Ian sent me a silent message.

―What should I do?

―He’s buying you a drink. You handle it however you want.

I planned to watch how she handled it.

―This is my first time dealing with something like this.

―It’s my first time watching it happen.

―Are you really going to let me do whatever I want?

―Yes.

―Really.

The Radiant Sword Art is great, and clearing the Ren-Du Yang Mai is impressive, but the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° most important weapon to protect her is experience.

The man introduced himself.

“I am Gok Sa of Cheonyang Sect.”

He was dressed in expensive silk robes, adorned with costly jewels from his wrists to his fingers. Even his fan was decorated with lavish gems.

“Have you heard of our sect?”

“No. My knowledge is limited, so I haven’t heard of it. Sorry.”

“That’s understandable.”

Cheonyang Sect was actually well known nearby.

Judging by his attire, Gok Sa came from a place where my family’s name would be well known. Her ignorance meant she had lost her greatest weapon.

“What sect are you from, young lady?”

“You probably haven’t heard of it. It’s an obscure sect from a faraway countryside.”

“Then at least tell me your name.”

“Baekmyeon.”

She answered thinking of the white veil she wore. Gok Sa looked slightly taken aback by such an unusual name but smiled soon after.

“Well then, Baekmyeon, shall we move to another place to talk?”

“That’s a bit difficult. We’re in the middle of a conversation right now.”

Only then did Gok Sa look at me. He had never once glanced my way after sitting down.

“And who might this young master be?”

While Ian hesitated about how to introduce me, I answered first.

“She’s Baekmyeon’s bodyguard.”

Gok Sa’s expression twisted briefly—why would a bodyguard join a social gathering? That single reaction revealed his character.

I sent Ian a message.

―Today, I’ll be your bodyguard. You’ve been my charge your whole life. One day won’t hurt, right? Enjoy it. It’s not often you get a chance like this.

―I really will.

Gok Sa said to Ian,

“You must be close to your bodyguard.”

Ian looked at me with playful eyes.

“No matter how much I tell him to live his own life, he just won’t leave me alone.”

Gok Sa glared at me with a look that said: your master is beautiful, so you’re sticking close to try something.

“I’m curious what you two talk about.”

“We talk about everything.”

“Here’s some advice: keep your distance from your bodyguard.”

Ian answered Gok Sa’s words.

“Getting close to your bodyguard is like scoring points for them to die in your place, right?”

I quietly smiled. She was throwing back words I had said to her before.

“That makes no sense,” Gok Sa said, confused.

“Then why?”

“Subordinates tend to have wandering minds if you give them a chance. It’s not good for them either.”

He wore a serious expression, but decked out in jewels, it was clear he was just putting on airs to impress a woman.

“How cute.”

“Huh? Ah, yes. Sometimes I find wandering subordinates cute.”

“No, Gok Sa is the cute one.”

Gok Sa looked embarrassed. He hadn’t expected such a blunt compliment.

“Fine, buy us drinks. Take us to the most expensive tavern in this town and get the priciest liquor.”

Ian stood up.

“Why? Changed your mind about the expensive drinks?”

“Not at all. Let’s go.”

We left the tavern. Ian acted differently from what I expected; I didn’t think she would so readily accept drinking with them.

Soon we took a private room in the town’s most expensive tavern.

“Gok Sa, since we’re having fun, call all your friends—men and women alike—and let’s all enjoy ourselves. Don’t you have any friends?”

Gok Sa’s face reddened slightly.

“In martial arts, you can only trust yourself.”

He must have been raised that way, never trusting anyone.

“Seems like you have no friends. Then I guess I’ll be your lonely friend.”

Ian cheerfully led the mood, turning what could have been a gloomy moment into a lively one. The atmosphere brightened, and she genuinely tried to enjoy the moment. It was like saying,

“Drinking? Great! What’s stopping us? Let’s have fun.”

Meanwhile, a feast was laid out. As you can tell from the spread, all he had was money and his unique martial arts.

“This bottle costs over fifty silver taels.”

Ian fussed at his showiness.

“It’s my first time drinking such expensive liquor! Well then, thank you. I’ll pour a drink for my bodyguard, too.”

Without waiting for his answer, Ian poured.

“Bodyguard Geom, have a drink. It’s very expensive, so don’t leave any behind.”

“First, I’ll check for poison.”

I pulled out my hidden needles and inspected the food and drinks one by one. Gok Sa made all kinds of faces, but Ian smiled and said to him,

“Gok Sa, you wouldn’t play tricks with the food, right? You’ll get in trouble! Real trouble.”

“How do you take me? I don’t need tricks; women line up for me.”

Ian smiled slyly. It was the kind of charm that could even melt a foe’s heart.

“I thought so. Now, let’s drink.”

The three of us toasted. Ian emptied her glass and expressed regret.

“It’s a shame to drink such fine liquor just among us. Bodyguards outside!”

This time she called Gok Sa’s bodyguards, four men who entered the room.

“Gok Sa, shall we drink with them, too?”

Gok Sa immediately looked displeased.

One of the four bodyguards spoke up.

“We’re fine. We must protect the young master.”

Ian said to him,

“Do they really protect the young master outside?”

Her pointed question left the guards speechless. Until now, they’d only been guarding a drunkard’s party who spent money to seduce women.

Ian gently persuaded Gok Sa.

“Don’t make too much of this. We’re just having a drink together. Come on, sit down.”

The guards glanced at Gok Sa.

When Ian showed slight disappointment, Gok Sa gave in. When he nodded, the four guards sat.

“Now, have a drink on me.”

She poured drinks for them. Perhaps Ian felt a fondness for them—after all, they were fellow bodyguards.

“All together now!”

She raised her glass, and we toasted.

“Ah, the liquor tastes great. Gok Sa, order more! Oh, is it too expensive?”

“Nonsense! Order as much as you want.”

Beauty overwhelmed everything.

With Ian’s unique charm and liveliness added, nothing could stop her.

I never imagined such an atmosphere forming.

She was uninhibited and had no prejudice, so no one felt uncomfortable.

It was clear it wasn’t just because I was beside her.

It was her newfound confidence. Clearing the Ren-Du Yang Mai had given her a big boost.

We drank and talked about everything. The reserved bodyguards slowly answered questions, and even things unknown to Gok Sa were revealed.

“You had a son ten days ago? Congratulations!”

Ian didn’t interrogate Gok Sa, who naturally didn’t know. Instead, she set the mood for everyone.

“Now, let’s send a gift to our young master! Gift! Gift!”

I admired her. She made Gok Sa feel good enough to celebrate without offense. Honestly, at that moment, I thought: she’s better than me.

Gok Sa had never given gifts to his bodyguards before and didn’t know what to do.

Ian calmly explained.

“I know people who like to draw a line.”

She drew a line on the table with her chopsticks.

“This is the point of employment, and this is the end. If it reaches here, you might even die for your employer. Reaching the end is not easy. But bodyguards hope to get to this point. Even if it means dying. Those are the bodyguards here.”

Her calm words made the four guards slightly stirred. She spoke for me as well—the guards recognized it was their reality.

“You know a lot about bodyguards.”

One guard asked.

“I’ve experienced it since childhood.”

Gok Sa glared at that guard, asking where he got off. The guard shrank and lowered his head.

Ian spoke gently to Gok Sa.

“If you look at people with that glare, the line goes backward.”

“I don’t believe it. That someone could purely sacrifice their life for another. Do you believe that?”

Ian nodded and offered her cup.

“Try believing once, Gok Sa.”

“You’ll get stabbed in the back for believing.”

“Doesn’t disbelief protect you from being stabbed?”

“!”

“We usually link betrayal to trust. But that’s only from the betrayed’s perspective—‘I trusted so much and got betrayed!’ But from the betrayer’s side, betrayal is rarely because they didn’t trust you. Usually it’s for money, power, or personal reasons. I’ve never seen a case where the betrayer says, ‘I betrayed because I didn’t trust.’ That’s just an excuse. So, trust anyway! Betrayal is a different matter entirely!”

“That’s sophistry!”

“To sophistry, a drink!”

Gok Sa couldn’t refuse Ian’s offered cup.

He was drunk, but Ian was pretending.

I saw her occasionally release alcohol breath through her fingertips. Even though she seemed to be having a wild time, she was careful. Perfect, Ian!

―When did you learn to release alcohol breath?

―Since childhood. I just never had the skill to do it properly. Ah, what a waste—such expensive liquor!

Suddenly remembering, Ian shouted.

“Oh, right! Baby’s gift! Gift! Give gifts!”

Excited, she called out, and Gok Sa pulled out a money pouch.

“Lots! Lots! Lots!”

Eventually, a sizable amount came out of the pouch.

“It’s fine.”

“Take it. Buy clothes for the baby.”

“Thank you.”

Ian gave him a thumbs-up.

“Gok Sa! You’re awesome!”

“It’s nothing.”

Gok Sa’s face flushed for no reason.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere grew even better, and we drank all night. Though strangers, we shared many stories. It was the first time for Gok Sa and his guards to drink socially.

With Ian leading, everyone gradually got swept up in the fun. We talked about everything—martial arts, making money, family.

Because Ian sincerely engaged, everyone unconsciously showed their true selves. We enjoyed the night so much we regretted parting.

“Gok Sa, next time I visit this town, I’ll look up Cheonsam Sect first.”

“Not Cheonsam, Cheonyang Sect.”

“Ah, our Gok Sa of Cheonyang Sect. I’ll remember you well. From today, you’re my drinking buddy.”

Gok Sa couldn’t hide his joy at being called a drinking buddy. Perhaps when he first approached Ian, he intended to seduce her by any means. But now, hearing ‘drinking buddy,’ he was moved.

“And don’t seduce any other women until we meet again! Train hard. Let’s meet again looking sharp. Got it?”

“Got it.”

Surprisingly, Gok Sa nodded. I had a feeling things would change from today. He even gave me an allowance.

“Take good care of the lady.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Ah, Gok Sa doesn’t know how much I admire at this moment—not him, but Ian. She captivated five men with her charm overnight. Honestly, six, counting me. I truly admire her.

We left. Far off, Gok Sa and his guards looked on regretfully.

“At first, I worried about you.”

“Me? Why?”

“That you’d be deceived or manipulated by men. That you’d cause trouble in excitement. That you’d be disappointed and hurt by men.”

When they first appeared, I thought Gok Sa would get beaten up or make a bigger fuss and die.

But it ended in a situation I never expected. Would Gok Sa really change just because Yellow Spring Division intimidated him? It felt like sunshine stripping off a coat the wind couldn’t remove.

“So?”

“Now I worry the opposite.”

“What worries?”

“Men. If I let you out, all the men of the martial world will be ruined. They’ll waste their fortunes, get obsessed with showing strength, lose their minds training, and get lovesick.”

Ian giggled.

“You know how many tails I have.”

Seeing her like this made me determined to have her master the Radiant Sword Art. The stronger she gets, the more attractive she’ll become.

“So where to next?”

“If we meet guys like Gok Sa, we’ll hang out, eat good food, enjoy scenery on the way, and go watch a wedding.”

“Whose wedding?”

“There is one. A wedding I’m debating whether to stop or not.”

“Why stop someone else’s wedding?”

“Right?”

“That sounds fun! I’ve never properly watched a wedding!”

Excited, she ran ahead.

Watching her sprint toward the rising sun, I thought she looked like a perfect painting and slowly melted into the scene.