Chapter 384: Introducing Neung So-hwa
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 384: Introducing Neung So-hwa
"I have someone to introduce."
It was just as everyone was welcoming Yorang back from her safe return. Sun-woo spoke up cautiously.
The gazes that had been fixed on Yorang shifted all at once toward Sun-woo.
"Someone to introduce?" Ok-ryeong asked, tilting her head.
"Who might it be, my lord?" Madam Un Ga-ryeo added, her voice laced with curiosity.
"…Come in."
Feeling the weight of their stares, Sun-woo suppressed his unease and spoke.
Creeeeak.
The door opened, and a woman revealed herself.
She had hair and eyebrows as red as a blazing fire, shimmering crimson eyes, and a nose as sharp as a blade. Her lips were as scarlet as her hair, and her skin was translucent and flawless. On top of that, she was quite tall with a perfectly balanced figure.
The woman who appeared looked like a goddess who had descended into the mortal realm.
"..........."
"..........."
Everyone in the room stared blankly, captivated by her transcendental beauty. It was the result of facing a level of beauty they had never experienced before.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa," she said as she stepped inside. "I am the granddaughter of the current Emperor and the daughter of Prince Yeon, holding the rank of Commandery Princess."
She continued in a dignified tone.
"And I am Sun-woo's lover. I look forward to your acquaintance."
"............."
"............"
"..........."
The women fell silent simultaneously upon hearing her words. The situation was so sudden they couldn't even begin to process it.
What on earth was she saying?
The Emperor’s granddaughter?
Prince Yeon’s daughter?
A Commandery Princess?
And Sun-woo’s lover?!
How could such a thing even happen?
"Wow, the Emperor is your grandpa?" Yorang exclaimed in admiration.
"You could say that," Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa replied with a nod.
"That’s amazing. Does he feed you your meals, too?" Yorang asked curiously.
"I handle such basic tasks myself. Of course, there are members of the Imperial Family who wish to be fed, but I believe it is a sin to push one's own duties onto others. Why would one rely so heavily on someone else when they have perfectly functional limbs?"
The Princess answered Yorang’s question with the utmost sincerity.
"Ooh, I see. By the way, is Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa your name? It’s really long."
"It is more of a title. I have another name, but since it is taboo to speak the names of the Imperial Family carelessly, I shall give you a pseudonym. You may call me Neung So-hwa."
"Got it, So-hwa. I’m Yorang."
"A pleasure, Yorang."
Despite it being their first meeting, Yorang and Neung So-hwa seemed to hit it off immediately. Since Yorang didn't care at all about human social status, she could treat the Princess without reservation, and that unpretentious attitude seemed to have won Neung So-hwa’s favor.
The other women watched their conversation with dazed expressions. They couldn't bring themselves back to reality. It all felt far too surreal.
A member of the Imperial Family?
Were they not the ones said to possess the most noble blood in the world? Were they not the ones who held such immense power that they could bring down a bird in flight with a single word?
How could such a royal become Sun-woo’s lover?
Their minds began to race. They felt a sense of betrayal toward Sun-woo, who had broken his vow not to add more women to his life, and simultaneously, they were struck with shock that the woman was a royal—the granddaughter of the current Emperor, no less.
"Sun-woo."
Ok-ryeong, who had been silent until then, spoke slowly.
"I believe an explanation is in order."
She spoke with a cold smile. It was a stark contrast to the cozy, warm smiles she usually gave him.
"…W-well, you see."
Sun-woo stammered as he met her gaze. Because of his guilty conscience, her smile felt even more terrifying.
"…I met her while I was on my way to the North Sea…"
Sun-woo began to explain everything that had happened with Neung So-hwa in detail—from how they met to how they developed feelings for each other.
Ok-ryeong, Madam Un Ga-ryeo, Tang Seo-yoon, and Geum Jeok-hwa listened to his words calmly. But soon, their expressions turned to shock once again.
They had realized that the number of women hadn't increased by just one.
"The North Sea Ice Palace Master?!" Tang Seo-yoon asked back, stunned.
*
"..............."
"..............."
"..............."
The atmosphere inside the inner guest room was freezing. It felt as if daggers were being driven deep into Sun-woo's chest. A long silence had followed after he confessed everything.
'…Sigh.'
Sun-woo let out a heavy sigh inwardly. He knew they wouldn't accept this easily. But experiencing it firsthand, the coldness was beyond anything he had imagined. He felt it was even worse than when he had faced Bukgung Seol’s Snow Wind.
'It’s cold.'
Even though Sun-woo had reached the level of Immunity to Heat and Cold, he felt an indescribable chill. He was undoubtedly being overwhelmed by the glares the women were sending his way.
"So," Tang Seo-yoon, who had been keeping quiet, finally spoke. "You went to the North Sea and seduced both Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa and the North Sea Ice Palace Master at the same time?"
"…Yes."
"And you even got the Ice Palace Master pregnant?"
"…Yes."
"And you plan to officially recognize the Commandery Princess as your primary wife to the public?"
"…Yes."
"Sun-woo."
Tang Seo-yoon called his name with an incredibly serious expression.
"…Yes?"
"Are you trash?"
"........"
"Or are you a human whose head is filled with semen instead of brain fluid?"
"........"
"No, how could you do something like this on your own without a single word of consultation! Do you even know what the word 'consideration' means? If you were going to act so selfishly, why did you make those promises and vows? You said you wouldn't add any more women! You said it! Are you ignoring Lady Ok and Madam Un, who waited for you with absolute trust in your word? Do you have any idea what they went through while waiting for you? Do you?!"
Tang Seo-yoon continued, her voice rising with agitation.
"They spent every single day worrying! Wondering if the North Sea wind was too cold and you’d catch a cold! Wondering if you’d get frostbite! If you were eating well! If you were getting motion sickness! If you were bored! They are people who spent every day in constant anxiety! You have completely betrayed their hearts!"
Tang Seo-yoon’s face was flushed red with anger. She looked like a completely different person from her usual dry and stoic self.
"And what? You’re going to make the Commandery Princess your primary wife? If you talk like that, what happens to the Tang Clan’s position? Have you even thought about the Tang Clan for a second? If you were going to be this selfish, why did you even bother becoming the Regent? You should have just taken what was profitable and left! Even if I concede a hundred times and say that taking the Princess and the Ice Palace Master as lovers was unavoidable—since human emotions can be unpredictable!"
Tang Seo-yoon caught her breath and continued.
"Then at the very least, you should have consulted us instead of just deciding! Your attitude is completely wrong! You didn't even suggest it as a possibility after introducing her; you just announced it as a fact? Are you insane? Really? I’m the idiot. I’m the real idiot for trusting a bastard like you and waiting anxiously for seven months!"
Tang Seo-yoon shouted, her voice cracking with lamentation.
"............."
Sun-woo kept his mouth shut. He couldn't think of a single word to refute her. Everything she said was true.
It was true that he had broken his vows and promises, swayed by lust to sleep with two women, and it was also true that he had selfishly decided to make Neung So-hwa his primary wife without any consideration for the other women.
He had acted like trash. Like a piece of trash with zero consideration for his women.
"…I’m sorry."
Sun-woo apologized, looking at Tang Seo-yoon.
"Of course you should be sorry! Look around! Look at everyone else’s faces!"
At her words, Sun-woo looked around the guest room.
First, he saw Ok-ryeong. She was looking at him with incredibly sad eyes. She was clearly disappointed in him for breaking his promise so recklessly.
Next, he saw Madam Un Ga-ryeo. She was looking at him with tears streaming down her face, her expression full of sorrow. She had clearly been hurt by his philandering behavior.
Then he saw Tang Seo-yoon. She was someone who usually remained expressionless and had little emotional fluctuation. But now, she was fuming. Her face was so red it looked like it might burst. She was clearly furious at his constant selfishness.
"..........."
Sun-woo hung his head in silence. Guilt piled upon guilt. He couldn't say a word.
He had betrayed them. And he hadn't even reflected on his actions. He had only thought of himself and moved according to his own emotions.
He was no different from Lee Jae-won, who had fallen into this Murim world as an igo-kkaeng and ran rampant as he pleased.
His heart felt heavy. Far too heavy. The thought that he was becoming like the person he despised most filled him with fear. He was terrified that he might become a second or third Lee Jae-won.
Sun-woo didn't lift his head. He didn't have the courage to face them right now. He was someone who had been thrown alone into the world of a martial arts novel. He had betrayed the hearts of the women who had supported and encouraged him. How could he dare to look them in the eye?
Sun-woo waited. He waited for their anger to subside.
After some time had passed...
"…Sun-woo."
Ok-ryeong, unable to watch any longer, spoke up.
"Please, lift your head."
"..........."
Despite her words, Sun-woo couldn't bring himself to look up. He was too embarrassed and ashamed to face her.
"It’s okay. It’s really okay, so please show me your face."
Ok-ryeong persuaded him again in a soft voice. Hearing her, Sun-woo slowly lifted his head. His face was twisted with the urge to cry. The apology toward them was overflowing from deep within his heart.
"…I’m sorry."
Sun-woo spoke with a tearful face. He couldn't say anything other than that he was sorry. Anything else felt like a mere excuse.
"Sun-woo, do you know something?" Ok-ryeong continued, looking at him with sorrowful eyes. "To me, you are like a savior. You are the grateful person who taught me what true love is—me, who used to hide alone in deep mountains and valleys, nursing my wounds because I was afraid of being hurt or abandoned. That’s why I thought it was enough just to have you think of me and love me. I thought as long as I wasn't abandoned, it would be fine."
Ok-ryeong looked at Sun-woo with a serious gaze.
"But as time passed, I became greedy. I grew greedy to be the woman you love and cherish the most. I tried to hold it back, but I couldn't suppress that feeling. The moment I learned you had first shared your heart with a woman named Ga-ryeo, I felt like my world was collapsing. I didn't show it, but I suppose I was jealous. Even though I’ve reached a high realm and my cultivation has deepened, I suppose I’m still just a woman who craves a man’s love."
Ok-ryeong smiled faintly and continued.
"Sun-woo, to be honest, I’m still very jealous. I think I can accept that what happened with Ga-ryeo was unavoidable. Since I was in a state where I could have died any day, I can understand how your eyes might have wandered to another woman. And I can accept that you placed Lady Tang in the position of primary wife for the public. It would be easier for your activities that way."
".............."
"But I am so jealous that you shared your heart with two women in the North Sea. It means they were charming enough for you to meet them even while breaking your promise to me and your own vow. That fact makes me resentful, sad, and jealous."
"............"
"Part of me wants to draw my sword right now and finish off every woman who has her eyes on you. Because you’re mine… and I want to get rid of every woman trying to take you away."
Sun-woo was terrified by her words. He never imagined that Ok-ryeong, who was the epitome of a wise mother and good wife, would harbor such extreme thoughts.
"But I decided not to do that. Because if I did, you would be sad," Ok-ryeong said calmly. "When I first accepted Ga-ryeo, I told you, didn't I? That I didn't care if you added more women, as long as you treated me properly as the primary wife."
"…Yes."
"I want you to officially recognize me here and now. That regardless of who becomes your wife to the outside world, the actual position of primary wife belongs to me."
Ok-ryeong made her demand boldly, looking straight at Sun-woo. She wanted him to officially acknowledge her as the primary wife.
"Can you do that for me?" Ok-ryeong asked, her gaze steady.
"…I will."
Sun-woo nodded and spoke. It was something he had already told Neung So-hwa and Un Ga-ryeo. That regardless of public status, the actual position of primary wife belonged to Ok-ryeong.
He knew there would be no problem in officially recognizing it right now.