Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 262 chapter – Anhui (3)

As soon as we arrived at the Namgung estate, we were shown to the guest quarters. The attendants unloaded our luggage and began unpacking it for us.

In the meantime, I looked around.

‘…This guesthouse looks better than my own home.’

That much was certain.

With a family as wealthy as this, it wasn’t surprising that even the guest accommodations were lavish. Of course, given the nature of the relationship, they wouldn’t have placed us in an ordinary space. But even then, it was still impressively extravagant.

I wandered around a bit and noticed the pond. The koi swimming inside had beautiful scales, and the pond itself was large, meaning it must require constant maintenance to keep it in such pristine condition.

“It’s a waste of money, pure and simple.”

The maintenance costs alone must be astronomical. That was my only impression.

I had long since lost any sensitivity to things like this. I wasn’t particularly moved by luxury. I had more pressing matters to think about.

‘When is the engagement ceremony?’

To my surprise, the ceremony was scheduled for a few days later, not immediately upon our arrival as I had expected.

It did seem odd to hold the ceremony right after a long journey when we were all tired, but…

‘Why wait for several days?’

It was a bit strange. Was there really a need for such a delay?

In one sense, I should have welcomed the extra time to prepare, given how awkward the whole engagement situation was. But still, the delay felt unnecessary.

While it was true that the engagement had been postponed due to my personal circumstances, the Gu clan had gone so far as to travel here to the Namgung estate. That was a considerable concession on our part.

Just the fact that the Gu clan had come to the Namgung estate would make others think that the man was coming to the woman’s family’s house, sparking unnecessary rumors.

‘People will probably start spouting nonsense about me being a “live-in son-in-law” or something.’

Many might view this as a tacit admission that the Gu clan was weaker than the Namgung clan. That’s just how things worked in this ridiculous world.

Wherever you went, nothing was simple.

Typically, asking someone to wait a few days after traveling such a distance would be considered rude. I noticed my father’s face harden slightly when he first heard the news.

‘They’re probably discussing it right now.’

The two family heads had gone off to talk. If the situation was explained clearly, there shouldn’t be any problems.

‘Is there something going on?’

I just hoped there wouldn’t be any troublesome incidents. Every time I went somewhere, something always seemed to happen. I really wanted to get through this visit without any drama.

Of course, I knew things were already veering off course.

‘Damn it.’

The issue was Namgung Jin.

What should I do? What should I say? Judging by the look in his eyes earlier, he wasn’t planning to let me off easily.

Honestly, it was impressive that I had managed to avoid him for over a year.

Namgung Jin had realized the flaw in his martial arts, and I was the only one who knew how to fix it. It made sense that he would still be eager to learn from me.

The fact that Namgung Jin, known as the Sword King, still felt this thirst for knowledge at this stage…

It was likely that the small tips I had given him back then, relayed through Shin Noya, had helped him, but only to a certain extent. He hadn’t been able to progress beyond a certain point.

‘…What should I do?’

I had promised to teach him more, but that was when Shin Noya was still around.

Shin Noya, the master of the sword, who had once witnessed the pinnacle of Namgung’s swordsmanship through Namgung Myeong, the Thunder Heaven Sword. He had lamented the decline of the Namgung family’s sword techniques and had offered to help them regain their former glory.

But now, Shin Noya was asleep inside my body.

‘How am I supposed to teach Namgung Jin anything?’

I had never seriously trained with a sword in my life, aside from playing with a wooden one as a child.

What could I possibly teach Namgung Jin?

‘This is driving me crazy.’

I was already worrying about what excuse I could use to get out of this.

‘Hey, wake up and help me out.’

[…Rr?]

‘Don’t pretend you just woke up. Wake up Shin Noya for me.’

The beast responded immediately, which meant it hadn’t really been asleep.

‘You’ve been watching everything and now you’re just pretending you don’t know what’s going on?’

[Grr?]

‘…This is ridiculous.’

As frustrating as it was to deal with its constant feigned ignorance, I couldn’t really do anything about it.

Before Noya had gone into his deep sleep, this beast had told me that when a year passed, Noya would be able to wake up on his own.

If that was true, then it was likely that Noya was choosing not to wake up, even though he could.

‘Why wouldn’t he wake up when things are in such a mess?’

It was entirely possible that Noya was watching all of this unfold and choosing not to intervene just to mess with me.

…Yeah.

‘There’s a very high chance that’s what’s happening.’

Knowing Noya’s personality, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was just watching me suffer for his own amusement.

‘He would absolutely do that just to screw with me, and that’s what makes it even more infuriating.’

I could easily imagine him laughing right now while refusing to wake up.

‘Even aside from Namgung Jin, there’s another reason Noya needs to wake up.’

I still needed to ask him about the Thunder Heaven Sword.

Back when we visited Henan, I had spoken with Cheolyong, the Iron Shadow of the Shaolin Temple, one of Noya’s old comrades. He had told me that not only he, but also Namgung Myeong, the Thunder Heaven Sword, had retained his consciousness and soul somewhere.

If that was true, it meant that Namgung Myeong’s soul was likely stored within some artifact of the Namgung clan.

‘…Of course, there’s always the exception.’

The possibility that one of these artifacts had left the Namgung estate complicated matters.

Considering that the most likely artifact containing Namgung Myeong’s soul was currently in the possession of the Wudang Sect’s master, there was a significant chance he wasn’t even here.

‘The Thunder Fang.’

The sacred sword of the Namgung clan, known as the Fang of Lightning.
It was the sword that Namgung Myeong used, but for reasons unknown, it was currently in the hands of the Wudang Sect’s master, Wudang Gaeseon.

In my previous life, the sword had even ended up in the hands of the Demonic Sword Empress.

‘If Namgung Myeong’s soul is trapped in an artifact, it’s most likely inside that sword.’

Still, I couldn’t be sure. The Namgung family was renowned enough that they probably had more than one artifact like that.

But it wasn’t like I could just go around inspecting their treasures.

‘Either way, I need Noya to wake up if I want to talk about any of this.’

Noya remained silent, as always. I could still sense his presence inside my dantian, but he was completely still.

“Phew…”

I let out a long sigh as the midday sun beat down on me. I had arrived with only a mild sense of tension, but now I was wrapped up in all sorts of complications.

As I mulled over the increasingly complex situation, I suddenly felt something.

“Hm?”

I turned my head to look behind me.

It seemed like a normal scene—just a few trees—but as I focused my gaze between them, I felt it.

‘What is this?’

I felt like someone was watching me.

I raised my internal energy to sharpen my senses, but…

“Was it just my imagination?”

I didn’t pick up on anything. The spot where I thought I had felt the gaze wasn’t far away, so it didn’t make sense that I couldn’t sense anyone.

I even moved closer to the spot and checked it out, but there was nothing—just trees.

“Strange…”

It had felt too clear to be a mere hallucination, but I couldn’t find anything.

I debated whether to keep searching, but…

“Young Master, the banquet will begin shortly.”

Hongwa appeared in the distance, reminding me of the upcoming event.

“…I’m on my way.”

“I’ll prepare for your arrival.”

“Okay.”

In the end, I had no choice but to leave without investigating further.
Even as I walked away, my eyes remained fixed on the trees.

For some reason, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had lingered since the moment we arrived.

Inside the Namgung estate, there was finally someone in the chambers of the First Young Lady.

The room, which had been empty for years, now welcomed back its rightful owner.

“Miss, may I tend to your hair?”

The attendant spoke cautiously to her mistress.

Though she had served this mistress for nearly ten years, she didn’t actually know much about her.

The mistress rarely left her chambers and disliked having visitors.
Sometimes, she would disappear altogether, hiding herself away.

Even though the attendant had been close to her for so long, she knew little about her mistress.
All she knew was that her mistress was incredibly beautiful and spoke very little.

Though she held the title of an exclusive attendant, she was treated no differently from any other servant, since the young lady disliked being around people.

That’s why the attendant was particularly nervous now that her mistress had returned after such a long absence.

She had to help prepare her mistress for the banquet, as the family head had specifically instructed.
With trembling hands, the attendant made her request.

As she anxiously awaited a response, her mistress glanced at her and finally spoke.

“…Please do.”

Hearing her mistress’s voice, the attendant’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Ah…! Yes, of course.”

The attendant couldn’t help but be shocked. It was the first time her mistress had ever responded verbally.

Not only was her mistress’s face stunning, but her voice was equally beautiful, resonating clearly in the room.

As she cautiously reached out to tend to her mistress’s long, white hair, she marveled at its silk-like texture and the fairness of her skin, which remained pristine despite the summer heat.

‘…Such a beautiful person.’

The attendant couldn’t understand.
She had heard that her mistress had gained a reputation even outside the central plains, yet the family head didn’t seem to care much for his daughter.

“…Excuse me.”

“Yes, Miss?”

While the attendant was carefully brushing her hair and helping with her makeup, her mistress spoke again, surprising her once more.

It was the first time her mistress had initiated a conversation.

“What is it, Miss…?”

The attendant feared she had made a mistake, but…

“…What is your name?”

Her mistress asked for her name.

The unexpected question left the attendant momentarily confused, but she quickly responded.

“…It’s Ok-Ji. My name is Ok-Ji.”

Her voice trembled slightly as she answered.

She felt a little embarrassed by her simple name, but her mistress’s expression remained unchanged.

“Ok-Ji.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“…I’ll remember it.”

“Huh…? Ah, thank you, Miss.”

Namgung Bi-Ah repeated the name of her servant.

It had been ten years.

From the moment she first met this attendant until now, a significant amount of time had passed.
Only now, at last, did Namgung Bi-Ah remember her servant’s name.

Even though all this time had passed.

Namgung Bi-Ah hadn’t known the name—not because she couldn’t, but because she hadn’t wanted to know.

As her servant continued brushing her hair, Namgung Bi-Ah closed her eyes.

Her life had been a descent into a hellish world of filth and rot, leaving her in no state to care about the people around her.
Only now did she have the freedom to hear and remember someone’s name.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Pardon?”

Namgung Bi-Ah apologized.
It was an apology for not knowing the name of someone who had been by her side for so long.

She took a deep breath.

Her home still reeked of that wretched stench, but it no longer suffocated her the way it once had.

Perhaps it was because her martial arts had advanced, or maybe…
It was because “he” had advanced.

Whatever the reason, she had taken a step out of the hell she had lived in for so long.

“Excuse me….”

“Yes, Miss?”

“…Should I wear that?”

Ok-Ji followed Namgung Bi-Ah’s gaze to a box containing some accessories.
These were items the Namgung family had provided for their blood relatives.

Ok-Ji had never seen Namgung Bi-Ah use any of them.

“Um… I’m not sure what you mean by ‘wear that,’ Miss.”

“Would a man… like it?”

Namgung Bi-Ah spoke quietly, almost shyly.

Ok-Ji nearly swallowed her own breath in surprise.
She had never expected her mistress to ask something like that.

Her mistress’s slightly flushed ears and cheeks,
And the way her beautiful eyes, although filled with embarrassment, still seemed to seek approval…

Even as a fellow woman, Ok-Ji couldn’t help but admire how stunning she looked.

A sudden thought crossed Ok-Ji’s mind.

‘…Does she really care that much about her fiancé?’

What kind of man could he be, to make someone as remarkable as her mistress show such a vulnerable side?

Ok-Ji couldn’t help but feel curious.

“Would you like to try it on?”

“…Yes.”

Namgung Bi-Ah nodded slightly.

She hadn’t paid attention to such things before, but now she was aware of her own beauty.

This was purely an objective realization, nothing more.
Even if others admired her beauty, it meant little to her.

There was only one person.
As long as that one person saw her as beautiful, that was enough.

So if her beauty was her strength, she would use it.
She wanted to catch his eye, to be seen by him.

A face appeared in her mind.

The face of the woman who had recently been spending more and more time around him.

“…”

She was beautiful, in a cold and refined way.

Unlike herself, that woman knew how to adorn herself.
She was also skilled and respected by others.

‘I’m different from her.’

A tangle of emotions welled up inside Namgung Bi-Ah.
They felt heavy and murky.

Namgung Bi-Ah recognized this feeling as jealousy and insecurity.

Unlike the days when she had pursued a higher level of swordsmanship to escape the stench of her life,
Now she was capable of feeling such emotions.

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

All she had was the title of his fiancée, and that didn’t seem like enough.

“I need to try harder….”

“Miss? What did you just say…?”

“Ah… it’s nothing….”

Namgung Bi-Ah shook her head.

She then thought back to something that had happened earlier in the day.

No one around her seemed to have noticed, but…
Just as her father and his father had met to talk,
Namgung Bi-Ah had felt something else.

From a distance, she had sensed her younger brother’s eyes on her.

To be more precise, it wasn’t just a gaze.
It felt like he was… sniffing her.

Clench.

The mere thought of it made her feel suffocated.

She wanted to dismiss it as her imagination, but…
Something was different this time.

Though the stench surrounding her had lightened ever so slightly,
The foulness from her brother had only grown worse.

Despite the distance, Namgung Bi-Ah could clearly sense the difference.

It meant things had gotten that much worse.

‘…I hope nothing happens.’

Namgung Bi-Ah closed her eyes and prayed.
She prayed for the brother who had always been overly attached to her,
And for the man who had come to this place.

She prayed that nothing would go wrong.

“It’s all done, Miss.”

At Ok-Ji’s words, Namgung Bi-Ah slowly opened her eyes.

She felt a slight unfamiliar weight on her ears.
It was probably the earrings she had chosen earlier.

Namgung Bi-Ah took out another accessory and asked Ok-Ji to put it in her hair.
Without asking any questions, Ok-Ji did as she was told.

The accessory was a hairpin he had given her a long time ago.

‘…This will be enough.’

With that, a sense of calm washed over her.

It was amazing how just a small trinket could bring her peace.

Namgung Bi-Ah slowly rose to her feet.
It was time to head to the banquet.