Ch#12
“What brings the Second Young Master all the way here?”
It was a middle-aged man who spoke first on behalf of the Heavenly Demon.
He acknowledged Jeok I-geon and walked toward us.
Who is he?
A man who dared to speak while everyone else knelt on the ground in the presence of the Heavenly Demon.
Few in the Demonic Cult possessed such audacity. Even without knowing his identity, he had to be someone of immense status.
“It has been a while, Ghost Soul Pavilion Master.”
As expected, my guess was correct.
There were numerous organizations within the Demonic Cult, and among them, the Ghost Soul Pavilion(鬼魂閣) was a vital group that handled intelligence. The head of that pavilion, the Ghost Soul Pavilion Master, was also known as the Cult’s Strategist(軍師).
It was a highly critical position that required reading the state of the Murim, grasping its currents, and preparing for any eventuality.
Naturally, he had to possess an extraordinarily sharp mind and an exceptional sense of reality.
The current Ghost Soul Pavilion Master was likely a man named Gong Paecheon.
He was also the very first person Jeok I-geon killed before ascending to become the Heavenly Demon.
This was because Jeok I-geon had considered him the greatest obstacle to taking control of the Demonic Cult.
That was how brilliant of a strategist Gong Paecheon was, and he was a man who was fiercely loyal to the current Heavenly Demon.
“You have grown even more handsome since I last saw you. Had we met outside the fortress, I might not have recognized you.”
“I am sure you receive daily reports about me regardless.”
Jeok I-geon’s tone was quite cold, as if telling him to cut the pleasantries and state his business.
Were they already on bad terms even back then?
Keeping my head bowed, I couldn’t see their expressions, but I could clearly feel that their relationship was far from amicable.
“Are you not the one who will lead our Cult in the future? Please be generous and understand that this is merely my duty as the Ghost Soul Pavilion Master.”
“Who is this man?”
Jeok I-geon cut off Gong Paecheon’s excuse cleanly and asked.
“He is a spy from the Murim Alliance.”
“A spy?”
“Using a forged identity, he was active in the Blood Shadow Squad(血影團) for the last five years before being caught a few days ago. While we were scheming on how to feed him false information to use him to our advantage, he caught wind of it and fled, causing quite a commotion.”
“I heard the Ghost Soul Pavilion conducts thorough background checks before anyone joins.”
“It was my oversight as the Pavilion Master.”
Gong Paecheon readily admitted his mistake.
“More importantly, what brings the Second Young Master out at this hour? May I ask why you sought to execute him yourself?”
“I did not know he was a spy. I merely intervened because my maid seemed to be in danger.”
“…Who did you say was in danger?”
“My maid here. When I arrived after hearing the commotion, she was held hostage by that bastard. She even suffered a wound to her neck.”
Unconsciously, I reached up and touched my neck.
It was only a slight graze, and the bleeding had already stopped, but my face grimaced on its own at the subtle sting.
“I-geon, you stepped forward for the sake of this child?”
Just then, the Heavenly Demon, who had remained silent until now, suddenly approached my side.
“……!”
I almost shrieked at his sudden movement.
I couldn’t believe the Heavenly Demon’s feet were right before my eyes.
Surely he won’t speak to me, will he?
Just being this close made my head spin; to actually exchange words with the Heavenly Demon?
That was something that absolutely must not happen.
But the world, by nature, never goes the way one wants.
“Raise your head.”
The Heavenly Demon commanded me at last.
Damn it, why are bad premonitions always right?
My entire body trembled with tension. Like a broken robot, I slowly creaked my head upward.
“Look straight at me.”
As I kept my eyes lowered, unable to bring myself to look at him, the Heavenly Demon commanded once more.
We’re not having a staring contest, so why do I have to do that?
I wanted to talk back like that, but of course, I couldn’t utter a single peep. I simply did as I was told and blankly raised my eyes.
“……!”
My first impression of the current Heavenly Demon, Jeok Yeo-gwang, could be summarized in a single phrase.
A terrifying middle-aged man.
True to being Jeok I-geon’s father, he possessed striking good looks, but perhaps it was due to his intense gaze. Just looking at him filled me with a rushing dread, as if I were a moth caught in a spiderweb he had spun.
Yet, at the same time, a strange sensation washed over me.
Did he just recognize me?
The brief flicker of surprise in his eyes the moment our gazes met made it feel as though he knew exactly who I was.
It must be a mere illusion, right?
There’s no way the Heavenly Demon would know a mere maid like me.
“…What is your name?”
Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon asked for my name.
Anxiety began to creep in. No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t find a single reason why he would be curious about my name.
I wasn’t the only one who found this puzzling.
Not only Jeok I-geon, but even the Ghost Soul Pavilion Master, Gong Paecheon, who stood beside the Heavenly Demon, looked at his lord with questioning eyes.
Huh?
But where have I seen that man before?
My gaze, which had been passing over Gong Paecheon, snapped back to him.
Today was surely the first time I had ever laid eyes on him, yet he felt strangely familiar.
He was someone with whom I had absolutely no connection…
“Do you not have a name?”
When I failed to answer, the Heavenly Demon’s voice grew slightly sharper. Only then did I snap out of it and respond immediately.
“This humble one is called Shin Seol-ha.”
“…Of the Shin clan?”
“Yes.”
A deep frown creased the Heavenly Demon’s brow, as if something about my confirmation displeased him. For reasons unknown, he seemed to have expected a different answer.
“Cult Leader, is she a child you know?”
As the Strategist, Gong Paecheon could not neglect anyone who caught his lord’s interest.
He was the type of man who, if he set his mind to it, could find out everything from my personal assets down to the exact number of undergarments I owned.
Becoming a target of interest for the Ghost Soul Pavilion Master was, of course, the last thing I wanted. Just as I was tensing up—
“No. She merely reminded me of someone for a moment.”
Fortunately, the Heavenly Demon’s interest in me faded just as quickly.
Promptly forgetting about someone like me, he called out to his son.
“I-geon.”
“Yes, Father.”
“It is understandable that you stepped forward for the sake of a maid. However, attempting to kill a fleeing spy was a mistake. Must we not discover what he stole from our Cult, and what information we can extract from him?”
“Your son was short-sighted. Next time, I will act with greater caution.”
“Very well. Regardless, you are the one who captured the spy, so you have achieved a great feat. I shall bestow a fitting reward upon you, so be prepared.”
With those words, the Heavenly Demon, Gong Paecheon, and the surrounding warriors swiftly departed.
The man identified as the Murim Alliance spy had lost consciousness in the meantime and was carried away on a stretcher.
Watching them go, Jeok I-geon’s formidable presence was driven home to me once more.
What would have happened to me by now if Jeok I-geon hadn’t arrived just in the nick of time?
Though it was a scenario that never came to pass, I certainly wouldn’t have escaped unscathed.
At worst, I would have had to prepare for death.
The hostage-taker’s demeanor had seemed less about a desire to survive and closer to a resolve for mutual destruction(同歸於盡).
Perhaps he had taken me hostage, seeing me as weak, with the spiteful intention of dragging down at least one more demon with him.
So, I should at least offer him a word of gratitude, right?
Having my life saved by Jeok I-geon and finding myself in a position where I had to express my gratitude to him…
It was a scene that had never occurred even once in the original novel.
The sudden thought crossed my mind that it was a good thing I had fed him rice balls for dinner.
“Um, Young Master.”
Before I knew it, only Jeok I-geon, myself, and Senior Do-ae’s group remained in the vicinity.
Although they hadn’t had a blade pressed to their throats like me, the three of them were likely deeply shaken, their faces completely drenched in tears.
Senior Ji-ae, who had been knocked unconscious by my blow, even had a dark blue bruise forming on her face.
“Thank you so much for today. I was able to escape unharmed thanks to you, Young Master.”
“Do you even know the meaning of the word ‘unharmed’ when you say that?”
“Pardon?”
“If that bastard’s dagger had been coated in poison, you would already be a corpse.”
“Ah…”
If it were just that, I would have been fine since I have the Poison-Evading Bead.
Of course, unable to answer honestly, I could only manage an awkward smile.
Jeok I-geon stared at me as if I were utterly pathetic, then spun around on his heel.
He seemed somewhat angry, but was that also my imagination?
The Heavenly Demon, and Jeok I-geon too.
They were truly difficult, so very difficult to understand.
It was mind-boggling that only the very first day of being his personal maid had passed.
Tomorrow will at least be better than today.
That hope of mine was shattered into pieces by the Heavenly Demon, who paid a visit at the crack of dawn.
“How old are you?”
Without any preamble, the Heavenly Demon demanded my age.
But why?
It might sound crazy, but the look in his eyes as he gazed at me was unmistakable—it was one of profound longing.
