Chapter 5.4: Past Relationships [Part 2]

[Flashback]

A warrior crossed the central courtyard of the White Virtue Clan's palace and stopped in front of the lord's office. The person standing guard before the closed doors greeted him with a fist salute.

"Master of the Flight Winged Group."

Peng waved a hand dismissively, signaling there was no need for formalities.

"Announce me."

As one of the current lord's closest aides, Peng could have entered without warning and likely wouldn't have been reprimanded by Dan Woo-hyo. But being strict about even the smallest courtesies was just like the upright Master of the Flight Winged Group.

"Let her in."

At that moment, a deep, resonant voice filled with powerful energy came from inside. Dan Woo-hyo had already sensed Peng's presence. Those who reached a high level of martial prowess often developed a keen sense of awareness.

Feeling the immense strength of the master she served, the warrior pushed the door open. Peng strode inside without hesitation.

The White Virtue Clan lord's office was not overly extravagant but rather neat and elegant. She had been present when it was first constructed.

It was in this very place that she was appointed as Master of the Flight Winged Group by the previous lord, Dan Baek-hun. Here, she had been promised eternal honor. Here, she had once knelt before Dan Baek-hun and sworn her loyalty.

Though her abilities had often been overshadowed by Seo-mun Se-ho, her sworn brother, to Peng, Dan Baek-hoon was the only master she would ever serve.

As long as the White Virtue Clan's legacy endured, neither she nor her descendants would ever see their lives fade into nothingness.

As she thought about it, Peng's heart pounded fiercely, like a horse galloping across an open field.

Even as the fire of youth cooled and the days of fighting for honor and justice faded into the past, the memories of that day never disappeared. No matter how much she focused on the present, the past still held her back—perhaps because, at some point, the people by her side had all left.

It was inevitable that a day would come when a mountain that seemed unshakeable would crumble.

Peng lifted her gaze. In the place where Dan Baek-hoon had once sat to welcome her, Dan Woo-hyo now occupied the seat. His beauty, unmatched and striking, resembled Seol Bu-yong more than his father. For a brief moment, nostalgia threatened to show on her face, but she quickly steadied herself and spoke.

"My lord, if it's not too much trouble, could you spare a moment?"

Woo-hyo, who had been immersed in handling the affairs of the White Virtue Clan, lifted his gaze. His face, praised as unparalleled not just in the White Virtue Clan but even in the Black Sky Clan, was revealed—some even said only Ye Jin-rang could compare to him.

"If it's a matter concerning you, Peng, then of course."

Hearing his slightly hoarse voice, Peng spoke with concern.

"You look tired."

"That's unavoidable."

Woo-hyo smiled bitterly. He had to always project strength, but he nodded at her words because Peng was among his closest aides. Peng had helped build the White Virtue Clan from the very beginning and had been one of his father's most loyal followers. After the previous Lord of the White Virtue Clan, Dan Baek-hun, passed away, she could have stepped back and retired to the elders' council, yet she remained active, assisting Woo-hyo in his duties.

Since the leader of the White Virtue Clan's strongest combat force, The Flight Winged Group, had willingly submitted to his leadership, Woo-hyo felt at least a little relieved.

"If anyone dares to trouble you, please allow me to step in."

"That won't be necessary. I must seem unreliable, chasing after my father's shadow so desperately… But I'll have to overcome it little by little."

That was what he said, but each day felt more exhausting than the last.

No one had expected Dan Baek-hun to die. Although he was in his middle age, he was a formidable warrior who was not someone who would easily succumb to death. Even though Woo-hyo had been trained from birth and had received endless education, taking on the position of Lord of the White Virtue Clan—the greatest pillar of the White Path—was an overwhelming burden.

No matter how skilled a warrior he was, no matter how overwhelming his martial prowess, there were always people nitpicking his administrative abilities. Worse, sycophants—something unheard of during his father's time—had started appearing, whispering sweet words. Some openly criticized him, claiming that no matter how much of a genius he was, he was still too young and inexperienced.

Even some of his father's most loyal subordinates, despite their faith in him, couldn't help but treat him more casually in private, as if he were still just a boy.

Woo-hyo let out a bitter smile. Having to always appear strong in front of familiar faces and maintain authority was both exhausting and awkward.

Even within White Virtue Clan, things were already this complicated—so the reaction from the outside was even worse. Among the allies formed during Dan Baek-hun's time, there were factions that didn't trust the young clan leader's judgment and tried to seize control. Some whispered false information to the new clan leader, trying to stir conflict with rival sects for their own benefit. On top of that, even the Murim Alliance was subtly keeping White Virtue Clan's growing power in check. It was as if enemies were everywhere.

There was only one Dan Woo-hyo, yet the challenges he faced felt like a mountain of burdens crashing down upon him.

"…Alright. What brings you here?"

Pressing his fingers against his tired eyes, he finally spoke. Peng hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Do you remember the boy you brought back?"

Woo-hyo's hand paused. Of course, he remembered. That boy was like an old book he had put aside, unable to bring himself to open it.

Dan Baek-hun's final journey before his death had been for the sole purpose of bringing that boy to White Virtue Clan.

Woo-hyo looked down at his palm.

The memory of the last day he saw his father came flooding back. His father had transferred half of his inner energy to him. Had he sensed his own impending death? Or was there another reason that Woo-hyo was unaware of?

Now that the person in question had crossed over to the afterlife, it was a question that would remain unanswered.

When Woo-hyo first discovered the boy, he was taken aback by his malnourished state and was doubly surprised to learn the boy was sixteen years old. He was far too small for his age. The boy was only nine years younger than Woo-hyo.

Could he possibly be Dan Baek-hun's illegitimate child? If so, shouldn't he inform his mother? But that thought quickly faded since the child knew absolutely nothing about his father. Even though he was brought here to help investigate Dan Baek-hoon's death, the boy couldn't provide any useful information. All he knew was that he had lived with his mother until she passed away. After that, he had met Dan Baek-hoon by chance. That was the extent of his knowledge.

For now, Woo-hyo took the boy to White Virtue Clan. He assigned an attendant to look after him and then buried himself in his work. At the moment, he was swamped with duties—two sects within White Virtue Clan's territory had broken into conflict, and he had no time to rest while mediating their dispute. Naturally, the boy's situation was pushed to the back of his mind.

"Of course, I remember."

While handling the affairs of White Virtue Clan, Woo-hyo took the opportunity to sift through the records left by Dan Baek-hoon. However, nothing connected him to the boy. Dan Baek-hoon had always been a quiet and reserved man, but Woo-hyo hadn't expected him to be this secretive, which left him feeling increasingly disheartened.

"Forgive my intrusion, but I believe you should take a look at him."

Woo-hyo frowned at her words. The speaker was none other than Peng, the leader of Flight Winged Group. She wouldn't have interrupted him over something trivial. Without hesitation, he stood up.

"Let's go now."

Moving swiftly, Woo-hyo listened to Peng as she explained the situation.

There was a boy who had been left alone, and it seemed he was starving, as he was continuously sipping water from the well. Although he wore new clothes, they were wrinkled, suggesting they hadn't been changed daily, and his hair was tousled and tied up haphazardly. This sight bothered Peng, prompting her to approach him. However, as soon as the boy saw her, he darted away like a frightened animal and hid among the trees.

When she stopped a passing servant to inquire, she learned that the boy had been brought in by the Grandmaster, but the attendant assigned to him complained constantly. The child was extremely shy, barely ate, and acted wild like a beast, refusing to listen to anyone.

Realizing who the boy was, Peng sought out Woo-hyo the next day.

"This doesn't make sense. He was such a gentle boy," she said.

After hearing everything, Woo Hyo clicked his tongue. The boy was filthy and wary, but even though he was cautious, he only lowered himself—he didn't lash out or bare his claws. And yet they were saying he was troublesome…?

Something didn't add up.

"This is where I found him."

Peng led Woo-hyo to the spot where she had discovered the boy. White Virtue Palace was vast, but as expected from such a powerful place, every corner was well-maintained, including this secluded rear garden.

Woo Hyo spread his energy to sense the child's presence. When he approached the bushes, he spotted a tuft of fluffy black hair sticking out between the sea of green.

Strangely, it resembled the downy feathers of a small bird.

"Kid."

Woo-hyo felt his lips go dry for some reason as he spoke. The child, startled, flinched and lifted his head. Dark, empty eyes stared back at him. The moment those glossy eyes found Woo-hyo, the child jumped up from his spot and rushed toward him.

Though they had not met often, the child's eyes lit up at the sight of Woo-hyo.

As the boy drew closer, he began to mumble something, but his voice was too soft to hear. Fortunately, Woo-hyo was a warrior and could hear even the sound of the wind brushing against the grass.

"Da, Dan-nim..."

It seemed the boy only remembered the surname "Dan." Watching the boy's lips tremble, Woo-hyo crouched down to meet his gaze and clearly stated his name.

"Woo-hyo. Dan Woo-hyo."

"…Dan Woo-hyo."

The boy repeated the name, his voice a bit stronger this time. Woo-hyo reached out and gently ruffled the boy's hair, then lifted him effortlessly by the waist.

The boy felt as light as he had on the day he first brought him in.

"Why are you here alone? Where is the one who should be taking care of you?"

The boy's eyes widened in surprise at suddenly being lifted, but at Woo-hyo's question, he lowered his head.

"I don't know. Tphey left."

"Left, you say…"

Muttering as he wrapped his arms around the boy, Woo-hyo exchanged glances with Peng. She sent him a telepathic message.

[I checked on this child's situation yesterday, and something felt off, so I looked into it. At first, she took care of the child properly for a few days, but after that, she completely neglected her duty. Witnesses say she was taking good care of the child, but… my subordinate found out she was going in and out of a tavern outside White Virtue Clan.]

"That bitch..." Woo-hyo muttered under his breath without realizing it. The boy, who had been nestled in his embrace, looked up at him, his lips moving.

"...bit..."

Realizing what might come out of the boy's mouth, Woo-hyo panicked and quickly covered the child's mouth with his palm. The boy's round eyes were filled with confusion as they rolled around.

"No, no. Aren't you hungry?"

The boy, who had been comfortably leaning against him, quickly nodded. It seemed he had forgotten the words Woo-hyo had just uttered in his moment of distraction.

That was a relief.

"Then let's go have something to eat."

As Woo-hyo spoke to the boy, he sent a telepathic message to Peng.

[Have that woman brought back.]

With the young lord's command, the leader of Flight Winged Group nodded and stepped back.

When Woo-hyo arrived at the boy's quarters, he was met with a disheveled sight. While the exterior might have looked acceptable, the interior had not been properly cleaned. The clothes that were supposed to be given to the child were crumpled up in a corner, and although it didn't have to be luxurious silk bedding, even a simple yet soft blanket was nowhere to be seen. Since this was one of the buildings of White Virtue Clan, there should have at least been some basic furnishings, but even those were gone.

'This is ridiculous.'

Neglect was bad enough, but now even theft?

At this point, he felt a wave of self-reproach for having left the boy forgotten after hastily assigning someone to look after him. So many things had happened, and as someone who had just become the Grandmaster, he had been overwhelmed trying to keep everything under control. Still, to think he had been unaware of things to this extent... It was inexcusable.

He felt his grip tighten involuntarily. If what he was holding in his arms had been an object rather than a young boy, he might have crushed it in his frustration.

"Let's go somewhere else."

Swallowing back the curse that threatened to escape his lips, Woo-hyo spoke to the boy. The child, who had been gazing up at him the entire way, nodded as if it didn't matter to him. Seeing the boy's dark, transparent eyes, Woo-hyo affectionately ruffled his hair and then made his way toward his own quarters.

In White Virtue Clan, the hall where the lord resided was undoubtedly impressive in both size and grandeur. Although it was still too early for its owner to return, the guards who faithfully stood watch stepped aside as Woo-hyo approached. The warriors were slightly surprised to see a child nestled in the lord's arms, but none of them showed any sign of it.

Striding confidently to his quarters, Woo-hyo commanded the servant who opened the door for him.

"Bring some food."

At his words, the servant quietly bowed and hurried off to fulfill the lord's order.

Woo felt his tension ease a little. Carrying the child the entire way had been uncomfortable. His arms had told him just how thin the boy was—his limbs felt like brittle twigs, and his weight was so light it was unsettling. He looked more like a ten-year-old than a sixteen-year-old.

He decided to wait until the maid brought food and then feed the boy generously. With that thought, he finally set the child down on the floor.

Finally free from Woo-hyo's embrace, the boy rolled his eyes around the room, taking in his surroundings. It was obvious that he was completely mesmerized—this was, without a doubt, the most extravagant sight he had ever seen in his life.

Woo-hyo sat at the table, quietly observing as the boy wandered around the room. He flinched slightly when the child approached the spot where a prized sword was displayed, but then he remembered that he had already been handling real swords at that age. If the boy was going to live in White Virtue Clan, it wouldn't hurt for him to become familiar with weapons.

The sword had a dark blue hilt, and its name was engraved on it.

"Stop Thinking"

'Dan' (cut off) – 'Sa' (thoughts)

"Do you like it?"

At Woo-hyo's question, the boy was startled and quickly turned his head, shaking it vigorously. Then he approached Woo-hyo and plopped down on the floor.

"You can't sit on the floor."

Woo-hyo lifted the boy by the waist and set him down on a nearby chair. Now, the boy's gaze was fixed on Woo-hyo. Just as Woo-hyo began to feel a bit uncomfortable under the intensity of that gaze, he sensed the presence of a servant outside.

"Come in."

The sliding door opened silently, and the servant who had gone to the kitchen returned, placing the food on the table. Pancakes, skewered meat, and other dishes were laid out beautifully.

"Eat up."

At Woo-hyo's words, the boy's eyes widened as he stared at the food.

"Th-This is for me?"

"Of course."

"But there's so much, and it's all fresh food..." The boy mumbled, but his eyes remained glued to the plates, unable to look away.

"If you want to eat leftovers, just hold back with this instead."

Woo-hyo picked up a perfectly sized pancake and popped it into the boy's mouth. The child froze for a moment, then slowly started chewing. His small lips moving reminded Woo of a little bird.

A crow? No, it was smaller and had a fluffier appearance.

"…It's delicious."

The boy murmured. Faster than the wonder in his eyes, his hand reached for another pancake, bringing it to his mouth. Although there were chopsticks available, he seemed either unfamiliar with them or completely enchanted by the food, opting to eat with his hands.

Watching the boy's fingers glisten with grease, Woo-hyo found it remarkable that he didn't feel any disgust. For a martial artist as particular as him, he normally hated anything dirty. But watching this child eat… rather than feeling disgusted, he found it satisfying.

"Slow down. Take your time eating. Here, have some tea too."

As Woo-hyo tilted the teapot to pour tea into the boy's cup, the child, having finished the pancakes, eagerly reached for the skewered meat. He nodded vigorously and drank the tea that Woo-hyo offered him.

The boy had quite an appetite. Seeing his thin arms made Woo-hyo's heart ache.

He felt ashamed for assuming that just bringing the boy to White Virtue Clan would be enough.

He hadn't even fully inherited his father's position yet, nor had he completely taken control of the forces under him. So what made him think that a servant, outside of his direct sight, would take proper care of the child?

Determined that it was not too late, Woo-hyo resolved to keep a close eye on the child. He watched with a warm gaze as the boy gulped down the tea and finished the food. Each time the boy tried a new dish, his wide-eyed surprise was adorable. The way he chewed, with a sparkle in his dark eyes, reminded Woo-hyo of stars.

Realizing that returning to his office was out of the question, Woo-hyo ordered that any unfinished business be brought to his quarters.

In the meantime, the boy had cleared the table of food and was now nodding off, eventually collapsing into a deep sleep. Woo-hyo noticed the boy's body leaning against him, his clothes now stained with grease. Despite the mess, he gently laid the child down comfortably. Although the silk of his garments might get dirty, Woo-hyo didn't mind.

'No matter how precious the silk, it cannot compare to a peaceful slumber.'

It was after midnight that Woo-hyo, while handling his duties, noticed something unusual.

"Ugh, uhh... ugh…"

No matter how busy he had been, he was furious at himself for not noticing something was wrong until it got this bad.

"Ugh, ugh…"

The boy, as if unconscious, suddenly vomited everything he had eaten and could barely breathe, letting out ragged gasps. He was so weak that, had Woo-hyo not held his head up, he might have ended up choking in his own vomit. Even after preventing the worst, Woo-hyo had no idea what was happening, and he anxiously stomped his foot.

Having never been sick a day in his life, Woo-hyo had no idea what was afflicting the boy. The only thing he could think of was that he needed to find a physician.

With a loud bang, Woo-hyo slid open the wooden door.

"Get a physician!"

A servant rushed in response to the lord's urgent command, quickly bringing a physician in a hurried state. In the meantime, Woo-hyo laid the boy on the bed, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and the remnants of vomit from his mouth with his sleeve. Despite his worry, he stepped back, trying to stay calm.

The physician, instead of attending to the lord, focused on the mysterious boy, but he could feel Woo-hyo's intense gaze piercing into him.

"Tell me. Is it poison?" Woo-hyo asked darkly, his mind racing with various possibilities while he waited. The most likely hypothesis was that the boy might have ingested poison.

Attempts at poisoning were not new. Fortunately, Woo-hyo had been born to Seol Buyong, a member of the imperial family, so he had been trained to build resistance to poison from a young age. Now that he had dedicated himself to martial arts and gained immense strength, such attempts were even less of a threat.

But there were always fools who tried, and sometimes, by sheer luck, their attempts reached him.

Normally, Woo-hyo would have scoffed and hunted down whoever was behind it. But now, seeing the boy before him, pale and drenched in cold sweat, he felt nothing but frustration. This was the first time he had ever been responsible for protecting someone, and it made him painfully aware of his own inexperience.

"No, no, it's not that."

The physician, pulled from his sleep by the lord's summons, withdrew his hand from the boy's pulse and shook his head.

"It's just overeating."

"Overeating?"

After all that worrying, Woo-hyo felt a wave of exhaustion and asked again in disbelief.

"Yes. Given his poor nutritional state, eating too much was already an issue, but it seems he's also not used to rich food, which is why he's feeling unwell."

Woo-hyo was taken aback. The boy had only eaten a few skewers of meat. The way his eyes had widened in delight as he took each bite was so beautiful that it made Woo-hyo feel guilty for not having taken better care of him.

"What should I do?"

"First, I will administer acupuncture to help ease his stomach. However, he will continue to feel unwell until the indigestion completely passes. It's not advisable to force him awake, but if he does open his eyes, I will prepare a herbal remedy to aid his digestion."

"I understand. You may leave."

The physician, who had planned to take over the patient's care from Woo-hyo, hesitated. Surprisingly, it seemed like Woo-hyo intended to personally look after him.

Someone of Woo-hyo's status as the Grandmaster would normally have no need to care for a patient's needs directly. There were trained professionals for that, and at such a late hour, rest would have been the priority. While a martial artist of Woo-hyo's caliber could go without sleep for a night or two without issue, mental fatigue would still accumulate.

However, the physician sensed the intense emotions radiating from Woo-hyo, even in his half-awake state, and he refrained from voicing his concerns.

It seemed that this patient occupying the lord's bed was more important than he had initially thought. After administering the acupuncture to help alleviate the boy's discomfort, the physician stepped back respectfully and left. He immediately began preparing the prescribed medicine and personally started brewing the decoction.

The boy spent the night writhing in discomfort from his stomachache.

Woo-hyo stayed up all night, waiting for the child's suffering to ease, even just a little. After changing clothes, he personally brought a damp cloth and wiped the child's face.

Looking at the boy's lips, dry and cracked, Woo-hyo swallowed his distress. His face was flushed red, most likely from the fever and pain.

Before him lay a world he could not comprehend.

Woo-hyo had never known what it was like to go hungry to the point where even a few pieces of meat were too much for the stomach to handle. He had never experienced a life of being abandoned, left to survive without anyone's protection. From the moment he was born, he had been wrapped in silk and attended to by servants. He had never tasted coarse food, nor had he ever felt anything rough against his skin.

For someone like Woo-hyo, the idea of caring for a life so different from his own was both unfamiliar and frightening.

"You must be destined for greatness if you can sway the heart of the White Virtue Clan's lord like this." He murmured as he finally saw the boy's fever subside with the first light of dawn. It wasn't as if he had swung a sword a thousand times or fought for ten days and nights against life-and-death adversaries, yet he felt mentally exhausted.

"Come on, wake up. You need to smile when morning comes."

As Woo-hyo whispered softly, the boy seemed to respond, twitching slightly. When he saw the child's eyelids flutter, Woo-hyo froze for a moment. It was as if the boy was gathering all his strength to answer the soft murmur—

And then, his eyes opened wide.

"Ah…"

The boy's eyes, as dark as obsidian and as clear as glass, slowly focused on Woo-hyo. Upon waking and seeing the beautiful man as soon as he woke up, the boy unconsciously smiled.

It felt as if he were witnessing the secret moment when a flower bud bursts open. In that instant, Woo-hyo forgot to breathe as he gazed at the child's beaming face.

His heart swelled with a strange feeling he had never experienced before in his life.

***

[Present]

"Your hand stopped. Did something I said make you uncomfortable?"

At the question from Kang-oh, mixed with concern, Woo snapped back to reality.

"No, no."

Woo shook his head and pulled himself out of his thoughts of the past.

"I just remembered something from the old days..."

The moment the sick boy woke up, Lord Dan Woo-hyo of White Virtue Clan found himself in a completely different world.

He learned the joy of giving affection to others through young Kang-oh. Even though he had been taught since childhood that kindness was no different from poison to him, the walls he had built crumbled helplessly before the child's smile..

Still, it was a pleasant defeat.

"The old days?"

Kang-oh repeated. His head was lowered, but he noticed that Woo's usually stiff lips had relaxed slightly.

Kang-oh, who was used to Woo avoiding his gaze stiffly, cautiously guessed that the "old days" he mentioned might refer to the time before coming to Black Sky Clan.

"…It's not something you would be interested in."

"Now that I think about it, I've never asked what you did before coming to Black Sky Clan."

Woo tried to brush off the conversation when Kang-oh showed interest in the past, but he immediately sensed that Kang-oh wouldn't let go of the topic so easily.

"It was... similar."

"Were you a servant back then too?"

After a moment of silence, Woo answered politely with his hands clasped together.

"...Yes."

Even if it was deceitful to say this to Kang-oh, he must not learn the truth. Being this close to him was already dangerous.

Woo was afraid that Kang-oh would recall the past. Not just the servant Woo, but the White Virtue Clan's Lord—Dan Woo-hyo.

Kang-oh had lost his memories because of him.

Following Woo-hyo, who was still a stranger to him, to White Virtue Clan. Being taken care of throughout the night. Sitting on his lap while learning how to use chopsticks. Trailing behind Woo-hyo during walks, getting distracted by every flower along the way. Carving his height—already a handspan taller—into the pillar of the palace hall. Clinging to him, begging for a name.

To protect Kang-oh, he had no choice but to erase all of it.

For Woo, who had lost everything in a single moment that day, letting go of Kang-oh meant giving up the last remaining piece.

There was no way to change what had happened. As soon as the boy woke up and heard from Ye Jin-rang that Woo-hyo, who had shielded him during the fall, had died, he completely broke down. He couldn't get back up—his whole world had been Dan Woo-hyo.

"I… I was a sinner from the moment I was born."

At least this part was true.

If things had gone the way Paeng Dan-joo wanted, if Woo had died that day at that moment, it would have been a mercy for him.

The fact that Woo survived was nothing more than an accident. And so, Woo decided to kill Dan Woo-hyo, the Lord of White Virtue Palace.

When he burned his own face to remain in the Black Sky Clan where Kang-oh lived, the cold gaze of Ye Jin-rang, who had saved him, wavered for the first time.

"You...! Why...!"

Seeing the complex expression filled with anger, a desire for revenge, betrayal, and the lingering memories beyond that, Woo bitterly smiled. It was almost laughable. Only after losing the title of Grandmaster of White Virtue Clan could he finally see the uncovered face of the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan standing across from him.

"Please take care of Kang-oh."

That was when he started stuttering. His body was gravely injured, but his tongue was fine—yet the words wouldn't come out the way he wanted.

The Woo walking in this world was not a living person but a lingering regret of the dead. He owed his life to Ye Jin-rang and was a coward who had ran away from life.

"Who says that someone is a sinner from the moment they are born?"

"I-In this world… there are…"

Woo's lips trembled as he slowly tried to speak.

"There are lives that… that should never have been born."

"Who decides that? Did master tell you that?"

Kang-oh asked, his brow furrowed.

Was he angry? No, more than that, he looked strangely sorrowful and pained.

"I... I decided that." Woo tried his best to speak clearly.

As Kang-oh sat there, unable to hide his devastation, Woo knelt on the ground.

"S-So please… don't concern yourself with me anymore. Let a sinner… p-pay for his sins. Send me back… to where I belong."

I can't let my existence serve as a trigger for you to regain your memories.

So that you will never again lose yourself completely.

"..."

Kang-oh fell silent. He seemed at a loss for words.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, Kang-oh's hand dropped down to grab Woo's shoulder.

"You're saying you want to go back… to those days of suffering under that bastard, the Third Internal Officer?"

"…Yes."

Woo flinched at the touch of Kang-oh's hand as he replied.

"What should we do? That man is already dead."

Kang-oh's voice was soft enough to sound gentle.

"…What?"

In an instant, Woo's eyes widened as he struggled to understand what he had just said.

"I severed his tendons and left him in the mountains where you used to stay. Gave him a dull axe, a moldy blanket, and a sack of rice mixed with sand."

Kang-oh's voice explained calmly, but the content was anything but ordinary. Without realizing it, Woo lifted his gaze to meet Kang-oh's dark eyes.

He wanted to see his face.

"Y-You said… you w-wouldn't take revenge…"

"Revenge? No, it wasn't anything like that."

Before Woo could even finish his question, Kang-oh answered, his lips curling into an irresistibly alluring smile.

"I simply told the Third Internal Officer to take care of all the trees in that mountain. That's all."

''To… to chop the trees on the mountain. that's what I heard.''

Recalling the words he had spoken the day he met Kang-oh in the mountains, Woo's face turned pale.

"Unfortunate events tend to happen, don't they?"

Kang-oh's hand pressed firmly on Woo's shoulder.

"…A-Ah…"

Woo had no idea how to respond. His face twisted in shock, but no words came out.

Kang-oh watched him with an unreadable expression.

Was Woo shaken by the sight of the twisted side of the man who had always treated him with effortless kindness?

A part of Kang-oh wanted to comfort Woo after he learned the truth about the Third Internal Officer's death. But seeing him like this—so shaken—made him want to hold Woo close and never let him go.

Until now, it had seemed like Woo had grown used to Hee-do Won. But this moment made Kang-oh realize that Woo had been searching for a chance to leave all along.

"Y-You can't do this. Not because of me—you can't do this because of me."

Woo pushed Kang-oh's hand away and shook his head. His face looked pained. Seeing that expression, Kang-oh felt a sharp ache in his chest.

Woo was clearly suffering just by being near him. Sending him somewhere beyond his master's reach, just as he had originally planned, would probably be the right thing to do.

But at that moment, Kang-oh realized the truth—he hadn't let Woo go all this time because of his own selfishness.

Until now, he had never desired anything from the Black Sky Clan, so he hadn't noticed. But deep inside him, a monstrous greed had always been lurking.

That hunger, that insatiable beast, wanted nothing more than to devour Woo whole. The fire burning in his gut screamed for him, begging to be fed, demanding that this wretched hunger be satisfied.

"D-Did you actually do that to the Third Internal Officer?" Woo asked, his face twisted with emotion.

"Yes." Kang-oh answered with a grimace, expecting a different reaction than the one he received.

"What… what about the aftermath? He was acting under the Lord of Black Sky Clan's orders. If the truth comes out… it could stain the Third Disciple's name."

"Are you... worried about me right now?"

"If—If the Third Internal Officer has disappeared, then it's only a matter of time before the First Internal Officer finds out. And if Seo-mun Geumryeong hears about it, then the Black Sky Lord will naturally find out as well."

Kang-oh stared at Woo, dumbfounded by the string of words spilling from his mouth.

"You don't need to worry about that. I've handled it well."

"Please, listen to me."

Woo, gritting his teeth, tightly grasped Kang-oh's arm. The strength in his grip was surprisingly strong, catching Kang-oh off guard. Although he was weaker than an average adult, it was an impressive grip that seemed unbelievable coming from Woo.

"In—Inside the Third Internal Officer's room, there's a shelf next to the desk where they do their work. If you open it, there's a h-hidden compartment inside. Among the Third Internal Officer's brushes, there's one made from r-red fox fur. Take the back end of that brush and press it against the carved groove—you, you'll be able to open it."

"What?"

Kang-oh's mouth dropped open in surprise at the unexpected secret he was hearing from Woo.

Woo, slightly flushed with excitement, looked like a completely different person than usual.

"Inside… inside that place, the Third Internal Officer kept a ledger. A ledger of all the bribes he's taken. A-A lot of them. At least five years' worth."

Bribes? Kang-oh's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How do you know that?"

"I'm a servant, after all."

Woo lowered his head and avoided Kang-oh's gaze.

"Th-The Third Internal Officer didn't really see me as a threat. B-But that's not what's important right now! Take that ledger and give it to the First Internal Officer. Then this whole situation can be covered up."

"…"

Kang-oh opened his mouth to respond but fell silent.

He hadn't expected Woo to react like this. He knew the shock of the Third Internal Officer's death would hit hard, which was why he had kept it hidden. But instead of blaming him for getting blood on his hands, Woo was talking about how to bury the whole thing.

A strange chill ran down Kang-oh's spine.

He realized that his judgment of Woo had been completely wrong all along. Woo had been harboring a dagger all this time. Even if the Third Internal Officer had been at his peak, this was a move devastating enough to bring about his complete downfall.

The fact that the records were at least five years old meant Woo had been holding onto the Third Internal Officer's secrets for that long.

Even after being whipped, enduring unfair abuse, and eventually being driven to his death, Woo had never exposed them.

Was it really just fear that had kept him silent all this time?

Something didn't add up.

Kang-oh studied Woo's desperate face as if he were looking at a stranger. Woo had lifted his head and was now meeting Kang-oh's eyes—something he had always avoided before. The same person who had just spoken, coming up with a justification for the downfall of the Third Internal Officers.

Woo's ruined face, scarred as if it had melted in fire, hid the twisted features beneath. Even so, Kang-oh memorized them as he slowly gave his response.

"…Alright."

Who are you?

Kang-oh swallowed the doubts that had arisen within him without voicing them.

Woo anxiously watched Kang-oh's face. Even if he had let his emotions take over, he wasn't clueless—he knew how suspicious it must have seemed for him to spill the Third Internal Officers' weaknesses so easily.

However, Woo could not bear the thought of Kang-oh sacrificing or enduring something because of him.

Long ago, Kang-oh had already risked too much for Dan Woo-hyo.

The affection that had once overflowed in that small heart, the life that had just begun to bloom, even his very existence.

He could not take anything more from Kang-oh.

"So, you're not trying to hide the fact that you're literate anymore?"

At Kang-oh's words, Woo flinched but soon gave a small, steady nod.

"…I've already been c-caught anyway."

On that day, when comfort took precedence over reason, Kang-oh must have realized that Woo was not illiterate. It had been a decision made in a moment of impulse, but because he had meant it with all his heart, he had no regrets.

The only reason he hadn't brought it up was that Kang-oh hadn't mentioned it either.

"Why do you care about me so much?"

"Even the lowliest creature k-knows gratitude."

It was Ye Jin-rang who had spared his wretched life, but it was Kang-oh who had given him a reason to keep going.

After leaving him in that cave beneath the cliff, Kang-oh had been told that Dan Woo-hyo had drawn his last breath. He had collapsed, weeping endlessly as though he might die from the sheer weight of his grief.

In the end, Ye Jin-rang had clenched his teeth and saved the son of his enemy, unable to bear watching his nephew waste away, harming himself.

In this way, Woo felt he owed too much to the world. Just carrying that debt felt suffocating.

"This is too much. You're always looking for ways to escape from me, yet you care for me far too much."

Kang-oh murmured. It was barely more than a whisper, almost as if he was talking to himself. But his words struck right at Woo's core.

"If you're going to run away, then just run away."

His voice was low, almost like a growl.

A beast's chilling growl—like a predator clawing at the ground, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce on its prey.

"…"

"Stop looking back. Don't leave even the slightest room for hesitation—like you'd stay if I caught you."

"I... I'm not…"

Woo tried to protest, but Kang-oh intercepted his words mid-sentence.

"It's strange, isn't it? A servant's fate is in the hands of their master, yet somehow, you seem like you'll just flutter away at any moment."

Woo stayed silent.

"My instincts whisper that if I don't give it my all, I'll lose you… How strange. It's not like I've ever lost you before."

Kang-oh furrowed his brows slightly. His expression was so complicated that Woo unknowingly held his breath.

Was a part of his memory starting to return? Or was it just the lingering sense of familiarity from a past that had been sealed away?

The Lord of White Virtue Clan, Dan Woo-hyo, had mastered all kinds of knowledge, but sorcery wasn't one of them. Only Ye Jin-rang could provide the answers.

Yet, there was one thing that was certain.

The time he could spend by Kang-oh's side was quickly slipping away.

Before this sweet reprieve came to an end, he had to be the one to end it.