Chapter 84
T h is w a s c o p i ed f ro m k in g mt l . o rg
The Red Flower Falls (11)
My heart sank, pounding heavily. If I hadn’t been wearing a mask, my surprise would have been entirely revealed. It would have shown plainly on my face.
“Who… did you say?”
I barely managed to calm myself and asked again, hoping I had misheard.
“I said Yeon…?”
But Yeon Minha pronounced the name even more clearly. I sighed inwardly.
How did this girl know that name?
“It’s nothing much… When you came back from the south, you kept muttering that name in your sleep…”
“What…”
Th i s w a s co pie d f ro m k i ng m t l. o rg
“You kept saying sorry, even shedding tears…”
This is a disaster.
Of all times, that cursed nightmare had to come then.
Why couldn’t I just sleep quietly instead of sleep-talking…
“So I thought maybe you had something on your mind…”
Yeon Minha twirled a strand of hair around her finger, glancing at me nervously.
“It sounds like a woman’s name… Did you have a falling out with a friend or something…? You seemed pretty close when you said the name…”
She tried to make it sound unimportant, but I could sense her strong curiosity from her red eyes.
It looked like I couldn’t just brush this off lightly.
What should I do in this situation?
Neither my sisters nor the commander had prepared me for this.
Yeon Minha continued muttering to herself, looking even more flustered than I was, with her eyes losing focus and spinning around.
“You know, despite being a successor of the Five Families, I’m actually quite open-minded… I mean, who you meet in the future is more important than past experiences… And…”
I decided. Before this conversation took an even stranger turn, I needed to handle it somehow.
Luckily, it seemed Yeon Minha had no idea who the person she referred to as “Yeon” was. After all, how many people could connect that name to me and her?
As she said, the past of that person had been thoroughly erased…
“It’s nothing serious. I don’t remember well, but it was probably just a nightmare about a childhood argument.”
“Is that all?”
Yeon Minha didn’t seem convinced by my explanation.
I had no choice but to insist confidently.
“Yes. That’s all.”
“…”
Despite my quick answer, Yeon Minha still looked skeptical. She gazed at me with even deeper suspicion.
“If you say so… but I feel a bit sad. I thought we were closer and more intimate than most people think…”
She muttered to herself with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
It seemed my approach had failed.
I reconsidered.
Her frustration seemed justified.
Indeed, I had many secrets from Yeon Minha.
She was always curious about the nature of my powers, and every time I removed my mask, her eyes carefully examined the scar under my left eye.
She didn’t even know my real name, yet I was aware of all the secret affairs of Jeokhwa that outsiders shouldn’t know, thanks to her.
She had always been open and honest with me about everything.
Such an imbalance wouldn’t be healthy for a long-term relationship.
But I couldn’t reveal the true identity of the person referred to as Yeon.
I had no idea how she would react if she found out I had a deep connection with her adversary.
The thought of her reaction filled me with a slight sense of fear and dread.
However, I did need to satisfy some of her curiosity.
“Then, how about a secret that none of my other friends know?”
“What is it?”
Th i s w a s c o p i e d from k i ng m t l . o r g
“Like my real name…”
“Oh, really?”
This seemed to have an effect, as Yeon Minha straightened up with a brightened expression.
“So, your name isn’t your real one?”
“Yes. It’s an alias I use for certain reasons.”
Now that I think about it, why did the commander give me a new name? Even though he still called me Hyun, as always.
Even with the identity change, nothing much had changed except my origin and name.
T h i s w a s cop i ed fro m ki ng mtl .org
It was a question I had dismissed at the time, but now it seemed like one of many.
Should I just go straight to the Eastern region during the break and demand answers?
I started to understand some of Yeon Minha’s frustration and curiosity.
Yeon Minha swallowed hard and asked me carefully.
“So, what’s your real name…?”
“It’s Lee Hyun. The surname is Lee, and the given name is Hyun. It’s not too different from my alias.”
T hi s wa s c o pi e d fr o m k i ngm t l .o rg
“I see… It’s nice… a real name…”
“And I originally lived in a pioneer village in the north, not the south.”
“Oh? Right… If you were from the south, you wouldn’t have been attacked by demons…”
“And the scar under my eye is from trying to help that friend I mentioned.”
“Really…?”
Yeon Minha nodded eagerly with bright, curious eyes as I spoke. This seemed to work.
After sharing a few more short stories, I wrapped up.
“Are you satisfied now?”
“What are you talking about…? It sounds like I’m forcing you to reveal your secrets…”
Yeon Minha’s expression turned slightly guilty as she coughed and tried to regain her usual cool demeanor.
“These are stories I’ve never told anyone. Please keep them a secret.”
“Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.”
Yeon Minha nodded slightly. Her face showed a mixture of satisfaction and contentment. The clock in the room showed it was already 3 AM.
“Senior, you should sleep now.”
T h i s w a s c o p i ed fro m k ing mt l . o r g
“Already…? I’m not sleepy yet…”
“If you sleep too late, you’ll be tired tomorrow. Also, you need to wake up early to sneak back to the inner quarters before anyone sees you.”
“That’s true… Alright…”
But Yeon Minha still sat there, glancing between the bed and me, then quickly looking away whenever our eyes met.
“What are you doing? Go to bed.”
“Wh-where will you sleep…?”
Suddenly, Yeon Minha asked something strange.
“What?”
Yeon Minha finally got up and walked to the bed. She grabbed one of the pillows and tossed it in the middle of the wide bed.
“Just so you know, if you cross this pillow…”
“Senior. What are you talking about? Of course, the bed is for you alone.”
“Oh…?”
Yeon Minha seemed disappointed by my words, her voice dropping.
Even though the bed was big, it was still meant for one person.
“Then where will you…?”
“I’ll sleep on the floor. Or I could stay up all night.”
“But you’re a guest in our house… Sleeping on the floor is…”
T hi s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k i ng mt l .or g
“Then should I take the bed and you sleep on the floor?”
“Ugh.”
Yeon Minha let out a faint groan and glared at me with discontent in her eyes.
“Hmph. Do whatever you want, sleep on the floor or not.”
She threw herself onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her head.
Half of the bed remained empty.
***
Soon, Yeon Minha’s soft breathing filled the room. I could tell she was deeply asleep. It was a sound I had grown used to hearing.
Since the room was in a separate annex, I could have slept too, but I chose a different path.
Thinking about the unexpected mention of that name left me unsettled.
Moreover, despite our conversation, everything about this mansion had made me uncomfortable from the moment I arrived.
The abruptly changed layout, the secretive behavior of the servants, the anxious and tense matron, the indifferent family head, Yeon Minha’s look-alike aunt, and the overly luxurious guest room that didn’t suit me at all.
Each of these individually was a small inconvenience, but combined, they continually unsettled my senses.
I needed a night walk to calm my restless mind.
The commander always said that maintaining composure was the most important thing for a mage… but calmness had always been the farthest thing from me.
Yeon Minha had said I could wander freely, so it should be fine. I planned to just take a light walk around the grounds and then return.
Moreover, as my body healed, my resistance increased, allowing Yeon Minha to sleep without my power for longer periods.
Now, she could sleep for an hour or two without any issues.
She still strongly denied her improvement, but…
T h is w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l. o r g
I quietly opened the window and stepped out, making no noise.
The crescent moon made the night very dark. The garden lights provided only a faint glow.
I spread my barrier slightly around me and walked along the dark path.
Even if there were security devices that detected particle fluctuations, this level of concealment wouldn’t trigger them.
The gravel path crunched softly under my feet, and the ancient trees, seemingly hundreds of years old, loomed around me.
I noticed flickering lights appearing and disappearing in the air around me.
As the steward mentioned, it seemed to be a phenomenon caused by spirits densely populating the area and fighting for territory, spilling into the material world.
Th i s w a s c op i e d fro m k i n g mt l . or g
Walking through this surreal scenery, I thought about the person referred to as “Yeon.”
Two years had quickly passed. But I was still trapped in the memories of that time.
In the army, fighting in battles had somewhat soothed my sorrow and anger… but unfortunately, the Cradle wasn’t a good place for finding peace.
It was rather the opposite. Each encounter triggered memories constantly.
Could I really fulfill the commander’s request in such an environment?
Especially while helping Yeon Minha and keeping Paechun in check?
“Ah…”
Lost in thought, I suddenly realized I had reached the end of the path around the annex. Even though I hid my presence, there was no need to create unnecessary trouble by going outside.
“Let’s go…”
Thi s was c o p i ed fr o m kin g m t l . or g
I sighed deeply. My mind was still restless, but I had no choice. I couldn’t leave Yeon Minha alone for too long.
Just as I turned to head back to the room, my heightened senses detected something unexpected in the damp night air.
The faint and fishy scent of blood.
End of Chapter
