Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Interlude - Affection and Immorality (2)
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The next day's clan leader meeting.
Having just returned to the alliance, Dang Hwa-seo was swamped.
Even after the meeting ended, she stayed behind, hurriedly sorting through the recent changes, and had to drill the current state of the martial world into her head to prepare for the next one.
After finally wrapping everything up, she rose from her seat late in the evening when Gyeon Dong approached her.
“Dragon-Phoenix Squad Leader.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Well… could you pass this on to Mokryong?”
Gyeon Dong held out a small, neatly wrapped bottle of liquor.
Dang Hwa-seo tilted her head.
“Liquor?”
“Yes. I heard Mokryong the Great Hero has reached the Peak Realm. I wanted to give it to him as a congratulatory gift, but I never have a reason to go to his hall.”
Gyeon Dong's face, with its sheepish smile, no longer carried the malice it once had.
Had that day's wager match changed something in his heart?
Dang Hwa-seo thought for a moment before taking the bottle with a playful question.
“It's not poisoned, is it?”
It was a joke she could make now that she harbored no more grudges against him.
He hadn't committed atrocities deserving of deep hatred in the first place.
But to Gyeon Dong, it seemed to hit differently.
“W-what nonsense! No matter how much they call me a petty villain, I wouldn't stoop that low!”
Gyeon Dong jumped up and shouted.
Dang Hwa-seo couldn't help but burst out laughing with a 'pfft!'
“A joke. I'll make sure Young Hero Mok gets it.”
“Ahem! Even as a joke, be careful.”
Gyeon Dong muttered in relief, then began glancing around slyly.
His expression screamed he had more to say.
“If you have something to say, spit it out.”
“Ah, well…”
Gyeon Dong scratched the back of his head and asked cautiously.
“Thinking back, Dragon-Phoenix Squad Leader, you always call Mokryong the Great Hero 'Young Hero Mok.' I was wondering if I could ask why.”
“Ah…”
Dang Hwa-seo let out a small sound at his words.
Truth be told, it was something she herself had been pondering.
And for good reason—the general consensus was clear.
Mok Ri-won was a martial artist who had performed several major heroic deeds since entering the jianghu.
Frankly, he more than deserved the title of 'Great Hero.'
‘But…’
Changing the honorific now felt awkward.
Honorifics were meant to shift only when the relationship changed, and in Dang Hwa-seo's view, her relationship with Mok Ri-won hadn't fundamentally altered since they first met.
Especially regarding romantic matters.
“…”
Dang Hwa-seo's lips pressed together tightly.
A faint blush colored her cheeks.
‘If I had to change the honorific…’
Something more intimate or closer would be nice.
For example.
For example!
‘D-dear… or something…’
Dang Hwa-seo's face flushed beet red.
The moment she imagined a lover's pet name, embarrassment surged to the top of her head, filling her body with unprecedented strength.
Overwhelmed by the twisting shame, Dang Hwa-seo squeezed her eyes shut and slammed the desk.
Kwaaaang!
“What was that!”
“Eek!”
Gyeon Dong flinched in terror, hunching down.
Dang Hwa-seo then realized Gyeon Dong was still there.
Embarrassed, she said.
“Ahem… a bad memory flashed by. Sorry.”
Gyeon Dong's head whipped around as if he'd used lightness skill.
“N-no! Everyone gets angry thinking of bad times! Of course! I-I just remembered something urgent, so I'll be off! Keep up the good work!”
Gyeon Dong bolted from the meeting room.
Dang Hwa-seo sighed awkwardly for no reason.
‘Hwa-seo, get a grip.’
Lately, what was wrong with her? It was utterly pathetic.
*
Returning to the hall, Dang Hwa-seo went straight to Mok Ri-won and handed over the bottle.
“The True Origin Unit Leader asked me to pass this on. It's to celebrate your Peak Realm!”
“Oh! From the Unit Leader!”
Mok Ri-won beamed as he took the bottle.
He uncorked it slightly, sniffed the aroma, and grinned widely.
“Heh… nice. Seems like expensive stuff. Little Sister, give it a smell too.”
As Mok Ri-won held the bottle's mouth to her, Dang Hwa-seo closed her eyes and inhaled.
She let out an exclamation.
“Yes, definitely not ordinary liquor. For something like this, the True Origin Unit Leader must have splurged. You should thank him properly next time.”
“Got it!”
Mok Ri-won recorked the bottle and said with flushed cheeks.
“Little Sister! Let's go!”
“Huh? Where to?”
“We have to drink it!”
He shook the bottle with a jingle, clearly inviting her to share.
Dang Hwa-seo blinked before agreeing.
‘…No urgent tasks right now anyway.’
She'd finished everything pressing before coming, so she had time.
Dang Hwa-seo followed Mok Ri-won out of the office.
*
They arrived at the hall's veranda, now quite familiar.
A modest pond lay ahead with reeds growing, the surroundings quiet and serene.
“Alright, cheers! Oh! It's expensive liquor, so no circulating your qi to sober up! We have to get properly drunk!”
Mok Ri-won shouted excitedly.
Dang Hwa-seo could only smile awkwardly.
Invulnerable to All Poisons.
Her constitution wouldn't allow her to get drunk.
“But Young Hero Mok yourself…”
She paused—
‘…Get drunk?’
Her gaze turned misty toward Mok Ri-won.
Thinking back, it was true.
Mok Ri-won enjoyed liquor quite a bit and didn't bother sobering up, but he never drank to the point of total inebriation.
He always controlled his intake meticulously.
In other words, Dang Hwa-seo had never seen Mok Ri-won drunk.
‘Young Hero Mok's drunken state…’
She swallowed dryly with a 'gulp.'
Her lewd desires unfurled hopeful fantasies in that instant.
-Little Sister…
A thoroughly drunk Mok Ri-won gazing at her with longing eyes…
-It's so hot…
Feverish from the alcohol, stripping off clothes one by one…
-Ugh… can't get it off…
And then…
-Little Sister… could you help me undress…?
Crack!
The veranda floor under Dang Hwa-seo's hand splintered.
“Eek!”
Mok Ri-won jumped in surprise.
Dang Hwa-seo belatedly realized her blunder.
‘Damn it!’
Such foolish thoughts!
Dang Hwa-seo panicked at Mok Ri-won's frightened expression, her mind going blank, before spitting out an excuse.
“R-repairs needed. The floor's durability is poor…”
“Oh, that?”
“Think I broke it on purpose?”
Mok Ri-won eyed her suspiciously.
Dang Hwa-seo maintained her composure to the end, and only then did he drop his doubts.
“…Alright.”
Dang Hwa-seo exhaled in relief inwardly.
“Then let's drink.”
She changed the subject.
Mok Ri-won nodded and filled a cup, offering it.
“How about a toast?”
“Fine by me.”
Clink—
The cups met with a clear ring.
As Dang Hwa-seo swallowed, the burning sensation let her gauge the liquor's strength.
‘Pretty potent stuff.’
Of course, she wouldn't get drunk.
“Keuh…!”
Mok Ri-won grimaced and exclaimed.
“Strongest I've ever had!”
“Strongest…”
Meaning he could get drunk.
Dang Hwa-seo felt strange anticipation bubbling inside.
A glance showed Mok Ri-won's face already red from one cup.
Another needless swallow.
Dang Hwa-seo bit her lip before urging more liquor on him.
…Her reason wasn't sturdy enough to overcome her desire.
What she did was endless self-justification.
‘I'm… checking his drunken behavior in advance. Yes, to prevent any accidents if Young Hero Mok gets drunk later!’
“Have another. I'll pour.”
“Ah, thanks! But Little Sister…”
“Tasting it is enough for me. It was prepared for Young Hero Mok by the True Origin Unit Leader. Sharing more would disappoint him.”
Whether she'd oiled her tongue or not, Dang Hwa-seo was startled by her own eloquence.
‘C-control the expression…’
Suppressing her rising smile made her cheeks ache.
Meanwhile, Mok Ri-won downed the second cup.
“Keuh…!”
“Here, another.”
“Hm…? Shouldn't we savor it…”
“Once opened, leaving it won't keep the aroma like now. Wouldn't that be a waste?”
“Hmm, true.”
Mok Ri-won accepted and drank.
His face relaxed a bit.
Then the fourth cup.
Mok Ri-won's eyes fully glazed over.
His clothes were slightly disheveled, eyelids softly covering his eyes, boasting long lashes.
It closely resembled Dang Hwa-seo's imagined drunken Mok Ri-won.
“…Here's the fifth.”
“Hm…”
Mok Ri-won wobbled as he held out his cup.
Dang Hwa-seo poured, and he drank.
“Kuh…”
Mok Ri-won's head bobbed forward and back.
Almost there.
Dang Hwa-seo squinted at him, then checked the remaining liquor.
One cup's worth.
‘Tch, shoulda brought a bigger bottle.’
Typical petty villain thinking.
Dang Hwa-seo muttered inwardly words that would enrage Gyeon Dong if heard, then filled the last cup.
Mok Ri-won drank it unknowingly.
That was the moment.
Clack—
Mok Ri-won's cup rolled from his hand to the floor.
“Little Sishter…”
His slurred speech.
“The worl's spinnin' multiples…”
Words as his head spun.
Adorably so.
“I-is that so?”
Dang Hwa-seo felt she could no longer pull down her corners.
They twitched upward.
Mok Ri-won's head turned toward her.
Their eyes met briefly.
Then Mok Ri-won crawled clumsily to her and laid his head on her thigh.
“Little Sishter… so shleepy…”
He said, tightly grasping her hand.
Thump thump thump thump!!!
Dang Hwa-seo felt like drums were beating in her ear.
Her own heartbeat sounded so loud.
“A-are you sleepy?”
“Mmm…”
Mok Ri-won rubbed her hand against his cheek.
Then he grinned broadly.
“Cool…”
‘Insane!’
Dang Hwa-seo barely held back from jumping up.
A shiver like electricity ran down her spine.
Blood rushed to her head for some reason.
Her nose tingled faintly.
Her lewdness reached unprecedented heights.
Dang Hwa-seo looked at the ceiling and took deep breaths.
But it wasn't enough to calm her.
She lamented inwardly.
‘What kind of drunkenness is this seductive!’
Such a brazen man!
This was living seduction!
A world-charming fox that bewitched everyone around just by walking!
Absolutely!
Even in death!
This sight must not be revealed to the world!
Rising resolve.
And slowly rising immorality.
In that instant.
‘…Hold on.’
Dang Hwa-seo paused.
‘Immorality…?’
Only then did she realize.
Her own state—lost in reason-melting fantasies too dark to voice—strangely resembled Jegal San.
“…”
“Little Sishter…”
It was an eerie sensation.
The moment 'immorality' and 'Jegal San' surfaced in her mind, her head cooled sharply, like ice shoved into her cracked skull.
‘Have I…’
What was she doing right now?
Self-loathing crashed over her.
Dang Hwa-seo's body trembled.
Eyes squeezed shut, she screamed inwardly.
‘Hwa-seo!’
Get a grip!
Thus, today too, Mok Ri-won's purity was safely preserved.