Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 211
Chapter Title: On Oneself
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"It's here! Thank goodness it made it through safe and sound...!"
I'd been worried that, being in such a heavily damaged area, it might have collapsed entirely. But luckily, even though the outside was a bit charred, it was still standing perfectly fine.
Anyway, it was just a simple fortune-telling stall made of wood and tents, so even if it had collapsed, it could've been rebuilt in a day or two. Still, it was a place full of memories with him, so losing it would've felt like a huge loss.
"It's built so plainly. The shops around here are all pretty flashy by comparison."
"He said that for a place like this, keeping it simple would draw more customers. And in the end, business was great."
"Hmm..."
"Oh. Want to take a peek inside before we go? It's nothing special, though."
"Since we're here, it might as well."
As soon as she agreed, Dang Ayoung pulled a key from her bosom and unlocked the door.
"Come on in..."
"...Why do you have the key?"
"Pardon?"
"Isn't this my disciple's shop?"
"Ah. The land and building are in my name. He ran it, but I'm the owner."
"..."
...Come to think of it, had I never mentioned that?
I had told her that I'd helped him settle down not long after he entered the secular world, but I didn't think I'd gone into specifics.
'Maybe this scores me some points...!'
I hadn't wanted to brag, but wasn't I basically his benefactor?
With his innocent personality, if he'd latched onto some shady woman instead of me, he might've ended up in a real mess by now. Just providing the foundation for him to settle properly and looking after him was enough to claim that title.
...Though honestly, at this point, I'd received way more from him than the other way around.
"...Hmm."
His master silently scanned the dusty interior of the shop for a long while.
"Wasn't it dangerous while you were running it?"
"There were the occasional rowdy customers, but I kept watch right beside him."
"..."
"I-It was nothing! I had a lot of free time back then anyway... And he'd helped me out plenty too... So it was only natural..."
"As his master, I suppose I should at least offer my thanks."
With that, she turned toward me.
"Thank you for looking after my disciple all this time. That immature fool has managed to stay safe in the secular world this long, and I can only assume your role was a big part of it."
Her expression still said she didn't quite approve of me, but the sincerity in her words rang true.
"N-No! It was just what anyone would've done... And it wasn't like I was helping him one-sidedly!"
"Even if that's how it started, not everyone in this world is so kind... If he'd fallen in with the wrong person, he might not have made it this far unscathed. At the very least, that flower-field brain of his would've gotten a reality check by now."
"W-Well..."
"Truth be told, I was surprised even after finding him. In the worst case, I figured he might be dead or locked up somewhere, suffering who-knows-what... But he was just as I remembered, if a bit more pressed for time."
"H-He is a little naive..."
He probably didn't see it that way himself, but he did have his naive side.
He wasn't the type to blindly follow or trust just anyone, but he was inherently good-hearted. And once he truly opened up to someone, he gave them near-limitless trust...
You could call it an all-embracing包容力 that made you want to accept anything from him.
It was exactly that trait that set my nights ablaze, drawing me deeper into him.
Like a swamp you couldn't escape once you'd tasted it.
I couldn't even imagine life without him anymore.
So if his master refused to give her blessing...
-Squeeze
...Wouldn't my life lose all its joy?
I'd already abandoned my dreams as a martial artist to live as a devoted wife. There was no going back to my old life.
Not that I'd ever want another man.
There was no one in the whole world who could replace him.
Even if we hadn't officially announced our relationship yet...
"...So. What is it about my disciple that caught your eye?"
"P-Pardon?"
"I'm not so oblivious that I'd miss it with my disciple. A grown man and woman spending three years together? Unless one of them had issues in that department, nothing would've happened? I know my disciple doesn't."
"...W-Well, that's true..."
"I'm sure you switched to separate rooms because I showed up suddenly. I already know you were sharing a bed before that, so don't bother with excuses."
"..."
Was this the intuition of a master like a mother to him?
She knew everything without me saying a word.
-Gulp
I had to answer carefully.
This was the first hurdle to getting official permission for our relationship.
Let me think. How did I fall for him?
I'd helped him open the fortune-telling stall and stuck around to learn more about him...
At first, I thought he was blowing all his daily earnings on booze like some wastrel, but it turned out he had his reasons...
...And then there was that intoxicating scent from his body...
'Gotta phrase this right.'
How do I say, "His body had this irresistible scent, so I stripped him and found he was drop-dead gorgeous, and I jumped him right there"?
She'd slap me if I was lucky.
I circulated my inner energy to clear my head, organized my thoughts, took a deep breath once I had a good answer, and opened my mouth.
'As I helped him from the side, our hearts grew closer, and the more I learned, the more I realized what a good man he was, leading us here.'
"His body had this amazing scent, so I jumped him the moment I saw his bare face."
Uh.
-Crack
I realized I'd said my thoughts aloud instead of my prepared line, and my body froze.
I'm done for.
What had I just done?
How could I say that to someone like a parent to him...
"...I see."
'...Huh?'
...Why wasn't she mad?
Shouldn't she be furious?
"...You're not angry?"
"Did my disciple hate it?"
"N-No..."
"Then it's fine. You liked it, jumped him, he accepted, and you've been together since. Unless it was rape, what do I care how young folks fool around?"
-Flustered
It stung a little, but I bit my tongue and tried not to react.
"S-So, you're giving us your blessing?"
"That's for him to decide."
"...Pardon?"
"Well. He's planning to stay in the secular world a while longer anyway, so don't rush it. When the time comes, I'll let him choose."
"W-Wait... Choose what...?"
"Just so you know, I'm confident."
-Flinch!
Her seductive whisper slithered into my ear.
As she brushed past me, murmuring right by my ear, goosebumps prickled my skin unbidden.
The sunset framed her from behind, her golden hair glowing radiantly—her beauty was utterly unreal.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to show me the way back?"
"Y-Yes!"
I had no idea what was going on, but it didn't feel negative, so I figured I'd just steadily rack up points and get her approval. I hurried to her side.
"...Oh. But did that fool get involved with other women too?"
-Flustered!
"W-Why do you ask?"
"You said he had a scent. One or two, I'd let slide, but one, two, three, four... five women? Makes me wonder just how promiscuous he's been."
"Haha... Well, men do that sometim—"
Wait.
Five?
'Me, Lady Thunderclap Sword, and Sword Empress make three...'
......Who are the other two?
.
.
.
-Bang!
"We're hooome~"
It had been a headache of a day all around, but I'd kept him in mind—he'd been bored stiff at home—so I plastered on a smile and opened the door. What hit me instead was the overwhelming stench of alcohol permeating the house.
"Ah! Welcooome!"
"...You drank again?!"
"I can have a liddle! Whaaat!"
He had an insanely high tolerance for booze, yet his tongue was slurring this badly.
This was the kind of state that screamed he'd gone way overboard.
Proving it, empty bottles were scattered all over the floor.
"Aigoo, and with your master here... What a mess. Get up already."
"Whyy! Gonna drink more! Lemme go!"
"Looks like there's nothing left to drink anyway... Come on, I'll tuck you straight into bed, so just sleep it off. Up you go."
"Noooo!"
As I hoisted him—still clutching an empty bottle and resisting—turning toward the bedroom, my eyes met his master's.
"Hand him over. I'll take him."
"Ah... Sure..."
What could I do if she wanted to handle it herself?
I carefully supported him so he wouldn't slip and passed him over. She took him with practiced ease.
It felt weird handing over a grown man like this, but his frame was so slight...
"Th-Then I'll clean up and head in."
"Right. See you tomorrow."
"Uwaaaah..."
...I'd seen him sleepy plenty of times, but drunk? First time. And damn, it had its own charm.
I carefully carried the immature fool handed over by the Tang Clan girl into the room where we'd slept last night, laid him on the bed, and naturally moved to lie down beside him...
"N-Nooo..."
"?"
The guy started grunting and pushing me away.
"L-Last night and the night before were unavoidable, but not tonight!"
"Why not?"
"J-Just no! Can't say!"
-Snort
I wanted to chomp right into that cheek.
I knew why he was acting like this, but did he really think I was clueless...?
"Fine. I'll let it slide tonight."
Last night had been a bit much anyway, so one night off it was.
His current state felt risky in all sorts of ways too.
"See you in the morning th—"
As I pulled the blanket over him and rose from the bed,
"D-Don't go."
"...Hm?"
He reached out and grabbed my sleeve.
"...Didn't you just say no sharing a bed?"
"Sh-Sharing's no, but leaving's no too!"
"So you want me to stay by your side all night?"
-Nod
When I asked in disbelief, he cautiously nodded.
"What a selfish demand..."
"You promised not to leave me alone...!"
"...Fine, fine. Got it."
If I'd known it'd be like this, I should've skipped the long seclusion training altogether.
Hates being alone this much, huh.
"Heehee."
As I sat obediently by him and held his hand, he grinned innocently, oblivious.
"..."
-Smack
Before he drifted off, I leaned in carefully for a kiss. When his tongue slipped out, I pushed it back in and pulled away.
Not tonight, you idiot.
Because of this scatterbrained disciple, I ended up sitting by his side instead of sleeping. But that night, I didn't feel the slightest bit sleepy until dawn.