Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 94

094. Ring

Thud.

Il-Ayeong slammed her door shut upon returning to her room.

Yet, her anger hadn’t subsided.

“What is it!”

She paced back and forth, her agitation filling the small space.

She tried to calm herself, but Yun-hyeon’s brazen face kept flashing in her mind, churning her stomach.

“Ugh!”

Thump.

Il-Ayeong collapsed onto the bed without even changing her clothes.

Her mother’s voice, calling out to her, still echoed vividly in her ears.

The ache in her heart was likely because she knew she had been harsh.

“Tch.”

Il-Ayeong sat up.

In truth, her mother must be having the hardest time of all.

And Il-Ayeong didn’t truly hate her father either.

‘But even if I concede a hundred times…’

The image of Yun-hyeon suddenly flashed in her mind, and Il-Ayeong shuddered, leaping up from the bed.

“No way! Absolutely not!”

Il-Ayeong paced around the room, biting her nails.

When she thought about it, all of this was because of that Yun-hyeon fellow.

If he hadn’t appeared, she wouldn’t be having these worries, would she?

Her face flushed red and blue as she burned with resentment towards Yun-hyeon, and she suddenly remembered the ring he had taken out.

‘That ring…’

Il-Ayeong bit her lip.

After hesitating for a moment, she walked towards a small wardrobe in the corner of the room.

Slide.

Il-Ayeong reached deep inside and pulled out a small wooden box.

It was a box that seemed fit for a child, with chipped paint and crude decorations.

Il-Ayeong placed the box on the table.

Thud.

Sitting at the table, Il-Ayeong gently stroked the box for a long time.

The anger that had filled her had vanished, and a faint smile even appeared on her face.

Then, as if making a decision, she carefully opened the box.

Click.

Inside the box were various trinkets that children might play with.

There were discolored hair ornaments, small trinkets, and colorful beads.

Il-Ayeong smiled as she looked at them, then reached into the box and took out something wrapped in red silk.

Rustle.

As the red silk was unwrapped, a small ring appeared.

Without needing to check, she could tell at a glance that it was the same ring Yun-hyeon had.

The delicate carvings, patterns, size, and color were all identical.

“Dad, do you know how happy Mom and Dad made me when they first gave me this ring?”

Il-Ayeong murmured, caressing it gently.

“I waited every day with a fluttering heart, thinking Dad would bring my future husband. But, but…”

Plop.

A small teardrop fell onto the ring. Tears welled up on Il-Ayeong’s beautiful cheeks.

“I tried so hard to forget, and I thought I could finally live without Dad, but…”

Plop, plop.

“Why are you doing this now? What am I supposed to do? Huh? Dad…”

Amidst the tears streaming down her cheeks, Il-Ayeong’s voice gradually dissolved into sobs.

***

The next morning, Il-Ayeong was waiting for Yun-hyeon with her mother.

The table was set with food, but the old butler, who had gone to call Yun-hyeon, had not yet returned.

“Ayeong, what are you going to do?”

Her mother suddenly asked.

Il-Ayeong avoided her mother’s gaze and replied in a calm voice.

“What do you mean? I’m against it.”

Surprised by her unexpectedly composed response, her mother spoke to her daughter again.

“Thinking about it, he doesn’t seem to know about the ring. So, shouldn’t we at least ask if he’s heard anything about it?”

Il-Ayeong turned her head sharply to look at her mother.

“Don’t. No, even if he says something first, we have to pretend we don’t know. Why make trouble by saying something?”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but Il-Ayeong’s expression was firm.

“Everything is already over. Nothing will change just because he appeared.”

“But he might understand. He doesn’t seem like such a bad person…”

“Enough.”

Il-Ayeong cut off her mother’s words with a short reply.

“Mother, please stay out of this. I’ll take care of it. I don’t want things to get any more complicated.”

Her mother couldn’t say anything more.

Most of the problems her daughter was struggling with were, in fact, her and her husband’s responsibility.

How could any parent strongly object when their daughter was shouldering what they couldn’t provide?

Her mother sighed softly.

“I’ve brought the guest.”

Yun-hyeon appeared, following the old butler’s announcement.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Did you sleep well?”

Yun-hyeon greeted them with a gentle expression, but Il-Ayeong coldly retorted.

“You’re really late. Didn’t you hear what time it was? How can a scholar sleep in so late?”

“Ayeong.”

The mother, who was listening, tried to stop her, but Yun-hyeon was embarrassed and couldn’t answer.

Perhaps due to the fatigue accumulated from the long journey, Yun-hyeon had fallen asleep as soon as he lay down the previous night.

Normally, cultivating his swordsmanship at times like this would have made his body feel lighter, but last night he was a guest, so he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Was that the reason? For once, Yun-hyeon had overslept.

In any case, it was Yun-hyeon himself who had made a mistake, so he had nothing to say.

“Please, sit here.”

At the mother’s invitation, Yun-hyeon sat at the table.

For the host to eat with the guest was the highest form of courtesy.

It also meant that Yun-hyeon was no longer considered a stranger to them.

Although the mother’s occasional sighs and Il-Ayeong’s sharp glares were a bit burdensome, Yun-hyeon felt his heart warming at the rare, cozy meal.

After a while, the meal ended, and the mother returned to the inner quarters.

However, Yun-hyeon kept glancing around as if he had some lingering attachment.

Il-Ayeong, who felt her mood souring whenever she saw Yun-hyeon, snapped at him.

“What is it? There’s nothing more to get even if you keep looking around like that.”

However, Yun-hyeon was rather pleased.

He was grateful that Il-Ayeong had spoken to him when he was in a difficult situation.

“Ah, niece. Actually…”

“Don’t call me niece as you please. I don’t have an uncle like you.”

Il-Ayeong’s reaction was cold.

In fact, Yun-hyeon himself felt awkward calling her niece, but he had mustered his courage, and he was immediately embarrassed by her reaction.

‘Well, even I wouldn’t want to be called niece by someone who looks about the same age as me.’

In reality, Yun-hyeon was older, but he looked similar in age.

It was only natural that she would feel bad if someone like that treated her like a child.

Especially if she was a delicate young lady.

“I’m sorry, Ayeong nuna [older sister].”

However, even though the attempt was good, the result was very bad.

Il-Ayeong’s face turned red, and she yelled.

“Who said you could call me nuna!”

“Ah, I, I’m sorry.”

Yun-hyeon apologized first at Il-Ayeong’s sudden reaction.

‘Niece is no good, nuna is no good either.’

Thinking that the feelings of a young lady were truly unpredictable, Yun-hyeon cautiously asked.

“Then, what should I call you…”

Il-Ayeong frowned deeply.

‘Hmph! A good person? What’s so good about him…’

Remembering her mother’s words that he was a good person, Il-Ayeong shuddered.

Seeing how persistently he was sticking around, she was sure he knew about the ring.

Perhaps he couldn’t say it outright because of his situation, so he was trying to approach her like this.

“Just call me Sojeo [young lady].”

Il-Ayeong said in a reluctant tone.

Sojeo was a fairly formal title that contained a meaning of respect. Its meaning had changed depending on the era.

“If possible, I wish you wouldn’t have to call me at all.”

“Ah, I understand. Ayeong Sojeo.”

Il-Ayeong frowned again at Yun-hyeon’s words.

She had told him to call her Sojeo, but now that she heard it, it grated on her ears.

‘…I just have to endure it for a few days.’

Il-Ayeong bit her lip slightly.

Vowing not to be swayed by this person, she said curtly.

“But what is it?”

Yun-hyeon, who had been feeling dejected, was pleased again when Il-Ayeong asked what he needed.

“Actually, I was wondering if there was anything I could help with…”

Yun-hyeon trailed off.

There was no one else in this residence besides the old butler, and the only family members were the mother and Il-Ayeong.

Since they probably needed help, he wondered if there was anything he could do.

“Is that so?”

Normally, Il-Ayeong would have been grateful for Yun-hyeon’s words.

However, now she only saw it as a scheme to get in good with her and her mother and somehow settle down, so she couldn’t take Yun-hyeon’s offer at face value.

“If you insist…”

Il-Ayeong scoffed and turned her head.

Then, she pointed to the lush thicket visible over the low wall.

“How about trimming those branches? Ah, would that be too rough a job for a noble scholar like you?”

Those were originally small flowering trees that grew in the courtyard of this residence.

It used to be a beautiful and elegant courtyard, but because it hadn’t been properly cared for, it had become so overgrown that it was now beyond repair.

‘Hmm.’

Yun-hyeon looked at the flowering trees visible over the low wall.

He hadn’t done it before, but trimming the branches didn’t seem like it would take much effort.

Besides, the trees weren’t tall.

‘The tallest one is about my height…’

He didn’t need to climb the trees, so it didn’t seem too dangerous.

‘It’s worth a try.’

In fact, that was a misjudgment, but Yun-hyeon, who had never trimmed branches before, didn’t know.

“I understand, Ayeong Sojeo. I’ll give it a try.”

Il-Ayeong frowned at the ‘Sojeo’ that he never failed to include.

“Do as you please.”

After scoffing inwardly, Il-Ayeong went into the inner quarters.

Watching her leave, Yun-hyeon smiled to himself.

‘Hmph, even that side of her looks cute…’

There was no way Yun-hyeon didn’t know that Il-Ayeong was treating him coldly.

However, even that side of her looked good to Yun-hyeon.

She was always cold and had no charm, but even that side of Il-Ayeong felt like affection to Yun-hyeon.

How could it not?

Il-Ayeong’s resolute eyes resembled those of his sworn brother, Il-Chunghyeon.

“Is this what it feels like to have a younger sister?”

Yun-hyeon smiled, muttering words that the world’s older brothers would never agree with.

Even he thought it was strange.

But no matter how sharply Il-Ayeong spoke, he didn’t feel bad, and he couldn’t help but see everything in a positive light.

“Now, shall I tidy up my brother’s house?”

It was his first time trimming branches. No, in fact, he wasn’t used to this kind of work at all.

However, Yun-hyeon felt attached to this old house.

For some reason, he even felt the traces of his brother Il-Chunghyeon, although that couldn’t be, and he was filled with even more mixed emotions.

Step, step.

Yun-hyeon set out to find the old butler with a leisurely heart.

It would be best to ask him first if he was going to tidy up the courtyard.

***

“Oh, no, you can’t.”

The old butler clicked his tongue.

“It’s too hard for you. It looks like nothing, but it’s a very big job.”

“It’s okay.”

Yun-hyeon said that and headed to the courtyard with a small knife.

The old butler had insisted that he take a glove, but he left it behind because he liked the feel of holding the knife with his bare hands.

Having entered the garden in that way, Yun-hyeon could see that the situation was much more serious than he had expected.

“Oh, is this all… a courtyard?”

Yun-hyeon muttered with a slightly dismayed expression.

He didn’t know when he looked over the wall, but when he came inside, it was no joke.

The flowering trees that had not been managed for a long time stretched out their branches in all directions, making it difficult for people to walk properly in what was supposed to be a courtyard.

“Well, no wonder Ayeong nuna, no, Ayeong Sojeo and hyungsu [brother’s wife] couldn’t touch it.”