Chapter 70: Sleeping Together…? (2)
On a night when the moon hung high in the sky,
A blanket was spread out,
With the dim light of a single candle barely illuminating the room.
And there were a man and a woman.
There was no way I couldn’t understand what this meant.
It wasn’t like I didn’t have any experience in my past life; I certainly could grasp the situation we found ourselves in.
The only problem was the person next to me.
“…What are you doing here?”
Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head, wearing a puzzled expression as if she didn’t understand my question.
No matter how I looked at it, she seemed to be intentionally preparing for… you know. But this was Namgung Bi-ah we were talking about.
There was no way someone so oblivious could create this situation on purpose.
So, I questioned her.
“They probably gave us two separate rooms, so why are you here?”
“…They said there were no rooms?”
“Who said that?”
“The sect leader…”
The Celestial Plum Blossom?
There was no way Mount Hua Sect, a big place, would run out of rooms…
I mused over my thoughts when Elder Shin barged in with a bang.
[The Lords of Mount Hua have always been quick-witted and act swiftly.]
‘…Weren’t you the one who pretended not to know what Mount Hua was just a moment ago?’
[…Life is just like that sometimes.]
Looking at Namgung Bi-ah, I noticed she had changed her clothes and her hair was slightly damp.
Bathed in moonlight, her already fair skin gleamed even more beautifully.
Was it the situation that made it look that way?
“…Hah.”
But still, what was she doing?
Even if she was this clueless, could she possibly not understand the situation we were in?
In front of me, Namgung Bi-ah maintained her expressionless facade. I couldn’t help but think,
‘…She’s disgustingly beautiful.’
The sight of Namgung Bi-ah sitting quietly on the blanket, receiving moonlight, was extraordinarily captivating.
In my past life, I felt overwhelmed by the cruel and cold atmosphere of the Demonic Sword, but the purity and beauty that she possessed in this life had its own allure.
‘Her face is a weapon.’
No matter how much I denied it, I just couldn’t deny that Namgung Bi-ah was beautiful.
Especially in moments when our eyes met.
If I had faced her like this in my past life when I was around this age, I surely would have lost my mind;
I might have fallen head over heels, truly!
‘But what about now?’
Can I somehow keep my composure?
I wasn’t sure.
Namgung Bi-ah was that stunning.
I frowned and turned away from her, feeling a deep sense of futility.
It seemed like staying here was not an option anymore.
“…It appears something went awry, so you should sleep here. I’ll just sleep with the guards.”
I thought about asking for another room tomorrow; they’d have to give me one since it was for someone from the Namgung clan.
[You fool…]
I could guess what Elder Shin would say and had no intention to hear it;
I just wanted to escape this place quickly, and at that moment…
Yank!
A sensation tugged at my sleeve, causing me to stagger backward.
Turning, I found Namgung Bi-ah tightly gripping my sleeve.
She held on with such strength that pulling away was proving difficult.
“What are you—…”
“Don’t go.”
Her eyes were resolute as she said that.
What should I say?
How on earth do I respond to her…?
“Then, should I sleep with you—”
“Can you not?”
“Why can’t I…?”
“Because you are… my fiancé.”
Namgung Bi-ah spoke as if she wasn’t entirely sure of her own words, her expression becoming ambiguous.
After pondering for a while, her trembling lips finally uttered,
“I’ll just hold your hand while we sleep…”
“Huh?”
What? …Did I hear that incorrectly?
What had I just heard?
Frozen with shock at her words, Namgung Bi-ah, surprisingly, appeared quite calm.
Wasn’t it the other way around? Shouldn’t I be the one saying something like that?
“…Is that not alright?”
“Where did you learn to say such a thing?”
“…Hongwa said that would work.”
Isn’t Hongwa that servant who was always with Wi Seol-Ah?
When did they get so close?
Observing Namgung Bi-ah lost in thought, an absurd chuckle escaped me.
It was odd how she had casually blurted out such a phrase without understanding its implications…
And that I was the one catching her slip!
Because of that, I involuntarily let out a small laugh, causing Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes to widen.
“You smiled…”
“…Sorry, something just struck me as funny.”
“You smiled at me.”
“Uh….”
Since she might feel offended, I intended to make up an excuse,
but I ended up shutting up.
I couldn’t help it because Namgung Bi-ah was smiling.
Although it was just a little smile, it was evident that she was smiling.
In that moment, as if entranced, my hand reached out to Namgung Bi-ah’s cheek.
That was me extending my own hand.
What the hell am I doing?
Realizing my actions, I quickly tried to pull my hand back, but couldn’t, as Namgung Bi-ah had captured my hand resting on her cheek.
A warm sensation spread from her touch.
Namgung Bi-ah’s cheek was cold,
but my hand, infused with my Qi, always felt warm.
Yet contrary to her cold face, her hand wrapped around mine was even warmer.
The subtle emotions visible in her face made me stumble.
While Namgung Bi-ah leaned against my hand, she spoke.
“…Let’s sleep together.”
Her cheek turned pinker than usual as she whispered those words.
The clock had long since struck midnight.
After a day full of running around, my body felt exhausted, yet tonight was a night I couldn’t easily fall asleep.
Moonlight seeped through the slightly ajar window,
gently brushing through Namgung Bi-ah’s hair as she slept peacefully.
I found myself staring at her face.
[She fell asleep so quickly.]
Elder Shin, who had been silent for a while, suddenly chimed in.
After catching his words, I couldn’t help but smile quietly.
‘Where were you?’
[Oh please, I just took a quick nap.]
‘I bet you had an excellent snooze.’
[Yeah, it was quite refreshing.]
Elder Shin neither slept nor could he hide,
he just stayed quiet, knowing what would follow.
The tense situation began to escalate, but Elder Shin remained silent, despite not receiving the reactions he hoped for.
Namgung Bi-ah truly had no ulterior motives behind her words;
she genuinely just wanted to sleep together.
And indeed, she fell asleep barely after laying down.
Then I could’ve just slept somewhere else, couldn’t I?
‘…She really does fall asleep quickly.’
Could it be that her blank expression was due to her sleeping too much?
Such silly thoughts crossed my mind.
[What do you think?]
‘About what?’
[About the girl sleeping next to you.]
I was rendered speechless by Elder Shin’s sudden question.
It wasn’t something I could easily respond to.
Elder Shin realized this and continued,
[I know that your feelings for her are more like guilt than affection.]
‘…’
[I don’t know what sins you’ve committed at your age or why it weighs on you, but I believe you know why she looks at you that way.]
I couldn’t deny it.
Gradually, I became aware of her actions towards me, the occasional glances that hinted at something deeper.
Why?
Why was Namgung Bi-ah so determined to intertwine herself with me, even in this life?
Why did she harbor such feelings for someone with nothing to offer?
I slowly extended my hand towards Namgung Bi-ah, who was softly breathing in her sleep,
intending simply to brush away her hair that tickled her face.
As my hand was about to touch her hair,
-…Is it because the moon is up?
A haunting voice echoed in my mind.
Startled by that piercing voice, the hand that was reaching for her hair recoiled back.
That rain-soaked night hadn’t come yet,
and I wished to prevent anything like that from ever happening again.
The moon still hung in the sky, shining just as it always did.
I recalled how she would endlessly gaze at the moon every night.
Even the moments leading to her final breath in my arms remained vivid.
‘For now…’
I was gradually accepting that Namgung Bi-ah wasn’t the same as the person from my past life.
Moreover, it became clearer that the Demonic Sword no longer existed.
Yet, I found it challenging to draw close to her.
It wasn’t that I had feelings of love for her.
In my past life, I had no room to love anyone, as I was too preoccupied with my own troubles.
But what about now?
I asked myself,
Is it really the same now?
I quickly thought of the answer but struggled to solidify it.
No matter how I looked at it, hesitance still lingered.
Having lost everything once made me hesitant to grasp anything this time.
‘…Am I still afraid?’
Could it be that all I went through is causing me to be overly cautious?
No matter what, I shouldn’t recklessly convince myself.
If I got careless, I would undoubtedly lose everything again.
Especially as I was reminded that my life could end at any moment.
Flinch.
At my side, Namgung Bi-ah stirred restlessly.
As if caught in a nightmare, her brow furrowed, so I poked her forehead gently.
“…Mmm.”
Then she made a strange noise and rolled over again.
I couldn’t help but smile at her antics.
Just a few months since my regression,
it was still quite challenging for me.
Before I knew it, night passed, and morning broke.
I could hear the distant crowing of a rooster in the early light.
Namgung Bi-ah groaned softly, struggling to rise from her slumber.
Since she was naturally a heavy sleeper, waking up had always been a challenge for her.
Through her hazy vision, she noticed a figure.
“Are you awake?”
Gu Yangcheon sat outside the room.
‘…Oh.’
Realizing she had fallen asleep next to him,
she felt thankful, as she had managed to sleep without the usual foul smells.
For once, she hadn’t experienced the nightmares that haunted her and felt substantially lighter waking up than usual.
Such calmness was possible only after meeting him.
Perhaps it was because she slept much closer than usual;
the feeling today was particularly strong.
Gu Yangcheon glanced at Namgung Bi-ah and remarked,
“I didn’t expect you to fall asleep that fast.”
“…I was sleepy.”
“You ought to get rid of your sleep crust first.”
“…!”
At his comment, she hurriedly rubbed her eyes but oddly felt nothing there.
Gu Yangcheon observed her and chuckled softly,
“I was just kidding. There’s nothing there.”
“…?”
Namgung Bi-ah glared at him, sensing something was off.
There was something different about him today.
His aura? No, that’s not it…
What was different?
While Namgung Bi-ah pondered, Gu Yangcheon continued,
“I’m going to eat; do you want to join?”
“I’ll com—… Oh!”
It was then that she fully recognized what was unusual.
He was speaking to her casually!
When did that begin?
The usual sharp distance between them seemed to have vanished overnight.
Namgung Bi-ah’s heart pounded.
‘…What is this feeling?’
She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“What’s wrong?”
At his question, Namgung Bi-ah hurriedly shook her head.
She dared not risk him reverting to his old speech patterns by inquiring further.
Then, slowly, Gu Yangcheon rose from his seat.
Since he mentioned food, it was high time.
Namgung Bi-ah followed his cue and began to get up when suddenly…
“Young Master! I’ve returned—”
“Oh…”
Wi Seol-Ah, who had been missing, suddenly burst in through the door.
With a bright smile, she stopped in her tracks upon seeing the two.
Likewise, upon making eye contact with Wi Seol-Ah, Gu Yangcheon froze like a statue.
I could see beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
In that tense atmosphere, the only one remaining calm was Namgung Bi-ah.
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