Chapter 41

I could understand at once why Joo Hwarin’s lips didn’t easily part.

Southern Manchuria Do clan, Do Seokhwi.

That name had never been remembered fondly by me, and in reality, that name felt like a burden.

At her words, I tightly closed my mouth. Joo Hwarin looked at me as if she was embarrassed or felt guilty.

What fault could Joo Hwarin have? I smiled at Joo Hwarin, who was rolling her eyes, indicating that it was alright, and turned my body.

I glanced around the empty training hall and then fixed my gaze on her again.

“Does Dojin know too?”

“They say a report reached the Young Cult Leader this morning.”

This morning? Does it make sense that the people involved in our celebratory banquet only found out about it being held this morning? It was none other than the Young Cult Leader’s banquet.

If it wasn’t a banquet held to surprise us, it wouldn’t be strange for it to reach his ears normally.

However, the fact that Hyuk Dojin found out today definitely felt out of place.@@novelbin@@

I rolled my eyes and looked at Joo Hwarin. Joo Hwarin’s gaze was directed at me with wide-open eyes.

Was I overreacting? The Demon Cult was clearly different from the Righteous Sect. Perhaps such things weren’t a big deal to them. After organizing my thoughts, I nodded my head.

“Ah! That’s why I’m saying, Miss Cho Hong is waiting for you.”

“Cho Hong?”

“Yes! She’s been busy saying that she needs to hurry and prepare your outfit since the banquet is approaching.”

Was there a reason to prepare an outfit? I thought I could just take out and wear one of the many outfits I had worn before. Rubbing my cheek with my fingertips, I lowered my gaze and moved my legs.

I slid past Joo Hwarin and left the training hall.

As I passed through the corridor and returned to the room, I saw Cho Hong impatiently pacing in front of the door, unable to enter.

It was no longer unfamiliar to see about ten maids lined up behind her as before.

As soon as Cho Hong saw me, she widened her eyes and quickly approached me with a delighted expression.

“Miss… No… I greet the esteemed Young Madam.”

Esteemed. Moreover, being addressed as Young Madam felt simply awkward. Others had called me Madam or Miss.

Feeling awkward with the form of address, I froze for a moment before greeting Cho Hong with a faint smile.

“It’s been a while, Cho Hong. I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

“Hoho, it’s always the busiest time after the wedding. This Cho Hong understands.”

Cho Hong was still shining brightly. I thought that no matter when I looked at her, Cho Hong’s radiant glow wouldn’t easily be overshadowed.

After silently observing Cho Hong, I glanced at the tightly closed door and turned my body.

Joo Hwarin quickly approached and opened the door first. As I entered first, Cho Hong also followed behind me.

Since it wasn’t a place I had visited only once or twice, the maids brought by Cho Hong also followed and began making preparations skillfully. They added thicker blackout curtains and busily covered any potential holes.

Cho Hong rummaged through the bags the maids had set down, took out her own tools, placed them in front of the dressing table, and then spun around to face me.

Cho Hong observed me from head to toe with a deep gaze and then smiled brightly.

“My, my. It seems like you’ve gained a little weight compared to before?”

If anyone else had heard it, they would have scolded me, saying I had gained weight, but it was the opposite with Cho Hong.

She always scolded me, saying I needed to gain more weight. She constantly mentioned that I needed to gain a little more weight to create curves on my body and make the clothes look beautiful.

The first thing she said when she saw me was that the Demon Cult’s clothing was dull.

-The people here seem to have no aesthetic sense. My goodness, the clothes are so loose. Even if you make pretty clothes, there’s no point in wearing them like that. Even if you want to wear pretty clothes, there are only such clothes available, so it’s discouraging!

With that, Cho Hong made clothes for me strictly according to her own taste.

Cho Hong approached me, said ‘excuse me,’ and then, as before, pressed my shoulders and arms to take measurements. Then, she rubbed her chin and stepped back.

The retreating Cho Hong tilted her head.

“By any chance, have you been exercising separately these days?”

I slowly shook my head. Breathing was the only exercise I did. It was an internal cultivation method. But why? I looked at her with puzzled eyes.

Cho Hong narrowed her brow and scratched her head. I could see her hair swaying with the movement of her fingers. Cho Hong stared at me intently with her mouth closed and then calmly opened her mouth.

“I felt like you had gained weight, so I checked, but that’s not it. Instead, your muscles have become a bit more defined.”

“Muscles?”

“Yes. People basically have muscles in their bodies, whether they exercised or not. Previously, it felt like those muscles weren’t properly in place and were scattered, but now, even if it’s just a little, they have found their place.”

How could that be possible? Breathing was my only exercise, yet my muscles were finding their place and becoming more defined.

Just as I was about to dismiss it as Cho Hong’s misconception, a telepathic message flowed in.

[Internal cultivation methods also help in balancing the body. In the process, weakened muscles naturally become firmer.]

It was Eun Do’s voice. With his brief explanation, I understood while simultaneously furrowing my brow.

“Young Madam?”

I was grateful for the explanation, but… After giving Cho Hong a slight smile, I tilted my head slightly and looked up at the sky.

Since I didn’t know where he was, I looked at any random spot and slightly moved my lips to utter a small voice.

“Do you plan on watching me change clothes too?”

[…No. I simply answered because I heard your voice from afar.]

I furrowed my brow, recalling Eun Do, who usually didn’t speak first unless spoken to.

I continued to gaze at the sky with a suspicious look.

“Do you swear on Dojin’s name that it’s true?”

[How could I, as his trusted aide, engage in such impure behavior? Don’t worry. I’m watching from afar.]

“Young Madam?”

At the voice calling me again, I shifted my attention from Eun Do’s telepathic message and faced her.

I gave Cho Hong, who was looking at me with a puzzled expression, a faint smile and shook my head.

Cho Hong smiled brightly and tilted her head before changing the subject.

“Most of the clothes I made last time are thin, so they’re not ideal for wearing to a banquet. Of course, it will be held indoors, but it’s still good to wear thicker clothes to prevent the cold. So, I plan to make new clothes as well.”

“I heard the banquet is approaching soon, so can you make clothes now?”

“Two days is enough. It’s not just anyone’s clothes, but the Young Madam’s, so I have to move faster than anything else.”

Cho Hong smiled brightly and called the maids to start taking my exact measurements.

As the maids reported the measurements, Cho Hong wrote them down and opened her mouth.

“Do you know? There is no woman beside the Cult Leader.”

“Ah, I heard. Ever since Lady Geum Soso, Dojin’s mother, passed away, he hasn’t kept any woman by his side.”

“That’s right. Isn’t it fascinating? The Cult Leader is the strongest man in the Demon Cult and simultaneously the law. He can take any woman he desires with a reach of his hand, and if he wishes, he can even take another man’s wife, even if it goes against morality. That’s how powerful he is. Ah! This is just between us.”

Cho Hong paused her writing and smiled at me, as if entrusting me with a secret. I calmly nodded my head, and Cho Hong continued.

“The fact that the Cult Leader, who is like that, only had one wife and hasn’t embraced any woman since her passing is truly astonishing. Considering that the previous Cult Leaders typically took dozens of women, isn’t it fascinating?”

“…”

Instead of answering, I stared intently at Cho Hong. Cho Hong, who had been continuously moving her lips and writing, raised her head and observed me at my silence.

After examining my face, Cho Hong widened her eyes and urgently opened her mouth.

“Ah, no! I don’t mean that the Young Cult Leader would do the same. I’m just saying that’s how the previous Cult Leaders were, Young Madam. I’m not saying that the Young Cult Leader would also be like that…”

“It’s alright. I didn’t think that way.”

What did it matter anyway? I suppressed the throbbing pain in my chest and forced a smile.

It was just a fleeting dream that would end soon anyway. I could endure the inexplicable throbbing pain.

I closed my mouth and fixed my gaze on a distant spot. Cho Hong, who had been restless in front of me, bit her lip and then opened her mouth again.

“What I wanted to tell you wasn’t that kind of gossip. I just wanted to say that after Lady Geum Soso passed away, there was no noble woman in the Demon Cult.”

“Noble woman?”

At Cho Hong’s gesture, a maid brought a bright pink outfit that had been prepared in advance and draped it over my shoulders, matching the rhythm of Cho Hong’s movements.

Cho Hong nodded her head in affirmation.

“After Lady Geum Soso passed away, the seat beside the Young Cult Leader and the Cult Leader remained empty. Many clan leaders and elders tried to claim that position, but the result was failure. As a result, that empty seat was left untouched for over a decade, but now that seat has been filled.”

Cho Hong pulled the fabric attached to the outfit and tied it once, then looked up at me.

“It’s none other than you, Young Madam.”

“…”

“As you know, being the Young Cult Leader’s wife in the Demon Cult means you can stand above all other clan leaders. In a world where strength is everything, becoming the wife of the Young Cult Leader, who possesses great strength, is equivalent to having strength yourself. So have confidence.”

Cho Hong smiled and rose from her seat.

She moved from her spot and circled around me, observing me. When Cho Hong came back in front of me, she nodded her head.

“If someone acts arrogantly and rudely towards you like before, sternly tell them off. Ask them if they dare to say such things to you. You are the only one who can stand above everyone except the Cult Leader and the Young Cult Leader. Moreover, you are also the most noble woman.”

Did Cho Hong know too? That I would be attending the banquet hosted by Do Seokhwi. And all the previous incidents as well.

Although it was a short time, I could see that Cho Hong was very attentive.

She even showed the amazing ability to roughly guess my emotional changes and physical condition for the day just by looking.

If she knew that I was reluctant to face Do Seokhwi because of the previous incident, I could roughly guess why Cho Hong was saying these things. Perhaps it was to comfort me.

“Thank you.”

I smiled brightly at Cho Hong, who was thoughtfully worrying about me, and calmly closed my eyes.