LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 28 - Audit (1)
Chapter 28: Audit (1)
Gu Yang-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, Gu Yang-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 hastily set the table, unable to meet with Jin Hayeon’s gaze.
“P-Please, enjoy your meal, Young Master!”
“I will.”
The scene could’ve been lifted from a slapstick comedy.
As I awkwardly picked at the food with my chopsticks—
“Earlier, Lady Seon-ah mentioned something”
“Wh-What? I-I didn’t hear anything!”
The moment Jin Hayeon tried to probe, Gu Yang-mun erupted into another fit.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent is Jin Hayeon.
“That you like me. Is it true?”
“Wh-Wh-What nonsense! M-Me? Y-You? Preposterous!
Watching Gu Yang-mun flail like a chicken being choked, I couldn’t help but sigh and dig into my dinner.
“Good grief.”
I had suspected it 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 feeling a bit peckish. Could you bring some snacks? Since my hand hands are still sore, please ask the servant in the kitchen to bring them together.”
When I suddenly gave this task to Jin Hayeon, Gu Yang-mun, who was applying ointment to my body, quickly shouted.
“No, Young Master! I’ll go!”
“Enough. Miss Jin will handle it.”
I’d forced the task on Jin Ha-yeon for a reason. The moment she left Windrock Palace—
“Whew.”
—I turned to Gu Yang-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 convulsed like a chicken being choked.
“It hurts.”
Gu Yang-mun, in his agitation, rubbed the medicinal paste too hard on my skin. Although my skin wasn’t torn, it had turned red.
“M-My apologies.”
“Regardless, your approach is flawed, Mister Gu.”
“Wh-what do you mean by my approach?”
“Take earlier for example, how can you expect to make progress if a mere question of you liking her or not already sent you spiraling into a panic?”
“B-but it’s embarrassing! To openly admit one’s feelings…”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
As someone who had navigated the complexities of romance three times in his thirty-four years of life, I felt obligated to offer some guidance.
“People naturally favor those who show them affection. Conversely, few grow fond of someone who constantly pushes them away.”
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.
“Even if, by any chance, Miss Jin liked you—which I doubt—how could she grow fond of someone who keeps pushing her away? You’d need to court her relentlessly, yet here you are, denying your feelings outright!”
“B-But haven’t I shown her plenty of goodwill?”
“When?”
“Well… like when I gave her medicine, and when I served the Young Master in her place…”
Unable to conceal my incredulity, I retorted.
“Do you genuinely believe those actions constitute kindness, given the way you speak to her?”
“…Then what should I do? Should I confess my feelings?”
Now that he was finally ready to listen, Gu Yang-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.
“You shouldn’t show favor the way you have been. Show small favors, but make sure the other person recognizes them as favors. Not blatantly like ‘I love you!’ but enough to make them wonder, ‘Hmm? Is this man interested in me?’ It’s best to make them uncertain.”
“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.”
Gu Yang-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” earlier.
Trying to look like husband material?
‘What is this, the 1980s?… Oh, right, this is even further in the past.’
As I doubted whether my modern advice was even effective here, Gu Yang-mun asked.
“But what if I show goodwill… and she still ignores me?”
“Try two or three more times. If she reacts coldly or seems uncomfortable—let go.”
“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 guards.
It’s a romanticized notion perpetuated by the 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?”
“Picture a woman you find unbearable. One whose mere presence makes your skin crawl.”
“???”
Gu Yang-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.
“As I said, one-sided courtship is harassment. So, give her space, but stay close to her. Timing is crucial in romance. When the other person is struggling or feeling lonely, their emotional walls are weaker, making it easier to approach. To seize that moment, you must first be a friend, not a suitor. I repeat, do not show excessive goodwill or keep visiting and making the other person uncomfortable.”
“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?’
He truly is a member of this damned cult.
“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 Young Master’s bath, not to grovel on the floor.”
Just then, Jin Hayeon returned to the Windrock Palace with servants in tow. She cast a cold glare at the prostrating Gu Yang-mun.
Yep. His love life’s doomed.
* * *
More than half a month passed after that.
Gu Yang-mun, tasked with a new mission, departed from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s headquarters along with the White Tortoise Corps.
As they journeyed, one of his seniors nudged him teasingly.
“So, Yang-mun. How’d that advice pan out?”
The seniors of the White Tortoise Corps, who had become close with Gu Yang-mun over more than a year of living and training together, asked him with mischievous smiles.
The same squad members who’d coached his “responsible husband” act weeks prior.
“Haha. It’s going well.”
Gu Yang-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 do the deed with her?”
“Wha?! H-How can you talk about such a vulgar topic!”
As Gu Yangmun shouted with a drop in decorum, the seniors began to playfully beat him.
When Gu Yang-mun exclaimed as if their words were beneath him, the seniors started to hit him playfully.
“Oho? Starting to get cocky, are we?”
“How dare you talk back to your seniors? Insolent brat!”
Amid the half-playful beating from the seniors, Gu Yang-mun was thinking differently to himself.
‘Master’s advice was right! The seniors’ guidance is useless!’
The “master” he was referring to was not his martial arts master, but his romance master, Il-mok.
‘Slowly, steadily, show goodwill and wait for the right moment.’
He felt relieved. As a member of the White Tortoise Corps, he was bound to frequently venture outside of the cult.
He thought he could bring back a gift each time he returned 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 Gu Yang-mun’s mind.
* * *
“Who knew losing one person could make things this quiet?”
With Gu Yang-mun gone, the Windrock Palace returned to its previous tranquility.
“Young Master. I’ve brought the snacks.”
While I was enjoying that quiet, 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 Gu Yang-mun had bought didn’t seem like an ordinary remedy.
In any case, the Windrock Palace had returned to its original state.
Seon-ah visited while I was having snacks, and I could spend time leisurely studying or practicing martial arts with Jin Hayeon or Seon-ah.
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. It seemed she was 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.”
“???”
Grateful? 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 Arts. Hahaha. My Raging Demon Sword Art has reached the stage of Transcendence (脫魔).”
“!!!”
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, Senior Brother. Does this mean… the rage is gone?”
“Haha. Indeed. Want to test it?”
“…….”
Having already seen his rampaging state, I had no courage to test it.
“Worry not! I’ve taken your wisdom to heart—if I lack brains, I’ll surround myself with clever underlings! Simple!”
“V-Very wise. Hahaha…”
“So, after reaching Transcendence, I’ve been thinking. Who could I bring in as my direct subordinate to fulfill that role most brilliantly?”
“Is that so?”
I responded hesitantly, wondering why he was telling me this, but the Eldest Brother seemed too excited to care.
“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 words hit like a brick.
“Me?”
All I want after finishing my studies is to eat, sleep, and laze around!