A bright moonlit night.
While I was strolling through the garden to organize my thoughts about So-hee, I sensed a presence and slowed my steps.
As I approached slowly, I saw a woman perched on a rock, taking in the garden.
‘Tang Hwa-rin?’
It wasn’t hard to figure out who she was. Purple hair. Even from the side, her feminine features were strikingly apparent. With just those two clues, I could easily identify her.
She seemed to notice my presence and turned her head to look at me.
As she turned, her face was instantly revealed, devoid of the veil that covered her jaw.
“Hey. You. Turn away.”
She spoke to me with a frown.
“It seems there’s a guest.”
Why do I keep running into her? Naturally, I turned my body and avoided her gaze.
For a brief moment, I caught a glimpse of her uncovered jaw.
Her skin was mottled and discolored.
It didn’t look inflamed or infected, but if you didn’t look closely, you might suspect she had contracted a disease.
“Hey. Barbarian. You saw that just now, didn’t you?”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“I saw your gaze drop.”
“I was merely captivated by your beautiful appearance.”
“Bullshit. I came out for a walk because I’m feeling decent for the first time in a while. Ugh.”
She spoke with an irritated tone.
‘Could the discoloration be a complex for her?’
The original Tang Hwa-rin suffered from side effects that left her skin mangled, which is why she wore a mask. Is it just a matter of discoloration now?
“Hey. Just so you know, it’s not a disease, so don’t run away from me right away. …Actually, just go.”
Though she started off confidently, her attitude quickly turned resigned.
When I glanced at her, she seemed dejected, staring at the ground.
‘Is the discolored skin a complex?’
She really seems overly sensitive about her face. The fact that she wears a veil even inside her own home must be about hiding her face too.
Is taking a walk at midnight to feel free from the veil?
“Hey, Barbarian. Are you listening?”
‘Could Tang Hwa-rin be a heroine too?’
I ignored her words and briefly got lost in thought.
If the villainous Cheon Sal-seong Cheon So-hee turns out to be a heroine, then the poisoned Tang Hwa-rin could also be a heroine.
I came out to clear my complicated thoughts, but now my head feels even messier.
“My name is not Barbarian, but Kang Yoon-ho.”
Since I had never formally introduced myself, I thought I should at least let her know my name.
“I can’t remember a barbarian’s name. If you’re going to run away, do it quickly. Let me walk.”
She turned her head away, as if annoyed, not wanting me to see her face.
‘Better get some groundwork in.’
I didn’t feel like doing this because she was rather rude, but if I want to lay the groundwork, now is the perfect opportunity.
Just like how Cheon Sal-seong’s personality changing would hinder her being a heroine, as Tang Hwa-rin’s poisoning progresses, it may become harder for her to become a heroine too.
‘Let’s stick to a concept often used in martial arts stories.’
Right now, the problem with So-hee is more urgent.
I can just throw out a few breadcrumbs to Tang Hwa-rin and momentarily suppress the effects of her poisoning.
“I didn’t catch your name.”
I said to her with a smiling face, making sure to use that saying about not spitting at a smiling face to its fullest.
“You must have heard it from that bastard.”
“I want to hear it directly from you.”
“Are you trying to play games with me? It’s Seong Hwa-rin. There, are you satisfied?”
Why is she raising her voice just because I asked her for her name?
In this situation, it’s typical to say hi and leave, or if you’re a social butterfly, at least get a number. But I have to provide a twist.
“It should be Tang Hwa-rin instead of Seong Hwa-rin.”
I scoffed and pointed out her secret in a cold tone.
“You, you. How do you know that?”
She was taken aback, momentarily forgetting to cover her face as she looked at me.
“I’ll be taking my leave now.”
I pretended to slowly turn my body to head back in the direction I came from.
“Hey! How did you know!”
Tang Hwa-rin reached out to grab me.
“Such rudeness.”
She was slow. Even her reaching out. I caught her wrist with my left hand. Her bracelet, glimmering in the moonlight, was revealed as my sleeve accidentally rolled up.
“Bracelet of Remembrance? You. What’s your relation to the Sichuan Tang Family?”
She happened to see the Sichuan Tang Family’s Bracelet of Remembrance on my left hand.
That was intentional, to make sure my wrist was visible.
“I have no intention of telling someone who doesn’t know manners.”
I looked her straight in the eye with a serious expression.
“……”
Her face was a mix of bewilderment, suspicion, and surprise.
That should make me come off as a mysterious man. A guy who might be connected to her. This concept should definitely sell.
Let’s seal the deal here.
“The medicine you’re taking is not for healing your body. It makes it worse.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Find out what’s in that medicine yourself.”
“Do you know something?”
“My goodwill ends here. Next time we meet, be more polite.”
I forcefully shook off her wrist and turned back.
“Hey! No! Excuse me!”
I had no intention of stopping. I started walking back the way I came, ignoring her.
“Ah! What the hell is this!”
She mustered the courage not to chase after me and ended up muttering to herself.
‘Just leaving this impression is enough.’
A mysterious man.
A man who suddenly appeared and revealed her real name, Tang Hwa-rin. On top of that, he has the bracelet of the Tang Family on his hand.
She’ll probably assume I’m connected to the Sichuan Tang Family. That’s the impression she’ll have.
What could this man’s identity possibly be?
While I can’t investigate the man’s identity, I can definitely look into the prescription of the medicine she’s taking.
If she discovers the secret of the medicine, Kang Yoon-ho will definitely leave a strong impression on her mind.
For now, this is sufficient.
———-
After receiving the treatment of the Head of the Seong Family, my travel fatigue was alleviated, and it was soon the day of the birthday banquet.
As So-hee and I prepared to enter the banquet hall that had been arranged for us, the guards at the entrance blocked our way.
“Only the performer may enter. The woman beside you cannot enter.”
What is this about?
“She’s my wife. I can’t perform comfortably without her beside me.”
“Only guests and family members may enter.”
The guard spoke to me with a completely firm attitude, showing no intention of backing down.
What do I do? I need So-hee for this performance since it’s dangerous.
Should I just refuse to perform and turn back? If I do that, I’ll be kicked out of the house, and the assassination mission on So-hee will become difficult.
I exchanged glances with So-hee, unsure of what to do.
“Go ahead, my husband. Enter.”
So-hee lightly nodded and spoke.
Alright. If I miss this opportunity, I don’t know when I’ll have a chance to take on another assassination mission. So-hee might go berserk before the next mission.
Since Seong Se-hwi’s subordinates said they’d protect me, there shouldn’t be a big problem.
“Well then, I’ll finish the performance and come right out.”
I left So-hee and entered the banquet hall.
——–
“Greetings! I am Kang Mo, the performer from Joseon!”
When it was my turn, I stepped onto the stage and greeted the guests.
“Oh! It’s finally the performer’s turn!”
“Kang Mo? Isn’t he the famous performer from Chilgok County? They must have invited him.”
“My son went all the way to Chilgok County to hear the tale of Kang Mo! Thanks to the Head of the Seong Family, he can hear it without even having to go there!”
As I introduced myself, everyone abruptly stopped drinking and looked at me.
‘Seong Se-hwi, aren’t you being too obvious?’
I quietly glared at Seong Se-hwi, who looked like he’d kill the Head of the Seong Family.
Surrounding him were guards who seemed to be on his side, keeping a vigilant watch.
They looked ready to draw their swords at any moment. It was too obvious, wasn’t it, with so many guards around the Head of the Seong Family?
“The story I will share today is about the Hamurin Prince!”
The mood felt like it was on the verge of turning the joyous feast into a bloody banquet.
Seong Se-hwi, you’re really going to protect me, right?
Nervously, I began recounting the tale of the Hamurin Prince.
“Ha Ji-ro! Dare you betray me!!!”
This was the highlight of the performance at the banquet hosted by the Head of the Seong Family.
I started to reenact the events of that day, as told to me by Seong Se-hwi, surrounding the mysterious death of the Head of the Seong Family, Seong Jo-ru.
Seong Jo-ru encounters bandits midway and meets an untimely death. It’s not uncommon for someone to run into bandits, but that day’s events were strange.
The number of attendants was notably low, and most of them were associates of Seong Ji-ru. All the people who died at the hands of the bandits were all aides to the former Head of the Seong Family, Seong Jo-ru.
At this point, it’s impossible not to suspect something.
“Brother! You will die today from a surprise attack by the bandits! Kha ha ha ha!”
“You bastard! Ha Ji-ro! How dare you poison me!”
I acted as Seong Jo-ru who was staggering from being poisoned.
“Is that so, the former Head of the Seong Family…”
“Shut up, you fool! Quiet down.”
“Is it not widely known that the Head of the Seong Family, poisoned by the bandits’ ambush, tragically died?”
I waited for the commotion to build up among the guests while pretending to be in a standoff.
“Cough! Brother! If you’re going to die, die gracefully. Why do you put up a fight at the end?”
“How dare you!”
“Fight? Isn’t your wife unsatisfied with you and comes to my bed? After a few encounters, she’s become so dependent on me that she can’t live without me anymore.”
“Lies!”
“Lies? When did you think I drank the poison? The drink she gave me before she left contained poison in it. I warned her to be careful, and she really gave it to me, saying she wanted to become your wife!”
“Ahhhhh!”
I fervently acted out Seong Jo-ru’s rage as I dropped that shocking revelation.
“Look at those madmen over there!”
“Is the new wife of Seong Jo-ru really coming in and out of the Head of the Seong Family’s chamber?”
“Whoa. How could you with your brother?”
“To manage the wife properly, I might as well manage the wealth as well. Farewell!”
As an evil Seong Ji-ru, I tried to give Seong Jo-ru the final blow.
THUD!
Or rather, no one should have flown onto the stage.
“I can’t watch this anymore.”
The one who flew onto the stage was the Head of the Seong Family, Seong Ji-ru.
He had been the farthest from the banquet hall, and yet he covered the distance in one leap? Just how strong is his martial arts?
The entire banquet hall froze at the unexpected scene.
“Master of the House. No matter how realistic the acting might be, you shouldn’t come up here.”
This is bad. Should I flee?
“Realistic? This isn’t realism; it’s an insult.”
The Head of the Seong Family strode directly toward me.
“An insult? I, Kang Mo, did my best to perform; I have never aimed to insult anyone.”
I forced a smile, pretending not to understand. If I back away now, it implies I’m scared. I need to act as nonchalantly as possible.
“Seong Ji-ru! To call it an insult is just trying to silence the performer who speaks the truth!”
Seong Se-hwi suddenly shouted from the guests’ area. How did he get over there?
It’s fine to say it so that the guests can hear, but to speak so directly like that is not wise. He needs to casually say that the stories are similar or something.
“Seong Se-hwi! I spared your life but you still act up! This is all your doing!”
“Guests! Behold! Seong Ji-ru, in order to seize the Head of the Seong Family’s position, has been colluding with that new mother! He murdered my father, the Head of the Seong Family, the paragon of filial piety!”
“SEONG!!! SEH!!! WI!!! You scoundrel!!! Kick out this ungrateful one!”
At Seong Ji-ru’s roar, the guards all drew their swords in unison.
“In the end, my feet have frozen, and swords are drawn! Fellow warriors, take up your swords! Let’s drive out this cruel ungrateful one!”
With Seong Se-hwi’s command, his subordinates all drew their swords in unison.
“Save me!”
“Run away!”
The banquet hall quickly devolved into chaos.
‘I need to escape.’
As I tried to step down from the stage, someone blocked my path.
Looking up, I saw Seong Ji-ru fuming with anger standing before me.
“I do not overlook an insult.”
Suddenly something glimmered before my chest. Damn, it’s a knife.
“Eek!”
I swiftly twisted one ankle to evade the blade.
“Did you evade that?”
His tone was unexpectedly surprised. I had trained diligently in self-defense. It was luck, but I still dodged well.
But perhaps luck only lasts once.
“Gack!”
A sudden heat pierced my chest. Well, there it goes. Damn.
Seong Ji-ru confirmed the knife embedded in my chest and leisurely descended from the stage.
“The performer has been struck by Seong Ji-ru’s knife!”
“Benefactor!”
Seong Se-hwi urgently charged onto the stage, embracing me as I was about to collapse.
“Ugh!”
“I’m sorry! I couldn’t protect you! I couldn’t stop the knife from piercing your heart!”
He didn’t think to save me; he was just stirring up trouble. Was he seriously trying to protect me?
“My… my heart.”
Hey, it didn’t hit my heart, though.
Thanks to the Jade Face Protective Technique, my skin hardened, so it just grazed me!
“I’ve been stabbed in the heart, bleeding profusely! I shall never forget your sacrifice!”
“Treatment….”
I’m losing a lot of blood, but if you treat me now, I can survive! The knife didn’t penetrate deeply!
“This dagger that pierces the benefactor! With this dagger, I shall stab Seong Ji-ru’s heart. See you in the afterlife!”
No. If you pull it out, I’ll bleed even more!
You fool. Hey!
The blood is spilling everywhere.
I’m dizzy. Damn.
I’m feeling lightheaded.
Did I mistakenly believe someone out to scam me?
“Yoon-ho!”
In my fading consciousness, I thought I heard a familiar voice from afar.
