chapter 20
Mu-wol didn’t seem interested in creating a home filled with love for anyone to see. From the start, the reason he wanted to marry me was simply because being together made him feel at ease.
Even after marriage, Mu-wol would probably keep a comfortable distance, living alongside me without unnecessary closeness. I was really grateful that he was such a straightforward person.
“Ah, but how do I find out Mu-wol’s hometown?”
It was essential information for arranging the wedding, but I was nervous that asking might bring up bad memories for him. I was quietly observing Mu-wol when he suddenly met my gaze.
“So-jin.”
Reflexively, I nodded. He asked:
“What would you think if we held the wedding here?”
I blinked, questioning my own hearing.
“Here?”
“…Usually weddings are held in the groom’s hometown, but, embarrassingly, I don’t have a place I can call home or people I can call family.”
I blinked slowly. Mu-wol bowed his head deeply.
“I should have told you sooner; I apologize for only speaking now.”
“No, thank you for telling me, even if it’s now.”
I carefully asked:
“But since we’re about to become a couple, may I hear the full story?”
“There isn’t much to say. It’s just that I never had the chance.”
He spoke briefly, as if telling someone else’s story.
“My master said I was found in the arms of some wanderers who came to the village one day. They stayed on the roadside for a few days, eating and sleeping, then abandoned me—still a baby—by the well and ran away. So I could never ask where I was born.”
“Then can’t that place be considered your hometown?”
“By the next day, my master had taken me away from there, so I can’t really call it home.”
“And after that?”
Mu-wol smiled bitterly.
“My master was a restless soul.”
“Oh…”
“He was an incredible person. Raising a baby while wandering the martial world couldn’t have been easy, yet he managed to do it.”
I wasn’t exactly an expert on child-rearing, but I knew that a child needed a stable environment.
Yet not only was his residence unstable, there wasn’t a single reliable adult nearby. It was a truly terrible situation. I hid my reaction and said:
“Restless souls usually aren’t mild, huh?”
“Extremely restless. He explored the world with joy until his final moments, even when he became physically weaker.”
“…”
“Because of his free spirit, there were many moments I didn’t understand and many times I felt disappointed… but he is extremely precious to me. Thanks to him, I am who I am today.”
Mu-wol’s master had been a wandering swordsman, not well-known to the world. Skilled, yes, but not at the level of the Nine-Old Faction members, and he had no interest in fame.
Yet as Mu-wol’s reputation grew, people naturally reevaluated his master: a true teacher who raised a dragon from a small puddle. I had to ask.
“Did you travel across the Central Plains helping people to honor him?”
“Partly yes, partly no. I visited places where we had memories, but I also had the purpose of training.”
“I see…”
I muttered to myself, then froze. A crucial question popped into my mind.
“Before coming to Anhui, did you travel while training?”
“Yes, more specifically, I trained in the Henan region.”
So that’s it…! My mind sharpened.
“Then you’ll leave again after the wedding?”
“Huh?”
“It’s fine. I understand.”
If your spouse is a martial artist, this is expected.
“I’m not the kind of person who restricts you. Even if you choose to close yourself off for training after the wedding, I’ll accept it willingly.”
I thought Mu-wol would be relieved to hear that. Any martial artist wouldn’t want their training disturbed. Yet he showed no joy, only discomfort.
“…Do I seem so unreliable to you?”
Caught off guard, I was a little stunned.
“So… you won’t leave?”
Mu-wol nodded.
“But this is an important time.”
“Training can happen beside you just as well.”
His words were comforting, yet slightly heavy. I spoke firmly.
“I don’t want to hold you back.”
Mu-wol also spoke firmly.
“I don’t want to be irresponsible.”
The moment I heard that, I realized something. Mu-wol was aligned with a martial sect. For him, maintaining principles was just as important as becoming stronger.
“Even if you want to train alone, I won’t leave your side until things settle down.”
He doesn’t even say he wants to be with me willingly.
It was simply a promise to maintain the minimum respect for a wife and a moderate relationship.
That’s fine by me.
If Mu-wol loves me, I’ll try to love him back. Right now, just the thought of repaying my family’s love was overwhelming.
I touched my forehead and said:
“Mu-wol, I’ll do everything I can so that you can live a peaceful life.”
“I’ll do my best for you, too.”
“Shall we head home now?”
I stood and offered my hand to Mu-wol. He immediately took it.
Hand in hand, we walked through the crowded streets back home. It was a small joy to see my mother waiting in the garden, smiling at us.
The news that we strolled hand-in-hand in the daylight quickly spread through Anhui.
“Apparently, the Sword Dragon is marrying the girl the Namgung family rejected?”
“Maybe because she’s not from a noble family, he’s lowering his standards compared to Prince Namgung Yuwun.”
“You can’t say that. That girl was respected even by the head of the Namgung family.”
“Why are the Namgung family and the Sword Dragon always tangled up? Do they have some kind of bad history?”
People who heard the rumors split into two groups: those amused and those puzzled.
I’m curious too.
What connection did the Namgung family have with Mu-wol? Considering he even knew who the head of the Namgung family was weak to, it couldn’t be an ordinary relationship.
Perhaps Mu-wol’s master was close with the head of the Namgung family while alive.
Another question to ask. And I also needed to figure out where we wanted to live after marriage. I tied my hair tightly with a ribbon and went into the kitchen.
Since the wedding was suddenly decided, there’s so much to discuss.
Usually elders from both families would decide, but we chose to decide ourselves. It was our matter, and I didn’t want Mu-wol to feel alone dealing with these issues.
―If we decide ourselves, will people criticize your family as being insignificant?
―We can just keep it quiet, can’t we?
My parents agreed, saying it was fine as long as no one found out.
―Anyway, from now on, you two will have to make decisions together. Consider this practice.
I was lucky my parents were so open-minded. Yet I worried a little—after all, in my previous life, I’d seen many couples break up during wedding preparations.
But turning a crisis into an opportunity is the mark of a true first-class person.
I resolved to prepare the wedding perfectly, so my parents could feel assured. Firmly, I gripped the knife.
Shall we start discussing things step by step today?
Chop, chop—the vegetables and meat were cut into bite-sized pieces. I reached for the pot, already heated, poured oil, and began stir-frying diligently.
“Miss, are you done yet?”
About half an hour later, Ye-han peeked into the kitchen. I had wrapped the lunchbox securely and nodded.
“Yes, it’s done.”
“Are you leaving immediately?”
“Yes, I’ve already changed clothes.”
If we didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t get to see Mu-wol’s martial demonstration. With the bundle in hand, I hurried out with Ye-han and the guards.
