Chapter 4
A cold wind brushed against her cheek, and she cautiously opened her eyes.
The young Unyeong realized she was being carried on someone’s back. The memories of what had happened soon returned.
Men in black had attacked Seolga Manor. Her father had ordered Sogyo to take Unyeong and escape.
The person carrying her must be Sogyo. But could a person really move this fast? Was Sogyo a martial artist too?
“…Sogyo?”
Her voice came out faint and cracked, likely because she had been unconscious for quite a while.
“Yes, Young Lady… it’s me, Sogyo. I’ll take you somewhere safe. It’ll be hard, but please, hang in there.”
Sogyo’s quiet voice was raspy. Unyeong didn’t know how far they had come from the manor, but it had clearly taken a toll. Even for a martial artist, carrying someone while traveling quickly was no easy task.
“…Okay. I’ll try.”
That was all Unyeong could manage before burying her face in Sogyo’s back.
In truth, there were so many things she wanted to ask. She wanted to know what had become of Seolga Manor. Whether her father was safe, whether her brother had made it out alive.
But those questions would be meaningless.
She had seen with her own eyes what had happened.
And so, Unyeong swallowed her questions.
She didn’t ask where they were going.
Since her father, Seol Jadan, had ordered Sogyo to take her away, it must be somewhere safe.
He had told her to survive. To return alive. So Unyeong would be safe.
As she tried to calm her thoughts, overwhelmed with sorrow, she closed her eyes.
They traveled for days. Fever came and went, and pain wracked her body. Unyeong, barely conscious, remained slung over Sogyo’s back.
“Young Lady… we’re almost there now. Just a little more. Please, hold on.”
When she woke at the sound of Sogyo’s voice, they were deep in the mountains.
The voice sounded like it was on the verge of tears. She could feel the trembling in Sogyo’s back.
‘Why… Why are you going so far to save me…?’
Seolga Manor was gone. Nothing bound Sogyo anymore.
Unyeong couldn’t understand the sacrifice or loyalty Sogyo was showing.
Why go this far? That thought lingered as she closed her eyes against the pain.
After climbing a steep mountain, they arrived at the edge of a cliff shrouded in mist.
“Elder, we’ve come from Seolga Manor. I’ve brought Young Lady Unyeong.”
Sogyo spoke while standing at the cliff’s edge.
“Tsksk.”
A tongue-click echoed from the mist. Soon after, a white-haired old man emerged, walking through the fog to stand before them.
Though he appeared to be walking on mist, he was perfectly composed.
Later, Unyeong would learn that this was an illusion formation (幻影陣) the old man had created. The cliff hadn’t actually existed in the first place.
“This is going to be a hassle.”
“If anything were to happen to the young lady, I was told to seek you out.”
Despite carrying Unyeong, Sogyo bowed deeply and respectfully.
“Tsk. I did say I owed that man my life… but this wasn’t what I had in mind. That scoundrel. He should’ve just taken some gold and left it at that. Tch.”
“Her condition is dire. Please, Elder, I beg you.”
“Tsk. What a bother… But if I owe him, I’ll repay it. A debtor has no choice. Tch. Step only where I step and follow.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I’m just repaying a debt.”
With that, the old man turned and walked into the mist. Sogyo followed, stepping onto the mist where the old man had stepped.
Watching everything from Sogyo’s back, Unyeong wondered if she was still dreaming.
But this too was real.
Her world had been so small, confined to Seolga Manor. She had never even thought it was small—until now.
Looking at the old man’s back from Sogyo’s shoulders, Unyeong realized there was a world she had never known.
And now, that world had become hers.
“…Young Lady?”
After returning to the age of ten, Unyeong often dreamed of the past.
Maybe it was the fever keeping her asleep so long, but the dreams always included people from her past. Today’s dream had been about the day she first met Elder Deung.
It hadn’t been a pleasant meeting, given the circumstances.
But the small world Elder Deung had created in the mountains became the doorway to a much bigger world for Unyeong. There, she’d been able to overcome the cursed constitution she thought she was born with and even learn martial arts.
She needed to find Elder Deung again. The old man was a cranky bastard, but still the most reliable person she knew.
“Young Lady?”
How could she coax that old man out of his deep cave in Mt. Hwangsan? Would he still recognize her in her current form?
He said he owed a life debt, didn’t he? Maybe she should’ve asked more about that.
Back when she lived in Elder Deung’s secret place, all her energy had gone into martial training.
At the time, she had avoided even mentioning the bloodbath. So she’d never asked anything.
But now, with things the way they were, she regretted not asking.
“Young Lady?”
“Huh? You called me?”
“You’ve just been sitting there holding your spoon. Please, eat.”
“Oh, have I?”
At her nanny’s concerned voice, Unyeong snapped out of her thoughts. She really had just been sitting there, lost in memories.
Embarrassed, she stirred her porridge and took a bite. The taste was okay, not great. But Unyeong felt disappointed.
‘I need meat… How am I supposed to get strong on just porridge?’
She needed strength to train, and training to build muscle—only then could she wield a sword.
‘Those idiot doctors don’t know anything. Just porridge, they say.’
Her fever had only just broken. It made sense that the physician had forbidden anything other than porridge.
‘Ugh, can’t even gag them to shut them up.’
She needed time to adjust to being ten again. She couldn’t act like she did when she was one of the Ten Great Martial Masters.
“Is it not to your taste? Should I bring something else?”
“No, no. It’s fine.”
How was she supposed to say she just wanted meat? Grumbling inwardly, Unyeong quietly kept eating.
The nanny spoke gently while watching her.
“Your complexion’s improved a lot in the past few days.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s such a relief.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You’ll be better in no time.”
“I will. So don’t worry.”
Really, Nanny. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine soon. I’ll be flying around before you know it.
And it wasn’t just an expression—Unyeong truly could fly.
“Why stop? You should eat a little more.”
When she set her spoon down, the nanny urged her.
This little body had such a tiny stomach that she felt full after just a little.
“No, I’m full. That’s enough.”
“Should I go fetch the Lord?”
“Huh? Father? Why?”
“You eat more when he’s around. You always ate more when he fed you. Sogyo, go get—”
“No, no! I’ll eat more. I’m eating!”
Panicked, Unyeong quickly stopped her nanny and picked up her spoon again, shoveling porridge into her mouth.
No way she could let Seol Jadan come and feed her again—how humiliating.
She stuffed the porridge in, even though she thought she couldn’t eat anymore. Strangely, it just kept going down.
“There you go. See? You can finish it all. Good job.”
When she emptied the bowl, the nanny smiled and swiftly left with the tray.
Watching her leave, Unyeong felt the back of her neck tense up a bit.
‘Wow… Seriously? Did I just get scammed by Nanny? And she ran away too, didn’t she? I can’t believe this. Me! One of the top Ten Masters in the world!’
Come to think of it, she had forgotten—Nanny had always been like this.
“Pfft.”
Who just laughed?
She turned toward the sound and saw Sogyo and Hyanga giggling with their hands over their mouths.
When their eyes met hers, they jumped in shock and straightened up.
Sogyo and Hyanga were Unyeong’s personal attendants. There were dozens of servants in Yeonhong Garden, where Unyeong stayed, but these two were always by her side.
Sogyo was in her mid-twenties and had served the Seol family for a long time. She came to Seolga Manor when Unyeong was young and, along with the nanny, helped raise her.
Hyanga was about fifteen, young but smart and cheerful. The nanny doted on her.
‘Why is everything so different from what I remember…?’
The Sogyo in her memories had lost all expression.
Back during her time with Elder Deung, Sogyo had been like that…
But the Sogyo laughing with Hyanga now just looked like a normal woman her age.
‘She looks happy…’
This must’ve been what a normal Seolga Manor was like. Somehow, it made the food in her mouth taste bitter.
No—this is what she had to protect.
Just like this. Even if those bastards from Cheongung came again, she would stop them.
Yes. That’s what she would do.
