Chapter 49: Model Answer (3)
Chapter 48 – Model Answer (3)
The backyard of the Patriarch’s Hall of the Namgung Clan, decorated with a small artificial pond.
At the pavilion there, a sumptuous feast was prepared after a long time, and Namgung Geom and Namgung Hwa sat facing each other, sharing a meal.
Honestly, it was late autumn, making the temperature awkward for dining outside, but because the sunlight was warm for once and the gathering was prepared by none other than Namgung Geom, Namgung Hwa picked up her utensils in silence.
How long had it been since she had shared a meal with her father like this?
Come to think of it, before she reached marriageable age, the whole family used to come here to play and eat together whenever summer arrived.
Even back then, they would lay out a hearty luncheon in the pavilion like this, enjoying a leisurely meal while admiring the carp in the pond.
Her older sister, who was always full of confidence, would teach her this and that, and getting along so well with their father, they would talk about martial arts without realizing the passage of time.
Namgung Hwa, who liked to listen, found joy just by listening intently to the two of them.
‘Yes, this backyard was that kind of place.’
Namgung Hwa silently thought as she put some stir-fried vegetables in her mouth and chewed.
She did not know what her father was thinking when he arranged this luncheon, but the scene of the two of them eating was bleak to the extreme.
Because even the most common casual greetings were omitted.
The only sounds were the clinking of utensils against plates, the occasional splash of a carp leaping above the water’s surface, and the wind brushing past their collars.
Clearly, nothing here had changed compared to the old days when laughter overflowed… yet it had turned into a place so unfamiliar that the past memories felt faint.
The presence of her mother, who always wore a warm smile, and her vibrant, energetic older sister was certainly larger than Namgung Hwa had thought.
Even though a long time had already passed.
So her father must have lost his smile after that as well. No, her father had never smiled much to begin with.
However, when her sister was alive, he would occasionally show a faint smile.
But after her sister died, he turned completely into ice.
As their family’s fortunes slowly declined to the point where they sold the main estate and used this place—which had been an annex—as the main residence, her father did not show even the slightest change in emotion.
She knew.
That it was his way of protecting himself, and a choice made to avoid causing harm to the remaining family members.
However, on days like today when they met one-on-one, the atmosphere became as uncomfortable as sitting on a bed of needles, and her gaze lost its direction.
She did not know whether the food went into her mouth or her nose, nor what the side dishes tasted like.
The two of them simply moved their utensils diligently in silence.
Perhaps both of them were swallowing grains of rice that felt like sand, using past memories as their side dishes.
Suddenly, Namgung Geom let out a faint sigh.
‘Ah… as expected.’
Namgung Hwa paused and picked up some grains of rice with her chopsticks again.
It felt as if sand was crunching in her mouth.
Her father was yearning for her older sister again.
It was not something she couldn’t understand.
Yet, she also felt a little angry.
If he was going to be like this anyway—yearning for their deceased mother and unable to forget their dead sister even with her sitting right in front of him.
Why did he insist on having a luncheon?
It was obvious that, as always, she, who was still alive, would become an invisible person while her mother and sister filled this space.
The place was wrong from the start.
Of all places, to choose one so steeped in memories.
Since her sister’s death, her father had not been able to take a single step away from the past.
His time had stopped.
When would he ever live in the present?
Then again, she might not be in a position to blame only her father.
Was she any different?
Even just last night, had she not looked at the sky and called out to her sister in her heart?
Her sister was someone who had left a powerful presence in the Jianghu. How much greater must that presence have been to her family?
This time, Namgung Hwa let out a sigh without realizing it.
Only then did Namgung Geom pause, look at Namgung Hwa, and turn his gaze back to the backyard.
“Do you remember? Back then, that fellow used to squat over there and watch the carp in the pond.”
Namgung Hwa silently chewed on her rice.
Here it started again.
A person who was already dead was being summoned once more.
Namgung Hwa shook her head.
“I don’t remember. What my sister looked like doing that.”
Even if she did remember, she would have shaken her head.
Because such conversations now exhausted both her mind and body.
However, unexpected words fell from Namgung Geom’s mouth.
“It is not your older sister.”
“Pardon?”
“I am talking about that child. Cheon.”
“Ah…”
Namgung Hwa opened her mouth slightly, unable to say anything.
Because it was so unexpected, she did not know how she should react for a moment.
It was that unusual for the topic of Namgung Cheon to come from Namgung Geom’s lips. In fact, it was the first time he had brought him up first.
If so, was her father thinking about Namgung Cheon right now? Not their mother or older sister?
For some reason, her heart fluttered.
How should she accept this strange change?
For her father to pay attention to his current family for the first time—and toward Namgung Cheon, whom he had always viewed with displeasure, at that.
“Back then, you approached that child and asked, didn’t you? What he was thinking about so deeply.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“And then that fellow said he felt sorry for the carp, right?”
Namgung Hwa smiled softly.
She remembered it clearly.
Even Namgung Cheon’s innocent expression at the time.
“He did. He said he felt sorry for the carp locked up in such a narrow place when they must want to go to a wide river.”
“Yes, he did. The next day, that fellow eventually…”
“Was caught red-handed trying to sneak out of the annex with the carp.”
“Indeed.”
Namgung Geom nodded.
Although his expression remained as cold as a sculpture of ice, warmth could be felt in his voice.
Namgung Geom set down his utensils.
“At the time, I scolded that fellow, saying his heart was too weak. But thinking about it now, it seems I should look at it differently.”
“In what way…?”
“The fellow probably wanted to play in wide waters. Perhaps we locked that child up in too narrow a pond. While protecting him as family is natural, isolating him too much from the outside world might not have been the right course of action.”
Indeed.
Perhaps that was why Namgung Cheon had lost his social skills.
And maybe that was also why he was treated like a pushover at the academy.
Namgung Geom cast his gaze toward the pond and spoke.
“But thinking about it now… the eyes of that fellow when he said he would return to the academy were exactly like they were back then.”
“The time he tried to sneak out with the carp?”
“Yes. And they also resembled his father’s eyes when he looked at me.”
Namgung Hwa smiled softly.
For the first time, she felt glad that she had shared a luncheon with her father.
The subtle changes she felt after Namgung Cheon woke up were definitely not just her imagination.
“The Joint Conference must be underway by now.”
“Cheon must have participated as well, right?”
“There is no telling. How much capability that child has. Still…”
If the eyes he had when leaving the house remained the same, he would have surely participated in the tournament.
“I hope he achieves good results.”
“He might even fail the first round.”
As expected, Namgung Geom was still Namgung Geom.
Even though his perception of Namgung Cheon had softened considerably, he did not harbor any groundless expectations.
“Still, I hope Cheon achieves as much as he wishes.”
Namgung Geom did not add anything further to that.
Instead, he brought up something else.
“If you are finished eating, let us have a cup of tea.”
“Yes, Father.”
She had always declined dessert and gotten up, but today she wanted to stay.
When Namgung Geom called for a servant, Bok-seong unexpectedly ran over in a flurry.
As the family’s fortunes declined and staff was reduced, the roles of the servants were not clearly divided, but it was rare for Bok-seong to serve in the Patriarch’s Hall.
Sensing something, Namgung Hwa asked.
“What is it?”
“U-um, a guest has arrived.”
“A guest? Who is it?”
“Well, from the Martial Alliance…”
Before Bok-seong could finish his words, Namgung Hwa narrowed her brow and asked back.
“From the Alliance? Did they say what it is about?”
She felt anxious for no reason at the mention of the Martial Alliance.
Since her sister got involved with the Great Killing Star, the Martial Alliance had treated the Namgung Clan like traitors.
“They did not specify their business…”
It was then.
A tall man who looked like a carved sculpture of ice stepped into the backyard.
“I grew tired of waiting and took the liberty of coming in. I am Murong Sin, the Leader of the Blue Wave Corps. I came on a nearby mission, and since the Namgung Clan’s manor caught my eye, I stopped by to pay my respects.”
Murong Sin clasped his hands and paid polite respects.
However, although his words and actions were plausible, entering the backyard without permission like this was a clear discourtesy.
Namgung Hwa slightly knit her brows.
“You have quite an impatient personality, Leader of the Blue Wave Corps. If you had waited a moment in the Guest Reception Hall, we would have naturally guided you here.”
“So that was the Guest Reception Hall.”
“…!”
Namgung Hwa narrowed her brow.
Was he disregarding them, implying the Guest Reception Hall was cramped?
It was a remark whose true meaning was hard to discern.
However, she did not press the matter further.
The other party was someone from the Martial Alliance.
Under the circumstances where their family’s fortunes had already declined, there was nothing to gain by needlessly provoking a high-ranking official of the Martial Alliance.
Namgung Geom spoke with his usual expressionless face.
“Have a seat. Bok-seong, bring some tea.”
“Yes, Patriarch.”
Bok-seong quickly hurried off.
Namgung Hwa quietly stepped aside, allowing Murong Sin and Namgung Geom to sit facing each other.
Although they only looked at each other in silence, it felt as if a freezing northern wind was sweeping over the table.
Was it like having solid ice walls standing firm on both sides?
The first to open his mouth was Murong Sin.
“I apologize for causing discourtesy by visiting so suddenly like this.”
“Do not mention it.”
“Since I was dispatched on a nearby mission, I stopped by to deliver some news you might be curious about, as well as pay a visit.”
“Speak.”
At Namgung Geom’s stiff tone, Murong Sin smiled bitterly inside.
‘He is certainly not easy.’
It was an atmosphere where unnecessary words seemed best omitted as much as possible.
“Namgung Cheon has passed the second test.”
“Is that so?”
“Are you not pleased?”
“It is entirely an achievement he attained on his own. It is not something this old man should be shaken by.”
“I see. Still, are you not family?”
“You seem to have a lot of interest in other people’s family affairs.”
“I apologize.”
“Is that the end of your story?”
Murong Sin narrowed his eyes.
What kind of rock-like man was this?
He had expected the man to show at least a minimal reaction, whether positive or negative.
He soon continued speaking with a calm expression.
“Namgung Cheon passed the first round in first place.”
“That child in first place?”
The reaction came from Namgung Hwa.
As a result, Namgung Geom’s reaction was relatively buried. In truth, there had been little change in him anyway.
“Indeed. Furthermore, the second test was hunting a spiritual beast… and he caught a Golden Blood Rat.”
“A Golden Blood Rat…!”
While listening to Namgung Hwa’s voice, Murong Sin closely watched Namgung Geom’s reaction. Taking the opportunity, he revealed everything.
“He even consumed the inner core of the Golden Blood Rat.”
“Is he safe?”
Namgung Hwa stood up abruptly and shouted.
A very faint sneer formed at the corners of Murong Sin’s mouth.
‘Hooked.’
However, a twist occurred immediately after.
Namgung Geom raised his hand with his usual cold expression and spoke bluntly.
“Do not make a fuss. He will be fine.”
Murong Sin narrowed his eyes.
“Why are you so certain?”
At the same time, Namgung Geom’s eyes also grew ice cold.
‘This is your objective.’
Right now, Namgung Geom faced him with the feeling of standing on a battlefield after a long time and staring down an enemy. To that extent, his reason was coldly analyzing the situation.
And in this situation, he calmly brought out the answer he considered to be the model answer.
“Because I taught that child. Not only how to catch the Golden Blood Rat, but also how to consume it.”
“…!”
It was not only Murong Sin who was surprised.
Namgung Hwa was also surprised.
She was certain.
‘Father is lying.’