Chapter 244
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 244
Chapter Title: If Not? (4)
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The day dawned.
I'd barely gone one round with Eon So-young before trying to catch some sleep, but sleep never came, so I spent the night regulating my breathing until I woke at dawn.
"Are you leaving now?"
"Yes, young hero. Rest well."
Hoyeon kept tugging here and there at her pristine new robes, clearly not used to them yet. Yeah, worn-out clothes might be another story, but the feel against the skin just wasn't comfortable.
"You even had new robes made for me... I don't know if I should accept something like this."
"It's nothing special. Please don't trouble yourself over it."
Apparently, her original robes had been so threadbare that mending them was hopeless, so they'd gone ahead and sewn a fresh set from whatever fabric was on hand.
I stood side by side with Eon So-young to see Hoyeon off, mulling over that "anything" she'd brought up the night before.
By the time Eon So-young and I had finished up and she returned, Hoyeon had already retired for the night, so any chance to dig into it—even vaguely—had slipped away.
I chewed over the regret, figuring it was probably gone for good, and plastered on a sweet smile to bid her farewell. But it seemed the world wasn't quite that stingy after all.
"Young Hero Kang."
"Yes."
"We left off last night unfinished, but... Sister is truly deeply grateful to you."
Hoyeon shrank back a little, bashful, and I found myself clearing my throat awkwardly at the sight.
"I can't say how much help it'll be... but if you ever need sister's assistance with anything at all, please call on me. I'll come running as fast as I can."
"You don't have to do that..."
"No. You must. If I found out you'd turned down my help and ended up in hardship because of it... I think I'd be pretty heartbroken."
"All right. But on the condition that you promise not to take on any hardships yourself just to help me."
Hoyeon broke into a warm smile at my words, shouldered her bundle, and took a few steps forward.
Just like that, leaving so suddenly? I spaced out for a moment, but then she halted, turned back, and spoke.
"No."
"Pardon?"
"It's not right to haggle over the terms when repaying a favor. You've already said you'd do it, haven't you? But sister has no intention of making any such promise with you."
She must have realized how unreasonable it sounded herself, because she let out a little chuckle as she said it.
"Isn't there some precept in Buddhism against being overly stubborn?"
"There isn't. Then, young hero, I'll take that as settled. Peace to Lady Namgung as well."
"W-wait, Sister?"
"Travel safely."
Hoyeon ignored my calls entirely, exchanged greetings only with Eon So-young, and resumed walking.
I stood there dumbfounded for a beat, staring blankly, then hurriedly shouted after her.
"Sister Hoyeon! In that case, I absolutely won't call on you!"
She turned back to me then, raising one hand in a loose prayer gesture.
I couldn't tell if it meant "do as you like" or "I'll do as I like," but the sheer audacity of leaving me with just that gesture was utterly exasperating...
"She's really going."
And go she did, leaving me with nothing to say.
I watched her recede for a moment, then startled and turned to find Eon So-young eyeing me with narrowed eyes.
Evidently, one hug yesterday hadn't done much to ease her wariness toward Hoyeon.
Time to change the subject... Ah!
"Come to think of it, I didn't get to see Gyeon-i at all yesterday because of Sister—where is he?"
Eon So-young went quiet for a moment at my obvious pivot but seemed to let it slide, turning and leading the way inside.
Gyeon-i had been staying in her room. With the soundproof array I'd set up beforehand blocking all noise, there hadn't been any risk of discovery.
I hadn't thought of it because my mind equated "soundproof array = sex field setup," but since someone was always watching over him anyway, it hadn't been an issue.
"I've prepared something similar in the carriage too."
According to her, just in case, she'd made a space where a maid could take the baby inside.
After all the effort to stay apart without getting caught for so long, how heartbreaking would it be to get busted by some dumb luck on the roadside?
We'd only really need to be careful in crowded places anyway—no need to keep him cooped up forever.
With preparations this thorough, there shouldn't be any worries about incidents on the road.
"Well then, shall we get going too?"
"Yes..."
She blushed bright red from nothing more than a light hand-hold.
It wasn't just the hand; realizing we were truly off to live together must have stirred something in her...
Somehow, that innocent reaction made my own chest tickle.
The feeling lingered until I realized the maids were sneaking peeks and smirking to themselves.
The journey went smoothly.
Gyeon-i had gotten quite adept at moving around, so there were incidents where he kept trying to wriggle out of my arms, but nothing else noteworthy happened.
The carriage vibrations must have been tiring for a baby, so someone was always holding him, but to a kid who'd mastered rolling over and tummy time, it was probably too confining.
'They say he'll be able to stand while holding onto furniture any day now—hard to believe such a tiny life can already stand.'
With So-yul-i just about a month behind, it was astonishing to think they'd develop similarly.
In any case, we kept renting out entire annexes at large inns, taking it leisurely to spare Gyeon-i any strain.
The maids never set foot in our bedroom while we slept, which let us enjoy our nights carefree— a satisfying trip for both Eon So-young and me.
"I-is that... Hand Dragon Great Hero Kang Yun...?"
Occasionally, someone would recognize me like this.
To be precise, my face had already been somewhat known, but not enough to warrant any fuss—until the Namgung family incident spread my name far and wide, it seemed.
Unlike the Peng affair, this time countless martial artists from across the jianghu had witnessed it firsthand, so the rumors had spread to the farthest reaches.
In other words, my reputation for leading the charge was bound to circulate. The unwanted attention had me breaking out in cold sweats over the risk of Gyeon-i being spotted.
Oh, right...
'The Tang Family must have heard by now too, huh?'
Someone from their outer sect vice pavilion had shown up, so word would have reached them for sure.
Tang Hye-won hadn't completely cut off contact either, so all my women would know about the news that made its way to the Tangs.
Considering the earful I'd gotten last time after recounting my scrap with the Demonic Cult, this one wasn't likely to pass smoothly either.
And at the end of our month-long journey, I confirmed it was true.
"What in the world were you thinking! I warned you, and you still threw yourself into it again?"
"I was wrong..."
Peng Yeon-hwa scolded him with the ferocity of a dragon spewing flames.
"Your martial arts aren't even fully formed yet! You think it's fine to shove your head into danger like that?!"
"..."
The man shrank under her tirade, unable to get a word in. Finally, Zhuge Mi-ryeong couldn't stand it and intervened to mediate.
"Sister Hwa, he's back safe and sound, so enough already... Sister Yeong is here too..."
Peng Yeon-hwa glanced sheepishly at Eon So-young. Meeting her eyes, Eon So-young offered an awkward smile and a slight bow, which Peng Yeon-hwa hastily returned.
"Ah, sorry. Heroine Eon."
"No, Heroine Peng."
Peng Yeon-hwa had been furious to her core over the man's recklessness, but reconfirming Eon So-young's presence instantly cooled her temper.
No— it was closer to fear.
Kang Yun had approached her first, sure, but Eon So-young was the very first woman he'd been with, after all.
She'd heard from Zhuge Mi-ryeong that Eon So-young had accepted her, the woman who'd upended an empty house, but Peng Yeon-hwa still couldn't relax. She'd awaited this face-to-face with bated breath.
And now, at long last, in her first meeting with Eon So-young, Peng Yeon-hwa felt like a criminal awaiting the judge's verdict, tense and cowed.
"I hope you'll forgive him, Heroine Peng. Thanks to our young master's efforts, the Namgung family was able to minimize their losses."
"...Yes, I can't deny that point. But for Young Hero Kang to step up himself, his martial arts are still..."
"Our young master's arts are exceptional, aren't they? Even setting age aside, I wouldn't call it lacking compared to peak realm."
Seeing Tang Hye-won and Zhuge Mi-ryeong's reactions, Peng Yeon-hwa finally realized they felt the same.
To her, the top heroine of the righteous sects, he was still like a child by the water's edge—but to others, he was already at a considerable height.
Peng Yeon-hwa, who'd made all the fuss solo, was at a loss for words, but Eon So-young smiled softly and took her hand.
"Please understand, Heroine Peng. Us men think we'll drop dead if we can't protect our women, you know?"
"So-young, it's not like I was thinking—"
"Still, thank you. I'm relieved the woman I'll be living with from now on has such a kind heart."
Eon So-young neatly sliced through her husband's words, genuinely at ease.
She was somewhat acquainted with Zhuge Mi-ryeong, but she'd been worried about what the other two might be like.
She figured they weren't bad people, but if they truly cared for her husband like this, she could relax and live together with them.
Peng Yeon-hwa also took a liking to Eon So-young, who gracefully smoothed over her own behavior—not directed at her personally, but still raising her voice all the same.
"Please take care of me from now on. You two as well."
"I-I should be the one saying that..."
This was her fourth time entering this house, but as the first in sequence, Eon So-young settled smoothly into her new nest.
Kang Yun was left sticking out his tongue in admiration at Eon So-young's deft handiwork, which had even naturally warmed her up to the pro-Eon Zhuge Mi-ryeong and Tang Hye-won alike. But one issue remained.
"Now, we should move our residence over to the clinic side."
It meant hashing things out with Ju Yak-seon, who was running the clinic, and leaving the now-cramped house—built for a larger household—for the living quarters originally made with a harem in mind.
As long as it didn't disrupt the clinic, Ju Yak-seon probably wouldn't mind much, so a smooth talk should sort it out.
Kang Yun's thinking was spot on.
If an unexpected VIP client hadn't shown up at the clinic—one he hadn't accounted for—things surely would have gone that way.