The Heavenly Demon Cult’s Strongest Maid - Chapter 178

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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 178

“Young Master, what are you doing here?”

Cheon-gang and Seo-ryeon, who were entering the annex, couldn’t hide their bewilderment upon discovering Eok I-geon restlessly pacing in front of a room.

Separately from them, Yu-un was in the middle of practicing martial arts alone in the annex courtyard.

“Seolha is inside, right?”

Eok I-geon blocked Seo-ryeon as she tried to enter the room.

“Stop.”

“…Excuse me?”

“She’s in silent meditation.”

“…Silent meditation? Who is?”

“Seolha.”

Cheon-gang and Seo-ryeon looked at each other. They couldn’t understand what this was about at all.

“Did something happen while we were away?”

Cheon-gang’s question was a very reasonable deduction.

He thought there must be a connection between Eok I-geon’s unusual anxiety and Seolha’s sudden silent meditation.

“I don’t really know either.”

“There are things even you don’t know, Young Master?”

Seo-ryeon’s eyes widened like bowls as if that itself was surprising.

“I really don’t understand this time. Seolha suddenly told me not to talk to her and went inside. Saying she would do silent meditation.”

Cheon-gang and Seo-ryeon immediately went into expression management mode. This was a much more serious matter than they had thought.

“…Seolha told you not to talk to her? To you, Young Master?”

“Yes.”

“What was the situation before that?”

Eok I-geon confessed as briefly as possible about the matter involving Cheon-yeong.

“Do you understand? Why Seolha told me not to talk to her?”

“…”

“Does she really want to become a Buddhist?”

Silent meditation was usually a type of Zen practice performed by those who serve Buddha.

Eok I-geon was imagining all sorts of things – whether she was planning to disband Cheon-sin-mun and formally settle in Buddhism, and if so, what would happen to their marriage.

“Do you truly not know why Seolha is angry, Young Master?”

“…Seolha is angry?”

At Cheon-gang’s question, Eok I-geon turned pale and asked back. He truly looked like he was hearing this for the first time.

“Haah.”

Wondering where and how to start explaining, Cheon-gang unconsciously let out a sigh.

His lord possessed an extraordinary mind, but was naturally lacking in several areas. One of them was precisely this kind of thing.

“Now, listen carefully.”

Nod.

Cheon-gang was one of the few people Eok I-geon trusted. He focused on Cheon-gang’s words with a serious expression.

“Cheon-yeong made harsh remarks to Seolha, saying she has no talent for stealth techniques.”

“Why is that harsh? It’s true.”

Eok I-geon asked back as if puzzled.

Cheon-gang suppressed another sigh that was about to come out and continued speaking.

“Yes, that’s actually true. But from Seolha’s perspective, it could sound like harsh words. No one would feel good hearing so bluntly that they have no talent.”

Seo-ryeon nodded vigorously beside them as if agreeing.

Still, Eok I-geon couldn’t easily agree.

“Seolha is such an excellent martial artist that she instantly made Mahu’s difficult martial arts her own. Stealth techniques and spear techniques are nothing compared to that.”

“That’s not what’s important here.”

“Then what is important?”

“Seolha’s wounded heart. She was shocked by Cheon-yeong’s words and sought help from you, Young Master, but instead of comfort, what did you say? You went even further and mentioned spear techniques.”

“…”

“She must have firmly believed that you would take her side… I’m worried about how Seolha must be feeling right now. I hope she’s not too discouraged.”

Remembering Seolha’s excited appearance when learning stealth techniques, Cheon-gang glanced toward the room with a worried look.

“Let me go and talk to her…”

“Why would you?”

“Well, since she’s alone…”

“I’ve been feeling this for a while, but do you have feelings for Seolha?”

“Whaaat?”

Cheon-gang was stunned by Eok I-geon’s sudden question.

“It wasn’t me but you who first received rice balls from Seolha.”

“That’s because I said I skipped lunch, so she shared what she had with me!”

“Is that really all?”

“Of course! And I have my own preferences too!”

“…Does that mean Seolha isn’t pretty?”

Eok I-geon’s eyes immediately turned fierce.

“That’s not it, she’s naturally beautiful and lovely. I just…”

“What? Seolha is beautiful and lovely?”

Eok I-geon now looked ready to draw his sword.

Trouble either way.

It was a dilemma for Cheon-gang.

What exactly do you want me to do?

“Young Master. I have a method, would you like to try it?”

Then Seo-ryeon stepped in as Cheon-gang’s savior.

“Do you have a good idea?”

“I’m Seolha’s bodyguard. There’s probably no one who knows Seolha better than me, except for the Protagonist.”

There was Sook at Headquarters, but for now, that was the case here.

“What’s most urgent right now is cheering up Seolha.”

“So?”

“In such cases, you need to target what the other person likes.”

“What Seolha likes?”

“Yes, if you just follow exactly what I tell you…”

Seo-ryeon leaned in and whispered as quietly as possible.

If she went this far and still couldn’t resolve the situation, it would be entirely Eok I-geon’s fault.

That evening.

“Where exactly are we going?”

Seo-ryeon forcibly dragged me out when I was holed up in my room.

I couldn’t see anyone except Seo-ryeon – everyone else had gone somewhere.

“I said I don’t want to eat.”

“Then I won’t eat either.”

“Why not, Seo-ryeon?”

“Well, because you’re not eating, Seolha.”

“Tch, you’d probably say you’d follow me in death if I died.”

“Of course. Don’t you know that’s the fate of a bodyguard?”

Seo-ryeon replied as if joking, but I knew that was her true feeling.

If I jumped into a fire pit, she was the type who would jump in after me without hesitation.

“I should live long for Seo-ryeon’s sake too.”

“Then I’d be grateful.”

When Seo-ryeon smiled brightly, I found myself smiling along without realizing it.

“But where are we really going?”

“There’s a lantern festival today.”

“Lanterns? The kind you light and release into the sky?”

“Yes, it seems to be held to commemorate those who died in this recent bloodshed.”

“Ah, there are events like that too.”

Having only studied this world through novels, this was my first time hearing about such a thing.

“Have you ever seen lanterns before, Seolha?”

“No, I haven’t. What about you, Seo-ryeon?”

“My parents took me a few times when I was little. I still can’t forget how moved I was back then.”

I had seen it in videos in my previous life too.

The sight of hundreds of lanterns rising all at once was truly spectacular.

And I could witness that in person today?

My dampened mood already seemed to be improving a little.

Silent training my ass – do you know how much I held back earlier when I wanted to grab Eok I-geon by the collar and shake him?

It was only because I had a shred of self-control left, otherwise I would have caused big trouble today.

‘Hmph! I’ll show you how scary a woman’s grudge can be!’

I renewed my resolve and followed Seo-ryeon toward the event venue.

“Wow, there are so many people!”

The event venue was packed with crowds so dense you couldn’t find a place to step, as if everyone living in Hefei had gathered.

“Seolha, I’ll go buy some lanterns.”

“We’re going to release them too?”

“Aren’t you going to participate?”

No, I should!

If not now, when would I ever get to do something like this again?

“Let’s go pick them out together.”

“No, there are too many people and we might get separated! I’ll just go quickly by myself.”

Before I could even answer, Seo-ryeon disappeared like a flying bird.

With all these bustling crowds, would she be able to find me properly?

Just as I was having such worries.

“So you were here?”

Before I knew it, Eok I-geon was beside me.

Holding a large lantern in one hand.

“…Why are you in a place like this, Young Master?”

Damn, silent training!

I realized my mistake after asking.

I had decided not to speak for a while but stupidly forgot.

“I was sorry about earlier.”

…What?

A sudden apology?

“I should have taken your side in any situation, but I was thoughtless.”

Why are you going so far as to say that…

“I promise I won’t do that again. From now on, no matter what happens, I’ll unconditionally be on your side.”

“…Really?”

“I already told Cheon-yeong to apologize to you too.”

“…What Cheon-yeong said might be true though. I’ve been thinking about it, and it does seem like I really have no talent for concealment techniques.”

That’s why I suffered that humiliation from Grandmother.

“I don’t think so.”

Eok I-geon paused for a moment before speaking.

“If it hadn’t been the Clan Elder, your concealment technique would have succeeded. The opponent was too strong. With a little more practice, the day will surely come when you can fool even the Clan Elder.”

Eok I-geon, why are you really being like this?

Did you take some kind of training course somewhere?

How are you saying exactly what I want to hear?

“Shall we release the lantern now?”

Lanterns were starting to rise one by one around us.

When I nodded, Eok I-geon lit the inside of the lantern with his Sammaejinhwa.

Whoosh.

Before I knew it, the sun had set and complete darkness had descended.

As hundreds of lanterns carrying light rose into the black sky, a scene far more beautiful than what I’d seen in videos unfolded.

“Woah…”

I stood there like a statue for a long while, looking up at the night sky together with Eok I-geon.

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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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