Vol. 1 Chapter 2.5

Her face turning pale, Yeon staggered. Just as she was about to fall, with her best acting yet, a solid arm caught her. Without looking, she could guess who it belonged to.

“Are you alright?”

A pleasant low voice. Lee Cheon-gang.

Heh heh heh. Personality test: first pass.

If he had just stood there while someone collapsed in front of him? Then regardless of being Elond or not, he’d be out. Even if the northern dukes in romance fantasy novels were usually like that.

Fortunately, Lee Cheon-gang didn’t seem to be a cold-blooded man. His voice was somewhat calm, but that much was understandable.

“I’m sorry, young hero. I suddenly felt dizzy…”

“Miss! Are you alright!”

So-jin came running in a fluster.

You innocent thing, I’m fine. So-jin, it’s all acting.

But Yeon’s expression was realistic enough. Not only were her brows beautifully furrowed, but beads of cold sweat even formed on her forehead.

“Young hero, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get some fresh air. Would you please help me?”

Her voice sounded as if it might break at any moment. Yeon even displayed her meticulousness by hiding her slightly scraped fist from beating up the perverted monk inside her sleeve.

Cheon-gang’s answer was, as always, plain.

“Of course.”

“What?”

“What did this young hero just say… Did I mishear?”

The stir this time was different from before. Because the Lee Cheon-gang people knew, wasn’t this type. He fundamentally disliked getting involved with others. Originally, he wouldn’t have even spoken to a stranger, let alone offer support.

Meanwhile, comfortably nestled in his broad embrace, Yeon subtly observed the Namgung siblings. Setting aside Namgung Myung, who was biting his lip, Namgung Ji-hyun was practically on the verge of fainting. If not for her brother’s restraint, she looked ready to grab Yeon by the hair. Though she wouldn’t have been caught easily.

“Hey Myung.”

Cheon-gang called Namgung Myung by name. A call devoid of any emotion oddly enough, it sounded almost familiar. But that seemed to annoy Namgung Myung even more.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but this doesn’t seem like the right time. Mind if I take the young lady out for a bit?”

“…Do as you please.”

“Thanks for understanding. Then…”

With that short reply, Lee Cheon-gang helped Yeon out of the Guest House.

No one stopped them. Just as when Yeon had first appeared, only a multitude of mixed emotions followed behind them.

* * *

After helping Yeon outside, Lee Cheon-gang quietly observed her.

She still seemed to be in pain.

Feeling his gaze, she asked,

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing.”

Strange. I’m sure of it.

Looking again, it was definitely her. The one who had been beating that strange monk like a dog on the walking path.

He’d noticed in the Guest House that her fist still had traces of violence on it. Those marks had disappeared like a mirage into her sleeve, but not enough to deceive Cheon-gang’s sharp eyes.

As they walked, her pulse was steady. She’d broken out in a cold sweat, but that too seemed intentional. So there was only one thing Cheon-gang was curious about.

Why is she pretending?

“Miss, are you feeling better?”

“Yes So-jin. Getting some fresh air definitely helped.”

“Oh thank goodness. Miss, I thought you were going to collapse…”

Concern poured from the young girl named So-jin’s eyes. She seemed to be Hwangbo Yeon’s maid, and she clearly had no idea it was an act.

Even I, who just met her today, can tell. What an innocent child.

“Innocent” was a nice way of putting it. Frankly, she seemed a bit dense.

“It seems the young lady overexerted herself today.”

“Overexerted?”

At Cheon-gang’s unintentional question, So-jin answered.

“Oh, yes. Before going to the Guest House today, we ran into a strange person.”

A strange person? Could it be…

“What happened?”

“Well… there was a monk who exposed his body.”

Right.

But he was the one who got caught like a rat. Why would Hwangbo Yeon have overexerted herself?

Then again, he supposed beating someone to that extent could be tiring. Getting out of breath, having sore arms.

But even allowing for a lot, it was hard to equate the Hwangbo Yeon of now with that woman from earlier. Their eyes were just too different. It was like a tiger trying to force itself to act like a cat.

Just then, the tiger in a cat mask spoke.

“Thank you for your help today.”

“It was nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. Are you sure you’ll be okay? The Namgung Clan’s young master seemed quite upset.”

“Huh?”

Upset? Not angry, but upset?

Even Cheon-gang couldn’t help but be flustered by her words, treating Namgung Myung like a child. That was how heavy the Namgung Clan’s name was. Even if Cheon-gang himself didn’t think so.

“You saw it too, didn’t you? The veins bulging on his forehead.”

Hwangbo Yeon burst into bright laughter. She had, apparently decided to stop pretending to be in pain, her face was now completely sunny.

Why has a young lady like this been so quiet all this time?

As her laughter subsided, she suddenly said,

“Calling someone ‘the greatest clan under heaven’ what’s so great about a title like that anyway?”

In that moment, Cheon-gang realized it. That Hwangbo Yeon knew everything about his relationship with Namgung Myung. Which meant she was an even more unusual person than he had thought.

Genuinely surprised, Cheon-gang watched as she gave him an enigmatic smile.

“Was that something I shouldn’t have said in front of the young master of the greatest Clan under heaven?”

“Not at all.”

Truth be told, I think the same way.

“Then I’m glad. Actually, isn’t it all just wordplay? There’s no such thing as ‘the greatest under heaven’ in this world.”

Yes, that’s exactly what I… Wait, what?

Her unexpected words flew in like a white butterfly and landed on Cheon-gang’s chest. After lingering a moment, the butterfly carried away a rock much larger than itself. A stone of burden that had been blocking a corner of his heart.

That’s right. It’s all just wordplay. It’s been frustrating because no one else seemed to understand that.

Overcome by an indescribable emotion, she extended her hand.

“Let’s introduce ourselves properly. I’m Hwangbo Yeon of the Hwangbo Clan.”

Cheon-gang couldn’t refuse. He reached out in return.

“…Lee Cheon-gang of the Lee Clan.”

A cool moonlight fell upon their clasped hands. The light not only embraced them but spread across the entire world. It was a night of genuine exchange.