“Cough.”
The Black Cat chuckled while watching Ho Cheon-an, who was coughing uncomfortably.
‘What a silly fool.’
The once lazy catlike Ho Cheon-an had become a fool filled only with martial arts knowledge after becoming a top-tier fighter.
It’s understandable that someone with such a burning desire for martial arts, enough to become a Sacheon Outcast, would have their ascension blocked due to physical limitations, leading to this explosive yearning.
But still, lately, it was simply too much.
In the past, he would at least flinch and show some awareness if she got closer, but now, the number of times he didn’t even glance her way had dramatically increased.
‘In the underwater cave…’
Recalling the time in the underwater cave made the Black Cat’s face flush with anger. Even after exposing her bare skin, he hadn’t touched her at all. She had pushed herself to bear the embarrassment and upped the exposure every day, but Ho Cheon-an only looked at her with fleeting glances.
Of course, that week in the underwater cave was a lovely memory. But that was that; would there be another chance to expose herself so naturally again? The Black Cat wanted to show off her charm to Ho Cheon-an and capture his gaze… and now that she had blown a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it was no wonder she felt deflated.
Thinking such opportunities might not come again, she had held back her shame and worked hard…
In this deflated situation, she received a request from Hyeok Gi-rin. As she examined Hyeok Gi-rin’s back while he rode, an odd feeling of discomfort began to stir. It wasn’t anything about his appearance, but for some reason, the energy felt…
Somehow, it felt like something was being stimulated. It was only a faint sensation, but the Black Cat started to pay attention to Hyeok Gi-rin. She meticulously explored his energy but found nothing suspicious; she had no choice but to dismiss it as just a feeling.
As she continued to observe Hyeok Gi-rin closely, the Black Cat couldn’t help but admire.
‘Can there really be a guy like this in the world?’
He was shorter and slimmer for a man. He looked more like a boy than a young man, and when he was on horseback, it felt as if he needed someone’s help to get down.
He was closer to being a pretty boy than a handsome man, but it didn’t detract from his looks. His small stature and large eyes only added to Hyeok Gi-rin’s unique charm.
Admiring Hyeok Gi-rin—deemed one of the most handsome men in the world—the Black Cat sent a few messages to Ho Cheon-an, curious about what he thought of this pretty boy.
But… just praising Hyeok Gi-rin of the Okryong Sinhyeop led Ho Cheon-an to gesture her to stop talking.
An unexpectedly intense reaction.
A thought crossed the Black Cat’s mind.
‘Could it be… he hates it when I talk about other guys?’
As that thought crossed her mind, she felt a smile escaping her without realizing it.
Ho Cheon-an didn’t like hearing her praise other men. Yet, did he seem concerned about her interest in another man? With such thoughts, the Black Cat felt a tickling in her chest.
What should she call this feeling? Pushed by this fluttering emotion, she sent another message.
[Senior, are you jealous that I’m complimenting Hyeok Gi-rin?]
Ho Cheon-an turned his head, rolling his eyes, and his mouth moved silently.
‘N. O. T!’
It felt like he didn’t even want to talk about Hyeok Gi-rin at all.
But the Black Cat had no intention of stopping the conversation about Hyeok Gi-rin.
Would Ho Cheon-an, who was indifferent even after a bare skin exposure, let this intense reaction topic just slide away?
‘This is all because you haven’t been paying enough attention lately. It’s a case of your own making!’
Wanting to savor Ho Cheon-an’s attention, which she had missed for a while, the Black Cat pressed on.
[I think that cute little body producing Peak Stage martial arts is strangely attractive. Could this be what they call a hidden charm?]
Seeing Ho Cheon-an’s expression sour, the Black Cat beamed as she sent another message.
[I’d love to see that face with a firm expression glaring at an opponent. Will I get to see that when we meet bandits?]
Ho Cheon-an listened to the Black Cat’s messages…
And swallowed hard.
‘Black Cat, Black Cat. Why must it be Hyeok Gi-rin…!’
Ho Cheon-an had never considered that Black Cat would show interest in a man. Although he acted that way, Ha Seon-su was charming enough to approach women confidently, and the Black Cat had never even glanced at such a handsome man.
Yet here was Black Cat, persistently praising Hyeok Gi-rin’s looks even when she’d hinted to stop!
Was Black Cat attracted to pretty boys? Ho Cheon-an thought it was a plausible scenario. Having lived a life tormented by aggressive macho men, Black Cat might actually find charm in the opposite type—a delicate and petite man.
And if judging only by looks, Hyeok Gi-rin was a pretty boy with the title of Okmyeon. He was one of the handsome men representing the Central Plains.
Even Black Cat could easily find him an object of attraction.
So why, despite her insistence that she wasn’t interested, did she keep raving about Hyeok Gi-rin’s appearance?
‘Black Cat… Hyeok Gi-rin is… Hyeok Gi-rin is a girl…!’
Considering the background of Black Cat, it was a miracle that she even had any interest in the opposite gender.
It was like a fragile sprout blooming in an everlasting frozen desert—barely sprouting curiosity or affection toward the opposite sex! But what if that affection’s target turned out to be the same gender?
It was a significant emotional wound.
‘Black Cat, who is already struggling with feelings towards the opposite sex…! No more wounds!’
‘Hehe, jealous Senior. So cute!’
While Hyeok Gi-rin was deeply wrapped up in thoughts about how to drive the bandits out of Sacheon City, two people were caught up in intense thoughts of their own.
Meanwhile, the horses galloped on, oblivious to the musings of their riders.
*
It’s an emergency.
The Black Cat seems to have started taking an interest in Hyeok Gi-rin.
No, Cheon-an. Ho Cheon-an. Don’t jump to conclusions too soon. It’s not confirmed yet. No need to panic and throw the covers off the bed, flailing everywhere by yourself.
“Ah~ I want to talk to Hyeok Gi-rin alone…”
It seems things have really escalated.
This comment, aimed at anyone but Hyeok Gi-rin, feels strangely conscious of him; surely, it’s not just my imagination.
Currently, we had arrived at an inn. It was the last inn on the way to Jeongnam Mountain. Those who had lost their belongings to bandits looked grim, and others from Sacheon heading through Jeongnam Mountain to other regions were stranded, making the inn crowded.
“Great Hero! Please take care of those evil bandits!”
“Yes, of course. I’ll resolve this as quickly as possible.”
“Great Hero! We’re counting on you!”
“For that, I’ll need your cooperation.”
Hyeok Gi-rin seemed to be quite good-looking in the eyes of others. The women in the inn were all busy gazing blankly at Hyeok Gi-rin’s face.
“Oh, if only I could hold Hyeok Gi-rin in my arms…”
“How cute would his face be when he breaks into tears…”
“Sigh, I’d love to pet him for a lifetime…”
Something seems off with the overall vibe, but that must just be my feeling. In any case, seeing Hyeok Gi-rin’s face darkening slightly, it seems he’s continuously receiving troubling information about the bandit alliance.
It was solely Hyeok Gi-rin’s responsibility to listen to the people’s testimonies.
Would the Sacheon Outcast treat those in this place kindly? There was no need for us to beg and plead to gather information, as the answers would spill out as soon as he asked.
Given how biased the relationships were, it was hard for the Black Cat to even understand her own feelings. Yet, the man she had shown interest in turned out to be—ta-da!
Actually, a cross-dressing woman!
Considering the shock that would land on the Black Cat, it might be better to reveal Hyeok Gi-rin’s true gender sooner rather than later. The problem would be if she got questioned about how she knew.
“Hey, Black Cat, do you know anything about Hyeok Gi-rin?”
“Only what others know. Even if I’m the head of an information organization, I can’t store everything in my head. Especially… there are indications that Hyeok Gi-rin is connected to the Imperial Family. It’s best not to know too much about anything related to the Imperial Family.”
Indeed, digging up any information carelessly could make one disappear without a trace. It would have been easier if the Black Cat had some information about Hyeok Gi-rin already. How could she skillfully slip in that she knew his true gender?
While watching Hyeok Gi-rin collecting testimonies, she muttered.
“It might be interesting to learn more through him directly.”
“Phew.”
“Hehe, are you thinking about him, Senior?”
The Black Cat grinned, poking my cheek. This little one was so excited, unaware of the storm brewing. Why was she getting flustered and her heart racing every time she gazed toward Hyeok Gi-rin?
“Ugh.”
With a sigh, I turned to look at Hyeok Gi-rin. The women gazed at him with affectionate eyes, while the men looked at him with admiration. No one would ever consider Hyeok Gi-rin to be a woman.
Is it because the Jeomchang Faction isn’t steeped in gender hierarchy that they assume Hyeok Gi-rin, a leader of the Ten Prodigies, wouldn’t deceive her gender?
Overall, Hyeok Gi-rin’s disguise was splendid, yet one could find reasons to question the fact that she was a cross-dressing woman.
Is it because I know she’s a girl that I see it this way?
Even Black Cat hadn’t detected anything about Hyeok Gi-rin’s gender, and none of the inn’s patrons seemed to have doubted Hyeok Gi-rin’s gender, either.
“What’s up, Senior? Is something wrong?”
As I idly scanned the surroundings, the Black Cat asked. Now that she mentioned it, there had been something odd when she first began to ride near Hyeok Gi-rin.
“Did you feel any discomfort about Hyeok Gi-rin earlier when I sent that message?”
“Hmm. I probably just was more sensitive than usual. I felt something strange, but afterwards, even after observing closely, nothing stood out.”
Ah, that’s what it was. I recognized the source of the discomfort I had felt while watching Hyeok Gi-rin. Is this what they call killing two birds with one stone?
They say you’ll find a way out of a dilemma, and while trying to explain to the Black Cat, I unexpectedly stumbled onto a revelation.
“Black Cat, don’t be shocked, but listen closely.”
“What is it all of a sudden?”
It might be a cruel revelation for the Black Cat. But what can we do, Black Cat? It’s better to sort this out before feelings grow stronger.
The Black Cat, unaware of the shocking news about to hit her, was leaning forward in anticipation, likely thinking, ‘I wonder what interesting story Senior is going to tell this time!’
“Hyeok Gi-rin is a cross-dressing woman.”
It genuinely pained me to deliver such a harsh truth to an excited Black Cat.
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