The moment I got up, I sat down at the table.

By the time I sat, the food was already laid out, and people were already seated.

It wasn’t as many as at last night’s banquet. It was just Cheon Eujin and Do Hyeong, who looked like they’d just finished their morning training. And...

“Sit down.”

“...”

Murong Yeongsun was sitting there.

The empty seat beside her was obviously meant for me, but I deliberately ignored it and went to sit next to Cheon Eujin.

“Shift over a bit, please.”

“Huh? Oh, sure...”

He gave me a look like, why are you coming over here, but he didn’t say it out loud.

Good man.

‘So he’s nicer than I thought.’

With that sharp face of his, I’d expected him to be colder. Turns out he was unexpectedly mild.

Anyway—

“Hmph.”

Murong Yeongsun snorted at what I did.

That annoyed me, but more than that—

“...Young Lady, what are you doing here?”

What was she doing here? That bothered me more.

This was the residence the Tang Clan had assigned to me; it was supposed to be used only by us of Blue Moon Sect.

So why was she here at the crack of dawn?

When I asked my question loaded with that suspicion, Murong Yeongsun frowned and answered.

“I bothered to come wake you up this morning, and you’re being awfully cold.”

“I never asked you to wake me. And I got up on my own.”

“Sure, sure. Of course you did.”

“I asked why you came looking for me.”

“Why else would I come?”

CLACK.

Murong Yeongsun smoothed down her long hair. For that instant, a floral scent drifted over.

“Because I wanted to see you.”

“...Wow.”

“...Ahem.”

At those words, both Cheon Eujin and Do Hyeong reacted.

Cheon Eujin looked at me like I was some kind of curiosity, and like something amazing had happened.

Do Hyeong, on the other hand, was trying very hard to keep a straight face, like he had no idea how he was supposed to respond.

“...She says nonsense like that sometimes. Don’t mind it.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d said crazy shit.

I let out a big sigh and grabbed my chopsticks.

Paying attention to her would just give me a headache. I needed to eat first; I was starving.

As I stuffed a bite of food into my mouth, Murong Yeongsun picked up her own chopsticks too.

Then she kept putting stuff onto my side dishes.

What pissed me off was that every single thing she put there was something I didn’t really like to eat.

“...What’s this?”

I gave her a look like I was asking if she was picking a fight, and she smirked.

“Seems like that picky eating of yours hasn’t gone away even after all these years. I did tell you to eat it, over and over.”

“My father gave up on that. Could you also just not bother?”

“Oh, your father didn’t ‘give up.’ He just never cared.”

“...”

She wasn’t wrong, so I didn’t have a comeback.

The old man didn’t even know what I liked or disliked.

“Oh, that one’s spicy, so don’t eat it. The one next to it is fine.”

“...”

I was about to ignore her and just start eating, but even that movement stopped.

My appetite dropped.

My appetite was gone, but my stomach was still empty. So I had no choice but to force myself to eat anyway.

While I was stuffing my stomach like that—

“Bang Sungyeon.”

Do Hyeong started talking to me.

I turned toward the voice, and he spoke while still staring only at the food.

“Something happen?”

“...What do you mean?”

“Your expression isn’t good.”

When the hell did he look at my face? He’d been staring only at the food.

And he still wasn’t looking this way.

No, more precisely—

‘He’s not looking at Murong Yeongsun, is he?’

He wasn’t sending a single glance over there. He was really just staring at the food.

Don’t tell me—

“...Senior, are you shy around peo—”

“Answer.”

“Ah, yes.”

Yeah, he was probably shy around people. Or maybe just uncomfortable around women.

‘He’s more of a pure brick than I thought.’

With that manly face, that was unexpected.

“As for my expression... hm.”

So my expression looked bad. If that was true, there was only one reason.

“I just had a bit of a rough dream. I got a little pinned down by a nightmare.”

“A nightmare?”

“Yeah. A pretty shitty dream.”

As I said it, I rubbed my arm.

I had goosebumps without even realizing it.

Just remembering it made my knees feel weak.

That icy gaze.

Those starving eyes.

And that distant killing intent pouring off an expressionless face.

‘What the hell was that?’

What had that been?

Could you even call that a person?

If it was a person—

‘How old would he have been?’

Just how old was that version of Yoo Cheongil?

I’d already experienced that space once.

It had been like that last time, and if it was the same this time, I could guess that the thing was a version of Yoo Cheongil from the past.

‘But he was way too different.’

The atmosphere alone was nothing like the current Yoo Cheongil.

That gaunt body, and the feeling pouring off him—that was all different.

When was that, and what had he gone through to end up in that state?

And also—

‘...And he expects me to face that?’

Why had he dumped that kind of monster on me?

‘I don’t see any possibility at all.’

Normally, I’d at least try something, but this guy was at a level where I couldn’t even imagine trying.

It was like trying to take on a lion in an ant’s body.

That was exactly what it felt like.

‘The only mercy is...’

This time he’d said I didn’t have to win; I just had to block a single strike.

But—

‘Which, knowing him, means even blocking one strike is going to be insanely hard.’

Knowing that old man’s personality, there was no way he’d give me something easy.

It had been that way the first time I went into the spirit-dream.

‘How many times was it?’

I died countless times, and challenged countless times.

I only managed to overcome it after experiencing decapitation like I was commuting in and out of hell.

‘...And now I might have to do that again.’

My expression twisted on its own.

Seeing that, Do Hyeong asked me again.

“Bang Sungyeon. Are you really all right?”

“...Ah, yeah. I’m fine.”

“Sounds like you get pinned down by nightmares often.”

“...Sometimes, yeah.”

Not sometimes—practically all the time.

Given I was living every day with a vicious evil ghost, it was even more so.

“Is that so.”

Hearing that, Do Hyeong finally looked at me.

“Then when we go back to headquarters, you should pay a visit to Misa Fairy.”

“...Huh?”

Who?

Misa Fairy?

The out-of-nowhere name made me look at him and ask again.

“Who’s that?”

I asked Do Hyeong, but the answer came from Cheon Eujin.

“Oh, I know. She’s that shaman in Henan who’s been famous lately, right?”

“...A shaman?”

That was an irritating word I hadn’t heard in quite a while.

“They say she’s very accurate.”

“Senior, you believe in things like that?”

“Sometimes.”

At what Cheon Eujin said, Do Hyeong nodded.

Watching that, I asked:

“So you believe in ghosts and stuff, Senior?”

“I think they might exist.”

“Come on.”

I grinned as soon as I heard that.

“There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world.”

“You don’t believe in them?”

“No. I don’t.”

Half a lie.

‘I don’t believe in them.’

Not that I didn’t believe they existed.

I just didn’t believe in them.

Ghosts weren’t something you could rely on.

“Still, if you’re really having a hard time, go see her. It wasn’t bad.”

“You’ve already gone to see this shaman, Senior?”

“Yes.”

“Oh...”

His answer actually piqued my interest a little, so I asked something else.

“What did she say when she saw you?”

“She said I don’t have any spiritual sensitivity, so ghosts don’t cling to me. That’s why I don’t get pinned down in my sleep.”

“Ahh. That so?”

As soon as I heard that, I turned away.

My interest plummeted.

‘Quack.’

No spiritual sensitivity, my ass.

Then what was that guardian spirit still floating around him?

He didn’t get pinned down? Of course not. With that guardian spirit attached to him, you think any other ghost would get close?

‘Tch.’

Disgust rose up.

In my past life too, I’d hated fake shamans most.

I was suffering, forced to see things I didn’t want to even if I tried not to, nearly driven to death by it.

Meanwhile, things that couldn’t even see those ghosts were using them to make money.

‘There are the occasional real ones.’

But they were a tiny minority.

From what Do Hyeong had said just now, I decided this so-called Misa Fairy was one of the fakes.

“I’ll go if I get the chance.”

Even so, since he’d gone out of his way to recommend her, I added that much.

Right °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° then—

“Ghosts, huh...”

Murong Yeongsun, who’d been quietly listening, muttered.

“Hm.”

As she talked about ghosts, she glanced sideways at me.

I ignored that look.

I went back to eating wholeheartedly. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

No one said anything.

We just kept eating, and I barely managed to fill my empty stomach when—

“Hey.”

Murong Yeongsun started talking to me.

“Yes.”

“Let’s talk later, okay?”

“...”

I stopped moving my chopsticks at her words.

“It’s about time we did, isn’t it? If you don’t want to, then...”

CLINK.

Her hand reached toward me.

Her white fingertips brushed the corner of my eye and plucked something away.

Looked like it was a strand of hair stuck there.

“If I have to grab you and force you to sit and talk, that’d be annoying for both of us, wouldn’t it?”

“...”

The way she blew lightly on the hair in her hand was strangely seductive.

If you only looked at her face, she really did look like some heavenly fairy.

But the nasty thing lurking inside that face made it hard to appreciate.

“...Well... yeah...”

“Answer properly.”

“...We’ll talk later.”

“Good.”

Murong Yeongsun smiled sweetly.

“When should we? Right after we eat?”

“No. That’s a bit much.”

I shot her down flat. At that, she narrowed her eyes.

“Why?”

“I’ve got some things scheduled.”

“...Scheduled?”

“Yeah. Important things.”

“What kind of things?”

“...?”

I tilted my head a little.

“Do I have to tell you that, Young Lady?”

“...”

My voice came out a little colder than I meant it to. It felt like she was about to cross a line, so it slipped.

Hearing that, she turned her head slightly.

“...No. You don’t.”

“...”

There it was again. That stung expression.

Her eyes looked like she was hurt. They were pretty.

Scratching my cheek as I looked at that, I spoke.

“I have business with Young Lady Tang.”

“...!”

At that, her eyes changed.

The sorrowful tilt vanished from her gaze; her eyes shot up sharp.

“...What did you... why?”

“There are reasons. Anyway, I’ve said what I needed to, so I’ll see you after I’m done.”

I stood up. I’d delivered my message, and I’d finished eating. I needed to go do what I had to do.

“Senior. Is it all right if I leave first?”

When I asked for permission, Do Hyeong nodded.

With that, I walked out of the quarters.

I could feel a scorching gaze on my back.

I thought about turning around, but in the end I didn’t.

My instincts were screaming that if I looked back now, I was screwed.

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat and headed outside.

****

After Bang Sungyeon left, the meal grew quiet.

Cheon Eujin and Do Hyeong drank their tea without saying a word.

They normally didn’t talk much even on an average day, but this time they couldn’t manage even the small bits of conversation they usually did.

They couldn’t bring themselves to say anything.

That was the kind of mood it was.

At that moment—

CRRRUNCH-!

A harsh sound came from in front of them.

It came from Murong Yeongsun’s side.

The instant he turned to see what it was, Cheon Eujin’s eyes widened.

“Y-Young Lady...! Your hand...!”

The chopsticks in her hand had snapped.

Worried she might have splinters stuck in her fingers, he rushed out the words, but—

“Seriously. He’s really pissing me off.”

“...”

The chill in her voice froze Cheon Eujin in place.

Her tone hadn’t exactly been gentle even a moment ago, but now it felt like he’d been dropped into the dead of winter.

“Young Lady...?”

“I keep letting it go... but our little raccoon keeps trying to cross the line. Haa.”

SCREEEEK.

As she spoke, Murong Yeongsun rose to her feet.

The two men flinched.

They couldn’t help it. The expression on her face was terrifying.

Then, in an instant, she wiped that expression away, put on a smile, and spoke to them.

“Thank you for the lovely meal, gentlemen. Let’s meet again sometime, okay? I have something urgent to take care of, so I’ll be going.”

“Ah, yes...”

“...”

“...He’s dead...”

Striding quickly, Murong Yeongsun left the room.

Once she was gone, both Do Hyeong and Cheon Eujin rubbed their arms.

The room suddenly felt like it had dropped several degrees.

****

While Murong Yeongsun was turning things into winter—

“...Sorry?”

I was over at Tang Yeran’s quarters, talking with her.

Hearing what I said, Tang Yeran’s eyes went wide as lanterns.

“What did you just say...?”

“Exactly what you heard.”

I smiled at her.

“Do you remember the favor I asked last time?”

“A favor...?”

“The favor where I asked you to make a sword for me.”

“...”

She didn’t answer, but I knew she remembered.

It hadn’t been that long, and I could still clearly recall how happy she’d seemed.

Thinking of that, I spoke to her.

Or, more precisely—

“Could you... grant that favor now?”

I said it while looking past her.

At Poison Sovereign, standing behind her with a strangely heavy expression on his face.