Chapter 90
For a while, Seo Ha-ryeong didn't notice me at all and diligently swung her wooden sword as instructed. Then, at some point, she realized I was there. After that, she became incredibly distracted, got scolded several times by her instructor to focus, and finally earned a break.
Seo Ha-ryeong ran straight toward me without even wiping her sweat.
"Yeon-ah! What brings you here? It's your first time coming on your own!"
"Huh? I've been here before."
"I brought you last time! You never go out unless I drag you! I always have to come visit you!"
"...Was it like that?"
"Of course it was! You were always holed up in that gloomy, depressing room of yours!"
Thinking back briefly on her words, it was true—I'd never once visited first except when preparing for spars with Namgung Ryu-cheong and Seo Ha-ryeong. I'd been too busy training to master the power of my golden eyes.
Wait, gloomy and depressing? She said it was a place where she slept well, so was that her real feeling?
Anyway, I had been neglectful, so I made a slight excuse.
"There are other people here besides you."
A childish voice piped up immediately from behind Seo Ha-ryeong.
"Don't mind us—come anytime!"
That started it, and the other Suhyangmun disciples chimed in one after another.
"You're always welcome, Young Lady Baek Ri!"
"It's been so long, Young Lady!"
"Do you remember me, Young Lady? We greeted each other last time."
The barrage of voices overwhelmed me completely.
We were in the middle of this chaotic chatter when...
"Young Lady, I heard you made that Jang young master spurt blood from both nostrils?"
"Spurt blood? No, that's not..."
It made me sound so violent! What on earth had Seo Ha-ryeong told them?
"They say when you kicked him, he flew back this far!"
"Show us!"
Show you what? My mind was starting to blur.
"I knew you'd do something like that eventually. Ah, so satisfying."
"We all laughed so hard when instructor told us yesterday."
"I heard the Jang young master ran off like his tail was on fire."
"I wish I'd been there too...!"
The other Suhyangmun folks apparently harbored quite a grudge against him as well.
"Hmph, no wonder the Jang family head dislikes his own son—he acts like that."
That caught my ear.
"The Jang young master is hated by his own father, the family head?"
As a side character who kept tormenting the main hero Namgung Ryu-cheong, he piqued my interest.
"Ah... it's a famous story."
"Yeah, the Young Lady probably wouldn't know."
"Don't ignore Yeon-ah!"
Seo Ha-ryeong snapped loudly. The boy flushed red and panicked.
"N-no, when did I...? Young Lady, I didn't mean to ignore you. Absolutely not!"
"Ugh, you brat. Ignoring Baek Ri Young Lady. Won-cheon says Baek Ri Young Lady is being ignored!"
"I didn't!"
The boy yelling "I didn't ignore her!" fled, chased by the beet-red-faced kid. We all burst into raucous laughter.
Then the oldest boy shrugged and explained.
"It's famous. They say the Jang family head favors his illegitimate second son over the Jang young master—takes him everywhere instead."
Even if the troublemaker son didn't sit right with him, to openly discriminate like that in public instead of disciplining him at home...
This kid's family situation is a mess too.
There was a reason he was so twisted.
Suddenly, Seo Ha-ryeong remembered something and asked.
"Oh, right, Yeon-ah—what brings you here?"
"Ah."
I glanced at the gathered Suhyangmun crowd. Everyone's eyes sparkled with curiosity—it was overwhelming. I smiled awkwardly.
"How about we go somewhere quieter first?"
"Huh? Why? My training isn't over, so I can't go far..."
She glanced subtly at her instructor, her eyes pleading for permission.
Seo Ha-ryeong's instructor smiled warmly.
"Nonsense. You played all day yesterday. Not today."
He turned to me and politely cupped his hands in greeting.
"My apologies, Young Lady. You've come all this way."
"No, no. I just came to drop something off quickly anyway. I didn't mean to interrupt."
Don't use wanting to play as an excuse!
Seo Ha-ryeong's shoulders slumped.
"Tch, fine. So, what is it? That thing you're holding?"
I hesitated. Saying it in front of everyone felt a bit...
All their curious eyes locked onto the box in my hands, staring so intensely it felt like they'd bore holes through it. I let go of my worries.
Whatever... what's the big deal? The more who see, the better.
I was here to win Suhyangmun's favor anyway. In the future war against the Demonic Cult, when full-scale battle erupted, the more allies to help me—even a little—the better.
Though the best outcome is no war at all.
That was beyond my control. So while time remained, I'd make as many true allies as possible. That was the purpose of acquiring this elixir.
By giving it to the future heir of Suhyangmun, I'd earn their goodwill. And when war came, a stronger Seo Ha-ryeong fighting beside Namgung Ryu-cheong would benefit him too.
Assuming she fights beside him...
The plan had derailed a bit, but...
I held the box out to Seo Ha-ryeong.
"It's an elixir—the Hundred-Day Pill. And here's the guarantee from the Joo family's pharmacy."
"...Huh? Wh-what?"
Seo Ha-ryeong dazedly took the box and opened it. A pill the size of a walnut gleamed in a deep crimson bordering on brown.
The girl beside her hurriedly unfolded the guarantee.
"Gasp! This is real?"
"It says Hundred-Day Pill from the Joo family pharmacy!"
"Isn't that a great one?"
"Yeah! Top-grade elixir!"
True to Suhyangmun disciples, they recognized it immediately.
Seo Ha-ryeong looked at me with trembling eyes.
"Why... why give this to me?"
"Huh? Just because..."
I'd planned to hand it over and brag properly. But with so many people here...
Bragging in front of a crowd like this... even scraping together all my shamelessness, it fell short.
No helping it.
I said breezily, as if it were nothing.
"I happened to get it, but I don't need it."
I acted cool, suave, doing my utmost to play it off casually.
"R-really... you're giving this to me?"
"Yeah, I am."
Her eyes darted frantically between me and the pill, then welled up with tears.
I startled.
"Wh-why are you crying?"
"What do I do... it's too good..."
Seo Ha-ryeong clutched the elixir box to her chest.
"Waaah, Yeon-ah, thank you so much."
"H-huh? It's f-fine. Don't cry."
Why was she such a crybaby!
As I patted her shoulder, I hurriedly relayed Father's warning.
"Just in case, make sure to ask the sect leader before taking it when you get back to Suhyangmun."
Seo Ha-ryeong nodded. Not sure if she'd really heard.
"Ugh, I'm so jealous!"
"Ha-ryeong! If you won't eat it, give it to me!"
"No way!"
Of course, her serious crying didn't last long.
"I wanna... I wanna be friends with Baek Ri Young Lady too!"
"Back off! Yeon-ah's mine!"
"Haha."
Watching the bickering kids eased my heart.
I was appropriately entertaining the noisy bunch when one corner suddenly went quiet. Curious, I looked up.
The Suhyangmun disciples parted with awkward expressions, revealing a coldly-faced boy at the end of the path.
"Namgung young master?"
Namgung Ryu-cheong raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
The icy-faced Namgung Ryu-cheong swept his gaze over the Suhyangmun group, lowered his eyes, and politely greeted them. They returned awkward greetings.
Finishing, he turned straight to me.
"Young Lady, my mother wishes to see you briefly."
"Lady Namgung does?"
Already the second person seeking me out today.
"Come along. We'll take our leave."
Namgung Ryu-cheong bid farewell to the Suhyangmun folks and spun on his heel, exiting the training ground.
Seo Ha-ryeong grabbed at him regretfully.
"Leaving already?"
"Yes. You have more training anyway. I've given you your gift, so I'll stop being a distraction and go."
I greeted Seo Ha-ryeong and the others, then hurried after Namgung Ryu-cheong.
He waited outside the training ground and started walking as soon as he saw me. I jogged a bit to match his stride and asked,
"What does Lady Namgung want with me?"
"You'll find out when you get there."
I pouted.
"I'd know when I get there anyway. That's why I'm asking now."
But Namgung Ryu-cheong suddenly stopped and whipped around to face me. His thick brows were sharply furrowed.
What's that? Why's he so mad?
I tilted my head quizzically.