked to see him a little flustered. Even when I was in his arms earlier, he acted as if it was nothing!
Hongryeon muttered in disappointment as she returned to the Hongseong.
“Did you come back?”
“Ah. Yes.”
She ran into the Sword Saint, who was teaching her disciples. The Sword Saint tilted her head as she scanned Hongryeon up and down.
“What happened?”
What happened? A lot!
But saying that would be embarrassing. So, Hongryeon forced a smile and shook her head.
“Ah, no.”
“Really? And… um, did you tell the innkeeper Yujeong…?”
“Ah. Yes.”
Thinking back, it seems she had mentioned something before leaving.
“She said she would invite you later.”
“Oh, I see. Hehe. Thank you.”
“Oh, no. And… um, Master.”
“Yes?”
Hongryeon briefly considered asking the Sword Saint something. But she quickly shook her head.
She knew how much pain the Simma had caused her.
To ask her if she had received help overcoming her Simma might come off as disrespectful, disregarding her efforts and willpower.
Hongryeon gazed silently at the Sword Saint. She didn’t seem to have changed much since the first time they met.
With her youthful appearance and immense inner power, she seemed to be untouched by aging.
As Hongryeon observed the depth in her half-closed eyes, the Sword Saint looked back at her and smiled brightly.
“Do you have something to say?”
With her head tilted, Hongryeon returned the smile.
“Nothing at all.”
Back in her room, Hongryeon finalized a letter to send to the Murim Alliance.
Regarding the Simhon Method, and whether it can be used to enter another person’s thoughts.
After organizing those thoughts, she stood up and looked in the mirror.
Reflected was a beautiful woman with red hair.
With an appealing figure, she had a voluptuous chest, a slender waist, and a well-matched posterior.
Her long, toned legs and balanced physique showcased her alluring shape, reminiscent of the captivating beauties in literature.
As she examined her own body from different angles, Hongryeon lightly bit her lip.
Of course, she knew Yu Wol wasn’t the type to easily fall for a woman.
That was nice in a way.
But still, I wish he would show at least a little bit of weakness, especially towards someone like me.
“Well, I was hoping you’d be a little more swayed, considering my standing.”
Hongryeon, who was looking at the mirror, posed in various ways.
The beauty with red hair accentuated her figure while wearing a seductive expression.
“Senior Sister. This…”
At that moment, the door opened, and Ryuhyun, who was coming in with documents, made eye contact with her. Seeing the disbelief on Ryuhyun’s face through the mirror, Hongryeon awkwardly smiled.
“…What are you doing?”
“Uh, just… but why?”
Hongryeon hurriedly straightened up as Ryuhyun handed over the documents.
“This is work that needs to be done this winter. And the incense pouch production too…”
“Um. Okay, got it.”
“But is something wrong? Your expression looks a bit off.”
Hongryeon forced a smile at Ryuhyun’s question.
I knew it would come to this.
Hongseong’s junior sisters and Master were worried about her changes.
Knowing this shouldn’t be the case, Hongryeon shook her head.
“There’s nothing wrong. Oh, and I’ll have to be away for about a day or two. Would that be okay?”
“When?”
“Around New Year’s Eve.”
“Um… that should be fine. Master will be here too.”
Ryuhyun replied casually, and Hongryeon lightly clenched her fist.
*
With Yohwan temporarily away, Hongryeon hesitated about whether they should operate the inn.
But since the existing chefs confidently claimed they could handle it as Yohwan’s disciples, she decided to go ahead with running the inn.
Well, they’ve cooked enough now, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Yohwan also said it would be fine.
She entrusted them with the evening service, and the customers didn’t seem too dissatisfied.
“How was the cooking?”
“Yes. Your skills have improved quite a bit!”
Having dinner with Chaejin confirmed that their skills had indeed grown. Should I open a little shop over in Yangwi-sung later?
While chatting with Chaejin, I stepped into the backyard. I might as well finish up the leftover tasks from earlier in the year.
“Oh, and I think I’ll need to be away around New Year’s Eve.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that time free.”
“No, there’s no need for that. Hongryeon will be going with me.”
“Eh…?”
I wish she wouldn’t look so devastated, like the world was ending.
I smiled at her, who was gazing at me with pitiful eyes like an abandoned puppy.
“I’ll be gone for just a day or two.”
“Then can’t I come along?”
“Well, you could, but there’s no one to entrust the inn to.”
Up until now, it was manageable because Yohwan was around.
Of course, I had left things in the hands of the subordinates when Yohwan wasn’t available, but the situation back then was much different.
As Seomhwa Village has grown, the number of customers increased as well.
We needed someone capable enough to oversee everything, and with the current crew, that was a challenge.
“Chae Jin could handle it.”
“…Me?”
“Yes, you. Unless you can just shut the inn for the duration…”
“Thinking back to when I had you take care of something before, you did well. Plus, if any problems arise, you’ll be quick to respond.”
She bit her lip and pondered for a while before finally nodding her head.
“Alright. If you trust me enough to hand it over… I’ll do it. I can handle it.”
“Always grateful to you.”
“What are you talking about? By the way, where are you headed?”
“I have to go to a place called Gyu-ryeong-ji. I need to retrieve something from there.”
“Gyu-ryeong-ji? Isn’t that a place where spirits gather? Isn’t it dangerous over there?”
“Of course, I can’t say it’s safe, but spirits only affect those with weak hearts…”
“Oh. Then the innkeeper has nothing to worry about.”
At that, Chaejin smiled, looking relieved. After all, it should be fine while I’m away.
I gave Chaejin a few warnings and promised to bring her a gift on my return.
“Forget the gift, just make sure you come back in one piece.”
“Don’t worry.”
Once our conversation wrapped up and the inn was about to close, she returned to her room.
Alright. Time for me to get to work.
There’s a lot to organize before I head out.
And if Yura and the Murim Alliance manage to catch the Iron Blood Talisman, then I need to calculate how the next enemy will move.
I already have a rough idea in our scenario, so it’s not too hard to think about the next move.
If Yura catches the Iron Blood Clan…
Then the remaining enemies are the Iron Blood Wood Talisman and the Iron Blood Fire Talisman.
The one that will move first is probably the Iron Blood Wood Talisman.
I started drafting documents, recalling theories about where that person might head.
Days passed, and it was time to depart for Gyu-ryeong-ji.
After packing a few talismans given by Changju and my things, I climbed onto the cart and found Chaejin looking at me with concern.
“Are you really going to be alright?”
“Don’t worry.”
“…Sigh. Please tell Hongryeon. If even a hair on the innkeeper gets hurt, then really…”
I smiled at her, and puffed-up Chejin took a step back.
“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen. Well then, I shall be off.”
With Chaejin seeing me off, I drove the cart. When I arrived at the meeting place…
I saw Hongryeon holding only a great sword and a bag. Wearing the Hongseong uniform, she awkwardly cleared her throat and greeted me.
“Ah, hello? The weather is nice, isn’t it?”
“Hello there. But… isn’t it cold?”
“Not really.”
Sure, it looks good on her, but still, wearing just that uniform in this weather is a bit much.
Especially since it’s chilly at night.
I watched her for a moment before getting off the cart. Just in case, I draped my thick outer garment over her shoulders.
“Still, it might get cold at night, so wear this.”
The chances are low, but if she catches a cold, it’ll be a hassle.
As I placed the garment on her, she looked at me for a moment and then slightly nodded.
“…Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I’ll be the one thanking her later when we get to Gyu-ryeong-ji.
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