“How is she doing these days?” Geon inquired.

“Uh, well?”

“Has anyone been bothering her?”

“Uh…!”

From Geon’s words, it seemed that the person bothering Yeonho was probably Baek Yeongam.

Since the incident with Baek Yeongam, Yeonwoo had been in the Gwangho Army, and there had been no chance of encountering him.

If it weren’t for the value of his life, Baek Yeongam wouldn’t dare to approach Yeonwoo.

Though Geon didn’t know why he was looking for Yeonho, Yeonwoo, without realizing Geon’s intention, responded with a skilled lie.

“Yes. My sister is doing well.”

Right by Nari’s side. Saying, “I am her sister,” was something Yeonwoo couldn’t bring himself to do.

At Yeonwoo’s response, Geon paused before speaking.

“Anything else to share about me since then?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Yeonwoo looked at Geon with a puzzled expression.

Although Geon tried to convey with his eyes that he didn’t need Yeonwoo to say it, Yeonwoo didn’t catch the signal.

“…Just various trivial stories.”

Since meeting the woman Yeonwoo again, Geon occasionally remembered her.

He was curious about how she was doing, but since she didn’t seem interested in meeting him, he had to suppress the desire to see her.

Therefore, he tried to divert attention away from her, but every time he looked at Yeonwoo, he couldn’t help but think of Yeonho, who resembled her.

Yeonho’s fragrance was deeply embedded in Geon’s memories, making her an unforgettable presence.

But oblivious to Geon’s true feelings, Yeonwoo, still perplexed, continued to splash cold water.

“There hasn’t been much to talk about.”

“…”

Geon felt a sense of disappointment at Yeonwoo’s indifferent response.

However, Yeonwoo also sensed an inexplicable change in Geon.

‘What? Why is he talking about Yeonho? Could he be interested in me?’

Yeonwoo recalled the memories of the touch from the encounter at Sohuiyeon, Geon’s scent lingering on the returned clothes, and the atmosphere of that time. Remembering those moments made him feel a tingling sensation.

‘Ah, no way! No, it can’t be!’

Even though Geon seemed cold on the surface, he was good at taking care of people, and Yeonwoo thought that he was just being kind to her.

If he was kind to her, couldn’t it mean he was concerned about her well-being?

As Yeonwoo was struggling to deny it within himself.

—Crack!

—Thunk!

The cries of a piglet and the crashing sound of a rock pile echoed. Simultaneously, the two heads turned in the direction of the noise.

“!”

“!”

It seemed that a tiger had fallen into the trap. The two grabbed their weapons and hurried in the direction of the set traps.

Not long after, Yeonwoo and Geon reached their destination. However, all they found were broken trees and a fallen rock pile; there was no sign of the tiger.

Yeonwoo, breathing heavily from running, said, “Huff… I can’t see the tiger.”

As Yeonwoo approached the trap to get a closer look at the situation, Geon reached out his arm to stop her.

“Wait.”
As Yeonwoo came to a stop, Geon bowed his head and began to survey the surroundings.

Geon’s hand touched one of the rocks rolling around the rock pile. On the rock, there was a bright red stain of fresh blood.

“He’s injured.”

Continuing to examine the area, Geon noticed tiger pawprints stamped on the ground. Geon scrutinized the pawprints more closely.

“Judging by the size of the pawprints, it’s a young male. Looks like he injured his hind leg.”

Red bloodstains were scattered along the tiger’s pawprints on the ground.

Having completed the investigation, Geon stood up, shook off the dirt from his clothes, and said, “We’ll follow the pawprints. He probably moved to his hiding place.”

Geon prepared himself for a tiger hunt.

“Be careful. Poison might be on the rise because of traps.”

Upon his warning, Yeonwoo swallowed nervously.

Now, the real hunt begins.

Tracking the tiger wasn’t difficult. Since the tiger was bleeding, even if the pawprints disappeared, they could follow the bloodstains.

Before they knew it, the two arrived at the entrance of the tiger’s den.

The gap between two large rocks was high enough for an adult to bow and enter. The blood from the wounded tiger extended into the cave.

As Yeonwoo nervously approached the trap, cold sweat dripped down her forehead.

Until now, she had hunted from the predator’s position, but if she made a mistake in this hunt, she could become the prey.

Even a slight error could cost her life.

The two took out small cylindrical bombs (explosive devices with gunpowder and needles).

Made of wood, these cylindrical jars were bombs with sharp needles that popped out along with gunpowder when thrown at the target.

With a nod from Geon as a signal, the two threw the bombs into the tiger’s den.

Swiftly hiding behind the cave, the thunderous noise shook the entire mountain, accompanied by the roar of the tiger.

—Boom!

—Roar!

The acrid smoke from the bomb filled the entrance of the cave.

Not long after, a bloody tiger emerged from the den.

—Roar!