Chapter 588: The Young Lady of the Ice Palace of the North (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 588: The Young Lady of the Ice Palace of the North (3)
When I returned to the White Flower Merchant Association after finishing my business, the first thing I planned to do was find Moyong Hi-ah.
‘We should go grab a bite to eat.’
Even though I’d just come back from a task that had thoroughly killed my appetite, I figured a meal was the best way to catch up since we hadn't seen each other in a while.
However...
"Vice-Captain."
"...Yes, Leader."
The atmosphere wasn't exactly conducive to a friendly meal.
"If you have something to say, I will hear it now."
Lady Mi's chilly words shattered the mood in an instant. It was supposed to be the height of summer, but for some reason, it felt like a cold wave was sweeping through the room.
"..."
Moyong Hi-ah remained silent for a moment before addressing Lady Mi.
"I apologize. It was due to my carelessness."
No excuses. It was a very Moyong Hi-ah-like answer.
‘Looking at the situation...’
It seemed she was being scolded for losing the Young Lady.
‘Hmm.’
While the Young Lady who ran away was the one at fault to begin with, failing to catch her was, to some extent, Moyong Hi-ah's responsibility. No matter how unfair it felt, that was just the nature of being in charge. If you take responsibility for a task, you have to take the blame when things go sideways.
Moyong Hi-ah must have known that when she took the job, so there was nothing more for me to say.
Tap, tap.
The sound of Lady Mi tapping on her desk echoed through the room. She was using her fingers, I assumed. Hearing it triggered a memory.
‘She has the same habit as my father.’
I recalled my father doing the same whenever he was deep in thought. What a strange coincidence.
"I have received the report and understand the situation."
"Yes."
"Though it was an unexpected situation, you are well aware that you are in a position of responsibility, are you not?"
"I will accept any punishment."
"Very well. In that case..."
‘...’
Having heard enough, I withdrew my extended senses. Eavesdropping any further felt like it would only cause problems. I leaned against the wall with my eyes closed, letting time pass.
Creeak.
The door opened, and Moyong Hi-ah walked out.
"Ah."
She paused when she saw me.
"...What? You were here?"
"Just didn't have anything better to do."
Even I thought it was a lame excuse. Moyong Hi-ah frowned slightly.
"Then you must have heard everything, right?"
"...Heard what?"
At my pathetic attempt at a lie, Moyong Hi-ah let out a small, dry smile.
"You're still a terrible liar."
"Hey, what lie did I tell?"
"It's fine. It's better to be bad at it... than good at it."
It was clear she didn't believe a word I said. Was I really that obvious? Good grief...
‘Should I just start wearing a mask all the time?’
The thought crossed my mind out of sheer frustration. As I started to follow her, she looked back and tilted her head.
"Is it okay for you not to go see the Leader?"
"It's fine."
It didn't seem like the right time to bother her anyway. She’d call if she needed me.
"Hmm, it would probably be better to go see her."
"What?"
"Nothing. You wanted to get something to eat, right?"
I was about to ask what she meant by that, but she’d already figured out why I was there and started walking ahead.
"Alright. I just got a massive scolding, so I’m actually feeling a bit hungry."
I wasn't sure what getting scolded had to do with appetite, but now wasn't the time to pick a fight. If I did, she’d surely tear me to shreds. As dense as I can be, I could at least tell that Moyong Hi-ah was suppressing a foul mood.
She walked calmly for a while before suddenly turning to look at me.
"By the way, what did you want to eat?"
"Dumplings," I answered immediately.
"..."
The moment she heard that, Moyong Hi-ah's face scrunched into a deep frown. What was wrong with dumplings?
* * *
Despite my suggestion, we didn't end up eating dumplings. The inn we usually frequented was in a bad location, and Moyong Hi-ah had protested vehemently. She really seemed to hate the idea of dumplings today.
In the end, we settled for a restaurant within the merchant association's grounds. It was a quiet time of day, so we sat around the largest table and waited for our food.
Pour...
Moyong Hi-ah carefully poured the water. First for me, then for herself. Finally, after pouring a cup for Tang Soyeol...
"Here."
...she handed the water pitcher to Seong Yul. The message was clear: pour it yourself.
Seeing that, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘She really draws a firm line, as always.’
She maintained a thick wall even in the smallest actions toward anyone she didn't know. That was classic Moyong Hi-ah. Seong Yul didn't show any particular reaction; it would be more accurate to say he didn't even care.
"So, who is this person?" Moyong Hi-ah asked, glancing at Seong Yul.
"Ah."
Come to think of it, I hadn't properly introduced them.
"A friend?" I answered vaguely, too lazy to explain the details.
"...Oh, I see."
After hearing my answer, Moyong Hi-ah looked at Seong Yul. For some reason, her eyes were filled with pity.
"What? Why are you looking at him like that?"
"Stay strong," she offered Seong Yul.
"Stay strong for what? What are you talking about?"
"When is the food coming? It's a bit late today."
"...We ordered thirty seconds ago. You think it's going to be out already?"
This was ridiculous.
"Still, this new slave... I mean, friend, has a different feel to him."
"Did you just say slave...?"
"It's hot. It really is summer."
"..."
I decided to just drop it. It was definitely summer, and it was so hot I felt like I was going to die of frustration. It felt like I'd be the only one losing out if we kept bickering, so I decided to get to the point.
"...Just explain what happened."
When I spoke with a bit of an edge to my voice, Moyong Hi-ah finally cleared her throat. The whole reason I'd insisted on eating together was to hear her side of the story.
"What would you like me to explain?"
"The Young Lady."
"Mm."
Moyong Hi-ah let out a soft hum.
"If you're not going to explain, then forget it," I said nonchalantly.
A flicker of curiosity appeared in her eyes. "Aren't you curious?"
"I am."
How could I not be? I was definitely curious, but...
"Even if you don't tell me, there are plenty of other ways for me to find out."
"..."
Haa.
Moyong Hi-ah let out a short sigh. "...Those other ways... none of them would be very peaceful, would they?"
"That's a matter of personal preference," I said with a smile.
Right, a matter of preference. A difference in perspective.
"People don't usually package things like that as 'preference,' Young Master."
"Anyway. Are you going to tell me or not?"
Even if Moyong Hi-ah didn't tell me here, I would find out eventually. Since Lady Mi had said this incident was related to me, I felt the need to look into it myself. Would the clever, prim girl of the Moyong Clan not know this? Of course she did.
‘But the fact that she's still reluctant to talk...’
...must mean there was something more to it. Even knowing that, I had no intention of backing down. I looked at Moyong Hi-ah, my gaze conveying exactly that.
"..."
A few seconds passed as our eyes met.
"...What are you curious about?"
In the end, Moyong Hi-ah was the first to raise the white flag. That was a relief; it meant I could avoid any unnecessary legwork.
"Young Master."
"Yeah."
"Even if you hear the story from me now, you'll end up hearing a separate explanation from the Leader later anyway."
"I suppose so."
"Are you still going to listen now?"
Moyong Hi-ah was right. I would get an official explanation one way or another. However...
"It's more important for me to hear it from you first."
"..."
More than any reports I would receive later, I needed to hear the story from Moyong Hi-ah's perspective. Because among all the people who would talk to me, Moyong Hi-ah was the one most likely to be on my side.
"...Honestly."
Hearing my words, Moyong Hi-ah averted her gaze slightly. I could faintly see her ears turning red. It seemed she understood the weight behind my words.
"What... did you want to ask?"
"The first thing I want to know is..."
It was a question I had decided on long ago. Not why the Young Lady came here, nor how the White Flower Merchant Association ended up with the task instead of the Alliance. Those were the "official" stories.
What I asked was this:
"Why did you lose the Young Lady?"
"..."
Moyong Hi-ah's eyes widened. Yes, that was the most pressing question.
"You've broken through the wall into the Peak Realm, haven't you?"
"...Yes."
"When did you do it?"
"A few months ago. It was not long after we parted ways, Young Master."
"Hmm."
Moyong Hi-ah had already reached the Peak Realm. I had spent a long time completely melting away the illness she was born with, and afterward, she had resumed her martial arts training with incredible focus. Since she had started again after years of stagnation, she must have put in tremendous effort. It was certainly something to celebrate.
"The Young Lady was only at the entry-level of the First-rate realm."
But now was not the time for simple congratulations.
"What's more, the guards around her weren't weak either."
That included the personnel assigned by the merchant association. The Young Lady of the Ice Palace wouldn't have come alone, so her own escorts would have been there as well. And yet, a First-rate level girl escapes the surveillance of such people?
"That's not something that should normally happen."
"Umm."
"How did it happen?"
I wasn't blaming her for being incompetent. I had to ask because it was just that strange. Especially...
‘Back then. The sensation I felt from the Young Lady.’
That moment when light erupted from her body. Along with the light, I had felt a strange energy. She was clearly trying to do something, and that kept bothering me.
Moyong Hi-ah carefully began to speak.
"You're right, Young Master. It was a situation where she absolutely shouldn't have been able to escape... We even deliberately assigned extra personnel for that reason."
"But?"
"The situation wasn't particularly strange either. We were walking with her surrounded. I was right next to her."
Just from the description, it sounded like a situation with no room for escape. It might be different for someone else, but Moyong Hi-ah never lets her guard down. I knew her well enough to know that, which made it even harder to understand.
"And yet... at some point, I looked beside me, and the Young Lady was gone."
I tilted my head. "Gone?"
"Yes, she vanished in an instant. Without giving me a chance to even sense her presence..."
"Hmm."
To suddenly disappear like that. It confirmed my suspicions.
‘It seems she did something.’
The thing she tried to do to me—she must have used that to get away. But what was it? What method did she use?
‘A treasure?’
That was the most likely possibility.
‘If that's the case...’
Why on earth did the Young Lady run away? What reason would she have to come all the way to the Central Plains just to escape? Such questions arose, but they weren't for Moyong Hi-ah. She probably didn't know the answer yet either.
"Is that all you wanted to ask?" Moyong Hi-ah asked, seeing my silence.
"No, there's still one more thing."
Unfortunately, the interrogation wasn't over. The most important question remained.
"The Young Lady's face. It looked a lot like yours."
"Ah..."
Moyong Hi-ah's expression shifted slightly. I didn't miss it.
"Is that just a coincidence?"
It could be seen as a strange question. After all, I was basically suspecting something was up just because they looked alike. Even if she was only half-blood, Moyong Hi-ah was also from the North Sea. Her pale blue eyes were proof of that. I didn't know her exact relationship with the Young Lady of the North Sea, but since they were both daughters of the Palace Lord, it was natural for them to resemble each other.
It just seemed like they resembled each other a little too much. It might seem stranger to find it strange, but looking into Moyong Hi-ah's eyes, I could tell.
"That is..."
Something was bothering her, too.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Yes. When I first saw her, I was very surprised."
Of course. If I saw someone who looked exactly like me, I'd be surprised too. And probably annoyed.
"But, on the other hand, the Young Lady wasn't surprised at all."
"Hmm."
This part bothered me a lot. Moyong Hi-ah was shocked, but the Young Lady was perfectly calm...
"She wasn't surprised to see my face. She just asked me something."
"Something?"
"Yes. What she asked then was..."
["You really... escaped the Curse of Ice Crystals, didn't you?"]
That's what she had said.
‘The Curse of Ice Crystals?’
I paused. Ice Crystals. I'd heard of them before. They were a symbolic treasure of the North Sea, where an immense amount of cold energy is condensed.
The Curse of Ice Crystals? And she said that upon seeing Moyong Hi-ah?
Tap, tap.
As I mulled it over, I tapped my fingers on the table.
‘Could it be related to her constitution?’
The condition of blocked meridians that Moyong Hi-ah used to have. I wondered if that's what it meant.
‘But how would the Young Lady know about that?’
The person who mentioned it was the problem. Furthermore, to mention that the curse was "cured" meant she knew Moyong Hi-ah had been treated.
Looking at it this way...
‘It means she didn't come here just for a simple outing.’
It seemed the reason the Young Lady came to the Central Plains was something much heavier than I'd expected. The questions piled up. I had a feeling something was very wrong.
Just as I was continuing to ponder these questions...
"Excuse me."
Someone approached our table and spoke. It was an employee of the merchant association. Wondering what it was about, everyone looked at him.
He delivered the message in a calm voice.
"The Leader asked me to relay a message: 'The Young Lady has regained consciousness.'"
Hearing that, I furrowed my brow. The person at the center of this incident had woken up, so I was expected to come up at once. That was clearly the meaning.
The problem was...
"...The food hasn't even come out yet."
I wouldn't get to have a single spoonful of the meal I'd ordered.