Chapter 283: Learning Neung So-hwa's Identity
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 283: Learning Neung So-hwa's Identity
Sun-woo lay in his assigned room, staring blankly at the ceiling.
His mind was in a state of utter turmoil.
Ever since his deep conversation with the Sword Man, his heart had been restless.
A sword that protects.
He had spoken those words with bravado, but in truth, he lacked confidence. He couldn't even begin to grasp what a "sword that protects" actually was.
The Sword Man had been clear: he needed to find a direction. And that direction would stem from the purpose he pursued.
The Sword Man, who sought a blade that could cut anything, eventually attained the Heart Sword—a blade capable of severing whatever he set his mind to. The Sword Emperor, who sought a blade that could strike any target he desired, attained a different form of the Heart Sword—one that could leap through space itself to reach its mark.
If that were the case, then what would be the absolute sword capable of protecting those precious to him, regardless of the opponent?
He couldn't get a handle on it.
According to the Sword Man, the Heart Sword was a technique on an entirely different level from Astral Qi. Unlike Astral Qi, which concentrated internal energy to increase destructive power, the Heart Sword changed its form according to the wielder's heart.
Then what form would his "protecting sword" take?
"Ugh..."
Sun-woo felt a headache coming on. It felt like he was trying to catch a drifting cloud. Was this how it felt to stare out at a vast, trackless ocean? Or to gaze at an endless horizon stretching into the distance?
He didn't know. A sense of stifling frustration filled his chest.
"Sigh."
Sun-woo let out a deep breath. It seemed sleep was out of the question tonight.
Knock, knock.
Suddenly, an unexpected sound reached his ears.
Knock, knock.
Someone was definitely knocking on his door.
Puzzled, Sun-woo tilted his head. It was well past midnight, nearing the early hours of the morning. Who could possibly be visiting at such a late hour?
"Who is it?" Sun-woo called out toward the door.
"It is I."
A beautiful, melodic voice responded from outside. It was the voice of a woman who sounded both high-handed and stiff. Hearing it, Sun-woo could immediately guess the visitor's identity.
But that only deepened his confusion. Why would that woman suddenly come to his room? And at this time of night, no less?
For a moment, Sun-woo's imagination began to run wild.
She fell for me after I made that grand entrance and saved her life. She intentionally shared a carriage with me just to get closer. Throughout the journey, she was suffocating because she couldn't express her feelings of yearning... Finally, having arrived at the North Sea Ice Palace, she couldn't hold back any longer and came to knock on my door in the dead of night.
Gulp.
Having finished his brief fantasy, Sun-woo unconsciously swallowed hard. While he knew he was being overly optimistic, he felt there was a decent chance he was right.
Sun-woo hesitated. He already had many women in his life. Could he really accept her feelings as well? He began to worry about the potential situation—specifically, how to reject her without hurting her feelings.
Just as Sun-woo was lost in deep thought—
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking echoed again.
"Open the door."
Her voice rang out from the other side once more.
"It's open. Just come in," Sun-woo said, looking toward the door.
Creeeeeak.
The door opened, and a figure revealed itself.
"Wow."
The moment Sun-woo saw her, an exclamation escaped his lips. The woman standing before him was breathtakingly beautiful.
She had hair as red as a blazing fire, red eyebrows, and red eyes—features thought impossible for someone from the Central Plains. Her small face featured a nose so sharp it looked like it could cut, and perfectly red lips.
It was a transcendent beauty. Her appearance was so stunning it was suffocating, reminiscent of an ancient goddess from myth. He thought he had grown used to her, but not seeing her for just a day made him marvel all over again.
"Heh. Am I truly that beautiful?"
Aware of Sun-woo's gaze, Neung So-hwa let out a small chuckle.
"......Yeah."
Sun-woo stared at her blankly as he answered. Normally, his first instinct would be to tease her, but captivated by her transcendent beauty, such thoughts didn't even cross his mind. He could only think of praising the beauty before him.
Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Neung So-hwa gave a deep smile.
"Seeing such a reaction from you again... it doesn't feel bad at all."
She seemed pleased that Sun-woo was looking at her with a dazed expression.
"I think I forgot because I see you every day. Just how beautiful you really are," Sun-woo said smoothly.
"Hohoho. I shall permit you to admire me a little longer."
Neung So-hwa laughed, clearly in a good mood.
Nod.
At her permission, Sun-woo scanned her face with an even more blatant gaze. She was perfect, as if a god had sculpted her stitch by stitch. Sun-woo thought to himself: Whoever becomes her husband in the future must have been a hero who saved the world in his past life.
Sun-woo continued to stare at her face until he finally grew accustomed to it.
*
After some time had passed...
"So, why did you come?" Sun-woo finally asked.
"You certainly took your time asking."
Neung So-hwa spoke as if she found him absurd. Though she had told him to admire her to his heart's content, she hadn't imagined he would stare at her face for nearly Two Gak.
"I couldn't help it. I needed to get used to your face," Sun-woo replied calmly.
He wasn't lying. He really did need time to adjust—especially to her beauty enhanced by the moonlight.
"Hmph. Being beautiful is quite an exhausting ordeal."
Neung So-hwa let out a smirk at Sun-woo's excuse, though her words were clearly feigned.
"Anyway, why are you here?" Sun-woo asked again, curious.
"I came because I have something to tell you."
"Something to tell me?"
"Indeed. Something I must say to you."
Neung So-hwa nodded solemnly.
"Go ahead."
"Before that, I would like you to surround us with a Qi Barrier."
"A Qi Barrier?"
"This is a matter of extreme secrecy. We must ensure no one else can overhear, must we not?"
She spoke with a very serious expression.
"Hmm."
Sun-woo felt his curiosity piqued. He wondered what could be so important that she required a Qi Barrier.
"Is it that important?"
"It is beyond important. If this were to be leaked, it would cause a tremendous disaster!"
She threatened him with somewhat exaggerated gestures.
"Pfft."
Sun-woo let out a chuckle. After traveling with Seol-hyang, she seemed to have picked up some of her habits.
"Alright."
Sun-woo slowly began to circulate his Yin-Yang Harmony Qi. Soon, the energy began to shimmer around his body before expanding to envelop the entire room. Before long, the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi coated the walls, forming a perfect Qi Barrier.
"There. Now tell me. What is this important thing you have to say?" Sun-woo asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Is it properly set?"
"Even if you screamed at the top of your lungs, no one would know."
"That is a relief."
Neung So-hwa finished speaking and looked Sun-woo straight in the eye.
"Do you have any inkling of who I might be?" she asked in a dignified voice.
"I could at least deduce that you're the daughter of a wealthy and prestigious family."
"What makes you think that?"
"First of all, the clothes you wear are far too high-quality."
"My clothes?"
She tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"The silk clothes you're wearing right now. The color is exquisite. It puts Shu Silk to shame. Such a color is hard to find in the Central Plains, so it must be imported silk. Since you have dozens of such outfits, how could you not be rich?"
Sun-woo explained his reasoning quite logically.
"You are not wrong. I have certainly never wanted for anything growing up. Then, what led you to believe I am the daughter of a prestigious family?" she asked, looking intrigued.
"That's because of the way you talk."
"My way of talking?"
"Every word you use is elegant. It's proof that you've received a very high-level education. Also, you have a strong, high-handed, and commanding tone—to the point where I'd think you're in a position to rule over others."
Sun-woo continued calmly as he looked at her.
"When I pieced all those facts together, the result was 'the daughter of a wealthy, prestigious family.'"
"To deduce all that from such fragmentary information... you are quite impressive!"
Neung So-hwa replied with admiration. He had come remarkably close to the truth.
"Impressive? I'm sure anyone who's talked to you would know."
"......Was it that obvious?"
"You thought it wasn't? That's even more surprising."
Sun-woo looked at her with a renewed sense of wonder.
"Ahem, ahem."
Embarrassed by Sun-woo's bluntness, Neung So-hwa let out a dry cough. She had tried to tone down her commanding and high-handed speech as much as possible, but it seemed it had been for naught. She felt a wave of embarrassment at how obvious she had been.
"Regardless, I intend to reveal my true identity to you."
Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with a grave expression.
"Why?"
"Because I have judged that you are a person worthy of my trust. Consider it an honor. You have become someone recognized by me."
"I'm good, thanks."
"You need not be modest."
"No, really, I'm fine."
"Hmph. Excessive humility can become a poison. Cease this modesty at once."
"I'm telling you, I really don't want to hear it."
Sun-woo spoke with a face full of sincerity.
"W-Why not?!"
Startled by Sun-woo's adamant refusal, Neung So-hwa stammered.
"I just have a feeling that if I hear it, things are going to get really annoying."
Sun-woo's words were genuine. He didn't really care who she was, and more importantly, his intuition was screaming at him. It warned him that knowing her identity would lead to a massive headache.
"Annoying?! How insolent!"
Neung So-hwa raised her voice at Sun-woo's disrespectful attitude. She was showing him a great deal of trust, so what was with this impudence?
"Anyway, I have no intention of listening."
"............"
Faced with Sun-woo's stubbornness, Neung So-hwa fell into thought. In truth, she was planning to ask for Sun-woo's help after revealing her identity. Initially, she had intended to negotiate directly with the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace, but she had realized the woman had a formidable personality.
To put it bluntly, the Ice Palace Master didn't seem to have a very good temper. And that was a problem for Neung So-hwa. The North Sea, which had been thoroughly devastated by the Evil Demon and the Demon Troops, was currently in the process of recovery. She feared that if she asked for Ice Essence in such a situation, the Master wouldn't give it up easily—and might even put her life at risk.
Therefore, she intended to enlist Sun-woo's help to ensure at least a minimum level of safety. But his flat refusal left her in a difficult position. If she revealed her identity anyway and asked for help, wouldn't it look like she was using her status to pressure him?
On the other hand, asking for a favor without explaining the circumstances felt wrong. Her life was on the line, and she wanted to show her sincerity. She agonized over the situation, but no matter how much she thought, no good solution came to mind.
Grab.
Neung So-hwa reached out and grabbed Sun-woo's sleeve.
"Do you... truly... have no intention of listening?" she asked again, looking up at him.
"I told you, I'm not listening."
"Really... really... really?"
She spoke with a pitiful, pleading look in her eyes.
"..........."
Meeting that gaze, Sun-woo was left speechless. His heart hammered against his ribs at the sight of her vulnerability—an expression he had never seen from her before.
"........Can you not just listen for me?"
A tiny hint of moisture appeared in her sorrowful eyes. That sight triggered Sun-woo's protective instincts to an insane degree.
"I... I guess just listening would be okay."
Sun-woo spoke with a dazed expression.
"Really? Truly?"
As soon as Sun-woo gave his permission, Neung So-hwa asked repeatedly, her face lighting up with joy. Sun-woo gave a warm smile at her rapid change in mood.
"..........Truly."
Sun-woo nodded, giving his final confirmation. A brilliant smile spread across Neung So-hwa's lips.
"I am a Commandery Princess."
In an instant, the smile vanished from Sun-woo's face.
"The daughter of Prince Yeon, the third son of the current Emperor."
And then, Sun-woo's face turned a sickly, dark shade. He realized that things had just gone horribly wrong.