Ch#19
“Why—why are you acting like this!”
Terrified by Jeok I-geon’s gaze, I pushed Yang So-baek away with all my might.
Misunderstanding my reaction, the maids giggled and chimed in one after another.
“Oh, come on, you’re getting married soon anyway, so what’s the big deal!”
“Exactly! There’s no need to be shy in front of us. When you meet your lover after so long, you should at least give him a hug!”
“Girl! I’m so jealous, seriously!”
Marriage, my foot!
I couldn’t exactly tell them it was all a lie now. It was enough to drive me crazy.
“Seol-ha, I had no idea you felt that way…”
What on earth has he been talking about this whole time?
“If you’re willing, I’m ready to marry you this very day!”
Are you out of your mind?
Did you eat something bad?
And why is your face turning red?
I realized I had to get him away from the maids before he could spout any more nonsense.
“Oh my goodness!”
“Did Seol-ha just get proposed to? Incredible!”
“Let’s go spread the word quickly!”
Fortunately or unfortunately, and entirely regardless of my efforts, the maids scurried off in a swarm.
Thanks to that, I was left alone with Yang So-baek, just as I had wanted.
“Getting married?”
Ah. I forgot Jeok I-geon was here.
Accompanied by a chilling voice, Jeok I-geon slowly stepped toward me.
Had I done something wrong again?
For some reason, the look in his eyes as he stared at me was far from ordinary.
“I, I greet the Second Young Master!”
It was Yang So-baek who stepped forward on behalf of my frozen self.
He managed to recognize Jeok I-geon and greeted him bravely.
“State your affiliation.”
“I am Yang So-baek of the 10th Strike Team of the Blood Shadow Squad!”
“The 10th Strike Team… You must be a recruit.”
“That is correct!”
“But this is not the Blood Shadow Squad.”
Jeok I-geon swept his gaze up and down Yang So-baek with clear disapproval.
“Ah, well, that is… I came to see Seol-ha for a moment.”
“Why my personal maid?”
“Since we’re both working here in the Main Fortress now, I wanted to say hello and see how she’s doing… haha, something like that.”
Seriously, the guy was utterly clueless.
Mistaking Jeok I-geon’s questioning for genuine interest, Yang So-baek grinned as he answered.
“You were just proposing to my maid. Are the two of you planning to wed?”
“Yes, actually…”
“Y-Young Master! I will explain everything. This is all a minor misunderstanding… In any case, I can explain it all!”
“Is that so?”
I nodded vigorously, signaling Yang So-baek with my eyes.
Will you please just get the hell out of here?
The door is that way.
I’ll tell you everything later, so don’t say a single word and just wait. Got it?
Like the best friend he was, he caught my drift instantly.
“I’ll see you soon.”
Yang So-baek bowed deeply to Jeok I-geon and quickly slipped out through the back gate.
Once he was gone, my mind instantly put itself at ease, as if a ticking time bomb had been defused.
“Now, shouldn’t you explain? You… are getting married?”
How dare you, behind my back!
The latter part was definitely my own imagination.
Yet, why did it feel as though I had actually heard him say it?
Jeok I-geon’s mood was undoubtedly extremely foul right now.
It was only natural he would lose his temper, considering he had invested so much effort into teaching martial arts to a mere maid, only for her to suddenly announce she was getting married.
This incident made me realize one thing clearly: I had to pay extra attention to training my successor!
I was planning to draw up a detailed meal plan for Jeok I-geon’s daily menu and hand it over.
Once I made him realize there was someone else who could replace me, his obsession with me would surely fade away in no time.
Since I didn’t have much time left, I needed to quickly narrow down the candidates.
“Are you seriously lost in thought at a time like this?”
Jeok I-geon’s chilling gaze pinned me in place.
I pretended to hesitate, feigning deep thought for a moment, before laying out the truth without adding or subtracting a single detail.
“…So, what you are saying is that you fabricated a fake lover to cover up the fact that you spent the night with me?”
“Yes. To be honest, I thought the Divine Physician would take care of everything. But when the suspicious glances didn’t completely fade, I ended up dragging my friend into it. I truly never dreamed Yang So-baek would come looking for me at a time like this. Why did he have to show up now of all times…”
“Are you absolutely certain there is nothing between the two of you?”
“Of course! We’ve been friends since we were running around with runny noses. He’s practically like a girlfriend to me.”
Me, marrying Yang So-baek?
Just the thought of it made me break out in hives.
“But was there really a need to go that far?”
“Pardon?”
“It is merely a rumor. Why go to such lengths to fabricate such a lie?”
“Well, that was to save my own skin, and for the sake of the Young Master’s reputation…”
“Is someone trying to kill you?”
Jeok I-geon’s face turned cold in an instant.
Fearing that something might happen to innocent people, I answered immediately.
“No! What I meant was that I would become the target of jealousy for all the maids who adore you, Young Master! That would make my life rather exhausting. I did mention before how incredibly popular you are among the maids, didn’t I?”
The reality was probably much worse, but for now, I spoke as if it were no big deal.
“Besides, your reputation is far more important than mine, Young Master. How unpleasant it must have been for you to be entangled in such rumors with a mere maid like me. Everything I did was solely to appease your feelings.”
Because I really, truly wanted to live.
“Appeasing someone’s feelings is only done when the other party is angry.”
“…That is true.”
“But I was not angry in the least. Thus, you have done something entirely unnecessary.”
Huh?
“Are the two of you close?”
“By ‘the two of us’… do you mean Yang So-baek?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, we are very close. Actually, he’s my best friend.”
Was he planning to pull some strings for him in the Blood Shadow Squad?
Though it didn’t fit Jeok I-geon’s personality at all, I added some TMI just in case.
“I don’t have parents, you see. So I was teased quite a bit when I was young, but every time, Yang So-baek would step up and take my side. He’s a bit of a slacker, but he’s incredibly loyal.”
I didn’t remember any of this because it happened before I possessed this body, but I had heard about it from Madam Sin-geum.
Because of that, Yang So-baek was still enjoying the privilege of eating free noodles and dumplings to this day.
“You live alone with your grandmother, correct?”
“Yes. My grandmother is my only family.”
Wait, had I ever mentioned my grandmother to Jeok I-geon?
“What kind of person is your grandmother?”
“She’s just an ordinary person. She runs a noodle shop.”
Why was he asking about my grandmother all of a sudden? It made me uneasy.
I subtly studied Jeok I-geon’s expression, but there was nothing to be read from his face.
“I am curious about the taste of her noodles.”
What, was that it?
I got tense for nothing.
Jeok I-geon was currently on a quest to conquer all kinds of noodles for lunch.
It seemed he had grown curious about how street-vended noodles tasted.
“To me, it’s the most delicious noodle shop in the world, but it’s far too shabby to host someone of your stature, Young Master. I’ll make sure to pay even more attention to your meals so they suit your palate.”
My mind was still brimming with countless dishes.
Not only Korean classics like spicy mixed noodles, banquet noodles, and buckwheat noodles, but I also knew how to make Chinese-style jjamppong and jjajangmyeon, as well as recipes for various pasta and udon dishes.
Smack. Just thinking about it made my mouth water.
In any case, I was confident I could keep Jeok I-geon’s palate entertained without him ever getting bored until the day I resigned as his personal maid.
“I, too, am quite fond of noodles. Where is this place you claim to be the most delicious?”
Startled by the voice that suddenly rang out, I turned my head only to instantly prostrate myself flat against the ground.
“I, I greet the Heavenly Demon!”
The Heavenly Demon, who had been quiet lately, had come to find me once again.
Once again, I hadn’t sensed even a trace of his presence.
Even after clearing my Ren and Du meridians, the Heavenly Demon was still the Heavenly Demon, it seemed.
“Father, what brings you here?”
“I have always dropped by from time to time. But did you do this to Seol-ha?”
The Heavenly Demon personally helped me up as he questioned Jeok I-geon.
He looked quite surprised as he inspected my body.
“The scattered energy has settled nicely in your dantian. I was actually a bit concerned, but you have done well.”
Had the Heavenly Demon been aware of my condition too?
“What kind of martial arts have you learned?”
The Heavenly Demon stared at me with eyes full of anticipation.
He probably assumed I had mastered at least one technique suitable for my internal energy.
I truly wished I could meet his expectations, but I spoke honestly.
“I learned the Masaeng Sword and Masaeng Steps from the Second Young Master.”
“You learned only those?”
“I plan to teach her the Five Elements Demonic Sword (五행마검/五行魔劍) starting tomorrow.”
“Oh, is that so?”
At Jeok I-geon’s response, the Heavenly Demon chuckled as if amused.
Then, he suddenly leaned his face close to mine.
“What about me?”
“…Pardon?”
“Would you like to learn martial arts from me as well?”
Wh-what did you say?
You want me, a mere maid, to learn martial arts from the Heavenly Demon?
Has this father-son duo gone completely mad?
I had heard somewhere that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
When I remained frozen in fear, unable to utter a word, the Heavenly Demon whispered in an alluring tone.
“I shall teach you exactly one technique of your choice. Excluding the Heavenly Demon’s personal, exclusive techniques, of course.”
“…The one I want?”
It was as if I had been possessed by a ghost.
Like a wicked devil whispering in my ear, the Heavenly Demon’s low voice echoed, capturing my mind completely.
If there was indeed one technique I truly wanted, there was only one.
“A lightness technique. I want to learn a killer lightness technique!”
