Chapter 186: The Poison Human (7)

“Hwarin, are you okay?”

Pushing aside my confusion at her sudden appearance, I asked if she was alright and gave her a quick once-over.

Is she really okay?

Contrary to my worries, Hwarin looked perfectly fine.

Her skin was clear, just like before we parted, and she didn’t look sick at all.

“Yeah! I’ll be waiting outside, so get ready and come out.”

With that lively reply, she left the room.

“What’s going on…”

It was reality, but it felt like a dream.

If I couldn’t feel the chill of the winter wind from the open window, I would’ve believed it was a dream.

They wouldn’t even let me visit her until yesterday… what changed?

I felt dazed.

Like a movie scene where a beautiful woman suddenly appeared in a hail of bullets, threw open the door to a convertible, and said, “If you wanna live, get in.”

Wait a second… what if that’s not Hwarin?

What if someone’s disguised as her?

“Yunho!”

Still stunned, I turned to see Hwarin poking her head through the door and calling me.

“Huh?”

“We’re going out to have fun, so don’t dress like a slob! Look nice!”

She does know how I usually dress, so it probably is her.

“Did you hear me?”

I had no choice but to nod at her repeat question.

“It’ll be fine.”

“…Yes.”

When I stepped out dressed, with the help of the attendants, I saw Hwarin talking to the Hall Master in the distance.

He did say he’d find a way to let me see her, maybe he really pulled some strings. I should thank him.

“Take this.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve told you before, but…”

“Medicine? Hwarin, are you sick? You’re not fully recovered?”

As I came closer, I saw her taking a pill the Hall Master had handed over.

Is she still unwell?

I asked worriedly.

“It’s… it’s naught like that.”

Hwarin, why are you averting your eyes?

You look guilty.

“‘Naught like that’? You can’t even say it straight.”

“She only just woke up not long ago. The medicine is to help her recover from the lingering effects. Don’t worry too much.”

The Hall Master stepped in between us with a reassuring tone, sensing I was about to press her further.

“Hwarin, maybe you should rest a bit more before we go out? We don’t have to go today.”

She collapsed for a long time, and the moment she woke up, she ingested the Human-Faced Spider Core. She did become a Poison Human, but even so, she was bedridden for several days.

Even a muscular patient lost mass after long hospital stays.

No way Hwarin, martial artist or not, was in top condition.

“No!”

“What’s wrong?”

She suddenly yelled, her face wide-eyed in alarm.

“I—I want to go out right now.”

Her eyes were trembling as she looked at me.

“She took her medicine, so she’ll be fine. I guarantee it.”

If the Hall Master says so, maybe she really is okay.

“Then let’s go.”

“Yeah!”

At my words, color returned to her face.

“The carriage is ready. You can leave right away.”

The Hall Master pointed to a luxurious carriage nearby.

Isn’t this too fancy?

Just looking at it screams money.

I carefully opened the door, and sure enough, the inside was just as luxurious.

Hwarin’s going to be surprised.

“Be back before nightfall.”

I turned my head to see the Hall Master speaking to Hwarin like a father forbidding a daughter from staying out late.

The carriage isn’t a magical pumpkin, it’s not like she’ll disappear at midnight.

“…Okay.”

Hwarin nodded and gave me a determined look before stepping up into the carriage.

I feel uneasy.

Hwarin doesn’t look sick.

Judging by her energy, she seems completely recovered.

Her skin is flawless.

But something nags at me.

The flicker of unease I caught in the Hall Master’s eyes as he saw us off.

The way Hwarin seemed like she was dodging something.

Am I overthinking?

“Yunho, are you just going to keep staring with that gloomy face?”

Maybe my silence bothered her.

Hwarin asked with a hint of disappointment.

“Hwarin, it’s just…”

“And if you keep staring at me, don’t you have something to say?”

“Hwarin, I’m just glad you’re saf—”

“Not that!”

Guess I skipped the emotional reunion scene and got the wrong cue.

Hwarin looked me in the eyes, clearly expecting something.

What does she want me to say?

When I hesitated, she tilted her chin slightly in frustration.

Oh…

“Your skin looks great. Really. Congratulations, Hwarin.”

“Close, but wrong!”

She then posed, as if to show off the outfit she was wearing.

At this point, even someone totally clueless would know what she wanted.

“Hwarin, you look beautiful today.”

“Hmm? What was that?”

Her face lit up like a flower in bloom.

That was the right answer.

Even though she heard it loud and clear, she grinned and prompted me again.

“You’re beautiful, Hwarin.”

“More. Say it again!”

Why are you like this… it’s embarrassing.

“A great beauty on par with Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diaochan, and Yang Guifei. Clearly, when I wrote the Rising Tempest of Tang Clan, you were the inspiration behind Sichuan Greatest Beauty, Lady Hwarin of the Tang Clan.”

Like a theater performer confessing love on stage, I said it in a playful, dramatic tone.

“Pfft! What even is that?! Seriously!”

Apparently she liked it, because she kept elbowing me in the ribs with a laugh.

“Ow!”

Even if it’s playful, it still hurts. Hwarin!

“We’ve arrived.”

Unbothered by our antics, the coachman announced our arrival at the market in a flat, mechanical voice, just like a pro driver.

“Hehe. I, the fairest in Sichuan, grant Young Master the honor of accompanying me.”

Hwarin extended her hand with a refined tone, like she really was the Sichuan Greatest Beauty.

“It would be my honor.”

I had to play along.

“Are those two of the Tang Clan?”

“What business does the clan have in the market?”

I guess it must’ve looked like a luxury limo pulling into a farmers’ market.

As I took Hwarin’s hand and opened the door, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“Y-Yunho…”

Her voice trembled.

I turned to her and saw her face frozen with tension.

“Huh?”

“This is… the first time I’ve gone out without a veil. So you have to lead me well, okay?”

Even though her face had been healed, Hwarin lowered her head as she stepped out of the carriage.

Her hand gripped mine so tightly it was shaking uncontrollably.

I wondered what I was so worried about.

The moment she got better, Hwarin came straight to me.

Right now, I shouldn’t be doubting, I should be enjoying this time with a healthy Hwarin.

My fears were about the future.

But her fears were here now, thus it was my sole duty to protect her.

I tightened my hold on her hand and said, “Just leave it to me.”

“It feels like people keep staring at me. I’m starting to worry that maybe I’m not fully healed.”

Though Hwarin’s anxiety eased a little when she linked arms with me, she couldn’t stop glancing around nervously.

Hwarin… it’s not your imagination that people are looking at you.

Now that your skin is clear again, any man passing by would stop dead in his tracks. And if they manage to break free from the initial stun, one glance lower and they’ll freeze all over again.

You’re basically a walking red light now.

I reassured her that it was just because she looked pretty, but whenever someone got too close, she tightened her grip around my arm even more.

Of course, the stronger her grip, the more certain parts of her pressed against me…

Not that I’m complaining if she wants to keep being nervous.

“Let’s go to the circus first. The crowd will be focused on the performance, not you.”

“Okay.”

Fortunately, a traveling circus troupe had just come into the marketplace.

“How can a person’s arm stretch like that?”

“An elephant! Is it from Tianzhu?”

“That must be Tianzhu’s martial arts! Yoga Fire!”

Incredible.

Sure, martial arts existed in this world, which made acrobatic moves easier, but the circus’ performance still left both of us with our jaws on the floor.

Like how even fighters trained in the same martial art could end up as either pro athletes or stage performers, the circus’ martial arts were refined for entertainment.

“That was fun, right?”

As the show ended, we grabbed some street food from a stall and started chatting about the performance.

“Yeah! But that Maedamja was still not as good as you, Yunho. Hehe.”

She must have really enjoyed herself, as her anxiety was gone, replaced with an excited grin.

“Of course, I’m the best Maedamja there is.”

If I ever joined that circus and opened my story repertoire, I’d instantly become their star.

But I was a kind-hearted writer, I wasn’t about to ruin their employment rate.

“Yeah, no one could match your storytelling techniques.”

“So that’s what you were watching.”

“Hehe. Disappointed? Your stories are still better.”

“No, not at all. But… did you really have to give them that much money?”

When the show ended, Hwarin had casually pulled out a sum so large even I was surprised.

The entire troupe bowed in thanks.

She looked at me for a moment before giving a soft smile and replying, “Hey, we only made it to Yichang by you working as Maedamja, remember? That’s how we’re standing here now. We were helped too, so we shouldn’t just keep taking without giving.”

Damn. She’s dazzling.

Someone might look at her newly-healed face and feel inferior without knowing why, but she wasn’t some pampered heiress.

She was the kind of girl who gave, not took.

“Here’s your red bean and custard-filled fish bread. We added two slightly burnt ones for free since you waited so long.”

“Thank you.”

I was going to scold the vendor for handing it to someone else while chatting, but they gave us freebies, so I let it go.

We found a quiet spot away from the foot traffic and sat down to eat.

Delicious.

Winter really is fish-bread season.

I wonder if Hwarin likes it.

When I turned to look, she was nibbling carefully, as if worried someone might be watching.

“Why are you eating all dainty like a lady? Does it taste bad?”

“Hey!”

“You must be hungry. Eat up!”

At my words, she nodded and devoured both the custard and red bean ones in no time.

I’m glad she likes it. I didn’t think she’d eat my portion too, though.

“Yunho… I always wanted to try something like this,” once she noticed the paper bag was empty, she spoke gently.

“You’ve never had fish-bread before?”

What, is it some specialty from Sichuan in this world?

“No… I just wanted to try normal street food.”

“Ahh.”

For someone like her who always wore a veil, street food must’ve been a daunting challenge.

“Even when I wanted to try, if I told someone to get it for me, it’d be cold by the time it got back. Other kids my age would go out laughing, chatting, and munching on snacks. I never got to experience anything like that.”

Don’t get sad again…

“From now on, let’s go eat stuff like this together.”

I held her hand tightly and reassured her.

“…”

She looked at me silently.

“Hwarin?”

What’s wrong?

“Whatever! I’ll get fat!”

She playfully batted my hand away and laughed.

Honestly… how am I supposed to keep up with your mood?

To quench Hwarin’s long-held cravings, I bought her all the street food she liked.

Then, letting her lead the way, we stepped into a stationery shop.

“Why are we even buying this?”

“If we’re getting something, might as well get quality. A top author in Yichang can’t be using cheap brushes and paper, can they?”

“I just need to write. Besides, we could buy this stuff in Yichang, too.”

“…But I want to buy it now. Shopkeeper, bring out the best you’ve got.”

“Oh! You must be Lady Hwarin. I heard someone from the Tang Clan would be visiting. I’ll bring out the finest, just like the one that the Clan Head uses.”

“Hwarin, this stuff looks ridiculously fancy…”

What the shopkeeper brought out was so luxurious that even a novice could tell it was top-tier.

This girl… even when we should be tightening our pouch…

I forgot that Hwarin was the daughter of a famous, wealthy household in Daeheung County.

Hwarin, I know good paper, inksticks, and brushes when I see them.

But right now, we owe a ton of debt, and our business is on hold, meaning no income.

Since we were more than just business partners now, I should speak up.

Just as I opened my mouth, she placed a hand over it and dropped a bombshell.

“All the money I spend today is covered by the Tang Clan.”

“Shopkeeper!”

“Yes?”

“Forget the common stuff. Don’t you have anything even better?”

You know, like some heirloom masterpiece handed down from a legendary craftsman’s grandfather?

Bring out the most expensive stuff you’ve got!