Chapter 4
At Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s words—spoken as if to confirm a kill—Bi-seol’s mind instantly tangled into a knot. She had prepared for this for so long… and yet her identity had been exposed so easily?
It might not be terribly difficult to enter Hwan-yeong Academy, but this was a direct institution under the Demonic Cult. If it was discovered that she had entered under a false identity, being expelled would be the least of her problems.
Bi-seol hesitated.
‘Should I just… deal with him?’
But the thought lasted only a moment.
The movement of his hand—undoing her hair tie—had been so swift that even she hadn’t noticed. That was why she had failed to respond, and why her identity had been revealed like this.
He was no easy opponent.
Trying to silence someone like him secretly, in broad daylight, inside the academy itself? The very idea was laughable.
And when she met Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s cold gaze as he looked down at her, such reckless thoughts vanished like a crab disappearing at the blink of an eye.
Still, she couldn’t simply stand by and let her identity be exposed.
As she stood there, unable to decide what to do, Hyeok Ryeon-hwi turned away.
Startled, Bi-seol hurriedly stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
His eyes gleamed coldly at her action.
“What is it?”
“C-could you please… just let this slide? Just this once?”
“And why should I?”
His answer was icy.
Why should he? In the end, she had nothing to say. As he had pointed out, he had no reason to help her.
From the dumpling incident yesterday, she had already learned that this man—Hyeok Ryeon-hwi—was not the sort whose heart swayed at others’ circumstances.
And just as she expected, he was merciless.
“I suppose you have no reason.”
Deciding there was nothing more to discuss, he stepped past her.
Watching his back as he walked away, Bi-seol grew desperate.
In a burst of reckless panic, she shouted:
“I—I’ll serve you as my elder brother!”
It was an absurd cry. And yet, astonishingly, those words stopped Hyeok Ryeon-hwi in his tracks.
He turned his head to look at her again.
“What did you say?”
Sensing a faint shift in the man who had been nothing but indifferent until now, Bi-seol hurriedly continued.
“If you’re going to live at the academy, there’ll be all sorts of things you’ll need done. I’ll truly become your younger brother and serve you like an elder brother! I’ll run errands, and, um… if anything troublesome comes up, I’ll handle it for you. Just think of it as gaining a younger sibling…”
She rambled, barely aware of what she was saying.
But as Hyeok Ryeon-hwi looked at her, the faint image of someone else flickered in his eyes.
For a moment, the woman before him overlapped with another person.
A man’s bright, smiling face shimmered before him.
And along with it, words he had heard long ago echoed in his mind.
“May I serve you as my elder brother?”
Those words stirred his thoughts—and his heart ached in tandem.
A foolish idiot who would never exist again in this world.
Too gentle for his own status. So kind it made others worry. The one and only younger brother who had smiled brightly and welcomed him when the entire world had cast him aside.
He had never expected to hear those words again—here, at Hwan-yeong Academy.
For a brief moment, the phrase “I’ll serve you as my elder brother” shook his composure. But he quickly hardened his expression and spoke coldly to Bi-seol.
“I don’t recall ever having a younger sibling like you. I only have… one.”
“Don’t be so stiff. Since it’s come to this, can’t you just think of it as gaining a comfortable younger brother?”
“I’ll pass. I hate troublesome matters.”
“I won’t be troublesome! I’ll do my very best—like a tongue in your mouth!”
As Hyeok Ryeon-hwi tried to leave and Bi-seol desperately attempted to persuade him, a voice suddenly called out from the path they had walked.
“Hey! You two, what are you doing over there?”
It was none other than Bu Ui-min, the man who had guided them here.
He had been on his way back with additional instructions when he heard their voices and approached, suspecting something was happening.
Hearing his voice, Bi-seol panicked.
If he saw her now, he would immediately realize she was a woman. She was still pressed against the wall, not yet in his line of sight—but Hyeok Ryeon-hwi was not.
As Hyeok Ryeon-hwi turned toward the approaching Bu Ui-min, Bi-seol gently grabbed the end of his sleeve.
When he turned his head to shake her off, she looked up at him with teary eyes and murmured,
“Elder brother…”
Holding lightly to his sleeve, she gazed up at him like a pet looking at its master.
He looked down at her silently.
Bi-seol possessed a beauty that would make any man hesitate.
But what gave Hyeok Ryeon-hwi pause was not her appearance—it was memory.
Her pitiful expression resembled that boy from long ago.
His mind kept telling him:
This woman is not him.
There’s no need to get dragged into unnecessary trouble.
And yet… strangely, the past kept holding him back.
He bit his lip lightly.
Bu Ui-min’s footsteps drew closer. As they neared, Bi-seol seemed to give up. With a sorrowful expression, she lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
Just as Bu Ui-min turned the corner—
Swish.
Hyeok Ryeon-hwi stepped forward, blocking his path. His tall frame completely obscured Bi-seol from view.
Startled, Bi-seol opened her eyes wide.
She had thought he would expose her identity. Instead, he was shielding her.
His broad back stood firmly before her.
Bu Ui-min spoke irritably.
“Hey, are you deaf? I asked what you’re doing.”
“Taking a walk.”
“A walk? Do you take me for a fool?”
Bu Ui-min tried to peer over his shoulder, but Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s tall build made it difficult.
Sensing his intent, Hyeok Ryeon-hwi discreetly extended his hand behind him, still holding the hair tie. Bi-seol quickly took it and tied her hair back up.
“I clearly warned you,” Bu Ui-min said. “If you get into fights, you’ll receive demerits. Was my warning a joke to you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We’ll see about that.”
He motioned for him to move aside.
Hyeok Ryeon-hwi stepped aside as slowly as possible.
Behind him stood Bi-seol—her hair now tied, once more appearing as a young man.
“What seems to be the matter?” she asked with a smile.
Bu Ui-min looked her over from head to toe. No signs of fighting. No torn clothes. No wounds.
With no evidence, he could only frown.
“Fine. I’ll let it go this time. But be careful from now on. I’ll be watching you two.”
He pointed at them in turn, then spun around and left.
As he disappeared, Bi-seol let out a long sigh, dropping her smile.
“Whew… I thought I was done for.”
Though she had acted calm, cold sweat had run down her back.
Hyeok Ryeon-hwi glanced at her briefly, then began walking away as if uninterested.
She quickly caught up, smiling brightly.
“Thank you so much. I’ll repay this debt for as long as I’m at the academy.”
“…No need. I simply didn’t feel any reason to say anything.”
He had no obligation to protect her. But neither had he felt any need to report her.
Given how he felt about this academy, he had no desire to do anything that benefited them.
She had simply panicked on her own.
Though… even he couldn’t quite explain why he had stepped in front of Bu Ui-min.
Bi-seol laughed lightly.
“Come on, you protected me. Elder brother. When we first met yesterday, I thought you were a heartless bastard—uh… gentleman. But I was mistaken.”
She awkwardly corrected herself.
At the word bastard, Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s expressionless eyes twitched slightly.
Finally, he stopped walking.
“Dumpling ghost. How long do you plan to follow me?”
“Ah…”
Only then did she realize she had followed him far from the dormitory.
She stepped back awkwardly.
“If you’re truly grateful, then stop bothering me and go back.”
Though his voice was cold, she replied brightly,
“Yes, elder brother.”
She turned to leave, then suddenly stopped.
“Oh—I almost forgot. My name isn’t Dumpling Ghost. It’s Bi-seol.”
“…?”
“Ah! I already know your name, so you don’t have to tell me. But since I said I’d serve you as my elder brother, I thought you should at least know your younger sibling’s name. I’ll really be going now.”
After giving a respectful salute, she walked away.
Hyeok Ryeon-hwi watched her retreating figure for a brief moment.
Why didn’t I realize it sooner?
Even in male disguise, she had left a strong impression on him before.
And yet he hadn’t recognized her.
He had only realized she was a woman after catching her faint scent.
Which meant her disguise was flawless.
Why had she infiltrated Hwan-yeong Academy disguised as a man?
Living as a man in a woman’s body could not be easy.
What reason could justify such risk?
But his brief contemplation vanished with the shadow circling above.
Skreeee!
The cry of a hawk.
Heuk-pung.
He knew what it meant if Heuk-pung was here.
His feet moved.
Following the hawk’s cry, he quickly headed toward the outskirts of the academy.
When he reached a secluded area, he spoke into the empty air.
“Report.”
Two men appeared behind him—his subordinates, Hwan-ya and Dal-chi, whom he had parted with upon entering Seongdo.
Hwan-ya spoke first.
“We’ve located the group called Bipa-wol.”
“And their method of contact?”
“They operate through regional bases and accept commissions there.”
“The base in Sichuan?”
“Here in Seongdo.”
“As expected.”
Bipa-wol was an information brokerage group.
Naturally, their base would be in a place where information flowed most densely—the center of Sichuan.
He had expected it to take three days. It had been much faster.
“Quicker than I thought.”
“We roughed up a few of them. They talked easily enough.”
Hwan-ya glanced at Dal-chi’s pot-lid-sized fists.
Judging by their expressions, it wasn’t hard to imagine.
Dal-chi grinned.
“I did what master said. Didn’t kill them.”
“Good.”
“Ha ha!”
After praising him, Hyeok Ryeon-hwi listened as Hwan-ya asked,
“What should we do? Shall I move Bipa-wol?”
“No. I’ll handle it.”
“Understood. I’ll secure an inn for Dal-chi and remain hidden in the academy in case you need errands run.”
“No. Stay with Dal-chi at the inn.”
“You might need assistance inside.”
“There’s no need. I’ve already found someone.”
“Someone?”
“My errand boy.”
“Already?”
Hwan-ya looked stunned.
“You’ve only been here half a day…”
“She said she’d run errands and handle troublesome matters for me.”
“…Why?”
“Something came up.”
Hwan-ya didn’t press further.
“Is this person capable?”
“For errands? More than sufficient.”
But that answer startled Hwan-ya.
Hyeok Ryeon-hwi rarely spoke favorably of anyone.
“Why?” Hyeok Ryeon-hwi asked.
“Nothing. It just surprised me.”
“There’s something suspicious about her.”
“Suspicious? Could the Demonic Cult have planted someone?”
“They haven’t noticed us yet. And it doesn’t feel like that.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be safer to avoid her?”
“No.”
He looked up at Heuk-pung circling overhead.
Bi-seol’s image surfaced in his mind.
If she truly was an enemy—
At first glance, keeping such a person close would seem dangerous.
But Hyeok Ryeon-hwi thought the opposite.
It didn’t matter what purpose she had for coming here.
Still watching Heuk-pung, he said:
“If she’s an enemy… then all the more reason to keep her close.”
