Returning to the Residence

I hurried back to my quarters, feeling the constant pricking sensation of Namgung Bi-Ah's electric aura at my back, which made me quicken my pace more than usual.

'...I'm never going out like that again.'

I couldn’t even remember what the food tasted like, and I knew I couldn’t withstand that tense atmosphere for long. If I ever had to go out with them again, I’d make sure it was either by myself or with just one of them. Otherwise, I might actually end up with indigestion.

Hoo!

I threw a slow punch forward. Even though my mind was filled with distracting thoughts, my movements were precise, the result of countless repetitions over the years.

No matter how difficult things got, training couldn’t be skipped. It was something I had to push through with sheer willpower.

'With more energy comes the challenge of control.'

Compressing the increased energy within me was becoming more difficult. Unlike my past life, where I recklessly unleashed energy as it grew, in this life, I needed to learn to use it more efficiently.

Now that I had gained a slight enlightenment, I needed to expand on it and internalize it to reach a higher level.

I meticulously went over each movement, reducing the energy I used while still achieving the desired power. This required intense focus and the kind of pain that made my teeth clench as the pressure in my core grew.

But I had to do it.

Crack.

As I carefully set my foot down, I recalled the conversation I’d had with Moyong Hee-Ah.

In the end, she said she would come to Anhui with me. She needed to receive energy periodically, and she also had business in Anhui, so she would be accompanying me. Although I had somewhat expected this, the reality of her actually coming with us was surprising.

After all, this was a member of the Moyong family, one of the Four Great Clans, visiting another clan. Even though the relationship between the Moyong and Namgung families had weakened over the years, they were once compared as two great sword-wielding families of the Four Great Clans.

'...The Moyong family is somewhat weaker now.'

In terms of martial power alone, Namgung Jin, the Azure Sky Sword King and head of the Namgung family, and his son, the Young Dragon, were formidable. But even without considering them, just thinking of Namgung Bi-Ah, who was right beside me, was enough.

It wouldn’t be easy to find someone with Namgung Bi-Ah’s talent anywhere in the Central Plains, not just in the Namgung family. She was a woman who had reached the pinnacle of her power at a young age, and in my previous life, she had the strength to annihilate her own family.

Of course, Moyong Hee-Ah wasn’t without talent, but her skills were more suited to being a merchant or strategist rather than a warrior.

'...I know that well.'

I had seen enough in my previous life to understand. The reason so many survivors managed to stay alive amidst the horde of monsters was not due to the martial prowess of the gathered warriors, but entirely because Seol-Bong led them so skillfully and efficiently. Moreover, when the situation called for sacrifice, she threw herself into the fray without hesitation, earning the loyalty and obedience of those she led.

She was a cold and rational woman, her rare smiles always frozen in her cynical demeanor. That was the Seol-Bong I remembered.

"I'll cherish it."

"..."

The image of Moyong Hee-Ah smiling brightly after receiving that cheap trinket suddenly came to mind. It was a face completely different from the one I remembered. I never imagined Seol-Bong could make such an expression, nor had I ever tried to imagine it.

This could only mean one thing.

'Just as the Demon Sword Empress changed, she could change too.'

Just as I no longer sensed the scent of blood and the overwhelming hatred and loathing that the Demon Sword Empress once exuded, perhaps Moyong Hee-Ah was beginning to develop a different aura as her coldness faded.

If this change was due to my influence...

Slip.

"Damn it...!"

My thoughts must have distracted me, causing my foot to falter and my carefully controlled energy to scatter back to my core.

"...Tsk."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. This is why I shouldn't allow distractions.

"That’s enough training for today."

With my concentration broken, continuing would be pointless. After withdrawing all the remaining energy in my body, I decided to move on.

'Something tells me...'

I had too many thoughts swirling in my head. I doubted I would sleep well tonight.

A Dream

I was dreaming.

How long had it been since I last dreamed? And not a nightmare, but just an ordinary dream.

How did I know it was a dream? There wasn’t any special reason.

'It’s so soft.'

I was currently stroking the chin of a cat, and since there were no cats in my quarters, it had to be a dream.

I didn’t particularly like cats, or animals in general, but I was petting it because it was there.

The cat seemed to enjoy my touch, rubbing its face against my hand.

It was a white cat with blue eyes. Quite a unique color. I had never seen a cat like this before; it looked different from the spotted cats I occasionally saw around the neighborhood.

There was an air of nobility about it, like it had a good lineage.

Purr...

When I tickled the cat’s chin, it purred contentedly. It seemed to be enjoying itself.

'But for some reason, it reminds me of someone.'

White fur and blue eyes... Who was it?

It was definitely someone familiar.

'Ah.'

I remembered. There was someone who looked just like this.

'Namgung Bi-Ah.'

White and blue eyes—it was a perfect match. This cat looked like Namgung Bi-Ah.

Maybe that’s why my touch became gentler without me even realizing it. I moved my hand from the cat’s chin to stroke its head, then gently patted its cheek. Perhaps because it was a dream, the cat remained docile and enjoyed the attention.

Then, suddenly...

Grrrr...

I heard the sound of a beast growling nearby.

I quickly turned around and saw a dark, shadowy figure slowly approaching.

'What is that...'

What’s going on?

I stared at the approaching figure in bewilderment, but before I knew it, it charged at me with incredible speed.

Instinctively, I pulled the cat into my arms to protect it.

As I embraced it, the feeling was different from what I expected. The cat had looked small, but now it felt like it filled my arms completely, as if I were holding a person.

The softness was unmistakably different.

"Ugh."

"Huh?"

I heard a short gasp. The sound was too clear to be just a dream. The sensation, too, was vivid enough to make me question if this was really a dream.

The sense of unreality must have been what caused me to wake up.

"...Hmm?"

As I slowly lifted my heavy eyelids, I realized I was holding something—or rather, someone—very soft and plush.

What is this? A pillow?

When I tried to pull away, I felt something—or someone—gently stroking my hair.

It was definitely a hand.

Realizing this, I quickly pulled back to put some distance between us.

"What... What’s going on?"

As I took stock of the situation, I saw what—or rather, who—I had been holding.

Namgung Bi-Ah was there, blinking in surprise, her eyes wide open.

"...You, what are you doing here?"

Startled, I demanded an explanation. Namgung Bi-Ah tilted her head slightly.

"...I just... came to wake you up?"

This absurd situation felt more like a dream than reality.

Could it be that everything I did in that dream actually happened?

No, it couldn’t be.

If it were true, Namgung Bi-Ah would never have just let it slide.

"Are you okay...?"

Instead of being upset, Namgung Bi-Ah looked concerned about my sudden reaction.

"I’m fine. Nothing happened."

"..."

She tilted her head again at my response, then slowly opened her arms. I frowned slightly and asked,

"What are you doing?"

"...Don’t you want to hug... or maybe... you want to touch...?"

"..."

I wiped my now-flushed face with my hand. It seemed that what happened wasn’t entirely confined to the dream.

"...No, just put your arms down."

"...Okay..."

Namgung Bi-Ah lowered her arms as instructed.

This wasn’t the first time Namgung Bi-Ah had shown up in my room out of the blue, so it wasn’t entirely surprising. Well, maybe it was still surprising, but I was just getting used to it.

Even the servants seemed to have stopped caring whether Namgung Bi-Ah came and went as she pleased.

'This is so embarrassing.'

This was probably the most embarrassing moment I’d had this year. I never thought I’d find myself in such a situation.

"...Wait outside. I’ll be out after I wash up."

"..."

I wanted to cool off my face and calm down a bit, so I tried to get her to leave. But for some reason, Namgung Bi-Ah just sat there, staring at me.

"Why? Is there something you want to say?"

At my question, Namgung Bi-Ah slowly opened her arms again.

"...I’ll hug you..."

"Please, just go outside..."

"...Okay..."

Finally, Namgung Bi-Ah left the room, albeit with some reluctance.

I quickly called for a servant, washed up, and changed my clothes.

The servant gave me a strange look, but upon seeing my embarrassed face, they quickly changed their expression.

They probably assumed something odd happened based on my red face.

"When are we leaving?"

"In about an hour, I was told."

"That’s enough time for breakfast."

I nodded at the servant’s response.

It had been a few days since I went out to town with Namgung Bi-Ah and Moyong Hee-Ah, and today was the day we were supposed to leave for Anhui, as my father had mentioned.

I hadn’t spent much time at the family estate, so my schedule was tight. There were many tasks I had to complete in just a few days. I visited the local merchants my father had mentioned, and I crammed in all the training I could.

On top of that, Gu Hui-Bi had been pestering me whenever she got the chance, and I kept running into Lady Mi for some reason.

Oh, and Namgung Bi-Ah didn’t speak to me for a few days after I gave that necklace to Moyong Hee-Ah. She must have been pretty upset because she ignored me whenever I tried to approach her.

As I was pondering what to do, Hong-Wa, who had been watching me, offered some advice.

"Why not bring her some flowers? I’m sure that will cheer her up."

At first, I found the suggestion ridiculous. If flowers were enough to make her feel better, she should have gotten over it by now.

But when I asked if there was anything else I could do, Hong-Wa sighed deeply with a look I hadn’t seen before.

"For a moment, I felt sorry for Lady Namgung."

She said it in a rather pitiful voice.

So, I gathered some flowers—white ones, since they were the only kind I knew, thanks to my mother—and gave them to Namgung Bi-Ah.

Surprisingly, it worked.

When I handed her the flowers, she was genuinely shocked, and she even smiled.

Why did that work? They were just flowers.

The heart of a woman is truly a mystery.

When I finally finished getting dressed and stepped outside, I saw Namgung Bi-Ah standing in the garden.

She seemed to be admiring the pond in my yard.

There wasn’t much to see...

There used to be koi fish in that pond, but I found them too much of a hassle to maintain, so I had them moved to Guryun’s pond.

"When did you wake up?"

"Hmm?"

"You must have woken up pretty early to come to my room, right?"

"...Ah."

Unlike me, who had just finished getting ready, Namgung Bi-Ah had clearly been prepared for a while.

Her hair was neatly done, and she seemed to be wearing a touch of makeup.

"You couldn’t have done all that yourself. Did Hong-Wa help you?"

"...Huh?"

Given her personality, it didn’t seem like Namgung Bi-Ah would go to such lengths just to return to her home. Especially since she usually slept in.

Her clothes looked more put together than usual, and her sword was nowhere to be seen.

It was obvious she hadn’t done this herself.

"Who helped you?"

"...Well..."

Why is she hesitating?

Namgung Bi-Ah looked a bit troubled as she avoided my gaze. Was it really something to be this embarrassed about?

"...Lady Mi helped me..."

"What?"

I repeated in disbelief, surprised by the unexpected answer. Lady Mi had gotten involved? Out of the blue?

"Why would she?"

"...She said that since I’m going back to my home, I should present myself well... to show that I’ve been doing okay..."

So, basically...

Lady Mi had come to Namgung Bi-Ah early in the morning, had someone bathe, dress, and prepare her, all to make sure she looked her best?

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

I understood the reasoning behind it, but what was the point of doing it so early, especially since the trip to Anhui wasn’t exactly short?

Before I could ask, Namgung Bi-Ah added,

"...She said she’ll help me again when we arrive..."

"..."

That’s right.

Lady Mi is coming with us, after all.

But why is she going out of her way to trouble Namgung Bi-Ah with this?

'Maybe it’s about appearances, but still...'

Even considering that, it seemed unnecessary. I couldn’t quite figure out Lady Mi’s motives.

'I’ve heard that Gu Hui-Bi has been having a hard time too.'

Ever since Lady Mi returned, Gu Hui-Bi had been struggling.

Gu Hui-Bi, who had always had a worse temper than me, was now under the thumb of Lady Mi, who valued etiquette, decorum, and propriety above all else.

I’d heard she was being forced to re-learn her manners and behavior.

'That sounds awful.'

The thought alone gave me chills.

Gu Hui-Bi was never one to care about such things, and now she was being forced to by someone who was already well-known for her fiery temper and reputation.

Gu Hui-Bi’s personality had always been like that and would likely remain so, at least in the future I had seen.

The fact that she wasn’t rebelling or running away from Lady Mi probably meant that, despite everything, she genuinely cared for her mother.

On the other hand, Guryun seemed to enjoy the whole ordeal.

"So that’s why you came to find me so early?"

"...Yes."

"You must have had a rough morning."

"No... not really."

Not really? For someone who was hard to wake up, it was impressive she had managed to get up so early.

Somehow, she managed to pull it off.

"Let’s go eat breakfast."

"...Ah..."

Namgung Bi-Ah hesitated for a moment.

"What’s wrong?"

We still had about an hour before departure, so there was plenty of time for breakfast.

But Namgung Bi-Ah gave me a rather strange look.

She hadn’t had anything to eat yet, so why was she reacting like this?

"Is something wrong?"

I asked, puzzled, and Namgung Bi-Ah cautiously replied,

"...Lady Mi... said we should eat together."

"What?"

Lady Mi?

It was surprising to hear that Lady Mi had invited Namgung Bi-Ah to breakfast without even telling me. I had noticed I’d been seeing Lady Mi more frequently lately, but a breakfast invitation, out of nowhere?

"What’s going on? Where are we supposed to go?"

"..."

Instead of answering, Namgung Bi-Ah shook her head.

As if to say that wasn’t the case.

"No? Then what..."

"...She only invited me..."

"...?"

...Just you?

Why?