The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 316

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Side Story Episode 10
With lodging secured, my purse pleasantly full, and my belly satisfied, the next order of business was naturally sightseeing.
When we ventured out after dinner, the sea was draped in the glow of sunset. The sun, gleaming like a crimson jewel, painted both sky and water surface in shades of gold.
Seagulls wheeled through the air with their cries, while dozens of massive sailing vessels bobbed densely together, rising and falling with the waves.
Planks were laid across the decks, and workers on the ships shouted frantically as they hurried to load and unload cargo. They were determined to finish before sunset. It was a scene utterly unchanged from before.
As I walked further, the sea gradually surrendered to darkness, and the once-clamorous harbor grew quieter with each step, as though it had never been noisy at all.
When even the children who had been playing and splashing about finally stopped and rushed away after their parents’ shouts to come out at once, only the sound of waves remained.
As I admired the view, I caught a glimpse of Namgung Ryu-cheong. He was staring blankly in the direction the children had disappeared.
“Why are you looking like that?”
“Huh? It’s nothing.”
His face had turned bright red the moment I asked—hardly the response of someone with nothing on his mind.
It was far worse than when he’d suggested taking just one room earlier. He looked like a perfectly ripe apple.
‘What was he thinking about that made his face suddenly turn red at the sight of children?’
They were just children, after all.
No matter how many times I asked what was wrong, Namgung Ryu-cheong stubbornly refused to open his mouth. That only made me more curious, but seeing his determined expression, I changed the subject.
“So, Ryu-cheong, did you ever play like that when you were young?”
“‘Like that’ meaning?”
“Have you ever splashed around in the water and played with friends?”
“Never.”
Of course—that was so like Namgung Ryu-cheong. Honestly, I couldn’t even imagine it, which is why I’d asked.
“What about swimming?”
“I can swim.”
“You can swim, but you’ve never splashed around playing in the water?”
“What does one have to do with the other?”
“Well, that’s… quite unique.”
I turned toward the direction where the children had been playing at the dock.
“So, now that you’ve come and seen the sea like this, what do you think of it?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You’re not sure?”
“Right. It’s hardly different from a lake.”
“Is that so?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong nodded as he spoke.
“I don’t understand why people want to see it.”
I looked at Namgung Ryu-cheong and the dock where we were standing. And in that moment, a wicked thought occurred to me.
‘No, but isn’t that a bit too much?’
I hesitated briefly, but the thought that if not now, I might never get another chance like this—that such an opportunity might never come again—ignited my mischievous plan.
I reached out and drew Namgung Ryu-cheong’s sword from his waist. He looked at me with a puzzled expression, but I simply smiled wickedly and pointed my finger at the edge of the dock.
“Look at it more closely from here.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong, without a shred of suspicion, walked toward the edge of the dock I had indicated.
“Yes. Right there. And look at the water’s surface.”
“I’m watching.”
“The thing about the sea is….”
The moment Namgung Ryu-cheong leaned forward to peer at the water’s surface, I shoved him with all my strength.
“…!”
Namgung Ryu-cheong, completely off guard, lost his balance—
Splash.
Water erupted high into the air above the quiet dock.
I quickly deployed my natural affinity to block the spray. Bubbles gurgled up through the seawater, and soon a drenched head of wet hair broke the surface.
“Pyo. Li. Yeon.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong called my name in a deeply irritated voice.
“What in the world are you doing!”
“Isn’t it refreshing? Your face was so red I thought you were overheating!”
Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke as if utterly exasperated.
“You’re doing this because I didn’t answer your question?”
I looked down at him and replied.
“No, no~ I just thought since you didn’t seem to understand the sea very well, you should splash around and play a bit. Two birds with one stone, you know? So, do you understand it better now?”
To be honest, I simply wanted to do it.
Namgung Ryu-cheong exhaled a long sigh, wiping the water from his face.
“Hmm, the body floats much better than in a lake?”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, much lighter.”
Usually, people mention how the water is salty, unlike a lake. But he noticed the body floats lighter? True to form for someone who makes their living with their body, his observation was quite unique.
Namgung Ryu-cheong grabbed the dock and hoisted himself up, water streaming from his body onto the wooden planks.
I quietly edged away as Namgung Ryu-cheong adjusted his soaked robes, shooting me a glare.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes.”
“Good. As long as you enjoyed yourself.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong wrung out his sleeve, and water dripped heavily to the ground.
As he was roughly arranging his clothes, Namgung Ryu-cheong suddenly stopped moving.
“What’s wrong?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong slightly furrowed his brow and gently pressed on the wound site.
“Does it hurt?”
I rushed over in alarm.
‘I thought it had completely healed?’
Since I applied medicine to it every day, I knew the wound’s condition better than anyone.
I was certain that seawater wouldn’t be a problem at this point.
“It’s a little… sore.”
“Really?”
I drew close to Namgung Ryu-cheong and lifted his wet garment to examine the wound. But in the darkness, I couldn’t find anything unusual.
Even examining it with my golden eyes revealed nothing. I found no problems in the vital meridians around the wound.
Still, I couldn’t help but worry that seawater might have caused some damage.
I spoke anxiously, unable to stand still.
“I’m sorry…. I’m so sorry. Let me find a Physician right now….”
As I muttered, I caught sight of Namgung Ryu-cheong’s lips curling upward slightly. And his waist, now lighter without the sword he’d discarded.
In that instant, Namgung Ryu-cheong pulled me into a tight embrace.
“No!”
I felt the dampness of his soaked clothes seeping into mine.
“Ryu-cheong! Wait— Kyaaah!”
Splash.
Stinging seawater rushed mercilessly into my eyes, nose, and mouth. My body sank briefly before bobbing back to the surface.
“Pfft!”
I gasped for the breath I’d been holding and spat out mouthfuls of seawater.
“What are you doing!”
“It seemed a shame to experience this alone.”
“I’ve played plenty before!”
The moment Namgung Ryu-cheong released his arms, I splashed water at him furiously in my anger.
“You were faking your pain too!”
“Yes.”
“You deceiver! I thought my heart would stop!”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s laughter rang out high into the night sky.
After splashing about indignantly for a while, I grew tired and stopped, deciding to simply enjoy myself since I was already soaked. It was my first time swimming in the sea.
I spoke in wonder.
“You were right—my body really does feel lighter in the sea.”
“Haven’t you seen the sea before?”
“I’ve seen it. But when would I ever fall into the sea alone! There was no one close to me here! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gone in today either!”
“…Alone?”
“Of course alone! Who else would I come with!”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s expression was ambiguous—slightly flustered, yet somehow pleased.
Seeing that look, I suddenly felt irritated and splashed water at him again.
Namgung Ryu-cheong dodged, counterattacked a few times, and we continued playing—floating about, taking brief rests—before finally climbing back onto the Dock.
Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke.
“Now I understand why children play in the water like that.”
Unable to wring out any more water from my sleeves despite repeated attempts, I shouted without caring who had started this in the first place.
“Did you have fun? Did you!”
“Yes. Now I understand why people play like this.”
He nodded and looked at me, his clear, deep eyes shimmering with joy in the moonlight. Seeing those luminous eyes, my heart finally melted away.
“Good. As long as you had fun, that’s all that matters.”
Ah. Now I perfectly understood why Namgung Ryu-cheong had said what he did earlier. Seeing me happy, his anger had simply vanished.
A warm fullness filled my entire being, and words spilled out naturally.
“Ryu-cheong, I love you.”
My sudden confession made Namgung Ryu-cheong’s eyes widen.
He stared at me with a dazed gaze before breaking into a radiant smile, as if delighted.
“That’s what I wanted to say.”
Then he lowered his head and reached out, wrapping his hand around mine. Warmth enveloped my hand, which had grown cold from the night sea breeze.
It was then that Namgung Ryu-cheong suddenly spoke.
“What did you like about that person?”
“…That person?”
Confused by his sudden question, I looked at Namgung Ryu-cheong. His expression had hardened as if his happiness from moments before had been nothing but a dream.
“The person you called Cheong.”
I frowned slightly, trying to recall who he meant.
There was only one person I had ever called Cheong….
“Are you talking about yourself?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
“How could that be me?”
“Huh?”
“You said you liked Namgung Ryu-cheong before the regression.”
“That’s you, isn’t it?”
“It’s different.”
I stared at Namgung Ryu-cheong with a bewildered expression.
But his face was utterly serious.
“….”
“….”
Namgung Ryu-cheong gripped my hand tightly, his voice carrying a note of wounded indignation.
“What am I lacking compared to that person?”
“No, wait—what’s even the difference between the two of you…?”
“That person saw the sea first too, didn’t he?”
“What?”
What on earth was he talking about?
I slowly gathered my thoughts.
‘So he thinks I went to see the sea with Namgung Ryu-cheong before the regression?’
And he was jealous of that?
Now that I thought about it, he had initially said there was no need to see the sea, but suddenly changed his tune after meeting Muyang Pyo Country.
“Wait, hold on. You…you were jealous of your own past self?”
“It’s not me.”
“Hah.”
So he was jealous of his past self? Truly? Ah, this is absurd!
Namgung Ryu-cheong, as if resigned to his fate, spoke bluntly.
“You said it yourself. That you chased after him because you liked him.”
“I did say that…?”
“That’s why you don’t call me that—because of the memory of calling that person Cheong.”
“….”
“….”
I clenched both fists tightly.
“Don’t laugh.”
“I’m not laughing.”
I could hold it together.
I had to. If I lost it here, everything would fall apart.
“….”
Namgung Ryu-cheong stared at me intently.
I met his gaze with the utmost seriousness, insisting I wasn’t laughing—but I couldn’t help myself any longer and burst into laughter.
“Ah, I can’t take it anymore. Hehe, puhahahaha!”
I doubled over, clutching my stomach.
“Were you always this jealous? No, ahahaha! Ah, this is killing me. Ahahaha.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong regarded me with a sullen expression and straightened his clothes.

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