Chapter 8: You Weren’t Like This in the Past Life
Linhua, Yo Yo-hwa’s sister.
***
“Master and disciple?!”
The startled expression that almost showed on my face was fortunately overshadowed by Seon-an’s exclamation.
I managed to regain control of my expression as I looked at Seon-an. He was staring back and forth between the Yu Clan Head and the 13th Prince with wide eyes.
It seemed that he had figured out the identity of the ‘honored guest’ mentioned by the Yu Clan Head.
After all, the only person I had taken as a disciple was the 13th Prince. Seon-an openly asked in an urgent voice.
“Grandfather, does this mean the person you referred to as an honored guest is the 13th Prince?”
“Yes.”
The Yu Clan Head replied frankly this time and then directed Seon-an.
“Pay your respects to His Highness, the 13th Prince.”
Though surprised, Seon-an quickly composed himself and offered a formal bow.
“I greet His Highness, the 13th Prince.”
Despite witnessing this scene, my focus remained solely on my disciple. I never expected that the protagonist of the ‘strategic guest’ story Seon-an had shared before my regression would be the 13th Prince.
I should have realized it when I first heard the term ‘honored guest.’
But since the Yu Clan Head had many individuals he referred to as honored guests, it didn’t click right away. Besides, I thought he only called the 13th Prince that to explain things to Seon-an, not because he genuinely saw him as one.
No matter how much I regretted not catching on earlier, it was too late now.
The situation had already unfolded. I had just shown off by explaining the move in the strategy game right in front of my disciple. Knowing that I wasn’t as skilled as him, the 13th Prince would surely find this situation suspicious.
I felt like my heart was shrinking with fear.
“Since you solved this old man’s dilemma, I should reward you. Young Master Yo, I’ll grant you the hiding place you wanted.”
If the Yu Clan Head hadn’t said that, I might have collapsed from mental exhaustion. As I was teetering on the edge of self-doubt, I felt a surge of relief as I looked at him.
“Truly?”
The Yu Clan Head nodded as if it were only natural and patted Seon-an’s shoulder. Why pat Seon-an’s shoulder when he’s giving me the hiding place? That’s unsettling.
“But I can only give you one. Otherwise, it would be a loss for this old man.”
He was calculative, indeed.
That must be how he built an influential household.
Still, getting even one hiding place was something.
Although I had initially sought ten as a precaution, one was enough if it was a secure location that the 13th Prince wouldn’t discover. I expressed my gratitude with a joyful face.
“Thank you, my lord.”
The Yu Clan Head nodded with satisfaction.
“If you ever need more, come again. If you help this old man out, I’ll give you one each time.”
Yes. But let’s not push it too far.
“Then wouldn’t that be a loss for you, my lord?”
The Yu Clan Head chuckled heartily and shook his head.
“It’s worth it if it means fostering connections with good talent.”
He truly had a bold side. He had been miserly before I moved the game piece. Suppressing my inner thoughts, I pretended to nod along warmly. But just as things seemed to be going well—
“Yu Clan Head, shouldn’t I also know the location of this hiding place?”
The 13th Prince, who had been watching silently, suddenly said something like a bolt from the blue. I froze, my smile turning into ice as I looked at him. What? The Yu Clan Head, also looking surprised, asked him.
“Does Your Highness need a hiding place as well?”
“No. But isn’t Young Master Yo my master? As his disciple, it’s only natural for me to know where my master’s hiding place is.”
He spoke while looking at the Yu Clan Head, but then slowly turned to me with a smile devoid of any personal interest.
“Isn’t that right, Master?”
Of course, it wasn’t devoid of personal interest.
I looked at the Yu Clan Head, hoping he would refuse, but I knew even before he spoke that it was a pointless hope. How could he refuse when a prince requested it?
As expected, the Yu Clan Head replied without hesitation.
“Indeed. A master and disciple are always on the same side. It would be much more useful for both to know the location of the hiding place.”
Why is this old man deciding how I use my hiding place?
My frustration simmered, but I forced a smile to indicate agreement.
Inside, though, curses were brewing.
I had gone through all this trouble to secure a hiding place, only for it to become useless the moment I obtained it.
I needed a place to avoid the 13th Prince, but now he knew the location. This rendered the hiding place utterly useless.
‘This is so futile.’
Worse than feeling disheartened was the looming issue that the 13th Prince might become suspicious of me after today.
‘If I try to get a hiding place through the Yu Clan Head, everything will go straight to the 13th Prince.’
It wouldn’t make sense to ask the Yu Clan Head, ‘Please don’t tell the 13th Prince.’ I needed to find another way to secure a hiding place.
The next day.
I struggled to dress myself for the prince’s lesson. My hands just wouldn’t move quickly. It was all because of the aftermath of what happened yesterday.
“Sister! I heard you spent the whole day with Seon-an yesterday!”
And Linhua was making such a racket.
But I knew that responding to her tantrum would only prolong things, so I ignored her shouting and continued changing.
Maybe I just wanted to avoid listening to her yells. Thankfully, after her outburst, my hands moved faster. Who knew she could be helpful in this way?
Ugh. I don’t want to go to the palace. Ugh. I don’t want to see my disciple.
But the appointment time was approaching, and I had finished changing. I sighed heavily and left the house. When I arrived at the palace and stepped into Wolmu-gung where my disciple stayed, of course, he wasn’t in his room but standing in the garden.
He was watering the weeds. He did that often in the past, but I never understood why.
Was it because I was staring too obviously in disbelief? Or had he strengthened his physical senses in the few days since I returned?
“Master?”
I thought I had entered without a sound. Yet, he noticed me immediately and turned to look at me.
My heart reacted first when our eyes met.
I forced a smile as if nothing was wrong, and he reached out his hand toward me.
Was he calling me over? I didn’t want to go. I grumbled internally but reluctantly walked over. He naturally pressed my collar to check the bruise and frowned as he asked.
“The ointment?”
“I applied it.”
“There’s no sign of it at all.”
“I applied it last night.”
“I believe I told you to apply it frequently, Master.”
“Well—”
“Is it that you dislike my ointment touching your skin, Master?”
I covered my neck and muttered an apology in a weak voice.
“My apologies.”
I did dislike him, but not enough to avoid using his ointment. I had just been too mentally drained from yesterday’s hiding place incident to pay attention to anything else.
But he seemed indifferent as he continued watering the weeds.
Was the questioning over? Could I relax now? The matter of the hiding place…
“Why are you looking for a hiding place? Are you planning to run away from something?”
So it wasn’t over.
No, it seemed the questioning was just beginning. When he finally asked the question I’d worried about all night, I felt empty inside.
I forced a smile to cover my unease. I had prepared various answers, but none of them seemed appropriate now.
“To maintain multiple households—”
“I know that’s a lie.”
“!”
“A master who lacks loyalty and devotion couldn’t possibly love ten people.”
What nonsense. You’d need to lack loyalty and devotion to love ten people.
If you had loyalty, you’d only love one…
“13th, we need to talk.”
An unfamiliar voice from behind saved me from the difficult situation.
I had no answer prepared for the hiding place question, so I took the chance to turn around immediately.
To my surprise, it was the 7th Prince.
He was one of those my disciple had eliminated relatively early before my regression, which might be why his voice felt unfamiliar.
But why was the 7th Prince here?
Before revealing his true nature, the 13th Prince had been ignored by his siblings and hadn’t interacted with any of them.
The 7th Prince, especially, who had a powerful maternal family and a high rank, regarded the 13th Prince as insignificant as dirt, so he never visited this place.
Though puzzled, I quickly paid my respects in a formal greeting.
“I greet Your Highness, the 7th Prince.”
“So you’re Young Master Yo.”
The 7th Prince gave a slight nod to me before turning back to the 13th Prince.
I glanced at my disciple, wondering if he knew why the 7th Prince had come.
He probably remembered more past details than I did, given how many times he’d experienced regression. But his expression was unreadable.
“What brings you here, brother?”
His voice was calm, at least.
“There’s a hunting competition coming up.”
“Yes, there is.”
“I want to ride ‘Haeseong’ then.”
“I refuse.”
“Refuse? …Just for a day, can’t you lend it to me?”
“I refuse. Haeseong is the only horse I have.”
“I’ll lend you my horse. It’s an excellent one. How about it?”
“I refuse.”
It was only after hearing the name ‘Haeseong’ and their argument that I recalled a similar incident before my regression.
‘So it’s that event.’
Haeseong was the one and only white horse the 13th Prince owned, so cherished and cared for that its coat shone brilliantly.
The 7th Prince, who loved horses, had taken a liking to it and often pestered the 13th Prince to give it to him as a birthday gift.
As the hunting competition approached, he had changed tactics and asked to borrow it.
That was what was happening now. But the 13th Prince, who treasured the horse, never lent it to the 7th Prince he disliked. This led to an argument, which ultimately affected me.
“You’re being unreasonable. Your brother only wants to borrow the horse for one ride, and you refuse. What do you think, Young Master Yo?”
Just like now.
“You’re his teacher, aren’t you, Young Master Yo? He might listen to you, so persuade him on my behalf.”
I couldn’t describe how flustered I’d been at the time.
It was an impossible situation where taking either side would be difficult for me. In the end, before my regression, I sided with the 7th Prince.
Not out of any dislike for the 13th Prince or support for the 7th Prince, but because the 13th Prince was too weak to oppose the influential 7th Prince over a mere horse.
I thought a prince with such an uncertain future shouldn’t make an enemy out of the 7th Prince, who might one day take the throne.
Long story short, the 13th Prince didn’t lend Haeseong despite my persuasion. The 7th Prince, angered, left with a threat but later fell from his horse during the hunting competition and broke his leg. With that, the 7th Prince forgot about Haeseong while recovering, and I sighed in relief, thinking the matter had ended well.
But now that I think about it, was the 7th Prince’s injury really just an accident?
While I gathered my thoughts, the 7th Prince urged me again, just like before.
“Young Master Yo. Why aren’t you saying anything?”
I glanced at my disciple.
He stood nonchalantly, as if he already knew whose side I would take and had no expectations from me.
He wasn’t even looking at me, only staring at the wall behind the 7th Prince’s shoulder. But this time, the side I should take was… my disciple’s.
“My apologies, Your Highness the 7th Prince. Haeseong is the only horse the 13th Prince has. If he lends it, he will have no horse to ride. Even if you lend him another, he wouldn’t be able to ride it. The 13th Prince, unlike Your Highness, is not skilled in horseback riding and cannot handle unfamiliar horses.”
My disciple’s brow furrowed immediately.
His expression clearly said, ‘Why are you doing this? You weren’t like this in the past life.’
—
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