Episode 97
After finishing my training, I headed to the women’s quarters before Cheon Sojeo did and knocked on the door.
“Cheongyeon Sojeo, are you inside?”
Honestly, I already knew she was there.
I could sense her presence with my instincts.
But I pretended not to know and knocked, then waited outside for a moment.
She must have felt me standing there, so I decided to wait until she was willing to talk.
After a short while, a voice came from inside.
“What is it?”
Her tone was dry, impossible to read emotionally.
Still, I took it as a good sign that she answered.
If she responded, maybe it meant she was at least a little open to conversation.
I hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest.
“I just wanted to talk with you for a bit.”
After another brief pause, she replied.
“Sorry, but I don’t want to right now.”
Her voice was flat, leaving no room for negotiation—a clear refusal.
If this had been my old self, I probably would have been flustered and backed off right then.
But not now.
I refused to give up and knocked on her heart once more.
The slight delay in her response told me she was hesitating.
“It doesn’t have to be now. Whenever you feel like talking, just let me know. I’ll wait.”
I said that and waited a little longer.
Still, no answer came.
Looks like I’d have to wait a bit more.
I sighed softly and turned to leave.
Then, her voice came again.
“After dinner… let’s talk then.”
Her tone was somehow less cold than before.
Unlike usual, there was a trace of emotion in her voice.
I smiled faintly.
“Alright. After dinner, then. Let’s meet at the training grounds.”
As I walked away, I thought to myself,
‘It’s not as hard as I thought.’
Maybe this is what reaching out to someone is supposed to feel like.
I’d just been too afraid all along.
If only I’d had a little more courage in my past life, could I have saved what I lost?
My father, maybe even my brothers?
Suddenly, I found myself looking forward to the conversation with Cheongyeon Sojeo after dinner.
And to the moment I’d meet her again.
I felt like I could speak with more confidence now.
Later, as dinner time came and I was heading to eat with Bisa-yeong and Bae Jong-gwan, I overheard some other squad members talking nearby.
“What? Three Cheolgwi appeared in the Fifteenth Squad?”
“Yeah, our deputy leader heard it from the Daeju.”
We all stopped, surprised, and listened closely.
“Wow! What happened then? The Fifteenth Squad probably doesn’t even have Hwagolsan yet, right?”
“Right. So, some members sacrificed themselves to lure the monsters away from the Fifteenth Squad’s headquarters. Now, no one knows where they went. The Biryong Corps headquarters dispatched a hunting squad equipped with Hwagolsan, but who knows how it’ll turn out.”
“Phew, that’s a relief, but still worrying. Three of those monsters showing up… I hope nothing bad happens.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
Three Cheolgwi appearing…
It was the right time for that.
In my past life, after they first appeared in our squad, they soon showed up in others one after another.
Back then, our Thirteenth Squad, where the first Cheolgwi appeared, suffered heavy losses and failed to report properly, causing massive casualties in other Biryong Corps as well.
At least this time, our report was quick enough for headquarters to respond.
Other Biryong Corps also decided to avoid confrontation until they secured Hwagolsan.
Thinking about it, all this was thanks to my return.
Strangely, that didn’t feel bad at all.
Then Bisa-yeong suddenly asked,
“If it’s the Fifteenth Squad, isn’t that area near Heungin?”
Bae Jong-gwan answered,
“No, it’s more like Heung-ui, bordering Guangxi Province.”
My steps came to an abrupt halt.
At the same time, Bisa-yeong frowned and asked,
“Heung-ui? Didn’t someone say they were from there? I think I’ve heard that before.”
I muttered with a stern face,
“I am Sojeo.”
“Huh?”
“My family home, Nagajang, is located in Heung-ui, Guizhou Province.”
Bisa-yeong’s face stiffened instantly.
“…No way?”
It had to be that.
If the Cheolgwi that passed the Fifteenth Squad crossed the front lines and moved north, Nagajang was just within reach.
I quickly told the two of them,
“Sa-yeong, Jong-gwan, listen carefully. I’m going straight to Nagajang right now.”
Bisa-yeong spoke urgently,
“What are you going to do? You don’t have Hwagolsan.”
Currently, the Thirteenth Squad’s Hwagolsan was almost all taken by the squad leaders, leaving only a small amount to defend the main base.
So it was natural I had none to use.
“But I have to go. If things go as we expect, it’s better for me to be by Sojeo’s side.”
“I’m coming too!”
“Me too…”
My friends tried to follow me without hesitation, but I shook my head immediately.
“No, Sa-yeong, you need to find the squad leader right away and ask them to bring Hwagolsan immediately.”
We didn’t know exactly where the squad leaders who went scouting were.
So the fastest person, Sa-yeong, had to go.
“Please, Sa-yeong. Our lives might depend on how quickly you find the leader. And Jong-gwan, you inform the squad members and Daeju Pungyang about this. If possible, try to find the leader from another direction with Sa-yeong.”
If we had to move at full speed, Jong-gwan couldn’t keep up with me or Sa-yeong.
This seemed the most reasonable plan.
Both Sa-yeong and Jong-gwan nodded gravely, understanding.
“Got it. Be careful.”
“Jin, take care of Sojeo.”
“Got it. Trust me.”
Then they took off immediately.
Considering this news just reached us, we couldn’t be sure when the Cheolgwi passed the Fifteenth Squad.
There was no time to waste.
Inside her quarters, Hae Cheongyeon was staring at her reflection.
In the mirror, her bangs hung down, covering her eyes.
It was a familiar look, but somehow felt suffocating today.
After a moment’s hesitation, she brushed her bangs up.
Her eyes and face, usually hidden, were revealed.
Though the world praised her beauty, she had always found that face a bother…
Looking at herself, Hae Cheongyeon murmured,
“Maybe… I’ll try it like this today?”
For once, she wanted to talk to him with this face.
She already knew he wasn’t the type to be swayed by appearances, but who knew?
Maybe a small change could make a difference.
Just as she was about to tie her hair back with her face fully revealed, Cheon Joo-eun burst in, out of breath.
“Cheongyeon unni! Something big happened!”
Cheongyeon looked at her without changing expression, waiting for her to continue.
Cheon Joo-eun hurriedly spilled the news.
“The Fifteenth Squad lost track of three Cheolgwi, and if they move north across the front lines, they’ll reach Seo-yu unni’s family home, Nagajang! So Seonwoo Gongja left for Nagajang immediately, and Bi Gongja went to find the squad leader! Shouldn’t we move too?!”
Cheongyeon’s face, blank until then, turned serious the moment Seo-yu’s name came up.
But what she said unconsciously after Joo-eun finished was about something else.
“Seonwoo Gongja… has left?”
Her bangs, which she had brushed up, slipped back down over her forehead.
Two days earlier, Seo-yu, who had left in the afternoon, pushed herself to the point of sleeping outdoors and arrived at Nagajang in Heung-ui, Guizhou Province, the next afternoon.
She couldn’t rest even for a moment because she was so worried about her father.
But when she arrived at her family home in such a rush, she was told she couldn’t see him.
Shocked, Seo-yu shouted,
“What?! I can’t see my father?!”
A woman sitting arrogantly across from her answered.
“The doctor says he needs absolute rest. So no one but me and the doctor are allowed in his room. I understand your concern, but if seeing you unsettles him and worsens his condition, wouldn’t that be worse?”
The cold, haughty woman was none other than Seo-yu’s stepmother, Lady Min.
The same woman who, three years ago, sent Seo-yu to the front lines under the pretense of doing what was best for Nagajang, even though Seo-yu wasn’t her own child.
Seo-yu couldn’t accept Lady Min’s claim that she couldn’t see her ailing father.
So she pleaded,
“Then even if it’s just a moment while he’s sleeping, please let me see him!”
Suddenly, Lady Min exploded in anger.
“How dare you raise your voice in front of me?! Do you want to cause your already ill father more worry with such behavior?! Do you want to disgrace Nagajang’s honor and insult your dead mother?!”
Those words were like a magical spell that had broken Seo-yu’s spirit and allowed Lady Min to control her since childhood.
Because Seo-yu loved her father more than anyone and didn’t want to cause him worry, she had silently endured all the unreasonable treatment from her stepmother.
And now was no different.
Before Lady Min, who offered no reasonable explanation, Seo-yu could only bow her head deeply once again.
“No, Mother. I’m sorry.”
Though Naseoyu had become a top-tier martial artist of the highest caliber, she still couldn’t bring herself to stand up to Mrs. Min.
It was a kind of learned helplessness.
With her head bowed, Naseoyu squeezed her eyes shut.
Having endured Mrs. Min’s torment for so many years, she could easily predict what was about to happen.
Whenever Naseoyu defied her will, Mrs. Min would always threaten her by invoking her father’s name, then proceed to hurl verbal abuse for nearly half an hour.
The wounds and fears inflicted since childhood were still deeply etched in Naseoyu’s heart.
She braced herself, expecting the same cycle to repeat.
So she curled inward, eyes tightly closed.
But to her surprise, Mrs. Min did not act as expected.
Instead, she spoke in an unbelievably gentle voice.
“Hmm, since you’re showing remorse, I suppose I’ll let it go this time.”
Startled, Naseoyu opened her eyes wide and looked at Mrs. Min.
It was stranger for her not to lash out.
Then Mrs. Min gave a snake-like smile and asked,
“Now, let me see… Seoyu, how old are you this year?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Already? Isn’t that the age when you should have been married? I suppose I’ve been too neglectful of you all this time.”
She feigned regret, making a big show of it.
Her behavior grew increasingly suspicious.
A bad feeling crept over Naseoyu, but she answered politely.
“As a martial artist, twenty-five isn’t too late. Besides, I’m currently affiliated with the Biryong Corps.”
Mrs. Min scoffed.
“Hmph! Do you think you’ll be with the Biryong Corps forever? Now that you’re home, it’s time to arrange your marriage.”
“What?!”
Naseoyu stared at her in shock.
But Mrs. Min no longer cared whether she looked surprised or not; she just kept talking.
“Where would be good? Ah, yes! Since the Heuksang faction has fallen, the Salsang faction is on the rise. That would be a perfect match! The Salsang faction’s influence would benefit you, and it would strengthen our clan’s standing as well.”
“Mother!”
“Think about it. If you marry soon, and our clan gains a strong ally, what could be better?”
Only now did Naseoyu realize why Mrs. Min had kept her from seeing her father and summoned her with a letter.
From the start, this was all about arranging a political marriage.
Her face hardened completely.
But Mrs. Min, seemingly indifferent to her feelings, pressed on.
“Wait here. I’ll send a proposal to the Salsang faction right away…”
At that moment, Naseoyu spoke firmly.
“I have no intention of marrying.”
Marriage.
A political marriage, no less.
Naseoyu, who had sacrificed so much since her teens to avoid worrying her father, simply could not accept this.
Was this not an attempt to use her entire life, on top of her childhood?
Mrs. Min’s face darkened with rage.
“How dare you raise your eyes and speak back to me?! Shall I tell your father about your misbehavior? Especially when he’s already so ill…!”
But this time, Naseoyu did not back down.
She looked Mrs. Min straight in the eye and asked,
“You said Father is too ill to see me, yet you want to tell him about this? Are you sure he’s well enough for such a conversation?”
Mrs. Min flinched slightly.
If Naseoyu, a top-tier martial artist, showed her true strength, Mrs. Min—who only knew basic self-defense—stood no chance.
Sensing the shift, Mrs. Min averted her gaze and changed the subject.
“When did I say I’d really do that? I was just speaking hypothetically! Just words!”
Then, with a sly expression, she tried to soothe Naseoyu.
“And… think carefully again. If you marry, won’t you get to see your father after all?”
“Excuse me?”
“Marriage is a major life event. No matter how ill he is, your father can’t possibly miss seeing you on such an occasion. Hearing the news might even lift his spirits and improve his condition.”
In other words, Mrs. Min was saying that only if Naseoyu agreed to marry would she be allowed to see her father.
It was an absurd demand.
But to Naseoyu, it was just another version of the same manipulations Mrs. Min had always used.
Gritting her teeth, she said,
“I absolutely refuse to marry.”
Mrs. Min, who had been glaring coldly, finally spoke.
“Right, I forgot. You’ve always been a selfish child. After all the blood and sweat your parents and clan have poured into raising you, you can’t even do this much? Your father would be heartbroken to hear this. Just leave! If you won’t lift a finger for the clan, why are you even here?”
Naseoyu felt as if a stone had been placed on her chest, heavy and suffocating.
Selfish?
Not lifting a finger for the clan?
She had sacrificed everything for her younger half-brother, Mrs. Min’s own son, even going to the front lines in his place.
It was hard to breathe under such accusations.
Her chest tight, she barely found her voice.
“Mother…”
But Mrs. Min wasn’t listening.
“You refuse to obey me now? Fine! If you won’t leave, then I will! Raising a daughter like you only to be driven out by her own mother!”
With that, Mrs. Min stormed out, slamming the door so hard it seemed it might break.
Outside, her voice echoed.
“A rude, ungrateful girl who dares to defy her mother! I’m ashamed to be known in the world with such a disgrace!”
As Mrs. Min’s shouts faded, Naseoyu closed her eyes, overwhelmed with despair.
That was what happened on the day Naseoyu returned home.
And it was the last time.
After that, Mrs. Min refused to see her, and the clan’s retainers—now loyal to Mrs. Min—offered her no help.
All Naseoyu felt was helplessness.