Chapter 43
Soso only felt awkward.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why everyone was treating her with such reverence.
All she had done was treat someone who looked on the verge of death.
And what on earth was a “Golden Priestess”?
She wanted to ask, but there were too many people watching her, showering her with praise, and she couldn’t find a chance to speak.
“Haha, everyone seems to adore Miss Baek so much! Of course, I like her too, and my wife as well… even our Jin… hahahaha!”
When Namgung Seonyul chuckled jovially, Seollin didn’t stop him — she even added more.
“Everyone likes Miss Baek. Especially our Jin — he seems to like her the most.”
“F-Father, Mother, please stop. You’ll make Miss Baek uncomfortable.”
“But isn’t it true?”
Soso quietly looked at Namgung Jin’s harmonious family.
‘I was worried because of Lord Namgung Hyuk… but it looks like they’re all doing fine.’
Or maybe they were only pretending to be fine.
That’s why Soso decided not to ask about Namgung Hyuk.
Instead, she asked about the man who had helped her.
“Um, Clan Leader, is the man named Dae-woo who helped me all right?”
After her deadly battle with Namgung Hyuk, she hadn’t felt Dae-woo’s presence.
Thanks to her help, he hadn’t taken any fatal wounds, but he’d faced Namgung Hyuk head-on while the man was shrouded in dark energy — suffering multiple injuries in the process.
Soso was deeply worried for Dae-woo, who had risked his life to protect her.
“Wait a moment.”
Namgung Seonyul sent a sound transmission to someone some distance away.
[Dae-woo, you may reveal yourself before Miss Baek.]
[As you command.]
Moments later, a masked man dressed in black suddenly appeared from thin air.
He knelt on one knee and bowed deeply before Soso.
“My lady, I’m relieved to see you safe.”
Soso recognized him instantly — it was Dae-woo.
“Sir! Are you all right? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“Thanks to you and the young master, I sustained no serious injuries. A few wounds, but they’ll heal easily with some golden salve.”
“That’s a relief. I really wanted to thank you for that time.”
Namgung Seonyul watched the exchange with satisfaction.
Technically speaking, Dae-woo’s actions had violated clan rules.
Members of the Shadow Moon Division, whose primary task was covert operations, were forbidden from revealing themselves to anyone except the clan head and commander.
But Namgung Seonyul decided to make an exception this time — he would not dismiss Dae-woo for revealing his identity.
It was necessary to conceal the truth: that Namgung Hyuk had made a deal with the Demonic Cult and consumed their spirit pills, turning himself into a madman.
He needed to silence everyone who had witnessed the incident.
The world must only know that the “madman’s attack” was solely the work of the Demonic Cult.
Moreover, Dae-woo had saved Miss Baek — who might well become his daughter-in-law someday.
In truth, Namgung Seonyul even wanted to reward him.
For a Shadow Moon operative to risk exposure and save someone without orders — that was commendable indeed.
“I, on the other hand, wish to consider you my benefactor, my lady,” Dae-woo said softly, his gaze lingering meaningfully on her.
The others probably took his words as simple gratitude toward Soso for aiding the Namgung Clan.
But in truth, he was thanking her for keeping quiet about his exposed identity.
“Benefactor? Please, there’s no need for that.”
“Hahaha! What a heartwarming sight,” Namgung Seonyul said cheerfully, joining in the conversation.
“I heard from Jin that Miss Baek plans to leave the clan soon.”
He sounded genuinely regretful about her impending departure.
“If it were up to me, I’d have you stay here for a long time. But I hear you have something important to do?”
Soso nodded.
“Yes. I’d love to stay longer, but there’s something I must do.”
She had discovered traces of the Demonic Cult’s influence over the Namgung Clan.
Now that she knew, there was no reason to stay.
“It will be a difficult journey,” Seonyul said gravely.
“I must go regardless,” she replied.
“That being the case,” he continued, “our Jin will accompany you on your journey to protect you.”
“…Pardon?”
“Jin may not be on my level, but his martial arts are quite advanced. I entrust him with your protection. Please, don’t refuse.”
Soso looked toward Namgung Jin, her expression uncertain — as if to ask if he truly meant to join her.
He replied as though it were obvious.
“Protecting my benefactor is how I repay the debt I owe her.”
Would it really be all right to travel with Namgung Jin?
Until now, Soso hadn’t been entirely sure she could trust him.
But after facing the Demonic Cult’s madmen, she’d changed her mind.
‘We need Namgung Jin’s strength.’
She felt sorry for Jeogal Haesoo, but against the Demonic Cult, they needed someone like Jin — a powerful martial artist.
If Jeogal Haesoo agreed, she wanted Jin to come along.
“I think it would be fine to travel with Young Master Namgung. What do you think, Young Master Jeogal?”
Soso turned to Jeogal Haesoo.
Normally, he’d have made some sly or teasing remark. But today, he was uncharacteristically quiet.
His face looked deeply serious, lost in thought, and after a moment he only gave a slow nod.
“Young Master Jeogal? Are you all right?”
Had his condition suddenly worsened?
Just then, Jeogal Haesoo made a muffled sound — “Urgh!” — and it turned out Soso’s fears were not unfounded.
A stream of red blood poured from his lips.
“Y-Young Master!”
“Aah… my body’s always been weak, but it seems that incense earlier had an adverse effect… I’m fine… urgh!”
He waved his hand as if to reassure her, but continued to cough up blood violently.
Soon his entire front was soaked in red.
He looked like an actor performing an overly dramatic death scene.
Surely that wasn’t the case… right?
‘He’s not actually going to die, is he?’
Soso panicked.
“Even if I collapse from blood loss, I’ll never reveal what happened in the Namgung Clan… urgh!”
“Young Master!”
“Even if I die, I won’t blame the Namgung Clan… urgh!”
As Soso reached out to treat him, she saw him wink at her.
‘…A trick?’
She withdrew her hand and quietly watched.
Jeogal Haesoo curled up, groaning as if in unbearable pain.
The Namgung Clan members watching grew restless.
“Good heavens! Shouldn’t someone get a physician?”
“The Young Master is in critical condition!”
Someone even ran off to fetch a doctor.
Jeogal Haesoo collapsed pitifully onto the floor, wiping the blood from his lips with his sleeve.
“The Namgung Clan… everyone’s so kind… I can die without regret… urgh!”
“H-here! We’ve brought the physician!”
Jeogal Haesoo let the doctor take his pulse and continued to breathe heavily.
While everyone else looked on in concern, only two people — Namgung Seonyul and Namgung Jin — watched him with narrowed eyes.
A brief flash of contempt flickered in Namgung Jin’s gaze.
