Episode 78

One of the two people who appeared before me was a face I knew well.

Purple hair, eyes that seemed fierce enough to be considered a delinquent, breasts so large they drew attention even when bound by clothing, and a black cloth covering the lower half of the face.

Anyone who played the original game would recognize her appearance at a glance.

‘Why is Tang Hwarin from the Sichuan Tang Family here?’

Tang Hwarin.

The poison master of the Sichuan Tang Family. A villainous character appearing early in the original story. The identity of the person who appeared before me.

‘She should be in Sichuan Province or Shaanxi Province, not in Hubei Province.’

Considering the original story, she should be in Sichuan Province, where the Sichuan Tang Family was, or Shaanxi Province, where the Mount Hua Sect was.

Why was she here?

“Who allowed you to enter this garden on your own?”

Seong Sehwi, who was guiding us, immediately hardened his expression and spoke in a scolding tone upon discovering Tang Hwarin.

“It’s my own will. Why?”

Tang Hwarin boldly retorted to Seong Sehwi.

Did they know each other?

“This place is not permitted for you.”

“Like you weren’t permitted the position of family head?”

“You wench!”

“Sir! I’ll take the lady away.”

The atmosphere became instantly hostile, and a middle-aged man intervened between the two.

The atmosphere is really tense.

I carefully observed Tang Hwarin. Despite the cloth covering the lower half of her face, it was clear at a glance that she was a great beauty.

In the original, she wore a mask to cover the lower half, but here it’s a cloth.

‘Still a trickster, though.’

With the enhanced vision from the Soyoon Sim Sang Gyeol, I could see that the skin tone under the cloth was different.

In the original, the story progresses to the point where her skin was mangled, requiring her to wear a mask, but it seems it’s not to that extent yet.

“Hey. What are you looking at?”

Did she notice my gaze? Tang Hwarin looked at me, her tone annoyed.

“Ah! I was momentarily captivated by the rare beauty before me. My apologies if I caused any offense.”

“Bullshit.”

Tang Hwarin cursed, fully aware of where my gaze had been.

“Seong Hwarin! How dare you be rude to my guest?”

“Guest? Now you’re bringing barbarians with black hair as guests? You’ve really gone too far.”

“You wench!”

“Sir! I’ll take the lady away now! It’s almost time for her medicine! Let’s go!”

“Ah! Suddenly I’m not sick! I’m not going! Ah! Don’t drag me!”

The middle-aged man forcibly dragged Tang Hwarin away, removing her from our sight.

“I apologize for my sister’s rudeness.”

Seong Sehwi apologized on behalf of Tang Hwarin after she had disappeared.

“She was your sister.”

“She’s a girl my stepmother brought in, from before she married the previous head of the Sung Family, Seongjoru. She doesn’t even know who her father is. Fearing she might bring shame to the family, she has been kept in semi-confinement.”

Seong Sehwi still seemed unable to fully suppress his anger towards the absent Tang Hwarin.

So, Tang Hwarin was the child born to Seong Sehwi’s stepmother before she married the previous head of the Sung Family, Seongjoru.

‘I know who her father is.’

In this world, there was only one family that came to mind with purple hair.

“I will escort you to your lodging.”

Seong Sehwi seemed to have calmed his anger and was ready to continue guiding us.

I briefly looked in the direction where Tang Hwarin, no, Seong Hwarin had disappeared, then turned away.

“It’s better not to get involved.”

I’d rather not get entangled with a villain character again. If it were a heroine, maybe, but not this.

Once was enough for getting drunk and nearly killed for acknowledging a villain.

I followed Seong Sehwi, along with Sohee.

The lodging we were led to was a separate building set in its own courtyard.

A building with a small garden in front and a living room.

The garden appeared to be shared among several buildings, not exclusively belonging to this one, yet it was meticulously and beautifully maintained.

The interior of the building exuded the luxury and spaciousness of a VIP hotel room.

“I have arranged for meals to be delivered to your room at the appropriate times. I hope you can stay here for a while and attend the banquet that will be held in a few days. I will take my leave now.”

After greeting me, Seong Sehwi departed.

‘I better not mess up, or I’ll end up working in a place like an underground labor camp for life.’

The room was adorned with various ornaments and decorations, making me wonder if I was really allowed to stay in such a room.

I surveyed the room and then glanced at Sohee.

“Sohee, is something wrong?”

Sohee wasn’t observing the room but was looking at me, who was examining the surroundings.

With a look that seemed dissatisfied with something.

“Husband acting.”

“Husband acting?”

“A husband doesn’t act like that when his wife is around.”

Was there something off about my act? What was she referring to?

“Ah! Are you referring to when we met Seong Hwarin?”

“…… Yes.”

“I was focused because her face under the cloth seemed odd, but I didn’t expect her to notice. I said that to cover it up, but indeed, a husband with a wife shouldn’t act that way.”

“Was it because her face looked strange?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Certainly, if we are to convincingly act as a couple, we should be mindful of such things. I’ll be more cautious in the future.”

“Okay.”

Sohee nodded, and her expression brightened.

Indeed, complimenting another woman’s appearance in front of one’s wife was not appropriate. Sohee made a valid point. I’ll be more cautious in the future.

“But Sohee, trusting your brother was the right decision, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. You’ve worked hard, even though it must have been challenging.”

Sohee, now without a displeased expression, smiled softly and commended me.

“To be a trustworthy brother to Sohee, this is the least I can do.”

I placed my hands on my waist and straightened my upper body exaggeratedly, striking a pose like a hero from a superhero story.

“…… You’re still trustworthy now.”

“Then I’ll have to become even more trustworthy.”

So I won’t be left behind.

“…… Yes.”

A big problem has arisen.

“Sohee, what should we do about sleeping arrangements?”

After organizing our luggage and finishing our meal, I took a bath, and by then, it had already gotten dark outside.

I wanted to go to bed early to get rid of the fatigue from the journey, but a big problem arose.

‘I didn’t expect there to be only one bed.’

Didn’t they know that when two people were staying, twin beds were the norm, not a double bed?

“Let’s sleep together.”

“No, Sohee. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“You’re tired. Lie down.”

Sohee, as if not allowing any rebuttal, grabbed the back of my neck, forced me down onto the bed, and then lay down on the bed herself.

Whether it’s indifference or deep consideration.

“Sohee.”

I lay on the bed and looked at Sohee.

“Yes?”

Sohee, lying on the bed, slightly lifted her chin to meet my gaze. This revealed her deep cleavage, which was quite dizzying due to her light attire for sleeping.

Stay calm, Kang Yun-ho.

“Do we not need to use the Qiyasheng rope?”

It’s obvious, but I brought the Qiyasheng rope when we left Chilgok County.

“It’s okay now.”

“I see.”

We haven’t tied ourselves up with the Qiyasheng rope to sleep since the Cheongsapa incident. It probably didn’t matter much now.

“Yunho.”

Maybe because we’re lying in the same bed, but her voice calling me seemed gentler than usual.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For many things.”

Sohee expressed her gratitude with a slightly flushed face while lifting her chin. Somehow, the atmosphere feels like a couple’s bedtime conversation.

This whole situation was just too surreal.

Well, lying in the same bed with such a beauty was surreal in itself.

And wasn’t the bed wide enough? We’re too close to each other.

Leaning forward a bit more, it seemed like our eyebrows might touch. A little more, and our lips might…

Stay calm, Kang Yun-ho.

She’s the Heavenly Death Star. Touch her, and you’re chopped into eight pieces.

She’s still a teenager. I glanced at her cleavage for a moment.

…Her body doesn’t seem like that of a teenager’s, though.

Calm down, Kang Yun-ho. Especially the lower half.

She’s your sister. Who touches their sister? Sohee was like a high school sophomore in Korean age. Calm down.

Suddenly, the sweet scent of her freshly washed body brushed my nose. It wasn’t as if she applied any fragrant oil, but her natural body scent had a somehow nostalgic feeling.

‘It’s like the smell of rice cakes and skewers. Huh?’

“Sohee. You snacked while waiting at the inn, didn’t you?”

I spoke to Sohee in a subdued voice.

“How did you know?”

Sohee’s voice trembled unusually.

“I can smell your favorite food.”

A subtle scent unique to high school girls was detectable only from this close distance.

“…I ate a little.”

Sohee, embarrassed at being caught, avoided my gaze.

“I was desperately acting with Sohee in mind. And you were snacking. Haha. You rascal.”

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Haha. It’s just funny.”

Right. She’s just a kid of that age too.

A harsh fate has made her mature a bit faster than other girls.

I stroked Sohee’s cheek, which bore an expression of not understanding why it was funny, and covered us with a blanket.

“Let’s sleep.”

Seeing her as a kid made all the temptation fly away in an instant.

I imagined Sohee eating delicious-looking rice cakes and skewers at a new inn and went to sleep.

Late into the night.

The Heavenly Death Star carefully got up, making sure not to wake the soundly sleeping Yunho.

The client had requested the assassination of the Sung Family head a few days after the birthday feast.

Being able to stay within the inner court meant the assassination wouldn’t be difficult, but confirming the location of the Sung Family head was essential.

Sohee dressed for reconnaissance and left her lodging.

“Sigh. Sigh.”

After completing her reconnaissance, the Heavenly Death Star returned to the garden in front of their building, gasping for breath.

‘Why? Why is this happening?’

The Heavenly Death Star clutched her chest in shock, trying to calm her mind.

She hadn’t been caught by anyone during her reconnaissance. She had confirmed the room where the Sung Family head was staying.

The shock stemmed from a different issue.

‘The radius within which my murderous intent disappears has drastically decreased.’

The location where the Sung Family head was staying was on the opposite side of the inner court from their current lodging.

Although the Sung Family estate was vast and there was some distance, it originally fell within the radius where her murderous intent would dissipate.

She hadn’t thought about the murderous intent problem while scouting the surroundings. Then, the uninvited guest that had been hiding reemerged.

The Heavenly Death Star hurriedly left the spot and returned to her lodging.

‘Killing bandits didn’t reduce my murderous intent.’

Before Yunho could stop her, she had swiftly killed a bandit, partly hoping that this act of murder would satisfy the inner murderous intent.

Regrettably, the surge of murderous intent she felt just now was the same as what she had experienced in Chilgok County.

The Heavenly Death Star murmured quietly, head bowed.

‘Will I only be satisfied by losing my reason to murder?’

Cheon Sohee thought about the times when the Heavenly Death Star had lost her reason to the murderous intent and then regained it.

When she lost her reason to the murderous intent, indiscriminately committing murder and feeling satisfaction, she barely managed to grasp her sanity and suppress the murderous intent.

Was this cycle something she had to repeat?

‘There’s no guarantee I’ll come back to my senses.’

The more frequently she lost her reason, the harder it became to return to her former self.

She had sought out Cheon Gija, knowing that if she lost her reason to the murderous intent again, she might never return.

‘Was finding my noble person not enough?’

The one and only noble person meant for her in this world. She had found that noble person, but the radius within which her murderous intent disappeared was getting smaller.

Was it foolish to think that fate decreed by the heavens could be averted by just one noble person?

‘At this rate, I might end up killing Yunho.’

Perhaps this assassination attempt might dispel the murderous intent. But what if it didn’t?

If the radius within which the murderous intent disappears keeps reducing, eventually even a noble person might not be able to eliminate it.

If that day comes, she might end up killing the noble person closest to her first.

‘I don’t want that.’

Sohee covered her face with her palms.

Yunho is her noble person.

She wants to live by his side as his bodyguard.

Being by his side makes her murderous intent disappear.

Being by his side, she might one day recover her past memories.

By his side, she can live as Cheon Sohee, not the Heavenly Death Star.

She wants to be by his side.

But being by his side might lead to catastrophe.

Despair slowly crept over the Heavenly Death Star.

“Sohee? You were here.”

Yunho appeared, opening the door in front of her.

“Yunho?”

“Can’t sleep? I hope my sleeping habits didn’t wake you.”

Yunho’s gentle voice stirred her uneasy heart.

“It’s not that.”

Sohee barely squeezed out her voice, trying to appear calm.

“Sohee, have you been crying?”

He quickly approached, gently holding her face with his fingers, examining her complexion.

Yunho’s face, filled with genuine concern.

“Yunho…”

Yes. This man always stepped boldly into her heart.

“Sohee, if you’re worried about something, can’t you tell oppa?”

Sohee clenched her lips, trying to suppress the sorrow that wanted to burst forth.

She looked at the noble person who always thought of her.

She couldn’t always keep it a secret.

He could be trusted.

Now, Yunho too must know.

“Yunho, do you know about the Heavenly Death Star?”