Free Web NovelI’d been so focused—curious about the secret behind Face-Changing—that before I knew it, the performance was over.
How does the mask keep changing? Do they layer a bunch of them?
When I couldn’t tear my eyes off the darkened stage, Namgung Hwi whispered softly.
“They tied thread to the masks and pulled it to switch them.”
“You could see that?”
His visual acuity is insane. I couldn’t see a thing.
At my question, Namgung Hwi puffed out his cheeks in a sulk.
“Of course I could. Sohae, I think you keep forgetting I’m a swordsman.”
“No way. I watched the Young Clan Head smash those gamblers to bits—no, I mean, discipline them. I just thought it was amazing because I couldn’t see the thread.”
“......It was cool?”
The corners of Namgung Hwi’s mouth wriggled upward as he asked back.
“Of course it was. It was cool. I mean, I was like, ‘Oh, so this is the sword of the Namgung Clan.’”
The moment I hurried to play along, Namgung Hwi lifted his chin with a satisfied look. He clearly liked the praise.
Seeing every thought written plainly across his face made little snickers leak out of me.
“Let’s go eat dinner now. Earlier I saw a line in front of a noodle place. Their cooking must be decent. Want to try it?”
“Yeah! Let’s eat noodles.”
The kid answered boldly, then matched my pace as we walked. We melted into the crowd.
*****
Maybe the “cool” comment had gotten to him, because Namgung Hwi tried hard to look mature.
The boy waited through the long line at the stall without a single complaint, his face packed full of determination to earn more praise.
“Two bowls of noodles and one plate of dumplings.”
“Two noodles and one dumpling plate!”
He widened his eyes, putting on an air of dignity as he ordered—like he was copying his father, Namgung Sang.
Of course, Namgung Hwi’s awkward attempt at an adult expression was nowhere near “mature.” I had to think about something else just so I wouldn’t laugh.
“Are you going back to Anhui tomorrow?”
“Yeah. We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”
“That’s early.”
“It’s over a thousand miles. It’ll take fifteen days.”
“Half a month?”
That long?
When I asked in shock, Namgung Hwi scratched his head in embarrassment.
“It’s a little slow because we’re riding horses for my sake. If it were just Father, it wouldn’t even take a week.”
Your premise is wrong. It’s the fact that a person is faster than a horse that’s insane.
Right around when I was struggling with the martial world’s reality-warped “common sense,” the server called out.
“Your order’s up!”
A bowl of noodles topped with finely shredded, long-simmered chicken, and a plate of fluffy dumplings were set on the table.
It looked so appetizing it could’ve been a restaurant promo photo.
“You must be hungry. Eat up.”
“Yeah. Let’s eat.”
When I slid the dumplings toward him and urged him on, Namgung Hwi nodded and picked up his chopsticks.
He lifted one elegant bite of noodles to his mouth—and his cheeks started trembling in tiny little shakes.
“It’s good.”
“It suits your taste?”
“Yeah. Sohae, you try it too.”
As he nodded, his chopstick [N O V E L I G H T] work sped up more and more. Watching him eat so well made my mouth water.
I dipped my spoon into my own noodles.
The pale broth was clean and refreshing, with a savory depth.
The springy noodles slid down easily too—now I understood why people had lined up. This place was the real deal.
“It was worth the wait.”
“Yeah.”
His cheeks were puffed as he chewed his dumplings, and there was a noodle stuck to his face. He didn’t even seem to know.
How do you even manage to get it stuck there?
Swallowing a laugh, I leaned in.
“Young Clan Head. Just a moment.”
“Hm?”
“Look at me. Yes. That’s it.”
When I reached out and plucked the noodle off, Namgung Hwi jolted and scooted backward so hard he nearly took the chair with him.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“What? My hands are clean.”
“That’s not what I mean...... Ugh.”
Namgung Hwi jerked his head away and clamped his lips shut. His face turned red like a perfectly ripe apple. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
He’d been trying so hard to act grown-up, and now he’d eaten like a kid with food on his face—he was definitely embarrassed.
Since you’re embarrassed, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.
I put a dumpling in my mouth like nothing had happened.
*****
They say hunger is the best side dish, and it didn’t take long for us to empty every last bowl. After we paid, we left the stall without regret.
Even though it was quite late, the night market showed no sign of going dark.
Watching the packed, bustling street made the desires I’d been pressing down all this time lift their heads little by little.
My greed for stuff ignited, and I scanned each stall lined along the road.
I was so absorbed in looking around that I walked slowly—until Namgung Hwi grabbed and yanked me in a hurry.
“Watch out.”
Startled, I stumbled backward, and a horse cart passed through the spot I’d been standing in just a moment ago.
Dust kicked up by the wheels made me cough on reflex.
“Cough, cough!”
Rubbing my nose, I glared at the retreating horse’s rear.
That bastard—if I hadn’t moved, he would’ve just run me over, wouldn’t he? Should I cut off the mane and sell it?
“Are you hurt?”
“No. I’m fine.”
After checking me over, Namgung Hwi let out a breath of relief and took my hand.
“Come here. You’ll trip like that. You have to look where you’re going.”
He scolded me while gently pulling me along.
The hand holding mine was warm and solid, nothing like its soft-looking exterior. The rough calluses in his palm left a clear record of sword training.
That simple, obvious fact made something strange stir in me.
Namgung Hwi in Namgung Under Heaven hadn’t earned the nickname Sword Emperor for nothing.
It was the result of never slacking on training, even as a little kid.
I stared at his clear, boyish face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Just because. Today, you look especially incredible, Young Clan Head.”
“Huh? W-What?”
Namgung Hwi rolled his eyes like he didn’t know what I was talking about. I pretended I hadn’t heard him and pointed at a stall to change the subject.
“Young Clan Head. I want to look at some hair ornaments.”
“Okay.”
Namgung Hwi nodded and stopped obediently.
In front of a stall selling knotted cords and hair accessories woven in all sorts of colors, several young women were gathered.
Watching a kid around my age pick out hair ornaments made me think of Gyeonga and Songji.
I started browsing slowly.
Yellow hair ties would suit Gyeonga, and for Songji, a sky-blue knotted ornament seemed right. She likes dressing up—maybe face powder would be better?
“How much is the face powder?”
“One nyang of silver, miss.”
“And the knotted ornament?”
“That one’s one copper coin. Pretty, isn’t it?”
......Face powder is expensive. Songji, let’s be satisfied with a knotted ornament.
“Then I’ll take these.”
“Yes, miss. They’ll suit you very well.”
The vendor said what he didn’t mean and handed over the hair tie and knotted ornament I’d chosen. Namgung Hwi, who’d been staring hard at the hair tie, asked,
“Buying a new hair tie?”
“I’m giving it to a friend in the room next to mine.”
“Ah.”
Namgung Hwi answered awkwardly, then kept sneaking glances at me.
Looks like he wants a gift too. Since we’re out together anyway, should I get him one?
While I searched for something suitable, I lifted a bright red knotted ornament.
“Young Clan Head, what about this?”
“Hm?”
Namgung Hwi checked it with a hesitant expression. To be fair, it didn’t really look like he’d have a use for it.
Too awkward to hang at the waist, too thin to use as a hair tie, and if you tied it to a pouch string...... It won’t match the blue silk.
Scratching my head, I pushed up Namgung Hwi’s sleeve. When I held the red knot against his wrist, his pale skin stood out even more.
“W-What are you doing?”
“I’ll tie it for you. Hold still.”
I wrapped the long knot around Namgung Hwi’s wrist and tied it snugly, making it look like a thread bracelet. Then I made a fuss.
“Oh wow, it looks great. That color was made for you, Young Clan Head.”
“Really?”
“Of course. It’s true. Now wear it until it breaks. They say your wish comes true if you do.”
“Does Sichuan have customs like that?”
Namgung Hwi tilted his head like he couldn’t believe me.
......Who knows. Do they have wish bracelets here too?
I smoothed his sleeve back down and fumbled the rest.
“Haha, ha. I think so.”
Namgung Hwi blinked his round eyes, then fiddled with the knotted ornament tied to his wrist.
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. But aren’t you buying one for yourself, Sohae?”
At Namgung Hwi’s question, the vendor—who’d been watching for an opening—subtly pointed at his display.
“Miss. Why not take a look at hairpins too? This hairpin would suit you well.”
“Yeah. It’d suit you.”
Namgung Hwi chimed in.
I glanced sideways at the hairpin the vendor was pushing. A smooth wooden pin, with cloud patterns carved into its end.
“Mm. I don’t really wear hairpins.”
“Ah, have you not held your coming-of-age ceremony yet? Even so, you’ll need it soon.”
“No. I’ll just buy what I picked. How much?”
“Three copper coins.”
Ignoring the vendor’s longing stare, I paid.
Once we’d gotten a bit away, Namgung Hwi cleared his throat and asked,
“So when are you going to hold your coming-of-age ceremony?”
“Honestly... I don’t know.”
Because I don’t even know what that is. Coming-of-age ceremony... is that like adulthood?
When I scratched my head, Namgung Hwi spoke like he was telling me to remember it.
“You know. I’m going to hold my cap ceremony in two years.”
And what is that. So it really is a coming-of-age thing. I guess men and women have different ones.
“Really?”
“Yeah. So in two years, I can get married too.”
“Come on. Fifteen is way too fast, Young Clan Head. You need to be eighteen.”
“......Eighteen? Isn’t that too late?”
“Do you think building a household is easy? You need to become an adult who can take responsibility for yourself before you can take responsibility for a family.”
At my scolding, Namgung Hwi’s face turned serious. After moving his lips for a long time, he finally let out a deep, resigned sigh.
“......Fine. But still, Sohae—you’re hiding something from me.”
The tone said, Spit it out yourself, and I flinched as I stopped walking.
Did he realize those gamblers scammed him?
When I forced an awkward smile, Namgung Hwi lowered his voice and whispered,
“Yesterday, I saw you calling the Poison King ‘Grandfather.’”
Ah. That.
Come to think of it, that wasn’t a form of address a maid should use for a Grand Elder. I hurried to make excuses.
“Ahaha. Th-That is... Grand Elder is fond of me, so...”
“He said he’s teaching you directly. Why would the Poison King teach a maid? And last time, I saw you call that young lord ‘Brother’ too. That young lord looked like he cared about you, too.”
“Th-That’s......”
Your instincts are sharp, huh. I swallowed hard. I couldn’t think of an answer that would satisfy him.
“Sohae.”
After letting it hang, Namgung Hwi’s eyes glittered like he already knew everything. He spoke with confidence.
“You’re receiving heir training, right? You’re hiding your identity, and you have to earn recognition among the maids, right?”
What are you even saying. You’re wrong about literally all of it, you brat.
