Despite Yeonwoo not fearing Gun in normal situations, at this moment, his gaze felt quite intimidating. Seeing Yeonwoo unfairly treated this way, Gun’s eyes subtly softened.
“Are you okay while I’m not?”
“The point is not that, don’t you know that?” Unable to say anything as a superior, Yeonwoo, who had become quite agitated, stomped her foot. Even though Yeonwoo didn’t fear Gun as much as usual, in this moment, his gaze seemed frightening.
Feeling unjustly treated, Yeonwoo’s eyes subtly trembled. Gun, lowering his hand that was petting Yeonwoo, spoke with a comforting tone, “If it’s you, it’s okay.” Gun’s trusting eyes reached Yeonwoo, and it was a moment when the inner barriers that were invisible to anyone else opened.
Gun laughed lightly, and Yeonwoo’s strength drained away. Although she thought of him as a blunt and dull gentleman, it turned out that he was quite mischievous.
“A peculiar guy.”
As Gun chuckled, Yeonwoo’s tension eased. There was nothing more effective in lifting one’s spirits than a handsome man’s smile.
With her mood now settled, Yeonwoo changed the topic.
“By the way, why did you come all the way here?”
“I came to get hunting tools to catch a tiger.”
Gun pointed with his hand toward a large hunting tool store in the distance.
It seemed that from today, he was earnestly preparing for tiger hunting.
Yeonwoo, looking at the hunting tool store along with his finger, fell into thought for a moment.
Although Gun said they had to go tiger hunting without the help of the Chakhogun, no matter how proficient Gun was in martial arts, facing a tiger alone would be a challenging task.
Even though Yeonwoo had never seen a tiger, she occasionally went hunting before enlisting, so she might be able to help Gun at least a little.
Since tiger hunting was strictly prohibited for the Chakhogun to get involved, adding one trainee to the hunt shouldn’t cause much trouble.
Moreover, despite knowing her lowly status, Yeonwoo never belonged to any particular group of people.
She had refused to become friends, scolded those who badmouthed her, and acted boldly in front of Gun, always taking him by surprise with unexpected actions. She was a cheeky one.
“A peculiar guy.”
As Gun smiled, Yeonwoo’s tension dissipated. Even though she had thought of him as a blunt and dull gentleman, it turned out that he was quite mischievous.
“Then I’ll go too!”
“No, you can’t.”
If that’s the case, being useful in tiger hunting was the solution.
Yeonwoo opened her mouth with a determined expression.
“I’ll go too!”
“No, you can’t.”
As if waiting for a rejection, Gun responded decisively without hesitation.
Usually, soldiers with outstanding martial skills were mobilized for tiger hunting.
Moreover, a systematic and professional hunting method was required, as there were specialized troops for tracking prey and others for driving them using drums and horns.
Even with thorough preparation, injuries or deaths were common in tiger hunting.
Even if Yeonwoo’s martial skills had improved, being involved in tiger hunting was unreasonable.
Gun found it more convenient and safer to move alone. However, unaware of these circumstances, Yeonwoo began passionately asserting her intentions to persuade Gun.
“I can be of some help to you. Although I haven’t tried tiger hunting, I know quite a bit about mountain animals since I’ve hunted small game occasionally!”
“Still, it’s not allowed.”
“When it comes to Hong Yeonwoo, wasn’t he a trainee who caught a wild boar with just one arrow? Do you remember that, Sir? Wasn’t my archery skill impressive?”
“It was just luck. Tigers are more difficult to hunt than that.”
While acknowledging Yeonwoo’s archery skills, Gun insisted that hunting required more than just shooting arrows. The ability to face a beast without panicking and calmly confront it was also necessary.
Recalling Yeonwoo freezing when facing a herd of wild boars during that incident, Gun couldn’t guarantee how she would react if a tiger suddenly appeared in front of her. Despite needing to make Yeonwoo give up, it was unknown why she was so persistent.
“Isn’t protecting each other when things get tough the role of friends? How is this different from others?”
“It’s something that can’t be done.”
As firm as Gun’s refusal was, Yeonwoo’s persuasion was equally persistent.
“You’re my superior, and what you’re doing is risky. How can you just ignore it knowing that?”
‘It’s because it’s dangerous that I can’t let you go.’ Even though these words reached Gun’s throat, he didn’t reveal his true intentions.
Despite Gun’s continued rejection, Yeonwoo couldn’t hide her disappointment.
In the end, Yeonwoo opened her mouth with a sulky voice.
“I wanted to repay you for teaching me martial arts, but you won’t even give me a chance.”
The way her shoulders drooped made Gun think of a puppy drenched in rain.
Yeonwoo’s appearance made Gun feel guilty, and that, too, was a skill.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
