Camellia 93

The Sect Leader had gone so far as to lend out Haeseong Pavilion for Seolyeong and Peng Rang’s meeting. Most likely, he felt it would’ve been improper for them to meet elsewhere. No matter how far in the past their bond might’ve been, Rang was a woman who harbored feelings for him.

Seolyeong sat quietly in a tea room floored with red sandalwood, waiting for her. After about one minute, Rang arrived, visibly tense.

“O Rang of the North Sea presents herself before the Gyo-mo of the Cheonma Divine Sect.”

She raised her hands in a formal martial greeting the moment she appeared. Seolyeong looked more than a little uncomfortable. It was strange and awkward to receive such courtesy from someone who had clinked glasses with him and shared candid conversations about love like a sibling.

He stood and mimicked her with a greeting of his own.

“Seolyeong of the Sect greets the warrior of the Cheonma Divine Sect.”

She hesitated, embarrassed by the playful mimicry. He leaned further into it with a teasing tone.

“We swore to be close enough to drink together and swap honest talk. Now you’re being all stiff and formal? If you’re drawing lines between us, I’ll draw mine too.”

“…Gyo-mo.”

“Hm. Should I start calling you Warrior, Sister?”

The smile he wore was gentle like spring sprouts, fresh and full of life. For someone in his position to act so relaxed with an ordinary warrior… it was almost disarming. Rang felt a hollow sort of helplessness creep in.

“…I came today to apologize for my offense, Gyo-mo. That was the purpose of my request.”

She was reminding him of their match, in case he’d forgotten, but his response only sounded like gentle scolding.

“I know. But let’s leave it at that. The only ‘offense’ you’ve shown me was that formal bow just now. I’d rather you acknowledge the feelings of this little brother who still wants to stay friends.”

In the end, she couldn’t best him in words. She lowered her hands, and only then did Seolyeong relax his stance. He led her over to the tea table. Steam was rising gently from the pot already set out.

Sitting across from him, Rang murmured,

“…I don’t know if this is really okay.”

She’d already been sternly reprimanded by her leader. To challenge someone from the sect, and in the sect leader’s own domain no less, was tantamount to a declaration of war from the North Sea. And if she’d at least won, that would be something, but she had been thoroughly defeated and scolded harshly for it.

She stared down into her teacup.

“We’re not exactly the kind of people who should be drinking black tea together.”

Seolyeong shook his head at once.

“Eh, come on.”

“You’re the wife of the man I love. And I’ll be leaving this place soon.”

“…….”

“To be honest… I saw you as a rival. I didn’t want anyone but me standing beside someone so great, someone who towers higher than the heavens. But I knew he’d never let me stay at his side, so… I thought at the very least, I could leave a mark by challenging you. It was foolish. Reckless. I’m sorry.”

She wasn’t trying to guilt him. She was simply being honest about what had driven her behavior.

Seolyeong smiled again.

“They say warriors of the snow plains see even small lies as sins. I guess it’s true. Thanks for being honest, Sister. Sincerity always gets through.”

His voice was warm as he nudged his chin toward the cup, inviting her to drink. Rang took a sip of the fragrant tea, soothing the dull ache in her chest.

Then it was time for Seolyeong to shift the mood.

“That being said…”

He leaned his elbow on the table and offered casually,

“I accepted this meeting because I figured rejecting it would put you in a tough spot. So how about we stop with the apologies and just talk about interesting stories?”

Truth be told, every time he met Rang’s proud eyes, she reminded him of Seolhyeon. Her height, her stubborn streak, everything about her brought his sister to mind. No wonder he’d taken a liking to her.

“Something interesting, huh…”

Rang echoed, then asked,

“Is the Sect Leader… doing well?”

“Oh my.”

Even after making peace, her first instinct was to ask about that man. She seemed deeply in love. Seolyeong clicked his tongue in mild irritation.

“If anything had happened, wouldn’t this whole place be in an uproar by now? People around here are obsessed with him.”

“It sounds like you’re not one of them.”

She stared at him. Sometimes a woman’s intuition hit terrifyingly close. Right now was one of those times. Her question caught Seolyeong completely off guard.

“You… you don’t love the Sect Leader, do you?”

“…Huh?”

He blinked. As the Gyo-mo, he had no intention of publicly airing his marital issues. But Rang continued, smiling faintly.

“To think someone in this entire sect doesn’t feel reverence and awe when looking at him… I can’t believe it.”

“…To me, it’s sister’s confession that sounds more unbelievable. What’s there to love about him? No matter how you look at him, he’s just terrifying.”

She’d been honest with him, so he decided to return the favor. It wasn’t like she was going to run off and tattle to the Sect Leader.

He was about to launch into a full round of venting, but then Rang cut in.

“One day,” she said quietly, with certainty, “one day, you’ll love him too.”

She’d never shaken off her feelings for the Sect Leader, but she wanted Seolyeong, whom he treated as a rival, to know this.

“Once you experience what it’s like to hide in his arms and realize nothing in the world can touch you… you’ll be captivated.”

It was the same prophecy Pungjae had given. He’d said Seolyeong would fall in love with Sahyeol Amje eventually, and if he was so confident he wouldn’t, then he should form a blood pact.

Seolyeong blinked. What was with these people? Why were they all so sure he’d fall for the Madu?

“My arms are pretty decent too, you know. If I ever need somewhere to hide, I’ll just do this…”

He wrapped his own arms around himself in an exaggerated hug and grinned.

It was clearly a joke meant to lighten the mood. Rang didn’t respond, just raised her teacup again. The tea had cooled, but it went down easily now. That flippant line about using his own arms instead of Sahyeol Amje’s had, strangely, calmed her nerves.

‘Someone like him… even if he ends up loving that man, he won’t lose himself like I did.’

Maybe that was the requirement for loving Sahyeol Amje. Not losing who you are, even in the face of overwhelming love.

Now, at last, Rang understood why the Sect Leader had sent her back to the North Sea.

***

Tang Yujae was reading the Saseogyeong in the Gwanju Hall bedchamber. The Gyo-mo he’d sent to Haeseong Pavilion had likely finished the meeting with Rang by now. Yujae read the Saseogyeong habitually, so often, in fact, that he no longer needed to see the text to recall the passages. They unspooled naturally in his mind.

But just as he turned to the final chapter, thinking about his bride’s fierce expression, his face stiffened with alarming speed.

Coincidentally, Seolyeong, having escorted Rang back to the guest wing, hopped in through the bedroom window.

Seeing the Sect Leader frozen, clutching a tattered book, Seolyeong spoke with confusion.

“…Sect Leader? Why are you stiff as a statue?”

“……”

“Hey?”

Yujae quickly checked if his enhanced vision had spontaneously begun interpreting the final chapter of the scriptures. When he deliberately cut off that ability, the internal energy he’d been using to monitor for foreign Qi in Gwanju Hall faded. Even then, he could still see the final chapter clearly.

The mole beneath his eye expanded, spreading over his cheek and neck. An imugi tattoo rippled across his skin, and Seolyeong flinched at the sight, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

With his scaly hand, Yujae slowly traced down the pages of the scripture and said,

“Ahyeong.”

He always used that nickname, without warning or context. Seolyeong hated it, and never bothered to hide that fact, but Yujae didn’t care.

“I’m busy. Get lost.”

“…What?”

The Secr Leader’s command was cold. Given everything that had happened so far, Seolyeong had almost convinced himself Yujae was infatuated with him. Now, he stood there, stunned.

Did he just tell me… to get lost?