I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 16

Chung-rin, who had been silent, let out a small sigh.

“Since I sent the letter first, I expected you would contact me during my outing.”

Chung-rin held her head up straight. If not for the beads of sweat on her profile, it would have been impossible to notice that she was nervous.

However, she didn’t seem to fear Wicheonso.

The reason she was facing him so boldly was likely for the sake of making a deal.

Wicheonso smiled slightly, his eyes curving as he looked toward the door.

“This Chungru has hired performers. They’re about to stage a play depicting the life-and-death duel between Cheonjeon and the former Heavenly Tiger Alliance leader. Would you like to watch it together?”

“I’ve never heard the details of that incident, so it would be interesting, but I don’t think I have the leisure for that today.”

“That’s unfortunate. Still, we have time until Yeonjo’s daughter returns, so would you like to leisurely have some tea?”

Wicheonso leisurely walked toward the tea table.

“Miss Yeom stepped out briefly for personal business and will return soon. Thanks to that, I was able to meet you, Young Master.”

Chung-rin seemed to be carefully choosing her words in front of Wicheonso.

“Even if she hadn’t gone out, I would have brought Miss Jeok here.”

Chung-rin took a deep breath, knowing his words weren’t mere bluster.

For the Third Prince of the Heavenly Sect, it was entirely possible.

Wicheonso picked up a teacup from the table and offered it to Chung-rin.

The tea had a dark blue-green color, and it seemed to be Purple Feather Dark Tea, which was only provided to the Sect Leader’s disciples.

Chung-rin silently accepted it and drank it without hesitation.

Wicheonso’s eyes widened at her action.

She could have suspected something was mixed in the tea, yet she showed no hesitation whatsoever.

“The tea was excellent. Now I’ll speak directly to you, Young Master.”

“Please, go ahead.”

Wicheonso held his own teacup with an interested expression.

“You suspect the Yeon Hwa Se-ga, don’t you?”

Chung-rin’s eyes, clear as stars in the night sky, gazed at Wicheonso.

Her attitude was resolute, as if she already knew what answer he would give.

“Honestly, I suspect everyone. Unfortunately, there are quite a few apostates in our sect.”

Instead of adding more words, Wicheonso tilted his teacup to wet his throat, but this meant he suspected Chung-rin as well.

“I’ll help you investigate the inside of the Yeon Hwa Se-ga.”

“Is that the way to repay the debt you mentioned in your letter?”

“No. Today I came to propose a deal as equals.”

When she mentioned the word ‘deal,’ Wicheonso was honestly surprised.

He hadn’t expected a mere woman to propose a deal with the Third Prince of the Heavenly Sect.

“Let me hear it.”

An even brighter smile appeared on Wicheonso’s face. It was a smile resembling a spider lily.

When Chung-rin swallowed, her throat moved slightly. It meant she was nervous.

“…You know that I’m soon to marry Sobaek of the Yeon Hwa Se-ga, don’t you?”

“Recently, there’s probably no one in Cheonsan who doesn’t know that fact.”

“I don’t want that marriage.”

Chung-rin’s eyes looking at Wicheonso held all sorts of complex emotions.

“That wedding is an agreement between the Heavenly Sect and Seolsanjeokga, so it must proceed even if Miss Jeok doesn’t want it.”

Wicheonso said while fidgeting with the teacup in his hand.

“I know. That’s why I’m proposing this deal to you. I’ll help you investigate the inside of the Yeon Hwa Se-ga, so please marry me.”

Even after hearing Chung-rin’s bold proposal, Wicheonso’s face still held a smile.

He seemed to judge it as an interesting but impossible story.

“As you said, this wedding must proceed. But the partner doesn’t necessarily have to be Yeonhopyeong of the Yeon Hwa Se-ga.”

Since it was an unexpected interpretation, Wicheonso pressed down the teacup in his hand onto the table.

Then he exhaled deeply as if he had heard an absurd story.

“Cheonjeon has already approved the marriage between Yeonhopyeong and Miss. Do I look omnipotent enough to go against Cheonjeon’s will and steal the bride?”

“It would be impossible right now. But I’ll make it possible.”

Wicheonso became slightly displeased at her firm assertion.

He couldn’t understand how a woman reminiscent of a small sparrow could be so bold.

“If this is a deal as you say, how do you plan to repay the debt?”

“After leaving the Yeon Hwa Se-ga, I’ll give you what you want.”

“You seem to know what I want.”

Wicheonso moved closer and stroked Chung-rin’s chin with his finger. Beads of sweat flowed down her jawline.

“Since your life is at stake, it shouldn’t be an obvious answer.”

He emitted a thin killing intent with his blood-red eyes.

“Killing a bride right after the wedding ceremony is very easy for me.”

The smile Wicheonso showed was enchantingly beautiful, but the thin killing intent he expressed was as deadly as poison to Chung-rin.

Chung-rin’s eyes trembled slightly, but her expression remained calm to the end.

“Then kill me.”

She looked up at Wicheonso with eyes that seemed firmly resolved. It was a gaze that showed not the slightest wavering.

❖ ❖ ❖

Sweat flowed down my chin, and the sound of my heartbeat rang violently right next to my ear. My heart was intensely asserting its presence.

The physical tension was a physiological phenomenon, but I couldn’t show any weakness in front of Wicheonso.

So I maintained a cold gaze while staring at him.

“But that won’t be too late to do after I repay the debt.”

When I added this, the smile disappeared from Wicheonso’s face.

His blood-red eyes looking at me held strong doubt.

“The position of Young Sect Leader of the Heavenly Sect, where you can obtain perfect freedom and power.”

Suppressing my racing heart, I boldly extended my hand toward him.

“I’ll give you that position.”

That was the most important price for this deal.

“Do you have a reason to believe I want the Young Sect Leader position?”

I expected to see agitation on Wicheonso’s face, but surprisingly, he maintained his composure.

“Because of your origins.”

Even Chung-rin’s information didn’t reveal Wicheonso’s origins. It meant he wasn’t from a famous family.

“You entered the Heavenly Sect without any connections, endured harsh training, and became a disciple after catching the Sect Leader’s eye with your natural talent.”

The Heavenly Sect regularly accepts orphans and children gathered from civilians, subjecting them to cruel tests.

They gather children who want to become warriors and make them kill each other, leaving only those with martial arts aptitude.

Wicheonso also survived through the same method.

Such children are assigned to various halls of the Heavenly Sect according to their aptitude, and Wicheonso was assigned to Geukryeondang.

It was a place where only those who pushed martial arts to the extreme and overcame death could survive, and the survival rate of children sent there was barely 20 percent.

Wicheonso lasted three years in such a place, and 50 percent of the children assigned with him survived. It was an exceptional figure.

Wicheonso becoming the Sect Leader’s disciple happened after that.

“After receiving Cheongwolgung from the Sect Leader, I heard you assigned the survivors from Geukryeondang to Cheongwolgung.”

“It’s a story every believer knows.”

“That’s true. But they wouldn’t have understood the inner meaning.”

Having survived such hell, they could have gone to better places, but all the Geukryeondang survivors chose to remain under Wicheonso.

Since Wicheonso’s origins were humble, the prevailing theory was that he asked the Sect Leader to bring those with connections as his subordinates. However, my thoughts were different.

If Geukryeondang’s exceptional survival rate was thanks to Wicheonso’s efforts, and if his subordinates all pledged sincere loyalty to him?

If Wicheonso had goals beyond surviving as the Third Prince, they would willingly follow him.

He was probably now hiding his true intentions behind splendor and madness while watching for opportunities.

“You’re someone who considers survival important. And you know that the Sect Leader position is the most suitable position for survival.”

After hearing my answer, Wicheonso smiled and stepped closer to me.

He came close enough that I could feel his breathing nearby.

“Are you saying you’ll give me the Young Sect Leader position for such a simple reason?”

A faint smile appeared on his lips, but his eyes were different. They were as cold as the glaciers of Binghondae Gorge.

“I believe survival itself is the most intense reason for living.”

These words applied to me as well.

Death was as vivid as if it had happened just yesterday, and after surviving in this strange form, I became able to dream of Baekah’s revenge.

Only by surviving can one begin everything.

“Even if that’s not the ultimate reason, you can only achieve your goals by staying alive.”

As I continued speaking without wavering, Wicheonso’s cold gaze softened slightly.

That didn’t mean he had become favorable toward me.

“However you imagine it is your own business, but… I do have one curious point.”

He lightly touched my chin with his fingertip, as if telling me not to look away from him.

“How do you plan to marry me?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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