Volume 1 Chapter 13 – Uninvited Guest

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“From now on, you are the main gate liaison. Stand by at the main gate indefinitely from now on.”

“Yes?!”

The expert of unknown identity raised his head and looked at Yeon So-hyeon.

“Since there are facilities used by the previous liaison servants at the main gate, use them as your quarters.”

Yeon So-hyeon did not pay attention to him and continued.

“The access authority is up to places excluding the residence. Do not forget.”

His words were as good as saying he would officially make him an errand boy.

“E-Eldest Young Master?”

That too, having to stand by indefinitely in front of the main gate.

“Why?”

Yeon So-hyeon continued even before the expert of unknown identity could answer.

“If you don’t like it, you can try doing whatever you want this time too.”

“…….”

Those were words too heavy for someone who was ‘merely an expert’ to bear.

At least in this spot, there was no choice he could make.

“…I will receive the Eldest Young Master’s order.”

The Eldest Young Master did not even give an answer and looked toward Jeong-ah.

“What are you still doing standing there?”

“I will go, Eldest Young Master.”

Without a moment of delay, she bowed deeply, paid her respects, and took steps backward to withdraw.

* * *

“A guest came here, but what kind of hospitality is this?!”

A strongman who was a head taller than even the men who exerted some strength shouted as soon as he saw Jeong-ah.

Jeong-ah read the opponent with her ‘eyes’ and bowed her head in greeting.

“…Pleasure to meet you, I am called Jeong-ah.”

The Three Absolute Warriors did not seem to have any intention of accepting such a greeting from Jeong-ah.

He sneered and said.

“Guide me inside. I must meet your master.”

‘…Out of his mind.’

Jeong-ah sighed inwardly.

The surrounding guards only looked at them with excitement, and it was clear they had no intention of helping in the least.

“The Eldest Young Master did not permit entry.”

“What…?!”

Jeong-ah intentionally cut off his words.

“If you have business with me, speak here.”

Although she gently lowered her eyes, there was not a single expression on her face.

It was that very dignity itself that had been called the Ice Flower by the customers of the Guest House.

And naturally, at the action that was as good as ‘provocation’, the Three Absolute Warriors exploded.

“This crazy wench…?!”

As he took one step toward the main gate,

And took one step inside the boundary stone of the main gate,

“Halt.”

Even the sound of drawing a sword was not heard.

Just as if it had been so from the very beginning.

The blades raised by the experts dressed in the uniforms of the guards protecting the main gate were all pointing at the Three Absolute Warriors.

“U-Uh?”

The Three Absolute Warriors backed away in embarrassment.

Then, from behind, the guard captain (who had become Yeon So-hyeon’s liaison) who was holding his head in his hands warned with a sigh.

“This place is a top-level restricted area. To pass through here arbitrarily, you must either have a security clearance of Class 1 or higher…”

He bared his teeth, not hiding his irritation.

“…Fuck, anyway, it does not apply to you, so don’t mess around.”

His eyeballs glistened.

“This is the end of the warning.”

“I-I understand.”

The Three Absolute Warriors raised both hands, revealing that they had no intention of being hostile.

Then, the guards put their swords back in and stepped back, returning to being onlookers.

The guard captain sat down on the spot, leaning against the door frame.

And he started grabbing his hair again.

“Ahem, ahem.”

At the attitude that they would not care as long as he did not step inside, the Three Absolute Warriors coughed a few times and decided to focus only on Jeong-ah.

“You must go with me to the Third Young Master.”

It was a rough request, but his momentum had noticeably decreased.

Jeong-ah did not even nod her head and rejected his words.

“My whereabouts are not decided by the Third Young Master.”

The Three Absolute Warriors sneered at her.

“That is none of your business. Does a slave girl nitpick about this and that?”

It was a humiliating remark, but Jeong-ah replied without even blinking an eye.

“I only spoke of the laws of the Main Family.”

“Enough. If the Third Young Master tells you to come, coming is the law. Let’s go right now.”

He reached out a hand like a pot lid, and Jeong-ah naturally took a step back.

“This wench…?!”

As Jeong-ah backed away, he could not catch her without stepping inside.

“My name is Jeong-ah, however.”

He felt a surge of anger, and his toes twitched.

Just one step.

With just one step, he could wring the neck of that boastful wench.

However, it was impossible to ignore the experts of unknown identity who were watching with amused faces.

“…I will definitely see whether you can act that boastful in front of the Third Young Master.”

The sound of teeth grinding resounded eerily.

“Until then, you had better behave yourself. The Third Young Master dislikes using things that others have used.”

Jeong-ah bowed her head slightly in greeting.

“I will not see you off far.”

He spat on the ground and turned around.

Watching him move away, Jeong-ah wanted to sit down on the spot just like that.

The momentum emitted by the Three Absolute Warriors was so fierce that it was not something an ordinary person without any internal energy could endure.

However, she stood tall and endured until the end without any trembling.

Although there was a will not to show a weak side to anyone, above all, another guest was approaching the main gate.

“Hmph.”

“Heng.”

The middle-aged man who encountered the Three Absolute Warriors let out a low sneer, and the Three Absolute Warriors sneered loudly.

Just by looking at that sight, one could easily guess where that middle-aged man had come from.

“I am the butler responsible for the Second Young Master’s Howon.”

“Jeong-ah, the maid serving the Eldest Young Master, greets the Butler of Howon.”

He spread open a fan (in the middle of winter!) and looked at Jeong-ah with displeased eyes over the fan.

“Impudent thing. I have nothing to say to you, so guide me to your master quickly.”

“I am sorry, but the Eldest Young Master is not receiving guests.”

“What…?!”

Veins bulged on his hand holding the fan.

“Are you babbling even after knowing that this butler came on behalf of the Second Young Master?”

Jeong-ah replied without a change in her expression.

“I am truly sorry.”

The Howon butler’s eyes narrowed over the fan.

From the sight and attitude of Jeong-ah standing without leaving the main gate, he grasped much more than a few words.

“…I thought you were only impudent, but you are a shameless wench.”

Jeong-ah made no response to the low, angry murmuring.

He turned his gaze from Jeong-ah, who showed no reaction, and greeted the guard captain who was sitting on the ground.

“You are working hard.”

From his tone, it could be seen that he noticed these people were not ordinary.

Although he did not have a handful of internal energy, did it not show that he did not obtain the butler position by playing games?

“Is it certain, as this girl said, that the Eldest Young Master is not receiving visitors?”

At his question, the guard in the very front shrugged.

“We do not know either.”

“Aha, is that so? Is there anyone who knows?”

In that brief moment, the gaze of the guard captain, who was holding his head in his hands, stayed on Jeong-ah for a moment.

Jeong-ah flinched slightly at that gaze but did not avoid it.

“Aha, if no one knows, then it cannot be helped.”

The Howon butler continued, showing a letter from his robe.

On the envelope of that letter, the seal of the Second Young Master was clearly stamped.

“As a person who bears the responsibility to deliver the Second Young Master’s letter, I have no choice but to…”

At that moment, with a short sigh, the guard captain stood up.

“The Eldest Young Master is not receiving guests.”

The Howon butler’s long eyebrows twitched.

“…Is that so?”

The guard captain smacked his lips and said.

“I myself am on the way out after being reprimanded for that very matter just now.”

“Aha…”

The Howon butler stroked his thin beard.

“This has become troublesome.”

He organized his thoughts for a moment and clicked his tongue.

“Then it cannot be helped.”

Jeong-ah tried to receive the Second Young Master’s letter that he held out.

But the Howon butler did not let go of the letter and looked at the guard captain.

“Can you verify whether this girl delivers the letter well?”

The guard captain made an extremely unwilling expression, then reluctantly nodded.

“I will do so.”

Only then did the Howon butler release his strength and allow Jeong-ah to take the letter.

“…Remember it well.”

He looked down at Jeong-ah with snake-like eyes and said in a low voice.

“No matter what you think by rolling your small head, in the end, you are in the palm of the Second Young Master’s hand.”

And after delivering a greeting toward the guards, he turned and walked away.

“Butler of Howon, I will not see you off far.”

What returned to Jeong-ah’s greeting was only a sneer.

Soon, when he was sufficiently far away, one of the guards shrugged.

“…Disgusting bastards.”

“Indeed.”

And then, they all nodded their heads toward Jeong-ah.

“The young lady has great spirit.”

“Ahem. I do not know the circumstances, but seeing that dignified appearance is admirable.”

It was a tone unbefitting of a guard.

“Thank you for looking at me kindly.”

However, Jeong-ah regarded it as a good result instead.

It was because they had sincerely acknowledged her in their original identity, not in the guise of false guards.

Jeong-ah, who exchanged greetings with them for a moment, hid the trembling of her body and barely moved her steps.

“Hey, wait.”

It was none other than the guard captain.

“…Do you have something to say to me?”

Following her to the forest path, he spoke to her in a low voice.

“The Eldest Young Master has never spoken words forbidding visits. Is that not so?”

Jeong-ah bit her lip for a moment.

“He did not command it directly, but in my opinion…”

He waved his hand to stop her words.

“As you know, I do not have a single good feeling toward your Eldest Young Master.”

“…….”

“Still, the reason I am trying to tell you this is simply because seeing a child the age of my daughter in a difficult situation weighs on my mind.”

Jeong-ah bowed her head.

“I will take it to heart.”

He sighed for a moment, blaming his own nosiness, and eventually continued.

“You know that the Eldest Young Master could have protected you but did not, right?”

At those words, Jeong-ah showed a troubled look.

“…I am just a mere maid.”

He shook his hand.

“No, no. There seems to be some misunderstanding, but the meaning of my words is different from what you guess.”

He scratched his head roughly and said.

“Since I spent my whole life with a sword, my speaking skills are terribly lacking. But as a warrior, there are things that catch my eye instead.”

His gaze turned toward Jeong-ah.

“Are you trying to offer loyalty to the Eldest Young Master? Or are you trying to protect yourself? When I saw you guessing the Eldest Young Master’s thoughts earlier, such thoughts occurred to me.”

It felt like being struck by lightning.

Jeong-ah’s body froze on the spot.

“The Eldest Young Master could have dismissed them with a single word. So why did he not do so?”

She could not make any reply in the end.

At her appearance, the guard captain gave a bitter smile.

“Then I will go back.”

Only then did Jeong-ah snap out of it and ask him hastily.

“Do you not need to verify that I deliver the letter?”

He was already turned and heading to the main gate.

“No, no. You handle that. I must contemplate how to escape from that Eldest Young Master even a moment sooner.”

He vanished in an instant.

However, Jeong-ah, who turned her body in the opposite direction, could not easily move her steps.

The words left by the guard captain did not leave her head.

‘Are you trying to offer loyalty to the Eldest Young Master? Or are you trying to protect yourself?’