Chapter 158

Wi Ho-yeon’s face lit up at my words.

Well, she must have been pretty worried that I might kick her out or something.

But Yoo Ju had the opposite reaction.

“…Huh?”

She seemed surprised that such an answer came out of my mouth.

‘Did she really think I’d just let her go as my guard?’

Given how much I hated having guards, Yoo Ju’s reaction was totally understandable.

“I want Ho-yeon to continue being my guard. She’s helped me out so much.”

“……”

“Honestly, she’s my lifesaver. If it weren’t for her, I’d be dead by now.”

“L-Lee Yun-seong…”

Wi Ho-yeon looked genuinely touched by my words. She didn’t expect me to say something like that.

On the other hand, Yoo Ju looked like she’d just bitten into something nasty. She couldn’t even control her expression in front of me.

‘Sorry, Yoo Ju. But come on, this is a bit much.’

“Sigh… So, you want to keep Ho-yeon as your guard, is that it?”

“Yes.”

Yoo Ju hung her head low and muttered in a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible.

“Ahaha… Did I just hand a fish to a cat?”

“Yoo Ju?”

At my call, Yoo Ju straightened up and spoke firmly.

“But, as the Clan Master, I’ve already assigned Ho-yeon to other duties. So, please understand…”

At Yoo Ju’s words, Wi Ho-yeon raised her voice.

“W-what, Master! Why…”

Yoo Ju deliberately ignored Wi Ho-yeon and continued.

“So! Please understand, Yoon Seong.”

‘So, this is how it’s gonna be?’

It was clear that Yoo Ju was determined to separate me and Wi Ho-yeon no matter what.

‘This is… What do I do?’

With Yoo Ju being this stubborn, it was impossible to persuade her with just words.

But I couldn’t go back on my promise to Wi Ho-yeon either.

Even though Wi Ho-yeon said I didn’t need to take responsibility for her, I still wanted to look out for her as much as I could.

After all, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that she’d saved my life multiple times.

I really meant that.

“…Yoo Ju, what duties are you assigning Ho-yeon?”

“She’ll be taking on the role of the clan’s training instructor. I’ve been sparring with the clan members, but that’s becoming impossible now. I just don’t have the time anymore.”

‘That’s… pretty specific.’

I thought it was just an excuse to separate us, but her answer was quite detailed.

‘Or maybe she came up with it on the spot after hearing me.’

“Then, how about assigning those duties to Jae-hyo? He lost an eye in the last battle, so it’s risky for him to be on the front lines. I’ll talk to him about it.”

“…Yoon Seong, can’t you just go along with what I want? If you need a guard, I’ll find someone suitable for the role.”

This was basically her saying, ‘Just do as I say.’

“What I need isn’t just any guard, but Ho-yeon herself. So, I’m afraid that won’t work. I’m sorry, Yoo Ju.”

At my unwavering words, Yoo Ju’s expression twisted.

A mix of resentment, frustration, anger, and jealousy—it was hard to describe.

After a long pause, Yoo Ju finally spoke.

“…Fine. Do as you wish, Yoon Seong.”

‘Sigh…’

Yoo Ju turned around and started to leave.

“M-Master, thank you…”

Wi Ho-yeon tried to thank Yoo Ju, but Yoo Ju just ignored her.

“Ah…”

Wi Ho-yeon looked utterly shocked.

I, too, was feeling a headache coming on from Yoo Ju’s state.

‘…How do I fix this?’

Yoo Ju’s hurt feelings toward me would probably fade with time.

It might sound arrogant or selfish, but Yoo Ju had always been like this when it came to me.

The real problem was the relationship between Wi Ho-yeon and Yoo Ju.

I had no idea where to even start fixing that.

‘Damn it, I’m the sinner here. The moment I embraced Wi Ho-yeon, I was screwed.’

“…Ho-yeon, are you okay?”

“…Did I overstep my bounds?”

“Huh?”

“I… I don’t know what to do. My heart… it feels like I have no choice but to betray the Master.”

“Ho-yeon, Yoo Ju will be fine soon. So…”

“…Lee Yun-seong.”

“Ah, yes.”

“You know… that the Master has feelings for you, right?”

At Wi Ho-yeon’s words, I had to stop myself from comforting her.

“The way to fix this… is for you to treat the Master better than me. So, I want to ask you something.”

“Uh…?”

“How do you feel about the Master as a woman? Do you dislike her?”

Wi Ho-yeon’s sudden question caught me off guard.

‘…How do I feel about Yoo Ju as a woman?’

Honestly, I couldn’t say I never felt my heart race when Yoo Ju approached me romantically.

Objectively speaking, Yoo Ju was an attractive woman, and she was way out of my league.

But the problem was, her feelings for me weren’t genuine.

‘Because in the first round, I intentionally approached her.’

Yoo Ju’s feelings for me were essentially manufactured by my actions in the first round.

If she knew the whole truth, would she still feel the same way about me?

If I had genuinely dated Yoo Ju in the first round, I might have felt better about it.

In the end, I’m the trash here, but I can’t help but always wonder how to handle this situation.

‘First-round me, you piece of crap…’

“…I don’t find Yoo Ju unattractive as a woman.”

“Then… why don’t you accept the Clan Master’s feelings? If it’s because of me…”

Wi Ho-yeon seemed worried that it might be because of her, but that wasn’t the case.

“It’s not because of you. The reason lies with me.”

“…Huh?”





“…I will resolve it soon. So please trust me and wait.”

It was about time to come clean with Yoo Ju.

However, I wasn’t confident enough to reveal everything.

‘…The fact that I was the Leader of the Execution Society, that I annihilated the Beastmen, and all that… it’s hard to say. And if I mention Ruska, who knows what might happen.’

In the end, it’s another lie, but I can’t bring myself to spill everything. I’ll just reveal enough to get by.

…Some things need to stay hidden.

‘The problem is, there’s a lot to do.’

Soon, I plan to meet Ruska with Charis and Ha Yu-ri to catch that old man, Rekalux.

‘It’s better to talk after we get back.’

******

“Master, you finally came.”

“Ruska.”

Ruska wasn’t in her original form right now.

Her overall enchanting appearance remained, but her ears were those of a normal human, not an elf’s.

Probably because I gave her a heads-up earlier.

As soon as Ruska saw me, she showed signs of joy and approached me.

“Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t come this time either. You always run away, after all.”

“…But the Clan House is definitely different from a regular clan.”

“Well, it’s a clan that operates in the shadows.”

It was quite a hassle to find this place. We had to use some kind of password, and it was located underground.

Externally, it looked more like a hideout than a Clan House, and I heard they have multiple branches.

“So, did you find out what I asked?”

“If it’s about that old man Rekalux, then yes, Master.”

“Any results?”

“Well. I’m not sure if it’s information that will satisfy you. Let me explain slowly.”

I quietly listened to her.

“First, it seems that the old man Rekalux is indeed the one who kidnapped Ha Yu-ri’s sister. His movements during that time match perfectly.”

I thought it might not be him, because there were other old men in that dark sorcerer group besides Rekalux.

So, it’s hard to be certain, which is why I asked Ruska to look into it.

“…What about Ha Yu-ri’s sister?”

“I don’t know. Honestly, the probability that she’s dead is the highest, but I can’t be sure. There’s no information about Ha Yu-ri’s sister at all.”

The most crucial information is still a complete mystery.

Honestly, I also think Ha Yu-ri’s sister is probably dead, and Ha Yu-ri thinks the same, but I didn’t want to completely rule out the possibility of her survival.

“And as for where that old man is currently staying, we’ve received some information, though it’s not certain.”

“…Really?”

In the end, whether Ha Yu-ri’s sister is alive or dead will be revealed once we catch that old bastard.

“Based on the sketch you provided, I had my subordinates investigate. They confirmed an old man resembling the sketch in the outskirts of a city.”

“Good. So where is it?”

“Wait. Before I tell you that.”

“Huh?”

“Master, you do acknowledge that I’ve worked hard, right?”

Ruska’s expression looked strange. It was like… there was some kind of desire in it.

“Uh… right? Thinking about it, I haven’t thanked you. Ruska, thank you.”

She shook her head and spoke.

“No, I don’t need that kind of formal gratitude.”

Ruska stepped closer to me and leaned in.

“Shouldn’t you give me a reward? If a slave completes the master’s orders well, a reward is necessary, as I’ve said before…”

“…Since when does a slave openly ask for a reward from their master?”

“So, you’re saying you can’t give me anything?”

“…What do you want?”

“Why do you only hold the Sword Monarch, that woman?”

“Huh?

“If you hadn’t touched anyone, it would be one thing, but ever since you held the Sword Monarch, it’s been hard for me to hold back.”

“……”

“You’re making that troubled face again. Master is always like that. Well, I guess I’ll just have to understand.”

Ruska sighed and continued.

“I’ll ask for my reward next time. Just don’t avoid it then. My feelings are genuine.”

“…Alright.”

‘Damn, I don’t even know anymore.’

“But when is she coming? Didn’t you say she’d come today?”

“Well… I gave her the location and the password…”

As they say, speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Right after, the sound of footsteps and Ha Yu-ri’s voice could be heard.

“…Why did you pick a place like this for the meeting?”

Judging by her frown, she must have had a hard time finding the place.

“You’re here?”

Ha Yu-ri looked at Ruska standing next to me and asked.

“…Who is this?”

Since Ha Yu-ri is also a top-tier martial artist, she must have sensed something from Ruska.

She was looking at Ruska with an extremely wary expression.

Of course, I needed to ease Ha Yu-ri’s wariness, so I explained.

“No need to be wary. She’s an ally.”

“An… ally?”

“Yeah, let me formally introduce her. She’s my…”

‘Wait. What should I introduce her as?’

Obviously, introducing her as a slave is out of the question. I thought introducing her as a subordinate or collaborator would be appropriate, but then…

“I’m Ruska, Master’s slave. Nice to meet you.”

Ruska dropped a bombshell.

“You… you’re insane.”

Naturally, I quickly checked Ha Yu-ri’s expression, and she was looking at me like I was some kind of bug.

“…Pervert.”