Book 21 Chapter 7

The strict observance of contract terms is the lifeblood of a laborer.

—A Strange Contract

"Are, are you alright?"

Namgung Jin, fidgeting from beyond the bushes, asked the person beside him. The person beside him, Na Baekcheon, who clearly did not look alright, replied in a somber voice.

"I think I'll be alright now."

Followed by a sigh that seemed to shake the ground. Namgung Jin also sighed inwardly.

The incident in Seocheon was secretly handled, so the other members of the party, excluding Na Baekcheon and Namgung Jin, did not know who had murdered Namgung Hyeon. If rumors spread that the younger brother of the Murim Alliance Leader was Seocheon, the martial arts world would be engulfed in a bloodbath.

Namgung Hyeon, the Commander of Sicheon, was murdered by an unidentified assassin; his Vice-Commander, Na Ilcheon, was missing.

The families, who had suddenly suffered a loss and heard this brief news, wished for Namgung Jin to return to the Namgung family estate with his brother's coffin. He was now the next head of the Namgung family. However, knowing the inside story, he resolutely refused and remained in Sicheon. Had he not sworn before his brother's face to the enemy he could not wait to tear apart, Na Ilcheon, no, to Seocheon himself? He had vowed to protect Na Baekcheon with his life.

Therefore, his place was not beside his brother's cold corpse, but where his enemy would surely appear one day, the place where he had vowed to stake his life, which was by Na Baekcheon's side. And so, as they were seeing off the visitors who had come due to Namgung Hyeon's death, they encountered Yeonbi heading towards the backyard.

Namgung Jin, who had a general understanding of Na Yerin's situation, could understand why Na Baekcheon did not stop Yeonbi. He probably knew the chances were slim, but perhaps he hoped that the beautiful dance might offer some solace to her wounded heart. However, just in case, the guards Namgung Jin had specially instructed rushed over and delivered astonishing news.

He had heard they had managed to save her, but what the panicked Na Baekcheon and he witnessed as soon as they arrived was Na Yerin's wail. In front of a bewildered Yeonbi, Na Yerin was weeping silently. Na Baekcheon and Namgung Jin found it difficult to step forward, even without the guards' report.

"Yes, now you cry, now. Yes, cry to your heart's content."

Na Baekcheon, saying words that could be misunderstood if overheard, his eyes reddened. The tears shed by someone who has suffered a horrific ordeal inevitably contain all sorts of terrible things. The things suppressed inwardly eventually oxidize into a deadly poison and consume their owner.

A little girl who had stopped shedding tears at some point. She had probably torn her own heart and crammed all sorts of wounds into it. As a result, the girl who had shone with a beauty that anyone would covet now looked completely different. The sight of her trembling as if suffocating and weeping endlessly made even Namgung Jin's heart ache. How much more so would the heart of a father feel?

"…Take care of the rear. Call that child to the office later."

Na Baekcheon left quietly after saying that. Of course, "that child" referred to Yeonbi. Namgung Jin decided to observe the situation and even sat down.

After a long while, when her sobbing subsided somewhat, Yeonbi wet a handkerchief and handed it to her.

"Put it on your face, it will be cool."

Rin wiped her face and drank the water Yeonbi gave her. Cool water. Somewhere, a refreshing breeze like water blew.

"I've never seen a young lady cry as much as Rin. Haah, I was hoping to have the rare experience of drowning in tears. But still, it's good she didn't die, right?"

Her tone was laced with laughter. Rin involuntarily chuckled. How long had it been since she last laughed? It didn't matter. She leaned against a tree, following Yeonbi, and caught her breath. She no longer had the strength to even twitch a finger. Her entire body melted away with a sigh. Still, it felt strangely peaceful.

"I almost became a… hideous monster."

"Yes… Yes?"

Yeonbi, who had been about to respond casually to the words that slipped out so casually, suddenly became surprised. What was this sudden remark? Looking at the girl named Rin, she seemed surprised herself. Or perhaps she was surprised by her own words?

"Ah, are you talking about why you jumped?"

Rin seemed to ponder for a moment, then nodded.

"Oh dear, it's true you look a bit disheveled, but calling yourself a monster is a bit much. Surely you don't have a giant mouth on your back that eats chickens every night, do you?"

Rin was speechless for a moment at Yeonbi's bizarre imagination. But soon, a huge question prompted her to speak.

"Disheveled?"

Yeonbi flinched inwardly. A momentary sense of crisis and complex thoughts intertwined.

'Ugh! I was already crying a lot after saying one wrong word earlier. I'd rather get hit by my master a few times… No, that's not it. Let's not even make such ominous comparisons!'

Yeonbi quickly shook off her inner turmoil and decided to rephrase more diplomatically.

"Well, your body is so dry, your eyes are dull, and your complexion is pale, you look like a shut-in, a recluse…".

'This!'

Yeonbi inwardly broke out in a cold sweat. Because she had constantly protested and pointed out her master's tyranny and lived her life with dignity in the face of truth, had her outspokenness become uncontrollable?

However, Yeonbi's assessment was accurate. For days, she hadn't even washed her face, let alone eaten properly, and her eyes, which had once sparkled like jewels, had become dull. Furthermore, the wounds on her lips had not yet healed.

"Disheveled, recluse…"

Yerin murmured softly and smiled faintly. The word "disheveled" was a hundred times better than the sticky hands reaching out with covetous intent. Yeonbi seized the opportunity to change the subject.

"But why did you feel like you would become a monster, Rin?"

"I… can see. Or rather, they flow into me, the sticky, mushy, dark hearts of people. And then… I would become like that too…"

"……"

Yeonbi did not say a skeptical "Oh, really?" Normally, she would have laughed it off or dismissed her as a liar, but Yeonbi pondered before outright disbelieving. Her expression and the circumstances didn't suggest a lie. It was possible she truly had such a strange ability. Yeonbi suddenly became curious.

"What about me? Am I dark too?"

Rin gazed intently into Yeonbi's eyes with her hazy, blurred gaze. Then, she realized that something had broken inside her, and since then, something had closed off.

"Ah! Right now… I don't know. Nothing is flowing in."

It felt like one of her senses was gone. Perhaps this was why she felt comfortable being with Yeonbi.

"Hmm, whatever it is, it's a shame. It's a peculiar ability."

"It's not. They're monsters, people's hearts."

*Thwack.*

Yeonbi lightly flicked Rin's forehead.

"That's too mean. I'm a person too. Am I a monster then?"

"That's…"

As Rin trailed off, Yeonbi smiled gently.

"There must have been many bad people around Rin. But what about your parents, or people who like you, or cute babies? Wouldn't those feel really good? Oh, and you wouldn't be fooled by bad people, so it's a convenient ability in many ways."

"But when those sticky things flow in…"

"Clean up! When that happens, you clean up. If you get trash in your house, you sweep it away, right? So, push away the squishy, sticky people and fill your surroundings with cheerful people."

Rin's eyes widened. She had never thought of it that way before.

"How do you… do that cleaning?"

"Hmm, if Rin is strong, you can just kick them away. If you have a lot of money, you can hire someone to do it for you. If you're a skilled talker, you can use sharp words for a mental attack… What are you good at, Rin?"

"What I'm good at?"

Nothing came to mind. She had never thought about it before.

"Yes. Surely there's something you're good at? If you find it and hone it, it will become strength, and if you have strength, you'll find a way to use it."

Rin blushed. She couldn't explain exactly why, but she felt deeply ashamed.

"Well, we can think about that later. We should probably head back to your parents now, shouldn't we? It looks like someone's been waiting for you from over there."

Before Yeonbi could finish speaking, Namgung Jin got up and came over the bushes. As he approached, his footsteps rustling the grass, Rin unconsciously reached out and tightly grasped Yeonbi's hem.

"Huh? Is he a stranger?"

"No, he's, go…"

Rin shook her head, stammering unintelligible words with an anxious expression. Yeonbi smiled gently and said,

"Rin, when you interact with people, you need to express yourself clearly so they know what you want."

Although there was no reprimand, the intention was clear.

"Let's go together, Yeonbi."

Rin bravely said. It was the first time she had uttered someone's name. It was the first time she had had such a conversation with another person, and the first time she had felt ashamed. Most importantly, this was the person who had embraced her, who had jumped down in such dark and tragic despair, without any ulterior motive for the first time.

If her face could be seen, it felt like a cool yet warm light emanated from Yeonbi. Right now, she felt she couldn't let go of her hem. Unconsciously, the fragmented pieces of her heart, which had been shattered in darkness, were just beginning to glimmer with light.

"Let's go together. Your father is also waiting to see you."

Namgung Jin politely requested, even using formal language. Having observed the situation and heard their entire conversation, he could not treat Yeonbi carelessly. While she might appear to be just a young dancer, Yeonbi was already as good as the highest distinguished guest to Na Yerin, no, to Na Baekcheon. However, Yeonbi's answer was firm.

"Hmm, that's a bit difficult. I'll be late if I don't hurry to work. Then, Rin, take care."

Yeonbi bowed her head slightly with a smile. It was clear she was saying goodbye, but Rin tightened her grip on her hem. Namgung Jin, observing Yerin's pale face, quickly interjected,

"I'll inform Cheonhyangru separately. More importantly, Young Lady Rin's father…"

For a moment, Yeonbi's eyes turned cold.

"I'll pass. There's no reason for me to meet him in the first place, and the strict observance of contract terms is the lifeblood of a laborer. If he's not someone who trifles with contracts or promises, he'll understand, right?"

Namgung Jin was at a loss for words at Yeonbi's icy reaction. Although the Alliance Leader had given an order, forcing a refusal would only worsen things. Moreover, wasn't the other party a benefactor of their precious jewel?

"Then… I'll, no, contract with me, Yeonbi."

"Huh?"

Yeonbi, as well as Namgung Jin, turned to her with stunned faces at the sudden remark.

"Then, we can see each other again, right?"

Seeing Rin grasp her hem with a desperate tone, Yeonbi was momentarily dazed.

"Ah, can't we?"

When there was no answer, Rin asked again. Namgung Jin, with a troubled expression, opened his mouth.

"Young lady, how should I put it, usually that's called a promise rather than a contract…"

"No, no, but if we contract, what will Rin give me?"

Yeonbi asked with a serious face.

"What, what do I have to give?"

Rin was flustered. Although she had spoken in a hurry, she didn't exactly know what a 'contract' was. Having grown up as a precious jewel and never leaving Na Baekcheon's side, she had never encountered worldly concepts like money or contracts.

"Pfft, Pfft!"

Yeonbi burst into laughter, and Namgung Jin averted his gaze to the distant mountains to suppress his laughter and sighs.

"Alright. From now on, if Rin hangs a red ribbon or towel from her window, I'll come within two days at the latest. It's not easy to get away even with difficult circumstances, so… The price will be Rin fulfilling three of my requests. I'll think about the details and tell you later. How about it?"

Namgung Jin tensed at the torrent of words. Due to security reasons, Na Baekcheon's exact identity had not been revealed to Cheonhyangru, so the employees other than the owner did not know who he was. From what he could see, Yeonbi also didn't know Yerin's identity, and although it was more of a childish promise than a contract, he felt uneasy. However, before he could dissuade her, Yerin opened her mouth.

"Then is it done? A contract?"

"Yes, the contract is established!"

Yeonbi replied with a bright smile.