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Chapter 25
I was flustered.
I had expected her to ignore me as usual or maybe say “come in,” but I never in a million years imagined that the young lady would come out first.
But my embarrassment didn’t stop there.
“Are your feet okay? Do they still hurt?”
“Eh?”
“…You’re moving faster than I thought. Are you really okay? Shouldn’t you still be resting?”
“Eh?”
“Did Councilor Jeong really say you’re fine? That it’s okay to move now? You didn’t just decide for yourself that you’re fine and get up, did you?”
“Eh?”
So flustered, I could only repeat the question like an idiot. Perhaps sensing my suspicion, she seemed about to step out the door.
“This won’t do. I have to go see Councilor Jeong myself…”
“Ah, no! No, young lady!”
‘Is it really okay for her to go outside like that?!’
I broke out in a cold sweat at the sight of her, wearing only a thin veil.
Back when she used to hide completely under that veil, worried someone might see her, she would stay cooped up in her room—but now she was about to dash outside herself?
I hurried to stop her.
“I’m really fine, I promise! Please don’t go out yet. If you’re worried, I can go get a medical certificate from the councilor. That’ll prove it.”
“….”
“And look at this. My ankle moves really well now. He said I shouldn’t run yet, but there’s no problem with everyday life. See? The swelling has gone down a lot too, so it’s basically back to normal…”
“That’s enough.”
Thud.
At last, she closed the door and stepped back in. I barely managed to breathe a sigh of relief. I still couldn’t quite process what had just happened.
As I stood there, stunned…
Creak.
The door opened again. And peeking through the crack was the young lady, saying…
“…Not coming in?”
I stood dumbfounded, mouth agape.
‘The young lady has gone mad!’
Her odd behavior didn’t stop there.
Of course, she wasn’t as extreme as the first day. She returned to her usual self afterward—quiet, disliking it when I overdid things.
But she had definitely changed.
“Miss, I brought your medicine!”
“Mm, come in.”
“Yes! …Yes?”
She let me in without protest.
“Good morning, young lady! Did you sleep well last night? Did you have sweet dreams?”
“…Not really. And you?”
“I thought so! I… Eh? Who, me?”
“How about you?”
She suddenly seemed curious about me.
“…So first, Councilor Jeong is going to see my mother. And if he can’t find the cause, he’ll introduce us to a well-known councilor your family knows.”
“That’s good. I don’t need it, so maybe just bring some herbs too.”
“Eh? …No, no! You need medicine! Even like this, you have to eat well and sleep well to grow properly. You’re even shorter than me… You do know you’re older than me, right? You’re my older sister~.”
“Shut your mouth.”
She even listened to my pointless rambling.
“Miss, what are you doing? Reading a book? Which one?”
“Dao De Jing.”
“Ah~. …What’s that?”
“….”
“No, no. Even if you show me, it’s useless. I can’t read that. And that book looks difficult—no one’s reading it aloud, I wouldn’t understand a thing.”
“….”
“Miss?”
“…Shall I read it for you?”
She’s trying to be nice to me.
‘Who are you?’
Honestly, it felt strange. Not being prickly was one thing, but being this gentle was completely new.
Still, it wasn’t unpleasant. It felt like she was finally opening up to me, and I thought I’d get used to this new feeling in time.
But there was one thing I couldn’t get used to—
“Miss, I…”
“Why?”
She turned to look at me. I swallowed hard. What I saw was breathtaking.
Her face was pale as if sculpted from snow, with long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. Beneath them lay a delicate shadow, and her large, night-sky-colored eyes gleamed whenever her lashes moved…
‘Ugh!’
At some point, she had started showing her bare face!
Before, she had always worn that veil, worried someone might see her silhouette. Now she had thrown it all off.
Could this be it? A change in attire depending on affection? Was she really this easy to please?
“What’s wrong? You don’t look well…”
Suddenly, she leaned in closer. My heart skipped a beat. I noticed the tiny crease above her beautiful forehead.
Wow, even her wrinkles are pretty…
‘Ah, no! Focus!’
I quickly shut my eyes and shouted:
“Veil!”
“What?”
“You’re not wearing your veil anymore?”
“…What?”
“I mean, you always wore it before. Not just the veil, but fully covering yourself. Suddenly not wearing anything feels strange and makes me curious…”
“Do you want me to wear it?”
“Eh?”
Her voice suddenly turned sharp.
“What? You used to keep nagging me to take it off, but now that I do, it’s not good? You’ve seen enough and now you want me to cover it up?”
“Ah, no, what are you saying? I’m not some pervert! It’s just… I haven’t seen your face much, so it feels a bit awkward…”
“Awkward? That’s a funny word to use. Then get used to it. You don’t think I’ll cover my face again just because you’re uncomfortable, right? If you’re really uncomfortable, you can leave. If you don’t want to see my face!”
“Ah, why do you keep getting angry~! When did I say I didn’t want to see you? Bad mouth! I won’t say that again! I want to see you every day. Please calm down. Okay? Okay?”
“You always talk fancy but never act on it! Really…”
She pouted for a while longer. I had to work hard to calm her down after saying the wrong thing.
Still, I felt strangely relieved. That’s right—this is our young lady. The one who shouts at me, curses me, and scolds me—she’s finally back!
I might have smiled without realizing it.
“So….”
“Yes?”
I suddenly heard a small voice. She didn’t speak for a while, then muttered softly:
“…Is my face not good?”
I froze completely.
See? She really had changed!
“…So lately, there are people carrying knives on the streets, my sisters said…”
‘Is this right? Is this really happening?’
I half-listened to Aso chattering in front of me while poking at my food.
Of course, it was a good thing. Compared to running away under the young lady’s constant scolding, this was paradise.
Still, a part of me felt uneasy.
Especially whenever I saw the young lady acting differently only around me—so subtly obedient, sitting quietly beside me—it made my chest feel tight.
What is this strange mix of comfort and unfamiliarity, anxiety and excitement…
‘Am I… catching feelings?’
Is this the green light?
“Hey! Are you listening to me?”
Aso’s sudden loud voice made me lift my head. She was frowning, glaring at me.
“Ah… Ah! Yes, yes, I was listening. So, people with knives on the streets…?”
“I mean martial artists!”
Aso shouted, then sighed heavily.
“Lately, martial artists have been seen on the streets. Originally, Park Lahyun was quiet, barely anyone came, let alone martial artists.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But recently, rough-looking people keep appearing, so the area’s been chaotic. Strange rumors are spreading. The Dark Sect has reappeared, killing and abducting people…”
“Dark Sect?”
Hearing that word, I murmured instinctively, then realized—
‘Dark Sect.’ I knew that word.
They were the main villains of The Heavenly Lord’s Path.
Before the series switched to a harem route, the original story focused on stopping the Dark Sect. They committed atrocious acts to dominate the Central Plains.
The protagonist killed countless Dark Sect members. Anyone associated with the sect, regardless of age or gender, would be hunted down and eliminated…
‘…Ugh.’
Suddenly, my temples throbbed.
“Just hearing about it is scary. Kidnapping people for sacrifices, eating the living—rumors about the Dark Sect are terrifying…”
“….”
“Fortunately, they only appear in big cities or crowded places… but you never know. Seeing many martial artists can be frightening too. So you should be careful.”
“…Then shouldn’t you be more careful, Aso? You’re just a young girl.”
Aso suddenly got defensive.
“Hah, only I’m young? And you too, actually…!”
At that moment—
“Oh no, this is bad, this is bad!”
A commotion erupted outside.
Aso and I jumped up in surprise. After all the scary talk about the Dark Sect, our hearts raced at the sudden noise.
We hurriedly straightened up and went outside, asking a passing girl about the situation.
“What’s happening? What’s going on?”
“Don’t ask. The master isn’t here, and suddenly a guest arrived…”
“Guest? What kind of guest?”
As she tried to answer—
“The rumor leader of the Blade Sect, Wang Jujian, has come to propose to Sojeo of the So family!”
What?!
