Longing for Home (4)
Click.
After exchanging a few more words, she rose from her seat and swapped the blade at her waist for Seolhon, fastening it securely. She turned this way and that, inspecting herself, then smiled with clear satisfaction before speaking to me.
“Thank you for the sword you gave me. I like it. Strangely enough, it feels a lot like Baekro.”
I had been sitting and looking up at her. Watching her twist and turn, a warm feeling rose in my chest, and I found myself saying something unnecessary.
“Why are you thanking me? I was basically just the delivery boy.”
At my answer, Namgung Seha settled back down gracefully, gave a light shrug as if to say what does it matter, and replied.
“Why would I thank the woman who screamed so viciously about wanting to kill me? I’ll simply be grateful to you.”
Fair enough. Besides, it wasn’t as if I could pass the thanks along to the original owner anyway. Why on earth would I travel all the way to the western region? It would be nothing but pointless hardship.
With that thought, I began undoing the mental latches I had kept firmly in place one by one. There would be no more conversations that required such barriers between us.
After releasing the final latch and straightening up, she suddenly asked from behind me.
“By the way, you returned a little late after the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. Where did you go?”
As she spoke, she lightly pulled open her collar and tapped the inside. I mirrored the motion, opening my own collar to check. There, wrapped around the wound, were the bandages where I had applied medicine.
Seeing them, Namgung Seha carefully ventured the rest of her question.
“Or… perhaps you were badly injured?”
To be honest, I had been badly injured. It still hadn’t fully healed, and it throbbed whenever anything touched it. But that wasn’t why my return had been delayed, and more than that, the clear worry in her voice made it impossible to joke about it.
“I wasn’t hurt. I simply went down south to visit my master for a while.”
Her lips parted slightly as she let out a soft “Ah,” a sound of understanding. Her expression eased considerably, and she asked in a much lighter tone.
“Is your master doing well? From what little I’ve heard from you, it sounded as though he had no other disciples.”
At those words, I recalled the sight of my master’s back as I descended the mountain the other day and answered.
“He was in excellent health. He doesn’t seem to mingle with others any more now than he did in the past, so I worry whether he might feel lonely, but…”
I couldn’t imagine him ever feeling lonely no matter where he was. It was simply a small concern. After all, even one’s own heart could never be fully understood, even by oneself.
“I tried to bring him here with me this time, but he said it was fine.”
In truth, I had intended to persuade him once or twice more that day.
I still have reasons I must remain here.
“He told me he still had reasons to stay there, so I couldn’t press him any further.”
After hearing those words, I simply couldn’t bring myself to urge my master anymore. I had no choice but to quietly withdraw. It left me a little wistful and somewhat disappointed, but it was an unavoidable force of circumstance.
Perhaps that emotion had shown clearly on my face, because Namgung Seha spoke to me gently.
“It’s difficult for me to guess the feelings of your master, whom I have never had the honor of meeting, but I’m certain he must be proud of you.”
At her words, I paused for a moment before offering my thanks.
“Yeah. Thank you.”
She let out a small huff of laughter and returned the very words I had said earlier.
“What are you thanking me for? You should thank your master, who took someone like you under his wing and taught you so well.”
“Just what are they talking about in there…”
Yuhwa stood at a distance from the room of the young lady she served, waiting for her to be called back, and muttered to herself.
Her primary duty was to avoid interfering in daily life while eliminating any elements that might become dangerous, remaining by the young lady’s side and protecting her with her life until the day she came of age. There had been clan heads who gave strange orders to build deep personal friendships with those they served, but regardless, this was the main mission Yuhwa had received as a guard.
Sister. Could you step back for a moment?
For some unknown reason, the young lady she served had sent her away from the room. Suppressing a faint sense of disappointment she knew she shouldn’t feel, Yuhwa faithfully carried out her orders.
Then a man approached her carefully. He smiled brightly and asked, “Is our Seha inside?”
It was Namgung Jinhak. The sole older brother of the young lady she served, the eldest son of the Namgung Clan, and its young clan head.
While the direct bloodline of the Namgung Clan generally got along well, Yuhwa knew their relationship was especially good because he had no particular interest in martial arts, and the young lady had no interest in clan affairs.
Yuhwa bowed her head slightly in respect and answered.
“The young lady is currently with Extreme Sword Dragon Jin Sowoon.”
Namgung Jinhak nodded a couple of times at her response.
“Hmm, I see.”
He began walking toward the room where the young lady was. She had clearly wanted to be alone with the Extreme Sword Dragon. Was it really all right to let Namgung Jinhak enter?
Just as that thought crossed her mind, he turned back toward her and asked, “Guard Yuhwa. Now that I think about it, why are you out here? My own guard sticks to me like glue no matter how much I complain. This seems unfair.”
The proper duty of a guard was close protection, yet neither the young lady nor her brother seemed to value it highly. As a fellow guard, she felt a twinge of sympathy for Namgung Jinhak’s escort and answered.
“Normally I would be doing exactly that, but the young lady asked me to step aside. As you know, the Extreme Sword Dragon is a trustworthy young man, so I withdrew for a moment. Even without staying glued to her side, he is a true expert. I judged that he would be able to react instantly if anything happened, giving me time to rush over. Therefore, I decided an exception was acceptable.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Completely at odds with his words, Namgung Jinhak flashed her a bright smile and said, “Then stay right there and keep up the good work. I’m going to eavesdrop on my adorable little siblings for a bit.”
She reached out to stop him, saying he should wait, but he casually brushed her hand aside and declared cheerfully, “I am the young clan head. If things go south, I’ll simply say I insisted.”
With that rather shameless thought, Namgung Jinhak walked to the veranda in front of Seha’s room and carefully pressed his ear against the paper window.
Voices drifted faintly through the thin barrier. Namgung Jinhak focused intently. His younger sister Seha always seemed so mature, which only made her cuter in his eyes. He was unbearably curious what secret conversation she was having with Sowoon.
Yet it was strangely difficult to hear, almost as if a barrier had been erected. He considered breaking through it but decided against it. He lacked the internal energy to do so anyway, and getting caught would be disastrous.
Occasional words brushed past his ears, but they weren’t enough to discern the topic. In the end, he cleanly abandoned his lingering attachment, stood up, and looked at the room where the two of them were. A smile touched his lips.
“Still, the atmosphere looks good.”
From the very first day Jin Sowoon arrived as a guest at the Namgung Clan, the two had seemed remarkably close. The reason behind it remained an unsolved mystery within the clan. By now, everyone in the entire clan knew how close they were.
They shared the same age, of course, but their mutual understanding of martial talent that no one else could match had surely played a part. Whatever the case, he thought it was a good thing. Since his visit, Seha had begun participating in the clan’s external exchanges, and she no longer spent all her time shut away in the training grounds.
His face wore a pleasant expression—until suddenly he stopped in his tracks.
“…The atmosphere looks good…?”
The Extreme Sword Dragon had surprisingly declared he would not be leaving the Namgung Clan. No one knew exactly why he had made that choice, but given his young age, few would criticize it. That meant they would be together for at least another five or six years, didn’t it?
It was definitely a good thing. The Extreme Sword Dragon possessed an upright character, exceptional talent, and relentless effort. He was a seed that would undoubtedly grow into a mighty tree.
But…
“If they stay that close for so long…”
Wouldn’t they somehow, through one thing or another, end up developing a relationship beyond mere friendship? The worry began to creep in. They were already spending time alone together. If that wasn’t a secret rendezvous, what was?
“…No matter who he is, having him take my little sister like this is still a bit…”
Namgung Jinhak continued worrying uselessly about something that hadn’t even happened yet. Eventually, with heavy, dragging steps, he passed Yuhwa and left.