‘It’s been a long time. How have you been, Uncle?’
That night, Sahyeon cut down a hundred people without feeling a damn thing.
‘I—I was just so terrified. You know? If I hadn’t done it, me, my family, we would’ve ended up just like… No, no. Even so, how could I do that to your older brother… Please, I beg you, please forgive me…’
Strangely enough, he didn’t feel sad. Didn’t even feel that angry. Watching the middle-aged man smash his forehead against the ground, begging for his life, all Sahyeon thought was that it looked pitiful. Ugly, even.
Every time the man opened his mouth, thick white spit flew out. Around him, his slaughtered kin and attendants lay scattered in bloody heaps.
Just like ‘that day.’
All the people who could’ve kept this man’s heart steady were already dead. Even so, the man fought desperately not to die himself.
Sahyeon looked down at the pathetic sight, curious in a cold, detached way. Like someone watching an insect writhe. Then he let out a small, breathy sound.
‘Ah. Seeing how you’re more afraid of dying than losing your entire bloodline… Now I get it.’
Sahyeon pulled off his mask and tossed it into the flames. His face came into view in the flickering light, utterly expressionless, chilled.
‘Selling out your half-blood kin to those bastards… of course that was nothing to you, Uncle.’
‘T-that…!’
‘Threatened, were you? More like promised wealth and power. Hell, you inherited everything we had on top of it.’
The middle-aged man—this uncle Sahyeon had searched for so long—turned deathly pale. No wonder the bastard had been so hard to find; he’d changed his name, climbed into a high office, and hidden his face from the world.
He’d probably worried about that missing nephew’s body all this time. Comforted himself that surely the boy hadn’t survived that fire, while he enjoyed every luxury imaginable.
Told himself that calamity would’ve happened with or without him. That he’d merely seized the opportunity. Eventually, he even came to believe that lie.
Sahyeon started to feel tired. Those pudgy hands clutching at his trousers were just disgusting now.
‘What a long fucking day. Your nephew will be taking his leave. Uncle, enjoy the rest of your fortune and glory down in hell.’
He nudged the fleshy body away with the tip of his foot, like shaking off something filthy. Then drove his sword down without the slightest hesitation. The large body twitched once, then went still.
When he pulled the blade out, an unnaturally dark blood seeped along it. Not even gushing—just thick and sluggish. Meant the inside was already pretty far gone.
Come to think of it, his uncle had never been a man with any skill in martial arts.
‘So he really did make a deal with “them”…’
Sahyeon examined the blood coating his sword, then wiped it off carelessly on the corpse’s clothes. Now the only thing left was the occasional crackle of burning wood. Silence pressed in on all sides.
He righted a chair that had toppled over in the blood-soaked pavilion and sat down. Dawn was breaking. He snagged a miraculously intact wine bottle and tilted it toward his uncle’s corpse.
As a kid, he’d actually liked this uncle who always brought rare treasures from the outside world…
And then—
‘Ugh, d-die!’
A sobbing shriek rang out from behind him. Before he could even turn, pain bloomed across his back. The tip of a sword had stabbed into the flesh near his shoulder blade.
Sahyeon let out a startled little laugh.
‘P-please… bring Father back…’
The boy couldn’t have been more than twelve. His eyes blazed with despair and fury.
A kid? That was who’d attacked him? What a sick fucking joke. Worse, the kid was about the same age Sahyeon had been when he lost his family.
In fact, this boy was braver. Sahyeon had survived by closing his eyes beneath his brother’s corpse and playing dead. But this one had chosen certain death, just for a chance at revenge.
For a heartbeat, Sahyeon hesitated. But if he let this child live…
In the end, he gently struck the boy with his palm, sending him flying. Whether he’d just fainted or died outright from bad luck, the kid didn’t move again.
Sahyeon pulled the sword tip out of his back with a sharp jerk. The blood flow was heavier than he’d expected. He let out a long, weary breath.
Now… it was time to head back.
But where to?
* * *
Maybe because he’d been spacing out for so long, something kept flickering annoyingly in front of his eyes. Snapping back to himself, Sahyeon reached out and lightly caught Moyong Yeonhwa’s wrist mid-wave.
“Were you worried about me?”
He wanted to ask it with his usual playful grin, but honestly had no idea what kind of face he was making right now. Thankfully, it must not have looked too different than normal, because Yeonhwa ripped her hand away with a look of utter disbelief.
“Me? Me, worrying about you? Are you insane?”
“Aw, sure looked like you were.”
“Must’ve skipped a meal. You’re clearly delirious.”
Moyong Yeonhwa tossed her sword to the ground and wiped her forehead with a cloth. Sahyeon just watched her quietly.
This woman was definitely used to the smell of blood. And to seeing people covered in it, too.
Most people wouldn’t just calmly ask if it was your blood. They’d gasp, or scream, or ask if you were hurt.
“You seriously weren’t worried? It’s fine if you were, you can just say so.”
“Why are you so damn persistent today? Did you hit your head or something?”
Yeonhwa gave him a contemptuous look and plopped down into the shade. Then, without even looking, she chucked something at Sahyeon. He caught it on reflex—it was a steamed bun. Cold, but still soft.
Was he hungry? Now that it was in his hand, he kinda thought so.
Sahyeon stared at the plump white bun for a moment, then went over to sit by Moyong Yeonhwa.
It wasn’t like he thought of this place as somewhere to return to. But now that he was here, it felt like the best place he could’ve ended up.
At least with this lady, he didn’t have to hide quite as much.
“So, where’d you vanish off to, and why the hell are you covered in someone else’s blood again?”
Though… there was always that risk of her drilling right to the point. Sahyeon gave her a thin smile.
“…You know, life throws you all sorts of little incidents. Just one of those.”
“Oh, really?”
Even he could hear how absurd that sounded the moment it left his mouth. A ‘little incident’? You didn’t get soaked like that from cutting down a couple guys. And it wasn’t like Yeonhwa wouldn’t know that.
Still, she didn’t scold him or shy away. Whether it was because she was too busy stuffing her face or she simply didn’t care, he couldn’t say.
Sahyeon watched her profile as she bit into her steamed bun, cheeks puffed out. They almost looked like little buns themselves.
He took a bite of his own. It was from that shop Hyangah always visited—the one Yeonhwa loved most. Plenty of pork fat and chives, barely any oil in the dough.
“So, judging by how you’re hanging around here like normal, yesterday must’ve gone pretty well.”
He tried steering the topic elsewhere. Moyong Yeonhwa gave a proud little grin and nodded, even did a tiny shrug like who do you think you’re talking to. Sahyeon figured she must’ve talked her way out of it brilliantly.
Then what she said next left him momentarily speechless.
“‘Righteousness’ and ‘chivalry’ are always alive, anywhere, anytime.”
Wasn’t that… a weird thing for this girl to say? Sure, she was technically the young lady of a prestigious orthodox clan, but…
“Throw that stuff around and most people shut right up. They like to pretend they understand it, but deep down it’s tricky for everyone. I’ll give you a special tip: that’s why you keep it handy. You can use it whenever you need.”
“…Ah.”
Sahyeon’s expression went blank for a second, then twisted strangely. The moment he ducked his head, his shoulders started to shake.
Yeonhwa just shook her head like he was hopeless.
“Figures. As if you ever needed a reason to laugh. Go ahead, keep cackling like a lunatic.”
The second she finished, Sahyeon burst out laughing. Big, bright, shameless laughter.
‘Righteousness’ and ‘chivalry.’ When he was hell-bent on revenge, that’s all anyone ever talked about. Those words made him either the most pitiful man alive or the most monstrous—because everyone had their own idea of what ‘righteous’ or ‘chivalrous’ was.
And this girl? She’d just reduced it all to a stupid joke.
“Haha! Ahahahaha, how the hell am I supposed to live without you around, my lady? Shit…”
He laughed until tears welled up.
What would all those people who told him to abandon revenge say if they heard Moyong Yeonhwa now? They’d be left gaping for sure!
His stomach cramped and his injured shoulder throbbed, but he couldn’t stop. The more he laughed, the lighter he felt. Right now, he didn’t give a damn about wounds or anything else. It felt that good.
Of course, Yeonhwa just clicked her tongue, muttering that he really must be out of his damn mind.
It took a long time before Sahyeon finally managed to stop. He gave his tight belly a light pat, eyes still shining with leftover mirth.
“So, you done with training for today?”
“Oh, yeah. If I get back too late, Hyangah’s gonna give me that sharp little triangle glare.”
“Ah, yeah. She’s always like that with me. Honestly, she’s way softer on you, my lady.”
Sahyeon answered easily. Even he thought Hyangah was something else. Had to speak her mind or she’d burst. Couldn’t hide her feelings—actually, wouldn’t.
Even without martial arts, she had a strength that meant she never backed down. Merchants tried conning her all the time, thinking she was just some rich family’s maid. They’d learn quick. Some even packed up shop for good after she was through with them.
That’s why people in the Moyong Clan whispered about her so much. Said she strutted around high and mighty on her lady’s back. Naturally, they cursed her plenty too.
But Sahyeon? He didn’t dislike Hyangah at all. If anything, he thought she was impressive.
Though apparently that casual comment of his landed funny. Yeonhwa hesitated, like she was picking her words, then spoke carefully.
“Uh, it’s not that Hyangah’s bad. She’s just… loyal. Ridiculously so.”
So, basically, she was defending her.
“Loyal?”
“Yeah. Loyal. The kind of person who’d probably do just fine living some other way, but never even thinks about it. Just sticks to what she’s always done.”
Yeonhwa tapped at the grass with the tip of her sheathed sword. From the side, she looked almost a little lonely. Sahyeon had seen that expression on her before.
He’d wondered then, too. But right now he was even more curious—what made this woman wear that look sometimes?
When he didn’t reply, Yeonhwa suddenly jumped to her feet.
“Anyway, you keep doing shit that gets you scolded, so of course Hyangah’s on edge! With the state you’re in now, she’s gonna blow a gasket—so hurry up and go wash off before she sees.”
“You’re not coming too, my lady?”
“Me? I am. I’ve gotta hit legs before bed.”
Yeonhwa brushed the grass off her skirt and started off first. Sahyeon watched her for a moment, then quietly followed a few steps behind.
Now that he noticed, the air was warmer. The seasons were changing.
Their feet rustled over the tough grass.
* * *
Normally, once they got back inside the clan grounds, they’d naturally split up or keep quiet. But today, there was no real need.
There weren’t many people around.
Just in case, Yeonhwa had dumped all her things on Sahyeon and kept a short distance, but their conversation stayed casual.
“So that donation yesterday—there’s really not a single coin of it coming to me, huh? Ah, shit.”
“It’s called a ‘donation,’ my lady. It’s only a donation if it’s donated.”
“Yeah, yeah. But I’m the one who earned that money. I made the piece, ran my mouth, even dressed up for it—shouldn’t I get at least some crumbs? Lord, it was such a pain.”
Sahyeon watched from behind as she kicked a little rock down the road. Couldn’t help but laugh again. Even the back of her round head looked sulky.
If people knew what the Moyong Clan’s precious youngest daughter was whining about right now, they’d think their ears were broken. The owner of the Hwaan Tea House might actually keel over.
“It was to help people less fortunate, wasn’t it? You’re rich. What’s there to be so stingy about?”
“Is it my money? That’s all the Clan Hea—”
Her light grumbling never got to finish.
Suddenly the back of his neck went icy. A couple paces ahead, Yeonhwa must’ve felt it too—her head snapped up.
Swaaaaish!
“Yeonhwa! Get over here!”
Funny how time seemed to slow down when shit hit the fan.
Sahyeon lunged forward and instinctively yanked Moyong Yeonhwa close.
Thunk!
A thick arrow slammed into the wall, close enough to graze her nose. It buried itself in the stone with terrifying force. If he’d been even a little slower, it would’ve gone right through her face.
Neither of them spoke. Goosebumps prickled across their skin, cold sweat dripping.
Yeonhwa actually recovered first. She ripped the arrow out of the wall and tore off the note tied around its shaft.
They both stared blankly at the writing on the paper.
I know of your deceit.
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