The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 55

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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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Chapter 55
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‘Good heavens….’
What a disagreeable fellow.
Witnessing the living embodiment of misfortune itself, I found myself wanting to applaud.
That such a man had been shaped into a person at all—I felt both admiration and pity for my father anew.
‘How much hardship must he have endured…?’
My father truly was the most remarkable. The applause should go to him, not to that disagreeable wretch. Yet the novel had clearly stated that Seo Ha-ryeong was his childhood friend, someone he’d grown up with….
Perhaps it hadn’t happened yet?
I turned to look at Seo Ha-ryeong. She stood with her shoulders drooping, her gaze fixed on the floor.
I asked carefully.
“Miss Seo, is there a particular reason you wish to train alongside Namgung Ryu-cheong?”
Seo Ha-ryeong continued staring at the floor, her voice small.
“…I want to become close to him.”
“Why?”
“He’s strong.”
Oh, that was an unexpected reason.
‘It’s far too early to speak of love, after all.’
Seo Ha-ryeong bit her lip and murmured.
“We sparred, but I’ve never beaten him. Not once.”
“Not even once?”
“No. I’ve never lost to anyone my age at the Suhyang Sect.”
I praised her with genuine admiration.
“That’s incredible! You’re quite remarkable yourself!”
“Then what good is it? I can’t properly face him even once.”
“Well…that’s simply because you’re younger than Namgung Ryu-cheong….”
“A two-year difference is nothing. Namgung Ryu-cheong has defeated opponents several years his senior. What’s two years to him?”
There was nothing to be done about it.
Namgung Ryu-cheong was the protagonist of this world, after all….
Because Namgung Ryu-cheong was a genius of ecosystem-destroying caliber, Seo Ha-ryeong would eventually gain considerable renown for her own abilities in the future.
Seeing the child before me, drooping with despair while knowing nothing of that future, filled me with pity.
“I’ve heard the swordsmanship of the Suhyang Sect is remarkable.”
“It is! Our Suhyang Sect’s swordwork is amazing! Mother—oh no, Mother told me not to call her that outside. The Sect Leader’s swordwork is so magnificent! But…. But I….”
Seo Ha-ryeong’s voice, which had brightened momentarily while speaking of the Suhyang Sect, gradually grew dampened.
“I’m…I’m lacking…. I’m not enough…. Sob.”
“Huh?”
“Sniff. Whimper.”
Wait, what. Is she crying? Just like that? Why?
“Miss, Miss Seo.”
“…I miss Mother. Waaaaaah.”
Startled, I glanced around, unsure what to do.
I didn’t ring it!
Just as Namgung Ryu-cheong had his attendant nearby, we had a maidservant at our side. Though the Namgung Clan was said to be safe, they wouldn’t let young children wander about after sunset.
A maidservant of the Namgung Clan, shadowy in her presence, approached and offered Seo Ha-ryeong a handkerchief. But she swatted the hand away and cried out.
“Don’t touch me! Waaah!”
As the maidservant approached repeatedly, only to have Seo Ha-ryeong grow more upset with each attempt, she looked to me as if asking for help.
‘She said not to touch her. What difference would it make if I did…’
Muttering to myself, I hesitantly approached Seo Ha-ryeong and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Surprisingly, she didn’t brush my hand away.
Gaining a bit of courage, I tried to soothe her.
“Don’t cry.”
But my words seemed to ignite her tears further, and she wailed even louder.
“Waaah, waaaaah.”
“Um… Miss Seo, don’t cry. What’s so great about the Namgung young master anyway…”
“Waaaaah.”
Ah, this isn’t working.
I rolled my eyes and stopped patting her as I spoke.
“Miss Seo, don’t cry… It’s me, it’s really me. I want to see your sword!”
Seo Ha-ryeong flinched at my words, as if tempted.
I quickly continued.
“Right? I want to see the Suhyang Sect sword.”
“…The… Suhyang… sword?”
“Yes, yes! I want to see it!”
I eagerly played the part of a child desperate to see the Suhyang Sect’s sword. The mention of swords seemed to work—Seo Ha-ryeong’s tears stopped abruptly.
She rubbed her face vigorously to wipe away the tears and jumped to her feet.
“Alright! I’ll show you!”
Seo Ha-ryeong, burning with enthusiasm, led me to a Practice Hall. It was empty, as everyone was resting at this hour.
The stone lanterns scattered throughout the Practice Hall had already been extinguished, leaving only the lantern the maidservant carried to illuminate the ground beneath our feet.
Seo Ha-ryeong showed no fear as she took her stance in the center of the dim Practice Hall. The moment she gripped the wooden sword and assumed a serious expression, her presence grew heavy and imposing.
‘Indeed…’
It seemed true that there was no peer her age in the Suhyang Sect. Seo Ha-ryeong’s skill was far beyond what I had imagined.
But what surprised me even more was something else entirely.
I watched intently as Seo Ha-ryeong demonstrated her swordplay.
‘What is this?’
A vision composed of light.
Eyes that perceive qi. Those eyes were far more remarkable than I had anticipated. Each time Seo Ha-ryeong swung her sword, they allowed me to anticipate how the attack would unfold.
‘My prediction of where Cheonsan Yeom-je’s finger was about to strike wasn’t coincidence.’
Moreover, each time Seo Ha-ryeong swung her sword, I could instinctively perceive the gaps in her defense—the weak points in her technique.
“Huff.”
Having finished her demonstration, Seo Ha-ryeong turned to me, breathing heavily.
I instinctively clapped my hands together.
“Wow, that was impressive!”
“Really?”
“Yes. Can you show me once more?”
I wanted to verify what I’d just witnessed. At my request, Seo Ha-ryeong, who had been cradling the wooden sword, broke into a radiant smile and nodded.
“Sure!”
* * *
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Ragged breathing echoed through the dim Practice Hall.
“I… I can’t do any more!”
Seo Ha-ryeong cried out before collapsing onto the ground and sprawling flat against the dirt floor.
I rushed over in alarm.
“Alright, alright. No more. Get up. You can’t just lie on the dirt like that!”
“I don’t care, I don’t care. I can’t get up! I need to rest!”
Without realizing it, I kept pleading with her. Even once would have been exhausting, but after ten repetitions, her fatigue was entirely understandable.
I sat down beside Seo Ha-ryeong and asked her.
“How long are you staying at the Namgung Clan?”
“Three months. A month has already passed, so two months remain.”
“But the Suhyang Sect isn’t far from here. Couldn’t you just return whenever you want?”
“But… everyone except me is enjoying learning so much here.”
“Everyone except you?”
“Yes. The other disciples of the Suhyang Sect.”
“Ah, so you came for a martial arts exchange?”
“Yes. If I were to leave, my senior brothers and senior sisters would have to leave too.”
“I see.”
A martial arts exchange with the Namgung Clan—even for the Suhyang Sect, such an opportunity was rare. It made sense to stay as long as possible before returning.
After a moment of thought, I spoke.
“I have twin cousins my age, and your skills are far superior to theirs. So don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Really? If they’re your cousins, they must be from the Baek Li Family, right?”
“That’s right.”
Seo Ha-ryeong sprang up excitedly, then pouted and flopped back down.
“Then what’s the point? Namgung Ryu-cheong is…”
As Seo Ha-ryeong collapsed, dust billowed up from the ground.
“Cough, cough.”
“Oh no, that’s right. You’re frail, aren’t you?”
Wait, wasn’t that just from the dust? And did she really need to point out my frailty like that?
Seo Ha-ryeong jumped up, grabbed my arm, and pulled me to my feet.
“You can’t sit on the ground like this! Let’s go inside!”
I gazed at Seo Ha-ryeong for a moment before opening my mouth.
“I noticed earlier that your shoulder keeps dropping.”
“Huh? How did you know? I get called out for that every time.”
I watched Seo Ha-ryeong stare at me with wide, startled eyes like a rabbit’s.
‘Well… advice at this level should be fine to give.’
“What if you tried it this way instead?”
I’d fix one problem only for another to emerge, and when I addressed that, yet another would surface.
‘This is what happens when you wade in without knowing what you’re doing.’
I let out a long yawn and stepped outside the building attached to the Practice Hall. While I was fading from exhaustion, Seo Ha-ryeong still brimmed with boundless energy.
‘She’s the one who demonstrated the sword technique, so why am I more tired than her?’
Seo Ha-ryeong bounced ahead, then turned back to look at me.
“My Residence Quarter is this way! See you later, see you tomorrow!”
Tomorrow too?
“Huh? Oh, sure. See you.”
I waved back while concealing my bewilderment. That was when Seo Ha-ryeong vanished from my sight.
“Miss Baek Li.”
An elderly voice called from behind me. I turned to find a neatly dressed old man regarding me—the source of the presence that had been lingering outside the building all along.
“I am a servant attending the Namgung Clan’s Family Head. The Family Head wishes to share tea with you.”
Family Head? That would be Namgung Mu-cheol?
I stared at the servant in surprise at this completely unexpected invitation.
The servant spoke respectfully.
“Since the hour grows late, if you are fatigued, you may visit tomorrow instead.”
“…No, it’s fine! I’m good. Let’s go.”
If I left now, curiosity would keep me awake all night.

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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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