‘What is he thinking?’

I looked at Nam Gung Hyun Jong with a puzzled expression.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong always looked at me as if I were an insect.

Despite being a busy man, he would make time to come see me.

And then he would shower me with curses.

[As expected of Nam Gung Hyun’s daughter, you have no talent at all. Like father, like daughter.] [I look forward to the day when the family head sees you. He will surely be disappointed.]

Nam Gung Hyun Jong played a big role in making me think that grandfather would dislike me.

I couldn’t understand why he was now acting as if he was worried about me.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong muttered as if he felt sorry.

“Why on earth did you go out at such a late hour?”

He put his hand on my shoulder. Then, he opened his mouth towards Nam Gung Jin Cheon.

“Father, Lin is originally a mischievous child. Un Ryeong always had a hard time because of that.”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong hastily continued.

“She must have gone out because of that. She must have been trying to tease the servants.”

“I wasn’t trying to tease the servants.”

At my answer, Nam Gung Hyun Jong raised his voice as if angry.

“What do you mean you weren’t!”

The weight of Nam Gung Hyun Jong pressing down on my shoulder felt excessively heavy. I had told Nam Gung Hyun Jong about the servants’ misdeeds a few times before.

After all, he was my nominal guardian. Every time, Nam Gung Hyun Jong blamed me instead.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I was afraid of grandfather’s scolding that would follow. But grandfather’s scolding was not directed at me.

He opened his mouth towards Nam Gung Hyun Jong.

“I didn’t ask you!”

“Ah, Father?”

I slowly opened my eyes.

Grandfather had an expressionless face. It was impossible to guess what he was thinking.

But strangely, the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped.

As the chilling energy was felt, Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s complexion turned pale blue. I took this opportunity to quickly open my mouth.

“I went out to ask for help because I had a fever. I had a fever and was so hungry that I couldn’t bear it anymore.”

Very fortunately, my physical condition was still at its worst.

The cold sweat flowing down my forehead was sufficient evidence for my words.

As I continued speaking, Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s complexion grew increasingly pale.

Grandfather’s gaze turned to Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s hand gripping my shoulder.

Receiving that gaze, Nam Gung Hyun Jong released my shoulder and stepped back hesitantly.

Grandfather slowly approached me. He bent down and asked me

“Why are you hungry?”

I could feel Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s sharp gaze on me.

He was telling me with his eyes.

Not to say anything.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong said that no matter how much I spoke, people wouldn’t believe me.

In fact, his words were true.

I had already received too many wounds from the people of the family.

Even if I told the truth here, would grandfather believe me?

‘Even if he believes, would he even care?’

The heartless man might rather look down on me.

What would the original Nam Gung Lin have done in this situation?

[Nam Gung Lin was a person full of distrust. She couldn’t trust her family members in the Nam Gung family.

She never stopped her fierce criticism towards the people of the Nam Gung family who were full of loyalty.

Ji Cheon Wu felt puzzled every time.

Nam Gung Lin sneered at Ji Cheon Wu and said,

“There’s no one to trust in this world. That’s what my family taught me.”]

I understood Nam Gung Lin.

If time passed like this, I too would have acted like Nam Gung Lin.

But I raised my head and met grandfather’s eyes.

Just like when I first saw him after waking up in Nam Gung Lin’s body, I didn’t avoid his eyes.

I don’t know exactly how Nam Gung Lin lived in the original Heavenly Demon Sovereign.

Her past wasn’t expressed in writing because she was just a minor extra character.

So I didn’t know how to act in this situation.

I just decided to act as I wanted to.

How the original Nam Gung Lin would have acted was no longer important.

The important thing was that I wanted to live a different path from her.

‘I really want to live.’

Although the body I entered was Nam Gung Lin who would meet her death someday, I wanted to live.

I wanted to survive and be happy.

I wanted to live a life where I could laugh and chat and have precious people someday, like ordinary people.

Isn’t it too cruel to have a fate determined to die after being despised?

To do that, I had to escape from the Nam Gung family.

If I left Un Ryeong and Nam Gung Hyun Jong unchecked like this, they would surely take my life eventually.

“It’s because… I have terrible physical strength.”

“…”

“Un Ryeong, my servant, said there’s no food for a child without talent like me.”

I grabbed the dagger with both hands and sniffled.

The dagger uncle had been quiet since grandfather came in.

But as soon as I finished speaking, it vibrated, hum hum.

It was a faint vibration that others couldn’t feel. As if it was angry at what I said.

“Hyun Jong, explain. You were the one who said you would take care of Lin, weren’t you?”

At grandfather’s words, Nam Gung Hyun Jong rushed forward with an urgent face.

“Father, it’s just the child’s words.”

“…”

“Children often make up things that aren’t true. She probably heard what others were saying and repeated it.”

Then Nam Gung Hyun Jong glared at me.

“She might have taken offense because I said something to her recently.”

“…”

“You know Lin’s reputation, don’t you? I was just trying to guide the child on the right path.”

As Nam Gung Hyun Jong finished speaking, I could see the people of the Nam Gung family standing behind him frowning.

“I heard that Lin skips training and treats the servants rudely.”

“Could it be that those words are also to slander Elder Brother Hyun Jong?”

“My goodness, how could that be? To slander her great-uncle who cares for her.”

I looked at Nam Gung Hyun Jong.

He was smiling triumphantly.

He thought people would believe his words, not mine.

“Lin is a child who doesn’t even know the Changgung sword technique, the basic sword technique of the Nam Gung family. She’s a child who always skipped sword training sessions.”

The audience fell silent at his words.

Everyone was busy looking at me with frowning eyes. Some looked at me as if I was pitiful.

There was no truth in his words. I didn’t skip training, I wasn’t allowed to go.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong had a confident attitude, as if he was sure of what he was doing.

He spoke as if to confirm the kill.

“Un Ryeong, come in!”

The door opened and Un Ryeong walked into the room.

I realized that Nam Gung Hyun Jong had plotted something. He had schemed in the short time I had collapsed.

So that no one would believe me even if I told the truth.

“You tell us. What kind of child was Lin?”

Un Ryeong glanced at me and then smiled, pulling up one corner of her mouth.

“Young Miss Lin always told me that she had no talent anyway, that she wouldn’t learn martial arts. She always woke up late in the morning and often missed training, she’s a lazy person.”

Not learning martial arts and giving up. It was a pathetic attitude for a martial artist.

I could see grandfather’s brow twitching. At his reaction, which seemed somewhat angry, I smiled bitterly.

‘He must be angry at me.’

That’s when it happened.

I heard another voice in my head.

[Listening to this, I can’t stand it anymore!]

The dagger uncle seemed very angry. A trembling could be felt from the sword.

[Who says you have no talent.]

I gripped the dagger in my hand.

[What are you doing? You should cut their throats! Aren’t they disrespecting you, a person of the Nam Gung family?]

‘They are also people of the Nam Gung family.’

[The spirit of the Nam Gung has fallen to the ground! To persecute a child like this.]

‘I’m fine. It’s something I would have had to go through someday anyway.’

It was within the range of what I had expected. I just didn’t know how grandfather would react.

[Would it be okay to show them the Changgung sword technique? I mean, if you can handle a sword, those things will quiet down.]

I don’t know the Changgung sword technique.

Although it was just a very basic sword technique of the Nam Gung family, they didn’t even teach me that.

I couldn’t understand what the dagger uncle was saying.

How could I, who hadn’t learned anything, perform the Changgung sword technique?

[I wasn’t going to intervene directly, but I can’t stand by anymore!]

‘What are you going to do?’

[Would it be okay if I move your body?]

I looked down at the dagger uncle and thought.

‘What is this, ghost sword king? Is this ghost martial arts?’

I was bewildered.

No, more than that, is it possible to move the body freely?

‘It’s a bit scary, you mean entrusting my body?’

[Aren’t those who persecute you scarier than me, a dagger you’ve just met?]

The dagger uncle was right. The situation was already the worst.

So there was nowhere else to retreat. As he said, the dagger I had just met was more reliable than the people of the family.

‘At least the dagger uncle warmed me up.’

I thought it wouldn’t be bad to believe in something for once.