“No, no, no, that’s not how this works!”
“Well, anyway, being with him was a joy. Maybe that’s why the anxiety in my heart eased a bit while we sipped tea and chatted.”
“Hmmm… that’s quite a troublesome problem, isn’t it?”
Yu Wol’s stories were full of knowledge, often teaching the Sword Saint things she didn’t know. Especially the ancient legends or tales from the past were fascinating for her.
“In the end, it must have been a matter of choice,” he said, recounting the tale of the hero Gi Parang who descended from the heavens to save humanity.
With outstanding martial arts and character, he traveled the world to save people, facing various dilemmas along the way.
One of those dilemmas was when he received simultaneous confessions from two women.
“I heard the Seongju of Hyejo and the Gokju of Owol both liked Gi Parang. Neither was willing to back down.”
“So what did Gi Parang do?”
“Though they were as close as sisters, their love was a bit possessive, I guess. Eventually, they fought over him, and Gi Parang…”
“For what?”
“Apparently, he took both as wives to avoid hurting either of them. I can understand their position. They couldn’t just let go. Plus, Gi Parang knew their feelings well. Despite various issues, he handled it all neatly. So, it turned out well, right?”
“I see… But two means they must have had their own thoughts.”
“Of course, they must have. The novel ‘Gi Parang Yeonga’ tells that story in detail.”
‘Gi Parang Yeonga.’
That was definitely one of the books in Ryuhyun’s room.
But wasn’t it a romance?
Thinking it was a different book, the Sword Saint smiled at Yu Wol.
“Isn’t that ‘Chunseo’?”
“Huh? How do you know that?”
“Umm… well, it just happened. But I didn’t think you’d read ‘Chunseo.'”
“Haha. I’m a man too. I’m not completely uninterested in such things.”
As he laughed, the Sword Saint recalled the contents of ‘Chunseo.’
Right. He always looked so indifferent, but he was a man.
And she was a woman who liked the man in front of her.
Suddenly, she felt her heart race a bit.
Being alone in this room with him made her face feel warm.
‘Oh jeez…’
Thoughts of the romance novels and ‘Chunseo’ flooded her mind. She never thought that studying for her exams would lead to this kind of feeling.
Seeing the Sword Saint subtly avoiding his gaze, Yu Wol stood up.
Night had already deepened.
“I guess it’s about time we should sleep. As for you, Sword Saint…”
“Ah. Uh… so should I go to the next room… or what?”
“What’s this?”
“Yes.”
I looked at the corridor on the wall of the office. It was separated from this office and the room by a thin, flimsy cloth.
In other words, if one wanted, they could come and go from this room at any time.
The Sword Saint felt her heart racing even faster.
“Then, I’ll just get some sleep.”
Yu Wol, who had risen, started to tidy up the place. The Sword Saint, who had been fidgeting while watching that, let out a small sigh.
“Then, sleep well.”
She left his office and returned to her room, but sleep wouldn’t come. At her level, a Sword Master could easily remain in the same state for days without sleep.
Thus, she remained seated on her bed, simply watching the thin fabric leading to Yu Wol’s office.
After hesitating for a while, she quietly got up from the bed.
And she brought her hand towards the thin wall that separated her from him.
-Slither…
With a flick of her finger, the cloth parted to the side, revealing a rich fragrance.
The scent of tobacco, the fragrance of the cheonilmaehwa flower, and the ticklish scent of a man.
As she breathed it in, the Sword Saint quietly moved her feet.
The dark room was unlit, but such darkness couldn’t stop her.
She slowly approached Yu Wol, who lay down, making sure not to wake him, and knelt down to look at him.
Holding her breath, she silently gazed at him and raised her hand slowly towards his face.
When her finger brushed against his thin lips, the Sword Saint gently drew her finger back.
“Haah.”
Exhaling softly, the Sword Saint shook her head.
What am I doing right now?
Saying she’d wait, and now coming to find him while he sleeps—what am I trying to do?
It must be because of the anxiety.
The thought that Hongryeon, her student, younger sister, and family, might have feelings for him.
Her heart ached.
What if I just took him in my arms and ran far away?
Would that make this pain and unease disappear?
As she looked down at him with unfocused eyes, the Sword Saint unknowingly began to ponder possibilities.
Perhaps, it might be okay.
She had once wandered the world to find a place known only to her.
The Sword Saint lowered her head to gaze at him.
Wouldn’t he understand?
Wouldn’t he accept her anxiety and, even if it wasn’t locking him away, if she begged him to live in a solitary place together, wouldn’t he agree?
She closed her eyes and thought.
Hunting, while he did the house chores.
And at night, they would cuddle and sleep.
Maybe do a little naughty stuff.
And in the near future, a son resembling her, gentle-hearted but with strength, and a daughter like him, sharp and rational, could be born. Together, they could overcome any adversity and create a warm family—wouldn’t that bring happiness?
Sure, there might be some issues at first.
But that could all be gradually addressed.
And he was a responsible person; certainly, he would become a great husband and father.
I’m going to become that.
Moreover, I will do anything if it’s what he wants.
I will be happy.
But is that really the right thing to do?
The delusion vanished in an instant.
The Sword Saint raised her head. When she faced herself reflected in the mirror in the office, she unknowingly compared herself to Hongryeon.
She only knew martial arts.
Hongryeon was surpassing her in every aspect outside of martial arts.
It was an easy answer for her to determine who among them was more fitting for him.
‘Ugh…’
A tingling sensation began to swell in her heart.
The fear of possibly not being chosen, the terror of losing to her disciple enveloped her.
So she hurried back to her room and sat on the bed to calm her mind.
Though there was no ambush throughout the night, the Sword Saint wasn’t at ease.
Each time, she tried to comfort herself by glancing at Yu Wol, but in the end, it was like drinking seawater while drifting in the ocean.
The more she saw him, the more her thirst intensified.
“It’s about time to go.”
As she came down to the backyard to watch him practice in the morning, Yu Wol remarked, causing the Sword Saint to twitch her shoulders.
Yeah, it was time to go back. When Hongryeon came through that door…
“I’m here~!”
It was a bright, cheerful voice. As her disciple, younger sister, and family member, the beautiful girl with the red hair walked in smiling, the Sword Saint twitched her shoulders.
Unlike the times she saw Hongryeon before, she looked much more grown-up now.
“Master?”
“Uh, uh oh. Ah. Yes, I suppose I should go now. See you later.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
The Sword Saint frantically responded. Then, while looking at Yu Wol, she dashed away as if fleeing, and Hongryeon watched her depart before asking Yu Wol.
“What happened yesterday?”
“Well…”
Shrugging her shoulders, Yu Wol answered nonchalantly.
Back at Hongseong, the Sword Saint returned as if escaping, gasping for breath.
Her chest hurt.
A different kind of pain than when she was captured by Simma stabbed at her heart.
“Haah…”
“Master, are you alright?”
Standing in front of her, Sayoon looked concerned. It seemed she was about to go do laundry. As the Sword Saint glanced at the laundry in her hands, she forced a bitter smile.
“Um. I’m okay.”
In truth, she wasn’t okay; her heart was racing with anxiety and fear.
But she couldn’t show it. So she smiled and patted Sayoon’s head while she lightly held the Sword Saint’s hand.
“You don’t look okay…”
“…Really?”
“Yes, Master. Is something troubling you?”
Troubling, indeed.
Yes. There is.
But how should she say it?
The man she liked is liked by her disciple.
And, she felt like she might lose to her disciple.
“Ugh, I feel like I’m going to lose to my student.”
“I’m scared he’s going to choose my student over me.”
“But how am I supposed to say that?”
“Should I go to Hongryeon and confront her about it?”
“Or should I use my superior martial arts to overpower her?”
“There’s absolutely no way I could do something like that.”
“But giving him up is something I can never do either.”
“Master.”
“Yes?”
“Yu Wol Innkeeper said that keeping your troubles inside can often turn into poison.”
Sayoon recounted a conversation she had with Yu Wol calmly. She met the trembling gaze of the Sword Saint.
“So, how about sharing your troubles?”
“…Do you really think so?”
“They say sharing burdens makes them half as heavy, right?”
The Sword Saint sighed softly while looking at the smiling Sayoon.
“Yeah. Let’s try talking about it.”
After the night training ended, the Sword Saint immediately got moving. It should be about time for him to be asleep, so she could talk to Hongryeon.
As she approached the inn, she felt relieved to see the office was dimly lit.
Then, she lightly jumped onto the roof and peered through the window into Hongryeon’s room.
But no one was there. The room where someone from Hongseong should be staying was empty.
The Sword Saint bit her lip slightly. She cautiously moved her body to the window of the office.
And there she saw it.
Yu Wol, asleep on the bed.
And Hongryeon, sitting in a chair beside him, looking down at Yu Wol with that familiar expression.
She gently caressed his head with affection.
As expected, it was true.
The tiny hope she had been holding onto crumbled inside her.
When that certainty weighed even heavier on the Sword Saint’s heart, Hongryeon suddenly turned her head.
“M-Master?”
Was it because the Sword Saint’s feelings were wavering as she stood by the window? Hongryeon looked flustered. The Sword Saint raised her finger to her mouth to signal silence.
Hongryon, who had been silent to avoid waking him, carefully approached the window. Stepping outside at the Sword Saint’s gesture, she hesitated.
“Uh… about what happened earlier…”
“…Do you like Yu Wol?”
There was no answer.
However, after some hesitation, Hongryeon nodded.
“Of course, just because I like him doesn’t mean I would give up on martial arts or Hongseong. And…”
“…I know. I see how hard you’re trying. And how much…”
The trembling in her heart began to flow into her body.
As emotions filled that voice, and the voice began to tremble, Hongryeon tilted her head in surprise.
“…Could it be? Master…”
“……”
The Sword Saint lowered her head.
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