Chapter 3
“Young Lady Yu.”
“...”
“Young Lady Yu, wake up.”
“Ugh...”
*Ugh, how annoying...*
*Splash!*
“Kyaa!”
“Are you awake? You looked a bit hot, so I just splashed a bucket of water on you.”
Even after being doused with water, Yoo Somyung’s eyes were still hazy, as if she hadn’t fully come to her senses.
“Y-you’re the Woodcutter...”
“That’s right, the Woodcutter. I’m both the Woodcutter and the Leader of this Green Forest.”
Upon hearing that, Yoo Somyung’s eyes widened. It seemed she was finally grasping the situation.
“Th-this is cruel and despicable!”
“Of course the Unorthodox Faction is cruel and despicable. What, did you expect us to be honorable? This is just how we ignorant bandits operate.”
Even though I explained it logically, the anger in Yoo Somyung’s eyes refused to subside. *Well, if I were double-crossed by someone I willingly helped, I’d be angry too.*
Yoo Somyung struggled, as if trying to escape the situation. But we had already bound her tightly.
Realizing she couldn’t free herself, Yoo Somyung asked in a trembling voice.
“What are you going to do with me now?”
“Hmm, we’re still deciding. I just came in for a moment to check on Young Lady’s condition...”
As I spoke, I deliberately let my gaze sweep over her body with a lecherous look. Her clothes were wet, revealing her figure clearly.
Feeling my gaze, she flinched.
*Cute. Like a rabbit.*
But I have no intention of harming or touching her. I don’t have a hobby of carelessly laying hands on an innocent Young Lady who seems to know nothing.
“It’s a joke. We have our own rules, so we don’t just lay hands on women like that.”
“A-are you sure?”
“My, have you lived your whole life so sheltered? More importantly, how’s your wound?”
“Wound...? Oh.”
Yoo Somyung had been cut on her waist while fending off my subordinates’ combined attack earlier. It wasn’t a deep wound, but I had treated it, fearing it would fester if left alone.
Yoo Somyung examined the spot where she’d been cut, then suddenly seemed to realize something and asked me.
“Hey, y-you...”
“Yes?”
...My clothes are changed. Did you perhaps... change them for me?
*Hmm, she noticed.*
“Yes, I treated your wound and changed your clothes.”
“Y-you...!”
But I was confident in this matter.
“Well, how else was I supposed to treat the wound without taking off your clothes? Should I have just let Young Lady die?”
“...W-well, that’s true, but...”
“What’s more, we even deliberately changed you into the best women’s clothes we’d acquired before, just in case you caught a cold, and you’re getting angry about it.”
“...”
“Don’t worry. I tried my best not to look at Young Lady’s bare skin.”
“...”
It seemed Yoo Somyung truly had nothing to say. Of course. If you think about it, I’m her Benefactor. *No, wait. I was the cause of it, so am I not the Benefactor?*
Anyway, Yoo Somyung’s flustered expression is cuter than I thought. Suddenly, an uncontrollable urge to tease welled up inside me.
“By the way, why do you have a scar on your cleavage?”
“You! You said you didn’t look!”
“I saw your chest.”
“...”
“It felt quite soft and pleasant, you know?”
At my words, Yoo Somyung wore an expression of extreme shock. It was the kind of look someone would have if their boyfriend suddenly came out to them.
“...H-hic.”
*Oh, she’s crying.*
A single tear began to stream down Yoo Somyung’s face. Her beautiful, pitiful crying made her look like a tragic heroine.
I was a little flustered when she started crying too. *Was I too harsh with my teasing of this innocent Young Lady of the Righteous Faction?*
...Rather than suffer such humiliation from a ruffian like you...
*That’s a bit much, calling me a ruffian to my face.*
“...I’d rather commit suicide and face my Ancestors with dignity...”
“What?”
With those words, Yoo Somyung tensed her jaw and bit down hard on her tongue. Of course, I was quicker to shove my fist into her mouth.
Yoo Somyung had clearly made up her mind, clenching her teeth as if to sever my fist. The pain was so intense that vulgar words escaped my lips naturally.
“Aaaaargh! You idiotic woman, it was a lie, a lie! No, I was just teasing a little, why are you like this, seriously! Aaaargh, let go, you crazy bitch!”
But Yoo Somyung’s face was already drenched in tears. She sobbed pitifully, yet refused to let go of my fist.
“Huuuuh, huuuh, let go, you scoundrel! My body is already defiled! I shall atone for this sin with death! Huuuuh!”
“Ugh, I said it was a joke, damn it!”
I barely managed to pull my fist out and gag her mouth, finally calming the situation. But her crying wouldn’t stop.
I had to spend a long time trying to soothe her.
****
“Has Young Lady come to her senses?”
It was Dongryong. The members of our Green Forest, excluding me, were sitting in a circle around a bonfire in the center.
“Yeah, she’s awake. She was crying and making a huge fuss.”
When I showed them my bleeding fist, the rascals chuckled. However, the atmosphere soon turned solemn. In truth, this wasn’t a situation to be laughing comfortably.
“Leader, what are you going to do about this?”
“About what?”
“You’ve messed with the Precious Child of the Shanxi Yu Clan, haven’t you?”
“I don’t know, damn it. I’m still thinking.”
Yoo Somyung, the Righteous Sword Princess of the Shanxi Yu Clan.
I just thought she was some Merchant Guild daughter and went for it, but I ended up catching too big a fish.
She’s an important character, appearing as a sub-Heroine in the original story. As I recall, the Protagonist met her by chance while wandering the world... Anyway, with her excellent Martial Arts, she becomes a great asset to the Protagonist during the war against the Demonic Cult.
She’s still a bit green now, but if she grows just a little more, she won’t be caught by us so easily.
Anyway, the problem isn’t that; it’s Yoo Somyung’s background.
The Shanxi Yu Clan is a prestigious Noble Family that wields immense influence in the Shanxi Region. I heard the Shanxi Yu Clan’s family members cherish Yoo Somyung greatly, and we kidnapped such a Precious Child.
Ah, thinking about it again, I’m going crazy. The Martial Artists of the Shanxi Yu Clan will be out for our heads, and the thought of playing a deadly game of cat and mouse... is truly thrilling; I’m going insane.
The others probably think similarly.
Rank 3 Bangsam spoke with difficulty.
“Well... it’s not our usual way, but... what about Killing to Silence?”
Killing to Silence.
The subordinates’ mouths froze at the suggestion of killing her to silence her. They might look rough, but they were surprisingly soft-hearted rascals.
Rank 4 Bongchun spoke.
“How about... we just return Young Lady safely to the Shanxi Yu Clan, with a sincere apology?”
“Damn it, do you think the Shanxi Yu Clan would let us live then? They’d just say, “It”s commendable you surrendered, so we’ll kill you painlessly,’ and chop off our heads.”
He had a point. It felt like we’d already crossed too many rivers to be forgiven now.
“Then what do you propose? Are we really going to resort to Killing to Silence? If we kill such a young Young Lady, Young Lady Yu will become a virgin ghost and haunt us forever!”
“Aren’t a few hundred Martial Artists from the Shanxi Yu Clan chasing us scarier than one virgin ghost?”
“...That’s true too.”
...It seems this is something the Leader must decide.
“...Alright.”
The decision was whether to release Yoo Somyung or to kill her. As if to help me with this rather difficult decision, the bamboo leaf liquor I’d been drinking earlier that day was still in front of me.
*Gulp.*
“Alright, I’ve decided.”
I drained the cup and picked up Yoo Somyung’s sword, which lay before me.
Then, I headed inside.
****
The Shanxi Yu Clan could be called the masters of the Shanxi Region.
The Shanxi Yu Clan’s mansion was grand, befitting its prestige. Yet, it was quiet and understated. It seemed to perfectly embody the Shanxi Yu Clan’s family tradition: always calm and peaceful, yet steadfast like a willow tree.
Thus, loud noises were uncommon in the Shanxi Yu Clan’s mansion. This was especially true at night. The Shanxi Yu Clan members considered making loud noises at night to be impolite.
But today was different.
A voice filled with anxiety once again emanated from the Family Head’s Chambers, arguably the quietest place in the Shanxi Yu Clan’s Main Family residence.
“...Has Somyung not arrived yet?”
The speaker was Yu Jinmyeong, the Young Master of the Shanxi Yu Clan.
With the Family Head having been away for several months, Yu Jinmyeong, the current head of the Shanxi Yu Clan, was anxious that his only younger sister, Yoo Somyung, had not yet arrived.
“No, The Young Lady has not arrived yet.”
“What could be the matter...? We clearly received word that she would arrive by today...”
“Haha, Young Master. Don’t worry too much. Young Lady is a capable Martial Artist, isn’t she?”
Elder Wi Yongmyeong of the Shanxi Yu Clan, who had been assisting the Young Master with his duties due to his still-lacking capabilities, patted Yu Jinmyeong’s shoulder reassuringly.
Yu Jinmyeong nodded, touched by his care, which was like that of a doting grandfather.
“Hmph... I know Somyung is capable of taking care of herself, but... perhaps because Father is away, I’m even more worried.”
“I will send people to check. There will be nothing amiss, so Young Master, please don’t trouble yourself too much.”
“Thank you... All that I, an inadequate person, can do to stand in for Father is thanks to Elder Wi’s help.”
Yu Jinmyeong bowed his head towards Elder Wi, the Shanxi Yu Clan’s long-time loyal retainer, as if genuinely grateful.
However...
...It’s nothing. What has this old man done?
Elder Wi Yongmyeong, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light that belied a Righteous Martial Artist, looked down avariciously at Yu Jinmyeong, who was bowing his head.