Chapter 204
Chapter 204
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 57
>Chapter Title: Water Ghost (5)
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Three years ago, on a certain day.
[Hyeon-a.]
[Yes, Fa.....]
[When it's just the two of us, you can call me Dad.]
[Yes, Dad.]
[Our tomboy is seventeen this year. You've grown into a fine young lady.]
[Heh. If it's a lady, does that mean a graceful and refined one?]
The girl called Hyeon-a twirled the hem of her splendid skirt, flaunting her elated mood.
In response, a middle-aged man with refined features exuding elegance smiled and said,
[You've studied the Book of Songs.]
[Yes. The Book of Songs says, "A graceful and virtuous lady is a good match for a gentleman."]
A graceful and virtuous lady is a fitting spouse for a gentleman.
[But I don't want to be a graceful and virtuous lady.]
[Why not?]
[Half the world is women, and they're all told to be graceful and virtuous and such. I don't want to be so stuffy and old-fashioned.]
[Then what do you want to be?]
[Men get to have three wives and four concubines. Why can't I?]
[.........]
At her words, the middle-aged man shook his head vigorously.
Having raised his only daughter with indulgence, he sometimes worried about her.
She was still under his protection, fearless, but this place rife with conspiracies and power struggles—and the world beyond—was unforgiving.
[Hyeon-a.]
[Yes.]
[You don't need to worry about being ladylike or chaste. But now that you're grown, let your father give you one piece of advice.]
[What is it?]
[Everything you enjoy now comes solely from your family name and bloodline. You have the noblest lineage and every right to it. However......]
[However?]
[The world isn't so forgiving.]
[Why the world?]
[Don't overestimate the power of your family name and bloodline.]
[........Why are you saying this?]
[Right now, your bloodline and I provide a sturdy shield. But someday, that shield may prove useless.]
[........]
[When that frightening, chaotic moment comes, what will protect you won't be me or your family name—it will be your own judgment.]
* * *
-Thud!
Her legs gave out, and she knelt without realizing it.
She had lived her whole life without fear or worry.
Yet the terror born from malice she faced for the first time ravaged her heart, leaving her trembling uncontrollably.
-Shiver shiver shiver!
Staring at her unsteady limbs, she suddenly recalled her father's words.
Her always doting father had spoken sternly to her for the first time.
[When that frightening, chaotic moment comes, what will protect you won't be me or your family name—it will be your own judgment.]
Back then, she thought he was just in a bad mood.
She had dismissed it lightly.
Would such a moment ever come, as her father warned?
She firmly believed her absolute bloodline and family name made her untouchable by anyone outside the bloodline.
But stepping out and facing this peril where all that meant nothing slammed her against the wall of reality.
The villain's voice rang in her ears.
"Now that you've knelt, just apologize, and we're done."
Her eyes quivered violently at his words.
'Me..... Me, kneeling and apologizing to a lowly thug like this?'
She was of the noblest bloodline in the Central Plains.
For her to suffer such humiliation was unthinkable.
Even death might be preferable to tarnishing her noble bloodline's honor.
But reality was far from lenient.
"Having trouble saying it? You're troubling everyone here."
No sooner had Mok Kyung-un spoken than the inn's patrons glared at her with resentment, murmuring.
'Damn it. Is it that hard?'
'Just apologize and be done!'
'Why drag us innocents into this?'
'What makes her so special anyway!'
Their whispers, though soft, hammered into her ears unnaturally.
They cornered her, stripping away any room for pride.
Struggling, she lifted her head to look at someone.
It was Elder Beom.
"Groooan."
Elder Beom, whose shoulder blade had shattered and pierced through his flesh.
Amid his agony, he desperately conveyed something to her.
'Endure...... it...... miss?'
-Grit!
Biting her lower lip at his words, she steeled herself.
Every moment of this humiliation tormented and enraged her, but revealing it would doom them all—including herself.
[.........]
The inn's rabble could die for all she cared.
But she couldn't let her own noble life or her father's appointed protector perish here.
With the resolve of enduring hardship for future vengeance, she finally spoke.
-Grit!
"I...... have...... greatly...... wronged...... young master...... sob......"
-Tears plopped!
The blow to her pride was so severe that tears flowed nonstop as she spoke.
[What will protect you won't be me or your family name—it will be your own judgment.]
Chewing on her father's words, she finished.
"I yield...... Please...... forgive...... me."
After her submission and apology, all eyes in the inn turned to Mok Kyung-un.
Everyone watched tensely.
What if he broke his word and slaughtered them all?
Mok Kyung-un smacked his lips and said,
"Regrettable, but we'll end it here."
'Regrettable?'
Elder Beom was genuinely stunned by Mok Kyung-un's words.
Had the young miss held out, he truly intended to massacre everyone in the inn.
It was no bluff—this man was utterly ruthless.
'Young miss......'
Elder Beom admired her fortitude.
Had she snapped in anger and defended her pride, it would have been over for them all.
In that sense, this ordeal might prove medicine rather than poison for her.
At least she now realized her noble status and bloodline wouldn't shield her from everything.
-Swish!
Elder Beom cautiously eyed Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Kyung-un chuckled softly, then glanced at Dreamless Drug and said,
"Withdraw."
"Yes."
At the command, Dreamless Drug sheathed her sword from the girl.
With the blade off her neck, she—who had swallowed her humiliation to apologize—vowed inwardly.
She would take this as a lesson from another's stone: never again kneel or suffer disgrace before anyone.
And,
'I won't forgive you.'
That man who inflicted this humiliation.
She would never forget him.
Having inherited the noblest bloodline in the land, she would make him pay dearly.
Enjoy it while you can.
Soon, you'd beg her in the most wretched way.
She raised her head to scan the inn's patrons.
Relieved and glad the crisis ended with her kneeling and apologizing, they sighed in unison.
Their relief disgusted her.
They were no different.
Worried only for themselves, they hadn't uttered a word against her tormentor, instead pushing her into a corner.
'Insolent scum!'
She couldn't forgive them either.
They contributed to her humiliation and witnessed every bit.
She glared at them.
Sensing her gaze, they all averted their eyes.
'Just wait.'
Once those fiends left, she'd order her escorts to slaughter every last one.
She hadn't revealed her identity, but she wanted no word of this disgrace to spread.
Seeing her murderous glare, Mok Kyung-un's lips curled up.
He lightly tapped Elder Beom's uninjured shoulder and headed for the inn's exit.
* * *
-Shaaa!
Once outside and away from the inn, Dreamless Drug glanced back with a worried look.
Absorbing Spring asked him curiously,
"What's wrong?"
Dreamless Drug looked not at him, but at Mok Kyung-un, and said,
"My lord."
"Yes?"
"Is it really fine to just leave like this?"
Absorbing Spring nodded in agreement, wondering the same.
"I feel the same as Dreamless Drug."
"About what?"
"She submitted under force, but she seems extremely prideful. And all that talk of status......"
"Probably the son of a high official or someone from the imperial palace."
Absorbing Spring tilted his head at Dreamless Drug's guess.
"The palace? But isn't that a stretch? If royalty, wouldn't there be more escorts than that?"
"Eight first-rate warriors led by a peak transcendent realm master—that's not exactly few."
"Still, royalty would travel with soldiers too."
"Who knows? Maybe they slipped out quietly for a covert trip."
Absorbing Spring frowned at Dreamless Drug's words.
If true, letting it end here could breed future trouble.
He said to Mok Kyung-un,
"My lord. Since it's come to this, let us subordinates......"
"No need."
"Pardon? How?"
"Do you know the term 'borrowed knife homicide'?"
"Borrowed knife homicide?"
Borrowed knife homicide—using another's blade to kill, meaning manipulating someone to harm your foe.
Absorbing Spring couldn't fathom why Mok Kyung-un mentioned it.
Just then,
-Kyaeeeeek!
A scream echoed from the inn.
Absorbing Spring and Dreamless Drug turned puzzled looks toward it.
* * *
As Mok Kyung-un and his group left, she rushed to the injured Elder Beom.
Worried, she asked,
"Lord Beom, are you alright?"
"Haa.... haa...... I'm fine. I can endure this much."
"Still......"
With his bone shattered and protruding through flesh, calling it "fine" seemed dubious.
Yet Elder Beom was a master whose skills even her father acknowledged.
As he said, he could overcome this.
"You're really okay?"
"Don't worry too much."
Whispering in his ear, she said,
"Got it. Then, Lord Beom, can I ask one favor?"
"What is it?"
"Once you've recovered, can you and the escort warriors eliminate everyone in this inn?"
'!?'
Elder Beom's pupils shook at her words.
He sensed her foul mood, but not that it would spill onto the inn's patrons.
He understood, though.
Having endured public humiliation despite her exalted bloodline.
'No choice.'
He couldn't blame her cruel decision.
Nodding to agree—
-Swish swish swish!
'!?'
The whistling sound made Elder Beom try to move urgently.
But his shoulder injury hampered him—his body wouldn't obey.
Thus,
-Pfsh pfsh pfsh!
"Hngh!"
Using his body as a shield, he took the incoming projectiles on his back.
The burning pain confirmed they were hidden weapons.
Yet,
'Why won't my body move?'
His right shoulder was badly injured, but not enough to make him this heavy and uncontrollable.
Come to think of it, that ruthless bastard had tapped his shoulder lightly earlier—and it felt off.
As if poisoned......
Right then—
-Flinch! Thud!
Startled, Elder Beom twisted with all his might.
But a sharp sword pierced his abdomen and protruded.
-Pfsh!
Witnessing it up close, she screamed in shock.
"Kyaeeeeek!"
-Splat!
"Agh!"
Elder Beom urgently shoved her forward, spun, and unleashed a palm strike.
-Papapak!
"Urk!"
-Shraaa!
Struck in the chest, someone flew back.
It was one of the ronin who had watched from the inn.
But not just one.
The ronin had drawn their blades and surrounded Elder Beom.
'.......W-Why these guys?'
Elder Beom's face darkened rapidly.
***
-Shaaa!
At the same time, outside the inn.
Mok Kyung-un grinned and said,
"I whispered to one of those ronin inside. Something like, 'That noble miss suffered such disgrace—do you think she'll let you lot go?'"
Absorbing Spring and Dreamless Drug were duly impressed.
They grasped Mok Kyung-un's borrowed knife homicide.
The inn would soon become a bloodbath of their infighting.
"Shall we go, then?"
Mok Kyung-un turned away, interest gone.
Watching his back, Absorbing Spring and Dreamless Drug truly felt fear toward him.
He had toyed with the entire situation like flipping his palm.
Facing such a man as an enemy would be terrifying indeed.
[Chapter 57: Water Ghost (5)] End
ⓒ Han Jung-wol Ya