Chapter 15

That night.

Jeong Charyeon, who had been tossing and turning in her bed, unable to sleep, finally left her room.

She felt inexplicably restless. She had promised her father that she would visit the Palm Heart Clan tomorrow to apologize.

Honestly, she didn't want to apologize, but on the other hand, her sister's words resonated with her. Was she not willing to sacrifice even that much for the family? Hadn't she lived her life as she pleased until now? Her sister was right. She had spent her time carefree, only practicing martial arts.

'Alright, I'll go out with Jang In-geol. It's not like I have to marry him.'

It was the right thing to do for Jeok Leegeon as well. If she could persuade Jang In-geol, he wouldn't try to kill Jeok Leegeon.

Lost in thought, she strolled through the back garden when she saw Jeok Leegeon standing by the pond in the distance.

He was silently gazing at the pond.

'Is he thinking of catching a carp to eat?'

Jeok Leegeon had an uncharacteristically serious expression.

It must have been the moonlight, but she thought he looked quite handsome.

Jeong Charyeon slowly walked towards him.

"Can't sleep?"

She spoke as if blurting it out, but her tone was much softer.

He was someone she would be parting ways with tomorrow. As he had said, if this was fate, then it was fate, and she wanted to part on good terms if possible.

"I have trouble sleeping when the sleeping place changes."

Jeong Charyeon chuckled at the unexpected answer. She was pretty sure that Jeok Leegeon would start snoring as soon as he lay down.

'Why wouldn't he be able to sleep when he has no worries in the world?'

"Besides, I have something to do tonight."

"Something to do?"

Jeok Leegeon clenched his fist tightly.

"I'm going to send a few guys off tonight."

'Oh my!' Why did he make such grim jokes so seriously?

"Who?"

"There are some."

He paused for a moment.

"...People from a different world than the one you live in."

Then, Jeok Leegeon grinned.

"The side dishes were too meager tonight. I hope there's a meat dish for breakfast tomorrow?"

'That darn meat song again.'

Jeong Charyeon chuckled. When she was with him, she unknowingly relaxed.

It wasn't a bad feeling.

She seemed to know at least one reason for sure.

He was slick and enigmatic, but at least he didn't look at her lecherously.

It was a small thing, but it was very important to Jeong Charyeon. The way many men looked at her was mostly the same.

As a woman, she sometimes enjoyed that gaze, but she didn't feel good when she thought that its essence was to touch and lick her body.

"Go to bed early. You need to sleep a lot to have good skin."

Could it be that this talkative guy really didn't feel any attraction to her? On such a moonlit night, under this romantic moonlight that made even this talkative guy look quite handsome, how many men in this world would just send her in?

"This is my house!"

"What does that have to do with your rough skin? Is there some kind of barrier in this house that protects your skin?"

'Okay, then...'

"What do you think of me?"

A probing question!

After pondering for a while, Jeok Leegeon cautiously said.

"...Honestly, you're a bit plain."

"What?"

Plain? Was she plain?

Jeong Charyeon swore she had never heard that before.

'Did I perhaps come out with rice grains on my face?'

Shocked, Jeong Charyeon reflected her face in the pond.

Jeok Leegeon was sorry and couldn't meet her eyes.

'What, is he serious?'

She had been thoroughly educated by Hyang Yi from A to Z about the tactics of playboys who said the opposite to make her feel not pretty.

A trick to tease a woman and get her attention. A surefire way to seduce a woman that she couldn't help but fall for even knowing it.

But Jeok Leegeon wasn't that kind of playboy. If he were, he wouldn't have eaten so messily at the inn, at least. And the way he acted.

'Ah, my legs are giving out.'

Jeong Charyeon squatted by the pond.

'Don't look at him. If I look at him, he'll definitely say "sorry" to me.'

Then she would really want to jump into this pond.

She was sincerely curious about what kind of people had given birth to such a guy.

After calming herself down, Jeong Charyeon looked into the pond and calmly asked.

"What are your parents like? I heard your mother is so beautiful? What is your father like?"

"......"

'Why is he keeping his mouth shut for once? He's the type who would float on his butt and chat with the fish if I threw him into the pond.'

"Why? Do you hate your father?"

At the direct question, Jeok Leegeon shook his head.

"It's not that."

"Then why?"

"My father is a frustrating person. He always tries to handle everything according to principles."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"When he's someone else's father."

"Living by principles, that's not an easy thing to do."

"I'm not saying to ignore them. I'm just saying don't apply those principles to me."

"So you hate your father?"

"It's not exactly that."

This little bit of melancholy was truly unbecoming of him.

Come to think of it, Jeong Charyeon had never seriously thought about her parents' problems. They had always been warm people.

They were a strong fence that allowed her to wake up in the morning without any worries. She felt a newfound sense of gratitude for her parents.

"My parents are against me going out into Jianghu. Especially my father."

She could guess. Ordinary parents who sold fruits would want their children to take over the family business. How dumbfounded would they be when he said he was going to carry those swords on his back and go out into Jianghu?

"It's because they're worried."

"That's the problem."

"Huh?"

"They're worried about Jianghu."

Wow! She really understood that. She really wanted to meet them.

She thought that if they got together, they would be a very fun family. If they were his parents.

"Aren't you going in?"

"Didn't you hear me earlier? I said I have something to do."

"Yes--" Jeong Charyeon said as she jumped up.

"Then kill a lot. This naive girl who doesn't know the ways of the world will now retreat."

Jeong Charyeon added with a smile.

"Stop talking nonsense and go to bed early. And eat breakfast tomorrow and go your way. It's better to leave this place if possible. I'm sorry for getting you involved in something dangerous."

Jeok Leegeon looked at Jeong Charyeon with strange eyes.

"Are you worried about me?"

'What are you talking about!'

"I'm worried about the people you're going to meet!"

Smiling, Jeong Charyeon turned around.

As she entered the building and walked down the hallway, she saw Jeok Leegeon's figure through the window.

He was still standing there, looking at the pond.

She couldn't tell if he was looking at the lotus flowers, the carp swimming inside, or the moon floating on the pond.

Suddenly, she thought he looked lonely.

She thought once again that he was a pretty decent guy if he just didn't open his mouth.

'Yeah, since he's leaving anyway, I'll give him a good evaluation.'

When she looked back for the last time, Jeok Leegeon was gone.