Chapter 541: Going to Apologize
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 541: Going to Apologize
"I am sorry. It seems meeting Young Master Jang is out of the question for now."
Joo So-yang spoke as she looked at Lee So-ran with a calm gaze.
"Aunt... is there really no way?" Lee So-ran pleaded.
"Even though he is under my command and supports Seol-ah, he is not someone I can simply order around," Joo So-yang replied, shaking her head.
"......I see. Then..." Lee So-ran spoke up slowly after hearing her words. "Could you at least tell him... that I will keep waiting?"
"Do you intend to wait until he comes out?"
".....Yes."
"Why?" Joo So-yang asked with a puzzled expression.
"I have to apologize to him."
"An apology?"
"Yes..."
"May I ask what happened?"
".........I'm sorry."
Lee So-ran bowed her head politely in apology. What had happened with Sun-woo was a grave secret she could not reveal to anyone.
".......If it's difficult to say, I won't pry."
When Lee So-ran expressed her refusal, Joo So-yang continued in a calm tone.
"I will pass on the message for now. But do not get your hopes up too high... He is currently in a very foul mood."
"Thank you!" Lee So-ran expressed her gratitude energetically.
"Yes, well, good luck with your vigil..."
Joo So-yang glanced at Lee So-ran before turning around and heading inside. Lee So-ran stood there, watching Joo So-yang’s retreating back, hoping her words would be delivered properly.
*
As the sun began to set and the moon rose in the sky...
"Are you still here?" Joo So-yang asked, looking at Lee So-ran with a look of genuine surprise.
"......Yes," Lee So-ran replied with a nod.
"Hah." Joo So-yang let out a dry laugh. She hadn't expected the girl's persistence to be this extreme.
Lee So-ran had been hovering in front of the residence since early morning. To think she had stayed in the same spot until the sun went down. It was impossible not to call her tenacious.
"You should head back for today."
"But.... I still..... haven't met him yet..."
"He said he is going to bed now. Waiting through the night will be a futile effort. So, go back for today and come again tomorrow," Joo So-yang said, her voice persuasive.
".......I understand."
Hearing this, Lee So-ran nodded in agreement. Since Sun-woo had gone to sleep, she realized there was no point in staying any longer.
"Then, I will see you tomorrow."
Bow.
Lee So-ran gave a deep bow and immediately began to walk away. Joo So-yang watched her retreating figure until she had completely vanished from sight.
"She is quite the persistent child, isn't she?" Joo So-yang spoke softly once the girl was gone.
Slide.
"Indeed. I didn't think she'd actually wait this long."
Sun-woo revealed himself from beside her. A faint trace of guilt flickered across his face.
"What do you plan to do? Are you going to forgive her now?" Joo So-yang asked curiously.
"I'm sorry, but not yet." Sun-woo shook his head.
"Why is that?"
"She hasn't been properly ripened yet," Sun-woo said, a thick smile spreading across his lips.
"You really are a wicked man, Sun-woo. To toy with that innocent girl's heart like this."
"Do you hate it?"
"No, I love it so much it makes my skin crawl... Haa... because the disposal of a... lowly female... is the right of... a superior male... Haa... Every time I see you exercise that... right... my lower body... aches."
Joo So-yang began to writhe, her breath becoming ragged.
"You're the type who would think it's holy even if I pissed on your face and would try to drink every drop."
Sun-woo let out a hollow laugh at the sight.
"Of course... I'd prefer it if you aimed directly into my mouth. If you spray it on my face, I might miss a few drops, wouldn't I?" Joo So-yang explained, pointing to her mouth.
"..........You're insane."
"That's right... I've gone completely mad. So... please, insult me more... treat me... even more vulgarly..."
She stuck out her long tongue, her breathing growing even more labored.
"............"
Seeing her intense reaction, Sun-woo fell silent. He realized once again that jokes didn't work on her.
"Anyway, it's time for you to head back." Sun-woo issued an expulsion order.
"Can't I just... sleep with you... tonight?"
"No." Sun-woo shook his head firmly.
"Why noooot?" Joo So-yang asked with a pout.
"Because you need to keep going back and forth to my residence to 'encourage' Lee So-ran."
"......Until when?" she asked, looking at him with sorrowful eyes.
"Until she is properly ripened."
"And when will that be?"
"You'll know when the time comes."
"..........You're so cruel..." Joo So-yang puffed out her cheeks at Sun-woo's coldness.
Smirk.
Sun-woo couldn't help but smile at the sight. Her acting cute, despite her age, was unexpectedly charming.
"Once this is over, I'll hold you until you feel like you're breaking.... So just bear with it until then."
"I refuse." Joo So-yang shook her head.
'Huh?!'
Sun-woo was momentarily taken aback. He never expected her, who had fallen into the state of a submissive bitch, to defy him.
'Is she going through a rebellious phase?'
Sun-woo began to seriously contemplate whether he needed to fix her habit of trying to play hard to get.
"Sun-woo, you are my master, aren't you? So why are you asking? Please, command me.... Haa... That's... much more... arousing... It makes me feel restrained... and forced..."
".............."
It seemed his worries were for nothing. She was a perfect sow, dedicated solely to him.
"Then shut up and do as I say."
"Yeeees~~♡"
At Sun-woo's command, Joo So-yang beamed with a bright smile.
*
"You've come again today."
Joo So-yang spoke with a look of feigned exhaustion.
"Yes!" Lee So-ran replied with a firm nod.
"It has already been three days. Wouldn't it be better to give it some time?"
"No! If I give it time, I'll definitely end up running away." She shook her head.
"If you say so, I won't stop you."
Joo So-yang looked at her and then began to walk slowly back into the residence.
"Please tell Young Master Jang that I am waiting again today."
"I understand. I shall do so."
Joo So-yang nodded and continued walking. Lee So-ran watched her back and began her vigil once more. Waiting endlessly.
*
Two women, beautiful as flowers, were sharing tea and chatting brightly. Both were so stunning it was difficult to say who was superior.
"The fragrance of the Longjing is particularly good today."
Lee Hyun-kyung spoke in admiration.
"Hmm.... It seems they used quite high-quality tea leaves.... The scent suits my dignity perfectly..."
Lee Hwa-young, a woman who boasted an incredibly elegant aura despite her young age, also spoke with admiration.
"Sister Young and I really have similar tastes, don't we?" Lee Hyun-kyung said with a gentle smile.
"It is an honor for Sister Kyung. To have similar tastes to a descendant of the great Moyong Clan that once ruled the Central Plains," Lee Hwa-young replied with an arrogant expression.
"Indeed, I consider it the honor of three lifetimes," Lee Hyun-kyung said, her expression unperturbed.
"Hehe, I find myself liking Sister Kyung quite a bit today. Is it because you finally know your place, unlike usual?" Lee Hwa-young burst into a playful laugh. "By the way, what brings you to my residence?"
"I heard some interesting news and wanted to let you know."
"Hehe, even the viper-like Sister Kyung is nothing more than a mere woman, it seems. Going around spreading such rumors." Lee Hwa-young shook her head. "Instead of wasting time spreading rumors, why not practice your martial arts a bit more? If you don't work hard now, you'll face a disaster during the succession competition." She spoke with an air of supreme arrogance.
"Thank you for your concern. It seems Sister Young is the only one who truly worries about me."
"It is not something to be so moved by. It is only natural consideration as a blood relative of a great lineage. Though, of course, my side is a bit more prestigious. After all, the Moyong Clan stands above the Tang Clan, wouldn't you agree?"
"So, you're saying you don't want to hear the rumor?"
"Hmm.... Well, since Sister Kyung went through the trouble of coming here, I suppose it wouldn't be bad to listen."
"Thank you for your consideration."
"So, what is it? This 'interesting' rumor?"
"Did you know that Lee So-ran has developed feelings of yearning for a man?"
"That bear-like Lee So-ran!?" Lee Hwa-young asked back in shock.
Lee So-ran was a dull and stupid woman who carried the blood of the Hwangbo Clan. To think such a woman had fallen in love? It was shocking.
"How surprising. I didn't know she had the intelligence required to feel an emotion like love."
Lee Hwa-young had always looked down on Lee So-ran for being ignorant. That side of her was on full display now.
"I know, right? You really never know with people, do you?" Lee Hyun-kyung continued, enjoying the reaction.
"So, who is the man? What kind of fool did she fall for? Is it a wild bear?" Lee Hwa-young asked curiously.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be a wild bear."
"Then who is it?"
"Jang Sun-woo."
At the question, Lee Hyun-kyung replied in a calm tone. "The greatest talent under heaven."
"Wha... What!?"
Lee Hwa-young gasped in bewilderment. She never imagined his name would come up. Who was Jang Sun-woo? He was the greatest talent of the Central Plains who had suppressed the Dragon and Phoenix rising stars in one go—the Divine Dragon rumored to inherit the title of the World's Greatest Martial Artist after her father, Lee Jae-won.
To think Lee So-ran would yearn for such a man.
'...That presumptuous bitch.'
Lee Hwa-young’s face contorted. Irritation surged from deep within her heart. She had secretly marked Jang Sun-woo as a potential husband for herself. She believed that only a man like Jang Sun-woo, the future World's Greatest, was worthy of someone like her, who carried such a great bloodline.
Yet, that stupid and naive Lee So-ran had the audacity to yearn for him. She didn't know her place.
"Surely..... Jang Sun-woo doesn't like her back, does he?" she asked, glaring at Lee Hyun-kyung with eyes like fire. A sudden anxiety had gripped her.
"No, it seems to be a one-sided love. She's been waiting in front of Jang Sun-woo's residence for seven days and nights, and he won't even see her."
"Hmph, I knew it. If Jang Sun-woo has eyes, there's no way a girl like that would satisfy him." Lee Hwa-young nodded, looking relieved. "What a truly stupid woman. How can she obsessively follow someone who clearly dislikes her? Her dignity as a woman is utterly non-existent."
Lee Hwa-young frowned in disgust. She believed that a woman clinging to a man was an act of self-degradation. In her mind, a woman should be able to wrap a man around her finger and make him anxious. To her, Lee So-ran's behavior was incredibly low-class.
"I agree. It's hard to believe we share the same bloodline, isn't it?"
"Is it not simply the limit of the ignorant Hwangbo bloodline? Being so uneducated is likely why their clan was forced into Sect Seclusion." Lee Hwa-young shook her head.
"Indeed. Even though you share the same blood, there's such a difference between you and Sister Young."
"That is because I carry the blood of the prestigious Orthodox Moyong Clan." Lee Hwa-young puffed out her modestly sized chest.
"That's why it's even more unfortunate," Lee Hyun-kyung said, putting on a look of pity.
"Unfortunate?" Lee Hwa-young asked, confused.
"What does it matter how great you are, Sister Young, when Sister Ran is dragging your reputation through the mud?"
"My reputation!?"
"Even if we have different mothers, aren't we all sisters connected by blood? If Sister Ran behaves in such a low-class manner, won't everyone question the standards of our entire family?" Lee Hyun-kyung looked down with a sorrowful gaze.
".......You're not wrong. Even if she's a half-sister, she is still a sister. Because of Lee So-ran's pathetic actions, I might be treated the same as that stupid bear-bitch."
"That's why it's so sad...... Sister Young is such a wonderful female martial artist, perfectly suited for a prestigious sect........" Lee Hyun-kyung trailed off.
Stand.
"I can't let this continue!"
Lee Hwa-young, who had been listening silently, suddenly stood up.
"What are you going to do?"
"I have to drag Lee So-ran back here by any means necessary! At this rate, I'll end up being treated like a fool just like her!"
"She won't listen to you, though."
"It's fine! I'll take Yuri-geom with me." Lee Hwa-young raised her voice confidently.
"Yuri-geom!?" Lee Hyun-kyung asked in surprise. It was a name she hadn't expected to hear. "Sister Young... do you really have to go that far? Why don't you think about it one more time?" she asked, feigning concern.
"I have to suppress her and drag her back even if I have to use force! This isn't just about us; our father's honor is at stake!"
"But..." Lee Hyun-kyung trailed off again, looking very reluctant.
"It's no use trying to stop me!"
Whoosh.
Having said her piece, Lee Hwa-young turned and marched out. There was no hesitation in her stride. Lee Hyun-kyung watched her retreating back in silence. Once Hwa-young was completely gone, the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile.
A wicked, snake-like smile.