Surviving as the Villainess’s Servant in a Martial Arts Novel - Chapter 50

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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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Episode 50

 

Seo Yeong-yeong ultimately died giving birth to the child.

 

There was nothing that could be done. When the child came out, Seo Yeong-yeong’s breath had already stopped.

 

Seo Cheong-ja wept endlessly as he received the child.

 

Fortunately, the child was safe.

 

Just like with Seo Cheong-ja’s Wife, it was an early premature birth which caused great worry, but the child persevered. There were dangerous moments, but as if Seo Yeong-yeong was protecting the child, it continued to breathe.

 

Seo Cheong-ja cared for the child with sincere devotion as Seo Yeong-yeong had requested.

 

The child changed day by day. The wrinkled face smoothed out and gained weight. When it opened both eyes and looked at Seo Cheong-ja, he even felt joy.

 

But strangely, one corner of his heart remained empty.

 

In the end, everyone had left.

 

Seo Cheong-ja’s Parents, his Wife, his child, and even his younger sister whom he had met again with difficulty – all of them. All that remained was the newborn in his arms.

 

Seo Cheong-ja sometimes felt anxious. Could he take good care of this child? Could he keep his promise? If he made a mistake like before, if he lost this child too…

 

When his hands began to tremble again.

 

“Ah-.”

 

A warm sensation touched his finger.

 

Seo Cheong-ja looked down. The child had reached out its hand and was grasping his finger.

 

Suddenly, a memory from the past came to mind. When he first met Seo Yeong-yeong. He had unconsciously reached out his hand, and Seo Yeong-yeong had grasped his finger.

 

And how she had smiled brightly while looking at him.

 

Just like then, the child was also smiling while looking at Seo Cheong-ja. Seo Cheong-ja felt something welling up inside him.

 

“Lee Yeon .”

 

At that moment, Seo Cheong-ja decided on the child’s name.

 

The character ‘Lee’ meaning ‘to continue’ and ‘Yeon’ meaning ‘connection.’

 

With the hope that connections would continue.

 

“From today, you are Seo I-yeon. Yeon-a.”

 

Seo Cheong-ja held the child tightly. The warmth filling his arms almost brought him to tears.

 

“This Uncle will surely protect you.”

 

At that time, Seo Cheong-ja made that vow.

 

Even if it wasn’t for Seo Yeong-yeong’s request, he would protect this child. Until the day his life ended, he would protect the child from all the pain in this world.

 

‘I certainly made that vow…’

 

Yet I couldn’t protect you until the end.

 

Seo Cheong-ja looked ahead with eyes full of regret.

 

The child who had once been the size of his fist had grown so much and was now holding onto him. Holding his collapsing upper body, embracing him tightly.

 

“Father, Father…”

 

Seo Cheong-ja wanted to wipe the face of the child who was shedding endless tears. But he had no strength. At the same time, he had a premonition. That he didn’t have much time left.

 

Then, what words should he say now? What would help that child endure this harsh world?

 

Seo Cheong-ja suddenly coughed up blood.

 

After expelling the congested blood that had been blocked in his chest, it became a little easier to breathe. Seo Cheong-ja caught his breath and slowly continued speaking.

 

“Yeon… Yeon-a…”

 

“Father, please don’t speak. Your wounds will open up. Even now, if we use the wound healing medicine…”

 

“Do not seek revenge.”

 

Lee Yeon suddenly held her breath.

 

“Do not… sacrifice your life for my revenge.”

 

“…”

 

“Revenge is a futile thing… If you sacrifice everything for revenge… in the end, you’ll have nothing. Your whole life… you’ll only suffer.”

 

“Father.”

 

Lee Yeon looked at Seo Cheong-ja with a face full of things she wanted to say. Seo Cheong-ja seemed to know what she was thinking and smiled gently.

 

“Your mother wanted you to be happy.”

 

“…”

 

“She wanted you to see, feel, and experience this vast world for yourself. She wanted you to cry and laugh and love… and live happily.”

 

“…”

 

“I feel the same way.”

 

Seo Cheong-ja felt his breathing becoming increasingly labored. If only he had a little more time, just a little more.

 

“At some point, your joy became my joy… When you were sad, I became sad too, and when you hurt, I hurt as well.”

 

“…”

 

“I thought I was only caring for you because of a request, but before I knew it, it became genuine. I truly wanted you not to hurt, to live well, to be happy… I wanted to protect you for life…”

 

“…”

 

“…my child.”

 

Seo Cheong-ja reached out his hand with difficulty. Lee Yeon grasped it tightly. Seo Cheong-ja remembered that day. The day when Lee Yeon first held his hand.

 

“Don’t be too sad.”

 

“…”

 

“…And don’t be angry either.”

 

“Father…”

 

“Make choices for your happiness. Just choices for yourself.”

 

Seo Cheong-ja smiled gently.

 

“Be sure to be happy.”

 

At the same time, Seo Cheong-ja saw a strange vision.

 

In the distance, he could see Seo Yeong-yeong. Seo Yeong-yeong appeared as she was at seventeen years old. With an innocent smile spread across her face, she was shouting, “Elder Brother, welcome back!”

 

A tear rolled down Seo Cheong-ja’s cheek. Seo Cheong-ja muttered in a daze.

 

“Young-a, I’m sorry. This elder brother is a worthless person to the end. I couldn’t protect your treasure… But please understand. I did my best. So now… I miss you.”

 

Before he knew it, Seo Yeong-yeong had approached his feet. Now Seo Yeong-yeong had become a mature woman. Seo Yeong-yeong embraced Seo Cheong-ja.

 

Seo Cheong-ja slowly closed his eyes.

 

In his sleep, he seemed to hear a voice saying “Thank you.”

 

He could only smile.

 

* * *

 

The Master died.

 

He really died.

 

The Master spoke a few words of advice to Young Miss. Then he muttered incomprehensible words as if seeing visions, and soon his head dropped.

 

At the end, the Master wore a peaceful smile. I was relieved that his final journey wasn’t painful.

 

Young Miss cried for a long time after that.

 

Seeing Young Miss cry like that for the first time, I couldn’t help but be flustered. Young Miss, who hadn’t cried even when suffering from her illness, was now sobbing as if she had lost everything.

 

Though my heart ached at that heartbreaking sight, I couldn’t find words of comfort. Because I too knew, to some extent, the pain of losing parents.

 

I simply stayed by Young Miss’s side.

 

After a while, Young Miss stood up.

 

Young Miss laid the Master down from her arms. She straightened his disheveled clothes and placed his drooping hands on his stomach.

 

Then she bowed her head briefly as if in silent prayer. When Young Miss raised her head again, her eyes were filled with determination.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

I nodded silently.

 

We began moving through the mountain forest again.

 

At first, we started heading northeast toward Gangseoseong, our original destination. But we were soon forced to stop. There was a Masked Man blocking the path.

 

We decided to take a detour and go the opposite way instead. But that method also failed. There was a Masked Man there too.

 

Here too, there too, in every direction.

 

There were Masked Men everywhere. And their numbers were greater than we had thought.

 

‘…Everything is blocked.’

 

Only then did I realize.

 

We were already trapped in the enemy’s encirclement.

 

Martial Artists commonly call this being caught in a heavenly net. Having all the mountain paths blocked and slowly being squeezed made me feel like a beast being hunted.

 

What’s more, dawn was gradually approaching.

 

That was bad news for us. We had at least been able to hide in the darkness and escape, but once the surroundings became bright, even that would become difficult.

 

‘It’s only a matter of time before we’re discovered.’

 

“Did you find any traces?”

 

“We only found one corpse.”

 

“They couldn’t have gone far from there. Chase them!”

 

Crack, crackle!

 

Young Miss and I were lying flat in the bushes, hiding our bodies.

 

We had already nearly encountered the Masked Men several times. But we were lucky. Either we hid first before being discovered, or their attention was drawn elsewhere.

 

This time too, we were able to divert their attention thanks to a corpse. That corpse must be the Master’s.

 

I had contradictory thoughts of worry about what would happen to the Master’s body and relief. I even thought it would be good if it could draw more attention.

 

If someone could draw attention and buy time. If even one person could escape because of it…

 

‘Who?’

 

Somehow, I thought of the people who had gone ahead.

 

Uncle Hwang, Brother Im, A-so, the Chief Steward, and even the Master.

 

They always stepped forward first in dangerous moments. They saved people by stepping forward without sparing their own lives.

 

The person who remained until the end was me.

 

I had questioned this fact until now. Why was it me of all people? Why was I the one who remained until the end? What power did I have, what could I do?

 

‘I.’

 

There is something I can do.

 

Only then did I think I understood their hearts.

 

Why no one had hesitated. Why they all had expressions without regret.

 

“Young Miss.”

 

Perhaps I too was making the same expression.

 

“Would you like to switch clothes with 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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