333 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

The Three - 3 Become a hero. If you decide to take responsibility for all the women in your life, you need a certain shamelessness. "Ha Yeon, I've come to return your ointment." He stood in front of her room because one of the maids said she saw Ha Yeon going into her room. "I'm coming in." When he opened the door and entered, there was no sign of anyone inside. As expected, she wasn't in the room. The only thing he saw was the open window on one side. Did she jump out the moment she heard him coming? Does she dislike him that much? "Ha Yeon! I know you're nearby." He shouted loud enough for the surroundings to hear, but there was no response. "Ha Yeon, stop hiding and show yourself." He searched the mansion thoroughly but couldn't find a trace of Im Ha Yeon. When had she become so adept at hiding when she used to clumsily hide in jars? Fine. I'll find her no matter what. For hiding skills, expanding one's senses extensively is the best method. "Urgh!" He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, focusing hard enough that his body shook as if his black hair was about to turn yellow from the intensity. Sense the surrounding presence. Find Im Ha Yeon. Honestly, he's not quite sure how it's done, but he'll give it a try. He might feel something. After a few moments with his eyes closed. He sensed it. Footsteps behind him. She was behind him all along! "There you are!" He swiftly turned to try and catch her. "Surprised! Kang Yun Ho, sir, what's wrong with you? Are you not feeling well?" It turned out to be a maid carrying laundry. "It's nothing." "Were you desperately searching for the lavatory? Should I bring you a chamber pot?" He must have looked absurd in his awkward position. He waved his hand to indicate he didn't need anything. "By any chance, have you seen Ha Yeon today?" "She was right in front of you. But the moment you turned away, she vanished. Should I find her for you?" Gasp. She was watching that disgraceful scene? Even when she was right in front of me, I didn't notice. Honestly, someone barely reaching the second-tier status can't possibly detect someone skilled in concealment like Mu Yeong Sin Tu, who could beat even a seasoned expert. "No need to call her. Is there any alcohol in this mansion?" "Yes, of course. Should I prepare a table with drinks for you?" "No, just the strongest you have. Three bottles, please." He wandered around the mansion, waited in the room, but still, by nightfall, she hadn't shown herself. She is definitely within the mansion. Close to him, too. But she has no intention of being found. No choice. Finding her is on hold. But I'm not giving up entirely. I want to speak with Im Ha Yeon. Isn't there a way? 'If I can't find her, I have to make her come to me.' He picked up the prepared bottles of alcohol. ———————– Will they stay by my side? Or leave? The choice is entirely theirs, but I won't sit back and watch until all decisions are made. Im Ha Yeon is most definitely a heroine of this world. If I cast a net for Je Gal Hyang, I must cast a fishing line for Im Ha Yeon. I need to emphasize that it's a fishing line and let her decide if she will bite the bait or not. Using myself as the bait. On the broad rock within the mansion's inner courtyard. Conveniently, the moonlight was shining brightly on the rock. An ideal spot for wallowing in self-pity. He placed the bottle he got from the maid on the rock and sat down himself. Maybe I'll try blowing on the bottle lightly. "Pfft!" He spewed. The alcohol was too strong. Did they mistakenly give me something medicinal? Judging by the color, it seemed well-made. Bringing it closer to his nose, a fragrant aroma tickled it. He took another careful sip. Sipping it cautiously, he could definitely sense its rich quality and luxury. Let's quickly empty one bottle. Since he drank too quickly, the intoxication hit him all at once. He immediately activated his internal energy. The Tang family’s special technique taught by Hwa Rin, a method to dispel poison. The alcohol vapor inside his body rapidly exited through his pores. Any martial artist seeing him waste precious alcohol like this would surely scold him. But his goal wasn't to get drunk. The potent scent of the alcohol that diffused through his pores filled the surrounding air gently. I'm drunk. The smell of alcohol will tickle Mu Yeong Sin Tu’s nose, wherever he may be hiding. With the groundwork laid, he loosened his tied up hair. Opening up the front of his shirt as if the alcohol made him uncomfortable. I am the irresistible bait caught on the hook. I am vulnerable prey. An apparently drunk person ready to spill their truths at any moment. "The drink tastes good." He sipped slowly, waiting for Im Ha Yeon. I should've brought some beef jerky. Drinking strong alcohol on its own was rough. My stomach might rebel at this rate. Anyway, the moon is so bright tonight. Purchasing a beer and a thick chicken leg at a convenience store, then sitting on a quiet bench gazing at the night sky is its own kind of charm. Ah, brother, don't. Hearing the nasal voice of a woman and the suggestive voice of a man, it's best for a lifelong bachelor to return home and watch an e-sports broadcast with snacks. He often ended up returning like that. Sipping the drink while reminiscing, he sensed the presence of someone behind him. "Why are you drinking something you usually don't?" The voice from behind was chilly but couldn't entirely hide its concern. Good. The west must be roughly that way. He opened his mouth while looking at the western sky, not at the Im Ha Yeon behind him. "Looking at the waning moon in the western night sky, it stirred many thoughts, leaving me no choice but to drink." He took a sip, trying to wear the expression of a man deep in contemplation. This drink, no matter how you look at it, is just too potent. "That's actually the east, you know." Ah. "..." "What were you thinking about?" He managed his expression, furrowing his brow. "I was thinking of my fiancée, who must be worrying about me with her ailing body." "..." He heard the sound of Im Ha Yeon's intake of breath, and sensed her stepping back. No, Miss Ha Yeon. If you can't handle this, we won't get anywhere in our conversation. This won't do. Change of plan! Activate temporary plan! "...And I was thinking about why my heart is swaying uneasily, even though I have a fiancée." A Plan Revealed! Show her there's always a place, despite having a fiancée! Fortunately, he sensed Im Ha Yeon's footsteps pause. Phew. The temporary plan was a success. With a forlorn look, he grasped the neck of the bottle and shook it, as if showing his turbulent feelings. "...Is she pretty?" Good. Im Ha Yeon had mustered the courage to approach him. What should he say? "She's as beautiful as you, Ha Yeon." Now that Hwa Rin had her skin treated, she's praised as the most beautiful in Sichuan. Complimenting purely on looks is amateur. Im Ha Yeon, you're as beautiful as she is. While praising Hwa Rin's appearance, he simultaneously flattered Im Ha Yeon, continuing to leave the door open for possibilities. "And her figure?" This was a tricky question. Comparing Hwa Rin with her exotic allure to Im Ha Yeon, who has a lithe and agile lower body honed by martial arts and a shapely queen-like pelvis. Who should he choose? "Her figure is as exquisite as her face." There's no need to pick just one. He was sitting here because he wanted both. "Oh! But my chest is bigger, right?" Is she really desperate to win even one aspect? Im Ha Yeon wasn't backing down. "My fiancée has the largest I've ever seen." Even though Im Ha Yeon had a model-like stature with an impressive figure, surpassing the exotic charm of Hwa Rin was impossible. "More than mine? That's unbelievable..." Despair tinged Im Ha Yeon's voice. No, despair must be avoided. "My fiancée owns a bookstore. We used to run it together while I wrote. Until she fell ill, she supported me through hard times, much like you did." The same experiences deepened their bond, he explained about Hwa Rin while keeping options open for Im Ha Yeon. "Is she very ill?" Time to introduce another topic. "They said it would take ten years for her to fully recover." "Ten years...?" Im Ha Yeon asked, surprised. "I made a promise to her through tears to wait and marry her in ten years. Yet here I am, drinking away my restless heart." Sorry, Hwa Rin. Caught between feelings for a fiancée left behind and a new budding emotion, he gave a bitter smile. "Do you love her?" "I love her enough to wait for ten years." A commitment without hesitation or doubt. "What about me?" "..." "What about me!" Her voice, filled with longing and the question of a wounded woman, cut deep. "I can't say right now." "What did you say? Are you saying...?" He turned around, seeing Im Ha Yeon's face for the first time today – she was on the verge of tears. "Saying those words is easy." He got up and slowly approached Im Ha Yeon. "Don't come to console me! That's just lying!" "How can you say that? Everything we've been through, everything I did for Ha Yeon was with sincerity." He had always treated her with genuine sincerity and looked at her with a pained expression of someone wronged. "Then, what is it...?" Seeing her expression softening, he continued slowly toward her. "My feelings for you, Ha Yeon. Expressing them in words is easy." His feelings for her were true. Expressing this fondness was an easy task. But it shouldn't be. He placed a hand over his heart, holding his emotions tightly inside as if signaling that they should remain contained for now, pressing his fingertips firmly. "Then why?!" "Because it's irresponsible." "Irresponsible...?" "The moment I express my feelings to you, Ha Yeon, you'll stay by my side no matter what your feelings might be." He looked at her with a look of certainty in his eyes. "Ah." "Ha Yeon, you stand at a crossroads. Whether to become Mu Yeong Sin Tu and stay by my side or to live a normal life despite being a former courtesan, the choice remains if I don't express my feelings now." "A choice remains, you say?" "Thanks to fully exerting myself at the Infinite Rose clan, Ha Yeon, once bound as a courtesan, now has two paths: not as a courtesan but a choice to make. There's still time." "Is that why you're revealing you have a fiancée now?" He nodded. All I can offer is the fishing line. Ultimately, the decision must be hers. "I have no desire to become a shackle for Ha Yeon. So what I can give right now is a promise." "A promise?" He gently lifted her trembling hand, cradling it tenderly with both of his. I don't want to let go. I wish she wouldn't leave. But the choice is hers. Thus, there's only one thing I can say. "I'll take responsibility. I want to take responsibility for Ha Yeon for the rest of my life. What I said before the Lords of Incense was a promise that will never change." Just like the promise I made to wait for Hwa Rin for ten years won't change, The promise to take responsibility for you, Im Ha Yeon, will never change. It was all he could say at the moment. "Is it a promise you can make once everything is resolved?" With more sincerity than ever, he gazed at Ha Yeon, conveying his overflowing feelings for her. "When Ha Yeon's issues are resolved, when my feelings—my honest feelings—are a confession that no longer binds you, and if it becomes a word that embraces both our hardships, I'll say it a hundred or a thousand times." No matter what decision you make, Please don't leave. "...Give me a little time to think." ******************* "What should I do? I can't believe Kang-ssi has a fiancée." Je Gal Hyang lay on her bed, not knowing what to do, rolling about restlessly. "I don't want to lose him!" "Neither do I." A figure appeared suddenly in front of Je Gal Hyang's bed. "Ahh! H-Ha Ha Ha Yeon, unnie?!" The woman standing before her was Im Ha Yeon, whom Kang Yun Ho had been searching for all day. "I'm here to talk." Im Ha Yeon closed the open window and gazed at Je Gal Hyang. "The window was locked, though?" "Don't worry about it." I think that's something to worry about... Je Gal Hyang thought to herself, unable to voice those words that only reached her chest but never her lips. Instead, she simply nodded. "W-What brings you here at this hour?" What on earth could be the reason for this nighttime visit? Je Gal Hyang looked at Im Ha Yeon with nervous anticipation. Im Ha Yeon sighed gently as she alternated her gaze between Je Gal Hyang and the window before finally speaking. "Shall we form an alliance?"