How Can a Soldier Be So Fair? (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
“Come on, take them off quickly.”
Dae Bok urged Yeon Woo to undress with a mischievous expression on his face.
He found Yeon Woo’s unmanly shyness amusing, and his gaze clearly showed he wanted to tease her.
Yeon Woo glared at Dae Bok, who was staring blatantly, with a dissatisfied look and grumbled.
“Why are you staring like that? You’re going to bore a hole through my face.”
“Now that I think about it, this is the first time in my life I’ve seen such a pretty man.”
At Dae Bok’s words, Yeon Woo’s heart sank again, as if her true identity had been exposed.
Dae Bok narrowed his eyes thinly and gazed at her intently as he continued.
“If you were a woman, I wouldn’t make you my little brother—I’d make you my wife. What a pity. Don’t you want to just remove that thing and become my wife?”
How far is this guy going to keep spouting nonsense without limit?
Even though they’ve decided to become sworn brothers, showing weakness here would mean losing.
She had to give men the impression from the start that she wasn’t easy to deal with, so there’d be no trouble later.
Yeon Woo, hiding her panic behind a stern face, asked seriously in return.
“Your joke is going too far! Do you have a hobby of liking men?”
“What a disastrous thing to say! How much I love women!”
At Yeon Woo’s words, Dae Bok’s face turned red and blue as he jumped up in shock.
Seeing him get so angry, he must just be an excessively teasing person.
Dae Bok sat back down in his seat, grumbling as if it was no fun.
“Tch. I can’t even joke in front of my little brother.”
Setting Dae Bok aside, Yeon Woo fell into deep thought.
If she didn’t change into the clothes she’d gone through the trouble of getting, he’d obviously find her suspicious.
But if she changed clothes right here, wouldn’t her being a woman be immediately discovered?
Unable to do this or that, just as she was racking her brain.
Yeon Woo thought of one clever idea.
She didn’t know if it would work, but it was worth trying.
Yeon Woo hunched her back and brought her hand to her abdomen, gently rubbing it.
Then she parted her lips and let out a slight groan.
“Aigoo… I must have eaten something wrong this morning…”
“What’s wrong, little brother?”
“My stomach is bubbling and boiling— it feels like something bad is about to happen any moment.”
Even though she was disguised as a man, inside she was a fully grown young lady, so talking about needing to relieve herself in front of a man she’d just met.
It was something she herself had come up with and said, but Yeon Woo’s face turned bright red from shame and embarrassment.
However, in the current situation, there wasn’t really any other way.
Dae Bok, even more embarrassed than Yeon Woo, jumped up again in place.
“I’m disappointed in you, little brother! How can you say such irreverent things! It’s truly filthy!”
“When it’s urgent, do we have the luxury to care about clean or dirty!”
“Just go over there! I don’t need a little brother who poops his pants!”
This guy must have been a frog in his previous life—he jumped so well.
Seeing him so flustered, Yeon Woo felt the urge to pay him back for the earlier teasing.
The first time was hard, but the second was easy.
Yeon Woo opened her mouth with an even louder voice than before.
“Calling me a pants-pooper is too much! You were the one who said you wanted to make me your wife earlier, and now you say you don’t need me? Are you abandoning your little brother?”
As Yeon Woo approached, acting aggrieved, Dae Bok backed away in horror.
“Stay away! You’ll get poop smell on me!”
“Help me, big brother! I feel like I’m going to wet my pants!”
Every time Yeon Woo approached, Dae Bok ran away like a chicken chased by a dog.
The chase between the two continued.
Just as she was starting to find Dae Bok’s extreme reaction fun.
Dae Bok declared surrender as if he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Ah, fine! Then I’ll stand guard! Follow me—I’ll find a secluded spot!”
“As expected, there’s only big brother! It’s urgent, so hurry and find one.”
He only needed to find a place with no people, yet he was offering to stand guard too.
Yeon Woo inwardly thought Dae Bok was commendable and followed him as he led the way.
The place Dae Bok found was near a secluded grain storage.
One side was the grain storage, and two sides were blocked by rocks, making it perfect for changing clothes.
Dae Bok stood at the entrance and kept watch.
With his back turned to Yeon Woo, he grumbled as if dissatisfied.
“What a picky guy.”
Whether he did or not.
Before changing, Yeon Woo gave Dae Bok one last stern warning.
“You absolutely can’t turn around!”
“Why would I be crazy enough to look at that! I won’t look! Even if you beg me to look, I won’t!”
Dae Bok got angry again.
Yeon Woo looked at the back of Dae Bok’s head as he huffed alone and barely held back the laughter trying to escape.
He was a strange person, but he had an unexpectedly kind side.
Thanks to Dae Bok, Yeon Woo was able to change clothes comfortably.
*** *** ***
The exam took place in a wide open area inside the training camp.
About a hundred examinees were lined up by number, then grouped into teams of ten.
It seemed the supervisors would score each group.
Since Dae Bok’s number was quite different, they had to part ways around here.
Feeling a bit regretful, it seemed she had grown attached in such a short time.
Pushing aside the reluctance, she looked around and saw examinees of various appearances and ages.
From very young boys to elderly men with white hair.
Among them were monks with shaved heads and butchers with bushy hair.
She didn’t know their circumstances for coming this far, but they were a ragtag group that perfectly fit the term “motley crew.”
Seeing so many people gathered, Yeon Woo finally started to feel the reality of having arrived at the training camp.
No matter what exam came, she had to pass here.
She didn’t know when another chance for independence would come.
Yeon Woo clenched her small fist tightly and vowed inwardly.
At that moment, one of the supervisors stepped forward and explained the exam.
“The first test is spear thrusting. Stab each designated spot: the head, chest, and abdomen of that dummy.”
The first exam was thrusting a spear into designated parts of a dummy.
As soon as straw human-sized dummies were placed, a whistle signaled the start.
Yeon Woo was handed a spear: a bamboo pole with a sharp metal tip attached.
But oh my goodness.
Not to mention the distance to the dummy was far, Yeon Woo had no idea how to handle a spear she’d never touched before.
Holding the spear, Yeon Woo couldn’t even steady herself and staggered in place.
Her best was clumsily poking it without even hitting the target properly.
Starting with poor performance, Yeon Woo became anxious.
But she couldn’t back down here.
The second exam followed immediately.
After scoring the examinees, the supervisor continued with the next explanation.
“The second is bamboo cutting. Continuously cut the bamboo into four equal parts.”
In front of Yeon Woo, a sword and a bamboo as tall as herself were set up.
Yeon Woo awkwardly held the sword, unsure if her stance was even correct.
As the start was signaled, Yeon Woo swung the sword.
However, not only did it miss the target, but from being too tense, her hands sweated and she dropped the hilt.
The supervisor watching Yeon Woo from the side shook his head and clicked his tongue.
“Tsk…”
This is a disaster.
In the first exam, she couldn’t even get near the target, and the second wasn’t much different.
Looking around, even those who failed the first exam mostly did well on the second.
If she failed after coming this far, her only options would be fainting or marrying Old Man Bae.
As Yeon Woo’s anxiety grew, the third exam followed.
“The final exam is archery.”
At the supervisor’s mention of archery, Yeon Woo’s eyes sparkled.
If it was archery, she had often hunted while going to the mountains, so she had a chance.
Targets with wild boar drawings were set up at a distance in front of the examinees.
Yeon Woo listened carefully to the supervisor’s explanation.
“Hit the forehead, neck, and thigh of the wild boar drawing, one arrow each.”
The distance to the target was fairly close.
Since Yeon Woo had hunted smaller birds and rabbits, hitting a stationary target was promising.
Yeon Woo drew the bowstring and aimed at the thigh of the drawn wild boar.
—Swish!
The flying arrow hit exactly the thigh of the drawn wild boar.
Yeon Woo nocked the second arrow and drew.
—Thwack!
When she shot the second arrow, it unfailingly hit the nape of the drawn wild boar’s neck.
Finally, Yeon Woo aimed at the target’s forehead.
The forehead was smaller than the other parts, so she needed more focus.
Yeon Woo drew the string with her interlocked thumb.
Then she inhaled and briefly held her breath.
Concentrating all her nerves on the arrowhead, sweat beaded on her forehead from tension.
After one last check of the target’s position, Yeon Woo released the bowstring like a crane shaking its wings.
—Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the arrow hit the wild boar’s forehead precisely.
It was the moment her hunting skills from the mountains shone.
‘It worked!’
A smile bloomed on Yeon Woo’s face like flowers.
She barely held back the urge to shout and jump.
Without time to enjoy the joy, the supervisors finished scoring and collected the targets and weapons.
When the whistle signaling the end of the exam sounded, all examinees gathered in front of the training camp.
“Little brother! How did the exam go!”
Dae Bok, somehow finding Yeon Woo among the crowd, approached her.
“I’m not sure. The last exam seemed good, but I think I ruined the earlier ones… How about you, big brother? Did you do well?”
“Of course I did well! By the way, what happened with the earlier exams?”
In the meantime, the examinees started noisily talking about their tests.
As the surroundings grew loud, one of the supervisors who had finished discussing stepped forward.
“Ahem!”
At the supervisor’s cough, the noisy area quickly quieted.
The supervisor held the list of passers and continued.
“We will announce the 30 top scorers who passed based on total points.”
All the examinees gathered watched the supervisor’s mouth attentively.
Yeon Woo did the same, staring fixedly at the supervisor’s mouth.
She had done well on the last exam, but she had ruined the previous two so badly.
Moreover, she wasn’t the only one good at archery, so she had no confidence she’d pass.
The supervisor began calling the passers’ names.
As expected, Yeon Woo’s name wasn’t there, but it was anticipated.
Having ruined it that much, passing would have been stranger.
Dae Bok’s name was on the list from early on.
“Congratulations, big brother. You passed.”
“Of course! Who am I to fail? Hahaha!”
Dae Bok laughed boastfully as if his passing was obvious.
That reaction could have been annoying, but Yeon Woo only envied Dae Bok’s boundless confidence.
The supervisor continued calling the passers’ names.
“Jeong Myeong Tae! Kim Eun Hwang! Lee Cheon Soo…”
Even while calling twenty names, Yeon Woo’s wasn’t there.
As expected.
No matter how well she did the last exam, the previous two were too disastrous.
Since she couldn’t even start properly, failing might be the natural result.
Yeon Woo’s shoulders slumped dejectedly.
The thought of returning and inevitably marrying the old man made tears well up.
Yeon Woo didn’t have the courage to hear the announcement to the end.
If she heard her name not called even at the last, she felt she’d burst into tears in the crowded training ground.
The disheartened Yeon Woo turned to leave the training ground.
“Little brother, where are you going! The announcement isn’t over yet!”
Dae Bok grabbed Yeon Woo as she tried to leave.
If she looked at Dae Bok’s face now, he’d see her teary eyes.
Yeon Woo lowered her head deeply and answered, trying to hide her choked voice.
“No, I failed.”
In the meantime, the twenty-ninth passer was called.
As expected, it wasn’t Yeon Woo’s name.
Yeon Woo wanted to leave this place quickly.
“Big brother Dae Bok, though it was brief, it was nice meeting you.”
“It’s not over until it’s over—what are you saying! Even if you fail, hearing the full result will make you feel better, right?”
Dae Bok held onto the leaving Yeon Woo with a truly regretful expression.
Just as she was about to politely shake him off.
“Hong Yeon Woo!”
Yeon Woo’s name was called for the last passer.
Yeon Woo momentarily doubted her ears.
“Did they really just call my name?”
Unable to believe she passed, Yeon Woo’s expression was dazed.
Yeon Woo asked Dae Bok several times if it was really her name.
Dae Bok answered her question with a wide grin.
“Yes. It’s your name, little brother. I heard it clearly. See, what did I tell you?”
“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!”
Only then did it sink in that she had passed.
Yeon Woo’s expression gradually softened, and the corners of her mouth reached her ears.
Unable to contain her emotions, she jumped up and down, letting out the laughter she’d been holding.
“Hehe! I passed!”
“See, what did I say? I told you to listen to the end, right? If you listen to big brother, you’ll get rice cakes even in your sleep.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
From overwhelming joy, Yeon Woo felt like thanking everything in the world.
Yeon Woo barely held back the urge to hug Dae Bok beside her.
Dae Bok smiled gently and extended his hand to Yeon Woo.
“Let’s get along well from now on, little brother.”
“Yes! Please take care of me too, big brother!”
Yeon Woo smiled and grasped Dae Bok’s extended hand.
Feeling the warm body heat from Dae Bok’s hand, Yeon Woo’s heart warmed too.
Her first achievement through her own strength was incredibly precious and thrilling.
In this moment, Yeon Woo envied nothing in the world.
*** *** ***
Inside the training officers’ barracks of Prince Gwang Ho’s unit.
One of the exam supervisors called for Bi Young from outside the barracks.
“Training Officer Bi Young, are you there?”
Bi Young, who was polishing his sword, answered the supervisor’s voice calmly.
“Come in.”
With Bi Young’s permission, the supervisor entered the barracks.
The supervisor handed Bi Young the list of passers from the exam held earlier.
“Here is the list of passers.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Having finished his task, the supervisor quickly withdrew outside.
Bi Young unfolded the list of passers he received from the supervisor.
The list contained detailed information like names, ages, occupations, and families of the passers.
Bi Young read down the names of the soldiers he would teach one by one.
Since he would personally train the 30 passers, knowing about them in advance wouldn’t hurt.
Then, at the end of the list, a familiar name caught his eye.
“Hong Yeon Woo…?”
Bi Young rubbed his eyes once, wondering if he saw wrong, and checked the list again.
No matter how he looked, the name on the list was Hong Yeon Woo.
The name Yeon Woo could be found among boys too.
Having the same surname was rare, but just because the name was the same didn’t mean this Hong Yeon Woo was the Yeon Woo Bi Young had known for a long time.
Moreover, since Yeon Woo was not a man, she couldn’t even apply to be a soldier—it was impossible.
“Haha, I must be quite tired lately.”
Why would he think this Hong Yeon Woo was the Yeon Woo he knew.
Bi Young concluded it was because he was tired lately that his thoughts wandered strangely.
But a nagging feeling in one corner of his heart wouldn’t go away.
Bi Young checked the detailed information of the passer Hong Yeon Woo.
“The youngest son, 15 years old, of former naval officer Hong Jae Man, Hong Yeon Woo…”
In this area, there was only one house of former naval officer Hong Jae Man that Bi Young knew well.
Former naval officer Hong Jae Man, Yeon Woo’s father.
That family had a youngest daughter, but no youngest son had ever existed.
The list of passers held in Bi Young’s hand limply fell to the floor.
Bi Young barely steadied his dizzy mind.
“Yeon Woo, why are you here…”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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