STVS 26

Chapter 26

Bido Clan (霹刀門).

A prominent martial arts sect based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.

The master of our household had always maintained friendly relations with martial artists, and when establishing a foothold in Guangdong, he sent gifts to all the well-known local sects.

One of those was the Bido Clan.

Especially, the sect leader of Bido Clan, Wang Guanchian (王官薦), also known as the “Three Thunder Blades of Lightning” (霹靂三刀), was a well-recognized figure even in the Central Plains’ martial arts circles, and the relationship had been maintained smoothly until now.

Coincidentally, the household master had returned to Guangdong and sent someone along in the process, which, according to Aso, was probably the situation we were witnessing now.

I was impressed as I listened.

“Wow, Aso, how do you know all this?”

“It’s strange that you don’t know anything. But I’m not sure if this will be okay.”

“Huh?”

“He came to propose to you. Honestly, you’re a bit too young to get married. And until recently, you couldn’t even think about it because of your illness… and now suddenly, a proposal?”

“……”

“Still, he doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

Aso glanced toward the “proposer.” I turned my head in that direction as well.

Behind a large servant stood a man flaunting himself like a peacock. His flashy silk robes, accessories draped here and there, and gold rings on his fingers were clearly extravagant.

Not that he was ugly—just… moderately acceptable. But the way he smirked arrogantly, acting superior, was extremely unappealing.

I whispered.

“I don’t like him.”

“Honestly, me neither.”

“You probably wouldn’t like him either, Miss. Who would want someone constantly putting themselves above them? You’d suit a servant who caters to your preferences.”

“Are you talking about yourself?”

“…Ahem, just saying. Anyway, how old is this person? Mid-teens? Late teens? Honestly, he looks older than his age…”

“What are you talking about? I heard he’s in his thirties…”

“Thirty?”

Wait, thirty… that’s…

Thirty years old?

“Th-Th-Th-Thirty?!”

“What’s wrong?”

I gaped. Aso looked at me oddly, but I just had to shout.

“Doesn’t that seem… wrong?”

Our young lady is fourteen!

In Korea, that’s like a second-year middle schooler!

And here comes a man old enough to be her uncle, fully employed, proposing to her.

The age difference is… 30 − 14 = 16. Sixteen years. A gap so huge it’s practically a black hole.

Is this guy sane? Huh?!

“This insane, old child predator dares…!”

I glared at the Bido Clan’s entourage with murderous intent. Luckily—or not—they seemed entirely preoccupied talking with the chief steward and didn’t notice us.

“The Bido Clan’s sect leader personally coming to visit our young mistress is an incredible honor. However, the household master is currently away, so please kindly understand that he cannot greet you in person.”

The chief steward’s humble words were met with a haughty smile and a nod from the sect leader.

“I’ve heard much of the young mistress’ reputation. It’s unfortunate that I cannot meet her directly, but since the steward requests it, there’s no choice. So, where is the young lady now?”

For a moment, the chief steward looked uneasy.

“The young mistress is unwell and is staying at her residence. As you know, she has been sick and generally avoids going out…”

“I heard her condition has improved, yet she still does not come out? Still no progress?”

“Her condition… has indeed improved, but she must still be careful. She must preserve her health, so she cannot come out just yet. We ask for your understanding.”

“Cannot come out… for now?”

A fleeting displeasure passed over the sect leader’s face. But soon, he changed expression and laughed heartily.

“Ha! The young lady is quite shy, I see. Such modesty is not bad. If she cannot come out, I will personally come visit her soon, so do tell her to wait for me!”

With that, he strutted inside with his hands clasped behind his back. Aso muttered quietly beside me.

“What a pompous idiot…”

I nodded vigorously in agreement. From the very first impression, this guy was obnoxious, and now he was acting like some grand hero—it was infuriating.

At the same time, watching him made me even more certain. That was exactly the type of person our young lady despises. No matter what, she wouldn’t even consider him a person—he’d be dismissed within a week.

I smirked quietly.

“Let’s see what happens to you.”

As expected, my suspicion was correct.

The young lady didn’t even acknowledge him as a person.

No matter how much he proclaimed he had come from outside to see her, she neither acknowledged nor reacted, treating him as if he were barking dogs. Watching this, I felt both satisfied and a little sad.

I wondered if she had treated me like this even when I was outside, shouting…

“Miss, are you sure it’s okay to ignore him completely like this?”

“It doesn’t matter. If I ignore him, he’ll leave on his own.”

So that’s her attitude…

“…Why? Do you want her to meet him?”

I leaped in surprise.

“What? No, no! Absolutely not! Even if she wanted to meet him, I’d stop it—how could I want her to meet him? Impossible, absolutely impossible!”

“Hmm… really?”

“Don’t even be curious. I’ve seen him from outside. His face is greasy and slick, worse than your toenails. Miss dislikes ugliness, right? This is exactly the kind of person she’d hate, so don’t take interest!”

“…I don’t particularly dislike ugliness…”

At that moment, a loud voice rang from outside.

“Young mistress! Show your face already. I’m dying of anticipation waiting for you!”

I paled.

“Here we go again…”

The one-sided pursuit of the Bido Clan’s sect leader had begun.

Our young lady’s disregard was formidable, but the problem was the other party was persistent.

Sending gifts daily was the least of it. He also constantly requested to meet at the front gate, and eventually, he started shouting until the door was opened.

“Do you know how great the Bido Clan is, young mistress? As the First Sect of Guangzhou, it has hundreds of disciples and immense wealth. Marrying me would ensure a life of comfort and luxury!”

“As for me, the sect leader, I’ve been recognized by the legendary Master Wang of the Three Thunder Blades. I possess strong martial arts, decent looks, and at my prime, can delight you day and night. Hahaha!”

“Ah, a woman must be coy and playful to be attractive! Pushing only will drive good men away. If I met another woman, would that please me? Come, open the door and enjoy a sweet conversation with me!”

Hearing these words daily, I naturally thought:

“Pathetic.”

This rotten man, speaking to a fourteen-year-old like this, is clearly rejected by peers and clinging to a child.

Yet, unlike me, the young lady remained completely calm.

“Don’t worry about it. Nothing to worry about.”

“Miss, aren’t you angry? He’s spouting such utterly rude nonsense…”

“About a dozen of them are like that, so not really.”

A dozen…

“They all behave like this. They know nothing about me but act like they can take everything I have. If I refuse slightly, they get angry or flip out, acting like crazy people.”

Wait… is she talking about me…?

“It’s better when someone shows their intentions openly like him. At least then you can see they’re after my wealth or family, and if you ignore them, they eventually leave on their own.”

“….”

“So you don’t need to worry. They rant and poke around for a few days, then disappear.”

I felt a little down. At first, I wondered why she distrusted me, but having experienced countless situations like this, it made sense.

I realized I had only thought about myself… I muttered gloomily:

“I’m sorry for before, Miss…”

“What?”

The young lady looked at me incredulously, then seemed to understand and laughed.

“Watch yourself.”

“Huh?”

I asked, but she didn’t answer. Soon, the unpleasant voice of the sect leader came again, leaving no opportunity to ask further.

But not long after, I understood the true meaning behind her words.

“Come here.”

The sect leader was calling me!