Chapter 163 - Another Layer of Rose-Colored Glasses

Geom Mugeuk entered the hall.

Clean-shaven, with his hair neatly groomed, he wore handsome new martial robes and a long outer robe. Every step he took drew everyone's gaze.

It was not simply because he was handsome. There was something strangely compelling about him. He exuded the ease found only in someone approaching the pinnacle of martial arts, along with a mysterious, lofty air that no one could imitate.

Jin Haryeong did not recognize him. The instant she saw him, pure admiration sprang to mind.

'He's gorgeous!'

He truly was. If someone asked what sort of looks she liked in a man, she felt she could simply say, That man right there.

She was not alone in thinking so. The women stared at Geom Mugeuk, utterly entranced. And the men were just as captivated.

"Who is he?"

"I don't know either. Who could he be?"

"I've never seen that young hero before."

"He's handsome!"

People voiced such remarks openly throughout the hall.

With every eye on him, Geom Mugeuk approached the spot where Jin Haryeong and Jo Sin stood.

'Why is he coming toward us? Oh, does Jo Sin know him?'

As she was thinking this, he greeted her first.

"You're here too, Miss Jin."

Jin Haryeong started in surprise.

'He knows me? Who is he, acting as though we're acquainted?'

His voice sounded familiar. Yet even after hearing it, she did not recognize him. The difference between the Geom Mugeuk she had seen until now and the man before her was simply that great.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me?"

Even now, she truly did not. She could imagine him being someone with a similar voice, but it never occurred to her that he was the same person.

"Who are you?"

"Didn't you tell me what to say if someone bullied me? How are you going to help me at this rate? You might not recognize me and join in!"

Jin Haryeong's eyes went wide. Those were her own words: If anyone bullies you, tell them the Martial Alliance Leader's granddaughter is your friend.

"No way! You're...!"

"That's right. It's me."

An involuntary shriek escaped her.

"I'm not sure this warrants screaming, but yes, I'm Geom Yeon."

Those clear, deep eyes were unlike a servant's. Looking again, she could see that he really was Geom Yeon.

A shiver ran through her, every hair on her body standing on end.

Having such a handsome man close by was enough to make her heart flutter. But this man was Geom Yeon, the servant?

She asked in a trembling voice,

"What happened?"

"I shaved and tidied my hair. Bought some new clothes, too."

Jo Sin, standing beside her, was equally flustered.

He was too stunned and bewildered to react. He merely stood there blankly, blinking.

He had not recognized Geom Mugeuk at first either. Taking great pride in his own looks, he instinctively resented any man more handsome than himself.

Thus, he had been in a foul mood from the moment Geom Mugeuk appeared.

Having a better-looking bastard attend his banquet was bad enough. When the man started approaching him and Jin Haryeong, his nerves went taut. What the hell? Why was this fucker coming over here?

'But what? This guy is that guy? This is that filthy servant? Impossible. Absolutely impossible!'

Jo Sin very nearly shouted and swore aloud.

'That bastard was this handsome?'

This threw his plan completely off course. He had intended to strip away the mystique and reveal an ordinary man, but instead he had brought out genuine mystique. What enraged him even more was that he had paid to bring it out himself.

Geom Mugeuk greeted Jo Sin, who stood behind her.

"Young Master Jo here gave me money to buy clothes."

Jin Haryeong looked at Jo Sin in surprise.

"Really?"

"Ah, yes. I did."

Jin Haryeong misunderstood the situation.

"Oh, you really did mean to apologize. Honestly, I didn't believe you. I'm sorry."

"Not at all."

Jo Sin truly did not know whether to laugh or cry.

He immediately sent Geom Mugeuk a sound transmission.

—You bastard! Get out! Get the hell out of here!

He meant for him to leave the banquet hall, but Geom Mugeuk walked over to the promising young martial artists as though he had merely been told to step away.

"Oh! So many expensive delicacies. May I eat as much as I like? Ah, there's wine here too. It smells wonderful."

Everyone watched his every move. Geom Mugeuk felt no discomfort whatsoever under their scrutiny. He enjoyed the food and drank the wine, behaving with natural ease, as though he were the central figure here.

Jin Haryeong approached him as though spellbound. Jo Sin followed, muttering, "Damn it."

"You really look like a different person."

"That's because I usually look so scruffy."

"Why didn't you dress like this before?"

"What reason would a servant have to dress up?"

Seeing Jin Haryeong's eyes sparkle as she looked at Geom Mugeuk, Jo Sin grew desperate.

'This isn't right. This isn't right!'

He had to change the situation somehow. In trying to remove her rose-colored glasses, he was on the verge of giving her an even stronger pair.

Jo Sin sent Geom Mugeuk an irritable sound transmission.

—You bastard! Why did you come looking so good?

Geom Mugeuk looked at him. His eyes said, You're the one who told me to dress like this, and Jo Sin had no answer.

Besides, he had hardly dressed up at all. He had merely shaved, tidied his hair, and bought new clothes. Yet even so, he shone.

Jo Sin had to bring him down somehow.

"You've really dressed yourself up to impress our Miss Jin."

"Yes, I made a point of looking good."

Perhaps Jin Haryeong took that to mean he had dressed up for her, for her cheeks flushed slightly.

The sight drove Jo Sin to distraction.

'Damn it! This isn't working either.'

He ought to have looked awkward, as though he had forced himself into finery. Instead, the servant looked like someone naturally suited to such luxurious clothes.

And his manner openly declared, I dressed up for the banquet, without a trace of embarrassment. That only made him seem more confident.

"What a coincidence. My martial robes are the same color as yours, Miss Jin. It almost looks as though we coordinated them."

"So they are."

Unable to bear the sight any longer, Jo Sin sent one of his men a sound transmission, telling him to engage Jin Haryeong in conversation.

While she briefly returned the man's greeting, Jo Sin took Geom Mugeuk into a corner.

"You crazy bastard! Do you want to die?"

"What's wrong?"

"Do you want to take off Miss Jin's rose-colored glasses tonight and get a hundred thousand taels? Or lose the hundred thousand and die by my hand? It's up to you."

"Then what should I do?"

"Do something that'll turn a woman off completely. Show off, pick fights with people, make a drunken scene! Understand?"

Jo Sin had never imagined such words would come out of his mouth. Had he ever tried to degrade someone in such a sordid way? He would simply have killed them instead.

But now he was desperate. He had to humiliate the man before that new pair of rose-colored glasses settled over her eyes. He was irritated beyond measure.

"Then pay me first."

"What?"

"Give me fifty thousand taels, and I'll do it. You can give me the other fifty thousand afterward."

"You bastard! Do you want to die?"

Jo Sin raised his hand to strike him, but Geom Mugeuk showed no fear.

"That's how deals work. I have to make a living too."

"You shameless, conniving piece of shit!"

Just then, Jin Haryeong came toward them. Jo Sin lowered his raised hand and straightened Geom Mugeuk's clothes instead.

"Our servant young hero really does look like a different person."

Geom Mugeuk replied,

"As I said earlier, it's all thanks to you, Young Master."

"To be honest, I gave you that money for our Miss Jin's sake."

"You're truly generous and admirable."

Geom Mugeuk lavished praise on Jo Sin.

Jo Sin had the uneasy feeling that he had opened something he should never have opened.

But he could not back down now.

He changed the subject.

"Our manor intends to make a substantial investment in the Orthodox Martial Alliance."

When Jo Sin brought up business, Geom Mugeuk tactfully stepped away.

Jo Sin eagerly boasted about his family and wealth, but Jin Haryeong's gaze kept drifting toward Geom Mugeuk, who was chatting with the other promising young martial artists. When a female martial artist listening to him burst into delighted laughter, Jin Haryeong clenched her fists.

How could Jo Sin fail to see what she was feeling?

Even after he stopped talking, she kept staring at Geom Mugeuk.

Jo Sin's expression hardened.

Suddenly feeling a chill, Jin Haryeong turned her head. Jo Sin was silently watching Geom Mugeuk. The image of a snake that had faded from her mind surfaced once more.

"What a waste for a man like that to be a servant. Don't you agree?"

"What can you do about the fate you're born into?"

There was regret in her answer. Jo Sin was truly furious.

'You damned bitch! You dare disregard me this much?'

Unwarranted anger surged within him.

He sent another sound transmission to the young martial artist he had earlier ordered to speak to Jin Haryeong.

—Get that bastard to spar with you. Then beat him without mercy.

The young martial artist who received the transmission was Ho Yeong.

Ho Yeong was ambitious to win Jo Sin's favor by any means and use it to elevate his family. Thus, he accepted the order without hesitation.

Ho Yeong asked Geom Mugeuk,

"I see you carry a sword. Have you learned martial arts?"

"I have."

"How did a servant come to learn martial arts?"

"My master is an exceptional man."

"Then might I sample a move from the martial arts that exceptional man taught you?"

Everyone looked curious.

When Jin Haryeong tried to intervene, Jo Sin said to her,

"Aren't you curious, Miss Jin? What martial arts that servant learned, and how much?"

Of course she was curious too, but her concern outweighed it.

"Surely he isn't good enough to compete with promising young martial artists."

"Martial Artist Ho comes from a distinguished family. He won't hurt the servant."

Then Geom Mugeuk said to Ho Yeong,

"Someone could get hurt if we use swords. Let's spar with fists and feet."

"Very well."

Ho Yeong was inwardly incredulous. He had never expected such a ready willingness to fight.

'I'll make sure to break something.'

Breaking an arm or a leg and passing it off as an accident would be enough to satisfy Jo Sin.

"Please go easy on me, then."

"Of course. To think I'd live to spar with a servant. What a splendid day."

Ho Yeong had let his guard down. Merely showing nervousness would have been embarrassing.

Geom Mugeuk dodged Ho Yeong's punch—not with ease, but barely, almost falling over. Laughter broke out around them.

Ho Yeong threw another punch, and this time Geom Mugeuk rolled across the floor to evade it. Driving him back as though hunting prey, Ho Yeong glanced around with a laugh.

"Well, this is hardly a challenge..."

"Watch out!"

The instant he turned at someone's shout—

THUD!

Geom Mugeuk's fist sent Ho Yeong flying. Caught off guard, he had taken a solid hit. Worse, he smashed through a table as he fell, and the food on it happened to splatter Jo Sin's clothes.

Already seething, Jo Sin could contain himself no longer.

"Fucking hell!"

Geom Mugeuk, meanwhile, rushed over to check on the fallen Ho Yeong.

"Fortunately, he isn't badly hurt."

The contrast between Geom Mugeuk checking his opponent's injuries first and Jo Sin swearing over food on his clothes left Jo Sin embarrassed. No one said anything, but their gazes held contempt.

What angered him even more, however, was that Jin Haryeong paid him no attention at all. She was looking only at Geom Mugeuk.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away."

Geom Mugeuk apologized to the young martial artists watching.

Jin Haryeong stepped forward to answer on their behalf.

"You have nothing to apologize for. The person who failed to focus on the match was at fault."

Everyone nodded at her words. At least in this match, Ho Yeong had been struck because he let his guard down, so they could not blame Geom Mugeuk for catching him by surprise.

Jin Haryeong bade Jo Sin farewell.

"Well, I'll be leaving now. Come along, you too."

She took Geom Mugeuk out of the banquet hall. Behind them came the crashing sound of something breaking. They did not know what had broken, but they knew who had broken it.

Geom Mugeuk walked back with Jin Haryeong along a moonlit road.

Once again, she was worried about him.

"You're in even more danger now because of this."

Then Geom Mugeuk said abruptly,

"My friend."

Jin Haryeong started in surprise.

"Why so startled? Didn't we agree to be friends?"

"No, you're right. We did."

"My friend. You're the Martial Alliance Leader's granddaughter, Hubei's Greatest Beauty, and a favorite to win the Young Dragon Tournament. You're most yourself—and at your finest—when you're proud and elegant. Constantly worrying about someone like this doesn't suit you."

After a pause, Jin Haryeong said,

"Then can I trust you? Are you sure you won't get yourself killed miserably by a bastard like that and leave me feeling guilty for the rest of my life?"

"I'm sure."

"Really? How can I believe that?"

"Because we're friends. Try trusting your friend's word."

"You said being proud and elegant suits me, but I'm not that kind of woman. I'm timid. I think too much, worry too much, and regret too much. I don't like meeting people, so I don't really know how to get over being hurt either. So don't give me a nasty shock later."

"All right. I won't."

It made no sense, but she believed Geom Mugeuk. She had no basis for that trust, yet she trusted him.

This time, he spoke.

"In return, promise me one thing."

"What?"

"If anything strange and inexplicable happens in your life from now on, promise you'll come find me and tell me."

He did not mean only this affair with the Heavenly Mandate Society. He also meant the moment she sensed signs of the calamity that would someday befall the Orthodox Martial Alliance.

"A moment like that in my life..."

No matter how she thought about it, there was only one answer.

"Would be right now, wouldn't it?"

Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly.

"Yes. If something strange and inexplicable happens, just like now, be sure to tell me. Come on, let's head back."

Jin Haryeong silently watched his back as he walked ahead. A thought suddenly occurred to her: perhaps, as he had said, she could stop worrying needlessly and show him the proud, elegant Hubei's Greatest Beauty instead.

Up ahead, Geom Mugeuk waited for her, asking whether she was coming. She began walking toward him.