Chapter 38: The Return Gift
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: The Return Gift
Hyeok Ryeon-mu, the second son of the Heavenly Demon, wore an amused expression as he watched his youngest brother, who looked like he had just swallowed a bitter pill.
To think he’s holding back even after I’ve gone this far.
Normally, a fist would have come flying the moment Hyeok Ryeon-yeom laid eyes on him.
When he first heard the news that the youngest had been sent to the Ice Palace, he had felt a bit bittersweet. Though the boy occasionally showed flashes of his bratty, reckless nature, the two of them had struggled in their own way to escape the clutches of Hyeok Ryeon-geuk.
And yet, he just slipped away all by himself without even saying goodbye.
It was quite irritating. That was why he had accepted Hyeok Ryeon-geuk’s proposal.
—Go to the Ice Palace, deliver the gifts, see how the youngest is doing, and return.
Had it been anyone other than Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, he would never have agreed to act as an envoy to the Ice Palace.
I was planning to visit tomorrow, but...
He hadn't expected the boy to come looking for him directly.
However...
"The youngest son of... the Heavenly Demon?!"
"Hmm?"
Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s gaze, which had been fixed solely on Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, shifted to the surroundings.
One woman, and one guy who doesn't look like an Ice Palace member at all... He reeks of the Orthodox Faction.
It seemed the fellow didn't even know Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was from the Heavenly Demon Cult.
"Tsk, tsk. Sharing a table with people like this? Where did the reckless Hyeok Ryeon-yeom I knew go?"
"Are you going to sit, or not?"
Ho?
He had provoked him again, but instead of a fist or a sword, only 'words' came back.
Thud.
Hyeok Ryeon-mu sat down next to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
"This is quite interesting. Just what happened at the Ice Palace to make you so well-behaved?"
"We'll talk about that privately later."
"Hmm, is that so? Then introduce me. Is this lady your betrothed?"
Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s eyes swept over Han Seol-bi.
"Watch your—"
Just as Han Seol-bi was about to explode at that gaze...
"The food is ready."
Tae Un-seo emerged with the dishes.
"..."
"Oh, perfect timing. I was just getting hungry."
As Tae Un-seo began placing dumplings and noodles on the table, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom turned to Moyong Geum.
"Young Master. If the meal is uncomfortable for you, you may leave first."
"It's fine. I'll eat."
Roll.
Moyong Geum, who had been frozen with a strange expression, shifted his gaze for a moment before returning to his usual composure.
Did he finally realize?
Though his inner turmoil had briefly surfaced, Moyong Geum succeeded in hiding his expression. To be able to sit like this between two high-ranking figures of the Demonic Cult as a member of the Orthodox Faction meant he was no ordinary man.
Setting aside Orthodox morality, it was clear he had quickly calculated how to respond to the current situation.
Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s martial prowess was by no means low. Furthermore, there were likely attendants who had come with him from the Cult. Since he was out on a merchant mission, Moyong Geum seemed to have decided to blend into the situation rather than escalate things.
Moyong Geum was more cautious than expected. Then again, as a merchant, that was only natural.
"Right, let's eat first and do the introductions slowly later."
At Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s words, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s gaze shifted to Tae Un-seo. His eyes held a silent concern, asking if the food was safe to eat.
"Please, enjoy your meal."
Tae Un-seo gave Hyeok Ryeon-yeom a smile and prepared to withdraw.
Just then...
"Cook."
Tae Un-seo paused at Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s call.
"Yes?"
"The portions are too small. Bring out one more serving of noodles and dumplings."
"Yes, understood."
"Hmm, I suppose even the cooks in the Ice Palace are martial masters. Well, what are you waiting for? Let's eat."
"You first, Brother."
"Ha, 'Brother,' is it? Right. There are many eyes watching here. I'll take the first bite!"
Watching Hyeok Ryeon-mu pick up the food Tae Un-seo had prepared, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom wore a devious smile.
Munch, munch.
Hyeok Ryeon-mu stuffed a dumpling into his mouth and began to chew.
If it was a dish made solely by Tae Un-seo without Weizhi Young’s supervision, it would surely be closer to poison than food. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom watched Hyeok Ryeon-mu with a tense expression, but...
"Ho! This is delicious!"
He felt a pang of regret, realizing that Tae Un-seo hadn't made the dumplings and noodles alone.
Slurp.
Seeing Hyeok Ryeon-mu practically inhaling the noodles after the dumplings...
Gulp—
"Please, go ahead and eat. I ordered another serving, so I'll eat when the next one comes out."
"Will you be alright?"
"Yes, it'll be out soon."
"Then, if you'll excuse me, I'll eat first."
Han Seol-bi, who had missed her chance to get angry, also picked up a dumpling.
Slurp! Munch.
The moment Moyong Geum and Han Seol-bi inhaled the noodles and dumplings...
Thud— Thud—
The two of them slammed their heads onto the table.
"Young Master!!"
"Hmm? What's wrong with them?"
Hyeok Ryeon-mu was perfectly fine.
"...Did you perhaps lace this with poison?"
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom couldn't answer. After all, Tae Un-seo’s food was like poison.
—I added sleeping pills just in case of an emergency.
At that moment, Weizhi Young’s secret voice transmission reached him.
"Jang Baek-rim. Take care of Moyong Geum."
"...Yes."
Since the bodyguard hadn't been poisoned by the sleeping pills, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had Jang Baek-rim protect Moyong Geum.
At that moment...
Step, step.
As Moyong Geum and Han Seol-bi collapsed, Weizhi Young and Tae Un-seo emerged from the kitchen. Eun-bin approached from a corner table, and Baek Mu-yong walked toward their table from the inn's entrance.
"...What is the meaning of this?"
"Since you are an envoy of the Demonic Cult, surveillance is mandatory."
"Ho..."
Hyeok Ryeon-mu looked around at the approaching group with an intrigued expression.
"It's been a long time, Young-ah."
"It has been a long time, Second Young Master."
She was someone who could call Weizhi Young by her name.
"I thought the taste felt nostalgic; so you were the one who cooked this."
"I am glad it suited your palate."
"Still, for a cook to play tricks with the food..."
Creeeak—
At Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s remark, Tae Un-seo’s grip on his kitchen knife tightened.
"Calm down, Tae Un-seo. Ignore what Hyeok Ryeon-mu says. He's a master at getting under people's skin."
"Now I see the version of you I know."
"Brother. I hope you realize that I am no longer your little brother."
"If you aren't my brother, then who are you?"
"Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, Captain of the Little Snow Unit, the squad that protects the Young Lady of the Ice Palace. That is my status here."
"Is that so?"
Glance—
Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s gaze shifted to Han Seol-bi.
He seemed to have made another strange misunderstanding.
"Then, I suppose you have to protect the Young Lady with your own hands?"
"Brother!"
Whoosh!
Hyeok Ryeon-mu reached out toward Han Seol-bi.
Boom!
The one who blocked that hand was Eun-bin. The problem was that even though the hand and the sword collided, not a single scratch appeared on the hand.
"Ho, you're pretty good!"
Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s excitement rose. By the time Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had quickly backed away and drawn the Flame Extreme...
"Deputy Leader! It's not the front, it's the back!"
Thwack—
Hyeok Ryeon-mu had already circled behind Eun-bin and slammed a fist into his back.
"Cough—"
Whoosh!
It was Baek Mu-yong who saved Eun-bin as he was about to be sent crashing into the wall.
"Heave!"
He barely managed to prevent the direct impact with the wall.
"That hand... let go of her this instant."
In the meantime, Hyeok Ryeon-mu had taken Han Seol-bi hostage.
"Tsk, tsk. For the Young Lady of the Ice Palace to be this defenseless."
"I think there's a misunderstanding. That girl is not the Young Lady."
"Ah, she's not your betrothed?"
Hyeok Ryeon-mu’s interest visibly deflated.
"Then it doesn't matter if she dies."
Just as he was about to toss Han Seol-bi aside...
"Brother. Why exactly did you come to the Ice Palace? Didn't you come as an envoy?"
Pause.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom stopped him with just a few words.
"That was a close one."
"I don't know who sent you, but since you've come to the Ice Palace, I expect you to follow our laws."
Hyeok Ryeon-mu looked at Hyeok Ryeon-yeom with an expression of utter disbelief. Then, he put his index finger to his temple and started spinning it.
"Little brother, did the shock of being sold off to the Ice Palace drive you crazy? You don't seem like the Hyeok Ryeon-yeom I know."
Of course he wouldn't. Unlike the reckless brat, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom...
The Hyeok Ryeon-yeom standing before him was a regressor who had returned to seek revenge after living through a past life.
"If you came looking for the youngest son of the Cult Leader, you've come to the wrong place."
"Should we jump him?"
Tae Un-seo muttered from behind. His eyes were swirling with killing intent, clearly furious from the earlier comment.
"Sigh. I'm disappointed, youngest. I didn't think you were such a softie for sentiment in the past."
A softie for sentiment?
That one phrase snapped him back to his senses. He realized he was subconsciously thinking he had to protect Han Seol-bi. Whether Han Seol-bi of the Cold Blood Han Family died or got hurt had nothing to do with him.
As his thoughts reached this point, Seol Yerin’s face naturally began to flicker in his mind.
—He’s a dangerous fellow.
The Sword Venerable spoke up.
"If the Ice Palace made you like this, I'll help you snap out of it since I'm here to deliver gifts anyway. I heard you're having an engagement ceremony soon. But if you're wandering around with a woman like this by your side, what would the Young Lady think?"
Grip—
He saw Hyeok Ryeon-mu tighten his hold on Han Seol-bi’s arms. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom knew all too well what would happen if he left things as they were.
—The Han girl looks like she's in danger! Yeom-ah, you must stop him!
The Demon Empress’s worried cry also reached him. However, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom showed no intention of moving.
"Right, that's more like the reckless Hyeok Ryeon-yeom."
Grin—
Hyeok Ryeon-mu began to apply pressure to tear off the unconscious Han Seol-bi’s arms.
Crackle—
That was certainly his intention until a moment ago.
"W-What...?"
Step, step.
The air turned frigid. As the sound of footsteps from behind drew closer and closer...
"I-It's cold."
Hyeok Ryeon-mu could feel his entire body beginning to freeze. No, it wasn't just him. The entire inn was freezing over.
"How dare you... lay a hand on Seol-bi and the Third Young Master?"
Gulp—
Only then did Hyeok Ryeon-mu realize the identity of the woman standing behind him.
"The Ice... Queen."
The ice flower that could freeze the world had bloomed in full.
Seol Yerin, the Young Lady of the Ice Palace, had learned through a conversation with her father, Seol Baek-ho, that an envoy from the Demonic Cult had visited.
The head of the envoy is Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s older brother?
If Seol Yerin and Hyeok Ryeon-yeom were to marry in the future, the second son, Hyeok Ryeon-mu, would become her brother-in-law. She knew all too well that the Ice Palace and the Demonic Cult weren't just on bad terms; they were sworn enemies.
Nevertheless, at the thought of meeting the family of her potential betrothed for the first time, she had summoned the Little Snow Unit without telling Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
—You want us to serve Lord Hyeok Ryeon-mu at the Ice Palace Inn?
Recruiting Weizhi Young had been a stroke of genius. Having already met Hyeok Ryeon-mu back in the Cult, Weizhi Young knew his likes and dislikes.
The plan was for Weizhi Young and the other members of the Little Snow Unit to treat the envoy with the utmost hospitality, and then she would go to meet the Second Young Master, Hyeok Ryeon-mu, together with Hyeok Ryeon-yeom later.
However...
To think the plan would go so wrong!
Preparation had taken too long. Furthermore, she had only later heard the news that the Captain of the Little Snow Unit had gone to meet Young Master Moyong Geum. She had moved in a hurry to follow Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, and the sight she saw upon arriving at the inn was...
It would have been a disaster if I were even a moment later.
Of course, she believed that even if she hadn't stepped in, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom would have saved Han Seol-bi himself.
Crackle—
Seol Yerin, who had been staring at the increasingly frozen Hyeok Ryeon-mu with a cold gaze, approached Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
"Baek Mu-yong, Eun-bin. Take Lady Han and Young Master Moyong and head back."
"Yes, Captain."
Watching the two of them leave, Seol Yerin turned back to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
"...I'm sorry."
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked quite angry. Moving the Little Snow Unit without the Captain's permission was definitely a mistake. When she honestly admitted her fault and apologized...
"Lady Seol did nothing wrong. Rather, thank you for showing up at the perfect moment."
He actually thanked her.
"Third Young Master..."
"If you had been just a little later, I might have ended up incinerating my brother who came as an envoy."
They were ominous words, but Seol Yerin somehow felt she could empathize with his feelings.
"I didn't realize he was such a violent brother."
"You don't need to know that in the future, either."
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom stepped in front of the freezing Hyeok Ryeon-mu. Even as he was turning into an ice statue, unable to move an inch, Hyeok Ryeon-mu was still smiling.
"Is... that woman... the one... who will be... your... betrothed?"
"Yeah, that's right. More importantly, how long are you going to keep that up?"
It was all an act by Hyeok Ryeon-mu.
Sizzle—
Black demonic smoke began to melt the ice.
"Fortune has truly rolled into your lap."
"That's what I wanted to say. So, who sent you?"
Hyeok Ryeon-mu, now clean and having melted all the ice, whispered softly.
"Hyeok Ryeon-geuk."
Whoosh—
At the mention of that name, rage surged within him. Just as the flames were about to erupt...
"Now, now, calm down and take this. A return gift is a return gift, after all."
Hyeok Ryeon-mu pulled something from his robes and held it out to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
"This is..."
Taking what Hyeok Ryeon-mu handed him, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom realized that the Demonic Cult had put quite a bit of thought into this return gift.