Chapter 153: Chapter 153

“It… It’s incredibly huge…”

Hoyeon Ji stood speechless as she stared at the manor.

Although she had been to Yueyang several times, she had never imagined such a house would be nearby.

When she was a child, she had once tagged along when they delivered liquor to the imperial palace, and this place seemed even more grand than that.

What caught her eye in particular was the massive pine tree standing right in the center of the courtyard.

Its upright posture, as if it had been guarding this land for an eternity, exerted an overwhelming presence just by looking at it.

Even though it was merely a single tree.

[Hunan Dan Family]

The plaque, adorned with splendid calligraphy, also stole her gaze.

Whosever brushwork it was, the strokes seemed to writhe and leap like a living dragon.

The reason she hesitated and could not bring herself to step inside was due to this very pressure.

“Come in.”

However, Dan Woo-hyun opened the gate as if it were nothing.

The scenery revealed inside the opened gate shocked her even more.

“You… what on earth do you do for a living?”

“I am a father raising a child.”

“…Ah, is that so?”

To her eyes, he was by no means just an ordinary father raising a single child.

At this scale, it wouldn’t be strange for him to have a primary wife and several concubines. However, the noise coming from inside was much quieter than she had expected.

Because other than what sounded like a woman’s martial shout, she could hear nothing else.

“You’re back?”

Just then, a tiny child came pattering toward Dan Woo-hyun.

As she leaped right in front of him into his arms, Dan Woo-hyun caught her lightly.

“Right, greet her. She is a guest who will be staying with us starting today.”

“Hello, I am Dan So-mi!”

“Hello, I am Hoyeon Ji.”

Seeing the child raise her hand high in greeting from Dan Woo-hyun’s arms, Hoyeon Ji felt her heart leap into her throat.

‘W-what is this?’

How could a child’s greeting and smile possess such absurd destructive power? She couldn’t help but feel drawn to the child’s adorable appearance.

“Ehehe, So-mi learned something called martial arts from Grandpa Namgung today!”

“Haha, is that so? How was it?”

“Hmm! I don’t really know yet… but it seems easier than what Daddy taught me…”

“Martial arts are a means to protect your precious body, so learn as much of it as you can.”

‘Grandpa Namgung?’

Even Hoyeon Ji, who lived almost completely severed from the secular world, knew the weight of the name Namgung all too well.

‘No way, could it be that Namgung Clan?’

The pillar of the Eight Great Families and the main house of the Sword Emperor.

Why would someone from that Namgung Clan be in a place like this?

Amused by the absurd thought, she unconsciously let out a bitter smile and shook her head.

“Hmm, is that the girl? The one from the family you said brews good liquor.”

“Yes, when I went there, she was alone.”

Just then, a rather thin elderly man slowly approached. He looked Hoyeon Ji up and down, observing her with an interested gaze.

She flinched slightly, but strangely, his gaze did not feel unpleasant.

It was probably because there was absolutely no intent to harass or any sinister feeling in his eyes.

“By the way, do you even wash yourself?”

“What!?”

Hoyeon Ji could not help but be flustered by the out-of-the-blue remark.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t been able to wash properly lately because the weather had turned cold. Even if she fetched river water, she had no large tub to heat it in, and lighting a fire with firewood was a luxury.

She sniffed herself, wondering if her body smelled.

“How can you smell your own body odor?”

“I… Is that so?”

“Being so filthy doesn’t leave a good impression. You should clean yourself up a bit, honestly…”

Sa Do-hak clicked his tongue and turned his head.

In the distance, Namgung So-hye, who had finished training, was seen wiping off her sweat.

“That one and this one, why is everyone here so strange?”

“Mind your own business!”

“…Ugh!”

Unlike Hoyeon Ji, who shouted out in embarrassment, Namgung So-hye swallowed a groan and turned away.

Running away with a completely flushed face, she too had clearly realized that she hadn’t washed properly lately.

“Mu-jin! You rascal!”

Sa Do-hak suddenly called out for Gwon Mu-jin.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Gwon Mu-jin revealed himself from the empty air.

He bowed his head to Sa Do-hak and Dan Woo-hyun.

Hoyeon Ji flinched at his sudden appearance.

“Did you call for me?”

“Give this girl an annex and have her wash up. She smells so bad I can’t stand being near her.”

“…Yes? I should wash her?”

“I can wash myself!”

Hoyeon Ji shouted, her face turning red.

Her voice was filled with embarrassment, and she kept her eyes cast down, unable to look up properly.

“Hoho, So-hye has a few spare sets of clothes, so you can give her those.”

Another elderly man with a gentle demeanor approached.

‘Why are there so many elderly people in this manor?’

Hoyeon Ji turned her head to look at the old man and shook her head.

“Oh, no. I am already grateful just to be allowed to stay…”

“It is because your clothes smell.”

Unable to refuse Dan Woo-hyun’s blunt words, she bowed her head deeply.

She clenched her fists tightly as if she might hit him.

However, unable to do anything, she simply followed behind Gwon Mu-jin to the annex. Her back, as she trudged along, looked utterly drained of strength.

“What an interesting child. Is she a direct descendant of the Hoyeon Clan?”

“It seems so. It would have been better if the ones who actually brewed the liquor were still around… What a shame.”

Dan Woo-hyun replied to Namgung Cheon with a bitter smile.

The liquor he had tasted, albeit a little, at the Hoyeon Clan.

It had fallen far short of Dan Woo-hyun’s expectations. Perhaps she knew that as well, which was why she had abandoned it instead of offering it to her parents.

“However, her physiognomy is good. She has a face destined for great success.”

“…”

“…”

“Her personality isn’t harsh either, she seems decent. She is a child with a promising future. Hohoho.”

Namgung Cheon stroked his beard as he watched Hoyeon Ji’s retreating back. Though she looked filthy, her facial features wouldn’t change.

Although she was currently curled up, she would rise one day.

Perhaps that was why Dan Woo-hyun had brought her along.

Yet, strangely, the two men remained silent.

Turning his gaze, Sa Do-hak let out a deep sigh.

“Do you have nothing better to do these days that you’ve resorted to being a physiognomist?”

“No, it’s not that, but doesn’t it show just by looking?”

“It doesn’t show to me. To my eyes, she’s just a beggar. She smells too… How can you even see someone’s physiognomy when they look like that?”

“Are you pretending to read the heavenly secrets? Reading someone’s physiognomy, how amusing.”

Namgung Cheon was left speechless.

There was no way Sa Do-hak and Dan Woo-hyun hadn’t seen what he saw, but since the two of them spoke like that, his face turned red with embarrassment at the thought that he had bragged for nothing.

He fanned his face with his hand to cool down.

“You people are framing an innocent man. This old man said something unnecessary. But I am not entirely wrong, am I?”

“Well, I don’t really know.”

Dan Woo-hyun chuckled.

A pleasant breeze blew past.

* * *

“Sigh…”

Hoyeon Ji could not even remember when she had last soaked in hot water.

Once winter arrived and snow fell, the wood to be used for firewood all became damp, and no matter how much they dried it, it did not catch fire easily.

Naturally, washing her body became a distant memory.

“Still, did he really have to say it so bluntly…”

Hoyeon Ji gritted her teeth as she recalled Sa Do-hak’s ill-tempered face.

Of course… she knew well enough that it was embarrassing.

Hoyeon Ji sighed once more and stood up. She wiped herself with a prepared cloth and put on the clothes Gwon Mu-jin had brought.

The clothes were made of fine silk.

Although it was light attire, it felt smooth against her skin.

She was startled by the soft sensation before she realized it.

How long had it been since she last wore clothes like this?

Except for her childhood, she hadn’t even caught a proper glimpse of such garments.

Rustle, rustle!

She returned to the room and stared at her reflection in the bronze mirror.

Because she hadn’t taken care of it for a long time, her skin was in a terrible state. Thinking of the woman who owned these clothes, her shoulders slumped.

“Excuse me, are you alright?”

Just as she let out a long sigh, lamenting her appearance as a woman, the door gently opened and someone poked their head in.

Startled, Hoyeon Ji stepped back from the bronze mirror and quickly bowed to greet her.

“Ah, hello! I am Hoyeon Ji…”

The one who opened the door and walked in was the owner of the clothes.

The moment she saw the woman’s face, Hoyeon Ji was captivated by her beauty.

She possessed an overwhelming beauty that made her wonder how there could be such a vast difference between two women.

“Hoho, you don’t have to be so tense. More importantly, do the clothes fit well?”

“Ah, yes! It looks like an expensive outfit, I am terribly sorry.”

“It’s fine. Women should help each other.”

When Namgung So-hye smiled brightly, the room seemed to light up.

‘I-is this a human’s smile?’

Her appearance, capable of bewitching even another woman, made Hoyeon Ji wonder if the legendary nine-tailed fox would look like this.

Because of that, her tension did not ease.

“Still, thank you… Thanks to you, M-Madam, I am able to wear such nice clothes.”

“……?”

Startled, Namgung So-hye widened her eyes.

‘Madam…?’

It meant that she looked like a married woman.

She wore a blank expression, as if shocked for a moment.

Namgung So-hye realized that the other person had misunderstood.

‘But who did she mistake me to be with?’

Only one person came to mind.

The moment Dan Woo-hyun’s face was drawn in her head, Namgung So-hye waved her hands in denial with a flushed face.

“N-No, it’s not like that! I am just a guest here. I am not in that kind of relationship with… Young Master Dan.”

“Eh? Is that so? I was sure…”

She had heard that he was a father of a child and had seen the lovely child. Naturally, she assumed there would be a mother as well.

And since Namgung So-hye was the only woman she met here, Hoyeon Ji naturally guessed their relationship.

However, seeing her deny it so vehemently, it seemed her guess was wrong.

“Ah, if that is not the case, I am truly sorry.”

“There is no need to be sorry… Hehe…”

Namgung So-hye, placing her palms against her flushed cheeks with a silly grin, muttered something unintelligible.

Although it was too quiet to hear clearly, she seemed to be saying something about Dan Woo-hyun.

Watching her, the answer became clear.

‘She’s in love.’

Hoyeon Ji nodded, convinced.

“Excuse me… are you alright?”

“Ah! I’m fine! More importantly, my introduction is late, isn’t it? I am Namgung So-hye! As I said just now, I am a guest of this manor. Since we are the only adult women here, let’s get along well!”

“!?”

At that moment, Hoyeon Ji was too shocked for words.

Namgung So-hye.

Was there anyone in the martial world who did not know that name? She who was recognized by the Martial Alliance as a woman and took the position of the youngest squad leader.

Her skills were said to be the finest among the rising stars.

To think that Namgung So-hye was the woman right in front of her.

Just what kind of person was Dan Woo-hyun to be living with a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan, someone who wouldn’t pale even if called the Greatest Beauty Under Heaven?

Hoyeon Ji could only stare blankly for a long while.

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