Drip… drip-drip.

Rain was falling outside the window.

Just a few days ago, the sky had been bright, but now it was full of dark clouds, covering the sun.

The air, which should have been cold and crisp, now felt damp and humid.

It didn’t fit the winter season.

Drip, drip…

I quietly watched the rain falling outside.

It wasn’t a heavy rain, more like a shower.

But if it kept raining like this for several days, could it still be called a shower? The thought brought a dry smile to my face.

“Rain in winter, what kind of nonsense is this?”

Even as I spoke, I could see my breath in the air. Rain in this weather? How ridiculous.

Click.

After watching the rain for a while, I reached out and closed the window.

As if the gloomy mood wasn’t enough, I couldn’t keep watching this miserable weather.

I closed the window, stretched out my stiff body, and finally let out a long sigh.

“Sigh…”

The reason I was feeling so exhausted wasn’t because of the training I had done recently.

There wasn’t even enough space to train properly, so I hadn’t been putting in much effort.

Lately, I had mostly been focusing on meditative training to reach a higher level of internal energy.

But the real reason I felt so tired was different.

It was because of the siblings from the Bi family, who were staying at the same inn.

‘Tsk.’

Just thinking about that man, the older brother, gave me a headache.

‘I wish he’d just hit me already, damn it.’

The mere thought of him made my head throb.

When I met Paezon Bi-ju, or Bi Eujin, at the inn the other day, he had greeted me with these words:

“I’ve heard a lot about you from my master.”

‘Damn it.’

It was a subtle way for Bi Eujin to imply that he was Paezon’s disciple.

The problem was, Paezon wasn’t Bi Eujin’s master.

Paezon was actually him.

‘He can’t just come out and say it, so this is the approach he’s taking.’

He couldn’t just outright declare, “I’m Paezon, and you’re impersonating my disciple, aren’t you?”

So, he was choosing to communicate in this roundabout way.

Whatever the case, it wasn’t a pleasant situation for me. Because ultimately, it meant that I had encountered Paezon.

One question lingered in my mind, though.

‘What does he want from me?’

It felt like Paezon wanted something from me.

But I couldn’t figure out what that was.

It wasn’t as if we had ever had a real conversation.

In my previous life, he had nearly killed me, so it wasn’t as if I knew him well.

“Hmm…”

For now, he seemed content just watching me, without making any real moves.

And then there was the issue of his “younger sister.”

He had someone by his side claiming to be his younger sister.

Her name was Bibi, if I remembered correctly.

She appeared to be the youngest member of the Bi family.

Since Paezon had undergone a rejuvenation process, it made sense that his body had become younger.

But if Bibi wasn’t a result of such a process, then there was no way they could truly be siblings.

And yet, Bibi acted as if she wholeheartedly believed that Paezon was her older brother.

If that wasn’t an act, then it meant Paezon was pretending as well.

‘So, is that why he can call himself the son of the Bi family head?’

After all, Paezon was originally from the Bi family, so it wasn’t strange that he’d still be connected to them.

But for this to work, it meant that the current head of the Bi family also knew about Paezon’s situation.

He must be hiding his weakened state, using this time to regain his strength under their protection.

‘But still, acting like a young prodigy at this age?’

A grown old man playing around with kids—how embarrassing.

If it were me, I’d have bitten my tongue and died from the shame….

“...”

I ran my hand over my forehead, realizing I wasn’t exactly in a position to criticize anyone.

“Damn it.”

I didn’t know what he wanted from me or what his plans were.

But whatever it was, when Paezon finally decided to act, there was only one thing I could say in return:

‘…I’ll just throw Elder Il under the bus.’

Throw him under the bus? I wouldn’t hesitate for a second.

After all, it was because of him that I ended up in this mess in the first place.

If things got bad, I could just run.

Surely, he wouldn’t chase me all the way to the family estate, right?

And even if he did…

I’d figure something out.

“Huff.”

I let out another sigh and looked to my side.

When I moved my hand slightly, I felt soft, silky hair brush against my fingers. The white strands felt like silk.

Even though it was well past noon, this sleepyhead was still deep in dreamland.

“Are you going to get up already?”

Even though my voice wasn’t exactly quiet, Namgung Bia showed no signs of stirring.

By the way, this was my room. Namgung Bia’s room was next door.

I had woken up from a nap to find her like this next to me.

After watching her in disbelief for a while, I gave up and gently ruffled her hair before standing up.

No matter how much I tried to wake her, I knew by now that she wouldn’t get up unless she did so on her own.

The best thing to do was to just let her sleep.

I left Namgung Bia in the room and stepped outside.

“Oh, young master!”

As soon as I walked out, I ran into Dang So-yeol. It looked like she had just finished washing up, as her hair was still damp.

Noticing my gaze, she smiled bashfully and started fussing with her hair.

“I just finished training…!”

She added an explanation, which was a bit unexpected.

“You were training in the rain?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah. I need to keep working hard.”

Her small smile looked a bit more mature than usual.

‘Interesting.’

Of course, Dang So-yeol was a martial artist, so it wasn’t surprising that she trained.

But I didn’t expect her to be working so hard.

Her internal energy and breathing were still rough, so it seemed like she had been training intensely.

‘Come to think of it, Dang So-yeol doesn’t have much time left, either.’

She was on the verge of reaching the top level of her martial art.

Despite being surrounded by monstrous talents like Sword Dragon and Namgung Bia, who were already transcending their limits at a young age, Dang So-yeol was still a genius in her own right.

Many people didn’t reach this level until they were thirty, after all.

Dang So-yeol probably knew she was close to breaking through, which was why she was pushing herself so hard.

Seeing this, I felt a bit proud of myself for dragging Gujeolyeop from the middle of the first-rate level to the very edge.

‘I’ll have to keep pushing him.’

It gave me a good excuse to keep grinding Gujeolyeop down in training, and the thought of it made me feel a bit pleased.

“Oh, by the way, young master.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know where Bia is?”

“...”

I had to suppress the surprise I felt inside.

“Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I thought I might train with her, but she’s nowhere to be found. I wondered if you knew where she was….”

“...”

If it were Namgung Bia, well, she’s currently sleeping in my bed. But I couldn’t just say that out loud.

That would definitely lead to some awkward misunderstandings.

In the end, I had to lie.

“Isn’t she probably sleeping somewhere again?”

She was, after all. In my room.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. She sure does sleep a lot.”

“…Yeah, she does.”

“Oh, and young master, Miss Bibi asked if you and Sir Bi would like to have dinner with them later. Would you be interested?”

“Sorry, I don’t think I’ll be hungry by then.”

“Huh? I haven’t even told you the time yet….”

“My stomach’s been feeling off.”

“Oh, I see….”

Dang So-yeol looked disappointed at my refusal, and it made me feel a bit guilty.

But I couldn’t help it.

If I had dinner with them, I felt like I might actually throw up.

I had already dodged a few similar invitations over the past few days.

Dang So-yeol pouted, clearly unhappy, but I wasn’t about to change my mind.

She seemed to realize this, so she didn’t push the matter any further.

“Understood…”

“Your pronunciation is off.”

“It’s nothing…. And one last thing, young master.”

“What is it now?”

What’s with all these questions?

“It’s not a big deal, but… Lady Gu was training really hard.”

“Hmm?”

Hearing that name caught me off guard.

Why was she suddenly bringing up Gu Yeon-seo?

“My sister?”

Had Dang So-yeol spoken to her or something? Why was Gu Yeon-seo’s name coming up out of nowhere?

Ignoring my confusion, Dang So-yeol continued:

“Yes. When I went out, she was already training. And when I finished, she was still at it.”

“Hmm…”

I hadn’t really been paying attention, so I didn’t know.

Maybe it was because I hadn’t been going out to train much myself?

I frowned slightly as I looked at Dang So-yeol.

It seemed strange for her to bring this up now.

After all…

Dang So-yeol’s eyes held a faint hint of sympathy.

“I’m sorry if it’s not my place to say this….”

Immediately, Dang So-yeol lowered her head, speaking apologetically.

Her words confirmed that she was indeed hinting at what I had suspected.

If she was apologizing like this, it meant she had sensed something was off.

It seemed like she couldn’t confide in anyone else, so she had decided to bring it up with me, her family.

Hearing that, I squinted slightly, feeling uneasy.

Finally, I asked Dang So-yeol.

“...Never mind the apology. Where is she?”

I figured I should go see for myself.

******************
   
   
   

As I moved a little further from the inn, a wide field appeared.

It seemed artificial, as if the trees had been cleared to create this field. Afterward, it looked like nothing else had been done to it.

It was an expansive plain, perfect for training.

However, since the area was open and we weren’t the only ones here, practicing secret martial arts techniques was somewhat difficult.

Moreover, it was raining, so it didn’t feel entirely pleasant.

I walked through the falling rain.

After walking a bit, I saw a distant figure practicing.

As I got closer, I could feel a faint warmth.

I knew immediately that it was from Gu-Yeon-seo.

Feeling it, I frowned slightly and heightened my senses.

I did so to check if anyone else was around.

Fortunately, no other presences were caught by my senses.

Whew!

Feeling relieved, warmth brushed past the tip of my nose.

Gu-Yeon-seo was performing her movements, clearly radiating heat.

Swish!

The blade of her sword sliced through the rain, leaving sword marks in the air.

Paak!

Her martial arts uniform fluttered violently.

Splash! Her feet stomped on the wet ground, making a loud splashing sound.

Continuing her movement, Gu-Yeon-seo slashed diagonally once more.

I stopped walking and observed her from a distance.

"Hmm."

Even from a brief observation,

I could vaguely understand why Tang So-yeol had spoken to me about Gu-Yeon-seo.

Even to an outsider, Gu-Yeon-seo had a problem.

"She’s shaking."

The tip of her sword couldn’t remain still.

There was no confidence in the arm that held the sword.

The internal energy she was trying to build up wasn’t flowing properly.

She wasn’t even able to demonstrate her usual strength.

Heart demon (simma).

Gu-Yeon-seo was currently trapped in a heart demon. Some might think, "How bad could it be for a second-rate martial artist to be trapped in a heart demon?"

But it was precisely because she was second-rate that,

once caught in such a trap, there was no solution.

Her movements were filled with anxiety.

That, most likely, was the root cause of her heart demon.

Seeing that, I frowned.

"Since when?"

Since when had Gu-Yeon-seo been like this?

If left alone, Gu-Yeon-seo, who would one day be known as the Red Flame Sword and rise as a promising female warrior,

Had she been in this state around this time in her previous life?

No, she hadn’t.

Then what could be the reason she had ended up like this?

"Is it because of me?"

There was only one answer.

If there was a cause, I must be that cause.

Tsk.

It was something I had neglected to pay attention to, using busyness as an excuse.

In truth, because one thing after another had happened, I didn’t have time to pay attention.

There were also things I had consciously avoided thinking about.

Healing emotional wounds and reconciling them,

It was simply more convenient not to deal with them.

Maybe that’s why.

Gu-Yeon-seo had sunk into a quagmire before I realized it.

She was desperately struggling to get out of it.

"How annoying."

It’s always infuriating when something caused by me comes back to haunt me.

Moreover, the quagmire Gu-Yeon-seo was stuck in now,

I couldn’t help her escape from it.

Dragging and forcing her like I did with Gu-Jeol-yeop wouldn’t work.

That had only been possible because it was Gu-Jeol-yeop.

It wasn’t a matter of talent but rather,

a difference in personality,

and in our relationship.

If I were to forcibly pull Gu-Yeon-seo out like I did with Gu-Jeol-yeop and push her to her limits,

She might reach a higher level of martial arts,

Perhaps even becoming stronger than before.

"But that’s not the right approach."

If I were to forcibly pull her out of this,

Even if she temporarily escaped from the heart demon,

Scars and wounds would remain.

And those would only grow worse over time.

So, what should I do?

In the pouring rain,

Gu-Yeon-seo continued to swing her sword.

I stood at a distance, ensuring that my presence wasn’t detected, just watching.

"..."

Tang So-yeol might have thought I could resolve this,

But this wasn’t my responsibility.

Especially not when it came to her.

However, I was prepared to take responsibility.

If it had been anyone else in her position,

I would have clicked my tongue, cursed them internally, and ignored it.

But with Gu-Yeon-seo, I felt a certain guilt.

Was it because of what happened at Gu-ryong when she cursed at me and I slapped her?

"Well, she deserved that."

I didn’t regret that.

Who told her to piss me off?

From my perspective, she deserved a slap.

Sure, it might have been better if I had restrained myself, but it was already done, so what could I do?

Yet, even now,

She still weighed on my mind.

"I hate you."

The image of Gu-Yeon-seo, holding the cold, lifeless body of Gu-hee-bi and pointing her sword at me,

It lingered in my head and refused to disappear.

Tsk.

I turned around, intending to leave the field.

While I couldn’t resolve Gu-Yeon-seo’s heart demon,

Fortunately,

There was someone here who could.

I quickened my pace.

Instead of heading back to the inn, I went to a place a bit farther away.

"Uh...? Gu So-hyup?"

When I entered the inn following a presence,

I saw Yeongpung and others eating, looking at me with surprised expressions.

"Yeongpung Dojang."

"What brings you here...? Oh! Perhaps you’d like to train with me...?"

Yeongpung, excited, began to speak.

But that wasn’t my purpose.

"Where is the Sword Queen?"

Interrupting him, I asked.

Instantly, disappointment spread across Yeongpung’s face.