I was flustered and could only roll my eyes, unable to do anything.

I came looking for a hideout to escape my disciple’s killing intent. Yet I run into my disciple here of all places. It was hard to even breathe properly.

What must my disciple be thinking of me now? Has he already heard that I’m looking for a hideout? Or not yet?

If he’s heard, will he find me suspicious? Or will he just treat it as one of my quirks?

No, that can’t be. My disciple is smart. He’ll probably find it suspicious after all.

Damn it. Could he possibly deduce that I have memories from before the regression?

My heart was pounding so hard I couldn’t hear anything outside. My ears were ringing.

I was staring blankly ahead when I felt a strong gaze and barely managed to lift my head.

The Yu family head was looking at me with sharp eyes. Oh no. Did I check on my disciple too obviously?

Receiving that gaze, I regained some of my senses.

Hiding my fearful feelings, I gave the Yu family head the kind of smile that’s perfect for deceiving others.

Fortunately, Sun An also grew tired of waiting when the Yu family head didn’t answer his question and asked again.

“Grandfather? Who is that person?”

Finding it difficult to ignore his grandson twice, the Yu family head answered.

“He’s a noble guest.”

Then the Yu family head glanced at the 13th prince. As if checking whether he had answered correctly.

‘The Yu family head isn’t trying to tell Sun An about the 13th prince. Why? Is the 13th prince’s visit to the gambling den a secret? Shouldn’t he tell his grandson even so?’

No, more than that, Sun An at this time doesn’t know the 13th prince’s face. I think he knew in my past life.

How did Sun An learn about the 13th prince in my past life? Damn it. It’s confusing.

I remember the broad strokes, but the details and timelines are all mixed up, making it hard to recall memories.

Meanwhile, Sun An asked his grandfather again in an incredulous voice.

“A noble guest?”

Sun An’s gaze landed on the 13th prince, who looked younger than himself.

He seemed to find it hard to believe that his picky and scary maternal grandfather would refer to a delicate young man as a noble guest.

I kept my mouth shut for now, pretending not to know.

I’m sorry to Sun An, but it was difficult for me to step forward and act like I knew the prince when my disciple was staying quiet.

‘But the Yu family head must know my identity, right? Sun An introduced me as Yo Yohwa.’

Someone who knows the 13th prince couldn’t possibly not know my name.

The 13th prince and his novice teacher Yo Yohwa. For better or worse, our names always went together since I became his teacher.

“Yes, a noble guest.”

“Does grandfather have such a young friend among his noble guests?”

The Yu family head frowned his stern brows but didn’t scold his grandson.

Instead, perhaps at a loss for an answer, he suddenly looked at me and said.

“So. Your friend is looking for a hideout?”

You’re selling me out to save your grandson, you old geezer.

“Yes. About ten of them. Right, Yohwa? It’s ten, right?”

I should write my will as soon as I get home. The grandfather and grandson are digging my future grave together so amicably.

At times like this, I absolutely shouldn’t look at the 13th prince. But before I could even think that, my gaze turned to my disciple. I was curious about his reaction.

Ah. I shouldn’t have looked. He’s looking at me with a smiling face.

It’s called a smiling face, but it’s the expression he makes right before feeding me poison.

As if fleeing, I avoided his smile and looked at the Yu family head.

Maybe because my true enemy was smiling meaningfully next to me. The fear I had of the Yu family head before entering this room had already completely disappeared.

Compared to the poison prince beside me, the Yu family head looked like plain water.

Anyway, the answer I had to give was already decided. If it were just Sun An, he would follow my lead even if I suddenly changed my words, but the Yu family head was different.

The Yu family head knew nothing about me and was friends with the 13th prince. He would find it suspicious if his grandson’s friend who asked for a hideout suddenly changed his words upon seeing my disciple.

“Yes. Ten of them.”

All I could do was answer as if there was nothing to be concerned about at all.

The Yu family head asked again.

“Why are you looking for hideouts?”

Sun An, feeling more sorry as the situation he caused out of guilt kept escalating, protested to the Yu family head in a somewhat irritated tone.

“Oh, grandfather. Why are you asking that? He must have his reasons.”

“The danger of a hideout varies greatly depending on its use. Who knows what might be hidden inside.”

But it was useless.

“What does that mean?”

“I mean, how do we know if what’s being hidden is oneself or a bomb?”

“Come on, grandfather, where would a kid who only studies at home get a bomb? You just don’t want to help, right?”

Moreover, the Yu family head’s gaze towards me seemed to worsen with each word Sun An spoke.

If it wasn’t my imagination, the Yu family head put up with Sun An’s whining a few times but eventually ignored him completely and asked me.

“What is the purpose of these hideouts, Young Master Yo? My foolish grandson can’t give a proper answer even when asked, so you answer.”

The sharp voice and tiger-like gaze were more than enough to remind me of the Yu family head’s infamous reputation that Sun An had told me about in my past life.

“I…”

I forced my mouth open and muttered blankly. I also barely managed to hold back my gaze that kept trying to go towards my disciple.

It felt like a hazy fog had filled my head. I couldn’t think of what to say.

I knew that the longer I delayed answering, the more suspicious I’d seem, but I couldn’t think of what to say at all.

I had only thought about needing to find hideouts, not at all anticipating that I’d meet the Yu family head and be interrogated about it.

“I…”

As I failed to give a proper answer, Sun An seemed to grow anxious too, fidgeting with his arms and glancing at me.

Unable to hold back, I glanced at my disciple. He was watching me with a seemingly benevolent smile.

He must be enjoying my predicament, right?

I looked back at the Yu family head. He was narrowing his eyes more and more.

No, old man. Sun An is right. Why would I want to hide bombs in hideouts? Seeing the Yu family head’s expression makes my blood boil.

But answering honestly was absolutely out of the question. Then I should lie. But what should I say?

An answer that’s not suspicious at all, but one that everyone can accept. Is there… such a thing?

‘There is!’

Fortunately, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind. I quickly answered with a solemn expression.

“I want to keep ten mistresses.”

“!”

I’m trash. I’ve acted like a playboy before, but never this severely.

But I can’t answer ‘I’m looking for hideouts because the 13th prince next to you will try to kill me in the future’ here.

I’d rather be trash just this once. I can’t die earlier than expected by seeming suspicious.

“Hmm.”

But it really hurts my heart to be looked at like trash by the Yu family head.

To receive such a look from someone who has achieved greatness in the underworld.

Still, I maintained my solemn expression, and the Yu family head asked Sun An.

“Is he always like this?”

Sun An answered with an awkward smile.

“He’s always like this.”

You’re not saying that sincerely, right? You’re just saying that to take my side, right?

The Yu family head clicked his tongue.

Suppressing the urge to find a mouse hole to crawl into, even if I had to make one, I struggled to maintain my smile.

“I’m sorry, Young Master Yo. Proper hideouts are very rare. It takes great effort to obtain even one. I don’t want to give such precious hideouts for a dissolute young master’s night activities.”

But even after I went this far, the Yu family head said he couldn’t give me hideouts.

After completely humiliating me in front of my disciple!

“I’ll pay any amount of money.”

I quickly offered, but the Yu family head’s expression grew even colder when money was mentioned, and he said.

“To move our family with money, you’d fall short even if you emptied your entire family’s treasury.”

He doesn’t seem to like talk of money. Damn it. What should I do now?

“Take Young Master Yo away, Sun An. And don’t bother me with such matters in the future.”

Even as I grew anxious, the Yu family head was already speaking to Sun An in a voice that had lost interest.

“Grandfather…”

Sun An whined, but the Yu family head didn’t even blink.

“Quickly.”

The Yu family head turned to face the 13th prince, clearly signaling that he wanted to end the conversation and for us to leave so he could talk with the prince.

Seeing the situation turn out like this, Sun An glanced at me with a troubled expression.

I looked at my disciple. He wasn’t looking my way, but he was smirking.

Seeing that, anger surged up inside me.

I’m scared of my disciple, but at the same time, I resent him. That’s why I felt embarrassed to be humiliated in front of him.

Damn it, why did I make such a trashy excuse! It’s because that 13th prince is here! Because he’s trying to kill me. Yet the culprit is smirking like that!

“Let’s go.”

Unaware of my indignant feelings, Sun An lightly tugged at my arm and whispered in my ear.

“Let’s leave for now. I’ll ask grandfather again later. I think he’s just acting tough because there’s a guest.”

As soon as Sun An did that, the smirk disappeared from my disciple’s lips. It seems he dislikes even me whispering with someone in front of him.

Anyway, there was no choice. The options had disappeared. I replied weakly.

“Alright.”

Then, as I was about to turn around after scanning the room one last time with regret, unexpectedly, a chess board placed on a decorative table caught my eye.

The chess board that hadn’t caught my attention earlier because I was preoccupied with the Yu family head and my disciple.

Seeing that chess board reminded me of a story Sun An had told me in my past life, before I regressed.

– Grandfather always plays chess when he’s deep in thought. If he gets stuck, he leaves it as is and doesn’t touch it until he figures it out.

Once, the chess game had been stuck for 3 years when a guest appeared one day.

The guest said he wanted to entrust himself to the Yu family head, but the Yu family head scoffed and ignored the guest.

– What makes me think I should treat you as a guest?

A normal guest would have backed down there. But surprisingly, that guest calmly looked around and approached the chess board when he saw it.

Then he said “Two spaces up” and moved a piece, and the Yu family head was overjoyed and welcomed that guest as an honored guest.

Could this be that chess board?

Then could I use that anecdote? Is the timing right?

When Sun An told me that story, he said the Yu family head had been stuck on the chess game for 3 years. Is the current time within those 3 years or not?

“Yohwa?”

As I stared blankly at the chess board, Sun An shook my arm again.

Instead of going with him, I slowly walked towards the chess board.

As I approached the chess board, I became half certain. This was the time when the Yu family head was troubled because he couldn’t solve the chess puzzle.

Hope welled up again. What if I used that anecdote? Could I change the Yu family head’s mind too?

I shouldn’t change the future, but. This much should be okay, right? This is a small and trivial matter.

It’s not like my disciple knows my every move, so it should be fine to change such minor things happening outside the palace.

Sun An also said that when he told me that anecdote. That his grandfather would be embarrassed, so never tell anyone else.

‘Alright.’

As soon as I made up my mind, I provoked while looking down at the chess board.

“Your thoughts have become rigid, grandfather. That’s why you judge people rashly and get stuck on chess too.”

“Yohwa!”

Sun An called out my name in shock.

But I looked at the Yu family head with a smile. The Yu family head’s expression had hardened.

“You’re very impudent, Young Master Yo.”

That expression was as frightening as a tiger jumping out of a cave, but thanks to being conscious of my disciple next to him, I was able to suppress my fear.

I provoked the Yu family head again with defiance.

“Everything else is neat, but only this chess board has dust on it. It’s too shabby to be just decoration. You were playing chess alone and got stuck, didn’t you?”

Fortunately, it had the desired effect.

“You speak well. If you’re so good, why don’t you try finding a way out, Young Master Yo?”

The Yu family head suggested coldly.

“Well, I’m not very good at chess.”

While inwardly rejoicing, I looked down at the chess board pretending to be indifferent.

But with my eyes, I was earnestly searching for the chess piece that Sun An had said moved “two spaces up”.

Sun An had only told me that the guest moved a piece two spaces up, not which piece it was.

Think hard. Think hard, Yo Yohwa. Which piece is it? Which piece should I move two spaces up to turn the tide?

‘This is it!’

I finally found that piece. Trying not to let my hand shake, I picked up that piece and moved it two spaces up with clear taps.

Then I looked at the Yu family head and smiled.

But before I could turn my head, the Yu family head was already standing up and striding over, swinging his sleeves.

The tiger-like old man who came right up next to me looked down at the chess board I had moved with sharp eyes.

Curious, my disciple also slowly approached and stood next to me, looking down at the chess board together.

My heart started beating frantically. Will this work?

But the Yu family head just stared at the chess board silently for an agonizingly long time without saying anything.

After a long while, he looked at my disciple and said with a smile.

“Indeed, like teacher, like student.”

My heart, which I thought couldn’t beat any faster, started racing out of control. I looked at the Yu family head in terror.

‘What does that mean…?’

The Yu family head smiled brightly and looked alternately at the 13th prince and me, driving a stake into my anxiety.

“For teacher and student to solve this old man’s dilemma in the same way. How delightful.”

“!”