Nam Gung Jin Cheon was lost in thought. He imagined Nam Gung Lin with a fur scarf wrapped around her neck. But soon after, he frowned.

He recalled Nam Gung Lin’s original quarters. The old and shabby room, the aged furniture. And the extremely rude maid.

He could tell how Nam Gung Lin had been treated during the years he was gone.

It was as if magma was boiling in Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s eyes.

Returning after 8 years and confirming Nam Gung Lin’s situation, Nam Gung Jin Cheon couldn’t help but feel sick to his stomach.

“The state of the household is deplorable.”

Yak Ran spoke towards Nam Gung Jin Cheon.

“You kept your distance from the family as much as possible. Since we don’t know how far they’ve extended their reach…”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon is strong.

In this martial arts world, those who could match Nam Gung Jin Cheon could be counted on one hand. But after Nam Gung Hyun disappeared, he realized.

Even though he is strong, those around him are weak.

That there are times when he cannot protect what he wants to protect, no matter how much he wishes to. But all of that would just be excuses.

Nam Gung Jin Cheon thought this as he gritted his teeth.

After pondering for a moment, Yak Ran carefully said.

“I’m worried because Miss Lin is too brilliant. Many outstanding rising talents tend to disappear.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon nodded at Yak Ran’s words. The disappearance of outstanding rising talents.

It was something that hadn’t happened yet in the Nine Major Sects or the Five Great Families.

Because of that, people’s attention hadn’t been drawn to it yet. But in weaker sects, people occasionally went missing.

Though not certain, Nam Gung Jin Cheon thought it was the doing of those Blood Cult bastards. The reason he hurriedly returned to the family, giving up his position as the Alliance Leader, was because of those incidents.

They wouldn’t dare touch the Nam Gung family with Nam Gung Jin Cheon around.

Yak Ran asked Nam Gung Jin Cheon, as if she just remembered.

“I heard you called for Lady So So.”

“Yes, it’s time now.”

“Then the young master will come as well, I suppose.”

Yak Ran clapped her hands with a delighted expression.

“Nam Gung Hyun Jong, his face will be worth seeing. This should be fun.”

[This is the timeline separator]

A few days had passed since I had a fistfight with Nam Gung Hwa Su and brought Ji Cheon Wu.

I marveled at Ji Cheon Wu standing before me.

Ji Cheon Wu after showering with warm water… was handsome. He was handsome even when covered in dust, but now it was as if his face had been gilded.

‘As expected of the protagonist.’

Even in the original work, The Heavenly Demon Sovereign, there were frequent praises about Ji Cheon Wu’s appearance.

Yak Ran, who was looking at Ji Cheon Wu and me, carefully said to me.

“Miss, to keep this boy here, we need to get permission from the family head. Even if you want to use him as a servant, there’s a procedure.”

I nodded.

I couldn’t keep Ji Cheon Wu by my side without any reason.

To keep Ji Cheon Wu by my side, I needed a justification.

‘I need to bring Ji Cheon Wu in as my personal servant.’

Originally, matters related to me had to go through Nam Gung Hyun, but at some point, it was said that I should speak directly to grandfather.

It was a good thing for me.

‘If I had talked to uncle, he definitely wouldn’t have allowed it.’

I looked at Ji Cheon Wu with a troubled expression.

‘I can’t just leave Ji Cheon Wu like this.’

Ji Cheon Wu was originally Nam Gung Hwa Su’s servant. If I sent him back there, Nam Gung Hwa Su would endlessly torment Ji Cheon Wu.

‘Then I would die at Ji Cheon Wu’s hands in the future.’

Of course, even without that, I didn’t want Ji Cheon Wu to suffer at Nam Gung Hwa Su’s hands.

The protagonist’s tragic childhood that would end in just a few lines in the novel.

But experiencing it in reality, it wasn’t a time that could be explained in just a few words for those involved.

Moreover…

I looked at the hand gripping my clothes. Ji Cheon Wu’s small, thin hand showed no intention of letting go of me.

It had been like this for the few days since I brought Ji Cheon Wu.

He had no intention of leaving my side.

‘How is this the foul-tempered, eccentric protagonist from the martial arts novel?’

Ji Cheon Wu’s personality in The Heavenly Demon Sovereign seemed different from his current appearance.

The dagger uncle grumbled as if displeased.

[This kid, he doesn’t seem to have that kind of temperament at all…]

“…”

[I wonder where that fierce look in his eyes when he was being beaten by those incompetent fools went. It was quite terrifying.]

I couldn’t deny the dagger uncle’s words.

Because I knew better than anyone what kind of person Ji Cheon Wu would become in the future.

‘But you never know. He might become a bit kinder than in the original work.’

A small hope raised its head.

In fact, wasn’t Ji Cheon Wu’s character, described as cruel, a result of his wrongful childhood?

I made eye contact with Ji Cheon Wu. Ji Cheon Wu then blushed and lowered his head.

Indeed, there was no sign of Ji Cheon Wu’s supposedly eccentric demeanor.

Above all, looking at Ji Cheon Wu’s face, that image didn’t come to mind at all.

First of all, he was too handsome, handsome, and handsome. It was hard to imagine that this delicate and beautiful face would become the Ji Cheon Wu with the eccentric personality from the original work.

I thought again.

‘Indeed, I must protect him.’

Ji Cheon Wu still had a weak and tender heart.

It meant he needed my protection.

[You shouldn’t be deceived by appearances!]

‘But, even so, one needs to be reasonably handsome…’

[Dumpling, this body once boasted the greatest beauty under heaven! But now I’m trapped in a dagger. Outward appearance is ultimately just dirt that disappears.]

Ignoring the dagger uncle’s words, I moved my feet.

Ji Cheon Wu was left in Yak Ran’s care.

‘And… around this time, those people should be returning to the family.’

I stood in front of grandfather’s room.

I could feel the gaze of the servant guarding the door.

“You are not allowed to enter here carelessly.”

I knew this servant.

He was someone who often had friendly conversations with uncle. In other words, he was uncle’s man.

“I want to see grandfather.”

“Unless the family head calls for you first, it’s impossible.”

The servant was firm.

I could see that the path to meeting grandfather would not be easy.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong was determined to prevent me from meeting grandfather by any means.

I gritted my teeth.

‘It won’t go according to uncle’s wishes.’

I stood there, unmoving.

I intended to wait until grandfather came out.

One hour, two hours, three hours.

As time passed, the servant’s expression became uncomfortable. He looked at me with an anxious face.

He thought I would collapse at any moment.

‘He probably thought I would give up and go back.’

The fact that I had collapsed with a fever would already be widely known throughout the family.

The dagger uncle’s worried voice rang in my ears.

[Are you alright? Just say the word and I’ll smash him right away! He’ll change that arrogant attitude after getting beaten.]

‘If you keep smashing everything like that, there won’t be anyone left in the family, let alone my body.’

[If it’s a place that torments you this much, it’s better off gone.]

I felt choked up again at the dagger uncle’s words.

In this vast family, the dagger uncle was the only one who truly cared for me.

‘It’s touching, but… my legs are starting to tremble.’

I couldn’t control my shaking legs.

The servant shook his head as he looked at me.

His eyes were full of contempt. He seemed to be mocking my weak physique.

That’s when it happened.

The dagger uncle whispered something small in my ear.

At the same time, the servant spoke to me.

“You should leave now. The family head won’t see you.”

“Why do you get to decide that?”

At my response, the servant frowned as if annoyed. That’s when the strength left my legs.

I couldn’t control my swaying body and fell forward.

“You’re truly pathetic. With such a miserable physique from lack of training, you still insist on staying?”

“…”

“This is why the family head dislikes you. The family head doesn’t come out because he doesn’t want to see you!”

As soon as his words ended, a chilling voice was heard.

“What nonsense did I just hear?”

The servant’s face turned pale.

I turned my head.

I brightened my eyes at the person I saw there.

I knew the owner of that sharp and spirited tone.

Nam Gung So So. My aunt, whom I was seeing for the first time in my life, was standing there.

And beside her was a boy who looked two or three years older than me.

That extraordinary handsomeness.

And the vigor flowing in his eyes.

It was not an appearance that could come from an extra.

I recognized who he was at a glance.

‘Nam Gung Yu Cheong!’

He was the one ray of light in the hopeless Nam Gung family from the original work.

He was also the only one who protected Ji Cheon Wu when the villains of the Nam Gung family tormented him. If Ji Cheon Wu was the eccentric protagonist, Nam Gung Yu Cheong was the protagonist overflowing with a sense of justice.

“Oh my, child! Are you alright?”

Aunt quickly approached me and embraced me.

She glared at the servant with blazing eyes. The servant now didn’t dare to even raise his head.

“You insolent fool who can’t even recognize your master.”

“That, that is…”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear your excuses.”

I could feel aunt’s fingertips trembling slightly. It was due to anger.

I closed my eyes while in aunt’s embrace.

Even in the novel, Nam Gung So So was portrayed as a good character.

She was also the only one in the family who cherished the talentless and insignificant Nam Gung Lin.

Although I knew this fact, aunt’s body temperature felt warm.