Nobody Knew You Came
"Hmm."
He was a man in a white scholar's cap—a middle-aged man with fair, flawless skin that looked as though the sun had never once touched it. He wore a black goatee, and as he slowly stroked it, he looked me over where I sat holding a plate, staring blankly into space.
I could feel the corners of his eyes tighten. He did not like me.
A scholar. A man of letters.
How else was I supposed to describe him? He stood at the furthest opposite end of the world I lived in—the world of blades and killing.
"Are you Young Master Bilyu?"
"Ah. Yes. That's right."
His voice was lofty and exacting.
"You look thoroughly uneducated. Just as I'd heard. This is why martial artists are—"
"…."
I narrowed my eyes. Chief Maid Yema fidgeted restlessly.
"Lord Gwak Yong. This gentleman is a guest the Family Head himself instructed us to treat with the utmost care. Such rude remarks—"
"And who do you think you are? Where do you get the gall to— If you're done showing him in, get out. A mere maid, running her mouth."
"…!"
Chief Maid Yema flinched. The color drained from her face until it was ashen. She might have started as a maid, but she had climbed all the way to chief maid. Being insulted so openly left her unable to hide her shock.
But she, too, was someone who had weathered every storm life could throw at her and still stood.
"My apologies. I overstepped. Please enjoy your time."
With a bright smile, Chief Maid Yema backed out and closed the door behind her.
"…."
I watched her leave with her head bowed. At the edge of that smiling face, just before the door shut, the rims of her eyes had gone red.
Gwak Yong spoke.
"I heard you were badly injured. How are you faring?"
"…."
I still hadn't taken my eyes off the door where Chief Maid Yema had vanished.
"A man without a scrap of manners. Not even an answer to my greeting."
Without asking my leave, the man strode over, pulled out the chair across from me, and sat. He frowned down at the table.
"Ugh. Even if you eat, must you do it so messily, without a shred of dignity? You're not a barbarian."
He picked up the chopsticks in front of him and poked and prodded through the dishes.
"Young Master Bilyu, you don't know how to eat, do you? The Family Head went out of his way to have these prepared for you. When the cooks arrange a meal, there are proper combinations—dishes meant to be eaten together. And you just shovel it all into your mouth like a pig, ignoring all of that? I take it no one ever taught you table manners."
—Clack.
I set down my chopsticks. One arm was wrapped thick and stiff with bandages the physician had hardened with paste for support; free movement was difficult. With my good arm I picked up the napkin beside me and wiped the sauce from my mouth.
I opened my mouth.
"Forgive me, but who exactly are you?"
"Ah. How remiss of me."
Stroking his black goatee, the man said loftily,
"The room was such a disaster I forgot to introduce myself. I am Gwak Yong."
"No. Not that."
I shook my head.
"Affiliation. I'm asking about your affiliation."
Gwak Yong gave a short laugh.
"Does Young Master Bilyu happen to know Namgung Yullyeong… among the Namgung clan?"
—Seep.
A crimson haze began to well up like mist at the edge of my black pupils.
"…I know her, all right."
I remembered her as that fat, piglike middle-aged woman who had tried to sell Namgung Sogyo off to the Hwangbo Family in a political marriage. She had struggled to the end before the Baekjao beat her and dragged her out.
"Then this conversation should go smoothly."
"Smoothly?"
"I am her administrator."
"…Administrator?"
Gwak Yong gave a hollow laugh. Contempt and mockery clung to the corners of his mouth.
"Yes, administrator. Don't tell me you don't know what that is?"
"I don't, as a matter of fact."
"…Good heavens. Young Master Bilyu really must come from some rootless rabble."
Thump, thump, thump.
He rapped the table as he spoke.
"I handle various administrative affairs, and I also serve as the mouthpiece for the family's high-ranking members. In that capacity, I've come to clear up a few misunderstandings about Lady Namgung Yullyeong."
I nodded and smacked my lips. I pulled the teapot over.
"Is there no liquor?"
Gwak Yong spoke. He paused mid-pour of tea.
"A real man takes wine and women as a matter of course, doesn't he? You're not a child. Don't tell me you sat before a feast like this without a drop of wine."
"…."
I looked at Gwak Yong. I did not take my eyes off his face as I poured the tea and drank it.
"I don't drink."
"Hmph. No appreciation for refinement either. I'll be blunt."
Gwak Yong adjusted his clothes as he spoke.
"As you may know, the elder I serve finds herself in a most awkward position."
"And?"
"There seems to be some misunderstanding. Our Lady Yullyeong does not particularly hate Young Lady Sogyo. It is true she pursued a political marriage, but was that for her own benefit? Both of them from filthy, unknown origins—if the girl marries into a good family, isn't that best for everyone?"
I drank my tea. A smear of the red sauce still on my lips stained the rim of the cup. It beaded and dripped onto the white tablecloth.
Gwak Yong continued.
"The Family Head is furious and has refused her request for a private audience. The only way to resolve this is testimony that Lady Yullyeong never truly meant Young Lady Namgung Sogyo any harm."
"I'm listening."
"That child refuses to listen at all."
I set down the empty cup.
"So you went to a sick child?"
"Lady Yullyeong is not well even on ordinary days, and now she's locked in a damp underground cell where cold dew forms. And yet the girl, who has already received every treatment she needs and lies under warm blankets—what's so hard about going to see her? Did anyone ask her to do anything? Just one word. That's all we asked."
I blinked. Gwak Yong ground his teeth and roughly poured himself a cup of tea and drank it.
"The child said to ask your opinion. That she would follow only your word. So I came to find you."
I let out a small sigh and looked at the ceiling. My whole body was wrapped in bandages; moving was awkward. Watching me like that, Gwak Yong spoke in a confidential tone.
"You're an outsider here anyway, aren't you? We'll compensate you handsomely. All you need is one word to the girl—ask her to speak in Lady Namgung Yullyeong's defense. In return, we'll give you more money than a man of your circumstances could ever dream of. What do you say?"
"I have a few questions."
"Questions?"
Gwak Yong stroked his goatee, looking puzzled.
"Does anyone know you came to see me?"
Gwak Yong laughed as if the question were absurd.
"Are you an idiot? Of course I wouldn't tell anyone. I came quietly. Not a soul knows."
"Ah. So you came in secret."
"Do you believe my sincerity now? Honestly, a Blood Death Sect assassin is bottom-of-the-barrel trash, so if you take this chance to make a real pile of money—"
"Lord Gwak Yong."
I cut him off. I lowered my gaze from the ceiling and looked at him.
"If you came in secret, then even if you take a little fall on the way here, you won't be able to answer when someone asks where you've been."
"What…?"
I stood.
"You said you wanted a drink, didn't you? There's plenty of food left—eat while you wait. I'll get the liquor."
I walked out.
"Hahaha! I thought martial men were all ignorant, but the young fellow still knows his manners! Very well. Since you're willing to cooperate, that much is nothing!"
Opening the door and stepping out, I said quietly toward the outside,
"Chief Maid Yema."
"Young Master Bilyu?"
Her expression was perfectly composed.
"…."
Near her eyes, I could see where the powder had crumbled. She had to be at least half again Gwak Yong's age.
"Is there anyone else in the corridor besides you, Chief Maid?"
"No. Just a few maids, no one else."
I made a polite request.
"I'd like about two hours to eat at my leisure. Even if people come near, could you turn them away?"
Chief Maid Yema nodded readily.
"Of course. If you need anything, please just say so."
"A bottle of liquor, please."
I received the wine. It was white porcelain in a narrow-necked flask, wrapped in fine silk cloth.
Once Chief Maid Yema had gone, I closed the door.
"Mm. This looks rather good."
Ahead of me, Gwak Yong sat with his back turned, muttering as he sampled this and that.
—Rustle.
I unwrapped the cloth and stuffed it into my pocket. I took the bottle and walked toward Gwak Yong.
"Ah, you're ba—!"
—CRASH!
The moment I reached him, I smashed the wine bottle over Gwak Yong's head.
"Guh!"
The bottle shattered. His white scholar's cap was soaked through with wine. I seized his head and slammed it into the table.
—BOOM!
—Crash! Clatter!! Smash!!
Dishes flew and shattered in every direction.
"W-what is this barbarian—!"
Pinning the back of his skull, I whispered against his ear.
"Do you know what your biggest mistake today was?"
My eyes were filled with blazing red light.
"That you told no one you were coming here."
"Y-you bastard! Do you know who I—!"
—BOOM!
I slammed him into the table. Again. I grabbed his hair and smashed him down like a madman. Blood sprayed. I picked up a plate and brought it down.
"Aaaagh!"
I seized Gwak Yong's blood-soaked hair and hauled him up. I whispered in his ear.
"Say that again."
"Y-you—!"
—Hum…!
The veins stood out in Gwak Yong's eyes. I felt a faint inner force begin to circulate around his dantian.
He's trained martial arts?
The unexpected development made me pause. With his hair still in my grip, he ground his teeth—several of the front ones missing.
"I may be a scholar, but I've trained martial arts myself…! A one-armed cripple like you with a half-useless arm—!"
"Arm?"
I looked down at the arm wrapped in stiff, paste-hardened bandages.
—Bang! Bang-bang-bang!
I smashed the stiffened bandages against the table. Gwak Yong's face went white with horror.
"Y-you're… insane! What are you doing?!"
The tightly wrapped bandages cracked and broke. Beneath them, a fist still not fully healed was revealed. I clenched it tight and looked at Gwak Yong. His eyes went wide.
"W-wait!"
I struck his Adam's apple. Then I drove an uppercut into his gut as he gagged—hard enough that my fist nearly punched through.
"Uweeeegh!"
Gwak Yong vomited and rolled. I jammed the cloth that had wrapped the wine bottle back into his vomit-smeared mouth.
"H-help—mmpf—!"
I lifted the platter that had held the pig's head and brought it down. Gwak Yong flopped onto the floor and writhed. Beside him, the smiling pig's head rolled about.
"That should do."
I looked around, kicked up an overturned chair, and picked it up.
—Crunch.
I broke off a leg. Carrying the broken legs, I went to every window and the door.
—Crack! Crunch! Crack!
I jammed them at angles through the handles, barring the windows and door.
"No one can get in now, can they?"
In the quieted room, only Gwak Yong's ragged breathing filled the air.
"Administrator. You picked the wrong man to threaten. That only works on people who have common sense."
"Y-your eyes! Your eyes! Good heavens…! G-God above!"
With my surging crimson light, I seized the teapot. With a splash, I dumped the remaining tea onto the floor. Gripping the empty ceramic pot, I squatted in front of him where he sat crumpled.
"So. Back to the beginning. What is it you want from me?"
"Y-you!"
Gwak Yong crawled across the floor, hair soaked and dripping blood, stammering,
"S-spare me! Spare me and I'll give you money! Money…! Don't you need money?"
"…Money? You've been going on and on about money since the start."
With a short sigh, I said,
"Do you have more money than our family?"
Gwak Yong repeated blankly,
"…Wh…what?"