Chapter 202

Ha Yul could find her sister, who had returned with a somewhat flushed face.

“Ah, sis.”

“Ah… Yu, Yul?”

Ha Yul playfully spoke to Ha Yu-ri.

“Sis, did you have a good time with your boyfriend?”

“Uh, yeah. More importantly, he’s not my boyfriend…!”

Ha Yu-ri’s face turned bright red at Ha Yul’s teasing tone.

“Well… sis, you have things to do…”

Ha Yu-ri vaguely responded to Ha Yul and hurriedly headed to her office.

Sitting in her chair, she covered her face with both hands. She felt a mix of shame and self-loathing, among other emotions.

“Ah… what on earth did I do…?”

The reason for her shame wasn’t just because Yul teased her, but something else.

The scene from earlier in the prison wouldn’t leave her mind all day. And her own actions…

“I must be crazy…!”

That entire day, Ha Yu-ri’s mind was consumed by thoughts of that moment.

******

Baek Si-hoon was later handed over to the Kotozuke Clan, of course, after receiving some compensation.

Capturing Gwi Chang Baek Si-hoon was not my personal achievement but Eternity’s, and no matter how much Riki requested, I couldn’t just hand him over without any compensation.

‘It’s a matter of the clan’s dignity.’

Fortunately, Yanagiya Riki understood. In fact, she mentioned that she had intended to pay a price from the beginning.

– Thanks, Yoon Seong. I received Gwi Chang safely.

“Thanks for what? It was a fair trade anyway.”

– Hmm… well, still…

“By the way, what do you plan to do with him? Are you thinking of releasing him…?”

I asked just in case. Of course, there was a clause not to release him when handing him over, but you never know.

– Do I look that soft? I have no such intention.

“Then what will you do?”

– …I have to settle the grudge of my friend’s daughter.

…I thought Gwi Chang wouldn’t meet a peaceful death.

‘It’s only natural for a traitor.’

Considering how outlaws are treated on this continent, it’s an expected outcome.

It wasn’t for nothing that Kang Seong-jun warned me at the training facility that I’d regret it if I became an outlaw and faced him.

Especially since Gwi Chang had committed countless atrocities.

No wonder there was a massive bounty on him in Tayos, where the wife of a marquis was murdered.

– Ah, by the way, Yoon Seong, I have something to ask.

“Yeah?”

– What on earth did you do to him? He’s not in a normal state.

“…..”

I couldn’t help but stay silent at Riki’s words. After all, Baek Si-hoon’s condition was severe after what happened in the prison.

– He’s completely out of his mind. Did you do some psychological torture or something?

‘Sort of… I guess.’

He must have been extremely shocked mentally.

Of course, that didn’t mean I felt any sympathy. He’s still a scoundrel.

– He kept muttering nonsense. Something about the Sword Monarch being a prostitute, choosing another man over him, and so on.

“That… must be because he’s mentally broken. We might have been a bit harsh with the torture.”

Cold sweat ran down my back, but I tried to cover it up. It was a relief that we couldn’t see each other’s faces.

– Hmm… really? Well, it did sound absurd.

“……”

– Yoon Seong.

“Uh, yeah?”

– I didn’t know you were so rough with women?

‘Damn it…!’

– I was surprised. That’s your taste? It’s different from how you look. Honestly, I was a bit startled hearing it.

“…..”

– Was it Wi Ho-yeon, the Sword Monarch? That kind of woman is your type?

“Ah… well…”

I couldn’t help but feel resentment towards Wi Ho-yeon, who I had treated that way in the prison.

– Heh, it’s cute how you’re embarrassed. It’s okay, it’s okay. Men can be like that, right? Honestly, it seems a bit extreme, but I understand ~

“…..”

– Still, I’m relieved. I thought you were a eunuch, Yoon Seong.

“What…?”

– Hmm… how was it? How did it feel to be rough with a woman? Did it feel good? Was it too obvious to ask?

“…..”

I was teased by Riki for quite a while.

******

After Seo Yoo-ju returned to the clan house after being away for a while, she heard something unexpected.

“What did you say?”

“I’m thinking of creating a guard unit.”

“What… suddenly a guard unit?”

“It’s all for your safety, Yoon Seong. I’m thinking of creating a guard team under Ho-yeon.”

It was absurd. There’s already Wi Ho-yeon as a guard, so why create another guard unit?

“…What about my opinion?”

“……”

Seeing Seo Yoo-ju dismiss my opinion, I called her name.

“Seo Yoo-ju.”

Her body flinched when I coldly called her name, but that was all.

“…You, you can’t call my name like that. This is already decided. I’ve even picked the people.”

“What?”

I was so dumbfounded by the fact that people had already been picked that I almost laughed.

“…When? When did you pick them? I haven’t heard anything.”

“Well… Ho-yeon and I did it secretly…”

‘These lunatics…’

It seemed like the two of them had made up their minds.

“Two men and one woman. Originally, I wasn’t planning to pick a woman…”

“What are you talking about?”

At my question, Seo Yoo-ju blushed and avoided eye contact.

“Well, just in case you get involved with Yoon Seong…”

“Ha, so you’re saying you did it because you thought I might hit on a woman?”

When I reacted irritably, Seo Yoo-ju hurriedly explained.

“No, no. It’s the opposite… I was worried the woman might come on to you…”

“Ha…”

“…In the meantime, someone who wouldn’t have that concern applied, so I picked her.”

“What?”

I didn’t understand Seo Yoo-ju’s words, but the following explanation made it clear.

“Well… she already has a child. She got married after joining Eternity, but her husband cheated on her and abandoned her and their child.”

“…..”

So, Seo Yoo-ju meant she picked a woman with a child because she was safe.

“This is insane. So, from now on, those three people and Ho-yeon will guard me?”

“Uh, yeah… Specifically, they’ll buy time until Ho-yeon or I can reach you in case of an emergency…”

“Damn, so you’re just saying I’m a meat shield, huh?”

“I was actually planning to introduce Yoon Seong to you today. He’s already come to the Clan House with us.”

At Seo Yoo-ju’s words, I pressed my hand to my forehead. That meant they had already gone through all the formal contract procedures.

“…Seo Yoo-ju.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“…You wanna get in trouble?”

“…L-later tonight?”

‘Is she crazy?’

Judging by her expression, she seemed to have some weird expectations.

“Sigh… What are we gonna do if you just go ahead with things like this? Damn it, you’re saying you’ve already finished the contract. Are you kidding me?”

Technically, since Seo Yoo-ju is the Clan Master, it’s not a big deal for her to recruit new clan members on her own authority.

The problem was that she handled things without consulting me, the person she’s supposed to protect.

“Ah… but…”

“But what? You’ve been keeping me from going outside lately and secretly increasing my guards without telling me?”

When I got genuinely annoyed, Seo Yoo-ju looked scared and anxious.

“If this keeps up, how am I supposed to stay in the Eternity Clan comfortably?”

“…Huh?”

At my words, Seo Yoo-ju’s face turned pale.

“Do I have to transfer clans to make you stop this?”

It was a spur-of-the-moment comment. I had no intention of actually transferring clans, but it seemed like Seo Yoo-ju took it seriously.

“No, no! I’m sorry! I messed up! Please, I’m sorry!”

‘What the hell.’

I realized too late that I’d made a mistake with my words.

Seo Yoo-ju knelt down, grabbing my legs with both hands and clinging to me.

“I’m sorry! Yoon Seong, I’m sorry! You can’t transfer, you just can’t! Please…”

Just as I was about to reassure her that it was just a heat-of-the-moment comment, an idea suddenly popped into my head.

‘Wait.’

“I’m sorry… Just let it slide this once, okay? I messed up… Please…”

‘…Isn’t this an opportunity?’

If I deliberately scared Seo Yoo-ju like this, I might be able to gain some freedom.

It was a trashy thought, but if it meant escaping this confined life at the cost of making Seo Yoo-ju suffer a little, it might be worth it.

“……”

“Y-Yoon Seong… Say something… please?”

Seo Yoo-ju looked up at me with trembling eyes, still clutching my legs, but I calmly stayed silent.

‘Method acting, I need to method act.’

Honestly, I didn’t want to see Seo Yoo-ju suffer like this, but what else could I do?

No matter how much I thought about it, this was the only method that came to mind.

I looked down at Seo Yoo-ju with cold eyes, as if my words were genuine.

“Ah… ahh…”

At my attitude, Seo Yoo-ju’s arms fell limply, as if she’d lost the world.

“We’ll talk later. I don’t feel like talking right now.”

‘Sorry.’

I left the room. I could hear Seo Yoo-ju sobbing behind me, but I gritted my teeth and ignored it.

After leaving Seo Yoo-ju’s office, the thought that came to mind was that I needed to sell this act as if it were real.

Fooling Seo Yoo-ju would be easy, but fooling Wi Ho-yeon would require deeper thought.

‘…At first, she’ll think I’m serious. But Ho-yeon might catch on midway.’

Both of them tend to lose their rationality when it comes to me, but Ho-yeon is relatively more level-headed compared to Yoo-ju.

To gain complete freedom, I’d have to fool both of them.

Later in the evening, Wi Ho-yeon, who seemed to have heard something from Seo Yoo-ju, approached me with a pale face.

“L-Lee Yoon-seong… Is it true? Are you really transferring clans…?”

“…..”

I deliberately didn’t answer Ho-yeon’s question.

At my silence, Ho-yeon seemed deeply shocked, her pupils trembling.

“L-Lee Yoon-seong. P-please answer me.”

‘Ho-yeon, I’m sorry.’

“What answer? Ho-yeon, did you and Yoo-ju go behind my back to handle things?”

Normally, Ho-yeon would’ve gotten flustered and turned red at my cold tone, but this time, my attitude was clearly different.

Ho-yeon, who knew this, knelt before me with a pleading expression.

“Y-you’re joking… right? Lee Yoon-seong, please treat me like you usually do. Please, I’m begging you…”

‘Damn it, I can’t let my guard down.’

I’d already started this, so I had to see it through.

“…Joking? Do I look like I’m joking right now?”

I slapped away Ho-yeon’s outstretched hand.

*Thud.*

“Ah…”

“What’s this? You keep me from going outside, hire guards without my consent, and this is the treatment I get?”

Ho-yeon looked like she was living a nightmare as she slumped to the floor.

“Ho-yeon, you don’t need to guard me anymore. No, don’t guard me. Got it?”

“W-what are you… what are you saying… Please take it back. Please…”

“I’ll be staying somewhere else for a while. So, you don’t need to guard me.”

“W-what… Staying somewhere else? Where…?”

“You don’t need to know.”

At my cold response, she muttered in disbelief.

“No… This can’t be… I can’t be abandoned like this… This isn’t…”

‘Shit… Is this really okay?’

For a moment, I was scared by Ho-yeon’s unfocused eyes and her muttering, but I couldn’t back down now.

“…Don’t look for me for a while. I’ll manage on my own. Just in case, if you’re thinking of chasing after me or trying to force me to stay…”

“……”

“…You’d better not expect to see my face again. Tell Yoo-ju, no, the Clan Master, the same thing.”

I might’ve gone too far, but I quickly left the scene.

‘Damn it…’

I’d already crossed the line, and now I had to find a place to stay for the time being.