I was led to the banquet hall by the Namgung family attendants.

The building was massive, easily five times the size of the banquet hall back at the Gu estate.

‘There aren’t that many people here, so why is it so big?’

For the relatively small number of people inside, the space felt unnecessarily vast.

By the time I arrived, the banquet was already fully set up, and the two family heads, along with Lady Mi, were already seated.

It seemed I was running a little late.
Why did they all arrive so early?

The food was still being brought out, but I noticed some unfamiliar faces sitting on Namgung Jin’s side.

‘Elders?’

There were two elderly men who looked quite old.
The palpable aura they exuded marked them as highly skilled swordsmen—likely elders of the Namgung family.

It made sense that they’d be present for such a formal event.
As I observed them, their gazes turned toward me, their blue eyes faint and calm.

Perhaps it was the characteristic aura of the Namgung family?

Under the weight of their stares, I slowly walked forward.

Keeping my pace deliberate, I approached Namgung Jin and my father.

“Thank you for inviting me to this banquet.”

I slightly bowed, offering a polite greeting.
Just a formality, though. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about this banquet.

“You must be tired from the long journey. Feel free to relax.”

“Thank you.”

I raised my head, feeling a bit uncomfortable as we exchanged empty pleasantries.
Namgung Jin’s eyes, despite his words, were filled with a yearning that made the situation feel even more awkward.

‘He probably wants this banquet to end more than I do.’

I bet Namgung Jin was more impatient than me.
Whatever insight he had gained from Noya’s words, it seemed to have left him thirsting for more.

‘A martial artist’s craving for enlightenment is akin to a deep thirst.’

I understood that well enough since I was a martial artist myself.
If someone could help me fill the gap in my own understanding, I might behave similarly.

‘Still, it’s a hassle.’

Just because I understood it didn’t mean it was any less annoying.
Especially since…

‘I can’t help him right now.’

Even if I knew what Namgung Jin wanted, there was nothing I could do about it.
That damned Noya still showed no sign of waking up. Without him, there was no way I could pass on any teachings or advice.

All I knew of the Namgung swordsmanship was what I had seen the Demonic Sword Empress perform in my previous life.

‘And while it was impressive, it’s not the same as the Thunder Heaven Swordsmanship that Noya witnessed.’

Pushing aside Namgung Jin’s gaze, I greeted my father and Lady Mi, then took a seat in what was clearly designated as my spot.
It was across from an empty seat, likely where Namgung Bi-Ah would sit.

‘She hasn’t arrived yet?’

It seemed like Namgung Bi-Ah hadn’t shown up yet.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she was still asleep. Knowing her, that was entirely possible.

‘Meanwhile…’

I could feel the gazes of others on me.
I didn’t bother looking up to confirm, but I could sense them sizing me up, as if evaluating something.

‘Are those the elders, or someone else?’

I had no idea what they were hoping to observe, but it was uncomfortable being scrutinized like this.
Even if they knew I could sense it, they didn’t seem to care.

That might’ve been the case last year when my skills were less refined.
But now, I wasn’t so sure what they could hope to gain by watching me so intently.

Despite my irritation, I had no desire to make a scene by using my internal energy in response.

I picked up the cup of tea in front of me, intending to calm my nerves with a sip.

Just then, I felt someone approaching from outside the banquet hall.

The attendant stationed at the door spoke up.

“First Young Master is entering.”

I glanced toward the door.

The First Young Master of the Namgung family—there was only one person that could be.

I hadn’t seen him when I first arrived at the estate, so I assumed he wasn’t here.
Turns out, he was.

It wasn’t like him to not show up when his sister had returned to the main house.

‘It’s been a year, huh.’

I hadn’t seen him since the martial arts competition over a year ago.
And now, our precious Thunder Dragon had arrived.

A figure walked through the door.

I turned to face him.

He was a young man with silver hair and blue eyes, reminiscent of a younger Namgung Jin.
That annoyingly handsome face hadn’t changed at all.

‘I don’t like him.’

My irritation flared up just from seeing his face.
I watched him out of the corner of my eye, not for any particular reason, but just to see if he had changed.

Surprisingly, he had.

‘He’s more stable.’

Back then, when he first manifested his thunder energy, he had been highly unstable.
The energy he had absorbed was out of control, and he couldn’t manage it properly.
But now, that once-wild energy had settled down.

Namgung Cheonjun’s eyes met mine as he entered the banquet hall.

His expression hardened instantly when he saw me.
Even though his energy had stabilized, his personality hadn’t changed at all.

However, the stiff look on his face quickly shifted into a smug smile, as if nothing had happened.

As he passed me, he even spoke up.

“It’s been a while, Gu So-hyeop.”

“Yeah, long time no see, brother-in-law.”

I threw in the “brother-in-law” title just to tease him.

But Namgung Cheonjun didn’t react.

‘Oh…?’

He held it in.

Had he trained himself to endure that over the past year?

With a grin still on his face, Namgung Cheonjun moved toward the seat of honor, where the family heads were seated.
He was, of course, going to pay his respects to the head of the family first.

I watched him closely as he passed by.

To be more specific, I studied his body.

‘The demonic energy… is it gone?’

The blood demon energy I had sensed in Namgung Cheonjun during the martial arts competition…

Back then, I had absorbed a portion of that energy against my will,
And now, there was no trace of it in Namgung Cheonjun’s body.

‘It’s really gone… huh?’

Just as I was about to look away, I noticed something.

If Namgung Cheonjun still had demonic energy, I should’ve felt it in his dantian, but…

‘What is this?’

Something felt different.

As I focused on the discrepancy, I felt a heat rising from my own dantian.

[…Grr… rrr…]

And for the first time in a while, the useless beast that had been sleeping in my body stirred.

I looked at Namgung Cheonjun’s back, and realization dawned on me.

‘Is that…?’

Just as the thought crossed my mind, another voice came from the entrance.

“The First Young Lady is entering.”

Namgung Bi-Ah had arrived.

I turned my head to see her walking in, a gentle breeze following her steps.

Her movements were graceful, her hands neatly folded in front of her, and her gaze slightly lowered.
Her beautifully braided hair swayed as she walked.

Even though I’d always thought her appearance was striking, the slight touch of makeup today seemed to elevate her beauty even further.

‘This is ridiculous.’

Despite having seen her face countless times before, it felt like seeing her anew, shattering any sense of familiarity I had built.

The heat rising in me from seeing Namgung Cheonjun faded completely the moment I laid eyes on Namgung Bi-Ah.

I wasn’t the only one who seemed captivated.

Everyone in the banquet hall had their eyes on her.

Even Lady Mi appeared shocked, her eyes widening more than I’d ever seen before.

Namgung Bi-Ah walked slowly to the seat of honor and bowed her head.

“I apologize for being late.”

She wasn’t really late.
Not much time had passed at all.

Nonetheless, she offered her apologies.

Namgung Jin waved his hand, indicating that everything was fine.

As expected, Namgung Bi-Ah took the seat across from me.

Normally, she would’ve slouched or reclined as soon as she sat down,
But today, she sat up straight, maintaining a poised posture that I found refreshing.

‘She’s probably forcing herself to stay like that.’

Her subtle, trembling eyes suggested that she was struggling to remain composed without someone nearby to lean on.

But aside from that…

‘This is too much.’

That was the only way to describe it.

She was stunningly beautiful.

Her already radiant face was now complemented by a soft layer of powder, and the result was almost excessive.

If she walked around looking like this, who knew what could happen?

Luckily, she carried the Namgung name and possessed martial prowess beyond reason,
But in a normal situation, this kind of beauty could cause disasters.

There’s a reason people say a beautiful woman can bring down a nation.
At this moment, Namgung Bi-Ah could do just that.

In comparison to her former self, the Demonic Sword Empress of my previous life…

Her appearance hadn’t changed much, but her eyes, which had once gazed upon the world with emptiness, and her expressionless face…

Now, she was a completely different person.

‘It’s a good thing I taught her those tricks.’

Whether it was using her energy to conceal her presence or wearing a veil—whatever it took to avoid attracting too much attention—it would help.

At that moment…

-Hey…

I heard a quiet voice in my mind.
It was Namgung Bi-Ah, speaking to me through telepathy.

Why was she using telepathy?

Curious, I glanced at her.
Namgung Bi-Ah was looking at me with an anxious expression.

-How do I look?

-What?

-Do I… look okay?

What was she asking?

I wasn’t sure what she meant, so I furrowed my brow and studied her face.

Namgung Bi-Ah blushed slightly and asked in a timid voice,

-Do you think… I’m pretty?

She couldn’t seem to meet my eyes, turning her head slightly as she asked.

I was caught off guard, staring at her in surprise.

It wasn’t the first time she’d asked me a question like this,
But back then, she hadn’t hesitated or avoided eye contact.

The question was the same, but her demeanor was different.

She was filled with shyness and insecurity,
Her tone full of emotion.

-Uh… um.

Meanwhile, I remained as clueless as ever.

I hadn’t expected her to ask something like that,
And I found myself unable to respond to Namgung Bi-Ah, who still avoided meeting my eyes.

Should I come up with something meaningful to say?
I tried to think of something, but only one word came to mind.

-You’re… beautiful.

As someone with no talent for words, this was the only response I could manage.

Fortunately, it seemed to be the right one.

Namgung Bi-Ah smiled warmly at my words,
Her face filled with relief and joy,
And I felt a warmth spread through me in response.

Seeing her smile, I couldn’t help but smile back.

For some reason, it just happened.

And as I smiled at Namgung Bi-Ah…

Namgung Cheonjun quietly watched us from across the room.

The banquet ended without much fanfare.

Neither family head drank any alcohol, and at their level of martial prowess, it wouldn’t have affected them anyway.
It was merely a gathering to celebrate the Gu clan’s visit to the Namgung estate.

It didn’t last long, and it wasn’t particularly enjoyable either.

‘All those stares are starting to get to me.’

I brushed off my shoulders as I walked out.

I was starting to feel drained from the constant gazes directed at me.

‘If they’re going to stare, they could at least be more subtle.’

Despite pretending not to notice, I couldn’t ignore the way the elders and a few of the other martial artists had openly watched me.

I had no idea what they hoped to gain from staring so intently, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

“…Phew.”

As soon as the banquet ended, I quickly slipped away for a walk, hoping to get some fresh air.

Namgung Bi-Ah, who had followed me out, spoke up.

“Are you tired?”

“I’m fine.”

Namgung Bi-Ah had asked to walk with me when I was about to head back to my quarters,
And because of that, I had managed to avoid Namgung Jin coming over to talk to me.

I had originally planned to make a quick escape, but this worked out better.

As we walked, I noticed the hair accessory I had given her nestled in her beautifully braided hair.

Without thinking, I asked,

“You’re still wearing that?”

“…Huh?”

“You could switch it out for something nicer if you want.”

It was a simple accessory, and I wondered if she’d be better off with something more fitting for her station.

But Namgung Bi-Ah’s face instantly crumpled, as if I had just wounded her deeply.

“…Sorry.”

Seeing her reaction, I instinctively apologized.
I had never seen her make a face like that before.

“…It’s okay.”

Thankfully, my quick apology seemed to work, and her expression returned to normal.
Still, the atmosphere had grown awkward.

Did I say something wrong?

The moonlight illuminated the path, and the lanterns flickered gently,
But the awkward mood made it hard to appreciate the beauty of the night.

“I feel like I said something wrong…”

I tried to explain myself quickly.

I couldn’t get the image of Namgung Bi-Ah’s hurt expression out of my mind.

But before I could continue, another voice interrupted us.

“The moon is quite bright tonight.”

It came from across the road.

Just beyond the reach of the dim lantern light, someone spoke.

“I don’t think I properly greeted you earlier, so I came to make up for that.”

The uninvited guest spoke with a polite tone, but the thick facade in his voice made my stomach churn.

“I hope you’ve been well.”

I turned to face him.

Our eyes met, and even in the shadows, his blue eyes shone clearly as he spoke.

“Brother-in-law.”

Namgung Cheonjun was still smiling, even as he spat out the word as if it burned his mouth.

I found myself muttering under my breath,

“What the hell is this piss-pants talking about?”

Oops.

That was a mistake.