The Heavenly Brain of the Zhuge Clan (4)
We traveled for a long while without stopping. By the time we had crossed nearly ten mountains, Namgung Jehyun suddenly pulled on his reins, halting his horse. He turned around to look at us and spoke.
"We'll rest here for the night."
Exhausted sighs, weary groans, and scattered cheers of relief rose from all around. It was only natural. The journey had been so long that we had pushed the schedule as hard as possible, riding without pause. Even on horseback, exhaustion was inevitable.
I immediately dismounted, tied my horse's reins securely to a nearby stake, and looked up at the sky. The upper part was a deep crimson, while the lower half had turned a dark indigo. Somewhere in between, the moon hung faintly, casting a rather beautiful sight.
"This is no time to be staring at the sky."
My hand naturally slipped into my robe. The pouch of coins that Kang Uk had given me earlier brushed against my fingers. I hadn't realized it at first, but now that I looked at it again, the amount was quite substantial. I hadn't counted it precisely, but even by rough estimate, it was enough to buy several expensive ornaments and still have plenty left over.
"What should I buy for her..."
What could I possibly give her to soothe Namgung Seha's thoroughly upset heart? As that question lingered, I slowly retraced my memories, trying to recall what she liked.
Sweets came to mind first. But I quickly dismissed the idea. Those were things I already bought for her often with the money I had on hand. Even though I wasn't particularly knowledgeable about these matters, I knew it was wrong to give her the same ordinary things in a situation like this.
What else did she like? I thought for a long time, but nothing came to mind. At best, a sword or some spiritual medicine. But those were things any martial artist would favor, and she already possessed more than enough of them. Besides, in this situation, they would feel closer to an insult than a gift.
"...I really don't know her as well as I thought."
I had spent a long time by her side and believed I understood her well, but that had been a huge mistake. When I actually tried to think of something, my mind went completely blank. What she liked, what she disliked, what she already had, what she didn't—nothing came to mind.
I couldn't just stand there wasting time forever, so I reluctantly began to walk.
"Haa..."
Even as I walked, nothing particularly caught my eye. Or rather, perhaps it was more accurate to say that nothing stood out because I didn't know what to look for. You see only as much as you know. The saying fit the situation perfectly. Since I didn't even know what girls Namgung Seha's age liked, wandering around with my eyes open was no better than looking through a knothole.
"What are you choosing so carefully?"
At that moment, Namgung Jehyun appeared silently beside me. He had concealed his presence so completely that I hadn't noticed him until he was right next to me. I flinched and took a couple steps back, but he followed without missing a beat. Despite his massive build, his speed was impeccable and his presence undetectable. The impression that he was truly an extraordinary man lingered in my mind as I answered.
"I'm looking for something to give as a gift."
I replied and was about to walk away again when a thought suddenly struck me. The man speaking to me right now was, contrary to his intimidating appearance, one of Namgung Seha's close family members. I planted my half-lifted foot back on the ground as if nothing had happened and turned to face him.
When I looked back, Namgung Jehyun met my eyes once more. From the position of someone asking for a favor, I spoke to him as politely as possible.
"Commander of the Changgung Sword Squad. If I were to give Seha a gift, what would she like?"
It was a perfectly ordinary question. Yet upon hearing it, Namgung Jehyun let out a small snort of laughter before answering.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"You're the one closest to her. You should know better than anyone."
I couldn't understand his response. No matter how close we were, our relationship couldn't possibly run deeper than blood. The Namgung Clan was certainly not a family lacking in affection between its members. Namgung Jehyun thumped his chest with his thumb and spoke with a bluntness that carried hidden meaning.
"I am Namgung Jehyun, Commander of the Changgung Sword Squad. My sword is one that protects the Namgung Clan. Therefore, though my blade resides within the clan, it is always pointed outward."
Because the tip of his sword must always face outward, because he had to protect the inside from the outside, he was paradoxically unable to look inward. It was both poignant and worthy of deep respect.
Namgung Jehyun lowered his hand from his chest and continued in a much quieter voice.
"And this is just a side note, but because of my large build and rather stern face, the children don't like me much and rarely approach. So I know even less about such things."
The conversation had been long and roundabout, but in the end, he wasn't someone who could give me a clear answer. He had been practically my only hope, and now even that had failed. A bitter sense of disappointment lingered in my mouth.
But I couldn't afford to drown in that feeling when nothing had been properly resolved, so I tried to walk away again. Then, as if he had been waiting for the right moment, Namgung Jehyun spoke after a brief pause.
"...Not long ago, while we were eating together, she mentioned in passing that her long hair sometimes feels a bit inconvenient when she travels. Well, that's all I have."
As expected, my guess had been right. He had been holding the answer firmly in both hands. Even the small clue he offered was enough to spark significant progress. I expressed my sincere gratitude and hurried off at once.
With just that small hint, a solution began to take shape in my mind. I circled the entire area until I found the cleanest and largest ornament shop.
"Do you have any hairpins?"
The shop owner, who had been sitting with drowsy eyes, nodded and pointed lazily toward a corner of the store before dropping his head again and dozing off. Leaving the clearly exhausted owner alone, I carefully examined the hairpins scattered in the corner.
Expensive and pretty ones with excessive decorations were immediately rejected. She would hate anything cumbersome. Some looked like I could carve them myself, but those were rejected too—they seemed too half-hearted.
Among the many hairpins, I picked up one in the middle. It had a silvery-white base with a subtle blue sheen. The bead ornament at the tip was neither excessive nor absent. I held it out to the half-asleep shop owner as a signal that I wanted to buy it.
The owner jolted awake, quoted a price, and I paid roughly before carefully placing the hairpin into its case and tucking it into my robe. It was lighter and less burdensome than a jingling coin pouch, yet it felt infinitely more reassuring.
With steps as light as my now-lighter pocket, I headed back to where everyone was gathered. The horses were tied in various places while the carriages had been pulled into a corner. People were spending their free time in their own ways. After asking around, I found the room where Namgung Seha was staying.
When I subtly spread my internal energy to sense the surroundings, I realized she hadn't gone to sleep yet. She seemed to be practicing her mental cultivation technique, sitting motionless in a lotus position.
"I suppose I should wait?"
If I disturbed her now, she might dislike it even more. Although she sometimes stayed up all night, Namgung Seha wasn't the type to circulate her energy for such long periods. It probably wouldn't take too long.
With that thought, I waited blankly in front of her door. Several moments passed. It was getting close to one full hour. Just as fatigue began to build from sitting still, someone's black hair brushed against my face.
"Oppa, what are you doing?"
It was Namgung Hye. I waved at her and greeted her. Then I pointed behind me at the door and said,
"I'm waiting for your sister."
Upon hearing that, Namgung Hye let out a disbelieving laugh and immediately reached past me to fling the door open. Before I could stop her, the door swung wide, and my leaning back lost its support, sending me tumbling backward.
"Sowoon? Why are you...?"
The noise must have been too loud to ignore. Namgung Seha stared at me with wide, rabbit-like eyes from where she sat. Namgung Hye spoke to her with a rather proud expression.
"He was waiting in front of the door, so I opened it for him."
Still looking somewhat dazed, Namgung Seha first helped me up and brought over a chair. Once I sat down, she asked,
"Why have you suddenly come here?"
I pondered for a moment before answering a bit awkwardly.
"Um... you've been treating me differently lately, so I thought maybe I did something wrong and came to clear things up..."
At my words, she thought for a moment, then squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples as if her head hurt. Namgung Seha let out a long sigh and said to me,
"Haa... You didn't do anything wrong. It's just that my mood has been poor lately. It has nothing to do with you."
There must be some reason for her bad mood recently. I wanted to ask more, but the words "nothing to do with you" held me back. After hesitating, I finally took out the hairpin case from my robe and carefully handed it to her.
She glanced at the black case and asked,
"What is this?"
Her question sounded strangely sharp. Her cold tone made me shrink back a little as I answered weakly.
"...It's nothing special. I just prepared a small gift. What do you think?"
She accepted the case, opened it, and examined its contents. She took out the silvery hairpin and held it in her hand.
"A hairpin?"
Her eyes seemed slightly softer as she looked at me. She brought the hairpin to her head. There was a soft rustling sound as her hair was gathered, and she began braiding it. Her snow-white hair was wrapped around the pin and secured neatly on one side. It looked quite beautiful.
She smiled faintly and spoke to me in a small voice.
"...Thank you."