Chapter 5
“Gaga, are you awake?”
The first thing I saw when I regained consciousness was Namgung Yeon-hee’s worried face looking down at me.
“How long was I out for?”
“Half a day. Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
I felt slightly drained from overexerting my internal energy, but luckily, there didn’t seem to be any major damage to my energy channels.
“I think I’m okay.”
“Father was really too much. He promised he wouldn’t use internal energy, and yet…”
Ah, right. Now I remember.
Namgung Hyuk broke that promise at the last moment.
Because of that, my final move ended up in vain…
“That just means Gaga’s skill was exceptional enough to warrant it, doesn’t it?”
“Well, it crumbled at a mere gesture.”
“Even so, the fact that you could exchange blows with Father to that extent is amazing! He may not have shown it, but I could tell he was quite pleased with you.”
Namgung Hyuk.
The one and only Heavenly Undefeated.
Having crossed swords with him, I could fully appreciate his grandeur.
There wasn’t a single opening I could exploit, not even the slightest.
I still couldn’t believe I managed to withstand his sword.
‘Did I perhaps graze the tip of greatness?’
Even though he was holding back, the fact that Namgung Hyuk had to resort to using internal energy made me feel somewhat gratified.
“Now that I think about it, what happened with the test?”
“Of course, you passed!”
“Even though I fainted?”
“Father acknowledged it. He said if it’s someone of your calibre, he would permit our engagement.”
Just as I expected.
I could tell from Namgung Yeon-hee’s demeanor.
Yet, I still asked, perhaps because I wanted to deny reality.
‘I couldn’t control my fleeting pride.’
Just as Master said, I might still lack mental discipline.
But as a martial artist, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
To be able to cross swords with Namgung Hyuk, the Lord of the Murim Alliance.
The fiery passion that blazed within me couldn’t be extinguished.
It was problematic that I forgot my original purpose—to have the engagement rejected—because of it.
“To think you tried so hard just to get engaged to me…”
“I promised I’d take responsibility.”
“Is that so? I didn’t expect you to prepare such a gift for Mother. I have to say, I was impressed by Gaga’s insight.”
Namgung Yeon-hee’s eyes held a strange glimmer as she spoke.
It was as if she were questioning, ‘Are you in trouble now that your escape plan is blocked?’
“Right? I have a good sense for these things.”
“….”
I shamelessly answered, and Namgung Yeon-hee didn’t push further.
“Our engagement will be announced at the family meeting tomorrow.”
“That soon?”
“Isn’t it best to move quickly when it’s something to celebrate?”
Her decisiveness was remarkable.
It seemed like her mother, Tang Ah-ryeon, had a considerable influence behind this decision.
No matter how much I struggled, I felt as if I was sinking deeper into a mire.
***
The next day, at the Namgung Family’s main hall.
All the family members had gathered upon Namgung Hyuk’s call.
“Today, we have gathered to announce some joyous news.”
Namgung Hyuk gestured to me, who was standing beside him.
“Yeon-hee’s fiancé has been decided. As soon as we select an auspicious date, the ceremony will take place.”
“Greetings. My name is Lee Se-woong. I look forward to your guidance.”
I bowed in greeting at Namgung Hyuk’s urging.
Countless gazes turned to me.
They were filled with displeasure.
“Yeon-hee’s fiancé? That boy who looks like a gigolo?”
“Lee Se-woong? Who is that?”
Murmurs spread throughout the hall.
Everyone seemed displeased by my sudden appearance.
The moment they heard I was Yeon-hee’s fiancé, hostility began emanating from all directions.
At that moment, a man stepped forward, as if he had been waiting for this very situation—Namgung Hyuk’s first son, Namgung Sun.
“Where do you think you crawled out from?”
Namgung Sun looked at me with contemptuous eyes.
There wasn’t a hint of kindness in his tone.
“Do you know me?”
“Do you think I have time to remember the names of nobodies like you?”
“That’s quite a long way of saying you don’t know me.”
The eldest son of the Namgung Family was reputed to be diligent and kind, even to his subordinates.
Was that all just a bunch of nonsense?
“I hold a position of responsibility Guarding the East Gate of the Murim Alliance.”
“What?”
“It means I’m a gatekeeper.”
“Hah, a gatekeeper?”
Namgung Sun let out a sigh, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“All this time, the proposals from numerous reputable families have been rejected. And now, a mere gatekeeper thinks he can become our family’s son-in-law?”
“……”
He spoke loudly, ensuring that everyone in the hall could hear.
The other family members nodded silently in agreement.
It was as if they had all rehearsed their reactions beforehand, showing a united front.
‘This is all staged.’
Something felt off.
This engagement was announced by Namgung Hyuk.
Disparaging me like this went directly against Namgung Hyuk’s wishes.
To dare raise one’s voice against Namgung Hyuk?
That was something that could never happen.
‘Unless… it was orchestrated by Namgung Hyuk himself.’
The situation was all too clear now.
The atmosphere had shifted, but Namgung Hyuk was watching like a bystander, as if none of this concerned him.
‘So, this is how you want to play it?’
This was Namgung Hyuk’s final attempt at resistance.
Even Tang Ah-ryeon was on my side now, and I had passed the engagement test.
The only excuse left for him was that the family’s opposition was insurmountable.
‘This might actually be favourable.’
There was nothing to lose for me.
If I simply went along with Namgung Sun’s flow and withdrew quietly, I could easily garner opposition to the engagement.
But the thing is…
‘I don’t like it.’
Namgung Sun’s condescending attitude and Namgung Hyuk’s refusal to stick to his promise were irking me.
You know that feeling?
When a girl you had no romantic interest in suddenly tells you, “I don’t see you as a guy. Let’s just stay friends forever,” before you even had a chance to say anything?
Rejected before you could even confess, a 0-confession, 1-rejection scenario.
Even if you didn’t want to date her, if she rejects you first, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth.
That’s exactly how I feel right now.
It’s my decision whether or not I want to be a son-in-law, and it’s entirely different for you to reject me!
‘I’ll turn this place upside down.’
Namgung Hyuk, you started this.
I’ll play along with the cards you’ve dealt, so don’t blame me later.
“A mere gatekeeper? Is that the official stance of the Namgung Family?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Gatekeepers of the Murim Alliance work tirelessly day and night to safeguard the entrance of the Alliance. Are you implying that their hard work is something to be belittled?”
“I didn’t go that far!”
“I believed the Namgung Family to be one that respects even the lowest of its people. Yet you’re discriminating against someone solely based on their status as a gatekeeper?”
“No, hold on now. Please calm down.”
Namgung Sun, clearly flustered, changed his tone from the dismissive “you” to the more polite “sir.”
Yes, it must be quite disorienting for him.
All he did was insult me, but now he’s being painted as someone who looks down on all gatekeepers.
“If what you’re saying is true, then I’ll make sure to spread the word far and wide: ‘The Namgung Family doesn’t even consider gatekeepers as people.’ How disappointing to realize you see those who work with pride to protect the Alliance as such… I can’t tolerate this any longer!”
If word of this spread, the morale of all gatekeepers would plummet.
Criticism of the Namgung Family’s sense of entitlement would run rampant!
“I have no intention of staying in a family that treats me like this. If this is truly the consensus of your household…”
“Gaga, what are you saying right now?”
Just when I was a few words away from leaving without a second thought, Namgung Yeon-hee stepped in.
“Are you saying you want to break off our engagement?”
Her voice was as cold as ice.
It sent chills down my spine, reminiscent of the first time we met.
‘To think she’d step in at this timing.’
“Yeon-hee.”
“Gaga, have you forgotten the promise you made to me that night?”
“It’s not that…”
“You said you’d take responsibility for me, didn’t you?”
That night.
Responsibility.
Words that stirred up one’s imagination.
“Responsibility? What exactly do you mean by taking responsibility?”
“What did that guy do to Yeon-hee?”
The words uttered by Yeon-hee caused a stir among the family members.
The words “responsibility” and “night” in the context of a relationship between a man and a woman could only imply one thing.
“Hoo, that sounds like a very interesting story.”
Damn it.
Namgung Hyuk, who had been watching the entire situation unfold, finally spoke.
“I’d like to hear what exactly it is you need to take responsibility for when it comes to Yeon-hee.”
“……”
“You don’t mean to imply that something inappropriate happened between you two even before the marriage, do you?”
“It’s a misunderstanding!”
“Hmm, a misunderstanding, you say.”
Namgung Hyuk began emanating an ominous aura.
It was truly a life-threatening situation!
There was only one way I could think of to get out of this predicament.
“Honestly, I feel hurt!”
“?”
Namgung Hyuk’s expression turned perplexed as the person who had been on the defensive suddenly raised his voice.
“I never thought that everyone would accept us with open arms. But to interrogate me like a criminal… It’s heartbreaking. Did I pass your test only to be treated like this?”
“Y-you… that’s…”
I cut Namgung Hyuk off mid-sentence.
I had to be brazen.
“If I am guilty of anything, it’s for stealing Yeon-hee’s heart. I never expected that my vow to take responsibility for it would be so badly misunderstood!”
“Oh my, oh my!” The women of the family began whispering to each other.
The words coming out of my mouth were so cheesy that I could feel my hands and feet cringing.
Yeon-hee, whose cheeks had turned a rosy pink, seemed completely flustered.
Is this actually working?
“Yeon-hee, I swear once again, right here and now. No matter who opposes it, no one can stand in the way of our love!”
“Gaga…”
“I will wait for as long as it takes, even if we have to go through countless springs, until the entire Namgung Family acknowledges us!”
I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore.
What had started as an attempt to downplay the incident had spiralled out of control.
I should have just stayed quiet when Namgung Sun was mocking me.
“Haha, youth is truly beautiful.”
Just then, the door to the family hall opened, and an elderly man with a long, flowing beard stepped inside.
Who the hell is this old man?
“We greet the Grand Elder!”
The greetings echoed like a well-rehearsed chorus.
“Listening to your words, I feel as though I’ve been transported back to my younger days.”
The Grand Elder looked at me with kind eyes, seemingly charmed by my impassioned declaration.
“Hyuk, shouldn’t you at least provide him a room?”
‘How did it come to this?’
That was the price I paid for losing my temper in that brief moment.
And just like that, I ended up staying as a guest in Namgung Family’s outer quarters.
—
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