6
Ep 6
Cheon Hyerin had arranged the banquet that day.
It was only natural.
It may have been a little early, but she wanted to introduce him that much.
A man who had made a great contribution in war.
In a situation where the very foundation of the Demonic Cult—its leader—had been ambushed, the merit of protecting her
with his life was no small thing.
At the same time, anyone with standing within the Demonic Cult was curious about the man named Yujin.
A man who had risked his life to protect the leader.
If such a man appeared in the Demonic Cult, people would think one of two things.
Either he was someone who could abandon even his life for greater ambition,
Or a hidden gem finally revealed.
Even if neither was true, such loyalty deserved reward.
‘…To think it was something else entirely.’
No one else could imagine it.
The man who had taken hold of both her body and heart.
Not loyalty. Not ambition.
Or perhaps… it could still be called ambition.
After all, he had made the Sword Empress his.
Now she couldn’t live without him.
Even as she tried to deny it, Cheon Hyerin knew she had reached that point.
At the banquet, with everyone gathered—
“……”
Her heart still hadn’t calmed.
The sensation of his touch near her ear lingered vividly.
A faint tingling remained over her chest.
She didn’t know how to handle it.
‘…Normally, I would have pushed him away immediately.’
But now—
She couldn’t.
Because she had become someone who couldn’t live without him.
She had already said too much…
Her long eyelashes trembled faintly.
In the mirror, her reflection showed flushed ears.
Not the Sword Empress—
But a woman.
Her pale face burned.
But that warmth quickly faded at a voice beside her.
“What shall we do about those who dared such an attack?”
It was Cheon Geunhwi.
An elder.
Known as the King of Hell Demon.
His face and arms were covered in scars.
His expression was grim.
A heavy atmosphere filled the room.
Cheon Hyerin spoke calmly.
“This is not the place for such talk. We are here to celebrate, not to plan slaughter.”
“Now is the time to strike.”
“We have also suffered losses. Acting without thinking is not wise.”
She cut the conversation short.
Their enemy had suffered greatly.
Even the Five Great Families had been shaken.
But so had they.
Their forces were far from recovered.
Her people were furious.
Their pride had been wounded.
And she had no intention of letting it go.
But—
This was not the place.
“….”
She ate quietly, her expression unreadable.
In truth—
She wanted to be alone with him.
“Leader, what reward shall we give him?”
It was Cheol Musan.
An elder who had known her for years.
Like a father to her.
Naturally, he held no ill will toward Yujin.
One by one, the elders voiced their opinions.
“An elixir would be best.”
“Yes, his body is strong. Absorption is key.”
“What about the pill from the Five Great Families?”
“We also obtained rare materials…”
The discussion continued.
Then—
“…?”
Pain struck her suddenly.
Aftereffects.
Sharp and sudden.
Her vision wavered.
If not for him, it would have been worse.
Still—
The timing was bad.
She was in front of her subordinates.
She bit her lip.
Her expression flickered—
Then steadied.
She suppressed the pain.
She had to endure until the end.
She could not show weakness.
She was the leader.
She had to remain unshaken.
She tightened her grip on the armrest.
Pain surged through her body.
Her breath grew uneven.
Still—
No one noticed.
Except—
“…”
Yujin.
He was staring at her.
Their eyes met.
“…!”
The pain worsened.
Her wounds had reopened slightly.
She almost reached for them—
But stopped.
Instead, she continued calmly.
She had to endure.
-Thunk.
Then—
Yujin stood up.
“…My body hasn’t fully recovered. I don’t think I can eat. May I be excused?”
“That is understandable.”
“Perhaps we should all adjourn.”
“Yes, let us prepare the reward.”
As the gathering dispersed—
Cheon Hyerin felt something strange.
He had been watching her.
Then stood up—
At the perfect moment.
Because of that—
She no longer needed to endure.
“…Just coincidence.”
She placed a hand over her chest.
But then—
A thought crossed her mind.
In Murim, people did not concern themselves with others’ conditions.
Especially the strong.
To worry was almost an insult.
But—
If it wasn’t as a martial artist…
But as a lover—
Her heart sank.
Her breath faltered.
“…No. That’s just… a misunderstanding.”
But if it wasn’t—
Then what should she do?
At that moment—
From beyond the door—
His voice.
“I could tell her condition wasn’t good.”
“…”
“It’s why I left early.”
“…!”
Her heart pounded.
“…He did it for me…”
Then—
“…You love the Sword Empress, don’t you?”
Her heart raced even faster.
“…!”
“…Yes. I do. She is more important than my life.”
-!!!!!!!!!!!
Her breathing grew uneven.
Her heart pounded wildly.
“…Yujin… you…”
She couldn’t control it anymore.
She had already lost herself long ago.
She looked at him from afar.
Certainty.
Strength.
No hesitation.
It was real.
Love.
A warmth spread through her entire body.
Even the pain—
Disappeared.
Her body and heart—
Belonged to him now.
“…So this is what it feels like.”
She murmured.
To belong to someone.
It wasn’t unpleasant.
Even if she lost control—
It didn’t matter.
He was—
Someone she cherished deeply.
Everything felt beautiful now.
Even the smallest things.
From now on—
She wouldn’t be able to hide it.
Her face burned too much to even look in a mirror.
“……”
Companion.
Husband.
Would she come to see him that way?
Just imagining it—
Made her heart ache.