Chapter 125: How Would I Know That!? (1)

How would I know that!? (1)

Tang Soyeol, for a moment, thought she had misheard and had to ponder.

Namgung Bi-ah said she slept with Gu Yangcheon, and that they slept holding hands.

But she might have gotten pregnant…?

Tang Soyeol had to consider if her words were perhaps a metaphorical expression.

She wondered if it wasn’t ‘just held hands and slept,’ but rather ‘held hands too, and slept.’ Grabbing hold of her mind, which had been shaken by the brief shock, Tang Soyeol, barely regaining her senses, asked Namgung Bi-ah.

“Unni, so… hands… that… that thing…”

The problem was she didn’t know how to ask. Tang Soyeol found it difficult to choose which words to use and how to ask.

She tried to ask something, but at the same time, she felt her ears getting hotter and hotter.

After stammering incoherently for a while, Tang Soyeol finally squeezed her eyes shut and asked.

“…You mean you just held hands and slept?”

“No.”

“…!”

At Namgung Bi-ah’s firm denial, Tang Soyeol bit her lip. So it was a metaphorical expression after all….

Tang Soyeol had to quickly compose herself before she started feeling sad.

“We, we hugged too…”

“Hmm…?”

“I think… I touched… cheeks too.”

Seeing Namgung Bi-ah speak as if embarrassed, avoiding eye contact with a slightly flushed face, Tang Soyeol’s doubt was turning into certainty.

Something was strange.

Very strange, at that.

With a big question mark, Tang Soyeol asked Namgung Bi-ah, narrowing her eyes like a flounder.

“…Besides that?”

“Besides that… do I have to do something more…?”

“…”

Only then did Tang Soyeol feel her misunderstanding clear up, and the stuffiness that had been building inside her dissipate completely.

Could a grown woman really be this ignorant of the world? She also worried about the common sense Namgung Bi-ah might possess.

Did the Namgung family not teach sex education?

Tang Soyeol herself had not only received education from the family but had also ‘voluntarily’ studied this area separately, but the idea that babies came from just holding hands…

She’d rather believe storks, phoenixes, or crows brought babies. The idea that babies came from sleeping while holding hands was simply adorable.

Finally, Tang Soyeol sat up and casually moved closer to Namgung Bi-ah.

Namgung Bi-ah probably looked like she didn’t know why Tang Soyeol was making a point of coming closer.

It was Tang Soyeol’s own way of being considerate. Because the innocent-looking Wi Seol-ah was watching with a ‘What’s that?’ expression, she felt she couldn’t speak openly.

“Why… are you doing that…?”

“Unni… you don’t get pregnant from things like that.”

She wondered if she should say it, but also if it was right to just leave it like this.

Tang Soyeol quietly whispered into Namgung Bi-ah’s ear. She carefully selected and explained only the important parts of the ‘knowledge’ she possessed.

Did Tang Soyeol realize that she was much better at explaining than expected?

Thanks to that, Namgung Bi-ah realized the truth that day and experienced a new world simultaneously.

It was a moment of accumulating knowledge.

*******************

I was only able to return to my quarters around evening. It was because the time spent held by Namgung Jin was longer than expected.

Thanks to that, I was able to properly proceed with the contract I intended to make.

[I didn’t know Namgung’s child would accept it so easily.]

“That’s what I thought.”

Both Noyas and I couldn’t help but question why Namgung Jin agreed so readily.

Although it was packaged as a contract, the underlying meaning was a form of restriction. The words written on paper were practically ineffective.

Tududuk.

Even while walking, my body kept moving. My body had become a bit stiff from sitting still and only moving my hands for several hours. After all, placing a restriction on a Hwagyeong-level martial artist wasn’t exactly easy.

[I didn’t know you could even perform restrictions.]

“It’s just miscellaneous knowledge I picked up.”

The restrictions I use might seem like complex techniques, but they aren’t particularly grand ones. Compared to the restrictions placed by the Heavenly Demon, mine were so poor they were embarrassing to even call restrictions.

The Heavenly Demon’s restrictions are coercive. Even if the target reacts violently and tries to break free, they cannot escape the Heavenly Demon’s grasp.

We called that a curse.

Conversely, what I use is an adaptation of a method devised by the Murim Alliance. Of course, it requires touching the opponent’s body to place the restriction. The opponent must also respond to my movements. It wasn’t a technique with outstanding efficiency, requiring a martial artist to entrust the flow of their energy and the safety of their body to the one placing the restriction.

[It’s not a very practical technique, is it.]

“Yes.”

Since it’s created through mutual agreement, its effectiveness is high, but it cannot be forcibly applied as a restriction. Consequently, we had to spend a long time finding common ground regarding the restriction. Such as the duration, purpose, and prohibitions of the restriction.

“He said he’d give everything for the sword technique, but he haggled over every detail.”

Naturally, since it involved placing a restriction on his body, Namgung Jin must have had to deliberate for quite some time. In the end, he did allow the restriction to be placed on his body.

The original purpose for modifying and creating this framework was not for binding or suppressing, but for commitment.

• Not to betray each other.

• Not to resent each other.

• To trust each other.

It was created by a close friend to survive the damned Demon Realm. Looking back, I realized that restriction didn’t work in that damn space called the Demon Realm. But humans are funny; once they thought they were bound, they started believing it. Even after surviving alone and escaping, and continuing my life through time, I felt the illusion that the restriction remained on my body.

‘It wasn’t actually an ineffective restriction.’

It just didn’t work in the Demon Realm; outside, it could be used properly. I had actually used it a few times. Each time, the voice of the guy who created this restriction came to mind.

• “If you use this outside, you’ll die?”

• “You made it for me to use, so why are you bitching now?”

• “I’m saying this because I didn’t make it for you to use, you bastard…!”

Although the creator explicitly told me not to use it, I completely ignored him and kept using it. It was the only restriction I knew how to use, so what choice did I have?

[Even if he’s only half-baked, he’s reached Hwagyeong. Shouldn’t we first check if the restriction is working properly?]

Noyas said it worriedly, but… From my perspective, I wasn’t that worried. While placing the restriction on Namgung Jin’s body, I had set up another mechanism.

‘I didn’t intend to use demonic energy like this.’

I didn’t want to use it if possible, but at this point, it didn’t seem like a situation where I could afford to be picky about methods. I extracted a bit of the demonic energy being purified within my body after consuming the red flower and implanted it into Namgung Jin’s body. It wasn’t the demonic energy that gnawed at the Sword Empress’s body, but enough energy to strengthen the restriction.

If the restriction were broken, the demonic energy implanted in Namgung Jin’s body would disappear, allowing me to detect it immediately. In the Heavenly Demon’s case, the demonic energy could be detected from afar, but I wasn’t capable of that.

“The other issue concerns Elder Il.”

After successfully placing the restriction, the first thing I asked Namgung Jin was about his conversation with Elder Il. I needed to know what was discussed at the time. Given the person involved, I wondered if they had discussed some ulterior motives, but amusingly, he said no such conversation took place.

• “It was literally just a conversation.”

• “No particularly political discussions occurred.”

Elder Il, while not as renowned as Elder Yi, was still a recognized figure in the Central Plains, so it wasn’t strange for him to meet Namgung Jin. However, if it truly was just a conversation, the timing was problematic. The fact that Namgung Jin was absent precisely around the time the attendant had an issue. The thought that Elder Il might have created that opening lingered in my mind.

“If Elder Il is involved with that guy…”

Why would Father bother leaving him be? Father would surely know. Most things happening in the Gu family usually reach Father’s ears.

I hope it’s not the case, but if Elder Il is indeed involved… I had to consider whether it might be necessary to expedite things slightly.

Elder Il’s death, that is.

[Even if you did, wouldn’t there be problems?]

“There wouldn’t be no problems.”

Elder Il also had his role as Elder Il. Not in terms of his position or influence within the Gu family, but according to the flow of events. The reason I remained passive despite knowing Elder Il was scheming behind the scenes was twofold: firstly, Father hadn’t intervened yet. Secondly, I hoped he would hold his position for at least another two to three years. After that, Elder Il would meet his end on his own, without me needing to pay attention. He’d be consumed by his ambition and turn to ashes. It was the same in my previous life.

“I don’t have enough certainty to overturn things, but I should go give him a warning.”

[You’re holding back quite well, even though you seem like you want to kill him.]

“…Don’t just pry into other people’s minds so carelessly. And is it appropriate for someone from a Taoist background to speak so harshly about life?”

[Listen, boy, do you know what I learned fighting wars?]

“What is it?”

[It’s that those who deserve to die must be killed.]

I stopped walking at Noyas’s cold voice. It was too harsh a statement for a Taoist who cultivated plum blossoms.

[I have no intention of criticizing your decision to change your mind and save that child named Je gal Hyuk. I cannot say that judgment was wrong either. But what is wrong is wrong.]

“I understand what you mean.”

[War is inherently like that. Boy, you’ve experienced it too, so I believe you know well, don’t you?]

To leave no future trouble. It meant that after leaving something behind, it would be too late to regret whatever happened later. And like Noyas said, having experienced it more than anyone, I could empathize more. Although they might sound sharp and thorny coming from a Taoist, they were quite realistic coming from a martial artist and a hero who saved the Central Plains.

Still, it wasn’t time yet. First, I needed to create the justification for doing so.

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to just stand by and watch.”

The specific request I made to Namgung Jin was also for this purpose.

If a mere old guard dog, not even a tiger, tries to bare its worn-out fangs. You have to pull out its teeth and claws. Fortunately, I was quite the expert in such matters.

*******************

Upon entering my quarters, I sensed a bustling atmosphere. Although it was dinnertime, it felt like there were more people than usual.

‘No, there actually are quite a few people.’

I saw unfamiliar faces frequently. In particular, several well-trained martial artists were stationed there. Judging by their clothes, they seemed to be from the Tang Clan.

As soon as I entered, Wi Seol-ah came running up as if she had been waiting. She looked like she’d wag a tail if she had one, so I naturally reached out my hand first.

It was to pet her head.

“Young Master-nim!”

“Don’t think about hugging me, you’re heavy.”

“Ah… I’m not heavy!”

Since Wi Seol-ah seemed to have lost some weight, knowingly or unknowingly, she probably wasn’t heavy. Because of that, seeing her chubby cheeks, which were now less satisfying to touch, made me feel quite regretful. As a consolation, I had to stroke her hair.

“Why are there so many people?”

“The Young Lady and the pretty Auntie are here!”

“…Huh?”

If Wi Seol-ah was referring to someone she’d call ‘Young Lady,’ it was currently only one person.

‘Gu Ryeong-hwa must have come.’

It seemed Gu Ryeong-hwa, who was living in her own private quarters, had come to visit. But then, who is this ‘pretty Auntie’…?

A sudden thought struck me, so I asked Wi Seol-ah just in case.

“You, by ‘pretty Auntie,’ aren’t perhaps referring to the Sword Empress, are you?”

“Hmm? Yes… Pretty Auntie.”

“Did you perhaps say that in front of the Sword Empress too?”

“Yes, she said she liked it. She even told me to keep calling her that!”

She liked it. She said that?

It didn’t seem like a title that would make someone happy, no matter how I looked at it.

‘If the person involved is okay with it, then it’s okay, I guess.’

Wi Seol-ah didn’t seem to have been scolded, and the Sword Empress seemed fine with it, so it should be fine to let it slide, right?

As I thought that and was stroking Wi Seol-ah’s hair, Hong Wa appeared and pulled Wi Seol-ah away.

“Eung-iyat!”

“Seol-ah! The Young Master must be tired, so don’t bother him.”

“Yes…”

At Hong Wa’s words, Wi Seol-ah sulkily stepped back.

It wasn’t bothersome. In fact, fiddling with her hair would have been more helpful for relieving fatigue.

I withdrew my hand, which had been awkwardly hovering in the air while petting Wi Seol-ah, and asked Hong Wa.

“Is Miss Tang here, perhaps?”

“Yes, Young Master. She came along with Miss Namgung.”

With Namgung Bi-ah? They were close, so meeting was understandable, but why would they need to come into my quarters together?

“The Youngest Lady and the Sword Empress are also here.”

“Ah, I heard about that. What brings them here?”

In response to my question, Hong Wa tilted her head slightly.

“Well, you apparently invited them to have dinner today…”

“Me?”

Did I?

I think I did mention having dinner together sometime, but was it today? I’m sure we didn’t set a date. Since I was planning to see the Sword Empress again anyway, it was fortunate, if anything.

As I was thinking this, Hong Wa hesitantly brought something up with a worried expression.

“Young Master…”

“Yeah.”

“Miss Namgung’s expression doesn’t look very good.”

“Why? Is she unwell?”

“No, it didn’t seem like that.”

“Hmm, okay. I’ll ask her myself.”

It was a bit strange for a servant to care about another clan’s member, but recalling how Namgung Bi-ah sometimes conversed with Hong Wa or asked her probing questions, it was somewhat understandable.

‘Her expression isn’t good.’

Namgung Bi-ah rarely showed expression changes, and if she did, they were so subtle that others could hardly notice them. If Hong Wa noticed, just how bad must it be?

Wondering if something was really wrong with her body, I opened the door to the room where Namgung Bi-ah was, walking a bit faster.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Namgung Bi-ah flinch. Coincidentally, Tang Soyeol was also there. Perhaps they were discussing something secret, as both of them startled when I appeared.

“Miss Tang has arrived.”

“Ah, hello. Young Master Gu…”

“What brings you here? Is it perhaps related to your previous visit?”

“Ah, that’s not it. Miss Bi-ah asked me to have a meal together…”

“Here? Together?”

“Is it… not okay?”

“…No, it’s fine.”

Even though I said it was fine, I had felt a bit uncomfortable since realizing Tang Soyeol had feelings for me during our last encounter. I had no idea how to act around her.

‘I wish I had some experience feeling someone liked me.’

Perhaps it was precisely because that feeling was so unfamiliar that I felt more uncomfortable.

[In other words, you only notice things when it’s someone like that child from the Tang Clan, huh.]

‘You always have to chime in at times like these.’

[It’s the joy of my life.]

I let out a sigh and asked the two people who couldn’t manage their expressions.

“You seemed quite startled earlier; what were you discussing?”

“Ah… No. We weren’t talking about anything! Right, Unni?”

“Uh… Yeah.”

Why are they acting like this? Their reaction suggested they were definitely up to something. They were so engrossed that even a first-rate martial artist wouldn’t have noticed my approach to the door?

First, I observed Namgung Bi-ah. Indeed, as Hong Wa had said, her expression was noticeably different. Her face and ears were flushed, looking quite feverish.

I immediately approached Namgung Bi-ah and asked.

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“N-no… I’m fine.”

“No, you don’t look fine?”

“I’m really… fine… so please stay a little further away…”

She seemed to have a high fever, so I tried to touch Namgung Bi-ah’s forehead with my hand. It was contact I had made a few times before, so I didn’t hesitate. I thought Namgung Bi-ah would feel the same.

Tak-!

“Hm?”

But it seemed that wasn’t the case. Namgung Bi-ah pushed my hand away. Then, perhaps surprised herself, she covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide. It was quite fascinating to see Namgung Bi-ah make such a surprised expression.

“Was touching your forehead uncomfortable? You should have said something.”

“No… it wasn’t uncomfortable… I was just startled…”

“I don’t think I did anything particularly startling… If you’re unwell, I’ll call a physician.”

“It’s just a bit hot today…”

“…You know it’s autumn right now, don’t you?”

To say it was hot – even I, who had mastered fire arts, found it quite cool and pleasant, yet she claimed it was hot.

Seeing my subtle expression, Tang Soyeol quickly interjected.

“Um, Unni must be a bit hot because she trained earlier. Right?”

“…That’s right.”

It seemed like Tang Soyeol was covering for Namgung Bi-ah, but despite that, her appearance was quite neat. Moreover, although not as much as during the engagement events, she seemed to have put on some makeup, looking different from usual. That meant she hadn’t been training.

I could infer that much, but I didn’t bother to argue. It felt like they were discussing something secret, so I hesitated to ask further.

“Understood. I’ll tell the servants to prepare more food.”

“Thank you.”

“Ah, and the Sword Empress will likely be joining us for the meal, is that alright?”

“W-well, of course. I came unannounced, so even if others are present…”

Tang Soyeol, who was speaking excitedly, paused for a moment and asked me again.

“Wait a moment, Young Master Gu.”

“Yes?”

“…Who did you say I’m having a meal with?”

“The Sword Empress.”

As I spoke, Tang Soyeol’s expression changed strangely. As if she had misheard something. Seeing Tang Soyeol, who was trying hard to maintain a composed demeanor, falter slightly, I wondered if I had said something wrong and replayed my words.

“Perhaps you didn’t know the Sword Empress was staying at the Gu residence?”

As I asked Tang Soyeol as if she should have known that.

“How would I know that!?”

Tang Soyeol shouted, sounding utterly incredulous.