“The questions asked by someone as high-ranking as Master always have predetermined answers.”
You weren’t just pleasant because of your voice; you had such an amiable personality.
Through the mirror, Ian, who had saved my life that day, asked me, “Why do you look like that?”
The reason I survived that day was thanks to Ian. She threw herself in front of the sword strike aimed at killing me by Hwamu-gi.
Although Hwamu-gi’s strike pierced through her Full Body Petrification Technique, in the process, it veered slightly off course, narrowly missing my heart.
Hwamu-gi didn’t confirm my death. He probably didn’t think her attack had missed. It was Ian’s sacrifice and his arrogance that saved me.
Thank you, Ian.
She was ready to risk her life for me, but at that time, I just saw her as a mere bodyguard. I took her presence for granted, just like how one lives without appreciating the air they breathe.
“You did well in today’s duel. You were truly remarkable.”
I turned to her, walking slowly towards her, not in the mirror, but in reality.
There was a difference between the Ian in my memory and the real Ian.
She’s even bigger than I imagined.
I gazed at her quietly, recalling her appearance from our childhood. The gentle eyes, the sturdy nose, and the doll-like beauty when she smiled. Everyone predicted that if she grew up like this, she would become the most beautiful woman in the world.
That beautiful girl one day appeared, having gained weight. I couldn’t fathom how much she must have cried and how swollen her eyes would have been from the excess weight.
Even back then, that young girl spoke to me with the same look in her eyes as today. “Master, I will protect you.”
What kind of feelings did she have back then? Her only fault was being born in the Demon Sect and growing up as a bodyguard. Yet, the price she had to pay was too high.
She gave up the appearance of being the most beautiful in the world. Did I ever nurture her heart? Perhaps after she gained weight, did I gradually stop treating her coldly? I don’t remember our memories together very well.
On the other hand, she kept her promise. She threw her big body to block the sword strike, and thanks to her, I survived.
Just saving Ian alone would make this regression worthwhile.
“Ian, I have a promise to make. I will definitely eliminate the side effects of the Full Body Petrification Technique.”
I suddenly spoke to her.
“We shouldn’t become close,” she said with a puzzled expression.
“Why?”
“Building loyalty to a bodyguard isn’t about accumulating points to die for me, you know? It’s a despicable act.”
“What are you saying? Protecting you is my duty.”
“Where’s the natural sacrifice in that? It’s always oneself first, then family, then the client. I wish someone rational would protect me.”
Ian didn’t hesitate for a moment. “That’s not possible. You’re my client first and foremost, now and always. And I have no family.”
This stubborn woman couldn’t possibly measure the depth of loyalty she has towards me.
“You seem unusually strange today.”
“Want to see something even stranger? Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
I said as I walked briskly.
“To flip the tables.”
I headed straight to the kitchen.
And I gathered all the kitchen staff, including the responsible sous chef, Im Sook-soo.
Among the assembled, the person I called upon had been a junior sous chef here for three years.
“Why did you do that?”
“What do you mean, My Lord?”
“Why did you spike my food with poison?”
Everyone was taken aback by those words.
“No, I didn’t do it!”
Returning has its perks; you don’t need to peer into people’s minds to know. I already know why this guy spiked the food with poison. He was deep in gambling debt. He squandered his parents’ money and even his friends’ money. He stooped so low as to poison the food of a Celestial Bloodline descendant. Gambling can be terrifying.
“Did you go gambling again with the three thousand nyang you received?”
The moment I said that, he flinched and collapsed on the spot.
“Please spare me. I was wrong. I was blinded by money and committed a grave sin.”
“Did Gu Pyeong-ho come personally to give you the money?”
“Yes.”
The moment he confessed, I swiftly cut his throat.
Slice!
It was my first murder since returning, but there was no particular thrill. Life before the return was one of mercilessly killing those I deemed evil. Giving him a painless death was the last mercy I could offer him.
In my previous life before the return, he died today. On the night of the martial arts competition, he was stabbed to death in a gambling den. It was probably an assassin sent by Gu Pyeong-ho to silence him.
Anyway, poisoning food was an unforgivable offense. Forgiving once would only lead to another attempt.
“Even the lowliest servant like Suksoo dares to poison the food!”
The Head Chef, who had been wearing a dismal expression at my words, kneeled down.
“I’m sorry, My Lord.”
“Why are you doing this? Why are you kneeling?”
“It’s all my responsibility, My Lord.”
“Why should Head Chef take responsibility for this? It’s the poisoner’s fault.”
“Everything that happens in the kitchen is my responsibility.”
I lifted him to his feet.
“Head Chef, if something unjust happens in the sect, is it my father’s responsibility?”
“What? No, absolutely not.”
“Then why do you claim it’s your responsibility? Enough of this nonsense, make some chicken noodle soup for dinner! I’ve been craving it for ages.”
How many decades has it been since I last had it?
“You had it just the other day.”
“Head Chef, I still have a knife in my hand. Blood will be dripping soon.”
“I’ll make it deliciously, My Lord.”
As we left the kitchen, Ian, who had been waiting outside, spoke urgently.
“Sorry. It’s my fault as the head of security.”
“Why can’t you all handle the responsibility? Have you caught some kind of responsibility bug?”
“I’ll make sure something like this never happens again.”
“Fine. Spread the word around the school about this. Say that Gu Pyeong-ho bribed a chef and I executed the one responsible.”
“They’ll deny it from the Blood Heavenly Blade Demon’s side.”
“Doesn’t matter. There are plenty of eyes and ears here.”
Since all the kitchen staff witnessed it, denying it would be futile.
“If you do something dirty, you should get a bad reputation. Spread it wide! Make the school dogs bark ‘Mountain Demon, Mountain Demon’!”
“Yes, understood.”
“Let’s go.”
Ian, who followed behind, cautiously remarked.
“…You seem different today, Master.”
As she was the one closest to me, she was the first to notice my change.
“You’re making jokes you haven’t made before. Your actions and words seem different too.”
“I’ve decided to live a different life starting from today.”
“All of a sudden?”
However, I didn’t sleep well that night. I had a nightmare. In the dream, I was still searching for the ingredients for the regression ritual, wandering around everywhere because the ingredients were missing from their original place.
Then I heard Ian’s voice.
“Are you okay, sir?”
I must have screamed or something in my sleep.
“No. It was a terrible dream.”
“What kind of dream did you have?”
“If I were to liken it to your case, it was like starting again from the lowest rank of guards.”
“Oh no! I’d rather be dead.”
I sat on the bed and looked at the bronze mirror placed against the wall. It seemed as if to say that dreams are just dreams, as I saw my youthful self reflected in it.
Seeing my younger self again lifted my spirits.
Yes, if I could greet every morning of my youth like this again, I wouldn’t mind having nightmares every day.
“You seem tense.”
“It’s because I’m in the company of someone more terrifying than a tiger.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t even be able to breathe properly.”
“I’m going to wash up. Prepare a new uniform for me.”
“Okay.”
Whenever life in the past became difficult, I would imagine what I would do if I could regress. Just imagining it made me feel good and able to endure the pain.
But in all those imaginations, there was never a hunt with my father on the day after the regression. Whether my instinctive choice was right or not would be known as soon as the hunt ended.
Having completed all the preparations, I hoisted the large hunting bag and walked slowly towards the Celestial Stallion Pavillion, where my father awaited me.
