Chapter 519: Seducing an Innocent Married Woman
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 519: Seducing an Innocent Married Woman
Jang Sun-woo, the Heavenly Dragon.
The man hailed as the most anticipated talent and the future World's Greatest Martial Artist, having swept aside the "Dragon and Phoenix"—the brilliant Rising Stars of the past—in a single stroke.
The disciple of the Poison King, and the ambitious man who, after breaking his engagement with the Poisonous Book-Seer Tang Seo-yoon, placed himself under Lee Ye-seol.
Why was such a man sitting before her, sipping tea?
‘Why? How? Why is he… here?’
She had only heard of him through rumors. Hwangbo Yu-yeon had never actually met Jang Sun-woo in person.
So, when the handsome man who had suddenly come to her aid revealed himself to be Jang Sun-woo, she couldn't help but be flustered. Her mind began to race. She couldn't process the man’s identity, as it was entirely unexpected.
After a long silence, Hwangbo Yu-yeon finally spoke, her expression grave.
"Just… why are you here?"
"What do you mean 'why'? Did you not invite me for tea, Madam?" Sun-woo replied, looking genuinely puzzled.
"No… I mean… that is… well…"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon began to stammer. There were so many things she wanted to ask. Why had he shielded her? Why had he escorted her back to her quarters? Why had he comforted her?
But the words wouldn't come. Her tongue felt tied by the sheer weight of her questions.
"Madam."
As she struggled to speak, Sun-woo called out to her in a calm tone.
"Please, stop for a moment and catch your breath. You seem far too flustered right now."
"……"
At his words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon clamped her mouth shut.
"Whew…"
She took a slow, deep breath to steady herself. Gradually, her panicked heart began to settle.
"Why did you help me?" she asked, her eyes filled with doubt once she regained her composure.
"Because you were there, Madam."
"Pardon?"
"You had fallen before me and were weeping. How could I possibly just pass you by?" Sun-woo asked back, looking as if he couldn't understand why she was even asking.
"But… but I am your enemy. I am the mother of Lee So-ran, who is competing against Lee Ye-seol, the one you support. So how could you…?"
She couldn't understand it. She was strictly his enemy. Even if her faction was the weakest and her daughter's chances of winning the succession were slim, they were still rivals.
How could he be so kind to her? The more she was humiliated, the more it benefited his side. There was nothing for him to gain by helping her.
"It doesn't matter."
"Wh-what did you say?"
"Is it not basic human decency to help someone in distress? How could I ignore your plight simply because we belong to different factions?"
Sun-woo looked at her with an incredibly earnest gaze as he spoke.
"……"
Meeting his serious eyes, Hwangbo Yu-yeon fell silent. She could feel the sincerity in his gaze.
‘His character is on a different level.’
At the same time, a sense of favor toward him began to bloom within her.
"…I apologize for questioning you so harshly."
She offered a polite apology, feeling ashamed that she had been rude to her benefactor.
"Not at all. It is only natural that you would find it suspicious. As you said, we belong to different factions," Sun-woo replied with a benevolent expression, showing he understood completely.
‘…He’s being so considerate.’
Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s eyes trembled slightly. She felt as though he was being thoughtful of her feelings once again.
"Still… I feel so terrible about it…"
She apologized once more. His kindness only magnified her guilt.
"It is truly fine. In fact, your constant apologies are starting to make me feel quite embarrassed."
"I’m sorry for apologizing."
"You are surprisingly persistent, Madam."
Sun-woo let out a small smile at her repeated apologies. He found her constant bowing and scraping rather endearing.
"That’s enough apologies for now. Instead, let’s talk about something more interesting."
"Something interesting?" she asked, looking curious.
"Madam, have you ever heard of the Bloody Sword Demon?" Sun-woo asked with a playful expression.
"The Bloody Sword Demon!?"
Curiosity began to spark in Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s eyes.
*
"Is that true? Did you really capture the Bloody Sword Demon, Pi Sang-deuk, Young Master?"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon looked at him with a shocked expression. Who was the Bloody Sword Demon? He was a vicious murderer whom even the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won, had failed to catch.
How could Jang Sun-woo, a mere member of the younger generation, have captured such a man?
"It’s true. I took his head with a single stroke of my blade," Sun-woo said, gesturing exaggeratedly and speaking with a mischievous air.
"That… that is incredible."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon looked at him with pure admiration after hearing his heroic tale.
"It was nothing special. I was simply stronger than him."
"You truly live up to your reputation as the greatest of the Rising Stars."
"You shower me with such praise, I hardly know what to do with myself."
Sun-woo’s face reddened slightly as if he were embarrassed.
"It isn't mere praise; I mean it. Young Master, having a chivalrous man like you is a great blessing for the Orthodox Murim."
"Hahaha! Madam, your words are as sweet as honey."
Sun-woo laughed heartily.
"But Young Master, what happened to the bounty?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
There had been a massive bounty on Pi Sang-deuk’s head. Son Chang-byeok, one of the Five Great Merchants of the Central Plains who had lost his granddaughter to the demon, had put up half of his entire fortune as a reward.
"The bounty?" Sun-woo asked back.
"Yes. Did you receive all of it?"
"I received every bit of it."
Of course, it was a lie. He had forgotten the head and left it back at the North Sea Ice Palace. There was no way he had collected the bounty.
However, his intuition told him that now was the time to flaunt his wealth.
"That is amazing… Young Master…"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon looked at Sun-woo with envy. She was incredibly jealous of his situation—having achieved financial independence before even reaching the age of thirty.
"I was merely lucky," Sun-woo replied humbly.
"I wish I had a bit of that luck…"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s expression turned somber. Unlike her, for whom nothing seemed to go right, Sun-woo was soaring high and seemingly had the world at his feet. She couldn't help but feel a sense of deprivation.
"Are you not lucky enough yourself, Madam?" Sun-woo asked, looking puzzled.
"Me? Do I truly look that way to you?"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon let out a hollow laugh. The idea seemed absurd to her.
"That is how it looks to my eyes," Sun-woo said calmly.
"Then could you tell me? In what way am I so lucky?" she asked with a skeptical expression.
"For one, were you not born with such beautiful looks? There is an old saying: being born beautiful is a stroke of luck equivalent to passing the civil service exams all at once. In that sense, have you not been blessed with immense fortune, Madam Hwangbo?"
Sun-woo spoke with a steady, matter-of-fact tone.
"You… you joke too much, Young Master," Hwangbo Yu-yeon protested, looking flustered. She thought he was teasing her.
"I am not joking, Madam."
Sun-woo looked at her with an intensely serious gaze.
Gulp.
Meeting that gaze, Hwangbo Yu-yeon unconsciously swallowed hard.
Thump, thump.
Her heart began to race. His incredibly sweet words were digging deep into her soul.
‘Calm down… stay calm…’
She tried desperately to soothe her pounding heart, terrified that he might actually hear it.
"Thank you… It’s been a very long time since I’ve heard such a compliment…"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
"It seems the people of the world are blind. To think they could fail to recognize such a beautiful woman."
"Does that 'blind' group include the Cheonmu Alliance Leader?"
"Oh dear, you must keep this a secret, Madam. Otherwise, I might be hauled away for insulting the Alliance Leader."
Sun-woo placed a finger to his lips and spoke with exaggerated caution.
"I wonder. What should I do?"
He looked so charming that a smile naturally formed on Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s lips.
"It might not be a bad idea to eliminate a formidable rival while I have the chance," she added with a playful smirk.
"I’m in trouble then. It seems Lee Ye-seol is destined to fail this contest. How tragic."
"Don't you feel sorry for her?"
"What can I do? It’s out of my hands," Sun-woo said with a nonchalant face.
"Hahahaha!"
Finally, a burst of laughter escaped Hwangbo Yu-yeon. Seeing his playful antics, she simply couldn't contain her amusement any longer.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing her laugh, Sun-woo joined in. For a good while, the room was filled with the boisterous sound of their shared laughter.
.
.
.
After they had laughed their fill…
"…Thank you, Young Master. I haven't laughed like that in a long time."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon, her laughter subsiding, offered her thanks with a bright smile. Thanks to him, much of her gloom had vanished. How could she not be grateful?
"Don't mention it. I enjoyed myself as well."
Sun-woo acted as if it were no big deal.
"I’d like to give you something as a token of my gratitude, but as you can see, there isn't much here worth giving."
She gestured around the room, which was better described as 'barren' than 'tidy.'
"It certainly doesn't look like there’s much to take."
"It’s quite desolate, isn't it?" Hwangbo Yu-yeon said, her face reddening with embarrassment.
"At least you won't have to worry about thieves."
"Well, that’s a relief."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon looked at him blankly. She felt a bit bewildered by his unnecessary attempt to find a silver lining in everything.
"……"
"……"
An awkward silence began to settle between them. After a few moments…
"You are truly kind, Young Master," Hwangbo Yu-yeon said softly.
"Me?" Sun-woo asked, acting as if he didn't know why.
"You helped me simply because I was crying… even though we are on opposing sides."
"I believe anyone else would have done the same in my position."
"But it was you who came to me."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"……"
"And you didn't ask until the very end."
"Ask what?"
"Why I was crying so hard."
She spoke in a quiet, steady voice.
"That’s because… I felt it would be improper to pry into your private affairs…" Sun-woo replied, looking a bit sheepish.
"You’re right. It is improper. But people often forget that. They wear a mask of kindness and use 'comfort' as an excuse to poke at a heart that’s already been torn to shreds."
She looked at Sun-woo with a direct, honest gaze.
"So, thank you. For simply letting me vent instead of picking at the wound."
She gave Sun-woo a short, respectful bow. As the mistress of the Cheonmu Alliance, bowing to a mere member of the younger generation was unheard of, but she didn't care. Right now, she was simply showing respect to the man who had filled her empty heart with laughter.
"……I’m glad I could be of some comfort."
Sun-woo looked at her and spoke with a bashful expression. He wondered if he really deserved such heartfelt gratitude.
‘I didn't exactly do it for that reason…’
Sun-woo was feeling a bit flustered. In truth, he knew exactly why she had been crying. He had used his sensory perception to eavesdrop on everything, including the scolding she had received from Lee Jae-won. That was why he hadn't asked. Why ask what you already know?
But it seemed his restraint had come across as deep consideration to her—enough for her to bow her head in thanks. He couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
"That aside, Madam, there is one thing I am curious about."
Sun-woo spoke up, unable to bear the embarrassment any longer. He felt the need to change the subject.
"If it is something I can answer, I will tell you anything."
She responded with utmost politeness.
"Why is this room so barren?" Sun-woo asked, looking around the desolate space.
"……You start with a difficult question."
Upon hearing Sun-woo’s blunt inquiry, Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s expression turned troubled.