TSBIRBV Ch 134

Chapter 134 A Stolen Kiss (11)

“Do you truly have to go now?”

Samrang, who almost never whined, clung to Yegyeol in a rare display of messy pleading. Yegyeol, in the midst of preparing to go out, retorted curtly.

“Of course. Tomorrow is Senior Brother’s birthday, isn’t it?”

He had thought, with everything that had happened since his arrival, that at least a week remained. That was why, after being dragged home by Haryang’s hand yesterday, he had fallen straight into a deep sleep.

When he awoke, he noticed the servants moving more busily than usual. Upon asking why, he was told that today was Qingming.

‘Tomorrow is Senior Brother’s birthday!’

He had miscounted the days, but instinct had worked in his favor. He already had a gift prepared, and though assassins had attacked, he had kept it safe from harm. So what problem could there be? Unfortunately, there was one very large problem.

‘I left it at the clinic…’

He had been so shaken—not only by Namgung Un’s injury but by Senior Brother’s sudden appearance there—that he had left the carefully wrapped gift behind.

Half the blame lay with Haryang dragging him out, but truly it was his own fault for not keeping his wits. Even if you were caught by a tiger, so long as you stayed sharp, you might survive. Yet Yegyeol had failed.

He trusted that Namgung Un would have taken care of it, but still, he had to go retrieve it.

“After such an incident, must you really?”

Were it not for the matter of the gift, Yegyeol would have gladly stayed quietly at the manor.

“What, should I throw away a perfectly good gift?”

“I could go in your place.”

For Samrang—who hated hassle more than anything—to offer such a suggestion was remarkable. For a moment Yegyeol was tempted, but then he shook his head.

“Do you think Un would really hand it over to you?”

“Mm.”

Samrang was hardly a paragon of trust, even on the best of days. Worse, yesterday she had revealed extraordinary martial prowess.

Yegyeol sensed, half by instinct, that she had deliberately killed every assassin.

Samrang knew well what he was implying, so she kept her mouth shut. Ever since boarding the Gyoryong ship, she had often behaved suspiciously in front of the Namgung heir.

‘But there was no choice.’

The assassins had not been after Namgung Un—they had come for Yegyeol.

Though Namgung Un had found their weapons unfamiliar, Samrang recognized them well, from the crescent blades down to their fighting style. She had already reported it to her lord and planned to dig deeper, but she could hardly tell Yegyeol such things.

Running a hand irritably through her hair, she prowled about the room until pointing to an item on the table.

“Then give him this. Here.”

“Are you insane? Why would I give Senior Brother the inkstone I broke?”

“Why not? It doesn’t have clouds, but it has a dragon.”

“Since when are jade and inkstone the same?”

“He’ll be happier with that than with you running off to Seonyong.”

“They tried to assassinate Namgung Un, but it failed miserably. They won’t try again so soon. At least a few weeks will pass.”

Ah, heavens.

Samrang pressed her palm to her forehead. Yegyeol’s reasoning wasn’t entirely wrong. The assassins had been nearly annihilated, which meant the commission had failed. Retaliation required survivors, and after such losses, regrouping would take time. That was the usual way of things.

Moreover, Namgung Un would surely recall his escorts after such an attempt. By that measure, today might indeed be the safest day.

But the issue was not only assassination attempts. The problem was Yegyeol meeting Namgung Un again at all.

Samrang frowned.

The reaction she had seen from Jin-yeong after returning from the clinic yesterday had been anything but ordinary.

“He cleared out the entire annex.”

“Mm.”

“And warned that no one should so much as step near it at night.”

That was all the explanation she gave, but Samrang needed no more.

“I’ll make preparations. Let’s return as quickly as possible. Before sundown, if we can.”

“Good.”

Yegyeol beamed, but Samrang only sighed heavily and rose.

‘Perhaps I should borrow Jeokroe.’

Fortunate, at least, that Hongyeo had returned from Gyoryo. With that thought, she left the room.

Namgung Un visited the clinic early that morning. It was not for treatment, as Yegyeol had so firmly instructed.

“You were the patient from yesterday, weren’t you.”

The old physician welcomed him warmly.

“I came to retrieve something left behind.”

“Here it is, kept safe.”

The parcel Yegyeol had left was returned to Namgung Un exactly as it had been.

‘Surely it is meant for that man.’

The moment he had seen Yegyeol’s Senior Brother yesterday, Namgung Un had known the gift was for him. Even recalling the encounter now sent a chill brushing across his chest.

Mastering himself, he handed the physician a small pouch.

The payment was hardly meager, yet the old man waved his hands.

“There’s no need.”

“It was an important item. Please, accept it.”

“Well, in that case…”

Awkwardly pocketing the pouch, the physician peered past Namgung Un.

“What is it?”

“Is the young master who was with you yesterday not here today?”

“No, I came alone.”

“…I see.”

“Do you know him?”

“No. Only—he seemed strangely familiar, as if I had seen him somewhere.”

Namgung Un’s brows drew together slightly.

“You’ve seen him before?”

Since this was Seonyong, and Yegyeol worked with the Cheonghae Trading Group, it wasn’t impossible the physician had crossed paths with him.

“Perhaps as a patient. These old memories aren’t what they used to be.”

After grunting a few times and rubbing his brow, the physician personally escorted Namgung Un to the door.

Back at the inn, a subordinate knelt to greet him.

“Young Master.”

Namgung Un carefully set Yegyeol’s gift bundle upon the table.

“Have you discovered whose faction the assassins belonged to?”

“Not only the bodies, but even the bloodstains are gone.”

“…A flawless cleanup. Someone moved under cover to blind us.”

“My apologies.”

The subordinate’s face was stricken, but Namgung Un shook his head.

“No. We are far from Anhui, and Namgung’s influence is weaker here.”

He never lashed out for imperfect results. Truly, he was the model of a young master. The subordinate only grieved his own inadequacy in meeting those expectations.

“For now, I’ll sketch their weapons. Narrow the search to groups that use such arms. And also—”

Just then, someone called for him.

“Un!”

He broke off mid-sentence and rose.

For Yegyeol to appear again, the very next day after such chaos, was wholly unexpected.

‘After yesterday’s farewell, I thought I would not see him for days…’

A trace of unguarded delight touched Namgung Un’s lips. With a wave, he dismissed the subordinates who had followed him from Anhui.

“Yegyeol?”

Bounding up the stairs, Yegyeol spotted the bundle on the table and broke into a radiant smile.

“Ah, I knew it. You had it.”

“In the confusion yesterday, you left it at the clinic. I remembered this morning and fetched it.”

Yegyeol was touched by such thoughtfulness.

“Thank you so much. I panicked, since it’s a birthday gift I must deliver tomorrow. But you had already taken care of it.”

“Since you’ve come, why not at least stay for some tea—”

“Now, now.”

Before Namgung Un could finish, Samrang cut in.

“You know you shouldn’t have come out at all. We must return at once.”

Usually a silent shadow at his back, she rarely spoke before others.

“I know, I know.”

Clicking his tongue, Yegyeol turned back to Namgung Un.

“Thank you. I’ll save that tea for next time.”

Clutching the jade paperweight bundle close, he smiled.

“I only kept it for you. No need to thank me so deeply. But I will keep the promise of tea close to my heart.”

In this brutal world where most spoke with blades, the very existence of such an upright youth moved Yegyeol.

Outside, Samrang watched him mount Jeokroe.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Yes. Now I can breathe again.”

As she vaulted lightly onto her own horse, they set off at once.

Passing through the marketplace, Samrang abruptly asked,

“You’ll give the gift tomorrow?”

“What?”

Her words were drowned by the clatter of a passing ox-cart.

“Nothing.”

She let it go. After all, the manor was staffed entirely with the Lord’s people. Who would dare threaten his disciple there?

“Such a fuss.”

The horses crossed the city gate and galloped toward the estate.

Back in his room, Yegyeol set the bundle upon the table—then froze.

There were two teacups there. Only one had been emptied.

He summoned the servant cleaning the corridor.

“Has someone been in my room?”

“Your master came to see you.”

“Senior Brother?”

So he had come, only when Yegyeol had briefly stepped out.

It wasn’t another prohibition against leaving, but guilt pricked his conscience all the same. Haryang, who had worried so fiercely yesterday… Yegyeol felt the weight of it.

He tamped down the guilty voice in his chest and made up his mind quickly.

‘Wash first. Then go at once, gift in hand, to see Senior Brother.’

Self-reporting was always best. Even if Haryang scolded him, the gift would surely soften him.

‘Tomorrow is his birthday anyway. And I want to be the very first to celebrate.’

With his rationalization settled, Yegyeol ordered the bath prepared.

After washing thoroughly and changing into clean clothes, he cradled the bundle and stepped out of the annex.

Drops from his damp hair left a trail behind him as he walked.

Arriving at Haryang’s quarters, Yegyeol glanced into the dim interior with a tilt of his head.

‘Usually he would still be working at this hour…’

The place was strangely silent.

Thinking he might be away, Yegyeol looked again and saw only one figure within—Je Haryang, in his bedchamber.

‘He’s here.’

Yegyeol strode boldly inside, without hesitation. Haryang had always said he was free to visit, and had never once barred his way.

Had the usual attendants been stationed here, they might have stopped him. But the building was empty. Even Jin-yeong was away, conferring with Samrang about the assassins.

Unimpeded, Yegyeol made his way to Haryang’s quarters.

Halting before the sliding doors, he spoke instead of knocking.

“Senior Brother? I’m coming in.”