Chapter 12
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Chapter 12: The Roof
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Jeong-ah opened her eyes at the exact time she always did.
Though she could only guess it was due to the influence of her "eyes," her ability to sense the time was exceptionally keen.
Her sleeping quarters were comfortable.
There were no night-shift workers bustling about like in the Reception Hall’s maid quarters, nor was there a security captain patrolling at all hours.
Furthermore, the room was incredibly spacious, and the facilities were excellent.
Just by looking at the quarters, she could feel how much Yeon So-hyeon cared for those beneath him.
She had woken up once due to a nightmare, but it was nothing of note.
It felt as though she had experienced that horrific sensation she felt before fainting in the forest yesterday.
However, she assumed she must not have been completely freed from the influence of the formation known as the Barrier.
Even while lost in such thoughts, she kept her body moving without rest.
Considering the Young Master’s appetite yesterday, it was better to hurry, even if only a little.
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In less than a full day, there were a few things she had grasped about this person called the Young Master and this place, the Won-gak Pavilion.
First, the Young Master enjoyed eccentric behavior that broke all formalities.
"Come now, let’s enjoy preparing breakfast again today."
"Y-Young Master...?"
Sure enough, the Young Master burst into the kitchen again today with freshly harvested vegetables tucked under his arm.
He then busied himself, insisting on helping with the morning preparations.
Of course, he was surprisingly accustomed to kitchen work, so he was a help rather than a hindrance.
However, there was a vast difference in status between them.
It was impossible not to feel one’s nerves fraying when someone of his standing was hovering about.
"...Are you telling me to share the table with you again today?"
The Young Master looked at her as if wondering what she was talking about.
"Not just 'today,' but always. From now on, it will always be this way."
"..."
"Come, come. Don't just stand there blankly; taste this braised dish. It’s my own handiwork, and it turned out incredibly well."
Second, the two-story main building where the Young Master’s bedchamber was located was dangerous.
"Young Master, it is Jeong-ah. I have brought tea and refreshments."
Before entering the main building, she announced herself in a loud voice.
Soon, Yeon So-hyeon’s voice could be heard responding from within.
"Oh. Just leave them at the entrance. I’ll get them in a little while."
"How could I dare to do such a thing?"
Jeong-ah shook her head, opened the door to the main building, and stepped inside cautiously.
"..."
And as soon as she entered the main building, she turned right back around.
"...I will leave them at the entrance."
"Fine."
What she had discovered the moment she stepped inside were bamboo scrolls left abandoned on the floor.
She had glanced at the titles, and they were undoubtedly manuals of martial arts.
Bamboo scrolls containing martial arts manuals.
They were clearly ancient, and if so, they must have possessed unimaginable value.
That wasn't all.
Beyond that, famous martial arts secret manuals that she had heard of at least once while working for the Sword Clan were scattered carelessly across the floor.
If she were to peek at even a little of the content, it was certain she would disappear without a trace that very day.
If she were lucky, she might only end up with her eyes gouged out and her tongue cut off.
'Surely, these dangerous books weren't scattered about like this yesterday...'
It seemed the Young Master’s interest for today was martial arts.
'It might be better not to go inside for a while.'
And third.
That third point was the most important issue for her.
The Young Master had absolutely no interest in her.
Not even a little, not even slightly, did he show any interest.
Not in her personal history, not in her thoughts or opinions, and he didn't even show the most basic of sexual curiosity.
Even if the first two were understandable, the lack of curiosity was highly unexpected.
The Luoyang Sword Clan entrusted all secret entertainment to thoroughly vetted and verified third parties.
Because of this, the women of the Reception Hall, who were composed of people of extreme beauty, received an excessive amount of attention.
And among them, Jeong-ah possessed beauty so great she was called a "flower" (Ice Flower).
As far as she could remember, she had spent her entire life surrounded by the gazes of men, and she was accustomed to ignoring them.
Yet, this Young Master rarely even cast a glance in her direction.
It wasn't that she couldn't feel his gaze from a blind spot because he was a bizarre figure who couldn't be properly grasped by her "eyes."
No matter how she looked at it, he was clearly uninterested in her.
If she hadn't seen erotic paintings or lewd books scattered here and there while wandering the Won-gak Pavilion (that sight had been shocking enough), she would have doubted his sexual orientation.
"This book is fun."
Even now, while eating lunch, he was giggling while reading an erotic book.
"...Yes, Young Master."
Jeong-ah tried to ignore the sight and focused on her meal.
'...This is truly confusing.'
She swallowed a sigh internally.
On one hand, she was relieved that the Young Master had no interest in her body, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing.
It wasn't because of some maiden’s bashfulness—the kind that pushes someone away while secretly leaving room for them.
It was a matter of her own survival.
The reason she had tried to escape the hands of the Second Young Master or the Third Young Master in the first place was not to protect some trivial, chaste purity of a servant girl.
They were people accustomed to holding a woman in their hands out of mere interest and then discarding her once she broke.
She couldn't tell if it was because of their twisted sexual tastes or because they were so intoxicated by their own status that they viewed all women they touched as less than objects.
But what was clear was that every woman they had taken an interest in and held in their hands had disappeared.
Others believed they had simply been transferred to better assignments.
However, having heard the inside story from the Head Steward, she knew very well that this was not the truth at all.
She had steeled her resolve from the moment she first came to the Won-gak Pavilion.
If the Young Master was as great a person as expected, being taken in by him to ensure her safety was an excellent option.
But it seemed that option hadn't existed in the first place.
And if he had no interest in her personally...
Was she truly under the right roof?
The answer to that question came all too quickly.
"Excuse me, Young Master."
Before the lunch at the elegant pavilion of Won-gak Pavilion had even finished, a man dressed in the uniform of a guard appeared stealthily. He was the one who had seemed to be the squad leader among the "Masters" guarding the entrance of Won-gak Pavilion that Jeong-ah had seen yesterday.
"The Young Master is currently eating. What is the matter?" Jeong-ah asked, rising from her seat.
"Ah, well, a guest has arrived."
He was clearly showing his annoyance. She knew he was currently hiding his true identity, but even considering that, he was being rude. Even though Jeong-ah had told him the Young Master was eating, he did not seem to care at all.
Things she wanted to point out rose to the tip of her throat, but Jeong-ah was still nothing more than a newcomer here. She suppressed the urge and asked, "...Who has come to visit?"
The guard squad leader sighed visibly and replied, "What was it? I believe they said they were the Three-Absolute Warriors of the main family."
'The Three-Absolute Warriors...!'
Jeong-ah felt stunned by the answer. While there were many large and small armed groups within the Luoyang Sword Clan, there was only one group that distinguished its ranks by the unit of "Absolute."
'The armed group directly under the Third Young Master!'
Jeong-ah swallowed hard and opened her mouth. "What business do the Three-Absolute Warriors have with the Young Master?"
"No, not the Young Master..." The guard squad leader sighed and continued, "Well, they said to bring the maid who came yesterday, or something like that..."
It seemed what she feared had come. Jeong-ah bit her lip. She briefly glanced at Yeon So-hyeon. He was still looking at his erotic book while taking bites of his meal.
Jeong-ah organized the situation in her head. For now, the best way was to avoid meeting them, no matter what their business was. Fortunately, since this was Won-gak Pavilion, where not just anyone could enter, there was plenty of room to exploit that fact.
"...I am that maid. How can the Three-Absolute Warriors dare to summon the Young Master's maid so carelessly?"
It was a valid point. If one were to be precise, the Three-Absolute Warriors were certainly more important than a mere maid, but if that maid was the Young Master's maid, it was not so simple.
At her words, the guard squad leader let out a long, heavy sigh. "No, I said the same thing. They said they came under the orders of the Third Young Master, and I couldn't just turn them away on my own judgment..."
Jeong-ah gritted her teeth at the mention of the "Third Young Master's orders."
"Even so, I am the Young Master's maid. Just because they came under the Third Young Master's orders, does that not mean they cannot demand I take orders directly from them?"
"No, even so..."
Just then, Yeon So-hyeon set his chopsticks down with a sharp *clack*.
"Go."
It was a statement that sealed the fact that she had not been taken under the Young Master's roof.
"...Young Master?"
Yeon So-hyeon continued, his gaze still fixed on the erotic book. "It's noisy, so just go and hear what they want."
Jeong-ah’s legs almost gave out, but she held her ground.
'Right. No matter how arrogant the Third Young Master is, he cannot ignore all protocol and drag me away immediately.'
And even if he followed the protocol, the Head Steward, who was on her side, would surely drag things out long enough.
"...Young Master, then I will be going."
As she barely hid her trembling legs and stepped down from the pavilion, Yeon So-hyeon's voice came from behind.
"Wait."
Jeong-ah turned around, harboring a shred of hope. "Yes, Young Master."
However, the Young Master's gaze was not directed at her.
"You, I mean you." He pointed his chopsticks at the guard squad leader.
"Yes? Me?" Yeon So-hyeon asked in an indifferent tone. "Who told you that you could enter this place as you pleased?"
The man was flustered for a moment and replied, "Ah, that is... I know that one is not supposed to enter without permission, but..."
The gaze with which Yeon So-hyeon looked down at him from the pavilion was chillingly indifferent. "You entered knowing you weren't supposed to without permission?"
"A-ah. It is not that, but originally there was always a liaison servant near the main gate, but after what happened yesterday..."
Yeon So-hyeon's eyes did not even flicker. "So if there’s no one there, you can just come in as you please?"
"N-no, that is not it!"
It was the same pressure from Yeon So-hyeon that Jeong-ah had felt yesterday. He pressed on with a few more words. It was a style of speech that gradually cornered a person, and a momentum that did not allow for any dissent.
Before long, the guard squad leader was kneeling on the ground.
"I am sorry, Young Master! I will make sure this does not happen again!"
The Three-Absolute Warriors were certainly impressive. But they were far inferior to this master of unknown affiliation. Yeon So-hyeon had made such a master scramble and apologize with such ease.
Seeing Yeon So-hyeon like that, Jeong-ah tightened her clenched fists slightly.
"Is that so? Then I will forgive you this once. Instead, from now on, you are the liaison for the main gate. You are to wait at the main gate indefinitely starting now."
The guard squad leader, who had his head pressed to the ground, was startled.
"Yes?!"
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