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Chapter 4
Nan-hyang patted my back until I calmed down. After some time, I lay down on the bed with teary eyes. Nan-hyang, watching me with concern, nudged me lightly.
“Move over, I want to lie down too.”
I rolled over and made space. We lay side by side, staring at the ceiling. Nan-hyang spoke first.
“If you marry into the Namgung family…”
“Nothing’s decided yet,” I said.
“But you could at least imagine it. If you married into that house, you’d really only lie down to sleep. Surprisingly, families like the Namgung are tougher on daughters-in-law. If you said anything wrong, your mother-in-law would lecture you about how your husband works hard training and fighting—it’s supposed to be terrifying.”
“I know.”
“Aren’t you scared? I’m just imagining it and I’m frightened.”
“The important thing is an unyielding heart.”
“Ugh…”
Nan-hyang made a face.
“Nothing is as sincere and heavy as your love.”
“But you don’t dislike it, right? Actually…”
I smiled faintly at her.
“You even like it.”
“…I can’t argue with that.”
Nan-hyang seemed lost in memories for a moment.
“Thanks to you, I was able to change too.”
“That’s because you’re the kind of person who can change.”
“Partly because of your care and love too. Anyway, you’re really full of love. You’ll do well wherever you go.”
“Thanks for cheering me on.”
After that, Nan-hyang suddenly became quiet. I looked at her, puzzled, and she muttered so I could hear.
“I just hope you find a man who knows how precious your love is.”
“Nan-hyang…!”
“Ha, even I think what I just said was really touching.”
Feeling moved, I hugged her right away. She pushed me away, saying it was too hot, but I was still very happy. I hoped someone as good as Nan-hyang would meet a good person.
Of course, Nan-hyang is social and will handle things well, but I couldn’t help worrying—especially thinking about the past.
I asked,
“What kind of man do you want to marry?”
“Hmm. Someone handsome, smart, strong enough though not as strong as you—”
Nan-hyang leaned close to my ear with an unusually serious expression and whispered:
“A strong older brother.”
“……”
I went quiet, and Nan-hyang grabbed my shoulder and shook me.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? You don’t mind, do you? You said you’d help me!”
“I did, because you’re a good person. But you know…”
I glanced at her carefully.
“You only know about work. I’m close to you because I’m your younger sibling. If you were anyone else, I wouldn’t even be able to talk to you.”
“That’s why I like it more.”
Nan-hyang smiled a little darkly.
“I want to be the only one who knows that man who only cares about work.”
I nodded.
“If that’s how you feel, I’ll keep cheering for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll try hard, but not enough to bother the strong older brother.”
“You can definitely do it. By the way, do you want to go see him now?”
“What? Can we?”
“Yeah, I told him to come for lunch today. You can come too.”
“I’d love that!”
“First, I need to wash my face a little.”
I couldn’t just go. I quietly fetched water to wash my face so the staff wouldn’t notice. Using the towel Nan-hyang gave me, I wiped my face clean and sat in front of the mirror. Examining my face carefully, I said:
“You can’t tell I was crying, right? I think this is okay.”
Nan-hyang examined my face too and nodded.
“I think so. You’ve calmed down a lot.”
“Good, then that’s enough.”
Satisfied, I lifted the corners of my mouth with my fingers. Changing my expression completely, it felt like a perfect disguise. Of course, crying isn’t a crime, but I always want to show a good face in front of family. After fixing each other’s clothes, we confidently left the room.
Han Jin-han. The proud eldest son of our family, who will inherit the Hanlim business in the future.
Even if it sounds unbelievable coming from a sister obsessed with her brother, he really is a good person.
Women without brothers often find the word “older brother” awkward but end up calling him “brother” naturally.
Even my friend Nan-hyang was drawn to his kind, thoughtful manner. Many women, including Nan-hyang, had tried to get close to him, but he never had time for them.
He had inherited an inn early to learn management, and it was constantly being damaged. People drinking and fighting were so frequent that he often ended up with a sore neck and collapsed.
“But now there’s more leeway. Even if he only cares about work, he might notice things now that he’s in a good mood.”
“Wow, so people don’t fight at the inn anymore?”
“No, we just got used to the damage.”
“…That’s okay?”
Walking and talking with Nan-hyang, we quickly arrived at the Hanlim Inn. I opened the door and looked for my older brother.
“Brother!”
“Oh, you’re here?”
He was talking with Jeomsoi on the first floor and turned his head. I pulled Nan-hyang along as we approached him.
“I met Nan-hyang on the way and brought her along, hope that’s okay?”
“Of course. What do you want to eat?”
“Today I feel like having chicken.”
“Just today? You always want chicken. Did you get frustrated in a past life for not having it? How about you, Nan-hyang?”
“I… same thing.” Nan-hyang’s face turned red as she spoke softly. Cute. I watched her warmly, then went upstairs and sat down. From there, I could see all the guests eating and drinking.
“Normally there are many guests, but there are especially more today.”
“There will be even more soon. The martial arts competition is coming. Imagine how busy it’ll be that day…”
I asked my daily question:
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, for now just focus on visiting the Namgung elders. You need to be careful at times like this.”
Even though I was usually not allowed to help. I stared at my brother. Being told not to do anything wasn’t new, but today it hit me.
Even my parents always told me the same. Had they secretly made a plan together?
It felt unfair, but I couldn’t help feeling anxious. I needed to repay them somehow. Maybe the only way I could help was to marry well.
Even when I was younger, trying to learn martial arts, they reacted the same way. I just clenched my fists under the table helplessly.
Suddenly, a man almost rolled into the inn.
“Do you know who’s outside?!”
All the guests’ eyes turned to him. Panting heavily, he ran up to his friend who was eating.
“Outside… B-B-Baba—!”
“I don’t know who it is, calm down. You’ll faint.”
But the man slammed the table with his fist.
“How can I calm down! I just locked eyes with that Bai Wuyue!”
“Calm down—wait, what?!”
Guests held their breath, and so did we. Some impatient ones stood up immediately.
“That man, one of the top late-stage fighters, is here?!”
“Yes! He built his reputation by himself, no family, no sect!”
The guests fussed, even giving detailed explanations. Martial arts competitions bring skilled fighters here, but seeing someone you’ve only heard about in person is shocking.
Bai Wuyue is considered one of the closest to being the next strongest in the late-stage ranking.
Even though the Namgung family is number one, everyone knows Bai Wuyue is slightly stronger than their heir.
The excited guests shouted at the man.
“Where is he now?! We need to go!”
“Ah, well—”
“Where is he?!”
“No, calm down first!”
The man grabbed their collar and shouted desperately.
“No need to go there! He’s coming here…!”
Wait, he already knew he was coming and still made a fuss? I was stunned. Martial artists’ hearing is amazing.
Maybe Bai Wuyue had arrived but was hesitating to come in because of all the attention? Ah, for someone that famous, this fuss is probably normal.
While I was thinking this, someone entered through the open door. My eyes were drawn to him.
“…Sojin?”
I stared in shock. The room fell silent.
With dark blue hair and a strong build, dressed in black, he was strikingly handsome. His gentle smile made me instinctively certain—he was Bai Wuyue.
My brother whispered urgently.
“Sojin, staring like that is rude.”
“…Ah.”
“Stop looking.”
I quickly looked away but still couldn’t focus. It wasn’t his beauty—it was that I had forgotten to check my family’s reactions for even a moment.
