It was always a garden where one sat.
But unlike usual, the garden, filled only with dirt and stones, was blooming with flowers. I gently swept aside the flowers with my outstretched hand.
A delightful fragrance tickled my nose. While inhaling that scent, Sword Saint Na Yerin lightly lifted the flowers, and soon after, a frown appeared on her face.
Her skills had disappointed her once again.
She clearly intended to create a flower crown, yet how had this mess come about?
As she sulked, footsteps echoed behind her.
It was a reassuring sound.
It was a sound that made her heart flutter.
Carefully turning her head, Na Yerin saw the man standing there and held her breath.
As always, his expression was stoic, but his gaze was warm. He approached her, keeping his eyes fixed on her, and sat beside her, extending his hand.
Then, he quickly fixed the disaster of a flower crown she had made.
With deft hands, he crafted a flower crown in an instant and placed it atop Na Yerin’s head.
A garland of small yellow and white flowers rested on her dark blue hair.
As she donned it, she felt as if she had gained the whole world.
But at that moment, evil monsters and thugs appeared around them. Enemies aiming to attack her and him.
So, Na Yerin reached out. What she grasped was a large sword.
With just a swing, her energy burst forth, decimating the enemies.
She accomplished what he could not.
Proudly, Na Yerin looked up at him.
An equal standing person.
Na Yerin gingerly extended her hand, and he naturally took it, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Slowly, his sturdy fingers intertwined with hers.
With a firm grip, she felt her anxiety dissipate, as if he would never let go.
Ah.
Ahh.
A small gasp escaped.
So, she followed her heart and moved closer to him, leaning gently against his broad chest.
Conversation was no longer necessary.
Looking up at him with trembling eyes, Na Yerin slowly closed her eyes, a scent of him approaching.
Breath, growing closer, brushed against her lips.
And then.
And then.
“……”
The Sword Saint slowly opened her eyes. The garden filled with flowers had transformed back into a barren place of stone and dirt, and the one who had embraced her was gone.
“…Ah…”
What remained was a sense of emptiness.
A longing that surpassed disappointment.
If only she had taken it a little further, they might have shared a kiss.
Staring blankly at the void, the Sword Saint chuckled to herself.
What on earth am I thinking?
Isn’t this solitary meditation just to sort out the remains after overcoming Simma?
Isn’t it just me trying to get over Simma and tidy things up in my head by being alone in this place?
But, but, but, what a vulgar dream this is.
“…Thinking about it, it doesn’t seem that vulgar after all.”
I mean, what’s wrong with dreaming about someone you like?
What have I done about it?
I haven’t even kissed him yet.
But feeling shy about it, Sword Saint decided to keep her mouth shut.
“Sigh.”
Since that day, many of the scars in my heart have faded. The Simma that tormented me has collapsed and disappeared, significantly reducing the pain from past memories.
But even so, I couldn’t just ignore it.
There’s no guarantee that past memories won’t become current facts.
So I always have to manage and soothe my heart, yet lately, he keeps popping into my mind at random times, causing my heart to race.
Of course, that tingling and pounding isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
But if it keeps going like this, will my heart even survive?
In other words, for myself, for the future of Hongseong, I need to meet him.
Quickly brainstorming to justify meeting him, the Sword Saint sprang up from her seat.
But then she sank back down.
But what reason do I provide to meet him?
Well, the reason is simple.
Because I miss him.
But stating that makes me hesitant.
What if he thinks it’s ridiculous?
What if he thinks I’m pitiful?
What if he thinks I have no patience at all?
The Sword Saint, who believed they were on equal footing, didn’t want that at all.
So, she needed some reason to meet him.
A reason that wouldn’t seem strange if she visited him.
There was one reason, though. A thank you for the good materials he provided last time for Sayoon.
But is that where it ends?
The answer is no.
A great martial artist must always think a few steps ahead.
She needed to find a way to connect that meeting, to continue it, to meet him again.
But how to proceed from there? She couldn’t figure it out at all.
Should I consult him about things related to managing Hongseong?
But until now, most of those matters had been entrusted to Hongryeon.
But now?
The face of that guy popped into Sword Saint’s mind.
That smile directed at her.
As if he was looking at a cute little child.
Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing…
“Ugh.”
Sword Saint quickly shook her head.
“That’s it.”
“This isn’t it.”
“I at least want to be a proud Sword Saint in front of him.”
“So I need to find another way.”
“Then let’s come up with another reason.”
“Patrol.”
“With Hyunhwi, Yoohee, and Sayoon heading to Amipa, the numbers in Hongseong have decreased.”
“That means if I’m assigned to patrol, I’d have a good enough reason to meet him, right?”
“This is it.”
“The Sword Saint snapped her fingers and got up to leave but sat back down again.”
“Come to think of it, Ryuhyun said yesterday that she had already prepared the patrol schedule.”
“She also said that this time, to overcome Simma and organize everything, she didn’t need Master’s help.”
“Also, since it’s winter, there’s less to do in Hongseong, so she didn’t need Master’s assistance for that either.”
“Ugh…”
“Is there really nothing else?”
“The Sword Saint wracked her brain, but no viable answers came to her.”
“Maybe if Yohwan were at the inn, she could use the excuse of helping her.”
“She could say something about developing a new dish with her exceptional sense of taste, but that wouldn’t work either.”
“I even thought about going to buy something in her place, but there were already plenty of supplies in Hongseong.”
“No matter what possibilities I consider, all I see behind it is Yu Wol softly smiling at me, looking cute.”
“Ugh…”
“Is there truly no answer?”
“Do I have to accept that she finds me cute?”
“Alright. Then let’s brace ourselves.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“After all, I’m Sword Saint Na Yerin.”
“Master?”
“Uh? Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“At that moment, I heard a voice. It was Hongryeon. I gave her a calm smile despite feeling perplexed.”
“Yeah. I’m fine. What’s up?”
“Ah, no. It’s just…”
“Hongryeon hesitated. I shook my head at her.”
“I really am fine.”
“I had already steeled my resolve.”
Sighing quietly, Hongryeon spoke.
“The Murim Alliance has sent a letter.”
Three people gathered in Hongryeon’s room.
The Sword Saint, Hongryeon, and Ryuhyun.
Before the three of them sat a single letter.
“The Murim Alliance reaching out to Hongseong…”
“There’s nothing particularly strange about that. It’s not uncommon for the Murim Alliance to reach out to the various sects under it.”
“The problem lies in the content.”
“Recently, we learned that the unidentified enemies we fought against were part of an organization called the Iron Blood Clan.”
“And that Iron Blood Clan is the same group that previously attacked Hongseong.”
“Along with that, the letter mentioned discussions about what activities Hongseong will engage in next year within the Murim Alliance, which made Hongryeon groan.”
“We might have to request Hongseong’s assistance in the fight against the Iron Blood Clan.”
“That’s welcome news, but…”
Anyway, the enemies were the ones who touched Hongseong.
There was absolutely no way to let that slide.
“And we could use that as an excuse to engage in a fight with the Sayoon factions.”
That was something I couldn’t accept. I wasn’t keen on meddling in a fight without conviction, nor did I want to be used.
The Sword Saint still remembered that there were those who tried to exploit Hongseong back when Hongryeon was active in the Murim Alliance.
“Of course, they’ve tasted a bitter experience once, so they won’t be foolish enough to try again… But when are they supposed to arrive?”
“Probably around next week.”
“I guess we need to prepare for their arrival.”
“Yes.”
If the Murim Alliance sent someone to Hongseong, it wouldn’t just be anyone. So, preparations needed to be made.
Suddenly, there were more decisions to make and tasks to handle.
The Sword Saint closed his eyes for a moment to think before nodding.
“Let’s keep our current stance for now.”
“Yes, Master.”
After finishing the conversation with his disciples, the Sword Saint returned to the garden with a letter sent by the Murim Alliance.
Sitting cross-legged, he stared thoughtfully at it.
The relationship with the Murim Alliance.
The direction Hongseong would take in the future.
The burden that would fall on Hongryeon if he stepped forward.
He contemplated many things, but such matters were quite challenging for the Sword Saint.
But he had to make a decision. That was his responsibility as the head of the clan.
“…I could seek advice… Oh.”
Isn’t there someone?
Someone who could offer advice at a time like this.
A wise, thoughtful person who was calm and could read the world.
The Sword Saint rose immediately.
The bothersome letter that had been weighing on him a moment ago now became the reason for him to see that person.
As he entered the room to meet him, the Sword Saint awkwardly smiled.
He had already prepared what to say when they met.
“How have you been?”
“You look well.”
“As the head of Hongseong, I am grateful for your help regarding Sayoon.”
Among many other things.
As someone of equal standing, he had plenty to say.
Therefore, she opened her mouth.
“…I’ve missed you.”
“…Pardon?”
“Oh…”
What did I just say?
What slipped out of her mouth was the Sword Saint’s secret feelings, raw and sincere.
After thinking too long, being in such a tense situation, and seeing him before her—the excitement led her to spill her true thoughts without realizing it.
Seeing the Sword Saint turn pale in shock made Yu Wol pause for a moment before breaking into a soft smile.
“I’ve wanted to see you too.”
With those words, the Sword Saint slightly trembled.
You are saving me once more.
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