Chapter 28: Audit (1)

Ouyang Mun, who fled in defeat, returned by evening. Carrying a fully prepared dinner tray.

"Why did you come back?"

In response to Jin Hayeon's cold question, Ouyang Mun forced a hearty laugh.

"Ha, haha! The work I'd forgotten was finished faster than expected. And, well, you’re still recovering—how could I abandon my duty to serve Young Master? I’m a man of responsibility! Hahaha!"

He said all that, but he couldn't seem to look Jin Hayeon in the eye, so he just rushed to set the table in front of me.

“P-Please, enjoy your meal, Young Master!"

"I will."

It felt like I was watching them shoot a comedy scene.

As I awkwardly picked at the food with my chopsticks—

"Earlier, Young Lady Seon-ah mentioned something."

"Wh-What? I-I didn’t hear anything!"

The moment Jin Hayeon tried to probe, Ouyang Mun started freaking out again.

Unfortunately for him, his opponent is Jin Hayeon.

“That you like me. Is it true?”

"W-wh-what! M-me, like you? Ha. D-don't be ridiculous."

Watching Ouyang Mun flail like a chicken being choked, I couldn’t help but sigh and dig into my dinner.

"Good grief."

I'd pretty much figured it out from his earlier maidenless behaviors, but his current act convinced me.

This man has no rizz.

* * *

After the dinner ended, I followed my scheduled routine. Namely reviewing today’s study material, going to bathe, and enjoying the massage performed by my attendant.

"Miss Jin, I'm getting hungry. Could you go get us some snacks? My hands are a little tied up, so have a servant from the kitchen to bring them together."

The second I gave Jin Hayeon something to do, Ouyang Mun, who was scrubbing me down, yelped.

"No, Young Master! I'll go!"

“Enough. Miss Jin will handle it.”

I basically forced Jin Hayeon to go run the errand. The moment she left Windrock Palace—

"Whew."

—I turned to Ouyang Mun. The reason I sent her on this errand was to have a private conversation with this pitiful soul.

Meddling in others’ love lives wasn’t my style, but I couldn’t ignore him. Not after Seon-ah had already dropped the bombshell.

"Do you like Miss Jin that much?"

"Wh-wh-what are you talking about!?"

I frowned as he started freaking out like a chicken being choked again.

"It hurts."

In his panic, Ouyang Mun had just ground the washing stone into my skin. It wasn't bleeding, but it was bright red.

"M-My apologies."

"Anyway, your whole approach here is terrible."

"Wh-what do you mean by my approach?"

"Just a moment ago, for instance. How can you expect to make progress if a mere question of you liking her or not already sent you spiralling into a panic?”

"B-but it's embarrassing! I can't just come out and say I like her."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

As someone who had navigated the complexities of romance three times in my thirty-four years of life, I felt obligated to offer some guidance.

"People naturally favor those who show them affection. And almost nobody likes people who keep saying they hate them."

Of course, there are exceptions, such as when the person pursuing you has a terrible personality or some major issue, but generally, that's how it is.

"Maybe if Miss Jin was already into you, that would be one thing. But you're in a spot where you should be working hard to win her over, and instead you're telling everyone you can't stand her. Why would she like a guy like that?"

"B-but I've been nice to her!"

"When?"

"Well... like when I gave her medicine, and when I served the Young Master in her place..."

I couldn't hide how dumbfounded I was.

"...You talk to her like that and you really think you're being nice?"

"...Then what should I do? Should I confess my feelings?"

Now that he was finally ready to listen, Ouyang Mun stopped applying the medicinal paste and asked a question.

A rather foolish question at that.

“Listen carefully. A confession isn’t about declaring your feelings to the other person.”

“!? Wh-What does that even mean? A confession is a confession!”

"No. Confession is the final question to confirm what’s already been built between you. The last step to verify mutual feelings between two people. Not the first."

"!!!"

He gaped at me, wide-eyed.

Fair enough, I was also just as clueless as he was during my first crush in high school.

"Th-then—”

I cut him off.

"Also! You can't keep being 'nice' the way you've been doing it. You have to do small favors, but she actually has to be able to tell it's a favor. You don't want to be obvious like, 'I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!' but just enough to make her think, 'Huh? Is this guy into me?' You want to keep her guessing! That's the sweet spot."

“S-So—”

“Shut up and listen. When your feelings have matured to a certain extent through exchanging small favors, that's when it's time to confess."

Ouyang Mun looked thunderstruck and muttered.

“Unbelievable. This… this is far deeper than the advice my seniors gave.”

"You sought advice from your seniors?"

“Yes. Actually, I only came back earlier because the seniors from the White Tortoise Corps told me to ‘act responsibly.’ They said I should appear to be a reliable man if I were to become a husband.”

"..."

Ah.

So that’s why he’d rambled about responsibility.

Trying to look like husband material?

'What is this, the 1980s?... Oh, right, this is even further in the past.'

Just as I was starting to feel a little uneasy, wondering if my modern advice was even effective here, Ouyang Mun asked another question.

“But what if I show goodwill… and she still ignores me?”

“Try two or three more times. If you still get nothing, or if she seems annoyed, you have to back off."

"How could you say such things! Miss Hayeon is the only one for me, Young Master!!"

Watching him spiral again, I thought,

Truly, he had all the makings of an excellent stalker.

They say there's no tree that won't fall after ten strikes.

That’s if the tree didn’t call the police.

It's a romanticized notion perpetuated by one successful case, while the remaining ninety-nine are simply stalkers. If he believes himself to be among the one in a hundred, I'd rather suggest he buy a lottery ticket.

Above all.

“Listen carefully. Unwanted ‘kindness’ is no different from harassment."

“W-what do you mean? How can kindness be harassment?”

"Okay, just picture a woman you really can't stand. Someone you'd hate to be stuck with."

"???"

Ouyang Mun stared blankly but soon nodded. "Done."

“Then, imagine that woman visiting you every day, bringing unwanted gifts each time, and even trying to kiss you. Would that make you happy or horrified?”

"!!!"

Finally, it clicked.

His face paled as if struck by lightning. It seemed he finally understood after putting on another person’s shoes.

But that was short-lived.

"Th-Then what do I do!? I-I can’t give up on Hayeon!"

I couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at me desperately as if he might cry at any moment.

I decided to offer a carrot, as using only the stick might lead him to do something drastic.

"Like I said, chasing her one-sidedly is just harassment. So, you need to take a break from that and just be nice. Timing is crucial in romance. When someone's having a hard time or feeling lonely, their guard is down. That's when it's easier to get through to them. To seize that moment, you must be a friend first, not a suitor. I repeat, don't make her uncomfortable by showering her with gifts or showing up all the time."

“Oh! It’s just like in martial arts! Using light feints to probe for openings, then striking when the guard drops! As expected, the saying 'All things return to one' isn't for nothing.”

I nearly choked.

‘We’re talking romance, and he pivots to combat strategy?’

No matter how you sliced it, this guy was a Demonic Cultist to the core.

"I am eternally grateful for your wisdom! From this day, I shall honor you as my second master!"

He kowtowed dramatically.

"I asked you to assist the Young Master’s bath, not to grovel on the floor."

Just then, Jin Hayeon walked back into Windrock Palace with servants in tow. She cast a cold glare at the prostrating Ouyang Mun.

Yep. His love life’s doomed.

* * *

More than half a month passed after that.

Ouyang Mun was leaving the cult's headquarters with his White Tortoise Corps. They'd been given a new mission.

As they journeyed, one of his seniors nudged him teasingly.

"So, Mun. How’d that advice pan out?"

The seniors of the White Tortoise Corps, who had become close with Ouyang Mun after living and training together for more than a year, asked him with mischievous smiles.

These were the guys who'd given him love advice two weeks back.

"Haha. It's going well."

Ouyang Mun gave an answer that would have made Il-mok facepalm if he heard it.

"And I’ll no longer trouble you seniors for guidance. Hahaha!"

The squad members froze, eyes widened.

"What?"

“Don't tell me, you already did the deed with her?”

“Wha?! H-How can you talk about such a vulgar topic!"

Ouyang Mun yelled at them like they were beneath him, so his seniors started whacking him playfully.

“Oho? Starting to get cocky, are we?”

“How dare you talk back to your seniors? Insolent brat!”

As they playfully roughed him up, Ouyang Mun was having a totally different thought.

‘Master’s advice was right! The seniors’ guidance is useless!’

And the master he was talking about wasn't his combat instructor. It was his dating coach, Il-mok.

‘Slowly, steadily, show goodwill and wait for the right moment.’

He figured this actually worked out pretty well. As a member of the White Tortoise Corps, he was bound to frequently venture outside of the cult.

He could just bring her back a present every time he came back from a mission.

‘Last time, I gifted her White Lotus Jade Ointment. Next, I’ll hunt for rare herbs or a spirit beast’s core.’

Il-mok’s advice of going slow and steady had long been erased from Ouyang Mun’s mind.

* * *

“Who knew losing one person could make things this quiet?”

With Ouyang Mun gone, the Windrock Palace returned to its previous tranquillity.

"Young Master. I've brought the snacks."

While I was enjoying that peace, Jin Hayeon returned to the Windrock Palace holding a tray.

Surprisingly, in just over a month, the fractures in her arm had completely healed.

'No wonder it looked expensive. What kind of medicine was that?'

No matter how much I thought about it, the medicine Ouyang Mun had bought didn't seem like an ordinary remedy.

In any case, the Windrock Palace had returned to its original state.

Seon-ah would come over while I was eating snacks, and I could just relax and spend my time studying or sparring with her and Jin Hayeon.

Just as I was enjoying this peaceful atmosphere that had been rare lately.

“Hahaha! Is my youngest brother here?!”

No sooner had one noisy fellow left than another noisy fellow appeared.

And as soon as I heard that voice, Seon-ah flinched and clung to my side.

I thought she was frightened, but judging by her eyes and sharpened nails, she seemed to be in battle mode. She seemed to be trying to protect me.

Meanwhile, a familiar figure entered the Windrock Palace.

"Greetings to the Eldest Brother."

"Haha. I'm here today after concluding my closed-door meditation."

The person who visited the Windrock Palace was my Eldest Brother, who had been confined to the Closed Meditation Chamber for a month as punishment for his rampage.

But why did he come here immediately after ending his meditation?

‘Does he still want to kill me!?’

Cold sweat dripped down my spine as I recalled our last encounter.

He might have decided to kill me since that time.

"There are many places I need to visit, but I came to see our most cherished youngest brother first."

"???"

Cherised? Him?

As I reacted with confusion, my Eldest Brother added.

"That day, thanks to your advice, I was able to overcome the final wall to my Demonic Art. Hahaha. My Raging Demon Sword Art has reached the stage of Transcendence.”

"!!!"

While I was stunned by his revelation, it was Jin Hayeon who was the first to congratulate him.

"Congratulations, First Young Master."

Seon-ah and I hastily followed suit.

"Congratulations, Eldest Brother. Does this mean… the rage is gone?"

"Haha. Indeed. Want to test it?"

"……."

I'd already seen him go nuts once. There was no way in hell I was going to test that.

"Hahaha! Don't worry about it. Being called an idiot doesn't bother me anymore. It's just like you said, little brother: if I'm not smart enough, I just need to hire smart people to work for me!"

"V-Very wise. Hahaha…"

"So, after reaching Transcendence, I've been thinking. Who could I bring in as my direct subordinate to fulfil that role most brilliantly?"

"Is that so?"

I asked him that with a bad feeling in my gut, wondering why he was telling me all this. For some reason, he looked super excited.

"Hehe. So, can you guess who I thought of?"

"The Third Squad Leader maybe?"

"Hahaha! Our younger brother is so humble! Haha! Of course, I thought of you, my junior brother. Who could be a better strategist than you!”

The story had taken such an abrupt turn that I could not help but show a dumbfounded reaction.

"Me?"

All I want after finishing my studies is to eat, sleep, and laze around!