Chapter: 321
The incident occurred between dawn and morning.
Is it because I’ve been practicing mindfulness meditation more frequently lately?
As a result, I found myself sleeping in longer in the morning.
It’s a bit hard to wake up forcibly.
Because I told Pae Woo-cheol to wake me up as late as possible.
I thought today would be the same as well.
“Brother… Brother.”
At the sound that called me, I slightly opened my eyes.
I wondered if it was about time to get up.
But the body I was trying to raise felt heavy.
Especially lately, it’s been like this.
I thought my body’s condition was strange, but I didn’t particularly feel weird.
It seems that mental fatigue took up most of it.
“…Huh.”
I let out a deep sigh as I sat up.
I had to get up even though I didn’t want to.
Finally, as I got up and barely opened my eyes,
I noticed someone in front of me.
Is it Pae Woo-cheol?
If not him, then perhaps another housemate?
“…Huh?”
Surprisingly, it was neither.
If it was Pae Woo-cheol, he wouldn’t have such a delicate frame.
I rubbed my still-sleepy eyes and looked at the person.
The sunlight streaming through the window felt warm. The light pouring through the frame seemed to signal the arrival of morning,
Illuminating someone in a very special way.
“…You.”
Kneeling gracefully, the person greeting me was none other than Wi Seol-ah.
With her subtly golden-tinged brown hair,
The golden eyes appearing slightly half-closed captured my attention.
No, this is not the time for admiration of Wi Seol-ah’s appearance.
‘Why is she here?’
I wondered if it was a dream, but I quickly realized it wasn’t.
The situation confirmed it.
Not only Pae Woo-cheol, but all the men gathered in the room had also frozen, staring intently at Wi Seol-ah.
Their pupils were all trembling.
Their expressions, as if frozen like stone and unsure of what to do, were quite striking.
What is going on here?
What kind of situation is this?
I immediately glanced at Pae Woo-cheol, who had woken me up.
He seemed just as bewildered as everyone else.
As if he had picked up on my gaze, he hurried closer and whispered in my ear.
He seemed to be at a loss for words.
“What’s going on here?”
“…Suddenly, she said she had something to discuss with you….”
“Did you open the door for her?”
“When I mentioned you were sleeping… she said she’d wait inside….”
“You mean to tell me that really lets her in? There are a bunch of guys here!”
What’s up with that sister?
Wi Seol-ah must be several years younger than Pae Woo-cheol.
Even I am younger than Pae Woo-cheol.
Didn’t Pae Woo-cheol exceed a certain age limit?
“…I’m sorry. It caught me off guard too.”
While Pae Woo-cheol scratched his head awkwardly,
Wi Seol-ah finally spoke up.
“I was being a bit insistent. I said I wanted to come in. Prince Pae didn’t do anything wrong.”
Hearing her refer to him as “Prince Pae” melted Pae Woo-cheol’s face.
I guess that’s good.
Bam—!
“Guh!?”
Not liking his expression, I lightly kicked Pae Woo-cheol in the shin.
Immediately, his big body fell over, clutching his calf.
Come on, I just tapped you lightly!
“You’re such a drama queen, Woocheol.”
“…Brother, it seriously feels like my leg is broken!”
Ignoring Pae Woo-cheol, who was pouting comically, I turned my attention back to Wi Seol-ah.
“What’s on your mind?”
“I… I wanted to talk to you, Confucius.”
You wanted to talk.
‘Didn’t you say you needed time to think?’
The last conversation I had with Wi Seol-ah ended with her saying she needed time to think.
How many days has it been since then?
After carefully considering what Wi Seol-ah had told me, I decided to respect her wishes.
I sat quietly for a few days.
And then, Wi Seol-ah appeared in person.
So far, so good.
Everything seems fine.
But my question is, why did she choose to come at this hour of the morning?
“What do you want to say?”
As soon as those words escaped my mouth, I regretted them.
It’s nice to see you after a long time. You look really healthy.
Did you have breakfast?
Why didn’t I just stick to ordinary small talk?
Instead, my words came out as blunt as a hammer.
I sighed. Honestly, this is probably going to be one of those habits I never shake off until the day I die.
Upon hearing my question, Wi Seol-ah’s head lifted slightly.
Her golden eyes were staring directly at me.
The bright gaze she had back when she was my servant…
It looked like a little remained,
But almost none at all.
A fleeting thought of sadness crossed my mind.
My head is still a bit hazy.
I felt somewhat dull.
With my body at its peak, I shouldn’t be feeling fatigued just for lack of sleep.
Yet there’s definitely something slightly off lately.
When I sensed I needed to shake off this fatigue, Wi Seol-ah told me,
“I like you.”
“…Huh?”
At the voice soft but clear that lingered near my ear,
I couldn’t help but let out a dumbfounded sound.
“What did you just say…?”
“I like you.”
As if she sensed I hadn’t heard her properly, she repeated it,
Confirming it like a fatal blow.
And my foggy mind, which felt like it was shrouded in mist, suddenly cleared as something dropped with a thud inside, scattering my sense.
“You….”
Wi Seol-ah spoke, her expression devoid of any emotion.
Seeing that, I was left dumbfounded for a few seconds.
What should I say?
In a moment filled with so many thoughts, I found myself unable to voice anything.
As if I was breaking through a transparent wall that had sealed my mouth,
I barely managed to form a question.
“What are you talking about, all of a sudden?”
My voice trembled slightly as I spoke.
“I’ve finished my thinking.”
“Thinking?”
“Yes. Thinking.”
She’s had so many thoughts.
Wanting some time to ponder, she had now come to this conclusion.
What is this?
Could it really be a dream? That seemed to offer more realism.
‘What the heck…?’
I scrutinized Wi Seol-ah, examining her closely.
For a moment, I could see—
Though her expression remained unruffled, her ears were visibly bright red.
“…”
After taking that in, I locked eyes with Wi Seol-ah again.
“Th….”
Feeling the need to respond, I mentally rehearsed words to say.
In the brief seconds, thousands of responses flashed through my mind. Finally, I struggled to select a single coherent phrase.
As I prepared to voice it.
“Given that… I’m counting on you from now on.”
Without me having the chance to speak, Wi Seol-ah suddenly declared this,
Immediately bowing her head deeply, then she stood up abruptly.
“Uh… what?”
The ears I glimpsed earlier had turned an even deeper shade of crimson.
I tried to call out for Wi Seol-ah urgently, but she quickly stepped away, running out of the room.
I was so taken aback that I couldn’t even shout.
“What….”
Only after I heard the sound of Wi Seol-ah’s footsteps recede down the hall was I slowly able to process the whirlwind of events that had just transpired.
‘What did she just say?’
Did she say she liked me?
I was almost certain that’s what it was.
In the midst of my flustered thoughts, like something had snapped,
“Brother.”
Pae Woo-cheol murmured, gradually drifting closer to me.
“…Uhm… Why?”
Not only was my head frozen, so was my mouth; I struggled to speak normally.
Pae Woo-cheol’s expression was anything but casual.
He lowered his head slightly before speaking again.
“Excuse me… Brother.”
“Speak.”
“…May I hit you just once?”
“What kind of nonsense is that…?”
As I frowned, Pae Woo-cheol quickly stepped back.
This must’ve been the turning point.
Wi Seol-ah’s actions had just grown somewhat bizarre.
Naturally, I skipped morning training.
After attending the theoretical classes,
Soon enough, lunch time arrived.
I heard there’s something interesting lined up for afternoon training.
Looks like it was an early lunch for that reason.
Works for me!
“What’s for lunch today?”
“I don’t know…”
“Yeah, I’m used to it by now.”
I asked Pae Woo-cheol—since he likely didn’t memorize anything anyway.
Turns out, it had become a bit of a routine.
I could tell he didn’t memorize anything since he devoured it all.
“I think I heard it was meat.”
“That means you can’t eat it.”
“There’s an old saying: don’t refuse food.”
While chatting with Pae Woo-cheol, the sleeping dragon crept in unnoticed.
Starting a few days ago, the oblivious sleeping dragon joined in, starting to eat with us.
At this point, I was really just letting it slide.
But there was an issue.
“…Could you be a little more mindful of others’ opinions?”
“I didn’t expect you to say that to me.”
With an incredulous expression, Jam-ryong replied, and I let out a deep sigh.
The reason I brought this up was simple.
Since the sleeping dragon is undeniably part of the sect,
There are separate meals for those who can’t eat meat.
So how can this guy confidently pile up food like it’s a banquet?
“Hey… your brothers look like they might kill you.”
“Brothers? They’re just friends I don’t know; ignore them. I’m an only child.”
But they’re definitely dressed like disciples of a Taoist sect!
Every time something like this happened, I couldn’t help but wonder if Jam-ryong was actually insane.
Seriously, why haven’t the Taoists kicked him out?
‘…Is it due to his talent?’
Is that really the case?
Given that the talent level of the sleeping dragon would be hard to find anywhere else.
It could’ve been a waste to expel him for causing trouble.
“Oh! Chicken!”
Look at him acting all giddy just because there’s meat.
Do I really think he’s a genuine Taoist?
‘…I heard that even Shaolin’s Huang Ao Bul Ying used to grill meat and drink alcohol when he was young.’
In fact, those who pretend to be clean on the outside but behave like fools behind the scenes,
Could be overshadowed by a sleeping dragon who lives so instinctively.
“Brother….”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you think you’ve taken on too much? You probably won’t be able to finish it all.”
“If there’s any leftover, you can eat it.”
“That seems like a very good idea.”
Pae Woo-cheol beamed at my words.
As we gathered like this, I could hear whispers from behind.
“Did the sleeping dragon really join that group…?”
“Is it really something? How could they even recruit the sleeping dragon of the Taoists?”
“Wait a minute. Did they say Shijiyang? Wasn’t it Cheolyangcheol?”
“That’s not important.”
“The name doesn’t matter?”
“I heard Geomryong is hanging out with Jinryong these days… Could it be?”
“What about the mad dog Cheoljiseon commanding the three dragons among the six?”
Just hearing it made me dizzy from the wild rumors circulating everywhere.
Meanwhile, the mad dog Cheoljiseon stays alive and well.
That’s how he’s getting into trouble.
Looks like I wasn’t the only one catching all this gossip.
While quietly having my meal, the sleeping dragon stole glances.
“Then, is it now Cheolyangcheolhyeok?”
“They are sneakily connecting the dots.”
“Oh well. It’s roughly thrown together, so it’s fine to stick one on.”
With the way he nonchalantly waved off the comment,
It felt like he might actually remember my joke back then.
Honestly, he’s sharp.
“But are you really alright?”
At my question, Jamryong tilted his head slightly.
He had an expression that clearly indicated confusion.
“If we keep getting mixed up like this, it might turn out badly for you later.”
“Ah.”
I was well aware of how fixated the Taoist leaders were on reputation and fame.
Let alone the one receiving all the admiration from such a leader, Jamryong.
Would they truly take kindly to such association with troublemakers?
That was the underlying question.
“It doesn’t matter. I find it fun, honestly.”
Jamryong seemed completely unfazed. This guy is definitely not right in the head.
“And,”
“Yes?”
“The ability to eat quietly is a huge blessing.”
“Look at how busy the restaurant is. You really expect to eat in peace here?”
Seeing that I had arrived late, the place was packed.
Quietly, my ass.
At my words, Jamryong grinned.
He continued piling his plate high.
I shook my head at the sight.
Finding a place isn’t particularly hard.
This is thanks to the quick-thinking Mo Yong-hee, who already secured a spot in a corner of the restaurant.
Those gathered were the three from the four great families.
With daughters from the Namgung, Murong, and Tang clans,
It’s extremely rare for anyone to join their table.
Even when someone tries to sit,
A couple of sharp remarks from Mo Yong-hee or Dang So-yeol would send them packing.
Sometimes, Peng Ah-hee would join Dang So-yeol for a meal, but that was a rare occurrence.
Ultimately, it was decided that I would be the one to occupy the now-empty seat.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
Just as I was about to sit, Mo Yong-hee’s icy voice rang out.
“What?”
“Why do you think you can just sit anywhere?”
Her usually cold demeanor had turned even chillier.
What’s going on here?
“Harumph…”
As she turned her head away with indignation, I realized I must have messed up… oh.
Then it clicked; it was Mo Yong-hee’s unexpected behavior.
“Sorry, I had something to attend to at that time.”
A while back, when I had planned to talk with Mo Yong-hee in private, I had broken our promise when I was summoned by the Iron Line.
She was clearly upset.
Yeah, it seems I haven’t sought her out since then.
…I guess one could be angry about that?
“Sorry.”
I offered my apology again, and Mo Yong-hee turned back to me.
“…Next time, I’ll be genuinely angry.”
After a simple apology, her expression softened a bit again.
Surprisingly accommodating.
In my past life, I would have been caught like a rat!
With that stated, I apologized once more.
As I finally sat down at the empty space in front of me,
Pae Woo-cheol and the sleeping dragon, who had been watching, took their seats as well.
I settled next to Namgungbia, who seemed to be half-asleep, as if it were the most natural thing.
That’s when Jamryong tried to sit by my side.
Namgungbia slowly stood up, signaling.
The gesture was directed towards the sleeping dragon.
“There… is… a seat.”
“…Huh?”
“There’s a seat.”
“Oh, there’s a seat. Sorry.”
Responding to Namgungbia’s instruction, Jamryong shifted one spot to the side.
A seat? Who’s coming now?
“Who else is coming?”
“…Uhm…”
After speaking, Namgungbia laid her face against my shoulder again, sleepy as ever.
Her slender strands of hair tended to get in the way while eating.
But after repeating this countless times, I had grown less attentive to it.
While busying myself with my meal,
Mo Yong-hee suddenly directed her attention at the sleeping dragon before me.
“It’s been a while.”
She said it cheerfully, yet I sensed a hint of barbs laced in her smile.
It seemed the sleeping dragon caught the implication, as he paused his meal to clear his throat.
“…Ahem. Doesn’t your tone sound quite different?”
“It’s natural; the opponent is different, isn’t it?”
“…Oh, yes. Well… It’s nice to see you again, Mo Yong. Apologies for the late greeting.”
The sleeping dragon said that as Mo Yong-hee sipped her tea.
What in the world? Have these two met before?
“When I visited you, didn’t you say you had no intention of joining any side?”
“That, well… life can be unpredictable?”
Ah.
‘So, you’re rallying people up, then? That’s it?’
Among the factions that spread through Shinryonggwan, the most prominent one remains to be the story of Mo Yong-hee.
Writers stay with writers.
Merchants hang with merchants.
It’s said that people with similar backgrounds tend to group together.
I recall hearing that Mo Yong-hee had mentioned gathering people just days after I arrived.
It appears that she had approached the sleeping dragon as well.
Though he had declined her invitation to join them.
It seems he wasn’t thrilled that I came here so suddenly.
“I apologize.”
Seeing the rare sight of Jamryong take a moment to apologize,
Mo Yong-hee who had folded her fan up now offered a gentle smile.
“It’s fine. In fact, it may be a boon if it’s Prince Gu.”
“…Haha.”
“If you had joined another side, I might have made an effort to bury you…”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Just kidding. Haha.”
Yet, I had a feeling it was anything but a joke.
That line struck too close to the truth based on what I had heard from her previously.
It seemed Jamryong felt a wavering sense of risk, as beads of perspiration began to form.
Looks like the poor guy is seriously afraid of Mo Yong-hee.
Well, in my previous life, he had always evaded me.
If something went wrong, he would throw me under the bus in a heartbeat.
…Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.
It’s like there’s an inferno raging inside me.
Just as I attempted to sip the water that Namgungbia had poured for me,
Druk.
Someone plopped down beside me.
Was this the person Namgungbia was talking about?
Who could it be?
As I looked up, a familiar scent of flowers wafted my way, coupled with soft footfalls.
“Ah.”
It was Wi Seol-ah, the one who came to see me this morning.
She had declined to eat with me every time I asked before.
What prompted the change of heart today?
As I pondered this, I glanced at the food she had brought along.
‘Goodness, did she bring enough to feed a mountain!’
The side dishes were all impressively generous.
Noticing my gaze lingering on her food, Wi Seol-ah seemed to blush slightly.
“…I heard that it’s good to eat a lot…”
It must be because I kept insisting she eat more.
She was probably worried about me.
“Well, if you don’t like it, should I return some?”
“Return? Why would we do that? We have to eat it all!”
“…Sure.”
Feeling reassured by my words, Wi Seol-ah settled down and began her meal.
Not only did the earlier encounter go unmentioned, but also now it seemed like only rice was on the menu.
Maybe she forgot what happened, I thought.
But the redder ears than the morning proved otherwise.
‘…Did Namgungbia queue her to come?’
Namgungbia had mentioned that someone would be arriving.
It seemed she was aware of that.
With eyes closed, Namgungbia only leaned against me, seemingly enjoying the moment.
“…I thought one person was going to bail, but now it’s good. Tsk.”
Mo Yong-hee whispered softly in the background.
It was an awkward meal time, a bit uncomfortable knowingly or not.
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