The Ruler of Darkness

Book 1: Chapter 12

Jung-ah woke up at the same time she always did. It was an assumption made under the influence of the ‘Eye,’ but her ability to perceive time was extraordinarily accurate.

She had a comfortable sleep.

Unlike the guest quarters where the maids often bustled around during the night, there were no guards patrolling intermittently.

Moreover, how spacious the room was and how splendid the facilities were!

By merely looking at the accommodation, one could feel how much Yeon So-Hyeon, as usual, took care of the people beneath him. 

She woke up once due to a nightmare, but it was not a big deal. She seemed to have experienced that terrible sensation she felt before fainting in the forest yesterday. However, she reckoned that she was not completely free from the influence of the formation called the ‘boundary’.

While she thought about this and that, she didn’t stop moving.

Considering the Grand young master’s meal volume yesterday, it was better for her to move quickly as possible.

* * *

There were a few things she understood about this character called the Grand young master and this place called Wongak Pavilion in less than a day.

Firstly.

The Grand young master enjoyed breaking formalities.

“Alright, let’s prepare breakfast with a joyful heart today as well.”

“Grand, Grand young master…?!”

Just as expected, the Grand young master walked into the kitchen with freshly harvested vegetables tucked under his arm. He declared that he was preparing breakfast. Of course, he was surprisingly proficient in kitchen chores, so he helped rather than hindered.

But there was an insurmountable difference in their social status.

She couldn’t help feeling uneasy whenever someone of such high stature was around.

“…Are you implying we should be modest today as well?”

The Grand young master looked at her as if she was making nonsense.

“It’s not ‘today as well’, it’s continuous. It’ll be the same in the future.”

“…….”

“Alright, alright. Don’t just stand there, try this braised dish. I made it, but it’s turned out incredibly well.”

Secondly.

The two-story main building where the Grand young master slept was dangerous.

“Grand young master, it’s Jung-ah. I’ve prepared tea and refreshments.”

Before entering the main building, she shouted out loud.

Soon, Yeon So-Hyeon’s reply came from inside.

“Ah, leave it at the entrance. I’ll get it later.”

“How dare I.”

Bowing her head, Jung-ah opened the door of the main building and cautiously stepped inside.

“…….”

As soon as she entered the main building, she immediately turned around and left.

“……I’ll leave it here at the entrance.”

“Okay.”

As soon as she entered, she found bamboo slips lying around on the floor. She had glimpsed at the title, and it was clearly a martial arts manual.

Martial arts manuals recorded on bamboo slips!

They were undoubtedly ancient martial arts manuals and would be of unimaginable value.

And that was not all.

Also rolling around the floor were famous martial arts secrets that she had at least once heard of while working at the martial arts house.

If she had even slightly peeked at the contents, she would have undoubtedly disappeared without a trace that very day. If she was lucky, her fate might end with just her eyes being gouged out and her tongue being cut off.

‘I’m sure these dangerous books weren’t lying around like this yesterday……’

It seemed the Grand young master was interested in martial arts today.

‘It might be better not to go in for a while.’

And thirdly.

This third point was the most critical issue for her.

The Grand young master showed no interest in her at all.

He showed absolutely no interest, not even a bit.

Neither in personal matters, nor her thoughts or opinions, and not even in basic s*xual curiosity.

Even though the first two points were somehow acceptable, it was extremely surprising that he showed no curiosity.

The Luoyang Sword Sect outsources all of its private entertainment to carefully selected and vetted contractors.Therefore, the women of the guest quarters, comprised of peerless beauties, received excessive attention. Among them was Jung-ah, whose beauty was considered a ‘flower.’ She had spent her life under men’s gaze as far as she could remember and was accustomed to ignoring it.

But this Grand young master rarely even looked at her.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t feel his gaze because of the weird person who couldn’t be properly detected by her ‘Eye’.

No matter how you looked at it, he was clearly not interested in her.

If she hadn’t seen erotic paintings or colored books scattered here and there around Wongak Pavilion (it was shocking to see those scenes), she would have doubted his s*xual orientation.

“This book is fun.”

Even now at lunch, he was chuckling while reading an erotic book.

“……Yes, Grand young master.”

Jung-ah tried hard to ignore his behavior and concentrated on the dining table.

‘……This is really confusing.’

She sighed inwardly.

On the one hand, she was relieved that the Grand young master had no interest in her body, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. It wasn’t due to her maidenly vigilance that compelled her to push back but also to give way.

Instead, it was a matter concerning her own survival.

Her initial intent of escaping the clutches of the second or third young masters was not to protect her modest and innocent reputation; a status insignificant in the long run. After all, the two young masters were simply the kind who took women for their amusement, and once shattered, discarded them without a second thought. Whether this was due to their vile s*xual preferences or because they were so engrossed in their own statuses that they saw all the women they touched as less than objects, she could not know.

However, what was clear was that all the women who had caught their interest and had been in their possession had disappeared without a trace. Others believed that these women had simply been transferred to a better placement.

However, having heard the truth from the head steward, she knew for certain that this was not the case.

She had steeled herself for this possibility from the moment she had arrived at the Wongak Pavilion. If the Grand young master was as exceptional as expected, seeking refuge in his arms would have been an excellent choice. However, it seemed that such an option did not exist from the start.

If he also had no personal interest in her…

Does she really belong under the Grand young master’s roof?

The answer to her question came all too soon.

“Excuse me, Grand young master.”

Before the pleasant lunch at Wongak Pavilion had ended, a figure dressed in the uniform of the guards quietly appeared. He looked like one of the ‘experts’ at the entrance of Wongak Pavilion whom Jung-ah saw yesterday, and seemed to be of a commander rank.

“The Grand young master is dining now. What can I do for you?” Jung-ah rose from her seat and asked.

“Ah, we have a guest looking for you.”

He clearly seemed annoyed. She knew that he was hiding his real identity, but considering that, he was being quite rude. Despite Jung-ah mentioning that the Grand young master was currently eating, he did not seem to care. While there were things she wanted to point out bubbling up to the tip of her tongue, Jung-ah was still just a newcomer in this place.

She swallowed down her retorts and asked, “….Who has come looking for me?”

The guard captain, visibly sighing, answered, “What was it? Something like a ‘3rd-stage warrior’ from the main family.”

‘A 3rd-stage warrior…?’

Jung-ah felt a chill at his response.

Although there were many martial arts groups, big and small, in the city of Luoyang, there was only one group that categorized their rank by the term ‘great’.

‘The military force directly under the third prince!’

Jung-ah swallowed dryly and opened her mouth. “What business does the 3rd-stage warrior have with the Grand young master?”

“No, not with the Grand young master….” The guard captain sighed and continued, “Well, they asked for the maidservant who arrived here yesterday…”

It seemed that what was expected had arrived.

Jung-ah bit her lip.

She glanced at Yeon So-Hyeon for a moment. Her master was still reading a painted book, picking up his rice spoon.

Jung-ah organized the situation in her head. For now, it was best to avoid contact, regardless of what the matter was.

Fortunately, this was Wongak Pavilion, where not just anyone could enter or exit, so there was plenty of opportunity to take advantage of that.

“….I am that maid. Is it appropriate for a 3rd-stage warrior to call for the Grand young master’s maidservant so casually?”

It was a fair point.

To be precise, naturally a ‘3rd-stage warrior’ would be a more significant person than a maidservant. However, the situation isn’t as simple if the maid in question serves the Grand young master.

Upon hearing her words, the guard captain let out a long sigh. “Look, I said the same thing. But he insists that he comes bearing the Third young master’s orders. I can’t just refuse him based on my own judgment…”

Upon hearing ‘the Third young master’s orders,’ Jung-ah clenched her teeth. “Regardless, I am the Grand young master’s maidservant. Just because he comes bearing the Third young master’s orders, does that mean I can be ordered around without direct command from my master?”

“But still…”

At that moment, Yeon So-hyeon abruptly put down his chopsticks.

“Go.”

This statement signified her denied entrance under the Grand young master’s roof.

“Your grace, Grand young master?”

Yeon So-hyeon continued to fixate on the painted book, barely speaking out.

“Since it’s noisy, listen to what business they have, and come back.”

Jung-ah almost felt her legs go weak at the moment, but she held herself steady.

‘Right. No matter how audacious the Third young master may be, he can’t ignore all procedures and immediately take me away.’

And even if he follows those procedures, her ally, the head steward, would undoubtedly delay things as much as possible.

“Your grace, Grand young master, then I’ll return.”

When she managed to hide her shaky legs and step down from the pavilion, Yeon So-hyeon’s voice echoed from behind.

“Wait.”

Jung-ah turned around, a glimmer of hope within her.

“Yes, Your grace, Grand young master?”

But the Grand young master’s gaze wasn’t directed at her.

“You there, you.”

He pointed his chopstick towards the guard captain.

“Yes? Me?”

Yeon So-hyeon asked in an indifferent tone, “Who allowed you to come in here as you please?”

Momentarily taken aback, the guard captain replied, flustered, “Ah, well… I understand that one shouldn’t enter without permission.”

Yeon So-hyeon’s gaze, looking down on him from the pavilion, was ruthlessly indifferent. “You knew you weren’t allowed to enter without permission but you still did?”

“Ah, no, that’s not it. Usually, a contact servant is always near the main gate, but after yesterday’s incident…”

Yeon-sohyeon’s eyes did not waver.

“If there’s no one, you can just come in as you please?”

“No, that’s not it!”

It was the same oppressive aura that Jung-ah felt yesterday from Yeon So-Hyeon.

He then fired off a few more words. He continued to throw words that cornered the person methodically. His forceful demeanor wouldn’t permit any different opinions.

Soon, the guard captain found himself kneeling.

“I apologize, Grand young master! I assure you this will never happen again!”

A Three Great Warrior is indeed formidable. But he was considerably inferior to this unidentified expert. And yet, Yeon So-hyeon made this expert apologize, stumbling over his words with relative ease.

Seeing this side of Yeon So-hyeon, Jung-ah clenched her fists a bit tighter.

“Really? “Really? Well then, I’ll forgive you this time. But from now on, you are the front contact person. You are to wait indefinitely at the front gate.”

The guard captain, who was prostrating on the ground, was taken aback.

“Wha?!”