Chapter 34
“Yawn!”
I opened my mouth wide enough to split my face as I yawned and opened my eyes.
How long had it been since I last saw the ceiling of my own room?
For the first time in my life, I felt happy to see a ceiling.
“Home is truly the best. The quality of rest is on another level.”
It had been ages since I felt this light and refreshed without practicing Qi Circulation.
With how great I felt, I thought I could run across Sichuan in ten days.
“Must’ve been thanks to Grandmother’s massage.”
Stretching as I got out of bed, last night’s events came to mind.
I didn’t remember exactly when it started.
While I was sleeping, Grandmother began massaging me, and when I was about to wake up, the sheer comfort pulled me back into deep sleep.
It wasn’t anything unusual.
Grandmother, with her strong grip, often gave me what she called “health massages.”
Sometimes they left me feeling invigorated, and other times like a waterlogged sponge.
Back in Korea, I never got massages because I thought they were too expensive. What luxury this was.
“But how am I going to bring it up?”
I told her to wake me up after closing the shop, but thanks to the massage, I missed the timing.
Typical Shin Geum, never listening to me.
“There’s so much I need to tell her…”
If I told her about my current physical condition and the fact that I’d learned martial arts from Jeok I-geon and the Heavenly Demon, what would she say?
Would she faint from shock?
No matter how brave she was, the Heavenly Demon wasn’t just anyone.
Wasn’t she the one who always warned me to stay far away from anything related to the Heavenly Demon?
It seemed wiser to pick the right moment and tell her calmly later.
Since my contract was ending soon, perhaps it’d be better to wait until I’d quit.
“Guess I should wash up and get to work.”
Today was the day Grandmother went to the morning market.
It was a shame I couldn’t see her off, but thinking about seeing her again soon brought a smile to my face.
That mood vanished the moment I went downstairs.
An unwelcome guest was helping himself to my food without permission.
“Hey! Yang So-baek!”
I stormed toward him, fuming.
“What do you think you’re doing? Why are you eating that?”
“I’m hungry, so I’m eating. And what’s with your attitude, talking about food like that to someone you’re supposed to marry?”
“What? Marry?”
I was momentarily dumbfounded by Yang So-baek’s casual response.
“The maids in the Inner City all say so. That you and I are promised to each other. They even claim you said it yourself. Is it true?”
“Well… there were circumstances for that.”
“Circumstances?”
“Yes! I told you I’d explain later.”
“When’s ‘later’? You went all the way to Sichuan with the Second Young Master, didn’t you?”
Yang So-baek put his chopsticks down with a sulky expression.
“I’m the Second Young Master’s personal maid. Do you think I wanted to go? I only went because I had to.”
“…Really?”
“Why would I lie to you about that?”
“Fair enough, you wouldn’t have a reason to.”
“Since you’re here, I might as well tell you everything now. Listen carefully.”
I explained in detail why I had no choice but to call Yang So-baek my “fiancé.”
“…So you used me to squash a rumor about a one-night stand with the Second Young Master?”
“No one would believe the truth anyway, so what else could I do? I had to lie to survive. Those women are terrifying.”
“Of all people, why me?”
“Why you? Who else do I have besides you? Plus, it sounded believable. You’re a member of the Blood Shadow Corps, my supposed fiancé—it all fit perfectly.”
“So, I saved you, huh?”
“You could say that.”
“Then I should make a wish.”
“Huh?”
What wish?
The conversation was taking a strange turn, and by the time I realized something was off, it was already too late.
“You know the interschool martial arts tournament happening in two weeks, right?”
“The one held every quarter?”
“I’m competing this time.”
“Wow, really? Congrats! Joining the Blood Shadow Corps was already impressive, but entering the tournament? You’re really going places!”
“Cheer for me.”
“Cheer? Like… go to the tournament and yell your name?”
“Hearing you call my name loudly will give me strength.”
Well, cheering was fine. As a friend, I could do that much.
The problem was whether I’d have the time.
After all, I was bound to Geonyeong Pavilion as the Second Young Master’s personal maid.
“Why aren’t you answering? Are you not going to cheer for me?”
“No, I will. It’s just… will I have the time? You know I’m tied to Geonyeong Pavilion.”
It was uncertain whether I could find the time to watch the tournament, given my duties for Jeok I-geon.
“The Second Young Master will be attending, too. So don’t worry about the time.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“As it’s my first time as a personal maid, I didn’t know that much.”
“Alright then. I’ll go.”
I owed the guy, so I decided to let this one slide.
To be honest, I was also curious about the martial arts tournament.
I hadn’t paid any attention to it before, thinking it had nothing to do with me. But now that I’d learned martial arts, I couldn’t help but feel intrigued.
After all, wasn’t it a staple scene in martial arts novels?
An unknown expert enters the tournament, defeats all the famous participants, and takes the championship.
Man, I should’ve been that protagonist.
Unfortunately, maids weren’t allowed to compete.
Not that I’d participate even if I could, but still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment.
“Shin Seol-ha, you promised, okay? You have to come and cheer for me!”
“Just focus on preparing for the tournament. If you lose after I cheer my heart out, you know what will happen, right? If you embarrass me, I’ll kill you!”
“Just wait and see! I’ll win, and then I’ll tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“That’s a secret.”
Why was his voice suddenly so low?
And why did his gaze feel… different? Was it just my imagination?
“Hey! Don’t eat everything, leave some for me!”
Talking to him had delayed me.
I quickly washed up, returned to scarf down my meal, and headed out with Yang So-baek.
“This feels so strange, going to work together like this. Don’t you think?”
“It’s a bit weird. Honestly, I still can’t believe how someone with your skills got into the Blood Shadow Corps.”
“Hey! I’m not the old Yang So-baek anymore!”
“Did you stumble upon some hidden opportunity or something? Even your martial arts teacher told you to give up.”
Liking something and being good at it are two very different things.
Yang So-baek was a perfect example of that.
Despite his dream of becoming the best martial artist in the world, he unfortunately lacked talent.
I’d tried countless times to suggest other career paths, but his stubbornness was unyielding.
I think he failed the Blood Shadow Corps’ entrance exam over ten times.
So when he finally got in, I was shocked and baffled.
Of course, I was happy for him.
After all, he was my only childhood friend, and this was his dream.
The problem was, I’d soon need to convince him to quit the Blood Shadow Corps, and I wasn’t sure he’d agree.
“If you’re asking about a hidden opportunity, you could say that.”
“Huh? Seriously?”
I was genuinely surprised when he admitted it, though I felt a murderous urge at his next words.
“Or you could call it an epiphany.”
“……”
“It’s that moment every martial artist experiences at some point, you know? Like fate—it just came to me.”
“Stop the nonsense, will you? You sound so annoying right now.”
“Jealousy and envy always follow someone of my caliber. I’ve decided to accept it with humility.”
Wow, this guy was completely delusional.
How could someone get so drunk on self-adoration?
Sometimes, I thought he should be studied.
“Oh, by the way, later, you…”
Yang So-baek was about to tell me something when—
“Are you the Second Young Master’s personal maid?”
A man walking toward us suddenly interrupted, directing the question at me.
His rough tone was bad enough, but his sharp gaze was worse.
The murderous intent radiating from him made it feel like he’d draw his sword and cut me down at any moment.
I couldn’t even open my mouth, overwhelmed by his aura. Yang So-baek stepped in for me.
“Who are you? How dare you block our way and speak like that?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Thud!
“Urgh!”
It was a single kick.
Before Yang So-baek could even react, the man’s foot struck his abdomen, sending him flying into a wall where he collapsed unconscious.
It wasn’t too fast to see, but I could tell it wasn’t the man’s full strength.
“You’re coming with me.”
Whoosh!
Did he really think he could knock me down with a mere sweep of his sleeve?
As if I’d go down so easily. I’d learned martial arts from Heavenl Demon, after all.
I decided to use the Demonic Phoenix Sky Art to escape.
Sniff, sniff.
But what was that smell?
…Wait. Why was I feeling dizzy?
Suddenly, my vision blurred, and I staggered.
The man slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
It was only then that I realized I’d been drugged.
The drowsiness hitting me suggested it was a sedative.
Damn it.
My Antidote Pearls…
They were in my pocket…
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment