The Lunar Deity’s smiling expression froze.

Clack. Na Rin took out an abacus from behind her waist.

“As you know, I’m quite busy and don’t have much free time. But since it’s not just anyone, but the Deity herself who absolutely needs me, I can’t pretend not to know…”

Clickclickclickclick! It was the first time the Lunar Deity had seen human fingers move so quickly.

“Hehe. Do you like it? I gave you a good deal.”

On the abacus held by the grinning Na Rin, there was the basic salary according to rank, various expenses, special wages for being a Heavenly Demon’s descendant, and even a gold bonus that was never mentioned.

After being unable to take her eyes off the abacus for a while, the Lunar Deity slowly raised her head.

“…If you’re too busy, you don’t have to do it.”

“Ehey! Don’t look down on people. Then let’s do it.”

Na Rin pointed her fingers alternately at the Lunar Deity and herself, whispering in a small voice.

“Just between us.”

I’m totally screwed.

“Of… Of course…!”

The Lunar Deity tried hard to lift the corners of her mouth, feeling like she was going to vomit blood.

In this way, Na Rin was handling the changes that came with her sudden rise in status relatively smoothly.

Except for just one thing.

“At this time of late winter, I pray that your energy and health are in all ways prosperous, and that your jade body is safe and secure.”

The person who set an example before Na Rin made an elegant bow and spoke.

“Try following along, Lady Ma.”

Na Rin rolled her big eyes and carefully asked.

“What kind of spell is that?”

“Hoho. How amusing. It’s not a spell, but a greeting. It means wishing for your health and overall well-being in this cold season.”

The name of this person, whose smile was also incomparably elegant, was Yeo Bijo.

She was a priestess of the Temple of Ritual, which oversaw the Ma Sect’s ceremonial rites.

“What kind of greeting is this? Hello! Nice to meet you for the first time! That’s a greeting.”

Yeo Bijo covered her mouth with her hand and laughed, then spoke in a gentle tone.

“Of course, that’s also a great greeting. But haven’t you been entrusted with an important role, Lady Ma? The role of a shrine maiden in the New Year’s ceremony.”

That’s right.

The event plan for Na Rin’s appointment ceremony as Lady Ma that she submitted to Dokgo Cheon ended up being hastily combined into one due to the timing being similar to the New Year’s ceremony and the additional need to dedicate the Asura Sword.

While at it, Na Rin, the main figure, also ended up taking on the role of a shrine maiden in the New Year’s ceremony.

Na Rin spoke with a sullen expression, as if unwilling.

“I don’t really want to be a shrine maiden… Can’t the person who usually does it do it instead?”

“Oh my.”

Yeo Bijo made the most troubled expression possible within the range of not losing her elegance.

“Still, please try to cheer up a little. The Madam will also be attending.”

“Madam?”

Yeo Bijo nodded her head gracefully and said.

“She is the legal wife of the previous Sect Leader. For Lady Ma, she would be a grandmother-level elder of very high status.”

Yeo Bijo encouraged Na Rin, saying groundless things like ‘if you greet her well, she will look upon you favorably’.

‘Grandmother…’

Na Rin couldn’t help but agree, even while making a grumbling sound.

Dokgo Cheon may look favorably upon her because he’s in a daze due to some illness, but even with a rough thought, there was no reason for the Madam to view Na Rin positively.

It would be even more so if she was a child who couldn’t even greet properly.

“Please teach me one more time.”

“At this time of late winter, I pray that your energy and health are in all ways prosperous, and that your jade body is safe and secure.”

“At this dog faint winter… Energy halth all waste pospess…!”

“In all ways prosperous.”

“In always pospess!”

After correcting Na Rin’s pronunciation countless times, Yeo Bijo finally shook her head. At this rate, it was a problem beyond etiquette.

“If you practice whenever you have time, you’ll quickly become proficient.”

“Yesh…”

After the etiquette lesson that lasted for a few hours ended and Yeo Bijo left, Na Rin sprawled out on the floor.

‘This seems to take more energy than martial arts training.’

Bowing elegantly can be considered a form, but the clumsy pronunciation is a hurdle. Based on her experience so far, the tongue becomes nimble around six or seven years old.

‘The problem is that I can’t wait until then.’

However, unlike knowledge or skills, physical growth cannot be arbitrarily accelerated. Na Rin knew that fact better than anyone.

At that moment, a shadow loomed over the sprawled Na Rin.

“You’re really bad at it.”

It was Gong Son Wu.

“Then you should have helped me with voice projection.”

Na Rin sat up with a blunt expression and spoke.

“You’ll have to do it with your own abilities during the New Year’s ceremony anyway, so what’s the point.”

“I’ll halp you ewen during the New Yee’s cermony.”

Really?

Gong Son Wu showed a slightly intrigued expression but soon shook his head.

“Don’t you know that a martial artist with high attainment can eavesdrop on voice projection? If we’re caught, it will be troublesome for both you and me.”

“Who would?”

Na Rin laughed.

No matter what anyone says, Gong Son Wu is the second-in-command of the Ma Sect. The only person who could eavesdrop on his voice projection would be Dokgo Cheon at most.

“The Sect Leader will overlook it even if he knows.”

“Now start calling him Father. And it’s not the Sect Leader I’m worried about.”

Then who?

As Na Rin wondered, Gong Son Wu sat down next to her and spoke.

“Even the dead can attend the New Year’s ceremony of the Heavenly Demon Sect. In other words, those who served the previous Sect Leader will also attend.”

Na Rin stood up from her spot with a serious expression and placed her palm on Gong Son Wu’s forehead.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re saying nonsense, so I thought you might have a fever. But it doesn’t seem so. It’s a bit early for dementia.”

“I’m not saying the actual dead will come.”

Gong Son Wu briefly explained the custom of the Ma Sect where, when a new Sect Leader is enthroned, those who served the previous Sect Leader collectively move their residence to Mount Bukmang and do not involve themselves in the sect’s affairs.

“So the previous Guardian of the Earth will come?”

“That person is truly dead, so he won’t come. But other previous Guardians of the Law may show their faces.”

Indeed. If it’s like that, it makes sense.

Martial artists are essentially monsters who become stronger with age. Even if they are former masters, they cannot be treated as mere old folks in the back room.

‘The voice projection might really be overheard.’

Na Rin sighed.

In the end, it means she has to do it entirely with her own abilities.

“Energy halth all waste pospess…”

Practice was the only way to survive.

“Characters?”

Na Rin widened her already round eyes even more and tilted her head.

Every time Na Rin did this, Dokgo Cheon felt like those obsidian-like eyes would roll away somewhere.

“Since you’ve made a contribution, it’s only right to reward you, isn’t it?”

As Dokgo Cheon straightened Na Rin’s head, Na Rin continued as if accustomed to it.

“Contribution…?”

“I’m referring to the merit of finding the Asura Sword.”

Ah, right. That’s true.

After obtaining it somehow, in the midst of being flustered, Jeok Gun Ak took it away, so she had forgotten that such a sword existed. Na Rin scratched the back of her head in embarrassment and asked again.

“But what does that have to do with characters?”

“The Sect Leader of the Ma Sect can bestow a character to those with special merits or exceptional talents. For example, if there is a particularly virtuous Lady Ma, they may be called ‘Hyeon-gongnyeo’ by granting the character ‘hyeon (賢)’ meaning virtuous.”

It’s that thing often used in the Empress’ Palace.

Na Rin nodded her head, recalling the things she had overheard as a palace maid in the Empress’ Palace during her 4th regression.

“Do you have a character in mind?”

As if there would be such a thing.

Na Rin was about to shake her head vigorously but abruptly stopped.

“Can I also receive the character ‘mi (美)’ for beauty?”

“Nothing is impossible.”

“Yay!”

She knew it was too blatant. But she wanted to be called pretty at least once in her life. If she’s recorded in history as ‘Mi-gongnyeo’, future generations might think that Na Rin received the character for beauty because she was so pretty.

As this thought reached her mind, Na Rin suddenly asked.

“It won’t overlap with anyone, right? Like, there wasn’t an extremely famous Mi-gongnyeo in history or something.”

“Not to my knowledge.”

Phew. That’s a relief. It was the moment Na Rin let out a sigh of relief.

“Usually, characters like ‘am (暗)’ for dark, ‘heuk (黑)’ for black, ‘ma (魔)’ for demon, ‘pok (暴)’ for violence, ‘gwi (鬼)’ for ghost, or ‘sal (殺)’ for kill are preferred.”

…Huh?

“There won’t be any overlap with such characters.”

In other words, if we interpret Dokgo Cheon’s words in reverse, it means that ‘mi (美)’ is an unpopular character in the Ma Sect.

Even if it’s a character commonly used in the Empress’ Palace to refer to all the lowest-ranking palace ladies as ‘mi-in (美人)’, once you come to the Ma Sect, it’s a character that’s rarely used unless you’re exceptionally outstanding.

‘This is ominous.’

Na Rin could easily imagine the situation that would unfold after the New Year’s ceremony.

– Mi-gongnyeo? Hmm. She’s not quite at that level.
– I thought she would be incredibly pretty… Why is she the Mi-gongnyeo?
– Right. In my eyes, the 00th Lady Ma seems more beautiful.
– I heard she asked for the character ‘mi (美)’ herself.
– How brazen! Let’s call her ‘Bbeon-gongnyeo’ using the character ‘bbeon (뻔)’ for brazen!
– Hahaha! Bbeon-gongnyeo! Bbeon-gongnyeo!

Aaaah!

‘I can’t become Bbeon-gongnyeo.’

Just thinking about people evaluating Na Rin’s face and gossiping about it made her feel dizzy. She might end up in a situation where she can never take off her veil for the rest of her life.

“I want to change it.”

“Are you sure?”

Na Rin nodded her head solemnly.

What’s the point of being recorded as pretty in history books? She would have to suffer in her actual life!

‘It’s greed. It’s greed.’

A person should live according to their means.

Na Rin chose a different character to represent herself instead of ‘mi (美)’ for beauty.

“You’ve chosen a good character. The meaning is nice too.”

“Is that so…?”

Lacking the guts, she missed the opportunity to become Mi-gongnyeo.

Na Rin felt a little dejected.

“Come to think of it, are the preparations for the New Year’s ceremony going well? Is Yeo Bijo teaching you properly?”

“The priestess is teaching me well.”

It’s just that I’m not learning well, which is the problem.

Na Rin slid down from Dokgo Cheon’s lap and stood facing him.

“At this time of late winter, I pray that your energy and health are in all ways pospess, and that your jade stop secure.”

“I only understood that the time is the season of late winter.”

She thought it would be like that.

Na Rin let out a deep sigh and said.

“Once I trip up on ‘energy halth’, it’s like slipping on a snowy mountain in winter, and the pronunciation tumbles and rolls down in a series.”

Dokgo Cheon imagined Na Rin’s soft tongue becoming a white snowball and rolling down a snowy mountain, then spoke.

“It must be quite troubling.”

“That’s what I’m saying! There’s not even half a month left, and I’m worried sick.”

Worried sick. That won’t do.

Dokgo Cheon pondered for a moment as if trying to come up with a solution, and after looking around, he grasped a handful of go stones made of ivory and shells.

“How about practicing speaking with these in your mouth?”

A few shiny go stones rattled in Na Rin’s palm.

“I’ve seen someone refine their speech like that before.”

Na Rin showed a doubtful expression. Would this even be effective?

“Yesh. Mmph.”

“You don’t seem willing.”

“It’s just that. It’s not like they taste good or anything.”

But there’s no choice but to try it for now.

The moment Na Rin was about to stuff the go stones in, Dokgo Cheon spoke.

“Taebok, come in.”

Then, Taebok, the Sect Leader’s attendant, entered the room and bowed as if he had been waiting.

“Did you call for me?”

“Make candy drops the size of these go stones and present them to Na Rin.”

Taebok showed an expression of ‘Candy drops…?’ but quickly bowed his head.

It was the duty of an attendant to follow the Sect Leader’s orders without question, no matter how strange or extravagant they may be.

“As you command!”

Dokgo Cheon looked at Na Rin and said.

“Now they will taste good.”

I suppose so.

Na Rin just smiled.

Since Dokgo Cheon had gone to such lengths, she couldn’t afford to make mistakes.

‘I really need to take some extraordinary measures.’