Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: New Destination
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Fortunately, my misconception that this place was some kind of purgatory where no one could live was quickly cleared up.
"What kind of life have you been living to make you think that?"
"I didn't want to think that way either..."
Honestly, everywhere I'd gone lately had been plagued by one incident after another, so it was impossible not to react like this if even this place had worse public order.
"And even if the security isn't as good as you imagine, there's no need to worry."
"Why not?"
"With me here, who would dare lay a hand on you?"
The Sword Empress revealed the sleeve of her Bloodstained Cloak adorned with a white plum blossom, her expression brimming with confidence.
Honestly, that was pretty cool just now.
"Even though the righteous and demonic factions don't get along, that only holds when they're on a similar level. Unless they've got some real skill or solid backing, no one would dare charge in first upon seeing this."
"Have you always been this confident?"
I'd thought she might be more humble.
"I just want to avoid needless conflicts. The cleanup afterward is more of a hassle."
True enough. One swing of her sword would end most disputes, but it'd probably draw even more unwanted stares.
"Have you ever been to Guangdong before?"
"Back in my reckless youth, swept up in a sense of justice, I wandered all over the martial world. Of course I'd been here. It was quite the unique experience."
She clearly looked like she was in her twenties, but the way she talked made her sound like a total gran...
-Swish
"...I wasn't thinking anything."
"Is that so? I just got a weird feeling all of a sudden."
Before I could even finish the thought, the Sword Empress's gaze turned toward me.
I wasn't sure if it was the intuition of a master, a woman's intuition, or both, but it sent a slight chill down my spine.
"Then, when you came to Guangdong before, was there any place that left a strong impression?"
"A place that left an impression..."
The Sword Empress pondered for a moment.
"A tavern stands out in my memory."
"...Pardon?"
"It's probably the largest tavern in the Central Plains. I never went looking for it myself, but according to what a close friend told me back then, he'd never seen a finer one in the Central Plains."
"Ooh..."
It was intriguing. No, more than that—extremely intriguing.
The greatest tavern in the Central Plains?
-Gulp
Saliva pooled in my mouth involuntarily.
"I can't see your expression, but I can tell you're hooked."
-Nod nod
"Well... You've been through quite a bit yourself, so this much shouldn't be bad."
"Can we go?"
"If that's what you want, there's no reason not to. I'll cover the bill, so don't worry about money."
"Wow, I love you."
-Halt
The Sword Empress froze in place. Unaware, I kept walking ahead.
"W-What did you just...?"
"So, what's the name of that tavern? If it's that famous, we should find it easily."
"..."
"Sword Empress?"
"Ah, it's nothing. The tavern's name? I believe it's the Golden Orchid Tavern."
We confirmed with a passerby that it wasn't too far from here, but not exactly close either—it was about a two-day walk.
We tried to hurry, but we'd only made it halfway when night fell, leaving us no choice but to spend the night at a nearby inn.
"Any rooms available?"
"Ah... I'm sorry. We have a lot of long-term guests right now, so only one room left."
"?!"
The Sword Empress looked extremely flustered.
After what happened last night(?), sharing a room again must be embarrassing for her.
"It's fine. We'll take the one room."
"Y-You...?"
"We have things to talk about anyway, just the two of us. It's okay."
Especially after yesterday, there was plenty to discuss.
I'd caused a mess, but cleanup was still necessary.
We'd been traveling together up to now, but we couldn't have that conversation out in public, so I'd been waiting for the right moment.
-Creak
"Now it's just us. I had something to say anyway."
"I-Is that so?"
"Yes. Don't you have anything to say, Sword Empress?"
Even if it was for healing purposes, we'd had sex without any mutual feelings.
I figured she probably had even more to say than I did.
I was just a lowly fortune teller who'd run away from my master into the world for a bit, while she was one of the top masters of the righteous factions—the Sword Empress.
And women were probably more sensitive about sex than men.
'I had no choice but to go along with it, but who knows about the Sword Empress.'
"Something to say... Of course I do."
"Then... Would you like to go first? Or should I?"
"..."
"If it's hard for you to say, I'll go first."
It wasn't as much as hers, but my heart was pounding as I prepared to speak too.
I never imagined a day would come when I'd have to say something like this.
-Clench
I closed my eyes and opened my mouth.
"Let's pretend it never happened."
I'd vaguely anticipated it.
That his memory loss didn't mean an opportunity had arrived for me.
That from his perspective, I was just a 'close woman,' not someone he could spend a lifetime with.
"..."
"Everyone has their own circumstances, right? I'm truly grateful that you sacrificed your body to heal me... but without mutual feelings, it wouldn't be good for either of us to be bound by our first experience."
I hated that stiff tone of his.
I really hated how it turned rigid at times like this.
And I hated it even more when he used that rigid tone to say something like that.
'No feelings...'
Maybe I'd been secretly hoping.
That he might have feelings for me too.
As if that could ever be true.
"..."
What right did I have to hope on my own and be disappointed on my own?
When I hadn't even been able to properly protect him all this time.
Did I really think one night together would make his heart mine too?
'Sigh...'
Don't feel regret.
You expected this.
"...I understand."
"So... Pardon?"
"I said I understand."
Don't forget.
Even if he doesn't remember, I'm a sinner.
A sinner who committed a grave sin against him.
Don't forget the conviction you've always held: that you were his partner.
If a person sins against someone, they must pay the price and repay the debt to that person.
So...
-Grip
Enduring this excruciating pain was also karma I had to bear.
"A-Are you really okay with this?"
"...Isn't there truth in what you said? With no feelings involved, binding ourselves would only hurt each other."
"W-Well, that's true, but..."
-Smile
I forced a smile while enduring the pain I still felt.
"I'm fine. Just knowing you're alive achieves my goal."
"...Thank you."
Even so,
As repulsive as I found myself for thinking it,
I was satisfied with this situation—having revealed my identity to him without being hated.
Because I was a sinner who'd committed a grave sin against him.
'9997...!'
Sword forms unfolded, scattering the fragrance of plum blossoms around me.
It was the homework my master had assigned—my daily routine.
Ten thousand forms from start to finish.
'9998...!'
Of course, it wasn't easy.
If it were just any plum blossom sword style, maybe, but the unique art my master taught me personally was still too profound for me to fully grasp, demanding my full concentration for each form.
Once my understanding of the sword deepened and my body adapted, I'd enter a trance-like state and breeze through, but my master always sensed it like a ghost and increased the training volume.
'9999...!'
Of course it was grueling.
My whole body was soaked in sweat, creating an unpleasant sensation.
But I had a reason to endure.
'10000...!'
After training ended, I could do what I wanted afterward.
Even if I was confined to wandering only within Mount Hua, it didn't matter.
That boy was on Mount Hua too.
"Huff... Hah..."
After finishing all ten thousand, my knees nearly buckled, but I gritted my teeth, straightened them, and headed to my room.
I wanted to run straight there right now, but I had to wash up first.
I couldn't show up to him reeking like this.
-Rustle
I stripped off my training clothes and began washing my body with water.
The water flowed over my skin, washing away the unpleasant sweat.
I checked myself in the nearby mirror, scanning for any marks on my body.
I'd never cared about grooming myself like this before, but it was all because of that boy.
The age gap was a bit much, but if there was love, age didn't matter.
"Hum~ Hum~"
Humming a tune, I applied cosmetics all over my body for skincare.
Practicing martial arts kept my condition good, but you could never do enough of this.
-Squeeze
'Have they gotten a little bigger?'
My breasts, a bit too large to cup with one hand.
I'd always thought they were just a hindrance at best, but no.
They were a woman's precious weapon.
'Yuseong probably likes them big too, right?'
Most men would.
He wouldn't prefer small ones, surely.
I hadn't met many other women to compare easily, but if I compared to my master...
'...'
...I compared to the disciple of my junior uncle I'd met a few days ago.
'Heh heh.'
Definitely bigger.
This size should make Yuseong happy.
-Rustle
After finishing my beauty routine, I changed into the prettiest clothes I owned and used lightness skill to head toward the outer sect disciples' training grounds.
Once nearby, I went to our prearranged spot, where a boy was looking around.
Had he spotted me?
"Sis!"
The boy beamed and ran toward me.
-Poof
"I missed you!"
"Yeah... Sis missed you too..."
The little boy buried himself in my arms.
I stroked the young child, not yet old enough for basic studies, as I thought to myself.
Just endure for five more years.