Shadow Fight
Flustered by an emotion she had never felt before, Cheongwol kept walking with her eyes fixed stubbornly on the tips of her feet.
He had always been kind before they parted ways, true enough—but never quite like this.
Whether he had changed over the past two years just as she had, or whether this had always been his nature, she could not yet tell.
...Still, leaving him alone like that might have been a bit too much.
Feeling the lingering warmth of Seomun Hwi's hand in her own, Cheongwol stopped in her tracks.
After becoming a woman, had she not fretted inwardly over how he would see her?
Judging by his reaction today, it seemed there would be no great trouble remaining friends as they once had been.
So instead of bolting out with a shout, she should at least have said thank you.
It's true that I favor you, so you'll have to put up with it to some degree.
The words that had made her burn with embarrassment came flooding back, and Cheongwol's head dipped of its own accord.
If he could say such things even to her when she had been a man, he must have said far more to other women.
Strictly speaking, there was no real reason to feel ashamed—yet a short sigh escaped her anyway.
"Haa..."
She sank down where she stood and gazed at the clear pond that had suddenly appeared before her eyes.
The water was so transparent that even the pebbles on the bottom were plainly visible.
—Plop.
She picked up a small stone from nearby and tossed it in. Soft ripples spread across the surface.
The sight lightened her heart somehow, and she reached for another pebble.
"Young lady!"
A desperate cry from somewhere struck her ears.
"...?"
She turned her head to find a stooped old woman staring at her, her entire body trembling.
Only then did Cheongwol realize her mistake and hurriedly rise to her feet.
Seeing no guards about, she had assumed it was a place she could enter freely—but the old woman's reaction suggested otherwise.
"I lost my way and wandered here by accident. I'm truly sorry. I'll leave at once."
Cheongwol bowed her head politely in apology and made to leave quickly, lest she cause any trouble for Ak Seo-a.
But just as she was about to brush past the old woman, a frail hand seized her collar.
"Where do you mean to go alone and leave this old one behind again? This time, please—take this humble servant with you..."
The old woman poured out incomprehensible words, then finally burst into great sobs and collapsed to the ground.
"Young lady... our kind and pitiful young lady..."
The weeping was so loud that Cheongwol frantically looked around, but there was nothing she could do.
If she shook the hand off carelessly, she might injure the old woman's frail body.
"No, that's..."
While she stood there flustered, Dang Sohye—who had been strolling nearby and heard the commotion—discovered the two of them.
"Granny, I told you not to come outside alone. What on earth are the other maids doing?"
At the sight of the old woman, Dang Sohye immediately furrowed her brow and tried to pull her away from Cheongwol—but unlike usual, the old woman clung desperately to the collar and resisted.
"I won't let her go! This time I absolutely will not send the young lady alone! I'd rather...!"
But perhaps she had overexerted her aged body.
The old woman could not finish her words and collapsed on the spot.
"Granny!"
"Grandmother!"
"She has merely exhausted her strength and fallen asleep. Once she rests, she will recover soon, so please do not worry overly."
When the physician who had finished his examination smiled, Dang Sohye—who had been watching with a rigid face—finally let out a breath of relief.
"Thank you for your trouble. But I'm worried that Granny's vitality seems even lower these days."
"It is not worse than before, but since the young lady is concerned, I shall try different medicinal ingredients."
"Thank you. Please continue to look after her a little more carefully."
"Of course. Granny is precious to us as well, so you need not worry so much. I shall take my leave now."
Having finished his duties, the physician bowed and left through the door. Dang Sohye then glanced at Cheongwol.
In the confusion they had ended up coming in together, but who exactly was this woman?
Sensing Dang Sohye's gaze, Cheongwol smiled awkwardly and spoke.
"I'm Cheongwol. I came into the inner quarters today with Seo-a."
Cheongwol—wasn't that the person Ak Seo-a had mentioned who was looking for Seomun Hwi?
The moment she heard that name, she had rushed out looking as if the dead had come back to life.
She said they were friends, so I was certain it would be a man. So he had a secret lover tucked away all along.
Feeling somehow deceived, Dang Sohye found Seomun Hwi even more detestable than Ak Seo-a.
Even when he occasionally appeared at gatherings of the younger generation, he never once glanced at the women—so it wasn't that he was playing the ascetic. He simply had no need to.
Well, she hated to admit it, but the woman before her was rather beautiful.
Beautiful enough that with her at his side, other women would hardly come to mind.
"Tsk."
Dang Sohye clicked her tongue just softly enough not to be heard.
Even if she didn't like it, this was a guest of the Dang Clan and a friend of both Ak Seo-a and Seomun Hwi—she could not treat her poorly.
"I'm Dang Sohye. I've heard roughly what happened from Seo-a."
At that, Cheongwol's eyes widened.
"Ah! You're the one who was talking about an engagement with Hwi! Right? You're just as beautiful as I imagined."
Hwi?
Was she showing off that they were close enough to call each other by name without formality?
And on top of that, openly praising her rival's looks while pretending to be at ease—it was enough to leave one speechless.
How dare she put on airs in front of Dang Sohye, the precious jewel of the Sichuan Dang Clan?
And inside the Sichuan Dang Clan itself, no less?
Cheongwol had meant nothing of the sort, but Dang Sohye misunderstood on her own and narrowed her brows.
At times like this, it was only proper to firmly display the dignity of a principal wife.
Dang Sohye quickly looked Cheongwol up and down, a smile still on her lips.
Features are a close call—hard to win there. Chest is about the same. Waist and legs...
Like a martial artist sizing up an opponent before a sparring match, she thoroughly assessed her and arrived at a single conclusion.
"A woman must polish her inner self more than her outer appearance. Only then can she properly serve her husband and keep the household harmonious, don't you agree?"
"...Pardon?"
It was a sound statement, but why was she suddenly saying this to her?
"You're right. Still, all else being equal, a pleasant face is better."
Not quite understanding, but thinking that she would want her own future lover to be the same, Cheongwol smiled brightly.
Seeing that smile, Dang Sohye's eyes grew infinitely heavier.
...She's no pushover. I mustn't take her lightly.
Why had he said something so transparent?
Seomun Hwi sat alone on the edge of the bed, feeling the empty space Cheongwol had left behind.
He had only meant to lighten the mood with a light joke—he never expected things to turn out like this.
Of course, looking back, it hadn't been something he could dismiss as merely light.
Pressing one hand to his forehead and closing his eyes, the face of Cheongwol who had been smiling right in front of him moments ago rose before him.
I only thought they were somewhat similar, but seeing them today, there are definitely resemblances.
Not enough to declare them lookalikes, but Dang Sohye and Cheongwol somehow overlapped—from the atmosphere they gave off to their features.
Dang Sohye's eyes tilted slightly upward; Cheongwol's held a rounder softness. That was the only difference.
This is no time for that. I should go apologize and talk more.
Two years ago he had failed when Cheongwol insisted on remaining at the Kongdong Sect, but this time he would do everything in his power to bring her into the clan.
Cheongwol was practically an outer disciple of Soga-yul, the Sect Leader of the Kongdong Sect—how great an asset would she be to the clan?
Seomun Hwi convinced himself that wanting Cheongwol at his side was by no means a private desire, but something for the sake of the clan.
Having steeled his resolve, he was about to rise from his seat when a book sticking out from under the blanket caught his eye.
...You still haven't thrown that away?
He could not understand what about that erotic book had appealed enough to keep it all this time.
Perhaps, contrary to appearances, Cheongwol was quite interested in such matters.
But now it was no longer a man's body—it was a woman's.
She still considered herself a man, but the world would certainly not see it that way.
It's time to start minding one's conduct. Even if not as a woman—even as a man, the same applies.
No one had said anything, yet Seomun Hwi added the words as if making an excuse.
As he pushed the book back under the blanket, a sudden improper thought crossed his mind.
Wait—now that she's a woman, what does she plan to do going forward? Things like marriage, for instance...
There was no reason to meddle in someone else's betrothal, but Cheongwol was his first true friend.
What if some fine-looking but empty-headed fellows started hanging around Cheongwol, who knew nothing of the world's ways?
Cheongwol smiling in the arms of another woman—or another man.
"..."
Somehow, just imagining it made his mood plummet in an instant.
Come to think of it, she had seemed rather close with Ak Seo-a.
Could Cheongwol have feelings for her?
The more his thoughts tangled, the more complicated they became. Seomun Hwi raked his hair back and suppressed the stifling feeling in his chest.