The Granddaughter of the Manhyang Escort Agency Hides Her Magic - Chapter 7

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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 7

When viewed from above, Manhyang Express was arranged with pavilions in the shape of a small rectangle placed on top of a larger rectangle. The front was wide, narrowing as it went inward.

The front area consisted of the escort agency’s public spaces, while the protruding rectangular plot of land was made up of pavilions where those who inherited the So clan, the escort agency master’s family, lived.

The pavilions were positioned further inward according to their higher status within the escort agency. Biwongak, which was both Shin Ah’s residence and the living space of So Cheonrim, the second young master of the So family head, was located at the very outermost area.

Next was Hyeonwongak, the space of Shin Ah’s aunt So Yeonhwa, who was now an outsider by marriage but had once lived together with them. And right in front of Wolhwa Hall, the largest pavilion where the escort agency master stayed, was located Yuwon Pavilion of the first young master So Baekrim.

Although paths were separately maintained to avoid invading personal spaces, Shin Ah, who lived at the very outermost area, had to pass near Yuwon Pavilion to reach Wolhwa Hall at the innermost area.

Shin Ah, who had been walking diligently, paused for a moment at the rear garden of Hyeonwongak. There was commotion beyond the wall that separated Hyeonwongak and Yuwon Pavilion, and So Mando’s voice was mixed in among it.

‘What? He’s really training?’

The sound of swords clashing rang loudly in the courtyard.

Shin Ah frowned, not wanting to encounter Mando.

‘Please don’t look this way. This body is very busy right now.’

It was when Shin Ah was stealthily passing by, pressed against the wall of Yuwon Pavilion.

“What’s that? Isn’t that the corpse from Biwongak?”

Shin Ah’s wish was shattered to pieces.

Mando, who had spotted Shin Ah like a ghost, came running over and blocked her path. Ilbi, who stood beside him, crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Hey, you need to pay the toll.”

Shin Ah stopped walking as a memory surfaced.

‘This was why I used to stay cooped up in Biwongak in the past.’

Every time she passed by Yuwon Pavilion, Mando would act like a thug. Shin Ah let out a deep sigh.

“If you’re a person of the escort agency, you should naturally know to pay the toll.”

Mando held out his palm.

Seeing his chubby palm and sweat-soaked appearance made her lose what little appetite she didn’t have.

Shin Ah recalled how he had fled ridiculously after seeing her Fireball.

Should I just blast him with flames?

‘No. Meeting grandfather is the urgent priority, so let’s endure this.’

Shin Ah responded calmly.

“Why should I pay a toll?”

“Why? Because this is Yuwon Pavilion.”

“Big brother didn’t pay a toll when he came to Biwongak.”

Mando flinched. Then Ilbi, who was beside him, stepped forward.

“Not collecting it was your fault. We don’t dwell on past matters. The present and future are what’s important.”

It was unreasonable beyond belief, but she didn’t want to deal with the two of them for long.

“Put it on my tab.”

“On your tab? Pfft. You talk as if you could pay it back if we put it on your tab. Beggar.”

Ilbi mocked Shin Ah. At that moment, Shin Ah’s mind went cold.

“What are you going to do if you glare at me? Cry after getting hit once?”

Mando tapped the ground next to Shin Ah’s feet with his sword.

If it were the Shin Ah of the past, she would have gotten scared at this point, apologized, and returned to Biwongak.

‘How ridiculous I must have looked.’

Thinking of the past made heat boil up inside her and her head grew hot.

She wanted to punish them right away but held back. Still, she couldn’t just let it pass, so she gave them a kind warning.

“You’d better watch your mouth.”

“What?”

“I won’t tell father about today’s incident. But if you bully me one more time, I’ll tell father and…”

“Pfft.”

Ilbi covered his mouth with his hand as if he wanted to hold back laughter but couldn’t, his face turning bright red.

“Why are you laughing?”

Shin Ah asked fiercely.

“Ah, sorry. You’re just so naive that I couldn’t help but laugh.”

“What do you mean by that?”

When Shin Ah asked sharply, Mando took another step closer. He looked down at Shin Ah threateningly.

“Go ahead and tell your dad. So when uncle scolds our father about it? What do you think will happen?”

“What will happen?”

“What will happen is, this!”

Mando raised one hand high.

Seeing that hand, a faint fragment of memory surfaced.

The night Shin Ah was bullied by Mando, her father had rushed to Yuwon Pavilion in excitement and returned with a swollen cheek…

‘So Baekrim hit our father?’

Only then did Shin Ah remember why she had endured without reporting the bullying.

The only adult Shin Ah could confide in about Mando and Ilbi’s bullying was her father.

‘I told father. About Mando and Ilbi’s misdeeds.’

But then, regardless of martial arts skills, Cheonrim had been beaten by his older brother Baekrim and returned.

‘Right. I saw that. Father… what exactly were you enduring?’

What had he been enduring for her sake?

Shin Ah’s eyes filled with tears, her heart with resentment, and her head with rage.

She should endure, but she couldn’t.

From her previous life, no, from her life before that when she lived as a mage, Shin Ah had lacked patience. So she would rashly cause trouble and then clean up the mess afterward.

The fact that she received the Magic Tower master’s love without major problems despite this showed she probably had a talent for cleaning up messes.

‘Let’s hope that talent hasn’t disappeared.’

Shin Ah was about to chant a spell, having decided to teach Mando a lesson.

Mando grabbed Shin Ah’s hair.

“Ugh.”

Shin Ah’s small body swayed as there was no time to defend against the sudden attack.

“Big brother will teach you something. If you don’t pay the toll, you get beaten.”

So Mando pushed Shin Ah with all his strength. Shin Ah, pushed away as if bouncing, rolled on the ground.

The hair that Danmi had neatly tied became disheveled, and dust covered her silk clothes thickly. Her palms were scraped and stinging.

“Young miss!”

Ilbi blocked Danmi, who came running in shock.

“Shut your mouth and stay still. If you act up, your master will get beaten more.”

Danmi’s face turned pale at Ilbi’s threat.

Seeing Danmi unable to even open her mouth, Shin Ah clenched both fists tightly.

‘They must have bullied Danmi too, using me as a hostage when I wasn’t around.’

In just a few days since going back in time, she had realized too many things she hadn’t known.

Was the past me blind with open eyes?

“If you don’t have the toll, don’t even think about using this path.”

Mando crouched down in front of the fallen Shin Ah and pushed her forehead with his finger.

“Anyway, those without mothers are ignorant and shameless.”

Shin Ah bit her lower lip hard and released it. She was so angry to the tips of her hair that lightning flashed before her eyes.

“Big brother, do you believe in divine punishment?”

“What?”

Shin Ah firmly grasped Mando’s finger that was touching her forehead and pulled it.

Shin Ah and So Mando’s faces came close enough for their noses to touch.

In that state, Shin Ah muttered.

“Lightning Bolt.”

Lightning struck from a clear sky, right next to Mando’s feet.

“Aaaahhhhh!”

Mando screamed loud enough to shake the earth and jumped up.

“You, you! What did you do this time?”

He shouted frantically with a face drained of all color.

Shin Ah got up and stood on her tiptoes, bringing her face right up to Mando’s nose.

“I didn’t do it. If lightning striking from a clear sky isn’t divine punishment, then what is? Heaven sent down punishment because you keep spouting nonsense.”

Mando’s cheeks trembled.

“You, definitely said Light… ning Bolt…”

Whether he wasn’t in his right mind, Mando was even confused about what he had just heard.

What Shin Ah had used was Lightning Bolt, a magic that any 2nd Circle mage could use.

Shin Ah said nonchalantly.

“Does what I said matter? What matters is that lightning struck because you were spouting nonsense… Hup.”

Shin Ah’s head spun as she was giving Mando a sharp retort.

Shin Ah reflexively brought her hand to her stomach.

‘I’m screwed.’

Symptoms of mana deficiency appeared.

As soon as she had the premonition that she would lose consciousness at this rate, her head began spinning round and round.

Her legs wobbled and her chest felt like it would burst as she gasped for breath, but Shin Ah endured through sheer willpower.

“Get lost if you don’t want to get struck by lightning.”

Shin Ah’s voice trembled slightly.

Mando’s eyes narrowed as he caught that subtle vibration. He looked Shin Ah up and down thoroughly, then twisted his lips into a smile.

Mando, who instinctively realized that Shin Ah had weakened, rolled his eyes back and charged at her.

A fireball and lightning strike – Mando, who had already been hit twice by Shin Ah, was out of his mind.

He forgot about the lightning that had just struck and swung his fist at Shin Ah.

Thwack!

The impact landed solidly enough to rattle bones. The sound was so loud that even Ilbi, who was confronting Danmi, turned to look.

“You crazy bastard!”

Shin Ah yelled at Mando furiously.

Mando blinked. He couldn’t understand the current situation.

So Shin Ah is fine even after taking my punch? My punch?

Mando looked ahead in bewilderment, or rather, at the lump sprawled out in front of him.

“What the hell is this thing?”

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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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