Chapter 1120: Scorched World.

So, what does this make the situation?

‘Namgung Jin likes the young Madam Mi.’

Namgung Jin’s fiancée, Hyeon So-yeon…

‘…liked his half-brother, Goeseon?’

So, Hyeon So-yeon, presumed to be Namgung Bi-ah’s mother, actually has her heart set on Namgung Hyung?

‘Wow.’

This is a real mess, isn’t it?

It couldn’t be anything but an absurd situation.

Mi Hyoran and Namgung Jin are confirmed. But what about Namgung Hyung and Hyeon So-yeon?

Of course.

‘Madam Mi doesn’t seem interested, though.’

Mi Hyoran doesn’t seem to have even a shred of interest in Namgung Jin. That makes sense. I guess that’s why she married Father.

The problem is.

‘What about Namgung Hyung?’

What about Hyeon So-yeon? It’s just my guess, but could it be true? If it is…

‘…What happened?’

In the future, Hyeon So-yeon marries Namgung Jin. That’s presumably how Namgung Bi-ah was born.

Namgung Hyung…

‘He runs away from home.’

I don’t know when, but he runs away and ends up joining the Mu Tang to become Goeseon.

It means they weren’t destined to be together anyway.

The situation was strange. So this is what happened.

‘Of course, it might be a bit different from the world I originally knew….’

But looking at it now, isn’t the difference pretty small?

Oh. Wait.

‘…Then shouldn’t I have left those two behind?’

I didn’t mind calling her Sister-in-law and him Young Master. But if it’s like this, isn’t it a bit dangerous?

‘It’s not really my place to worry about, though.’

Just as the question arose.

Crackle.

‘…!’

I sensed someone’s presence. I knew immediately who it was.

“What are you doing?”

It was Hyeon So-yeon.

“Why did you come down?”

When I asked Hyeon So-yeon, who had been with Namgung Hyung, why she came down right away, she tilted her head instead.

“If you prepared food, you should come down. What else would I do up there?”

“……”

It was a valid point, so I shut my mouth. That’s true.

‘She’s right, though.’

I wondered if I’d just been indulging in pointless fantasies.

“Why?”

Hyeon So-yeon asked. Hearing that, I calmly replied.

It was half a joke.

“Ah, I just wondered if you perhaps had feelings for this Young Master. I must have misunderstood unnecessarily-“

“I do.”

“Not ‘I wondered,’ but ‘I do’?”

“Yes. Why?”

‘Why?’ What kind of question is that, you idiot.

“Is something strange about that?”

“……It’s very strange. Are you serious?”

She says she likes her fiancé’s younger brother. Of course, that’s strange.

“Ahaha.”

Hyeon So-yeon laughed at my words.

“It’s possible to like someone. I just don’t get greedy about it. Besides, the situation isn’t right for it.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. You’re asking because you already noticed, aren’t you? You have sharper eyes than I thought.”

Hyeon So-yeon smiled brightly, but it felt quite subtle.

“The only ones who noticed this are Jin-rang and you, you know.”

“……”

I flinched upon hearing that. Jin-rang must mean Namgung Jin.

He knows too? Seeing my expression, Hyeon So-yeon said,

“Do I seem like a wicked woman?”

“A little?”

“I guess I am. But the other side likes another woman too, don’t they?”

She gestured towards Namgung Jin and Mi Hyoran. She watched the two with a calm expression.

Was she feeling wronged?

“Then let’s call it a wicked man and a wicked woman.”

“Huh? Ahahaha.”

Why is she laughing? I was being serious.

“……That’s interesting. Young Master Baek, you seem like a peculiar person.”

“Where else could you find a human as ordinary as me?”

“You’re joking, right?”

“……”

She keeps twisting my words.

“You’re a fascinating person. I’m curious, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Young Master Baek, do you perhaps like me?”

“……Are you crazy?”

I said, disgusted. What is this now? She’s spouting the most absurd nonsense I’ve ever heard.

As I said that, startled, Hyeon So-yeon wore a puzzled expression.

“You don’t?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then it must be that young lady after all?”

“That’s even less likely.”

The young lady she’s referring to must mean Mother.

I recoiled.

“Absolutely not.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really. I can bet anything.”

I could bet anything she asked me to.

“Ah… then I guess not? Then what is it?”

“What exactly is the problem here?”

“Then, who are you seeing through me?”

“……!”

At Hyeon So-yeon’s words, my body stiffened. It felt like she had pierced right through me.

She spoke to me with calm, luminous eyes.

‘Who are you seeing in me?’ I couldn’t say anything in response.

‘I’ve been found out.’

Because it hit the mark.

How did she know? Was it that obvious?

Just as she said, I was seeing someone in Hyeon So-yeon.

That someone was, of course, Namgung Bi-ah.

I often looked for Namgung Bi-ah in Hyeon So-yeon, who looked just like her. It seemed she had noticed my gaze.

“Is what I said perhaps wrong? If it’s wrong, that’s strange. Because the only other possibility is that you like me.”

“……You’re not wrong.”

I admitted honestly.

“I apologize if that made you uncomfortable.”

“No, it didn’t make me uncomfortable. I was just curious.”

Hyeon So-yeon asked, tossing her hair.

“Do I look a lot like her?”

“……”

Look a lot like her?

“Yes. Very much so.”

She did look a lot alike. Almost like twins.

“Oh… really?”

Hearing that, Hyeon So-yeon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Then that means she’s incredibly beautiful…? Young Master Baek has very high standards?”

“……”

What’s with that confidence? I was surprised by how much more confident she was than I expected.

And she’s genuinely pretty, so I really have nothing to say.

“Why? Was that too arrogant?”

“A little…?”

“It’s okay. I hear that a lot.”

Hyeon So-yeon didn’t seem bothered at all. Maybe that’s why? Her confidence actually seemed attractive.

However.

‘…She doesn’t seem to resemble Mother much, though.’

Seeing her like this, it felt like Namgung Bi-ah wasn’t actually that similar to Hyeon So-yeon. I don’t know about their faces, but their personalities seem completely different.

“What’s your relationship? A one-sided crush?”

Hyeon So-yeon leaned closer, asking with interest.

I created a little distance and replied.

“It’s not that.”

“Then what?”

“……Do I have to say?”

“You have to. If you don’t tell me, then I have no reason to forgive you for looking at me strangely, right?”

Wow, this person is even blackmailing me.

I was dumbfounded.

“We’re engaged.”

“Oh… your fiancée?”

“Yes.”

“Is your relationship good?”

“……It’s not bad, is it?”

Probably.

“If you’re projecting onto her because she looks alike, even though she’s your fiancée… that’s love, isn’t it?”

“……”

I didn’t answer this time.

Love? What kind of cringe-worthy word is that.

“Isn’t it?”

Hyeon So-yeon continued to press, as if seeking an answer.

I couldn’t answer. I didn’t want to.

“Young Master Baek. Are you shy?”

“That’s enough. May I leave now?”

“Ahaha. Go ahead. It was fun, so I’ll let you off the hook.”

Hyeon So-yeon chuckled and created more distance.

Sighing at her attitude, as if she was finally letting me go.

I turned and walked away, putting distance between myself and Hyeon So-yeon.

At the same time, I thought to myself.

‘Love….’

The embarrassing word lingered in my ears.

It must be because Hyeon So-yeon said it so out of the blue.

‘It’s love, isn’t it?’

‘…….’

If projecting someone onto another person is love, I don’t really know.

I didn’t want to define it as such an emotion. Or maybe I did.

‘In the first place.’

I already knew the answer, but I just didn’t want to commit.

There’s too much I need to do. The moment I confirm this feeling, too many things will become complicated.

All I can do right now is.

‘Think of you while looking at her.’

And.

‘That I miss her a little.’

Seeing someone who looked like her made me miss her.

For now, I’ll leave it at that.

It was the best I could do.

---

A day passed. Today was the day Namgung family’s forces had to deal with the Ma Gyeong.

We climbed the mountain to deploy the forces and survey the Ma Gyeong. If our predictions were correct, the Ma Gyeong would react as early as tomorrow, or the day after at the latest. It was time to prepare before then.

During this process, the conversation from yesterday.

The decision on whether we would help the Namgung family or not had also concluded.

‘We help.’

Father ultimately declared that we would cooperate with the Namgung family to stop the Great Ma Gyeong.

However.

‘Those who wish to return may return.’

He wouldn’t stop those who wanted to return to Hanam depending on the situation.

That was Father’s statement.

‘No one left.’

No one went back.

So-i seemed rather pleased, and Do-yun, though clearly uncomfortable, didn’t return either.

I was the same. The problem was.

“……You want me to go to the Hanam branch?”

It must be Mi Hyoran and Hyeon So-yeon.

“It’s dangerous, so it’s best you stay there.”

Mi Hyoran frowned at Father’s words.

It seemed to be because of his changed tone.

“Is it because I’m not helpful?”

“That’s right. Currently, the acting Branch Master has nothing she can do. Nevertheless, if you refuse to return, then staying at the Martial Alliance’s Hanam branch is the proper course of action.”

You can’t help as a combatant. So, you should go stay there.

At those words, Mi Hyoran scowled deeply.

“What you’re saying, in the end…”

She said, biting her lip slightly.

“Is ‘Go take care of her instead.’ Is that what you mean?”

“……”

His eyebrows twitched at her loaded words.

“Haa.”

Seeing that, Mi Hyoran sighed.

“There’s no point talking further here; it’ll just turn into an emotional argument. I’ll go back. But.”

Mi Hyoran said to Father, her eyes slightly reddened.

“This was something you shouldn’t have done to me.”

“……”

“Just know that.”

Having spat out her words, Mi Hyoran moved and disappeared.

That was just this morning.

After that, we climbed up the mountain. Since there were many forces, the movement took quite a while.

We had to go up ahead and establish the front lines for the response.

Forces would also be coming from the Martial Alliance branches, so we had to prepare for that too.

Everyone climbed the mountain, tense.

“……Huh?”

Everyone was mesmerized by the Ma Gyeong Gate they saw upon reaching the mountain.

Moreover.

‘What is that.’

I too had to widen my eyes.

I couldn’t help it.

“Why is it white…?”

Because the color of the Crimson Gate, which should have been red, had turned stark white.